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Longevity in 100 steps

Want to live to age 115? Emma Morano, an Italian woman born in 1899, shared her secrets: Eat three raw eggs every day, and stay single. Also, move to a milder climate. "The doctor told me to change air," she told the New York Times. "And I'm still here."

Some more advice: Don't sleep too much. British researchers report that older adults who slept more than eight hours were 46 percent more likely to suffer strokes in the next decade than those who slept less.

This, too: Relax! Having a bout of anxiety makes you nearly 10 times more likely to have a heart attack in the next two hours, according to research from Australia's Sydney University.

But for goodness' sake keep drinking coffee, even if it makes you anxious.

So, got it? Raw eggs, keep calm, stay single, move to a lakeside town in northern Italy, drink coffee, hit the sauna.

Oh, right, about the sauna. A Finnish study says men who use a sauna seven times a week are less likely to die of heart problems than are those who visit once a week.

See a pattern here? We're drowning in advice (and drowning is not a recommended health tip). The above studies and suggestions were culled from just a few weeks' news reports. And there was much more out there:

How to cope with all these suggestions and edicts?

Be skeptical. Canadian researchers looked at the World Health Organization's role in giving advice about how to treat and prevent illness and found its recommendations were often based on low-quality evidence, according to Canada's National Post. In fact, many organizations give advice based on "flimsy science" and "GOBSAT" (good old boys sitting around the table), Dr. Gordon Guyatt of McMaster University, the lead researcher, told the Post.

But some rules for health certainly seems timeless: Eat healthy foods, do some exercise, watch your weight, don't smoke, see a doctor.

And, finally this ancient wisdom attributed to the Roman playwright Terence: All things in moderation. That includes how many health tips to follow.

Editorial on 03/04/2015

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