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The Mediterranean diet has already been shown to help protect the aging brain and may significantly lower risk of heart disease. A new study has now found a much stronger link than previously realized between the Mediterranean diet — which is filled with whole grains, fish, fruits and olive oil — and a reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes. (Carroll, 4/28)

Along with regular exercise and not smoking, a healthy diet is a key way to keep heart disease at bay. But which diet best meets the dietary guidelines of the American Heart Association? In a new scientific statement, leading experts in nutrition ranked 10 popular diets on their ability to meet the AHA’s evidence-based dietary guidance for heart health, published in 2021. (LaMotte, 4/27)

Eleni Tsigas likens her first experience with preeclampsia to a plane crash. She was in the midst of what she thought was a healthy first pregnancy, with low risk for complications. But at 29 weeks, she was rushed to the emergency room with what she now knows are classic signs of preeclampsia: very high blood pressure, a pounding headache, nausea, blurred vision. She lost her first child while being transported between hospitals. (Gaffney, 4/28)

Adults in the United States who reported feeling discriminated against at work had a higher risk of developing high blood pressure than adults who reported less discrimination at work, according to a new study. The researchers defined discrimination as “unfair conditions or unpleasant treatment at work because of personal characteristics, particularly race, sex, or age.” (Russell, 4/26)

Doctors are zapping the heart with radiation normally reserved for cancer, a bid to better treat people with life-threatening irregular heartbeats who’ve exhausted other options. While it’s highly experimental, surprising early research suggests it may reprogram misfiring heart cells to control heartbeats more like younger, healthier cells do. “It may actually rejuvenate sick tissue, and that’s pretty exciting,” said Dr. Stacey Rentschler of Washington University in St. Louis. (Neergaard, 4/27)

�������ýҕ�l Health News: Some Private Companies Charge Hefty Fees To Help Veterans With Disability Claims 

When Glenn Janssen decided to file a claim for disability benefits with the Veterans Affairs Department last year, he dreaded the prospect of dealing with federal bureaucracy and paperwork. Janssen, 57, lives in Portugal with his wife and has worked as a government contractor since leaving the Army in 2004. The Gulf War-era and Louisiana National Guard veteran wanted to put in a claim for tinnitus and back and shoulder problems from his years in the service. But he worried that trying to manage the process from overseas would be a nightmare. (Andrews, 4/28)

�������ýҕ�l Health News: How To Increase Your Social Network As You Age

Friends sitting around a table, talking and laughing. A touch on the arm, as one of them leans over to make a confiding comment. A round of hugs before walking out the door. For years, Carole Leskin, 78, enjoyed this close camaraderie with five women in Moorestown, New Jersey, a group that took classes together, gathered for lunch several times a week, celebrated holidays with one another, and socialized frequently at their local synagogue. (Graham, 4/28)

�������ýҕ�l Health News: Readers And Tweeters Defend The Rights Of Adults With Disabilities

�������ýҕ�l Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories. (4/28)