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GET COMMITTED. Loyalty pays. People who see the same physician for at least a year are 19 percent more likely to get a mammogram than those who switch more often, reports a study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. Having a history with an M.D. helps her make more informed decisions about your care, researchers say. If you must switch, ask your current doctor for a recommendation. After all, who knows you better than your ex?

BANK ON HEALTH. If your health insurance deductible tops $1,000, consider a health savings account. Like a flexible-spending account, an HSA lets you save pretax dollars for medical expenses. But with an HSA, you can use leftover cash the next year (and earn tax-free interest). Sixty percent of large companies hope to offer this benefit, so check with yours.

HORMONAL HAVOC. You're more likely to be congested when you're ovulating, according to a study in the journal Clinical Otolaryngology and Allied Sciences. Rising estrogen levels may make nasal blood vessels expand, so you feel stuffed up. If a decongestant doesn't help within seven days, see your physician. Allergies or an infection may be to blame.

BOD VOYAGE!. Fifty-nine percent of couch potatoes are more active on vacation, reveals a Harris Interactive poll. Start-and-stop exercisers tend to get injured, so use time off to begin a routine you'll stick with at home.

INFECTION PROTECTION. Women who've had pelvic inflammatory disease—a serious upper-genital-tract infection—may halve the risk for a recurrence by regularly using a condom, notes a study in the American Journal of Public Health. You're more susceptible to PID once you've had it, and condoms help block bacteria that trigger the disease. Keep a box of your faves bedside.

A BLUE HEART. If you have a pal with a history of serious depression, she may be twice as likely to have metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms that raise heart disease risk, say researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine in California. Those who are consistently down typically take poorer care of themselves—compounding depression's already dangerous elevating effect on heart rate. Remind your friend of the importance of getting help for her mind and body.