Issue Date: January 7, 2007
BONES: Low-carb diet won't start osteoporosis
There's good news for people who follow low-carbohydrate diets, like Atkins and South Beach. Critics who warned that these diets would increase the risk of osteoporosis turn out to be wrong, according to a study in the journal "Osteoporosis International."
The theory, based on animal studies: A diet high in proteins like meat and eggs would alter the body's acid balance and that, in turn, would increase bone turnover, meaning more bone would be depleted than formed, which would increase the risk of osteoporosis.
"That's what we thought we were going to see" in people, says the study's lead author, John D. Carter, M.D., of the University of South Florida College of Medicine. "But our results surprised us."
-- Peggy J. Noonan
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Hepatitis C: It kills as many as HIV does
Called a "silent epidemic," hepatitis C is the most common chronic blood-borne virus in America, infecting about 3 million people. From 10% to 40% of infected people have no identifiable risk factors at all. A blood test is the way to diagnose it.
"The number of annual deaths from hepatitis C is about the same as HIV," notes Adrian Di Bisceglie, chief of hepatology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, "but you rarely hear about it, because people don't feel sick."
Hepatitis C is a lifelong infection that progresses slowly. Caught within the first six months, it is 90% to 100% curable. But usually it's discovered decades after exposure, when the liver is damaged, and treatment is challenging.
The most common risk factor for the disease is injection drug use: Having experimented even once in your life puts you at risk.
-- Susan T. Lennon USA WEEKEND
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Cancer: New help for immigrants at risk
Colorectal cancer, the No. 2 cause of cancer deaths in America, rises dramatically among immigrants within the first generation of their arrival in the United States. For example, the colorectal cancer rate for Japanese Americans living in Hawaii and Los Angeles is among the world's highest.
A study in the journal Cancer shows that culturally and linguistically sensitive counseling, educational materials and screening test instructions are effective in reaching more people for life-saving early screening. Below is a sample of what's available.
Cross-cultural information
Asian
Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research and Training: aancart.org/apicem
American Cancer Society: cancer.org/docroot/ASN/ASN_0.asp
Hispanic
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle: fhcrc.org/portal/es/
Padres Contra el Cáncer: iamhope.org
American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology: astro.org/patient/treatment_information/
Russian
CancerCare: cancercare.org/reading_room/getting_care.php
Multinational
Y-Me National Breast CancerOrganization, in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian, Tagalog: y-me.org or 800-221-2141
-- Peggy J. Noonan
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