Cavities may be the least of your dental woes Continue reading
javahut healthy feed
Brushing and Flossing Linked to Decreased Risk of HPV
Reply
Tag Archives: Risk
Why Some Women Don’t Believe Their Breast Cancer Risk
Why it’s important to know—and believe—your risk Continue reading
javahut healthy feed
Get This: The Surprising Thing That Ups Your Cancer Risk
Your daily dose of today’s hottest headlines Continue reading
javahut healthy feed
Eating THIS May Decrease Your Breast Cancer Risk
Here’s how to make sure you’re getting the right amount Continue reading
javahut healthy feed
Get This: Doing THIS Slashes Your Heart Disease Risk By Half
Check out the list of links that should be on your radar today:
Keeping your cholesterol and blood pressure in check could cut your risk of heart disease by more than 50 percent, according to a new study. [EurekAlert]
Word on the street is that Jeff Bridges plans to make the epic children’s novel The Giver into a movie—and he’s even cast a Jonas! [Vulture]
You need to see this lazy panda pic. You’re welcome. [People]
Women are way more likely to overdose on pain killers than men are, finds new research. [Jezebel]
Get migraines? If you don’t treat them the right way, you might start getting more. [MedPage Today]
Women who work the graveyard shift are more likely to get breast cancer, according to a new study. [Science World Report]
Yesterday, interest rates on student loans doubled from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. Womp womp. [ABC News]
The top dogs in the media industry? They’re mostly men. (But not at Women’s Health!) [Pew Research Center]
photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock
The Pill May Lower Ovarian Cancer Risk
You already know the Pill is great for regulating your cycle and keeping babies at bay, but it also has a host of other amazing health benefits. According to a recent analysis in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, women who use oral contraceptives have a lower risk of developing ovarian cancer—and the longer you take it, the lower your risk.
Researchers looked at 24 studies from January 1990 to June 2012. They found that women who had ever used oral contraceptives—any type—had a 27 percent lower risk of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer than women who had never taken the Pill. And women who had been on the Pill for 10 years or more saw a reduced risk of more than 50 percent!
So what’s behind this association? Researchers still aren’t entirely sure, says lead study author Laura Havrilesky, MD, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Duke University School of Medicine. One theory is that halting ovulation has a protective effect on the ovaries, though other theories mention a possible hormonal effect on the fallopian tubes, which is where many aggressive forms of ovarian cancer begin, says Havrilesky. Regardless of the mechanism, it’s a pretty great side effect if you’re already planning to be on the Pill.
That said, experts warn that you shouldn’t go on birth control just to reduce your risk since the average woman’s chances of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer is just 1.7 percent, says Havrilesky. Plus, previous research has linked long-term birth control use with a slightly increased risk of breast cancer. Essentially, this is one added benefit that can be weighed against other benefits—and drawbacks—of the Pill, says Havrilesky. However, if you have a family history or known genetic mutation that puts you at an increased risk of ovarian cancer and you’re already in the market for contraception, it may be worth talking to your doctor about going on the Pill.
Check out all the other perks that come with your pack of pills:
7 Benefits of Hormonal Birth Control
How the Pill Affects Your Body
The Best Birth Control For Your Body
How the Pill Affects Your Attraction
5 Surprising Side Effects of the Pill
photo: Fuse/Thinkstock
More from Women’s Health:
What Causes Ovarian Cancer?
Ovarian Cancer
Could Pain Relievers Lower Your Ovarian Cancer Risk?
Calcium Supplements Linked to Lower Mortality Risk
A few months ago, Women’s Health reported that excessive calcium consumption was linked to a higher risk of mortality. New research now provides more insight on the subject: In a study recently accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, researchers report that taking calcium supplements—up to 1,000 mg a day—is linked with lower mortality risk.
A research team from McGill University in Canada analyzed health data from more than 9,000 people that participated in the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study—though not all of the participants actually had osteoporosis. To get the skinny on calcium supplement consumption, researchers interviewed participants in person every five years and also asked them to fill out a yearly questionnaire about which medications and supplements they were taking.
