Work-related stress may be a risk factor for heart problems. So what do we do about it?

Harvard researchers have uncovered strong links between women's job stress and cardiovascular disease. Findings from the Women's Health Study (WHS) — a landmark inquiry into disease prevention involving more than 17,000 female health professionals — show that women whose work is highly stressful have a 40% increased risk of heart disease (including heart attacks and the need for coronary artery surgery), compared with their less stressed colleagues. The results, which were presented at an American Heart Association meeting in 2010, also showed ...

Two related inflammatory conditions affect different parts of the body.

After age 50, you can expect a little joint stiffness or muscle soreness the morning after a challenging workout or some heavy yard work. Usually, a hot shower, massage, or good night's rest will put things right. But for women with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), those common remedies aren't enough. PMR isn't a life-threatening condition, but it can severely limit your daily activities and take a heavy toll on your sleep and well-being. PMR can come on gradually over days or weeks or may appear suddenly. You may feel fine one ...

This common colon condition usually produces no symptoms, but it can result in bleeding, pain, and serious infection.

Diverticular disease is a range of conditions caused by small balloon-like pouches, called diverticula (the singular is diverticulum), in the walls of the large intestine, or colon. Most people with diverticula in the colon — a condition called diverticulosis — don't have symptoms. In fact, the pouches are often discovered by chance during a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy performed for other reasons. Some people with diverticulosis experience abdominal cramping and bloating, often precipitated by eating (although the cause isn't always clear — irritable ...

At this time of year, hands may be red, rough, and raw, and skin may feel itchy and uncomfortable.

Dry skin occurs when skin doesn't retain sufficient moisture — for example, because of frequent bathing, use of harsh soaps, aging, or certain medical conditions. Wintertime poses a special problem because humidity is low both outdoors and indoors, and the water content of the epidermis (the outermost layer of skin) tends to reflect the level of humidity around it. Fortunately, there are many simple and inexpensive things you can do to relieve winter dry skin, also known as winter itch or ...

In recent years, many studies have suggested that we take much more vitamin D than we do now — especially those of us living in northern climes who may get too little sunlight to produce adequate amounts in the skin. Many scientists have advocated vitamin D doses of 1,000 to 2,000 international units (IU) a day — much higher than the present recommended dose — to prevent a host of chronic conditions. But the report of an expert panel convened by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded in November 2010 that high doses of vitamin D aren't necessary and might ...

What do you know about taking extra folic acid to boost the immune system?

In your article about blepharitis, you didn't say anything about the best way to remove eye makeup. Are oil-based products bad for this condition?