The human body is an intricate system, with organs, tissues, and bones working both solo and together to keep everything running smoothly. The #1 good-health goal for all of us should be to keep it humming along for as many years as possible. To help you reduce risk for disease and add years to your life, Prevention has put together a comprehensive guide of the best health advice spanning all of your most important organs: your heart, brain, lungs, reproductive system, and more. We offer actionable health tips on more than 75 common health concerns, as well as some cool info about how your organs work in the first place. Knowledge is power: Consider this your must-have owner’s manual for your entire body
MEET your HEART
Protect Your Ticker • Heart disease is the cause of death for one in three women every year. Here are three simple ways to protect your most beloved organ.
SIMPLE WAYS TO RELAX • Decompressing your mind and body helps make your heart sing. Here’s how.
FIT IN A WORKOUT • Your body responds to aerobic exercise the way a dog reacts when he sees the leash: yes, please! Every workout serves up at least five major heart benefits:
Ask the Cardiologist • Harvard Medical School cardiologist Haider J. Warraich, M.D., treats patients, sees and studies disparities in heart care, and is the author of State of the Heart.
SIGNS OF A HEART ATTACK IN WOMEN • Men often have sharp, crushing chest pain during a heart attack. Some women do too, but their symptoms tend to be far less dramatic. Any of these symptoms is cause for concern.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep
3 Common Causes of High Blood Pressure • HBP is a time bomb for your ticker. Here’s how to get your numbers down.
DECODE YOUR SMARTWATCH • That tracker that’s always on your wrist contains a wealth of heart-friendly information. Aaron Baggish, M.D., a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, helps you understand the numbers from your wearable.
a closer look at YOUR BLOOD VESSELS • THE AORTA IS THE MAIN ARTERY RESPONSIBLE FOR SUPPLYING YOUR BODY WITH ALL OF THE OXYGEN-RICH BLOOD IT NEEDS TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. IT’S THE LARGEST BLOOD VESSEL IN THE HUMAN BODY–ABOUT AS WIDE AS A GARDEN HOSE.
HEART PALPITATIONS
eat it up! • Better health with every meal
How bad is salt for my heart health?
MEET your BRAIN
Boost Your Memory and Smarts • Feel smarter and sharper than ever before with these easy and effective ideas.
Improve Focus and Clarity • Distractions can pose more difficulty as you get older, resulting in lost focus, slower mental processing, and less productivity. These suggestions can help counter those deficits.
LOWER YOUR DEMENTIA RISK • One in every five adults 65 and older have mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a condition where people start to show subtle-but-measurable cognitive decline. Here’s what you can do now to protect your brain in the years to come.
Could my migraines cause brain damage?
a closer look at NEUROPLASTICITY • THAT’S YOUR BRAIN’S ABILITY TO CHANGE IN RESPONSE TO EXPERIENCE. MORE NEUROPLASTICITY EQUALS DENSER CONCENTRATIONS OF SOME BRAIN CELLS AND STRONGER, FASTER CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THOSE CELLS, SAYS HENRIETTE VAN PRAAG, PH.D., OF FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY.
train your brain • Try these fun teasers to strengthen your mind.
BRAIN FOG • Senior moments can happen to anyone, even those of us who aren’t seniors.
understand your amygdala • This tiny brain region rules many of your deepest emotions and plays a big role in controlling your impulses.
TAKE A HEALTHY BRAIN WALK • People over age 65 who walked about five and a half miles at a moderate pace each week are less likely to develop demen-tia than those who were more sedentary. Lace up...
