Harvard Health Content API

Eating a pro-inflammatory diet may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

People who sleep too much or too little at night may be at higher risk for cognitive decline.

A recent study found that on average women were sedentary 20 minutes more each day after they retired than they were before—an unhealthy pattern that can lead to a higher risk for cardiovascular disease.

Strengthening your core using plank exercises can help ease back pain. The plank position is essentially the high part of a push-up. People who can’t hold this position can try a modified version by bending their knees and resting them on the ground. Build strength by practicing holding a plank for as long as you can, and then progressively working to hold it for longer each time.

There is insufficient evidence that a regimen of low-dose aspirin can prevent breast cancer, and it poses risks, including severe bleeding episodes. So, unless more evidence comes to light, experts say it’s too early to recommend the use of low-dose aspirin for this purpose. Until a few years ago it seemed that low-dose aspirin therapy held potential for breast cancer prevention, but three major studies that came out in 2018 changed that picture. Studies have also suggested against the use of aspirin therapy for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease because of bleeding risks.

The right diet may help reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. Eating foods included in the DASH and Mediterranean diets helps maintain brain health by keeping blood flowing efficiently and reducing the damaging effects of inflammation. Some good foods to add to your diet are fatty fish, berries, plant oils, nuts, and coffee.

People with an egg allergy are no longer advised to skip the flu shot to avoid an allergic reaction, because these reactions are so rare.

Some types of cheese, including Swiss and Gouda, are a good source of probiotics, but eat cheese in moderation.

Couples often share health habits, whether good or bad, according to a recent study. When one partner doesn’t exercise regularly or eat a healthy diet, the other most often doesn’t either. Researchers found that in nearly 80% of cases, couples shared a high risk of developing heart-related problems because of shared risk factors. But the good news was that couples also seemed to influence each other in a positive direction. When one partner had good health habits, the other often did as well.

People who avoid statins because of previous side effects may have experienced what’s called a “nocebo” effect, where they develop an unpleasant response because they expect something negative to happen, not due to the drug itself. Many such people can safely resume statin medications.