“Our working hypothesis is that the brain releases endorphins in response to feeling happy, and this, in turn, [produces nitric oxide, which] activates the inner lining of the blood vessels to dilate,” says Dr. Miller. And because nitric oxide widens the arteries, it can also lower blood pressure. So, could listening to feel-good music be a simple way to prevent or even reverse high blood pressure? “We did not test this specifically, but based on previous research finding evidence of decreased blood pressure, it certainly is plausible,” says Dr. Miller.

The latest confirmation comes from Brigham Young University in Salt Lake City, where researchers asked 34 married couples to either monitor their mutually supportive behavior or enroll in a four-week program that encourages frequent cuddling, and neck and shoulder massage. Before-and-after tests showed that cuddlers had lower blood pressure, lower levels of stress hormones and higher levels of the “love hormone” oxytocin, which is involved in emotional bonding. But the self-monitoring group experienced no such benefits.

Other studies agree that massage reduces stress. At the University of Miami’s Touch Research Institute (TRI), researchers report that massage reduces the stress of hospital employees, psychiatric patients and women in labor. It also helps relieve stress-related medical conditions, including insomnia, asthma attacks, tension headaches and cancer pain. Massage also enhances immune function by “increasing the number of white blood cells and natural killer cells, which fight infection,” says Tiffany Filed, Ph.D., psychologist and founder of TRI. Studies at TRI also show that the immune-boosting effects of massage help manage HIV, burns, sinus infection and Parkinson’s symptoms.

So for your relationship and your health, cuddle with your honey every chance you get.

Photo: Corbis

“The media have overstated the risks of the cholesterol in eggs,” says Layman. While it’s true that one egg contains 212 milligrams of cholesterol (compared to 63 mg in a serving of salmon, 78 mg in lean ground beef and 85 mg in a pork chop or skinless chicken), Layman insists that eggs have “no significant effect” on blood cholesterol unless it’s very high (above 300 mg/dl). In addition, heart disease risk is related more to saturated fat than dietary cholesterol, he says, and eggs are very low in this type of fat. One egg contains a mere 2 grams of saturated fat -- identical to a serving of salmon, and much lower than the 7 g in a serving of lean ground beef or the 10 g in a pork chop.

What’s more, every egg supplies 6 g of high-quality protein (about 13 percent of the daily value), so eggs help preserve muscle mass and prevent muscle loss, especially in older adults. Eggs are also rich in vitamins -- notably thiamin, riboflavin, folate, B6 and B12. Since they do not cause surges in blood sugar, they are safe for diabetics. And compared with other good sources of protein, eggs are inexpensive.

The bottom line: If your total cholesterol is 300 mg/dl or higher, limit egg consumption to “one or two a week,” says Layman. But for most people, “it’s fine to eat seven eggs a week,” he says.

Ordinary snoring does not interrupt breathing. But if you have apnea (which occurs most often in overweight, middle-aged men), you repeatedly suck your airway closed, which temporarily stops breathing. Interrupted breathing means less oxygen in the bloodstream, says Max Hershkowitz, Ph.D., director of the Sleep Disorders Research Center at the Michael DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, in Houston. In people with severe apnea, blood oxygen can plummet by 40 percent. To compensate, the heart pumps harder, raising blood pressure, and over time, increasing risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, cognitive impairment and congestive heart failure.

Apnea also interferes with restful sleep. While you don’t wake up each time you stop breathing, you do get roused enough that you sleep terribly. Because of this, people with sleep apnea typically feel drowsy during the day, have trouble concentrating and are prone to dozing off when they shouldn’t. If this sounds like you and someone shares your bed, ask them to listen while you sleep. If your snoring is interrupted by short periods of choking silence, you may have apnea. If you sleep alone, ask your doctor for a referral to a sleep disorders clinic.

If you are diagnosed with apnea, the first step is weight loss, says Robert Ballard, M.D., medical director of the Advanced Center for Sleep Medicine at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center, in Denver. If that doesn’t help, your doctor will likely suggest a C-PAP machine, which gently pushes extra oxygen into your lungs through a mask that fits over your nose. In the Wisconsin study, these devices were found to provide substantial protection against premature death. “People with [sleep apnea] should be treated,” concludes study leader Terry Young, Ph.D. “If not, they’re risking their lives.

Tuna merits special concern because it's "a large predatory fish that's high up on the food chain," says Timothy Fitzgerald, a scientist with the Oceans Program at Environmental Defense Fund in New York. The higher a fish is on the food chain, the more mercury it's likely to have. This is because mercury contamination starts with small ocean creatures like krill, which absorb mercury from contaminated water. Small fish then eat the contaminated krill; big fish eat the contaminated small fish, and by the time you get to the top of the food chain, you have high concentrations of mercury. Older (and therefore larger) tuna also tend to have more mercury than younger, smaller ones since they have had more time to accumulate mercury in their bodies.

