1 in 3 middle-aged adults struggle with basic 'everyday' health tasks, study finds

A new Northwestern University study has found one in three middle-aged American adults ages 35 to 64 cannot consistently read prescription instructions correctly, understand medical forms or recall details from doctor visits involving chronic condition diagnoses.

These skills—often referred to as health literacy—are critical for managing common conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, which commonly emerge in midlife. ...