Prevention November 2021

PARKING IN NEW YORK CITY is famously nightmarish, so for years my husband and I rented a car to avoid dealing with it. But that meant we had to fit our ever-changing assortment of stuff into a different kind of car trunk every time. I could practically see Marc’s brain working as he stared down the problem—and then, seemingly magically, he’d get it all in. This is real-life creativity: innovation that makes our lives better. The article on page 38 dives into this: how the brain works and how we can activate the side of it responsible for satisfying solutions and leaps forward—things that keep our minds sharp. We all have amazing moments of creativity. One of Prevention’s editors, Lisa Bain, told me about a time she was stuck at the DMV…

When the clock shifts back an hour on Sunday, November 7, there’s more to keep in mind than remembering to reset your devices. The time change could throw your circadian rhythm out of sync if you don’t stick to your regular sleep-wake schedule, and one study found that people were more likely to experience feelings of depression during this time, possibly due to fewer hours of mood-regulating natural daylight. Two easy ways to minimize any side effects: Resist the urge to take advantage of that potential extra hour of sleep, and make it part of your morning routine to spend a few quiet moments outside or in front of a light-facing window.…

Birth control options for men have been one extreme or the other: single-use condoms or a hard-to-reverse vasectomy. Now researchers in China have found a method that may offer something else. When biodegradable iron oxide nanoparticles were injected into the bloodstream of male mice, then guided via magnets to the testicles, where they were heated up, spermatogenesis was halted, preventing reproduction for about a month. (This method is far more attractive than another contraceptive method that has undergone testing, the injection of heated nanoparticles directly into the testes.) The nanoparticles are eliminated naturally from the body in 30 to 60 days.…

You’ve heard all about how “good” HDL cholesterol supports a strong heart, but a new study in Science shows that it may also help protect the liver. A special type of HDL cholesterol called HDL3, produced in the gut, appears to block signals that cause inflammation in the liver, say researchers from Washington University School of Medicine. Chronic inflammation can lead to liver damage over time, and scientists say that if they can find a way to boost levels of HDL3 in the body (through diet or medication), it may help prevent that from happening as well as inform new treatments for liver disease.…

If so, learning about what’s normal and what’s not can help you get support for yourself or a loved one as soon as it’s needed. “It’s important to talk about Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related illnesses without stigma and fear,” says Beth Battaglino, CEO of HealthyWomen, which partnered with Prevention and the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement on a series of brain health webinars (view them at yourbrain2021.com). “Brain health is an integral part of the healthy-aging checklist,” she adds. Three things that might reassure you: FORGETTING IS ACTUALLY VITAL “Our brains lose brain cells every day starting in our 20s,” says Gayatri Devi, M.D., a neurodegenerative disorders expert. “Our brains prune with age so they can function better.” Forgetting things is how we retain other info. But if your ability to drive, cook, or…

If you’re ruled by the “10,000 steps a day” health advice, a new study suggests that you might be able to adjust that goal. An average of 4,500 daily steps was associated with a significantly lower risk of dying, according to data from 16,732 women over age 60. And it didn’t matter whether those steps were taken in short bursts or in longer uninterrupted walks. But don’t feel pressured to stop there: Research showed that compared with taking no steps, each initial increase of 1,000 extra steps taken slashed the risk of death by 28%. Need a little motivation? Try Move, the new walking program from Charge Running.…