Issue Date: September 18, 2005
FOR EVERYONE
BLADDER CANCER: New tool for early detection
This year, 13,000 Americans will die from bladder cancer, our fifth-most-common cancer. But if it's caught early -- before it becomes invasive -- the five-year survival rate is 95%.
No single test gives 100% accurate results, so doctors use a combination of methods to test for bladder cancer. A study in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" reports that a simple, non-invasive, in-office urine test to detect a tumor marker called NMP22 was more than three times as accurate as conventional lab tests. Conventional testing caught only 16% of confirmed bladder cancers; the new test identified 55%.
Peggy J. Noonan
Go to top
POT: Cannabis isn't as harmless as suggested
Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States. But if you think it's hot to smoke pot, consider this: Two recent studies show that cannabis damages the vessels in your brain by constricting blood flow -- putting you at risk for stroke.
It makes no difference whether you smoke it, eat it or take a pill. The active ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the culprit. The stronger its concentration -- ranging from 1% in some herbal preparations to 65% in some hashish oils -- the greater the danger. Long-term and heavy users are at risk.
Cannabis has long been associated with harmful changes in the brain; now sophisticated medical tools can pinpoint them. One study demonstrates that impairment of the brain's blood flow persists for at least a month after the last high. This eventually can lead to a stroke and its resulting paralysis, and problems with vision, memory and speech.
What about medical marijuana? Scientific studies are underway to nail down its usefulness and safety, especially as an aid for pain.
Susan T. Lennon
Go to top
People with high cholesterol are 42% more apt to develop dementia.
|
BRAIN: Help it stay sharp while helping your heart
Four factors that are bad for your heart -- smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension -- also are bad for your brain. "Surprisingly, the clock starts ticking sooner than we thought for Alzheimer's and other dementias. Changes in the brain are already underway at middle age," says Rachel Whitmer, lead researcher in a study that followed 9,000 HMO members for an average of 30 years. "People in their early 40s who have all four factors more than double their odds of getting dementia, regardless of gender, race or education." Even one risk factor ups the odds. Example: People with high cholesterol are 42% more likely to develop dementia.
The good news? These risks are under your control. If you're thinking about waiting until your 40s or 50s to quit smoking, lose weight, exercise and clean up your diet, think again! Start young to protect both your heart and your brain.
Susan T. Lennon
Go to top
DIABETICS: Chilling saves endangered legs
Good news for people with peripheral artery disease (PAD): A new procedure called CryoPlasty can help save limbs that otherwise might be lost to amputation. That's especially important for diabetics, because one in three diabetics over age 50 have PAD that, left untreated, can leave arteries so clogged with plaque that blood cannot get through to nourish extremities.
CryoPlasty combines conventional balloon angioplasty with a chilling process, which results in less scarring. "It really represents a breakthrough in the technology," says John E. Aruny, M.D., a Yale radiology professor. It's used in 1,000 hospitals nationwide. For information, call 877-456-5347 or visit cryoplasty.com.
Peggy J. Noonan
|
