Health Report: Feb. 16, 1998

THE GOOD NEWS

TO B OR NOT TO B Women, be sure to get plenty of the B vitamins folate and B6. Daily intake of 550 mcg of folate plus 3 mg of B6–both higher than the RDA–may cut the risk of heart disease in half. Green leafy veggies and eggs contain folate; for B6, try bananas or beef.

A HEARTY DOSE If you’re among the many who take a baby aspirin each day to ward off stroke or heart disease, consider this: a study suggests that using a baby aspirin daily but substituting an adult aspirin once every two weeks may offer better protection.

SWEET VALENTINE Despite chocolate’s reputation, a study finds it probably does not trigger migraines. So go ahead, indulge.

Sources: Journal of the American Medical Association; Circulation; Cephalalgia

THE BAD NEWS

A MATTER OF DEGREE Here’s a head scratcher. The more educated you are, the more likely you may be to suffer headaches. In a study, 30% of men and 38% of women who finished high school got them, compared with 49% of men and women with graduate degrees.

WHITE OUT A single hit of cocaine may cause arteries in the brain to narrow, finds a study. With regular use, blood flow can decrease–causing memory loss and other cognitive problems.

STROKE SURGE Stroke incidence in the U.S. is dramatically higher than once thought. Some 700,000 occur each year, 40% more than previously estimated.

–By Janice M. Horowitz

Sources: Journal of the American Medical Association (1, 2); Stroke