Ignorance, when it comes to your health, isn't bliss. It's trouble. It's taking unnecessary risks and missing out on less-invasive treatment options that are available only when there's been early detection. While I'm a firm believer that our bodies, if left to their own devices, will try to heal themselves, I also know that stuff like cancer doesn't cure itself.

For me retirement means giving up. Half a life. The past dominates and the future is lifeless. UNLESS, you take on a new project, something you've never done before. Something that stimulates you mentally and physically. Dancing (ballroom), Swing, Latin, Tango, language (foreign), art, musical instrument, Yoga (any level), cooking.

To each his own, but in my dieting and my life, I'd rather rock than be in the rocking chair. I don't see myself as old, don't feel old, and don't want to be in the company of people who whine about getting old.

With a billion people over 65 in just about a decade -- and with the near perfect correlation between advancing age and increased risk -- no country can afford to defer their commitments to beat Alzheimer's.

In 1969, the year of Woodstock, only 13 percent of Californians supported legalizing marijuana. In a Field Poll released Wednesday, 54 percent of them...

Contrary to the reassuring catchphrase "size doesn't matter," penis size does matter to a lot of women -- and to a whole lot of men too. And that's wh...

The blood clot that landed Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in the hospital is thought to be related to her recent concussion. Doctors are ho...

January is "shape-up" month, with every lifestyle magazine and website proclaiming a new exercise program. I've got a shape-up program for you, too, and though it's a muscle workout, you won't see the results in the mirror or show them off to your friends.

A few months ago, a 72-year-old judge walked into Dr. Damon Raskin's Pacific Palisades California internal medicine office with a problem he could ba...

In some places around the world, it is possible to arrange good health insurance for less than $100 per month. In some places, the cost of medical care can be so low that it can make more sense to pay for it as you need it, rather than insure against it. And, in some places, health care can be free.

Does seeing the glass half full mean you will be healthier later in life? A growing body of evidence suggests that positive thinking does correlate wi...

Baby boomers seeking a doctor's appointment may have to wait months -- even if their condition is serious -- due to a shortage of doctors that's growi...

When is too much of a good thing not so good? A study by Dartmouth College and just published by the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that certa...

The holiday season can be a wonderful time of year, but it also can be the most stressful for people in their 50s and beyond. There are joyous occasions with family and friends, to be sure, but there also are the constant demands placed on your time, energy and financial reserves.

The truth is that you don't need to have won anything to start doing something today. Define your goals, rely on a network of people to help you achieve them and turn your weaknesses into your strengths.

Stores across the country are packed with products designed to make you look younger. Some are for wrinkles; others for turkey necks. But many of thes...

Hot flashes: those momentary sensations of heat that sweep through a woman's body, often accompanied by a flushed face and sweating. They are the most...

My husband's hearing aids set us back $4,000, which means we will be making budget sacrifices to pay for them, because Medicare doesn't cover them. To spend that much out of pocket was a big deal for us. But to be able to talk to the man I love, an even bigger one.

SPECIAL FROM Next Avenue By Debra Witt Much of what you assume about vitamins and minerals may be wrong. Here are the biggest misconceptions. ...

Many midlifers complain that their sex drive diminishes with age. What they may not realize is that some of the blame rests with what's in their medic...

Linda Tabach, 52, is living proof that old dogs can be taught new tricks. She was a lifelong couch potato who would have driven down her driveway to f...

In researching my book, I asked men about performance issues. What happens in your head when you can't get it up? How does it become (as I've heard it can be) a self-perpetuating problem? I'm close to literally a dozen fine, garrulous older men. But when I broached this topic, every one of them turned red and stammered and then was struck mute.

Dear Savvy Senior: Can you write a column educating patients on how to prepare for doctors appointments? I manage a number of small health clinics, and have found that patients -- especially seniors -- that come prepared when they visit our doctors are much more satisfied with the care they receive.

What better way to celebrate one's 90th birthday than with a pledge to change the world -- one healthier body at a time? Meet Deborah Szekely (pronoun...