Your Health

Here is useful information and a checklist to help you with this important decision

Did you know that Americans spend more time figuring out what new car to buy than they do choosing a doctor? That was one of the findings of recent research conducted by Harris Interactive, which involved more than 7,600 U.S. adults in 27 metropolitan areas.

Quick, how many glasses of water should you drink in a day? If the number eight came to mind—as in eight, eight-ounce glasses—then you’ve heard of one of the most common health myths. “There isn’t a specific recommendation for water intake,” says dietitian Ruth Frechman, founder of "On the Weigh." “Everyone has different needs depending on body temperature and level of activity.” (The Institute of Medicine recommends about 9 cups of total fluid a day for women and 13 cups for men, but much of this fluid is absorbed from drinks other than water and food.)

High blood pressure (hypertension) doesn’t just increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. It could also dull your memory, according to research published in the journal Neurology. Scientists compared the blood pressure of more than 4,000 people in Reykjavik, Iceland, which was taken when they were in their 50s, with readings taken again in their mid-70s. Brain scans showed that those who had hypertension in middle age had less gray matter and got 10 percent lower memory scores. Those who developed hypertension at an older age were at risk for brain lesions.

Researchers say the answer lies in the genes. Can humans devise a similar solution? 

Elephants can boast a long list of credits to their fame: They’re the largest land-based animals on Earth; their memory rivals that of dolphins, apes and humans; and most intriguingly, they rarely get cancer. This last fact has puzzled scientists for decades, but now, they might have an answer.

According to a study published in JAMA, elephants have 20 copies of a tumor-suppressing gene called TP53. By comparison, humans have only one copy of the gene.