Healthy Aging

A potentially life-saving prescription for fighting heart disease, diabetes and stroke could be as close as those walking shoes gathering dust in your closet. According to an unusual new study, the benefits of exercise in reducing mortality from those leading causes of death match or even exceed the effects of prescription drugs for the same conditions. Patients with heart disease who exercised, for instance, had the same odds of surviving the condition as those given medications such as statins or antiplatelet drugs.

Unhealthy behaviors such as inactivity, poor diet and smoking have long been associated with a wide range of chronic diseases and risk of death. But a new study reveals that such lifestyle factors can also affect older adults' risk of disability and loss of independence.

Are you feeding your bones a healthy diet? If not, the consequences could be serious. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), some 10 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis, which makes bones less dense and more susceptible to fractures. Another 34 million people are at risk for the condition. Osteoporosis will cause about half of all women over 50 to break a bone at some point in their lifetime, the NOF estimates. One-third of those who suffer hip fractures will require nursing-home care, and one-fifth will die in the first year after the fracture.

As the mercury drops, cold and flu outbreaks soar. Its tempting to believe the marketing claims that this pill or that herbal remedy can protect you, but the science says theres simply no magic bullet to boost your immune system. Eating a healthy diet, however, is even more important during cold and flu season. Experts may not fully understand how specific nutrients aid the immune system, and tests of individual vitamins and minerals against colds…

Answer : Peripheral neuropathy is a problem with the nerves that carry information to and from the brain and spinal cord...

Answer : A A 2007 study at Stanford University cast doubt on the claims that garlic is effective in lowering bad LDL cholesterol in adults...

Answer : Youre recalling the book Biomarkers: The 10 Determinants of Aging You Can Control by Tufts William Evans, PhD, and Irwin H. Rosenberg, MD.

Answer : AJoel B. Mason, MD, Tufts professor of medicine and nutrition and director of the HNRCA Vitamins & Carcinogenesis Laboratory, replies: In general, the increased risk of cancer associated with alcoholic beverages is observed...

Getting more fish into your diet has never been easier-and the payoff in better health and longevity has never been clearer.

While the evidence for health benefits from most supplements is skimpy at best, extra vitamins for your eyes are a notable exception.