Harvard Health Content API

A small study finds that cocoa may help ease walking pain related to peripheral artery disease.

Child prescription medication poisonings often occur when parents or grandparents remove pills from childproof packaging.

Breastfeeding may reduce diabetes risk in women who experienced gestational diabetes during pregnancy.

It can be difficult for the consumer to know whether research findings are preliminary or should cause one to change one’s life. Asking the right questions about the results can help consumers tell the difference. Some tips to spot noteworthy studies include looking at how big the study was, how much the results improved measures of health, and whether a well-respected professional organization issued recommendations in response to the study.

High cholesterol can become a problem for some women after menopause. Managing the condition by making lifestyle changes and in some cases by taking medications can help prevent heart attack and stroke in many instances. Even small changes, such as losing a small amount of weight and adding a few 15-minute exercise intervals each day can help make a big difference in your health over time.

Your core muscles, which are those in your torso and pelvis, help you maintain your balance, and allow you to bend, twist and reach. Strengthening them is essential, especially after age 30 when you may start to lose muscle mass. The average 50-year-old who hasn’t done strength-building exercises may have already lost as much as 10% of her muscle mass.

Fainting spells are usually no reason for concern, but should be brought to the attention of a doctor to rule out more serious causes.

Acne after menopause can occur when male hormones, such as testosterone, become more dominant as levels of female hormones drop.