|
Issue Date: September 28, 2008
| |
Today's Topic:
Health & Women |
Today's Topic:
Health & Women
Contributing Editor Jean Carper always stays on top of the latest health news. Now, she shares some of the best findings on her recent readings.
Contributing Editor Jean Carper's EatSmart column appears most weeks in USA WEEKEND.
I find nothing more intriguing than searching medical journals and websites for new discoveries about health, particularly on women's issues of concern to me and my two sisters. I confess, I've had a love affair with the "Journal of the American Medical Association" since high school. I can't stop clipping or printing out all kinds of interesting research
I'd like to tell other women about. I have spent most of my career doing this and putting the information into books, magazine articles and columns and on the radio and TV.
While tracking down the latest research for this article, I saw a growing attention to sex differences in the origin, prevention and treatment of health problems for women and men. We have different responses to diseases, aging, medications, smoking and alcohol -- and women decidedly live longer.
I hope you get as big a kick out of reading the latest news as I did in searching it out. And I hope that you find ways to use it to give your own health a boost.
Surprise For osteoporosis
Fact: One of every two women over 50 will have an osteoporosis-related bone fracture in her lifetime.
We've been told over and over again that downing lots of calcium reduces fractures and osteoporosis. But don't count on it, says the "Harvard Health Letter." Several recent large studies found little or no relationship between high calcium intake and a low rate of broken hips. Also, a National Institutes of Health study of 36,000 women found that 1,000 mg of calcium and 400 IUs of vitamin D daily did not affect bone density or fractures of the spine, lower arm and wrist.
Surprisingly, vitamin D seems to strengthen bones better than calcium, although -- make no mistake -- both are needed. Harvard docs say 600 mg of calcium daily is probably enough to keep fracture risk low. Some experts now recommend 1,000 IUs daily of vitamin D for bones and many other health issues, including colon cancer prevention. Don't worry: Experts I trust say the new safe maximum dose is 10,000 IUs a day.
To read more: Visit effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov and search for osteoporosis.
A website to trust
Sure, the Internet is a great source of information on the latest medical advances, but it also can be a minefield of misinformation. My advice: Always know the scientific authority behind the info. If it comes from a major research or academic center or well-respected organization (think National Institutes of Health, American Cancer Society, Harvard Medical School), it's a good bet it will be accurate and objective.
Women are lucky. We can trust healthywomen.org, a one-stop website operated by the non-profit National Women's Health Resource Center. The site carries the latest research news, tips, resources and an in-depth look at more than 100 health topics. NWHRC also publishes special reports, fact sheets, surveys and brochures, all reviewed by leading health professionals.
To read more: Go to healthywomen.org.
|