The women who reported using calcium supplements—up to 1,000 mg per day—had about a 20 percent reduced risk of dying at some point during the 10-year study. Higher doses, however, led to inconclusive results.
That’s in line with research published a few months ago that found women with a calcium intake exceeding 1,400 mg per day increased their mortality risk by 100 percent, compared to those who kept their intake between 600 and 999 mg.
All of this evidence points to the fact that the RDA for calcium—1,000 mg per day for women between the ages of 19 and 50—is in fact the best amount to aim for, says David Goltzman, MD, of McGill University.
The latest research suggests that taking calcium supplements can be a safe way to up your intake—so long as you don’t exceed 1,000 mg per day from both supplements and dietary calcium.
That said, it’s always best not to rely on supplements to meet your nutritional needs. In fact, researchers found similar reductions in the risk of mortality when people increased their dietary calcium intake, as well.
“The most appropriate way to meet your calcium needs is through your diet,” says Goltzman. “If, however, you cannot meet your average daily requirement of calcium, there would be no harm—with respect to increased death—to consume calcium supplements up to 1,000 mg per day.”
These calcium-rich foods will help you get more of the nutrient—without having to resort to a supplement:
The ingredient: Milk or calcium-fortified soy milk
Calcium content: 299 mg per 8-ounce serving (30 percent DV)
Recipe idea: Greek-Style Frittata
Photo: Craig Cutler
The Ingredient: Plain, nonfat yogurt (note: Greek yogurt has less calcium)
Calcium content: 415 mg per 8-ounce serving (42 percent DV)
Recipe idea: Blueberry Yogurt Parfait
Photo: Catherine Sears
The Ingredient: White beans
Calcium content: 96 mg per ½-cup serving (9 percent DV)
Recipe idea: Tuscan Spinach Dumplings with White Beans
Photo: Quentin Bacon
The ingredient: Kale
Calcium content: 100 mg per 1-cup serving (10 percent DV)
Recipe idea: Kale and Cannellini Beans
Photo: Mitch Mandel
Plus, check out 9 other awesome kale recipes.
The ingredient: Almonds
Calcium content: 75 mg per 1-ounce serving (7 percent DV)
Recipe idea: Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Radicchio
Photo: Kang Kim
Photo: Liquidlibrary/Thinkstock
More from WH:
18 Self-Checks Every Woman Should Do
Is Calcium Dangerous?
The 18 Best Supplements for Women
Get This: Owning a Dog Can Cut Your Heart Disease Risk
Check out the list of links that should be on your radar today:
Puppy Rx: The American Heart Association says that owning a dog is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. [New York Times]
Set your DVR: Neil Patrick Harris will be hosting the 2013 Tony Awards. After he rocked it the last three times, we feel like this announcement was really just a formality. [HuffingtonPost]
This photo is definitive proof that Jay-Z is totally a time traveler. [HuffingtonPost]
Researchers at University of California Santa Cruz found that Facebook purging after a breakup is the norm, but deleting every trace of your ex is pretty difficult. Note to everyone: do your friends a favor and toss those online photos of her and her ex! [UCSC]
As if surgery wasn’t already terrifying, a patient at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York had the wrong kidney removed. [CBS]
Careful where you sit if you’re pregnant–a new study shows that flame retardants in many couch materials can be toxic to babies in utero. [Shine]
Jennifer Aniston’s stylist swears he was stoned when he created the “Rachel” cut for the actress in 1994. Sadly, we still kind of want to copy it. [WWD]
A new study says women are 31 percent more likely to give a guy her number if he’s carrying a guitar. We’d like to think we’re a little more predictable than that! [MSN]
Salt Lake City, Utah was ranked as the the most superficial city for daters. Let it be noted that this ranking comes from a website that asks you to bid on dates with women… [KTRE]
photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock
Would You Want to Know Your Risk for Every Disease?
If your doctor had a way to peek into your health future and determine that you had a higher—but not definite—risk of developing cancer, heart disease, or any number of other scary illnesses, would you want to know?
