OK, this probably isn't news to most females, but science has confirmed that women who make poor shoe choices early in life (and we're not talking about Manolos vs. Jimmy Choos) suffer severe or chronic foot pain later in life.

Men, on the other hand (or foot), generally do not.

The Farmington Foot Study surveyed 3,372 surviving members of two earlier Farmington studies launched in 1948 and 1972. They found that almost one-third of the women ages 65 to 74 reported general foot pain on most days compared with 19 percent of similarly-aged men. Two-thirds of the women said they had regularly experienced heel and ankle pain in their lives.

Not coincidentally, virtually all the women said they had spent much of that time wearing "high-risk shoewear," such as high heels, sandals and slippers lacking support and sound structure. Less than 2 percent of the men said they had worn "poor shoes."

The researchers offer a few shoe-choosing tips to avoid later pain: Select for comfort rather than style. Measure both feet and fit for the longest. Fit shoes at the end of day when feet are longest. Avoid high heels. Make sure you can wiggle your toes.

BODY OF KNOWLEDGE

There's a region in your brain called the Island of Reil.

GET ME THAT. STAT!

Health care providers are twice as likely to discuss the benefits rather than the risks associated with Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) testing, says a new report in the Archives of Internal Medicine. PSA testing has long been controversial, because there's no conclusive evidence the screening actually reduces deaths from prostate cancer, and numerous factors can create false positives, prompting men to have needless invasive procedures for a disease they do not have.

The study urges doctors to make sure patients are fully informed about both benefits and risks before taking the test.

NUMBER CRUNCHER

Two pancakes (232 grams) with butter and syrup contain 520 calories, 126 from fat. They have 14 grams of total fat or 22 percent of the recommended total fat intake for a 2,000-calorie daily diet.

They also contain 58 milligrams of cholesterol (19 percent); 1,104 mg of sodium (46 percent); 90 grams of total carbohydrates (30 percent); and 8.3 g of protein.

ACTIVATE

One hour of energetic ballroom dancing burns 374 calories (based on a 150-pound person) or the equivalent of 1.5 grande Starbucks caffe lattes, one-half of a McDonald's Big Mac with cheese, four glasses of wine or 12.5 whole carrots.

MEDTRONICA

Gout pal interactive

gout-pal.com

In literature and history, gout was known as the disease of kings and rich men a painful, debilitating and mysterious ailment. These days, it's much better known as a condition marked by elevated levels or uric acid in the blood, which creates painful attacks in the joints, tendons and surrounding tissues.

Gout remains an obscure but still relevant medical condition, with plenty of current sufferers. They can find information and some solace here: a blog devoted to describing symptoms, treatments and news.

DOC TALK

Asystole A bad word, and not because it suggests something else. Asystole is a condition in which the heart no longer beats (no cardiac electrical activity) and cannot be restarted. It is one of the conditions required to certify a patient has died.

PHOBIA OF THE WEEK

Chaetophobia fear of hair

OBSERVATION

I'm Jewish and I don't work out. If God had wanted us to bend over, he'd put diamonds on the floor.

Comedian Joan Rivers

EPITAPHS

Here I lie bereft of breath

Because a cough carried me off

Then a coffin they carried me off in.

Boston tombstone

To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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