Harvard Health Content API

The COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for people with a history of heart attack.

People often fear that memory lapses, such as forgetting your keys or people’s names, are related to dementia. But there are also many more benign reasons for forgetfulness. A lack of sleep, certain medications, or even stress, anxiety, or depression can lead to memory problems. People experiencing memory lapses should see their doctor to investigate potential causes.

Blood pressure readings are usually done on only one arm, but research suggests checking both, as a consistent difference of 10 or more points in systolic pressure could indicate a greater risk for heart disease.

People with anxiety or depression who have trouble with decision making can improve their skills by focusing on former successful decisions instead of past mistakes.

Guidelines suggest 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, but new research says that doing more activity and at a higher intensity offers even more protection against heart disease.

Pickleball, one of the country’s fastest-growing racquet sports, is an optimal activity for older adults as it offers cardiovascular health benefits, helps improve cognitive skills, and is a fun way to socialize. The game also can help improve balance to help reduce the risk of falls, and can accommodate different fitness levels.

Practicing mindfulness teaches people to be aware of the present moment and accept a situation without judgment. This helps a person manage episodes of pain by shifting thinking away from negativity and recognizing pain for what it is—something that you can help ease. This change in mindset also interrupts the brain’s process of painful feelings and can induce a relaxation response to release endorphins, the feel-good hormone, and help relieve discomfort.

For decades, high intake of fat was thought to cause weight gain, heart disease, and maybe even cancer. The solution? Go low-fat, which often meant consuming more carbs and more sugar. But nutritionists now suggest people actually need adequate amounts of “good” unsaturated fat, and less “bad” saturated fat, for optimal health. Following popular heart-healthy diets, like the Mediterranean and MIND diets, and making simple dietary changes can help people get adequate amounts of good fats.

Close to a million stents to open blocked or narrowed coronary arteries are implanted each year, and as people age the odds of being added to the list increases. A stent can save a person’s life during a heart attack, but also may be needed if someone has significant plaque blockage. Knowing what to do before and after the procedure can help with recovery and support future heart health.

While some guidelines suggest stopping prostate cancer screening after age 70, the decision to continue depends on a man’s general health and life expectancy. Before a man decides to continue with PSA testing, he should consider what he would do with an abnormal result. While getting a biopsy provides the most crucial information, other non-invasive tests can help with decision making. Most prostate cancers diagnosed by screening are low-grade. So, men have a choice to monitor the cancer rather than proceed to immediate treatment.