E coli. Cancer vaccine. Women's health. Transfats. Read what medical news caught our attention in 2006.
The year ends. How'd it go for you? Let’s take a look at some of the most interesting headlines in the subject that occupies our thoughts often as we get used to being older. Health issues – headline fodder every single day.
Number 10. Cruise ship woes. Viral infections, food poisoning, mystery ailments, ship malfunctions. My husband and I considered a cruise this year and then decided there might be something better to do with our time and resources. I had conversations with several friends who took cruises and had major problems that never made it to the headlines. Maybe all those cruise lines need to step back and rethink how they’re doing things.
9. Bird flu. A real scare early in the year. Maybe it still is, but where did it go – and where are those headlines?
8. Plan B contraceptive pill was approved in August by the FDA for over the counter dispensing to women over 18 years of age. Those under 18 will need a prescription.
7. For the time being vitamin D is a superhero. This the year we learned it helps with Multiple Sclerosis. It might have an affect on breast cancer, ovarian cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer and others. Some studies seemed to show it reduces bone loss. It affects blood pressure. Oregon State University has a page of info about this miracle vitamin – a little bogged down in science, but worth reading.
6. Brain exercises promote fitness of the mind. Many studies showed that brainular jumping jacks can keep your mind healthy and ticking like a Swiss watch for a long time. Video game companies, like Nintendo jumped on the bandwagon aiming new game sets at seniors and families. Brainage is one. But crossword puzzles, word games, math quizzes and similar complicated activities will do the job.
5. Americans seem to be eating fewer high-risk foods because of constant publicity about them. We consume less pink hamburger or ground beef, far less raw fish or oysters, not much unpasturized dairy, undercooked or uncooked eggs and we’ve slowed down on alfalfa sprouts. This according to WebMD.com.
4. Transfats got whacked by the government and everyone else on earth. About time, I think. Ask any cardiologist – he or she will tell you transfat is suicide on a plate. It will kill you sooner than later. With all the choices we have, there’s no reason to keep eating foods that contain transfats.
3. In 2006 we learned with more surety that women, seniors and minorities are not the same when you’re talking about health. Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of everything needs to be specific. Studies repeatedly show that race, sex, gender, age, cultural barriers, and socioeconomic factors are primary reasons why some groups consistently experience poorer outcomes in major health areas from cancer to heart disease, says Newswise .
2. Vaccination for cancer. I like this one. The new vaccine is against human papillomavirus (HPV) and should immunize us women against infection by two strains of HPV, which seem to be the cause of about 3/4 of cervical cancers.
1.Food contamination. This had to be, for me anyway, the biggest. It felt like every other week, someone found a problem with our food supply. The stuff sci-fi movies are made of, no? It was E Coli in spinach, then green onions at Taco Bell, then NOT green onions, but lettuce. Then I read about 300 cases of something in diners who ate at Olive Garden Restaurants. Then, there was nothing more. It just disappeared like it never happened.
Keep healthy – read the headlines, but keep them in perspective. Have a prosperous, productive, enjoyable and peaceful 2007.
