Study pairs flu shot and shingles vaccine

By Margaret Foster
Posted on July 18, 2022

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a new recommendation: People over age 65 should get a stronger flu vaccine than the general public. Why? Because they’re more likely to suffer serious complications from the flu. That’s because our immune systems don’t work as well as we age. “As we get older, our ability to respond to vaccines —... READ MORE

Disease risks may be related to height

By Suzy Cohen
Posted on July 15, 2022

An interesting study was published in the June 2022 issue of PLOS Genetics, and it has to do with height. Researchers evaluated hundreds of thousands of people to see if their height had any correlation with medical problems. The average height of a man is 5’ 9” and a woman is 5’ 4” — so anything above that is considered “tall.” As it pertains to the study, the mean... READ MORE

Too cold? Sweat at night? Some answers

By Howard LeWine, M.D.
Posted on July 13, 2022

Q: I am cold all the time. Sometimes I get so cold that all I can do is take a really hot shower or bath. It has gotten to the point where being so sensitive to the cold interferes with my work and life. What causes this problem, and what can I do? A: While feeling colder than others around you is quite common, your symptoms are more pronounced than usual. Therefore, I would... READ MORE

Active body and mind delays dementia

By Andrew E. Budson, M.D.
Posted on July 08, 2022

There is new evidence from two studies by investigators at Rush University in Chicago that cognitive and physical activities can make a real difference in the development of Alzheimer’s disease — the most common cause of dementia. Cognitive activity delays onset In the first study, investigators asked 1,903 older individuals without dementia in the Rush Memory and Aging Project to... READ MORE

Want to get genetic testing? First ask why

By Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Posted on June 30, 2022

When it comes to health and disease — and, of course, many other aspects of life — one thing is certain: genes matter. A single gene mutation can cause conditions such as sickle cell anemia or cystic fibrosis. More often, multiple genes are involved in disease development, and they act in concert with nongenetic factors, such as diet or exercise, to affect disease risk. Several... READ MORE

Be aware of sodium in ready-to-eat soups

By Heidi McIndoo
Posted on June 29, 2022

A bowl of soup can be the perfect meal. But the time required for it to simmer for hours on the stovetop is a luxury we don’t always have. Ready-to-eat soup to the rescue! Prepared soups, however, are one of the highest sodium-containing foods at the grocery store. Fortunately, many soup companies have been attempting to create tasty soups with a lower sodium content; therefore,... READ MORE

Savor small-town charm in Edenton, N.C.

By Glenda C. Booth
Posted on June 28, 2022

Paris has the Eiffel Tower; London has Big Ben. Edenton, North Carolina touts a teapot. On the edge of the town green, in front of the 1767 Chowan County Courthouse, stands a 250-pound bronze teapot, mounted on a Revolutionary War-era cannon. The kettle honors 51 uppity women who staged what was one of the first organized women’s protests in the United States. In 1774, Mrs. Penelope ... READ MORE

Stroke prevention strategies at any age

By Kevin Barrett, M.D.
Posted on June 28, 2022

Dear Mayo Clinic: A family member had a stroke a month ago. I’m 45 years old, and I maintain a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise and a good diet. What steps can I take to make sure this doesn’t happen to me? A: A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of your brain is interrupted or significantly reduced, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and nutrients, and causing brain... READ MORE

What hearing aids can and cannot do

By Shari Eberts and Gael Hannan
Posted on June 27, 2022

The following is excerpted with permission from the book Hear & Beyond: Live Skillfully with Hearing Loss. Putting a price on hearing is impossible, but the purchase of hearing aids often forces us to do exactly that. If you thought deciding to get a hearing aid was the hardest part of the whole process, it probably was! But now you need to focus on which one to get. Before... READ MORE

Why antioxidants matter; get from food

By Carrie Dennett
Posted on June 24, 2022

Antioxidants are a nutrition topic that’s had staying power for decades as other nutrition trends come and go. Why? Because although antioxidants can be overhyped at times, there is actual substance behind the hype. What antioxidants do Antioxidants neutralize free radicals — substances that occur naturally in the body but can damage cells and DNA. “Antioxidants are simply... READ MORE