Include some of these proven health checks among your New Year's resolutions.

We often see headlines that announce new or potential screening tests — most recently, for Alzheimer's disease, lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer. Although these tests may sound promising, their value can take years to sort out. Will they really save lives and improve health? Who should have them? What costs and harms are involved?

Keeping up with new developments is a good idea, but it's even more important not to overlook the many tests and screenings already available to improve our health and the quality of our lives. ...

When should you see a clinician about excessive or unexpected bleeding?

Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) is a common problem for women of all ages, accounting for up to one-third of gynecologic office visits. The two main types are heavy bleeding that occurs at an appropriate or expected time, such as a heavy menstrual period (menorrhagia), and any type of bleeding that occurs unexpectedly (metrorrhagia). The absence of regular menstrual periods for several months (amenorrhea) is also considered an abnormal bleeding pattern. AUB can be tricky to identify, because what's normal depends on a woman's reproductive age.

In premenopausal women, regular ...

Pelvic floor strengthening exercises, also known as Kegel exercises, are known to be effective for stress urinary incontinence in women, with cure rates of up to 80%. Now, in the largest trial of its kind, Norwegian researchers have found that pelvic floor strengthening can also improve pelvic organ prolapse and alleviate its symptoms. This condition develops when supporting structures of the pelvic area become lax and allow one or more pelvic organs (bladder, urethra, rectum, or uterus) to protrude into the vagina.

Surgery is the only definitive treatment, but pelvic floor exercises are often recommended to women who have mild ...

What you need to know about the bedbug resurgence.

Hardly a day goes by without reports of yet another bedbug infestation. Bedbugs are showing up in residences of all kinds, including apartment buildings, dormitories, and hotels as well as in offices, retail stores, schools, theaters, and public transportation. Explanations for the resurgence of Cimex lectularius include increased international travel, changing pest control practices, resistance to pesticides, and lack of knowledge about how to control them. "But these are just speculation," says entomologist Dr. Richard Pollack. "The proper answer is, ‘We don't know.'"

What we do know is that they're back ...

Q. I have osteoporosis and a recent spine fracture. I hear there's a minor surgical procedure that can fix the fracture. Can you tell me anything about it?

A. Fractures of the bones in the spinal column (vertebrae) are common in people with osteoporosis; about 750,000 occur each year in the United States. In this type of fracture, called a compression fracture, the vertebra collapses, often causing pain, a gradual loss of height, or stooped posture. Even if the fracture doesn't cause obvious symptoms, having one fracture increases the risk of having another one. The cumulative effect of multiple fractures ...