Scientists are making headway in detecting ovarian cancer at an earlier stage.

In 2009, 21,500 women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and 14,600 died of the disease. Though far less common than breast cancer — 192,000 new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in 2009 and 44,000 people died of the disease — ovarian cancer is almost three times as deadly.

Urgent need for early detection Ovarian cancer is so lethal largely because 75% of cases are diagnosed late, after the cancer has spread beyond the ovaries and often throughout the abdomen. At that point, the five-year survival rate is ...

Women are more likely than men to develop these painful conditions.

Our hands connect us with the world. We work with our hands and communicate with our hands. The wear and tear from all that use can sometimes cause painful conditions, and women are particularly prone to develop two of these: de Quervain's (pronounced deh-KWER-vins) tenosynovitis and stenosing tenosynovitis (or trigger finger). Both involve the tendons of the hand.

In the hand, tendons connect the muscles of the forearm and wrist to the bones of the fingers and thumb, allowing us to bend our wrists and hand joints and move ...

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of a statin in people with normal cholesterol levels, in part because of evidence that taking the drug can reduce vascular inflammation.

If your New Year's resolve to become more physically active has started to flag, the findings of several studies may help renew your commitment. Research has already documented that higher levels of physical activity can help prevent or ameliorate many conditions that reduce function and hamper independence as we get older, including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and depression. Various types of exercise have also been linked with a reduced risk for dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Now four studies, including two randomized trials, add further evidence that regular exercise may be the best thing we can do to stay ...

Rooted in Indian philosophy, yoga is an ancient method of relaxation, exercise, and healing that has gained a wide following in the United States. It has been shown to ease anxiety and depression, lower blood pressure, improve joint pain and function, and relieve pain and many other mental and physical complaints. It may come as no surprise, then, that yoga may also serve to enhance sexual function. According to a study published online in The Journal of Sexual Medicine (Nov. 12, 2009), regular yoga practice improves several aspects of sexual function in women, including desire, arousal, orgasm, and overall satisfaction.

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Q. I've tried a lot of things for a fungal infection in one of my toenails, but it just won't go away. What do you know about a new treatment that uses laser?

A. Two lasers using different types of laser energy have attracted attention as treatments for fungal infection of the toenails, a condition called onychomycosis (pronounced oh-nee-koh-my-KOH-sis), which can also affect the fingernails: Noveon and the PathoLase PinPointe FootLaser. The theory is that a precisely directed laser can eliminate the fungus without harming the surrounding nail tissue. The underlying technologies are already in use for other conditions, including ...