DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a 52-year-old woman in good health except for being somewhat overweight. I have arthritis of my knees. My husband says it’s an age thing and that I should live with it. I had an aunt who was crippled with rheumatoid arthritis. Do I have that to look forward to? Can’t something be done for me? – P.K.

ANSWER: Plenty can be done for arthritis. You have osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative arthritis. It’s the most common kind of arthritis. It’s not a normal consequence of aging, but many older people have it. The joint cartilage, which serves to cushion the two ends of bones that make a joint, become fissured and frayed, and eventually thinned out. Bone rubs against bone; that’s painful.

Your aunt had a different kind of arthritis. She had rheumatoid arthritis, a systemic illness that affects many organs other than the joints. It can be a disabling illness.

Osteoarthritis is not a picnic, but most people can cope with it through therapy, medicine or surgery. Weight loss, for those who need it, is a most effective treatment for knee osteoarthritis. Hot packs or ice packs also can do wonders. You have to experiment to see which works better for you. Either should be left on the joints for about 15 minutes, and the procedure should be repeated three times a day. Soft shoe heels cushion the impact of the body’s weight when the foot strikes the ground. That impact is transmitted to the knees. Soft heels reduce the intensity of heel striking ground. Shoe inserts can achieve the same effect.

Tylenol is a medicine that is safe and often effective for osteoarthritis pain. NSAIDs – aspirin, Aleve, Advil, Motrin and many others – are the next step up. If medicines don’t bring relief, joint injections often do. Joints can be injected with hyaluronic acid, which thickens joint fluid to lubricate the joint better, or with cortisone, which lessens joint inflammation.

When pain is severe and activity limited, knee replacement can be considered.

The pamphlet on arthritis covers all the major arthritis varieties. Readers can obtain a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue – No. 301, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6.75 Can. with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Is it true that chocolate is good for you? I can’t believe it. Everything that’s good for you tastes awful. I love chocolate and could eat it all day. I will start doing so if you say it’s healthy. – B.D.

ANSWER: Dark chocolate is good for you. It can lower blood pressure, and it can restore elasticity to hardened arteries.

Don’t get carried away with this information. It’s not a license to eat chocolate all day long. Dark chocolate also has fat, sugar and many calories, so some restraint is necessary.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: How long does it take the body to get rid of one alcoholic drink? This is more than a curiosity for me. It’s a matter of some importance. – G.K.

ANSWER: It’s impossible to give an answer that covers all people. Many factors have to be considered. How much food is in the stomach when the person drinks alcohol? Food slows the passage of alcohol through the stomach and slows its absorption into the blood. Gender counts. Men metabolize alcohol more quickly than women do. Body size is a determinant. So is age – older people don’t process alcohol as quickly as younger people. Prior drinking history is important. People who are used to alcohol dispose of it faster than do those who seldom drink it.

I’ll give you a general answer to the question, but you have to bear in mind the above qualifications.

It takes the body 60 to 90 minutes to process one standard drink. A standard drink is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have read and heard much about the beneficial effects of drinking moderate amounts of red wine daily. I also heard that if a person doesn’t drink wine he should not start. I drink a couple dozen glasses a year. I am 79 and have a pacemaker. The doctor who inserted my pacemaker doesn’t think much of this idea. My personal doctor has no objections.

What do you think about this? Is it OK to have a glass of wine with my evening meal? – J.B.

ANSWER: Certainly it’s OK for you to have a glass of wine with your evening meal.

Many authorities champion wine for heart health, but don’t think of it as a wonder drug. If people aren’t wine drinkers, they shouldn’t feel left out by not drinking it.

Alcoholic beverages carry the risk of overuse, and people can protect their hearts in equally beneficial ways through weight loss, exercise, eating a diet high in grains, fruits and vegetables and controlling blood pressure.

The safe daily amount of wine is two 5-ounce glasses for men and one for women.

Some claim that any form of alcohol provides heart protection. It has been demonstrated that men who drink one-half to two alcoholic drinks a day have fewer heart attacks than abstainers.

Grape juice might provide similar benefits. It makes blood platelets less sticky, and that stops the growth of obstructing plaque in arteries.

If you like wine, go for it. If you don’t, you aren’t being health-deprived by not drinking it.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.