News and Updates for the Patient and Family

CDC's Coronary Heart Disease, Myocardial Infarction and Stroke Data Brief

The brief provides public health professionals with the most recent, practical, and useful data available on coronary heart disease, blood pressure, and stroke for adults aged 45 years or older.

[ READ THE FULL BRIEF ]

Managing Hypertension to Protect Heart and Brain Health

Hypertension is a major risk factor for numerous health and chronic conditions, including cognitive impairment. The public health community can help reduce the risk of cognitive decline in populations by preventing and managing high blood pressure.

Learn more in a new action brief —Protecting the Heart and the Brain: Managing Hypertension to Reduce the Risk of Cognitive Decline— from the Alzheimer's Association

[ READ THE FULL BRIEF ]

AARP’s Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH) Release Recommendations to Manage Cardiovascular Risks to Brain Health 

This report summarizes the consensus reached by the subject mater experts and describes the major points of discussion that led to their recommendations on managing the impact of vascular risk factors for men and women aged 50 years and older.

[ READ THE FULL REPORT ]

Cannabinoids are the active chemicals in cannabis, also known as marijuana. Cannabis contains hundreds of cannabinoids, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol. Cannabidiol causes far fewer psychoactive effects than THC.

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Health Literacy Affects Everyone

Health literacy is important for everyone because, at some point in our lives, we all need to be able to find, understand, and use health information and services.

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Stress can have a variety of negative effects on the body. The idea that acute stress can cause hair to turn gray is a popular belief. But until now, that link wasn’t scientifically proven.

Hair color is determined by cells called melanocytes, which produce the pigment melanin. New melanocytes are made from melanocyte stem cells that live within the hair follicle at the base of the hair strand. As we age, these stem cells gradually disappear. The hair that regrows from hair follicles that have lost melanocyte stem cells has less pigment and appears gray.

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Heart disease is a serious and common condition. If you have diabetes, you’re twice as likely to have heart disease than someone who doesn’t have diabetes.

But there’s a lot you can do to lower your risk for heart problems. And those actions will make it easier to manage diabetes, too.

Being more physically active makes your heart stronger and can improve your blood sugar levels. It can promote weight loss as well, which lowers your heart disease risk. Eating healthy food that gives you the nutrition you need is also really important.

Find out more about how heart disease and diabetes are connected and what you can do (and not do) to keep your heart healthy.

A recent study found that adults with a history of stroke, heart disease, and COPD were more likely to report cognitive decline compared to adults without those conditions.

The study also found that a significant proportion of adults with cognitive decline also had chronic diseases. Cognitive decline may affect a person’s ability to manage their chronic conditions.

[ Read the full study ]

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