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Stay fit to reduce risk of breast cancer
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There is some evidence that women who are more fit – more active and not overweight – have a lower chance of developing breast cancer.
A recent study from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California shows that women who exercise on a regular basis have a lower risk of getting breast cancer. The results also show that being more active help both white and black women. This study, which was headed by Leslie Bernstein, Ph.D., involved interviews with over 9000 women (both black and white) between 35 and 64 years old. Roughly half of the women had previously been diagnosed with breast cancer, the others had not.
The researchers found that the women who exercised an average of at least 1.3 hours a week since they were 10 had around a 20 percent lower risk of breast cancer than women who were not very active. In cases where there was a family history of breast cancer activity levels did not seem to make a difference.
Keep in mind however that these types of studies are correlational only and could be skewed for a number of reasons – including inaccurate memory of past activity levels. It also does not attempt to discover a possible mechanism for how activity levels might affect breast cancer risk (if one does in fact exist). The issue with a family history of breast cancer does not imply that regular exercise doesn’t help those who have breast cancer in their family. It does suggest however that genetic factors may in some cases have a greater influence on the development of cancer.
Another study (by Marilie D. Gammon Ph.D.) from the Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project has some evidence that if you gain more than 24 pounds after you turn 50 your chances of getting breast cancer go up 62%
Again, just correlational. But considering other known health benefits of staying active and keeping your weight down it does seem like keeping fit sounds like a good thing to do! And there may very well be a direct connection – only future research can say for certain!
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November 18, 2005
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The secret to living a longer, healthier and happier life!
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The secret is no secret really – and I think most of us know that!
It has long been known that when people engage in even a moderate amount of exercise it can prevent heart disease and prolong life.
The Framingham Heart study has followed 5,200 people living in Framingham, Massachusetts for the past 46 years. New data from the study involving people over 50 indicates that more physical activity increase life span more and decreases risk of heart disease more.
Specifically the study found that those who at 50 years old started engaging in moderate physical activity lived 1.3 years longer and were free of heart disease 1.1 more years. And people who engaged in high levels of physical activity lived 3.5 years longer and were free of heart disease 3.2 more years.
And recently some researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) led by Edward McAuley have shown that senior citizens who started exercising also gained many psychological benefits!
This study was done with a sample of 174 adults over 65 years old, lasted 6 months and involved walking and stretching/toning exercises.
It found that older adults who exercise have improved levels of affect, physical self-esteem, self-efficacy.
Do you exercise regularly? Why or why not? Do studies like these influence your behavior? If you have kids do you feel like they are a good motivator to exercise so you will live longer to be there for them? Or do you find that with kids you no longer have time to exercise?
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Vitamin D also important for preventing osteoporosis
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Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin which you can either get from food or your body can make it. Your skin can make vitamin D when it is exposed to ultraviolet-B light from the sun.
Lighter skinned people only need to have their hands, face and arms exposed to the sun for 15 minutes a day a few times a week is to make enough vitamin D. Darker skinned people more exposure to the sun as their darker skin pigments both protect them from sun damage but also reduces the amount of vitamin D synthesized by the skin. Darker skinned people need to stay in sunlight around 1.5 hours to get the same vitamin D benefit as lighter skinned people.
Of course for many people who live in areas where it is either too cold or cloudy outside at least part of the year won’t be able to get enough sunlight exposure to meet all of their vitamin D needs.
In addition, since many people use sunscreen and protective clothing when outside and also don’t spend a lot of time outside anyway – getting vitamin D from food sources becomes more important.
The American Medical Women’s Association recommends that both women and men over 50 should get 800 to 1,000 I.U.’s of vitamin D each day.
Foods that are high in vitamin D include milk. For those who area lactose intolerant (like myself) 100% lactose free milk is available in many areas. If you are lactose intolerant and cannot buy lactose free milk where you live you may want to consider talking to your doctor about how you can get more vitamin D and calcium in your diet.
Adequate amounts of vitamin D, calcium and exercise are all necessary to help prevent osteoporosis.
To read more about osteoporosis see this article: http://www.ideasforwomen.com/health/osteoporosis1.php
(Technorati Tags: osteoporosis, vitamin D, women, health, sun)
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- May is Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month!
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November 17, 2005
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Health insurance coverage for sick college students?
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Michelle Morse was diagnosed with cancer when she was 20 and a college student at Plymouth State College. She and her family discovered that her parents health insurance would not cover her if she dropped out of school while being treated for cancer.
The only way for her to continue to get coverage was either for her family to pay an extra $550 a month or for her to stay in school.
She chose the latter.
She sometimes had to wear a chemotherapy pump attached to her to be able to attend classes while she was fighting for her life.
She also spent time trying to lobby for a bill that would require health insurance companies to cover college students when they take a medical leave of absence.
Apparently most health coverage provided by employers will only cover kids over 18 if they are in school full time.
Next year a bill called Michelle’s Law will go before the House thanks to Michelle’s efforts. Michelle’s Law will force health insurance providers to cover students if their doctor has certified that for medical reasons they cannot continue school full time.
Michelle, who was going to be a teacher, died last week.
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Hyperactive kids – a disease?
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A bill was passed by the U.S. House this week to prevent schools from forcing kids who have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to take medication to be able to go to school.
The bill’s main sponsor, Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., has stated that ‘Sometimes officials even attempt to force parents into choosing between medicating their child and allowing that child to remain in the classroom. This is unconscionable’.
Consumers Union (publisher of Consumer Reports magazine) reported in September that medications for ADHD are over prescribed to kids that don’t really need it.
According to the CDC, 4.4 million children – aged 3 to 17 – have been diagnosed with ADHD and that close to 65% of those take stimulant medication to treat it. It is suspected that many of these kids do not really have ADHD.
Side effects of stimulants used to treat these children include sleeplessness, appetite loss, stomach pain, headaches and possibly even psychotic episodes and suicidal thoughts!
I’m glad this bill was passed! I wouldn’t have a child of mine taking a drug like this unless it was a really extreme circumstance!
What is your opinion? Do you think kids are falsely being diagnosed with having ADHD? Are we getting to the point where doctors are diagnosing and medicating personality differences?
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