Healthy aging and longevity Archive

Women sometimes neglect their feet until they start to experience foot pain and other problems.

Most women get their teeth cleaned at least once a year, keep tabs on their heart, and may even have an annual eye exam. While they might clip and paint their toenails on a regular basis, women often neglect the health of their feet.

That lack of attention can lead to pain and other foot problems, which are common and — for some people — life-altering.

Research we're watching

If you leave lights shining or keep the television on while you sleep, it could affect your waistline, according to a study published online June 10 by JAMA Internal Medicine. The study found an association between exposure to artificial light during sleep and weight gain in women.

The research team looked at questionnaires completed by more than 40,000 women, which asked, among other things, whether the women slept with lights on nearby or in the same room. The researchers also recorded the women's height, body mass index (a measure of weight in relation to height), and waist size at the time they entered the study and then five years later. They found that women who slept with a light or television on in the room were 17% more likely to have gained 11 pounds or more during the course of the study. They did not find a similar effect when women used a small night light or had a light on outside the room that shone in. It's not clear why exposure to artificial light was linked with weight gain, but researchers speculated that it might affect sleep quality.

Talking about sexuality with a doctor can be uncomfortable. If you identify as LGBTQ+, it's important to find a doctor who is attuned to the specific needs of the LGBTQ+ community. This can make getting proper care easier.

Do employee health programs lead to healthier, more productive employees? A large study shows little or no impact, although results might vary based on workplace, offerings, and other factors.

Lifestyle changes may not always be enough to control biologically driven body changes.

You spend hours in the gym every day. You eat nothing but grilled chicken, fish, and salads. Yet the numbers on the scale don't budge — or worse, they slowly creep up, along with your waist measurement.

Welcome to menopause.

"The change" actually does bring changes for many women, including weight gain that can resist even the most diligent efforts to reverse it, says Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Aspirin falls short in improving colon cancer test results.

Ask the doctor

Q. How much sleep do we really need, and what happens if we get too little or too much?

A. We spend about a third of our lives sleeping, so you've asked an important question.

Take advantage of the many delivery options to keep your diet fresh, healthy, and full of variety.

Getting groceries or prepared meals without leaving your couch is easier than ever in this era of home delivery. That's important for people who have difficulty getting to the grocery store because they don't drive or because they're struggling with a chronic condition.

But the many options for food delivery may have you wondering where to begin. Here's a look at some widely used services and what to keep in mind when you use them.