Health

When it comes to dementia risk, certain factors, such as genetics, are out of your control. However, plenty of research suggests lifestyle behaviors – things you can change – may help improve your chances of staying sharp as you age. In a new study, people with an elevated risk of dementia were less likely to develop the condition if they followed a healthy dietary pattern, particularly a less inflammatory one.

Q. I contracted alpha-gal meat allergy while living in Long Island, New York, over a decade ago. An observant primary care physician diagnosed me and sent me to an allergist for confirmation. When I moved to North Carolina, my new doctor requested further testing. The lab had no idea what tests to run.

Q. I listened to your podcast about how to maintain a healthy liver. The expert you were speaking with said that drinking coffee helps. Does it matter if it’s decaf or regular?

Patients receiving a type of vitamin D lived longer after chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer in a small study run by researchers with the Salk Institute.

Q. I bought some real black licorice candy yesterday, thinking it would help my stomach. It had the opposite effect. After only six small pieces, I had stomach cramps.

Q. When working in pediatric medicine several years ago, I remember a 3-year-old child who became psychotic because a child psychiatrist gave him methylphenidate (Ritalin). The child did not sleep for three days, and when he was brought into our clinic, he was screaming that snakes were all over his body.