WASHINGTON - Remember peeking through a View-Master? Scientists are using the same concept behind the classic kids' toy to try to see mammograms in 3-D.

The goal: A better way to check for breast cancer in women with breasts too dense for today's mammograms to give a clear picture.

Radiologists donning 3-D glasses isn't the only potential aid. The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is testing a new kind of breast camera that might challenge the images of those far pricer MRI exams now reserved for the most high-risk women, but at a fraction of the price.

Over the weekend, my mother casually stated that her arthritis has been bothering her. "What arthritis?" I asked her.

My mother is a very active woman just months away from her 80th birthday. She tries to walk 10,000 steps every day (we once calculated that to be a little over 2 miles for her). She has done 5-10Ks, knits lovely things for people and has beautiful hands with long tapered fingers. When she showed me her fingers, I was shocked that I had not noticed, before, that her knuckles were slightly deformed.

By Ed Edelson
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, May 20 (HealthDay News) -- Higher levels of LDL cholesterol "packets" that have undergone oxidation are associated with an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome, a constellation of conditions that can lead to heart attack and stroke, a new study finds.

By Amanda Gardner
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- After years of declining rates, the number of mastectomies performed on women with breast cancer is on the rise again, the Mayo Clinic now reports.

The increase coincided with heavier usage of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before surgery, according to the authors, who were expected to present their findings May 31 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting, in Chicago.

The study found that at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., the percentage of women opting for mastectomy rather than lumpectomy began rising sharply after 2003, in reversal of a previously downward trend.

It is not clear that the experience at the clinic reflects that of the entire nation, though there is some evidence pointing to a wider tendency.

Michelle,

Great site!!! You're right on track with creating a tool like this to enable women to be able to connect to other women easily. I work for a pharmaceutical company and can tell you that even in the Middle East, 80% of all health care decisions are made by women. Also women learn from other women when it comes to their health and the health of their families......so this kind of tool accelerates the natural course of what's already happening online.

By Karen Pallarito
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- Women who play sports are prone to tearing the knee ligament that connects the thighbone to the shinbone. Beyond the immediate pain and swelling it can cause, there's now reason to suspect that this type of injury may lead to another vexing health problem.

THURSDAY, April 17 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with severe headache attacks that don't respond to medication can be helped with deep brain stimulation (DBS), new research concludes.

About a month ago, I got a Pap smear from my family physician. Although I have already received the bill from the lab, I still haven’t gotten the results from my doctor’s office. Last week, I had a mammogram. Mayo Clinic said they will send me a letter with the results. This kind of waiting and relying on the overburdened staff at the doctors’ offices is annoying, So guess what I’m going to do?