Read Dr. Holly L. Thacker’s blog on the 5 common headach triggers and what you can do to reduce the pain in the head!

Estrogen and progesterone are hormones that are produced by a woman's ovaries.

Why Does the Body Need Estrogen?

Estrogen thickens the lining of the uterus, preparing it for the possible implantation of a fertilized egg. Estrogen also influences how the body uses calcium, an important mineral in the building of bones, and helps maintain healthy levels of cholesterol in the blood. Estrogen also keeps the vagina healthy.

As menopause nears, the ovaries reduce most of

Q. I have high blood pressure, and my doctor has restricted me to a low-sodium diet of less than 1,500 mg a day. Are salt substitutes a good alternative?

A. While the spice aisle in your grocery store abounds with salt substitutes, they are not a healthy option for everyone. Many contain potassium chloride in place of sodium chloride, and potassium consumed in excess may be harmful for some people. For example, many people with kidney problems are unable to rid

Lowering Your Cholesterol can Help Prevent Heart Disease

Preventing heart disease is like dancing the limbo: You’ve got to find out “how low you can go.” Study after study has shown that when you lower your cholesterol, you lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, America’s leading killer.

Lowering LDL (bad cholesterol) is relatively simple. Drugs called statins really work. People who can’t tolerate statins have options, too, such as:

Alternative medications

June 2013 -- Here's another reason for women to lose weight. Losing weight could improve memory in older, overweight women, according to a new small study. In addition, the women's brain activity actually changes in the regions of the brain that are vital for memory tasks after weight loss.

Kathryn Kilpatrick offers suggestions for lifelong learning and successful aging. As a speech-language pathologist with over four decades of experience working with older adults, Kathryn Kilpatrick specializes in working with older adults and their families facing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. In the last decade people of all ages seem to be complaining about their memory.

Have you noticed that your memory is not what it used to be? Join the many people, both young and

June 2013 -- A recent discovery from a lab at Harvard University's Stem Cell Institute could be a step toward drastically reducing those painful numbers. Researchers there, led by the institute's co-director Douglas Melton, found a hormone that caused an amazing increase in the ability of mice to produce their own natural insulin.

The hormone, called betatrophin, caused up to a 30-fold boost in the production of beta cells, the cells in the pancreas that make insulin. The lab's results were published last month in the journal Cell.

"Imagine instead of taking three insulin injections a day, if you took one injection of betatrophin a month, or every year," said Melton. Then "your body makes more beta cells and then those beta cells produce the insulin you need."

These veggie-stuffed boats make a great summer dish and are made with cornbread stuffing, shredded carrots, onion and low-fat cheese. They are also wonderful paired with any meat.

Hot flashes and night sweats are two of the most common menopause symptoms, although their severity and duration can differ, depending on the person. Although not life threatening, these symptoms often are a major disruption to one's sleep patterns. Now a new study finds that more than half of middle-aged women with regular menstrual cycles also experience hot flashes.

Researchers from Group Health and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center surveyed 1,500 women between the ages of 45 and 56 -- all of whom had not skipped any periods -- and discovered that 55% of them were experiencing hot flashes or night sweats.

I had a partial hysterectomy and now most of my weight is in my midsection. Is it possible to lose belly fat and make my stomach flat again? What exercises can I do to get rid of the extra weight?

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Osteoporosis is a common, preventable and treatable form of metabolic bone disease. Fifty seven million Americans—mostly women—are affected by osteoporosis and low bone mass. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, ‘a woman’s risk of breaking a hip due to osteoporosis is equal to her risk of breast, ovarian and uterine cancer combined.’ Additionally, ‘a man age 50 or older is more likely to break a bone due to osteoporosis than he is to get prostate

Complementary and alternative therapies are medical treatments that are considered nontraditional. They include dietary and herbal supplements, acupuncture, chiropractic and massage therapy, biofeedback, homeopathy and eating certain foods that are thought to prevent disease or heal.

Alternative treatments are often used alone, while complementary treatments are alternative treatments that are used in combination with traditional treatments, such as drug treatments or surgery.

Blueberries burst with flavor and nutrition! This luscious lemon bread is an easy favorite - in fact, close your eyes and you'll think you are eating cake.

This recipe is from Holly Clegg's trim&TERRIFIC Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets to Sizzle at Any Age.

Marie Paraiso, M.D. is an internationally recognized pioneer in gynecologic surgery at Cleveland Clinic. Most recently, Dr. Paraiso has embraced the burgeoning field of robotic surgery, adapting several of her innovative surgical techniques to robotic-assisted laparoscopic approaches.

While Marie Paraiso, M.D. is an internationally recognized pioneer in gynecologic surgery, she says family has always been her top priority.

May 2013 -- Researchers say that a blood test may soon identify which pregnant women are at highest risk of developing postpartum depression, so they can seek treatment that could control their symptoms.

I have an overactive bladder and I do not want to take medications. I just joined a gym and I have been drinking the recommended measure of water each day. Is there any tip to help me NOT have to urinate so frequently?

There are no standards of how often you should have the desire to be intimate. If you are bothered by increasing age affecting you in the bedroom, download this free guide to help you understand what's going on and restore your enjoyment.

Kathryn Kilpatrick offers suggestions for lifelong learning and successful aging. As a speech-language pathologist with over four decades of experience working with older adults, Kathryn Kilpatrick specializes in working with older adults and their families facing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. In the last decade people of all ages seem to be complaining about their memory.

Have you noticed that your memory is not what it used to be? Join the many people, both young and

Read Dr. Holly L. Thacker’s blog about hereditary cancer syndromes. Recently, hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) has been in the news with the announcement by actress Angelina Jolie that she carries the BRCA1 mutation. Lynch syndrome is actually THE most common hereditary cancer syndrome and there are other hereditary cancer syndromes (HCS) that you and your physician should know about!

Take this quiz to find out your cancer risk.