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Health Alert: Don't Let Your Colon Go "Pow"
It happens when you least expect it. Well, maybe you do expect it, but you're too embarrassed to ask your doctor to include a colon cancer check as part of your routine medical examination. If so, you are among the thousands of Americans who just might be "embarrassed to death". That's right. Current estimates are that 33,000 lives are lost annually to colon (colorectal) cancer.
Negligence. That's a big part of this health problem. And not just the negligence of the patient, there's plenty of blame for the physician. Why? Only half, 51%, of doctors discuss colon cancer screening with their patients. And out of those who do discuss the matter, less than half, 44% performed even the simplest of evaluation such as the Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT).
Patients are embarrassed into a state of denial. Doctors don't spend a few extra minutes to discuss or test. What a sad and avoidable tragedy. That's because nine out of then times colon cancer is curable ... if and when it is detected early.
The American Cancer Society recommends that adults over age 50 use the FOBT annually to identify hidden blood in the stool, one of the early warning signs of colorectal cancer. The quick and pain-free FOBT can often indicate if more invasive screening procedures are necessary. Most colon cancers develop from pre-cancerous polyps, which can actually be removed during colonoscopy screening.
So, there you go. No more excuses. Get a checkup.
See related articles on adult cancer in the AgeVenture archives.
Critics Give PSA Prostate Test "two thumbs up"
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Cohabitation Trend Says Race Relations Merry
Leave it to the Baby Boomers to keep recreating the world in their own image. That's right. Today's gen-xers (age 18-30) who are the children of the baby boomers (age 34-52) who matured on a steady diet of civil rights and equal opportunity are apparently "walking their talk". According to a University of Michigan study, intimate relationships between races are more common than once thought. Hmmm. Sounds like that old song. How did it go? Oh, yeh. "The more we get together, the merrier we will be". Maybe we've been misspelling "marrier" all this time.
Anyhow, race relations are improving, especially if you count ... well, ... your race relationships, as in marriage and cohabitation between couples from different races. Intimate partnerships between the races, estimated at more than 5 percent of all marriages in the United States, are much more prevalent when cohabitation is also considered.
While 25 percent of married Asian women have white husbands, for example, nearly 45 percent of cohabiting Asian women have white partners. And while 17 percent of married Latino women have white husbands, about 22 percent of cohabiting Latino women live with white men. The study was conducted by David R. Harris and Hiromi Ono, both sociologists at the U-M Institute for Social Research (ISR), the world's largest academic survey and research organization.
For the study, Harris and Ono analyzed 1990 U.S. census data for Black, white, Asian and Latino couples between the ages of 18 and 30, who were either married or living together. "Cohabitations are not a trivial share of young people's unions," Harris and Ono report. "Among the four racial groups we examined, about one in six unions is a cohabitation.
Just over 16 percent of unions for Asians, Latinos, and whites are cohabitations, and more than 25 percent of unions for Blacks. So focusing exclusively on interracial marriages, as most previous research has done, seriously underestimates the extent of intimate contact between the races."
Within each racial group, there were slightly different patterns, depending on gender as well as type of union. I found it interesting that, despite the trend toward interracial intimacy, there were distinct differences between racial groups. Blacks and Whites appear more conservative among the four racial groups, tending to cohabitate and marry within their own race. On the other hand, Hispanic and Asians appear more liberal, cohabitating and marrying outside their race at much higher rates than their White and Black counterparts. Here's a summary of the findings.
- About 96 percent of married Black women are married to Black men, compared with about 94 percent of cohabiting Black women who live with Black men. But while Black women are more likely to live with than marry white and Hispanic men, they are no more likely to marry Asian men than to live with them.
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About 69 percent of married Asian women are married to Asian men, while 25 percent of married Asian women have white husbands. "But as common as marriages are between Asian women and white men, cohabitations are even more prevalent," says Ono. "In fact, Asian women are more likely to be living with white men than with Asian men. Nearly 45 percent of cohabiting Asian women have white partners, while less than 43 percent have Asian partners."