When it comes to fresh tuna, avoid bluefin, which is highest in mercury, advises Fitzgerald. Instead, look for albacore tuna caught in the U.S. or Canada, or bigeye or yellowfin tuna caught by pole or troll (fishing practices that tend to nab smaller, younger fish).

Canned albacore (also known as "white" tuna) tends to come from larger tuna caught outside the U.S. and Canada, and is higher in mercury than the fresh albacore mentioned above. When buying in cans, a better choice is "light tuna," which usually comes from smaller, younger fish and has one-third less mercury than canned albacore, according to Fitzgerald. The best choice, however, may be to switch from canned tuna to canned salmon. "Salmon has less mercury than all types of tuna and it's high in healthy omega-3 fats," says Fitzgerald. In fact, with a bit of mayo, chopped onion and relish, you probably won't taste a difference!

Yoga cultivates mindfulness, in part by requiring people to hold a physically challenging pose with a calm, accepting mind and a focus on the breath. “This ability to be calm and observant during physical discomfort teaches people how to maintain calm in other challenging situations, such as not eating more even when the food tastes good and not eating when you’re not actually hungry,” says study co-author Alan R. Kristal, professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health. So if you’re trying to shed pounds or maintain a healthy weight, consider yoga. Says Kristal: “Adding yoga to a weight-loss program may make it more effective.”

How do varicose veins develop? Veins carry blood back to the heart. For the leg veins to do this, blood must flow upward against the force of gravity. How? When you move, your leg muscles contract, pushing blood up, explains Dr. Suman W. Rathbun, a physician at The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and education chair of the Venous Disease Coalition. In addition, leg veins contain valves that, like little gates, open to allow blood to flow upward, then close to keep it from spilling back down to your feet. But if these valves stop closing entirely, blood pools in the veins, stretching and distending them, and eventually causing varicosities. Fortunately, there are a few tricks to help ensure you never get varicose veins -- or reduce the appearance of those you have.

Herbs to the Rescue
The latest treatments for varicose vein treatment are horse chestnut and butcher’s broom, two herbal remedies that have been shown to reduce varicose veins in over 20 European studies involving more than 10,000 people. “The evidence for these herbs’ effectiveness is compelling,” says Mark Blumenthal, executive director of the American Botanical Council in Austin, Texas, the nation’s leading nonprofit herbal medicine education organization. “They’re widely used in Europe and often prescribed by physicians. But in this country, they haven’t gotten much attention. That’s a shame because they’re safe, and for early-stage varicose veins, they really work.”

While horse chestnuts are poisonous right off the tree, the toxic constituents are removed from medicinal extracts.

The recommended doses:

• Horse chestnut seed extract (Aesculus hippocastanum): 300 milligrams containing 50 milligrams of the active constituent, aescin, twice a day.
• Butcher's broom (Ruscus aculeatus): 150 milligrams, twice a day.

More Help for Varicose Veins
In addition to horse chestnut and butcher’s broom, simple lifestyle changes can often make a difference in minimizing or even preventing spider and varicose veins.

Work those leg muscles. If you sit for long periods, periodically straighten your legs and flex your feet. On breaks, take walks. This will help keep blood flowing efficiently so it’s less likely to pool and deform veins. If you stand for long periods, promote circulation by rising up on tiptoes and doing deep knee-bends from time to time. On breaks, take walks or put your feet up on a desk or chair to encourage blood to return to the heart.

Get regular exercise. Something as simple as a daily 30- to 60-minute walk can help reduce the risk of not only varicose veins, but cancer, heart disease, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease as well.

Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity raises blood pressure and interferes with blood flow, which increases the strain on the valves in your veins -- making spider and varicose veins more likely.

Wear compression stockings. They exert gentle pressure on the calves, which helps leg veins function properly.

Avoid high heels. They discourage walking and stress the calf muscles -- exactly what you don’t need when you have spider or varicose veins or hope to prevent them.

While anyone can develop varicose veins, they aren’t inevitable. In fact, by keeping those leg muscles active and making other healthy lifestyle choices, you can increase your chances of lovely legs, no matter your age.

What’s more, in up to 15 percent of people with long-term gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the damage caused by repeated exposure to stomach acid can be so severe that the cells in your esophagus develop precancerous changes, notes Dr. Charlene Prather, a gastroenterologist and professor at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. These abnormal cellular changes, called Barrett’s esophagus, increase your risk of developing esophageal cancer, especially if you have a family history of gastrointestinal cancers, smoke, are obese or drink alcohol heavily. So if you have frequent heartburn due to acid reflux, don’t brush it off as an inconvenience. The damage to your esophagus can be serious.