Walking just over 1.5 miles a day (about 2.5 kilometers) was found to cut the risk of coronary heart disease in half in this study of 2678 elderly Japanese-American men. For each half mile a day walked, the risk of CHD decreased by 15%. Abbott RD et al. Circulation 1999;100:9.

Vitamin E was found to decrease the risk of stroke in this study of 3509 Japanese-American men, aged 71 to 93 years old. Ross W. Neurology 1999;53:337.

Low dose aspirin (81 mg to 325 mg a day) was more effective than high dose aspirin (650 mg to 1300 mg a day) in preventing a stroke or heart attack. The low dose aspirin also reduced the overall mortality rate in this study 2849 patients. Taylor DW et al. Lancet 1999;353:2179.

This study of 79319 women enrolled in the Nurses Health Study found that low dose aspirin (approximately 325 mg a day or less) protected against ischemic stroke, but high dose aspirin (650 mg a day or more) increased the risk of hemorrhagic stroke. Manson JE et al. Stroke 1999;30:1764.

Speaking at a meeting of the Florida Academy of Family Physicians this year, Dr. Neill R. Gaff-Radford (a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville) recommended that most patients with early Alzheimers Disease be given supplemental Vitamin E. Several studies support a protective role of Vitamin E.

In patients with Sjogren's Syndrome, pilocarpine in the dose of 5 mg four times daily significantly reduced their symptoms of dry eyes and mouth, compared with placebo and a 2.5 mg dose four times daily. Vivino FB et al. Arch Intern Med 1999;159:174.

Warming up your feet may be the best way to fight insomnia and induce sleep, according to these authors from Switzerland. Their small study of 10 men found that an increased blood flow in the hands and feet was a better predictor of sleep readiness than diet, light, or melatonin. Wirz-Justice A et al. Nature 1999;401:36.

States (US) with a legal drinking age of 18 had an 8% higher teen suicide rate compared with states were the legal age was 21. Birkmayer J, Hemenway D. Am J Public Health 1999;89:1365.

Switching cigarette brands to a lower tar or nicotine brand made quitting more likely. This study of 7998 Air Force cadets found that those smokers who switched to the lower strength brands were about 10% more likely to quit a year later. Haddock CK et al. Ann Behavioral Med, Sept 1999.

Exercise throughout your life may help you avoid getting Alzheimer's Disease. In one study of 373 patients, those without Alzheimers were more likely to have engaged in regular, stenuous activity during their 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's. Friedland RP, as reported in Modern Medicine, June 1998, vol 66, p56.