For many parts of the country, bitter cold temperatures and icy roads keep us hunkered down at home this time of year. We may find ourselves sitting in front of the fireplace wrapped in warm, fuzzy blankets sipping mugs of steamy hot cocoa. If you’ve indulged in simple pleasures such as these, you’ve experienced “hygge.”

Although heart failure sounds like it could be another name for cardiac arrest, where the heart suddenly stops beating, heart failure is not cardiac arrest.

Heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes get a lot of attention, but you don’t hear enough about kidneys and how essential they are to good health. You have two kidneys – small, multi-purpose organs located in your lower back.

Adequate nutrition can help older adults maintain muscle mass, increase their energy levels, reach an appropriate weight and much more. Make it easier for your older loved one to eat well and be well: Try out these simple meal ideas that follow the guidelines of MyPlate.gov and the National Council on Aging. Be sure to talk to your loved one’s dietitian or doctor before they start a new diet or new foods.

Did you know many common medications can mimic dementia in older adults? Or, that these medications can make pre-existing symptoms worse in someone who has dementia? These medications include both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs that could be in your loved one’s medicine cabinet.

As your age increases, so do your risks for various health conditions, especially if you are overweight and underactive. Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol can silently creep up on you along with unwanted pounds, wrinkles and gray hair. According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly one in four people with diabetes are not aware they have this chronic medical condition.

Both Malcolm Young, guitarist with the band AC/DC, and David Cassidy, 1970s teen musical sensation, have been in the news lately due to their  young onset  dementia. Young, 64, died Nov.18, and Cassidy, 67, died Nov. 21.

How do you make a parent’s birthday special? Maybe Mom or Dad has their favorite breakfast in bed. Maybe there’s a special card, gift or places to go together. Everything is meant to say “You’re important to me, I know what makes you happy and I love you.” This is communicated through the choices made: Mom’s favorite coffee. A shirt for Dad in his favorite color. Specially chosen sights and sounds that hit them right in their “Ahhhhh!” spots as we try to make them feel happy and honored.

Diabetes is becoming more prevalent across the globe. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) predicts diabetes will be the seventh leading cause of death in 2030. The majority of people around the world with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes.

However, people can delay or prevent Type 2 diabetes with physical activity, a healthy diet and maintaining a normal body, according to the WHO.

Part 6 of our popular series gathers apps created to help people manage their diabetes.

Can you imagine working day in and day out without a vacation? That’s what your heart does. It doesn’t always work under ideal conditions either, and that can take a toll.