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A 2023 study of about 110,000 people in the United Kingdom suggested that those who most adhered to a Mediterranean lifestyle had a 28% lower risk of dying from cancer and a 29% lower risk of dying prematurely from any cause, compared with those who least adhered to the lifestyle.
White spots on fingernails are common and have many possible causes. These include minor trauma to the fingers, wearing nail polish for prolonged periods, fungal infections, low iron levels, kidney disease, or liver cirrhosis.
It’s hard to get rid of sticky thoughts, which play repeatedly in the mind and cause distress. Strategies that can help include going for a walk, staying busy by scheduling activities, limiting worry time to one specific period of each day, and talking to family and friends. If sticky thoughts don’t go away after a few weeks, it might be time to talk to a primary care doctor or a therapist. Treatment might involve cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps someone recognize sticky thoughts and redirect them in ways that are less negative and more manageable.
Taking a blood thinner helps protect people at risk for dangerous blood clots that can lead to life-threatening conditions, such as a stroke or heart attack. But the medications increase the risk for uncontrolled bleeding. People taking the drugs should learn what to do in case bleeding occurs. For minor injuries, it’s important to apply extra pressure until bleeding stops. For serious injuries, one should call 911 and apply as much pressure as possible to the wound until help arrives. People who take blood thinners and experience even minor injury from a fall or accident should automatically go to urgent care or the emergency department to get checked out, even if there is no apparent bleeding or trauma is observed.
Having a sense of purpose is linked to important health benefits, such as longevity and sharp thinking skills. There are many ways to cultivate a sense of purpose. Ideas include thinking about one’s strengths or skills and how to apply them; becoming a mentor; volunteering time to a worthy cause; reading Viktor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning; writing about lived experiences and sharing the information with family or friends; and thinking of longtime dreams and ways to achieve elements of them.
In a 2023 review of 17 studies that included about 227,000 people, those who took at least 3,900 steps per day had reduced risks of dying young from any cause. Even taking about 2,300 steps per day compared to fewer daily steps was tied to reduced risks of dying prematurely from cardiovascular disease.
Hand arthritis makes it tough to do winter activities, such as preparing holiday feasts, shoveling snow, wrapping presents, or using walking or ski poles. It helps to plan out activities, break them up when possible, take lots of breaks, use tools to make the jobs easier, and enlist help if needed. For example, consider asking family and friends to assist with holiday meal prep, or hire a service to remove snow.
Some doctors feel it’s unlikely that editing people’s genes will help prevent them from getting Alzheimer’s disease. It’s not just because attempts to edit genes inside the cells of living animals are in their infancy. It’s also because most cases of Alzheimer’s disease occur in older adults, and those cases do not appear to be caused just by a few defective genes. Lifestyle—particularly exercise, diet, and the amount of high-quality sleep—affects the risk of developing Alzheimer’s at least as much as genes.
Early planning can help people recover well from cataract surgery. That planning can include reviewing post-procedure instructions in advance; investigating whether a simplified eye drops regimen is available and will be covered by insurance; learning the right way to use eye drops, and teaching a loved one to help with their application if necessary; and preparing to take a break from certain physical activities, such as bending over, lifting objects that are 10 pounds or heavier, cleaning, vacuuming, or doing laundry.
Following a plant-based eating pattern and cutting back on highly processed foods can help promote a more diverse, healthier microbiome. A healthy gut microbiome may decrease inflammation that promotes heart disease. Most fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains are good sources of prebiotic fiber, which is broken down by gut bacteria to create short-chain fatty acids. These fatty acids are linked to lower inflammation and reductions in other heart disease risk factors.