The effect of tears and three other tales of woe.

We expect babies and children to cry, but House Speaker John Boehner's well-chronicled weepiness is a reminder that adults (including menfolk) shed plenty of tears, too. Grief, personal conflict, and feelings of inadequacy are among the main reasons, but grown-ups also fill buckets at weddings, graduations, and reunions because they are so happy. Having a good cry every now and then may not be a bad idea. But crying too easily — or for no apparent reason — can be a symptom of brain damage from a neurological condition like ...

Government officials declined to follow recommendations on sugar-sweetened beverages and salt.

When the federal government's 2010 Dietary Guidelines finally came out at the end of January 2011, there was more praise for their dos than their don'ts. Some consumer groups and nutrition experts commended the emphasis on combating obesity, controlling calorie intake, and eating fresh fruit and vegetables (important, if safe and hackneyed, advice). But Walter Willett, chair of the Harvard School of Public Health's nutrition department and a member of the Health Letter's editorial board, was among the critics who faulted the guidelines for hiding behind abstractions like "solid ...

Are the side effects something to worry about, or much ado about nothing?

Stomach acid is natural, a valuable chemical contributor to orderly digestion. But in excess or in the wrong place, it's a menace, inflaming and irritating the esophagus, typically causing heartburn and sometimes contributing to the development of ulcers in the stomach and the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine.

People have dealt with stomach acid–related woes in a variety of ways, proven and otherwise, for eons, but it wasn't until the mid-1970s and the introduction of cimetidine (Tagamet) that a treatment targeted the production of ...

American health care needs to be cured of its high-spending, disorganized ways. Are accountable care organizations the right medicine?

Health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and managed care were supposed to mend much of what ails American health care: the relentless rise in spending, care that's disjointed and uncoordinated, the disregard of prevention relative to the bills paid for treatment.

They weren't total flops. Some, not all, of the surviving HMOs get good grades on quality-of-care report cards. The managed-care push of the 1990s did stabilize health care spending for much of that decade. But the success was definitely limited, and cost ...

An ultrasound screening can detect blockage in the carotid arteries, but a government task force is discouraging such screenings due to the very small percentage of the population at risk for such a stroke.

I'm 70 and exercise 30 minutes a day. I've heard that creatine supplements might help build muscle strength. Is there anything to it?

A friend has sarcoidosis. How bad a disease is it? Can it be prevented and treated effectively?