Is it time to rewrite the book on postmenopausal hormone use?

What a difference a decade makes! When the new millennium dawned, hormone therapy (HT) was a mainstay of postmenopausal health care. Besides relieving hot flashes and other troublesome symptoms, it was thought to offer protection against a host of degenerative disorders. In 2001, perimenopausal women were commonly urged to consider HT, not just for symptom relief but also for benefits that included protection against osteoporosis and possibly heart disease, colon cancer, and Alzheimer's disease. Its risks were thought to be limited — mainly increased susceptibility to breast cancer and ...

When terminal illness lasts a long time, so does saying goodbye.

The death of someone you love is never easy to experience, whether it comes suddenly or after a long illness. And the way we grieve depends on the circumstances. Over the years, experts have proposed many models of grief to help people understand what they're going through. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross introduced the idea of "five stages of grief" (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) in 1969 in her landmark book, On Death and Dying. In those days, sudden and unexpected death was more common than it is now. Thanks to ...

Gallstones are one of the most common digestive problems treated in women.

More than 25 million people in the United States have gallstones, and 65% to 75% of them are women. Fortunately, for most people, gallstones are "silent" — they don't cause major symptoms. When they do act up, there are effective ways to address the problem.

What are gallstones? Gallstones begin with bile, a substance that helps with the digestion of fats and the absorption of certain vitamins. Bile is made in the liver and carried to the gallbladder, a small, pear-shaped organ that concentrates and stores it. The ...

An observational study of 31,000 older women in Sweden found that those who ate one to two servings a week of chocolate had a lower risk of heart failure.

Q. I recently had a right hip replacement and my doctor says I'm now ready to use a cane. Do you have any recommendations about the best way to use it?

A. Congratulations on your progress! A proper cane can be very helpful. It will reduce pain by taking some of your body's weight off the hip. It can also improve your stability and balance and reduce the demand on muscles and tendons that might still be inflamed or weak after surgery. A cane will get you on your feet and allow you to be more active, helping you strengthen ...