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“My dad was just 47, not too much older than I am now, when he had his first heart attack,” she says. “He was a classic case—overweight, a smoker. But he worked hard to reverse those risk factors afterward. He quit smoking and became more active, walking every evening.” But then his job became intensely stressful after a takeover—and his wife was diagnosed with lung cancer. “My dad felt responsible for staving off layoffs among his team, and that weight, coupled with my mother’s illness, was too much for him,” Sood says....

A superior marker? Your waist-to-height ratio, which accounts for extra belly fat (which is linked to heart disease and diabetes). MORE: 11 Easy Things You Can Do TODAY To Jumpstart Your Weight-Loss Journey Want to find out if you’re in the clear? Here’s the easy, 30-second test:1. Cut a piece of string to the length of your height, then fold it in half and wrap it around your waist.2. If the ends overlap, your waist is less than half your height—the ideal range....

I became rabidly fixated on getting him to wash his hair more often and dress in familiar, lackluster American-style clothing. I wasn’t subtle as I tried to extinguish the very uniqueness that had attracted me in the first place. I actually dragged him to the sink and washed his hair! I’m a little wiser now. My husband, Gordon, and I celebrate and respect each other, including our idiosyncrasies. He knows I’m a workaholic who isn’t always available to go for a walk or take in a movie....

If you’re eating an organic diet and trying to avoid pesticides and other nasty chemicals in your home, it’s unnerving to learn that hidden contaminants, such as lead, might still be lurking in your household. A recent study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives suggests that lead, found in a disturbingly high number of foods and consumer products, could cause hearing loss. Researchers analyzed the blood lead levels of nearly 3,700 adults between the ages of 20 and 69, and found that hearing loss increased in step with blood lead levels, regardless of where people worked or any recreational exposures to loud noises....

A study published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine evaluated the efficacy of the oil (which has been used to treat wounds and burns) on hairless mice that were exposed to wrinkle-causing UVB rays. The result? A solution containing 10% manuka oil seemed to protect against photo-aging: mice that received the oil had shorter and more shallow wrinkles than those that used less (or no) oil, presumably because it protected against collagen loss....

There’s nothing worse than coming home from a hike, camping trip, or barbecue and discovering a ton of itchy, painful mosquito bites speckling your skin. Even worse: Your friend or sibling who was with you the entire time has no bites at all. So, what gives? Well, it helps to know how and why a mosquito bites you in the first place. Only females are out for blood, explains Joseph M....

But there were 5 undeniable themes of can’t-live-without-’em love that any mom (plus one for the grandmoms!) can relate to: The hugs and kisses. Group hug time. Is anything sweeter—be it big wet kisses from a toddler to a quick embrace or peck on the cheek from a teenager? Hugs and kisses remind us that despite the hard work (the laundry, the dinner, the errands), they need us, love us, appreciate us....

“There are currently tests for Alzheimer’s disease using either spinal fluid or imaging techniques, but these are certainly more difficult and expensive than a blood test,” says James Leverenz, MD, Center for Brain Health at Cleveland Clinic. “Investigators have been looking for a blood test, but they’ve had difficulties coming up with a reliable one. This [new test] would have great utility for clinicians, especially once we’ve developed preventative medications....

The research: Between the two studies, more than 200 women took Verisol, a collagen supplement that can be added to beauty vitamins and drinks to increase collagen in the skin. In the first study, 114 women between 45 and 65 took a daily oral dose and, after eight weeks, showed a 20% average decrease in wrinkle volume around the eye—and a reduction of nearly 50% in some subjects. Four weeks after the women stopped their daily regimen, wrinkle volume was still 11....

The delectable news is courtesy of researchers at the University of L’Aquila in Italy. They evaluated the impact of daily cocoa intake on 90 study participants over the age of 65, all of them afflicted with mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. After only eight weeks, the study found that participants imbibing larger quantities of cocoa—in the form of a chocolate-flavored beverage—had significantly higher cognitive scores, including better short and long-term memory....

After analyzing medical data of more than 734,000 patients diagnosed with one of the 10 most commonly fatal forms of cancer (such as lung, breast, prostate, and head and neck), researchers discovered that patients who were married were less likely to be diagnosed with metastatic cancer, were more likely to receive the best treatment plan possible, got better results from the treatment, and ultimately lived longer when compared to cancer patients who were single, divorced, separated, or widowed....

While Unplug Meditation is unique in its meditation-only focus, yoga studios and spiritual centers in cities across the country are increasingly offering meditation classes or time slots where you can come and meditate on your own. But given the fact that most of us barely have time to fit in a workout, is trying to squeeze in a trip to go meditate in public actually worth it? Definitely, say mindfulness advocates, and here’s why: It means you’ll actually meditate....

Sure, getting older has its downsides: That all-over ache after a great game of tennis, wrinkles that seem to pop up out of nowhere, and a gray hair you swore wasn’t there yesterday. But research has shown that one thing nearly always tends to get better: Your attitude. And a new study offers insight into why. Older adults tend to be better at dealing with emotional lows, finds research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology....

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But in the process, we’ve relegated to folklore the cures our grandparents relied on. As it turns out, that trove is rich with effective remedies. In fact, even modern medicine relies on plants more than many of us realize, says Catherine Ulbricht, PharmD, senior attending pharmacist at Massachusetts General Hospital and chief editor of publications for the Natural Standard Research Collaboration, which evaluates scientific data on herbs. “Practically all of the most widely used drugs have an herbal origin,” Ulbricht says....

Did you know research has shown that sitting is directly linked to the development of type 2 diabetes and obesity? According to a study published in the journal Diabetes, the amount of sedentary time people without diabetes spent predicted higher levels of fasting insulin, regardless of how much time they spent doing moderate-and vigorous-intensity activity. Sitting all day sends signals to your cells that they are not needed. This is why it’s important to incorporate daily movement into your life and break up the time you spend seated....

[sidebar] THE TEST: PCA3 WHO’S A CANDIDATE: A man with a higher-than-normal PSA level WHAT IT MEASURES: Determines urinary levels of prostate cancer gene 3, which is found only in cancerous prostate cells. A PCA3 score of 25 or lower means a biopsy likely isn’t needed; anything higher warrants a closer look. Unlike PSA levels, PCA3 levels are not influenced by benign conditions such as an enlarged prostate. “PCA3 testing can be very helpful for men in the biopsy gray area,” says Dr....