Lower doses are as effective as higher doses and are likely to be safer.

Women ages 55 to 79 should consider taking a daily aspirin to reduce their risk of having a stroke, according to new guidelines from the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an expert panel that reviews evidence and recommends preventive health strategies. The guidelines reflect evidence showing that the cardiovascular benefits of aspirin vary by gender. Aspirin reduces women's risk for ischemic stroke, the most common kind (caused by blood clots), but not heart attacks. In men, it lowers the risk of heart attacks but ...

Foot health What to do about an ingrown toenail Warm soaks and proper nail trimming may do the trick, but sometimes it's best to see a foot specialist right away.

The medical term for this painful condition is onychocryptosis. It develops, usually on the big toe, when a corner of the toenail curves down and digs into the skin. The symptoms may include soreness, swelling, redness, and warmth. If the toenail breaks the skin, bacteria may enter and cause an infection. Eventually, skin may start to grow over the ingrown part of the nail.

You can do several things ...

In the journals  

High resting heart rate predicts heart risk in women at midlife Many techniques, including blood tests and risk scoring systems, have been developed to predict a woman's risk of having a heart attack. Now it appears that simply checking your pulse first thing in the morning may be sufficient. According to a study, resting heart rate — the number of heartbeats per minute while at rest — predicts risk for cardiac events in middle-aged women regardless of physical activity, smoking, and other risk factors. The results, which confirm previous findings in men, are based on data ...

In the journals B vitamins may protect against macular degeneration Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the main cause of severe and irreversible vision loss in Americans ages 60 and over. About 1.5 million people in the United States have advanced AMD, and another 7.3 million have an early form of the disease that involves little or no vision loss but can progress to the advanced stage. There are some treatments for advanced AMD, but until now the only known way to reliably reduce your risk for developing the disorder has been to stop smoking. (According to the National Eye Institute, ...

In the journals Exercise eases nighttime leg twitches Stress and worry — and sometimes a partner's snoring — can keep us up at night, but some women may be losing sleep for a less obvious reason. Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) may cause their legs to kick or jerk every 20 to 40 seconds for minutes to hours during sleep. Even when they are not awakened by these episodes, they may suffer from problems related to chronic sleep loss, including daytime drowsiness and lack of alertness, because normal sleep patterns are disrupted.

PLMD can be treated with medications, but a ...

This gentle form of exercise can prevent or ease many ills of aging and could be the perfect activity for the rest of your life.

Tai chi is often described as "meditation in motion," but it might well be called "medication in motion." There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice, which originated in China as a martial art, has value in treating or preventing many health problems. And you can get started even if you aren't in top shape or the best of health.

In this low-impact, slow-motion exercise, you go without pausing through a series of motions named for ...

Q. I'm 69 and have been taking Fosamax for 10 years. My doctor has approved a "drug holiday," provided we use a CTX test to monitor my bones. Can you explain?

A. CTX — which stands for C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide — is an indicator of bone turnover. Turnover refers to the remodeling process by which bone is continually broken down (resorption) and built up (formation). Through this process, bone is strengthened and tiny fractures are repaired. Resorption and formation normally are closely coupled in a steady rate of turnover. But after menopause, as estrogen production wanes, resorption outpaces formation, and ...