New treatments for bi-polar disorder
We all have good days and bad, but for people with bi-polar disorder—also known as manic depression—life can be a series of extremes.

Now doctors are finding a new combination of drugs and therapy keeps folks on an even keel.

For almost fifty years, doctors treated bipolar disorder with lithium carbonate. It was effective, but did not work for everyone. More recently, doctors have begun prescribing anti-depressant and anti-psychotic drugs. They work to alter the levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain—keeping patients on an even keel—but the key is sticking with them.

As Dr. Susan Frank explains, "We have certainly had the experience of seeing patients whom missing even two days of medication may be enough to precipitate a new episode. This is a disorder that can go bad very, very quickly."

Dr. Frank also says therapy can help patients decrease stress and get enough sleep, which can minimize symptoms.

As many as 5.5 million Americans may be living with bipolar disorder. But because of the stigma of mental illness, many patients do not get help.

Colder weather & blood pressure
As the weather gets colder, your blood pressure may rise.

A study of more than 400,000 veterans with high blood pressure found that levels generally got worse in the winter and improved during the summer.

This was true regardless of whether a person lived in North Dakota or Hawaii.

Researchers attribute the winter rise in blood pressure to a lack of exercise and weight gain during the chillier months.