RadioMD News... I'm John Byrd.

Rural hospitals are often safer and cheaper than their larger suburban and city counterparts, a new study finds. Having routine surgery at a rural facility also carries a smaller risk for developing a major complication afterwards.

Consuming too many potatoes in your diet could be bad for your blood pressure, new research indicates. Eating four or more servings of potatoes per week was linked with an increased risk for high blood pressure. The risk was highest with fried potatoes.

And...keep busy, stay sharp. Although we like to complain when our schedules get too busy, more new research suggests that being overbooked might actually be good for the brain. This was especially true for older adults, who did better on tests of memory, information processing and reasoning when they had packed schedules. Keeping busy mentally, physically and socially netted the best results and lowered the risk of dementia as well.

For RadioMD News, this is John Byrd. Hear health talk interviews with top experts at RadioMD dot com.