Memory gets most of the attention, but executive function is another part of thinking affected by aging.

Most of us realize that our brains aren't miraculously immune from the aging process. Along with creakier knees and thinner hair, we expect some forgetfulness. More often than not, forgotten names and other lapses can be ascribed to normal age-related memory loss (subtext: "don't worry, it's not Alzheimer's disease.") And there are some tried-and-true ways to compensate for these mental glitches (more on that below).

We worry a lot about memory loss and, understandably, it gets a lot of attention from doctors ...

 

6 frequently asked questions about this infamous type of headache.

Although migraines are notorious for causing pain, they've created a lot of confusion, too. We hope the answers to the six questions below will clear up a few misunderstandings and provide some useful information along the way. If you have a question about migraines, please write us, and we'll answer as many as possible on our Web site at www.health.harvard.edu/healthextra.

1. What exactly is a migraine? Some people use the term migraine to describe any severe headache, but not all severe headaches are migraines nor are all migraines severe, ...

Many people have trouble sticking with the main treatment, the continuous positive airway pressure machines that keep airways open.

If you snore, it can be hard on those within earshot, especially bed partners. But if you snore and have sleep apnea, it's hard on you, too. Without realizing it, people with sleep apnea briefly stop breathing — apnea means cessation of breathing — or breathe very shallowly many times during the night.

The consequences include bad sleep and all that can come from that: grogginess when you're awake, an inability to concentrate, depression, accidents. Numerous studies have linked sleep apnea ...

Editor's note: We try to make the articles in the Health Letter as complete as possible. But hardly a day goes by when there isn't an opportunity for some follow-up to a piece we've published: new findings get reported, a reader asks an interesting question, a doctor passes along an insight. Here are brief follow-ups to three recent articles. Let us know what you think — if readers like this approach, we'll do it again.

Good news: Bowel prep not needed We discussed the bowel preparation needed for colonoscopy in our January 2010 issue.

But colonoscopy isn't the only reason ...

I have a mild case of celiac disease. Do the villi ever recover after wheat gluten is given up? I am really tired of gluten-free food!

Do the contrast agents used with MRI scans have side effects? I have had several MRIs and am wondering if there's reason to be worried.