- About 22 percent of Latino women are living with white men, compared with 17 percent who are married to white men.
- White women are 3.5 times as likely to live with Black men as to be married to them, and they're also more likely to live with than marry Asians and Hispanics.
In general, the researchers found that Black, White, Asian, and Latino men and women consistently choose to cohabit with people who are different from the people they marry. For all of these groups, cohabiting unions are more likely to be interracial than are marriages.
"Our findings suggest that there is much greater intimate contact between the races than marriage data imply," says Harris. "Consequently, the social distance between racial groups is not as great as other studies suggest it is."
"Perhaps", says AgeVenture News editor, David Demko, "people are finally beginning to judge one another according to the content of their character, and not the color of their skin." "It's a shame Martin isn't around to see his dream become reality." "At any rate, seems race relations have never been more merry."
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
Retired Couples Happiest in Traditional Roles
Boomer Couples Cling to Role Stereotypes
Mature Couples Find Spouses Demanding
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Experts Rethink Value of Antioxidant Use
The latest word on supplements from those in government who are supposed to know and protect the public welfare is not good. There is insufficient evidence to support claims that taking megadoses of dietary antioxidants, such as selenium and vitamins C and E, or carotenoids, including beta-carotene, can prevent chronic diseases, says the latest report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The IOM is a component of the National Academies of Science.
Extremely large doses of these antioxidants, says the report, may lead to health problems rather than health benefits. The report does call for increases in daily intakes of vitamins C and E to exploit their role in maintaining good health. For the first time, the report also sets a ceiling on daily consumption of selenium and vitamins C and E to reduce the risk of adverse side effects from overuse.
Dietary antioxidants are nutrients that help protect cells from a normal, but damaging, physiological process known as "oxidative stress." Such nutrients are a part of the natural makeup of many types of food, particularly fruits and vegetables. They also have been added to some foods and are available in the form of dietary supplements. For years, researchers have sought to understand the role of these antioxidants in reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, eye diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases, which include Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. But many unanswered questions remain.
Although numerous epidemiological studies have suggested that foods rich in dietary antioxidants have a positive effect on chronic diseases, insufficient evidence exists to conclude that such nutrients, even in very high doses, will reduce the risk of diseases such as cancer; cardiovascular disease; cataracts; age-related macular degeneration, a common form of blindness in elderly people; diabetes mellitus; and neurodegenerative
diseases.
Following are highlights of the report's recommendations:
- Vitamin C
Women should consume 75 milligrams per day, and men should consume 90 milligrams daily.
The upper intake level for vitamin C, from both food and supplements, is 2,000 milligrams per day for adults.
Intakes above this amount may cause diarrhea.
Food sources of the nutrient include citrus fruit, potatoes, strawberries, broccoli, and leafy green vegetables.
- Vitamin E
Women and men should consume 15 milligrams of "alpha-tocopherol" from food sources each day.
The upper level, based only on intake from vitamin supplements, is 1,000 milligrams of alpha-tocopherol per day for adults.
Alpha-tocopherol is the only type of vitamin E that human blood can maintain and transfer to cells when needed.
People who consume more than this amount place themselves at greater risk of hemorrhagic damage because the nutrient can act as an anticoagulant.
Food sources include nuts, seeds, liver, and leafy green vegetables.
- Selenium
Women and men should take 55 micrograms per day, the report says.
The upper intake level for selenium is set at 400 micrograms per day.
More than this amount could a toxic reaction marked by hair loss and nail sloughing.
Food sources include seafood, liver, meat, and grains.
- Beta-carotene and Other Carotenoids
In lab tests, these nutrients act as antioxidants, but the results have not always been duplicated in humans.
Therefore, the report does not recommend a daily intake level or an upper intake level for consumption of carotenoids.
