Brain health Archive

Healthy aging and longevity

Do I need to take my blood pressure in both arms?

Published July 1, 2021

Taking blood pressure readings in both arms can help reveal potential heart risks.

Mind & Mood

Sleeping five hours or less may raise dementia risk

Published July 1, 2021

Adults ages 65 and older who sleep less than five hours per night have almost double the risk of being diagnosed with dementia compared with those who sleep the recommended seven to nine hours.

Heart Health

Advice about daily aspirin

Published July 1, 2021

The heart-protecting benefits of a daily low-dose aspirin have to be weighed against the risk of bleeding, a common side effect that is usually minor but sometimes serious. The calculation depends on age and whether a person has cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or a condition that raises risk of bleeding.

Diseases & Conditions

Careful! Scary health news can be harmful to your health

Published June 17, 2021

A news story about a worrisome or life-threatening ailment might get you thinking about your own health, especially if you happen to have some of the same symptoms. But dramatic or unusual medical stories can bias your thinking and even negatively affect your health decision-making.

Healthy aging and longevity

Plant-based diet quality linked to lower stroke risk

Updated June 1, 2021

People who ate healthy plant-based foods had a 10% reduction in stroke risk, compared with people who ate unhealthy plant-based foods, according to a Harvard study published online March 10, 2021, by the journal Neurology.

Heart Health

Alternatives to warfarin may be safer, more effective for afib

Updated June 1, 2021

For people with certain types of valvular atrial fibrillation, drugs known as direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) may be safer and more effective than warfarin (Coumadin). DOACs include apixaban (Eliquis), dabigatran (Pradaxa), and rivaroxaban (Xarelto).

Heart Health

Diastolic blood pressure: Worth a second look?

Updated June 1, 2021

A diastolic blood pressure reading lower than 60 mm Hg may be linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke in people at high cardiovascular risk. Diastolic pressure tends to fall with age. Some people with a low reading have a leaky aortic valve, which interferes with normal blood circulation throughout the heart and causes diastolic pressure to fall. But in people with healthy aortic valves who can be physically active without any symptoms (such as chest pressure, shortness of breath, or lightheadedness), a low diastolic blood pressure should not pose a problem.

Women's Health

Is a "normal" blood pressure reading too high for women?

Updated June 1, 2021

A study published Feb. 16, 2021, in Circulation found that women with blood pressure readings in a normal range may still be at higher risk for cardiovascular events. For example, heart attack risk in women rose at a systolic (the upper number) reading of 110 to 119 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and was the same at this level as men with a systolic pressure of 160 mm Hg. But experts say it’s too soon to change blood pressure recommendations for women until more research confirms the results.

Healthy aging and longevity

Common questions about medical cannabis

Published May 28, 2021

While cannabis is still illegal at the federal level, more than two-thirds of US states have made it partly or fully legal for medical purposes. People who decide to use marijuana for a medical condition often have questions about its safety and proper use — the same considerations doctors weigh when determining whether it should be prescribed for a particular patient.

Men's Health

American Heart Association issues statement on cardiovascular side effects from hormonal therapy for prostate cancer

Published May 18, 2021

The American Heart Association issued a statement addressing cardiovascular risks from hormonal therapy for prostate cancer, emphasizing the need to identify men with pre-existing cardiac risk factors or a family history of cardiovascular diseases who should be monitored closely during treatment.

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Brain health Archive

Articles

Do I need to take my blood pressure in both arms?

Sleeping five hours or less may raise dementia risk

Advice about daily aspirin

Careful! Scary health news can be harmful to your health

Plant-based diet quality linked to lower stroke risk

Alternatives to warfarin may be safer, more effective for afib

Diastolic blood pressure: Worth a second look?

Is a "normal" blood pressure reading too high for women?

Common questions about medical cannabis

American Heart Association issues statement on cardiovascular side effects from hormonal therapy for prostate cancer

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