The holidays can be a stressful time. TV commercials may depict how wonderful it is for families to be together–laughing, drinking and having a good time. But the reality for many people during the holidays is very different. Here are some practical guidelines to help you through the upcoming months of joy, peace and stress.
1. People often feel overwhelmed during the holiday season. Social gatherings, gifts and family often all come together and this can be stressful because people feel pressured to do a number of things that they do not …

Brush your teeth and you’ll cut your risk of heart disease, concludes a new study published in the British Medical Journal.

Researchers have long known that gum disease is associated with increased risk of heart problems. The link appears to be inflammation, which plays a role in the buildup of cholesterol in arteries. In this new study, published on the British Medical Journal’s website at BMJ.com, researchers examined whether the number of times people brush their teeth has any bearing on heart disease risk.

It does.

Erectile dysfunction drugs may cause hearing loss, according to new research by University of Alabama epidemiologist Gerald McGwin, PhD.

Most of the time we complain about videogames, which seem to encourage violent impulses and physical slothfulness. Now comes news that playing fast-paced video action games actually improves vision.

A bacterial infection that causes chronic diarrhea and fever, among other symptoms, is on the rise, experts say. Since 2000, the incidence has increased 25 percent a year. The chief cause of the epidemic: the very drugs designed to fight off bacterial infections, antibiotics.

The current economic downturn can be measured by all kinds of economic indicators–including some showing up in hospitals and doctors’ offices around the country, where surveys show that patients are deferring non-emergency care and not showing up for appointments. In response, some doctors are offering special rates and payment plans. Some are even treating patients in dire straits for free.

Antioxidants are good. The free radical molecules they neutralize are bad. Or so we’ve all been led to think. Now a study of exercise and insulin sensitivity turns that conventional notion on its head.

After cancelling his wildly popular comedy tour “Weapons of Self-Destruction” because of serious heart problems, Robin Williams is soon to be back on the circuit. And by all accounts, his over-the-top sense of humor is undiminished. The tour was postponed after the comedian underwent major surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in March to replace his aortic valve, repair his mitral valve and treat an irregular heartbeat.

Researchers have long known that women who get adequate amounts of folic acid are much less likely to give birth to infants with spina bifida, a devastating birth defect. New research shows that folic acid supplements dramatically reduce the risk of preterm births, as well.

Many cancer patients swear by acupressure wristbands as a way to ward off treatment-related nausea. Most doctors have assumed the bands work because of the placebo effect. No longer.