The proverbial "bottom line" in all of this seems to be two-fold. One, more research is needed. Two, as a general rule, healthy people should not routinely exceed upper intake levels of antioxidants. This study was undertaken by the Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board that provides health policy advice under a congressional charter granted to the National Academy of Sciences.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
Blueberry Antioxidants Slow Aging Process
Cataracts May Be Driven By Antioxidants
Vitamin C May Delay Age-related Cataracts
Memory Study Tests Vitamin E & Donepezil
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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New Choices Magazine Offers April Fuels
The April issue of New Choices magazine is full of ways to fuel a successful retirement. Readers will find tips about money, health, travel, and happiness. Of particular interest is a rather intriguing article about energy, the fuel of life itself. For example, did you know that "doing nothing" burns up more energy than "exercise"? That's right. According to New Choices, the energy needed to keep you alive even when sleeping, uses almost twice the calories that exercise does. Gets you thinking doesn't it?
Physical activity accounts for 25 to 35 percent of your body's calorie use, while 60 to 65 percent of calories go to resting metabolism, such as sleeping. The remaining 5 to 10 percent goes to processing the food you eat.
This fact is one reason it is more difficult to lose weight after age 50. As your body ages, it demands less energy to run. Your resting metabolism, technically known as the basal metabolic rate (BMR), starts to slow and burn fewer calories. This slow-down coincides with other physical changes, such as loss of muscle mass and declining strength and aerobic capacity, that began as young as age 30.
As active cells in each organ dwindle, less energy is needed to power them, so that after age 50, the body needs about 5 percent fewer calories with each passing decade. In practical terms, a BMR that slows down means if you are over age 50, then you either need to eat less or burn more calories. Physical activity has a double benefit, even though it accounts for only a quarter or so of the daily calories you burn. It also raises your resting metabolic rate so you burn more calories while at rest.
A recent study by Dr. Gary Hunter, University of Alabama, showed that participating in a strength-training program with weights three times a week for a period of six months can build enough muscle in middle-aged adults to boost resting metabolism by 80 to 150 calories a day. "That's the equivalent of taking a one to one-and-a-half mile walk," says Dr. Hunter in New Choices. Seen another way, resistance training enhances your metabolism as much as a 20-40 minute workout would.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
Sleep Loss Harms Metabolic Functions
Volunteerism Boosts Energy and Esteem
Elder Fitness An Exercise in Self-Confidence
Neurobic Exercise Keeps Memory Fit
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Sunlight Cited as Source of Cataract Risk
Sunlight exposure appears to play a role in increasing the risk of cataract formation, according to the "Archives of Ophthalmology", one of the journals of the American Medical Association. Cataract is an eye disease in which the lens or its capsule, or both, become opaque, causing partial or total blindness.
In my own twenty-five years of gerontological work, I've encountered a variety of types of cataracts. Capsular, as the name implies, affects the opacity of the capsule. Lenticular refers to cataract that occurs in the lens of the eye. Morgagnian refers to a fluid cataract with a hard inner core. Senile cataract describes the age-related onset of changes in the lens such as thickening, cloudiness, yellowing, and inelasticity (making it difficult to focus from near to far). Other types of cataracts also exist.
The researchers studied residents in sunny, southern France in order to evaluate the role that light exposure plays in the formation of cataracts. For example, researchers studied the effects of solar radiation (being bathed in sunshine), exposure on the job, and leisure exposures to light. How do these various sources of light influence different types of cataracts?
The researchers found high ambient solar radiation is associated with a 250 percent increased risk of
cortical cataracts and a 400 percent increased risk of mixed cataracts. High ambient solar radiation also was
associated with a nearly three-fold increased risk of cataract surgery.
"It seems that sunlight exposure throughout a lifetime may be important to cataract formation," the
authors conclude. "These results raise the hope that simple preventive strategies, such as avoiding
exposure at mid-day, may reduce the prevalence of cataracts."
According to background information cited in the study, cataract is the leading cause of blindness,
accounting for 50 percent of blindness worldwide. In the United States, cataract surgery has become
the most frequent surgical procedure in people 65 years or older, costing billions per year.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
Vitamin C May Delay Age-related Cataracts
Cataracts May Be Driven By Antioxidants
Minority Diabetics High-risk to Cataracts
Aspirin Raises Cataract Risk for Boomers
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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NIH Experts Offer Osteoporosis Update
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently convened a panel of experts to report on current knowledge
regarding the nature, origins, and treatments for osteoporosis. About 10 million people in the United States have osteoporosis, making it the most prevalent metabolic bone disorder in this country. An additional 18 million individuals already have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for this disorder.
