Julie Corliss

The trials and challenges of this year are weighing heavily on many people, but attempting to employ positive psychology to put personal struggles in context, and accepting the ups and downs life brings, can ultimately increase positive feelings and provide perspective.

Sleep apnea robs people of high-quality sleep, increases the risk of heart problems, and puts people at higher risk of accidents. While an overnight stay in a sleep lab used to be required to diagnose sleep apnea, now this testing often can be done at home.

Growing numbers of Americans are using some form of marijuana, including edibles and other products. But evidence is emerging that it can be harmful to the heart: it can cause a faster heartbeat and a rise in blood pressure, and chemicals in it can affect medications used to treat heart disease.

Most Americans consume far too much sodium, which raises blood pressure and the risk of heart disease. Spending this extended period of time close to home is a good opportunity to work on cutting sodium from your diet by preparing low-salt meals.

A study comparing the hearts of apes with four different groups of men demonstrates how the heart adapts over a person’s lifetime depending on what exercise a person does (or doesn’t do). The most revealing part of the findings pertained to men who are generally not active.

People who have elevated blood pressure readings in a doctor’s office but normal readings elsewhere are said to have white-coat hypertension. A new study suggests that people with this condition face a greater risk of heart disease than those whose blood pressure is always normal.

For more than a decade, national guidelines have recommended the simpler, hands-only version of CPR for cardiac arrests that occur outside a hospital. Even if you haven’t had a training course, administering CPR keeps blood circulating in a cardiac arrest victim until medical help arrives.

Want to boost your activity level and your motivation? Consider a couch-to-5K program, which provides coaching to encourage walkers to transition to running.

The harm that lead can cause young children has been known for decades, but there is growing evidence that lead in the blood may raise the risk of heart disease in adults.

The nutrition building blocks of plant-based meals are vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. These are easy to cook and relatively inexpensive, and people who prepare more meals at home tend to have better health profiles.