The Mediterranean diet — with its vegetables, fruits, beans, lean meat and fish — may be heart-healthy. Add nuts and olive oil to the mix, and the brain may also get a lift.

Book clubs, painting classes and computer games are just a few fun ways to spend retirement. And such mind-engaging activities may also do wonders for older people's mental health.

Lower back pain can be irritating at best and debilitating at worse. For some, simple lifestyle changes may make a huge difference.

Treating and caring for patients with dementia is often difficult, and medications are seen as a way to help manage behavior. What happens when those medications may also pose health risks?

In the search for what causes and signals Alzheimer's disease, scientists have often looked to genes. New evidence, however, points to gender.

Of all the parts of the body smoking can damage, the back doesn't seem like it would be one of them. Many smokers with lower back arthritis, however, may beg to differ. Smokers with this condition may not respond as well to treatment as nonsmokers.

Pain medications can be a double-edged sword. People in pain need help. Too much of a good thing, however, can cause addiction and endanger health.

Medications for allergies, depression and incontinence can be lifesavers. However, they may have some surprising effects on mental health.

Conventional wisdom holds that Alzheimer's starts with small memory slips — but new evidence suggests that other mental health symptoms may signal this disease.

A good night’s rest may not only make you less groggy — it could also prevent a more serious brain drain. Those who get enough deep sleep may be less likely to develop dementia.