Health Headliners of the Week

As we do every week, we've culled the most important articles we brought you based on breaking stories from around the world that can help you and your family stay well.

Whether you missed these items the first time they appeared or you caught them and could use a refresher, our goal is to help you stay up-to-date on medical research that can impact your life. Read on for our top stories from July 6th to July 11th 2012.

We hope you'll like what you find and come back every Friday for a new installment!

Sex with Your Ex: Good or Bad?

By Eve Marx

When one refers to one’s ex, “sex” isn’t usually the next word. Whether that “ex” is an old boyfriend or former husband, having sex with them again is out of the question. Or is it?

To see the slideshow, click here.

Margo Chevers: Living With Incurable Cancer

By Sherry Amatenstein, LCSW

In 2006, one year after taking custody of her 10-month-old and 23-month-old great granddaughters, Margo Chevers, then 60, was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) on in her lower abdomen. GIST is an incurable cancer, but it can be controlled with medications.

Despite learning the survival rate for GIST was 1 1/2 years, Margo wasn’t the type to give in to fear and defeat. Her life hadn’t been easy. She had endured a five-year long physically abusive marriage to an alcoholic and drug addict before escaping with her “two beautiful kids” at age 26.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Diabetes Control: Paula Deen Does It

By Robin Westen

What’s no longer on celebrity Chef Paula Deen’s menu? Deep Fried Cheesecake, Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding, Twinkie Pie and dozens of other high-fat, gazillion-calorie dishes. These days Deen’s eating healthier—and serving as an example to millions of diabetics that their condition can change for the better.

Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes three years ago, Deen, 65, kept her condition under wraps until this year, when she went public—and was criticized for keeping her secret while peddling unhealthy dishes to her fans. Maybe it was the public scrutiny that finally made Deen get serious about her condition, or the fact that she stopped being in denial about it. In any case, she started eating a healthy diet, avoiding gooey desserts, fried food, and buttery dishes. And she lost 30 pounds.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Help for Families of Young Drug Addicts

By Judy Kirkwood

The reality of living with a drug-addicted child or grandchild is that you are cohabiting with a person who will die too young without the proper treatment. Addiction is a terminal illness, but it can be arrested. It will require a lifetime of vigilance. For teenagers and those in their young 20s, especially, suicide or overdosing are big risks.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Walk Yourself Trim When you have arthritis, exercising may seem difficult and if it’s the wrong kind of activity, you might end up jarring your joints. Well, you can’t go wrong with starting a walking program. Walking is a weight-bearing exercise that strengthens your bones, improves your cardiovascular health, gives you more stamina, boosts mood, helps you sleep and maybe best of all, the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other can slim you down.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

What Our Eyes Are Saying

By Robin Westen

Most of us know the adage, “The eyes are the windows to the soul.” Well, now science is backing up this poetic description. Several studies show our eyes actually do reveal what’s going on in our minds. Let’s take a look at what the eyes can reveal:

To see the slideshow, click here.

How to Find Reliable Menopause Information Online

By Staness Jonekos

Seventy two percent of women have not received any treatment for menopausal symptoms, according to a recent study conducted by Lake Research Partners. Of those polled, 45 percent said they thought current available information was confusing and 41 percent weren’t sure what to trust. No wonder! There are over ten million menopause websites, many with misinformation about menopause, treatment options, tests, and strategies. How do we find reliable menopause information online so we can have a productive conversation with our healthcare provider? Here are some pointers to help you sidestep unreliable sites:

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Watch: What You Need to Know About Healthy Aging Here's another addition to our ThirdAge Video Collection. Press play to start learning!

To see the video, click here.

The Power of Saying No

By Robin Westen

You may be feeling overwhelmed with family responsibilities, health problems, work issues, household chores – and then someone asks you to do a favor. Your inner voice is screaming NO! NO! NO! But what do you answer instead? YES. Sound familiar? Taking on more than you can or really want to handle, can cause misery and stress.

To see the slideshow, click here.

How to Decrease the Dangers of Imaging

By Barbara Bronson Gray, RN, MN

When I was a kid, I had a really cool toy -- the Visible Man. Clear plastic on the outside, the inside was filled with all the detail and fascination of the body's bones and organs. You could literally snap open the man and see exactly how the body was put together.

In much the same way, advanced diagnostic imaging allows healthcare providers to get a good look at just about anything that's troubling you. Whether you've got back pain, a bad knee, a strange pain in the side, recurrent severe headaches or any other trouble, you may be asked to get a diagnostic imaging test.

To read the rest of the article, click here.