Harvard Health Content API

Many older adults fail to get the vaccines they need to protect themselves against diseases such as the flu, pneumonia, and shingles.

For people who are unable to do aerobic activity, weight training is an effective way to reduce diabetes risk. That’s because muscles use glucose, and by creating more muscle that needs more glucose, weight training decreases blood glucose levels.

Exercise isn’t all about weight loss. Researchers studying the effects of exercise find that it affects the body down to the subcellular level.

Two types of tests are used to diagnose heart disease and risk of heart attack. The first determines if a blockage in the heart’s arteries is affecting blood flow. If the answer is yes, a second type is done to pinpoint the location of the blockage.

In the sleep disorder called sleep apnea, sleep is interrupted many times a night. Sleep apnea appears to increase the risk of developing or dying from heart disease. Several treatments are available to halt sleep apnea and restore better sleep.

Diagnosing a heart attack requires a blood test for troponin, plus symptoms or evidence of heart attack on an ECG or imaging test. There are six different types of heart attack, each of which may be treated differently.