It’s a question to start considering now that a procedure called genomic sequencing is set to become a standard part of your health-care routine in the not-too-distant future. Whole genome sequencing involves analyzing all of a person’s genes, obtained via a small blood sample, to find out which, if any, carry a predisposition to serious disease. For years, doctors have offered patients tests for specific genes that may cause illness—for example, the BRCA gene variants linked to a higher incidence of breast cancer. But genome sequencing looks at a person’s entire DNA and thus can uncover markers for a huge range of conditions.
On one side are groups such as the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), which in March recommended that doctors tell patients about certain disease risk findings uncovered during genome sequencing—even if they were incidental findings discovered accidentally during testing for a different illness. The ACMG came up with a list of more than 20 medical conditions clinicians should look for (including specific cancers, retinal disease leading to blindness, and a genetic condition that causes high cholesterol)—whether a patient requests testing or not. The thinking is that if a predisposition for an illness is uncovered before symptoms show, the patient can get treatment or intervention early.
But a paper published today in the journal Trends in Biotechnology argues in response that doctors do not have the right to force patients to know their genetic disease risk for conditions they didn’t ask to be tested for. “The important point that we dispute is that the ACMG recommends that the patient or the patient’s parents should not have a choice about whether these extra tests are done and they receive the results,” explains Megan Allyse, PhD, a coauthor of the paper and fellow at the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics at Stanford University School of Medicine.
There are other issues to consider too, says Allyse. For starters, looking for so many genetic disease risks can be very costly, and if positive results are reported to your insurance company, it may affect your premiums. Also, knowing that you have a predisposition to a genetic disease can trigger anxiety and stress—especially in light of the fact that the disease may never actually develop, even without any intervention.
TELL US: Would you want your doctor to tell you about any disease risk your genomic profile points to, even if it’s an incidental finding—or would you prefer to not know? Share your thoughts in the comments!
photo: Wavebreak Media/Thinkstock
More From Women’s Health:
Should You Get a DNA Test?
DNA Tests: What You Should Know
Find Your Perfect Match
What Your Haircut Says About Your Melanoma Risk
If you’re debating between chopping off your locks or keeping them long, consider this: Having longer hair may decrease your risk of getting melanoma on your head and neck, according to a new study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
Researchers used data collected for the French regional melanoma registry Observatoire des Mélanomes de la Région Champagne-Ardenne (OMECHA) and examined 279 individual cases of melanoma. Analysis of the cases showed two different melanoma distributions of the head and neck that most likely are due to sun exposure while driving: peripheral (which occurs on the scalp, forehead, ears, and neck) and central (which occurs on the eyelids, nose, cheeks, and chin). For men, 57 percent of melanoma cases occurred in their peripheral regions and 43 percent happened in their central region. Women only saw 21 percent of melanoma cases in their peripheral region, though, and 79 percent of melanoma cases in their central region. The findings suggest that women have more cases of central melanoma because their peripheral areas are more protected by their hair, says Candice Lesage, MD, dermatologist, lead study author.
A windshield may protect skin from UVB rays, which are responsible for sunburns, but UVA rays, which have longer wavelengths, penetrate the glass and can harm your skin. Though participants’ specific hairstyles weren’t recorded, women tend to have longer hair, which can protect their peripheral skin regions, leaving mostly the central area exposed to sunlight. Because men typically have shorter hair, both their peripheral and central regions are left vulnerable to UV rays. Hair can act as a barrier that prevents sunlight from reaching the skin—more so for people with darker, thicker hair—similar to how clothes can provide UV coverage for your body.
“The more of your skin that’s covered by your hair, the more protected you are,” says Jessica Wu, MD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Southern-California, who was not part of the study. Keep in mind: Even if you grow your hair out, your scalp can still be exposed to harmful rays where you part your hair or where your hair is naturally thinner. For extra protection—particularly if you’re rocking short hair—slather on the sunscreen and wear a hat, says Wu. While thicker lotions can be messy, a gel or foam sunscreen shouldn’t mess with your style.
photo: Viacheslav Nikolaenko/Shutterstock
More from WH:
What’s Your Skin Cancer Risk?
Skin Cancer May Increase the Risk of Other Cancers
What Your Hair Color Says About Your Health