Healthy aging and longevity Archive

In a 2025 study, people with the healthiest diets and trimmest bellies at midlife had better brain connections and skills decades later, compared with people who ate the worst diets and had the most belly fat.

In a 2025 study of about 900 people treated for colon cancer (followed for an average of eight years), people who took part in a supervised exercise program for three years had about 30% better odds of surviving, compared with people who weren't in the program.

In a 2025 study of more than 420,000 participants followed for about 13 years, people who walked at a steady or brisk pace had up to a 43% lower risk for developing heart arrhythmias, compared with those who walked at a slow pace.

Getting a sufficient amount of sleep is vital for heart health, but sleep continuity, timing, and regularity may also be important. Irregularities in these lesser-known dimensions of sleep health are not considered problems unless they impair a person's ability to function and quality of life. But emerging evidence suggest these sleep issues may affect cardiometabolic health. A sleep diary can help uncover potential issues.

Wearable fitness trackers like smart watches offer measurable and motivating data for exercise routines and safety, especially for people with heart conditions. Features include movement reminders, step counts (a daily total of 4,000 to 7,000 steps is considered beneficial), heart rate zones for exercise intensity, and measurements of heart rate recovery and variability to assess overall heart health. These tools can help optimize workouts and reveal potential issues.

The surge in heat waves and extreme heat poses serious health risks for everyone but is a particular worry for older adults. What can you do to manage heat-related risks, especially if you have existing health conditions or take certain medications?

Walking while wearing a weighted vest or backpack can help build muscle strength and bone density, improve the heart's pumping ability, expand lung capacity, and burn additional calories. People with neck or back pain should not wear a weighted vest.

High blood pressure means that blood pushes against artery walls more forcefully than normal. Women's blood pressure is typically lower than men's until around age 60. An estimated 41% of women develop high blood pressure after menopause. High blood pressure increases people's risks of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and other problems. Factors that increase women's risk of high blood pressure at midlife include menopause, elevated sympathetic nerve activity, weight gain and redistribution, stress, and genetics.