Living Better, Living Longer – Details, episodes & analysis

With the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing, and the annual flu season fast approaching, what can people expect when these two illnesses collide? Are we at greater risk for getting either virus? And could this encounter change how we approach health care now and in the future? Matthew Solan, executive editor of the Harvard Men’s Health Watch, talks to Dr. Amy Sherman, an infectious disease expert with Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, about what we may expect when COVID and the flu season meet. To learn more check out our Harvard Medical School Guide, COVID-19, Flu and Colds.

Recent record temperatures in the U.S. suggest that heat-related illness isn’t confined to the dog days of summer. Dr. Aaron Bernstein, the interim director of the Center for Climate Health and the Global Environment at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, describes the symptoms to watch out for, particularly if you have a chronic condition like heart disease or diabetes, and explains what safety steps to take. He also tells Francesca Coltrera, editor of the Harvard Health Blog, who bears the brunt of potentially life-threatening heat-related illness and how local actions can help reverse this growing health threat.  

You’re in for your annual physical and you hear the words “pre-diabetes” or “diabetes,” based on an elevated A1C value in your blood test. This pivotal indicator has suddenly got your attention. But rest easy. Dr. David Nathan, faculty editor of the Harvard special health report Healthy Eating for Type 2 Diabetes, offers hope and help for getting things back under control.

We’re all looking for ways to build cognitive fitness and resiliency. The pathway to achieving that goal can be found in laying down new memories through skill building. It turns out it’s never been easier to learn new things from home, as Harvard Health Letter executive editor Heidi Godman recently discovered. A solution is a mouse click away. Apps on your smart phone also offer easy ways to learn at your own pace.

People who have diabetes, a heart condition, cancer, kidney disease or other underlying condition are impacted more severely if they contract the coronavirus. Harvard Medical School endocrinologist Dr. Enrique Caballero explains why. Dr. Caballero is on the staff of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and is the director of diabetes education in the post-graduate medical education department at Harvard Medical School.

Las personas que tienen diabetes, una afección del corazón o de los riñones u otra enfermedad crónica subyacente se ven afectadas más severamente si contraen el coronavirus. El Dr. Enrique Caballero, endocrinólogo de la Escuela de Medicina de Harvard explica la forma en que estas enfermedades favorecen infecciones severas por COVID-19 y como el coronavirus puede empeorar estas condiciones crónicas.  El Dr. Caballero forma parte del personal del Hospital Brigham and Women's y es el director de educación en diabetes en el departamento de educación médica de posgrado de la Facultad de Medicina de Harvard en Boston, Massachusetts.

The sudden release of the stress hormone cortisol can help you get out of the way of a speeding bus. But the toxic effects of non-stop cortisol has a deleterious effect on health. If the worldwide shutdown is causing stress—then high blood pressure, headache, weight gain and other problems aren’t far behind. We’ve consulted our favorite Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Greg L. Fricchione. There are ways to cool the fires of anger during these difficult times, giving you the tools you need to deal with major life events.

In this reprise from last fall, Kathy McManus, director of nutrition at Brigham and Women's Hospital, discusses changing behavior as a pathway to weight loss in this conversation with Harvard's Dr. Mallika Marshall. Their views appear in the Harvard online course 6-Week Plan for Healthy Eating.

There is solid, scientific evidence that being happy leads to direct health benefits. So that begs the question: How can we brew some of this magic potion that nurtures human wellness? Dr. Ronald D. Siegel, faculty editor for the Harvard special health report Positive Psychology shows us the way. This podcast originally ran last fall and it was very popular. It contains a message that's particularly useful as we ride out the coronavirus pandemic.

You’ve probably heard the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroqine is getting a hard look as a potential therapeutic agent in the fight against COVID-19. However, as Harvard Health Publishing senior faculty editor Dr. Rob Shmerling points out, evidence remains weak. On the brighter side, he points to three potential avenues in COVID-19 research where therapies may be put to use while a vaccine remains in development.