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The latest in medical research and health news you need to know    

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The latest in medical research and health news you need to know    

Breathing for Blood Pressure

Chances are that, unless you have respiratory problems, you don’t think much about your breathing—it just happens. But your breathing can affect the health of your ­entire body, and a new study from Florida State University suggests that how you breathe can even lower your blood pressure. In the study, healthy adults with slightly elevated blood pressure were asked to breathe through the nose for five minutes and then through the mouth for five minutes, while at rest. Their blood pressure measurements were lower when they inhaled and exhaled through the nose only. The researchers hope that future studies will help determine just how to use these findings to help people manage or improve hypertension. 

The Exercise That Takes Years off Your Brain

Most people work out to improve their bodies, but one popular workout may have a powerful effect on brain health too. Tai chi is a form of exercise popular among older adults who want to improve their balance, mobility and general fitness. Now it turns out that this ancient Chinese art may also help keep the brain young.

An Oregon study of more than 300 people in their mid-70s with mild memory loss found that practising tai chi for six months led to improved scores on memory tests, equivalent to gaining three to six years of brain health. The researchers believe that it’s the combination of physical movement and the mental challenge of memorizing and executing ­sequences—much like learning a new dance routine—that’s responsible for the effect.

The Sound of Diabetes

Diabetes is generally diagnosed through blood tests, urine tests and symptoms such as ­excessive thirst. Now scientists have found a change that might help diagnose type 2 diabetes even before someone shows up at the doctor’s office for testing. Scientists recrui...

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