A major study suggests that statins also quell inflammation. Now what?

With February come thoughts of the heart, and this year you may be wondering if you should be doing more for yours. For instance, what about taking a statin, one of those medications best known for their ability to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol? Most of us with healthy LDL levels assumed we didn't need a statin to reduce our risk for cardiovascular disease. In November 2008, that assumption may have been proved wrong when a large international study — the JUPITER trial — found that the statin drug rosuvastatin ...

Envisioning a snow-capped peak, a walk down a mountain path on a winter day, or other "cool" images as part of hypnosis therapy helped ease hot flashes in breast cancer survivors, according to a study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (Nov. 1, 2008).

Hot flashes and night sweats bother about 65% of breast cancer survivors, with many rating them as severe or even debilitating. Symptoms are sometimes so vexing that some women stop taking medications such as tamoxifen (Nolvadex) or anastrozole (Arimidex), which help prevent cancer recurrence but also trigger hot flashes. Estrogen, the most effective hot flash therapy, ...

About 35% of people over age 65 fall in their homes at least once each year. That figure increases to 50% for those ages 75 and over. We have less information on falls among people over age 85, who are mostly women and now make up the fastest-growing segment of the elderly population. But one study of women and men ages 91 to 105 found that about 60% had at least one fall in the course of a year. Most of the resulting injuries are minor, but falls can also cause major lacerations, fractures, head trauma, and other injuries that ...

Foot conditions Recognizing and treating Morton's neuroma Almost everyone's feet take a pounding throughout life, but women have more foot problems than men do. One of those problems is Morton's neuroma. The name might suggest a cancer, as in sarcoma or lymphoma, but Morton's neuroma is not a cancerous condition. The cause is a thickening of the nerve tissue between the bones at the base of the toes. Symptoms include pain and burning in the ball of the foot and often numbness in the toes. Morton's neuroma is about 10 times more common in women than in men; women in ...

Prevention Have your vaccinations had a check-up lately? Don't assume vaccinations received during childhood will protect you for the rest of your life.

You were probably vaccinated years ago against a number of infectious diseases. The government requires it for entry to schools, many camps, colleges, and some occupations. Although most vaccinations are given in the first couple decades of life, even adults need an occasional shot in the arm, for several reasons. Some of us were never vaccinated as children. Vaccines are available now that were not when today's adults were young. As you age, immunity can fade, leaving ...

Q. I had a laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy a year ago. Six months ago, I started having severe pelvic pain. It seems to develop a few days before I would normally have had a menstrual period (I still have both ovaries). Is it possible to experience symptoms of endometriosis after a hysterectomy? I also wonder if I might have pelvic adhesions and this is causing the pain.

A. Your diagnosis is right on track. When a woman's symptoms are cyclical, it suggests a hormone-related phenomenon — in this case, endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue similar to the lining ...