Stroke Archive

A large study published online June 23, 2022, by JAMA Network Open found that poor handgrip strength in midlife was associated with cognitive decline a decade later.

People with orthostatic hypotension experience a drop in blood pressure when they stand, which increases the risk for falls. Ways to manage the condition include keeping up blood volume by taking in at least 3 liters of fluid and 4 to 6 grams of salt per day; taking medication to alleviate lightheadedness; avoiding hot environments; getting up slowly from a sitting or standing position; and sleeping with the bed on a slant. Someone who feels lightheaded upon standing should sit down immediately. If that's not possible, it may help to tense the muscles.

Sitting too much can boost stroke risk. But adding more movement—even low-effort activity such as doing household chores—may help lower that risk.

Too much or too little potassium can harm the heart. Diet, medications, and kidney function can affect the body's potassium level. Dietary potassium helps keep blood pressure in a normal range, but most Americans don't consume enough of this mineral. However, people taking medications that raise potassium levels—which includes certain drugs to treat high blood pressure and heart failure—should avoid salt substitutes made with potassium chloride.

Around menopause, a decline in estrogen can trigger low-grade inflammation that leads to unexpected symptoms from head to toe. Symptoms can affect the digestive tract, skin, joints, eyes, ears, and heart, among other areas. A 2022 study found that estrogen loss can even fuel the jaw pain known as temporomandibular disorder. A year or longer can pass before many women connect symptoms with menopause. Women can take lifestyle measures to lower inflammation, such as eating more fruits and vegetables, avoiding processed foods, and exercising.

Medically unexplained symptoms, which are not easily deciphered account for many visits to primary care doctors and specialists. Individuals seeking answers should work with closely with their primary care doctors.  Strategies such as cognitive behavioral therapy can help people manage stressors that affect physical health.

A cold-stimulus headaches, or "brain freeze," happens after a person eats or drinks something very cold. It causes a sharp pain that centers on the forehead and usually lasts several seconds. Taking smaller bites and chewing slowly can ward off this reaction.

Following healthy habits like exercising, eating a proper diet, and being socially engaged can help people live a longer, healthier life. Still, the ultimate goal is not simply to live longer, but to enjoy life, which means placing more emphasis on quality of life. How life quality is defined can vary depending on people's goals, but it often revolves around three certain mindsets: having a sense of purpose, focusing on where one wants to devote time and energy, and enjoying the process and journey.

Men do not have to worry about getting bladder infections from their female partners. Women can get urinary tract infections after sex, but this is a result of irritation at the opening of the urethra, which makes it easier for bacteria to enter.

It's hard to accurately predict when new viral outbreaks will appear or old viruses will reappear and how to figure this out quickly enough to respond quickly. Wastewater testing, a tool that can help predict upticks in COVID cases, has also captured evidence of infectious diseases like polio, allowing preventive measures to be taken.