"Eat a varied diet" has long been a bedrock of mainstream dietary advice, here and around the world. But encouraging people to eat a wide variety of foods may backfire and lead to consumption of more food, especially unhealthy...

Dieting during the holiday season can be tough going, with extra calories seeming to lurk around every corner. If you need some inspiration to stick with it, keep in mind that your efforts might not be a benefit only to you.

Buttermilk's name is deceptive since it contains no butter and is typically low in fat. Preliminary research suggests that the drink may have modest heart benefits. What's more, some buttermilk may be better tolerated than...

Between meal snacking doesn't have to be a hindrance to your weight management efforts. It's what you snack on and how much of it you consume that counts. These 6 tips can help you avoid self-sabotage.

Although being a smoker is the biggest risk factor for COPD, an estimated 25 percent of those who have the disease have never smoked.

Quitting smoking provides more than just a promise of better health in the distant future. Smokers who kick the habit after a hospitalization are more likely to report a better quality of life within just a month than those who...

A Canadian study reports that more than 42 percent of middle-aged and older women who have asthma will develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). There are ways to reduce the risk of developing this condition, known...

Smokers trying to quit often report that certain cues, such as seeing other people smoke, cause them to crave a cigarette, which typically triggers a relapse. But memory retrieval-extinction training—a technique that alters...

Prostate cancer is very rare among Inuit in Greenland and Canada, who live largely on fish, as well as among Japanese men, who also eat a lot of fish. But evidence on the role of fatty fish and the omega-3 acids they contain on...

A look at the benefits and risks of hormone therapy for prostate cancer.

Urinary incontinence can occur after surgery or radiation therapy for prostate cancer. Pelvic floor (Kegel) exercises can help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles that support the bladder and help a man have more control over...

Can dietary supplements lower the risk of developing prostate cancer? Here's a look at what's known about some common vitamins and minerals.

Do your knees make unusual noises when you're moving? Those pops and clicks you hear coming from your knees may be the sound of arthritis beginning to take hold.

Australian researchers decided to test whether participating in an inpatient rehabilitation program after knee arthroplasty gets patients back on their feet faster. Their results may surprise you.

People who have fibromyalgia often live with chronic widespread pain that prevents them from performing simple tasks many of us take for granted, such as sweeping the floor, taking the dog for a walk, or driving to work. The...

A degenerative, or age-related, meniscal tear develops gradually as repeated everyday movements wear down the cartilage. A weak meniscus can tear with no or minimal trauma, such as when standing up or getting out of a...

Researchers have made significant advances in diagnosing and treating diabetic retinopathy, one of the most serious complications of diabetes. Even so, diabetic retinopathy remains a leading cause of new cases of blindness...

Your primary care physician can probably handle the varied aspects of your diabetes treatment plan—but that doesn't mean he or she can do it alone. Because even basic healthcare is more complicated in people with diabetes, it's...

Three blood tests are considered the most accurate for diagnosing prediabetes and diabetes. Here's a look at how they differ and what the results mean.

For decades, nutrition guidelines advised limiting eggs because it was thought that they raised blood cholesterol and had adverse heart and metabolic effects. While such restrictions have largely been lifted for the general...

Depending upon the part of the brain impacted, a major stroke can have devastating effects, particularly on a survivor's motor skills. Given the challenges of coping with the subsequent disabilities, physical rehabilitation is...

Here are 13 things you may not know about strokes, some of which may save a life, according to the American Heart Association.

If you have high blood pressure, checking it regularly at home might help you better control the condition, even if your doctor takes your blood pressure at most appointments.

Gender is no barrier to strokes, which occur when blood flow to the brain is blocked (an ischemic stroke) or damage is caused by bleeding in the brain (a hemorrhagic stroke). But there are some gender differences when it comes...

Does your New Year's resolution to exercise more seem like a daunting task? Getting plenty of exercise can help you live longer, but keep in mind that even brief bouts of huffing and puffing confer important health benefits,...

This holiday season, many of us would probably like to avoid discussing politics at family gatherings. So here's an idea: Talk family health history instead. Since many health problems run in families, a holiday gathering is a...

