My brother needed surgery for an enlarged prostate at age 60. I am just a few months shy of my 50th birthday, and my urine stream is starting to slow down a bit. Is there anything I can do to avoid following in my brother's footsteps?

On call Performance anxiety Q. I am a 38-year-old junior executive. My work gets good marks from my supervisors, but I have a problem that may hamper my career. Every time I have to make a presentation, I get terribly nervous, making it very hard for me to get through my talk. I've heard there is a pill that can help, but I don't want to take tranquilizers. What do you suggest?

A. Although your symptoms occur in a corporate boardroom, not a theatre, your problem is best known by its popular name, stage fright. It's a common problem that ...

 

Hypertension is a circulatory disease. Many patients with high blood pressure develop coronary artery disease or heart failure, and many die as a result. But all parts of the body depend on the circulation, and many organs suffer from the impact of untreated hypertension. One of the organs at greatest risk is the brain.

 

What is blood pressure? Blood pressure is the vital force that propels oxygen-rich blood to all parts of your body. Your heart is the pump that generates the force, and your arteries are the channels that transport and distribute the blood.

The height of ...

In an odd sort of way, it's a case of science and medicine imitating movies and politics. In just a few years, Arnold Schwarzenegger has morphed from a symbol of muscle beach and cinematic mayhem to an icon of responsible governance and environmental stewardship. Similarly, strength training has been transformed from a cardiologist's nightmare to an important tool for improving health, even in cardiac patients. So although you may have long since abandoned the urge to display bulging biceps, you should understand why strength training is important for your health and how to do it properly.

As the clock ticks ...