Caregiving Archive

Harvard Medical School has created a large department dedicated to developing and teaching young scientists about the emerging field of computational medicine. This field uses new mathematical techniques to make sense of the thousands of numbers generated in experiments measuring various molecules. Analyzing such "big data" was once unimaginable. Now, scientists have the tools to do it, and to compare tissue of people with and without a disease to find out which molecules are different.

An adequate supply of primary care physicians is essential for our health care system to function properly, but it's becoming more and more difficult to find one. Rates of burnout are high among PCPs, and many are considering cutting back their work hours or leaving altogether.

Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight is a major health issue. An analysis of data from multiple studies found that when weight management interventions were delivered in primary care settings, participants lost more weight and kept it off longer.

Renewed research into the potential benefits of psychedelic drugs has led to interest in microdosing — taking a fraction of a regular dose. Many people believe that microdosing can help them, but the evidence from some recent studies is mixed.

Palliative care is a medical specialty meant to help people during many different stages of health. Many people who might benefit from palliative care do not receive it; if more people understand it, more people can take advantage of it.

Cooking with gas stoves releases nitrogen dioxide and gas appliances introduce other toxic chemicals into homes, but people can take steps to protect their household and help improve outdoor air quality, too.

A 2022 study found that drinking coffee daily was linked to a significantly lower risk of dying within the seven-year study period. The benefit tapered off for people drinking more than 4.5 cups daily. Caffeine content didn't appear to affect results.

People who want to lower their sodium intake to reduce their cardiovascular risks can try substituting spices for salt in food. A 2022 study found that older adults were less likely to notice differences in salt content of a white sauce if it contained a spicy chipotle seasoning blend. This suggests that some spices can distract older adults from low salt content in foods. The FDA is also targeting salt use, issuing new guidelines in 2022 to lower the average American's daily salt intake drastically over the next decade and potentially save a half-million lives over that time.