Health Report

By Janice M. Horowitz

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