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Extra Pounds a Deadly Risk Factor for Black Women: Study
And belly fat puts even normal-weight women at risk, findings show
By Serena Gordon, HealthDay, September 7, 2011
Carrying extra weight, especially around the middle, is a risk factor for death among black women, according to a new study.
And the heavier a woman is, the greater her risk of dying sooner than her normal-weight peers.
"The risk of death increased incrementally with rising body mass index (BMI). Once women were above normal weight, they had an increased risk of death," said the study's senior author, Dr. Julie Palmer, a professor of epidemiology at the Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University.
Read more
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Leukemia & Lymphoma Society - San Diego/Hawaii Chapter
Mission: The mission of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.
About:The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services that directly help its mission. Since its founding in 1949, LLS has invested more than $600 million for research specifically targeting blood cancers.
Web:
http://www.lls.org/#/aboutlls/chapters/sd/
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Dying of Embarrassment
Early detection key to prostate cancer treatment
By Cory Fisher, The Union of Grass Valley, September 6, 2011
What do Robert De Niro, Timothy Leary, Rudy Giuliani, Nelson Mandela, Linus Pauling and Frank Zappa have in common? All were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and all were probably embarrassed during their first doctor's exam.
While the American Cancer Society reports that a staggering one out of every six men in America will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, far too many men avoid getting screened because they feel uncomfortable with the examination, which usually lasts less than a minute.
"Men are shy and embarrassed. It's a taboo subject," said George Mueller of Penn Valley, 69, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2007. "No one wants to talk about it. There are eight to 12 men in our monthly prostate cancer discussion group. There should be so many more." Read more
A drink a day linked to healthy aging in women
By Anne Harding, CNN, September 6, 2011
Middle-aged women who drink alcohol in moderation have a better chance than nondrinkers of staying healthy as they age, especially if they spread out their consumption over most days of the week, a new study from Harvard researchers suggests.
The study followed nearly 14,000 mostly white women beginning in 1976. Compared with teetotalers, those who averaged roughly three to 15 alcoholic drinks per week in their late 50s had up to 28% higher odds of being free from chronic illness, physical disability, mental health problems, and cognitive decline at age 70, the study found.
The findings don't necessarily apply to men or to nonwhite women. But they add to the "strong, consistent evidence" that people who drink in moderation are less likely than nondrinkers or heavy drinkers to experience health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and dementia, says Qi Sun, M.D., the lead author of the study and a nutrition researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston. Read more
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month: What You Need to Know
By Susan Brady, Health News, September 2, 2011
September brings with it Ovarian Cancer Awareness month, a rare and often-deadly disease that can strike at any time in a woman's life.
According to the American Cancer Society, every year almost 22,000 American women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and more than 15,000 die from the disease. Typically, ovarian cancer has a five-year survival rate of 94 percent if found early; however, most women who develop ovarian cancer aren't diagnosed until the disease has advanced.
CDC statistics reveal that approximately 90 percent of the women who get ovarian cancer are over the age of 40, with the greatest number of ovarian cancers occurring in women aged 60 years or older. But, ovarian cancer can strike a woman at any time in her life, no matter her risk factor or genetic predisposition. Read more
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Plasma Protein Therapies - little public awareness about the life-saving qualities of this clear fluid
To raise awareness of the need for life-saving plasma therapies that are dependent on plasma donations, September 2011 has been recognized as "Plasma Protein Therapies Month" by the California Legislature (Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 71).
The public knows little about the life-saving qualities of the clear, straw-colored, liquid portion of blood that is the starting material for plasma protein therapies. Unlike the more familiar "whole blood" donations collected at through local blood banks, plasma donation is highly specialized for the treatment of serious and chronic diseases -- requiring intensively screened and committed, repeat donors. Read more
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