Preventive care Archive

Super-agers are individuals known to maintain peak mental prowess well into their 90s and avoid dementia and Alzheimer's disease. While genetics play a big part in super-agers' cognitive health, adopting healthy lifestyle habits also contributes, and other people might be able to improve their brain health in the same way. These habits include exercising regularly, following a plant-based diet, being social, adopting mentally challenging activities, and getting adequate sleep.

A 2024 study suggests that exposure to high temperatures may increase the risk of an ischemic stroke. High temperatures may trigger dehydration, which can make the blood more viscous and more likely to clot.

Substances women eat, drink, or use can support or detract from vaginal health. The vagina's microbiome includes trillions of healthy bacteria that inhibit harmful bacteria. Certain conditions, such as an infection called bacterial vaginosis, indicate a harmful shift in the vaginal microbiome. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains benefit the vagina by tamping down inflammation. Other vagina-friendly foods include yogurt and soy. Staying well hydrated helps ward off dryness. Smoking or douching, however, can harm vaginal health.

The shingles vaccine, Shingrix, can trigger side effects such as a sore arm, achiness, fatigue, and fever. But Shingrix is highly effective at preventing painful shingles rashes and a complication called postherpetic neuralgia, which involves long-lasting nerve pain.

Coffee and other caffeine sources can interact with many common drugs, changing the way they're absorbed, distributed through the body, processed, and excreted. Coffee (even decaf) makes stomach contents more acidic, accounting for some drug interactions, but caffeine is mostly the cause. Medications vulnerable to coffee or caffeine's effects include those for cold or allergy, depression, high blood pressure, asthma, osteoporosis, anemia, Alzheimer's disease, thyroid problems, and insomnia. Drinking coffee and taking medications at separate times is advised.

People who received a COVID vaccine during the first two years of the pandemic had a lower risk of developing long COVID, according to a 2024 study.

A 2023 report warns that pickleball and other racquet sports can expose older adults to the risk of eye injuries, but wearing protective, shatterproof eyewear when playing can offer a layer of safety.