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Family medicine news

Decades of aerobic exercise may help older adults age with more resilience

Doctors have long recommended investing in physical health for its potential long-term benefits, especially as we age. Over 30 years, regular exercise might help preserve our functional ability.

Two-thirds of adults in the UK with high blood pressure do not know they have it

More than one-third of adults in England have high blood pressure, and two-thirds of them are unaware of their diagnosis, according to a new study of 1.4 million adults published in BMJ Public Health. The study also reported ...

What happens when you can't see a family doctor regularly?

Lynn Ramirez, 65, takes maintenance medications common to many older Americans. And like her fellow Americans, Ramirez finds that her shaky access to a family doctor sometimes gets in the way of obtaining her medications.

What happens after a heart event matters more than we think

While coronary heart disease (CHD) alone is a leading cause of death and a significant health care burden in Australia, this comorbidity with type 2 diabetes (T2D) amplifies patients' risk of a heart attack. As a consequence, ...

ASH sets new standards for diagnosing iron deficiency

Iron deficiency is one of the most common health conditions in the world, but many people live with symptoms for months or years before receiving a diagnosis. To address this critical unmet need, the American Society of Hematology ...

How heat waves are dangerous to human health

A punishing heat wave overwhelming hospitals in Europe is just the latest reminder of the deadly threat such scorching temperatures can pose to human health.

Will GLP-1s lead to fewer prescriptions for older adults?

As people age, they often develop chronic conditions, many of which need to be managed with multiple prescription medications. While medications are important for disease management, polypharmacy poses an increased risk for ...

People who lift weights live longer: New study

Strength training has long been seen as something you mainly do to build muscle or look good. But a new study adds to a growing body of evidence showing that lifting weights does far more than change how we look. It may help ...

Can't stick to a diet? Try intermittent fasting for weight loss

Yo-yo dieters who struggle to lose weight and keep it off may achieve better results by following an intermittent fasting diet, rather than traditional calorie counting. An Adelaide University study focusing on the psychological ...

At 85 and healthy? Why more medicine may do more harm

When a patient has made it to 85 years old in reasonable health, their instinct—and often their physician's—is to redouble prevention efforts, optimize every number and close every gap. I want to argue the opposite.

Why tiny amounts of vitamin B12 matter more as we age

Two micrograms is an almost unimaginably small amount. It weighs less than a tiny fragment of a grain of table salt. Yet adults need only around this amount of vitamin B12 each day, depending on the guideline used, to support ...