Category: health-letter

When it comes to the best time of day to take medication, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. It depends on the particular medication, a person’s health conditions, and other drugs being taken. For example, some pills are best taken in the morning, before breakfast, to promote better absorption. Others may need to be taken at bedtime because they may cause drowsiness. One should always ask about the best time of day to take a medication when it’s first prescribed.

A large randomized study published online Oct. 22, 2019, by the European Heart Journal found that taking blood pressure medications at night rather than the morning appears to significantly lower blood pressure and lower the risk for heart attack, stroke, surgery or stents to open blocked arteries in the heart, and death from heart disease or stroke. The study also found that taking blood pressure medications at night instead of the morning seemed to have no adverse effects, such as a higher rate of getting dizzy and falling when getting up at night to go to the bathroom.

When an exercise regimen becomes tedious, there are several ways to make it more interesting. Examples include adding challenging moves, such as a lunge that ends with raising dumbbells overhead, and pairing exercise with other interesting activities, such as hiking and photography or walking while listening to music or a favorite podcast. If adjusting an exercise routine doesn’t increase interest, it may be time to try a brand-new exercise, such as ballroom dance, shadow boxing, step aerobics, or tai chi.

A large observational study published online Dec. 16, 2019, by JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that eating ultraprocessed food is linked to an increased risk for developing diabetes.

Studies suggest that genes and lifestyle affect longevity. Harvard researchers found that injecting certain genes into mice protected them from becoming obese and from developing type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and a particular kind of kidney failure. A recent study of worms found that when worms exercise regularly (but not too much) early in life, their metabolism improves, their muscles and guts function better throughout life, they live longer, and they are protected against the worm version of Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists must now learn if the findings translate to humans.

Many types of trained professionals can help people with mental health issues. For example, psychiatrists can provide medical and psychiatric evaluations, treat psychiatric disorders, provide psychotherapy, and prescribe and monitor medications; psychologists can do psychological evaluations and testing and provide psychotherapy to treat mental disorders, but they cannot prescribe medication. The type of mental health care professional one seeks depends on his or her particular needs, including one’s condition, preferences, and the availability of clinicians in the area.

Increasing daily nut consumption is associated with weight control and warding off obesity, according to a Harvard study published online Sept. 23, 2019, by BMJ Nutrition, Prevention, and Health.

A report from British researchers, published in The BMJ on Oct. 16, 2019, warns that direct-to-consumer genetic test kits that predict the risk for developing certain diseases commonly produce misleading results.

Getting anesthesia as an older person has some risk, but less so than the risk from underlying health conditions, the surgical procedure itself, and the care that’s received after surgery. To cope with risks, one can ask a doctor if a delirium risk evaluation would be helpful before surgery; ask if delirium prevention approaches can be put into place after surgery; have family member or friend monitor recovery and watch for mental changes (and report them); and ask if the risks of anesthesia may outweigh the benefits of a procedure.

Bladder pain and burning with urination affect more women than men. The symptoms can be caused by many conditions, such as upper or lower urinary tract infections, genitourinary syndrome of menopause, vaginitis, sexually transmitted infections, and interstitial cystitis (bladder pain syndrome). When symptoms occur, one should see a primary care doctor or gynecologist, and possibly a urologist or urogynecologist. Depending on the condition, treatment can include the use of antibiotics, vaginal estrogen cream, or bladder training.