New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)

This week’s roundup of news

- Dr. Michael Roizen Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic.

Heal your heart with social interactio­n: Are you feeling isolated and lonely? It’s important to fight off those feelings — and fill your heart with activities that connect you to a caring world. That’s the conclusion of a study in JAMA Open Network that examined around 58,000 older women and found that those who were dealing with social isolation and loneliness had a 13% to 27% higher risk for coronary heart disease, stroke or heart attack than women who didn’t feel isolated and lonely. Ideas: Organize regular walks with neighbors, hold dinners for friends, volunteer and take classes online or in person.

Finally, human studies on calorie restrictio­n: We’ve known that worms, flies and mice live longer if they eat less. Now we know some of the real-life benefits for humans. Yale researcher­s had participan­ts reduce their calorie intake by 14% for two years. That reversed deteriorat­ion of their thymus gland and upped production of diseases-fighting T cells. If you take in 1,800 calories daily, cutting that back to 1,550 could do the trick!

Another bright idea: To improve control of blood glucose levels and reduce the risk of weight gain, you need plenty of bright light, inside and out, during the day, and dimmer light after sunset. That means mood lighting at dinner and no blue light from digital devices in the bedroom. You’ll be respecting your circadian rhythm and allowing your body to follow its healthy, preprogram­med biochemica­l cycles that influence everything from the impulse to eat to your mood.

Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestseller­s. His next book is “The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow.” Do you have a topic Dr. Mike should cover in a future column? If so, please email questions@ GreatAgeRe­boot.com.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States