Among the panelists was Anne Klibanski, M.D., professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "Osteoporosis occurs in all populations and at all ages and is a devastating disorder with significant physical, psychosocial and financial consequences." "Osteoporosis is commonly the result of bone loss," said Dr. Klibanski. "It may also occur in individuals who do not achieve adequate bone mass during childhood and adolescence." She added that bone mass attained during childhood is perhaps the most important determinant of life-long skeletal health, a fact that is under-appreciated. Achieving optimum bone mass early in life reduces the impact of bone loss related to aging.
Genetic factors exert a strong influence on peak bone mass, but environmental and lifestyle factors also play a role. These include good nutrition, particularly adequate calcium and vitamin intakes. Only 10 percent of girls and 25 percent of boys between ages 9 and 17 obtain an adequate amount of calcium in their diet through the consumption of dairy products and vegetables.
There is strong evidence that physical activity early in life contributes to higher peak bone mass. Clinical trials have shown that exercise reduces the risk of falls by approximately 25 percent. Falls are a major cause of fractures in people with osteoporosis.
Although hormone replacement therapy remains a common treatment and prevention option, the panel suggested that more information is needed on how estrogen alone or in combination with other treatments reduces the incidence of fractures. Natural estrogens, such as plant-derived phytoestrogens, have thus far not been shown to reduce fractures.
Within the last decade, new medicines to help prevent and/or treat osteoporosis have become available. Among the new classes of drugs are bisphosphonates and selective estrogen receptor modulators. New technologies have improved the detection of loss of bone mineral, a key predictor of osteoporotic fracture. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the standard for measuring bone mineral density of the hip. Other measures of bone strength, such as ultrasound of the heel, are as effective in predicting hip fracture.
NIH is one of the lead agencies in the fight against osteoporosis. As one of the many diseases affecting millions of American women, especially the growing elderly population, osteoporosis has been a research priority as early as the 1980 White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA). Convened every ten years, the WHCOA set the priorities of aging research, policy, and service for each decade.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
High Protein Diet Accelerates Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis Is Preventable Says Chinese Medical Team
P&G's Actonel Drug Battles Osteoporosis
Nasal Spray Medicine Fights Osteoporosis
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Aging Ain't All Bad Considering Alternative
Nearly half (44 percent) of Americans age 65 and older describe the present as the best years of their lives, according to a study by The National Council on the Aging (NCOA). And in spite of some persistent misperceptions about aging, 84 percent of all Americans say they would be happy if they lived to be 90 years old.
The study of more than 3,000 adults of all ages in the United States, conducted by NCOA in collaboration with the International Longevity Center, was supported by unrestricted grants from OppenheimerFunds, Inc. and Pfizer Inc. Harris Interactive Inc. conducted the survey.
Among Americans age 65 to 69, 49 percent said "these are the best years of my life." Many people in their seventies (44 percent) and eighties (33 percent) agreed. (Among Americans of all ages, 66 percent described the present as their best years.) Sixty percent of older black and 57 percent of older Hispanic respondents said these are their best years. The share of older Americans who say these are the best years (44 percent) is a substantial increase over 32 percent who thought so in NCOA's 1974 "Myths and Reality of Aging" survey.
"We've entered a new age of old age," said James Firman, Ed.D., president and CEO of NCOA. "The
possibility of experiencing positive, vital aging lasting into our tenth decade of life is one of the new realities of the 21st century. While there are reasons for optimism, we need to remember there are millions of Americans for whom old age is a time of hardship."
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
Japan, Europe, & US Tackle Global Aging Crisis
More Men Use Cosmetic Surgery to Battle Aging
Healthy Aging Sourcebook Targets Boomers
Solving the Mystery of Human Aging ... the Butler Did It
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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