Prevention June 2018

PREVENTION’S GUIDE TO PREVENTING DISEASE In your article about colon cancer, the writer recommends colonoscopies once a decade starting at age 50. My cancerous polyp was detected 5½ years after my previous colonoscopy. My gastroenterologist informed me that a polyp takes 5 years to become cancerous. So, 10 years is too long to wait. Helen van Hell / Montreal, Quebec When I read “Guide to Preventing Disease” in the April issue, it really gave me the motivation I needed to enjoy my weight-training sessions, seeing all the benefits they give me. Thank you for the boost! Elza Roussel / North Miami Beach, FL WOMEN’S HEALTH Thank you for the Women’s Health column by Dr. Lauren Streicher. I’m happy to read frank and informative answers about women—especially the sexuality issues we have kept to ourselves for so…

Did you know that your health insurance may fully cover (meaning no out-of-pocket costs) several preventive services that are critical to women’s health and well-being? We’ve listed just a handful of services below, but you can find a full roster (including ones for men and children) at healthcare.gov/preventive-care-women. Check with your insurance company to see if your plan covers them. WELL-WOMAN VISIT (annual physical) MAMMOGRAPHY CERVICAL CANCER screening INTERPERSONAL AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE screening BREASTFEEDING counseling and services TESTING FOR INFECTIONS urinary tract infection, sexually transmitted infections, HIV, and more OSTEOPOROSIS screening…

Different ways of interpreting genetic mutations in BRCA genes—associated with a higher risk of breast and ovarian cancers—make some labs’ analyses incomplete or unreliable, says researcher Amanda Ewart Toland of Ohio State University. The inconsistencies among labs are cause for concern because women base major medical decisions, including whether to undergo a preventive mastectomy, on these test results. Toland and a team of scientists sent questionnaires to labs around the country. The results showed that while the labs were generally able to identify the gene mutations accurately, their methods of interpreting those mutations differed. For instance, one lab might label a specific mutation as pathogenic, or disease-causing, while another interpreted the same mutation as a variable of uncertain significance (meaning they are unsure whether it increases cancer risk). Toland says she’s…

Researchers from NYU’s School of Medicine and the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have discovered a brand-new organ called the interstitium, a network of interconnected, fluid-filled compartments that lies beneath the skin and within the tissue of your gut, lungs, and urinary system. It also surrounds most organs, muscles, and major blood vessels. While scientists are still determining the exact role of the interstitium, the newfound organ seems to act as an important conduit of immune cells as well as a channel that allows cancer to spread. Future research will investigate how the cells of the interstitium change over time to contribute to skin wrinkling, limb stiffening, and a host of other inflammatory diseases, say the NYU researchers. 59 THE PERCENTAGE OF GYNECOLOGISTS WHO ARE WOMEN. IN THE ’70S, JUST 7%…

The Blood Sugar Link Bones don’t just keep us mobile; they also influence blood sugar levels. Scientists have discovered that the human skeleton has a “metabolism” of its own—some bone cells form new bone, while others reabsorb it. This leads to a new skeleton about every 10 years—though it can also cause diseases like osteoporosis when the reabsorption is too aggressive. Bone cells use sugar as part of this process, and Belgian and French researchers conducting an animal study found that when bone cells “consumed” too much sugar, glucose levels in the blood dropped. Low blood sugar can lead to fatigue and be dangerous for people with type 1 diabetes. Researchers hope these findings contribute to future therapies for conditions such as osteoporosis and diabetes. ANOTHER REASON TO LOVE YOUR BONES Your bones…

Bones age as everything else does, but there’s an easy way to preserve and improve skeletal health—exercise and diet. “Women lose bone strength at the rate of 10% to 30% per decade, depending on their age and a variety of other factors,” says Wayne Westcott, an exercise physiologist and director of exercise science at Quincy College in Quincy, MA. Strength-training moves like leg presses, squats, bench presses, and pull-downs are the best way to rebuild bone, he says. Then make sure you include these nutrients in your diet. CALCIUM is the key to any bone-healthy diet, says Atlanta-based registered dietitian nutritionist Marisa Moore. In addition to dairy products, sources include canned sardines (with bones) and leafy greens like kale and turnip greens. VITAMIN D is also essential and can be obtained from…