Stiff knees, achy hips and swollen hands? If you’re 50 or older, it could be osteoarthritis — a common wear-and-tear disease that happens when the cushion-like tissue between the bones breaks down over time, leading to joint pain. “As we age, the one thing we can’t change is the amount of time we’ve had on our joints. […]
How a new technology might accelerate Alzheimer’s testing, treatment for millions
It can take months or years for doctors to determine whether people with early signs of memory loss have Alzheimer’s disease. But experts say a new generation of blood tests may replace the expensive brain scans and spinal taps now used to diagnose the mind-robbing disease. Early diagnosis could allow patients earlier access to drugs approved […]
Here’s What It’s Really Like to Date in Your 80s
Eleven years ago, after a 50-year marriage, I entered a new chapter of life with a very different title. No longer a wife; I became a widow. I was 74 at the time and still playing tennis. I had energy. I had spunk. On a trip to the Cayman Islands with my children and grandchildren, I […]
Why Do We Forget Names?
Many people can remember being called by the wrong name as a kid, often by an exhausted mother who ran through the names of every creature in the household — including the family dog — until hitting the name she meant to say in the first place. As adults, people often repeat the same mistakes, […]
Surprising Health Benefits of Potatoes
Pity the poor potato. Even though it’s the most commonly consumed vegetable in the United States, it’s gotten a bad rap. Which makes sense in some ways — deep-fried french fries and potato chips account for a lot of that consumption. Headlines link them to obesity and type 2 diabetes. But dig a little deeper, […]
Do You Know the Warning Signs of Uterine Cancer?
When Ursula Matulonis, M.D., started treating women with gynecologic cancers more than 20 years ago, she says it was rare to see a patient who had an aggressive form of uterine cancer. “Now I see several per week,” says Matulonis, chief of the division of gynecologic oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and a […]
