Category: harvardhealth_news_UNDEFINED

Pharmacies across the United States are struggling with budget cuts and staffing shortages. As a result, customers are sometimes experiencing delays in getting their prescriptions filled. Until pharmacies resolve their challenges, customers might need to work a little harder to get their medications promptly. One strategy that can help is ordering prescription refills early. If customers continue to have frequent delays at their pharmacies, they might consider switching their prescriptions to another store.

For people older than 75 who have heart disease already, or who are at increased risk of developing heart disease, there now is solid evidence that statins remain effective at lowering cholesterol and, more important, in reducing the risk of new or recurrent heart disease. For people older than 75 who have not been diagnosed with heart disease and are not at increased risk for developing it, the value of statins still is uncertain.

A 2023 study found that compared with “casual” walking (at less than 2 mph), walking 2 mph to 3 mph (brisk walking) was associated with a 15% lower risk of diabetes, no matter how long people walked each day.

Older couples face many challenges as they age that can affect intimacy, including health issues, physical changes, and fluctuations in desire. These can lead to common problems like being stuck in a sexual rut, feeling out of sync, and dealing with low energy. But with communication, planning, and creativity, partners can continue to enjoy a satisfying sexual relationship.

When participants in a 2023 study ate a low-sodium diet for one week, the vast majority experienced an average 8-point drop in their systolic blood pressure compared to when they ate a high-salt diet for one week.

A 2023 study found that people with depression who attended at least one “hot” yoga session per week for eight weeks had significantly reduced depression symptoms, compared with people who did not perform hot yoga.

A 2023 study found that a mindfulness training program that improves self-awareness may help people with high blood pressure follow a heart-healthy diet.

Three strategies can help keep the ankles strong, flexible, and healthy: strengthening the calf muscles with exercises such as calf raises; strengthening muscles that allow side movement of the ankle; and stretching the muscles in both the upper and lower part of the calves. It also helps to understand how the joint works and what factors can lead to a strain, such as an overstretched ligament on the side of the ankle.

The weight-loss drug semaglutide is the first obesity treatment shown to help people live longer and have fewer cardiovascular problems. Developed as a drug for type 2 diabetes, semaglutide was first marketed as Ozempic; a higher-dose version for weight loss is called Wegovy. But because the drug is so popular, it can be hard to find, and it might not be covered by insurance.

The carotid arteries, which run up the sides of the neck, can become clogged with plaque—a condition called carotid stenosis. But a carotid artery ultrasound to look for this problem is advisable in only a few specific circumstances, mostly in people with signs or symptoms of carotid stenosis. One sign is a distinctive whooshing sound called a bruit that a doctor can hear through a stethoscope placed over the artery. The tests are also routine in people who experience symptoms of a transient ischemic attack (TIA), or ministroke, which usually last only briefly.