Although it's late November, it's not too late to get your flu shot, if you haven't done so already. The influenza vaccination is an essential protective measure in spite of many misconceptions about its effectiveness. The...

In spite of professional guidelines and educational campaigns to reduce the overprescribing of antibiotics, the problem is still widespread. It's important to recognize when antibiotics can help you get better--and when they...

Most of us have experienced what it feels like to have trouble swallowing, such as when we eat too fast or don't chew our food thoroughly. But if you regularly have trouble initiating a swallow, take a long time to swallow, or...

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) sufferers frequently report that their symptoms worsen after meals. A number of strategies to alleviate those symptoms, including a "low FODMAP" diet have been proposed. Here's a look at recent...

A hiatal hernia doesn't cause heartburn, but it is often associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Here's why.

A large German study published in 2016 found an association between the long-term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) in people over age 75. But two more recent studies,...

Is there scientific evidence that taking a multivitamin/mineral supplement helps prevent heart attacks and strokes? Recent studies point to no.

There's no reason to routinely use electrocardiograms (ECGs) to screen people for signs of coronary heart disease, even if they have risk factors for the condition. That's according to the latest recommendations from the U.S....

For people with extensive coronary artery disease, bypass surgery may beat stents when it comes to boosting quality of life, according to a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Statin medications can sometimes cause side effects, such as muscle pain or digestive problems. But what are the risks of stopping the medication because of those adverse effects?

Older people who have seven modifiable cardiovascular risk factors under optimal control are at dramatically reduced risk for dementia, according to a recent French study in ...

People who have a stroke are about twice as likely to develop dementia as people who don't have a stroke, according to a review of studies involving 3.2 million people—mostly older adults—worldwide. The good news is that there...

Thanks to new developments in imaging technology, researchers are now able to use positron emission tomography (PET) scans to search the brain for a protein known as tau. Although tau is essential for normal cell functioning,...

Not all memory loss is irreversible. Loss of memory can result from medication side effects, depression, certain medical conditions, and other controllable causes.

If a family member was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder, you're likely to have questions about what to expect during episodes of mania and depression. This brief overview can help you better understand what typically...

What leads someone to attempt suicide? And what can be done to offer a lifeline to people who are desperate enough to consider ending their own lives?

If you are experiencing depression, here's where you can turn for help and what to expect.

Sleep problems can be both a cause and an effect of depression. Here's what you should know about both.

Acupuncture combined with standard medical care is more effective than standard medical care alone for treating chronic pain, including back and neck pain, according to a meta-analysis published last year by British...

A recent study adds to the growing body of evidence that long-term use of opioids to treat chronic non-cancer pain, including back pain, should be the exception rather than the rule.

If you suffer from back pain and have been taking opioids for pain relief, you may be thinking of trying kratom. This product has been reported to help relieve pain and ease opioid withdrawal symptoms. But the U.S. Food and...

Yoga has been shown to improve neck, back, and knee pain, but about 10 percent of participants in a recent study reported that yoga caused pain, and 20 percent who already had pain said that the practice exacerbated it.

Injections of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors can slow neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). But many people find that receiving injections in the eye is stressful. If you're anxious about the...

Some people notice small dark spots that look like freckles in the iris of the eye. These may be harmless iris "freckles," medically called iris ephelis, or they could be iris nevi, which are typically, but not always, benign....

Recent research may have put the kibosh on the health claim that fish oil (omega-3) supplements are an effective treatment for dry eyes.

Microstents are a promising new option for managing elevated intraocular pressure in adults with glaucoma. But with so many microstents becoming available, ophthalmologists are still trying to assess their relative benefits and...

Surgery is the fastest, most reliable way to improve lower urinary tract symptoms related to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). But compared with other treatment options, it is associated with a greater risk of long-term...

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), commonly referred to as an enlarged prostate, is the most common prostate problem for men older than age 50. It can cause lower urinary tract symptoms such as difficulty starting urination or...

At age 20, the prostate is about the size of a crab apple, but by age 70, the average prostate has doubled in size. The condition, known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, is the most common prostate problem for men older...

The prostate is not a component of the urinary system, but because of its proximity to the urethra it can affect urinary function.