People who are physically active and follow a Mediterranean-style diet may reduce their risk for Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study involved 1,880 men and women with an average age of 77. Researchers asked them about their typical level of physical activity. They also asked about their food consumption in the past year and evaluated their responses to see how closely their eating resembled a Mediterranean-type diet. Such a diet is marked by high intake of fish, vegetables, legumes, fruits, cereals, and monounsaturated fatty acids, as well as moderate wine consumption. It also has a low intake of dairy products, meats, and saturated fats.

The participants were followed for 5.5 years to see who developed Alzheimer’s disease. People who were very physically active had a 33 percent risk reduction for Alzheimer’s, and people who adhered more strongly to a Mediterranean-type diet had a 40 percent risk reduction. Participants who reported doing both had a 35 percent lower risk for the disease.

Teen smokers are more likely to quit when enrolled in a program that provides personalized, proactive telephone counseling, a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found.

The study involved 2,151 teen smokers at Washington state high schools. Half the schools were randomly assigned to take part in cessation counseling. The study found that reaching out to teens and offering them the opportunity to receive up to nine personalized, confidential telephone counseling sessions helped many of them kick the habit.

At the end of the study, 22 percent of all smokers in the counseling group had been smoke-free for six months. Among smokers who didn’t receive counseling, 18 percent had gone six months without smoking.

A diet with lots of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) increases the risk for high blood pressure, according to research presented to an American Society of Nephrology meeting in San Francisco. The findings suggest that reducing your intake of foods and drinks containing HFCS may help prevent high blood pressure.

The study of 4,528 adults with no prior history of high blood pressure found that people who ate or drank more than 74 grams per day of fructose (equivalent to 2.5 sugary soft drinks) had a heightened risk for elevated blood pressure. Their risk was 28 percent greater for a level of 135/85, 36 percent higher for 140/90, and 87 percent higher for 160/100.

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