Health
Study: Men with breast cancer fare worse than women
Although rare, men’s tumors tend to be larger at diagnosis and more advanced
By LINDSEY TANNER
CHICAGO — Men rarely get breast cancer, but those who do often don’t survive as long as women, largely because they don’t even realize they can get it and are slow to recognize the warning signs, researchers say.
On average, women with breast cancer
lived two years longer than men in the biggest study yet of the disease in males.
The study found that men’s breast tumors were larger at diagnosis, more advanced and more likely to have spread to other parts of the body. Men were also diagnosed later in life; in the study, they were 63 on average, versus 59 for women.
Many men have no idea that they can get breast cancer, and some doctors are in the dark, too, dismissing symptoms that would be an automatic red flag in women, said study leader Dr. Jon Greif, a breast cancer surgeon in Oakland, Calif.
The American Cancer Society estimates 1 in 1,000 men will get breast cancer, versus 1 in 8 women. By comparison, 1 in 6 men will get prostate cancer, the most common cancer in men.
“It’s not really been on the radar screen to think about breast cancer in men,” said Dr. David Winchester, a breast cancer surgeon in NorthShore University HealthSystem in suburban Chicago who was not involved in the study. Winchester treats only a few men with breast cancer each year, compared with at least 100 women.
The researchers analyzed 10 years of national data on breast cancer cases, from 1998 to 2007. A total of 13,457 male patients diagnosed during those years were included, versus 1.4 million women. The database contains about 75 percent of all U.S. breast cancer cases.
The men who were studied lived an average of about eight years after being diagnosed, compared with more than 10 years for women. The study doesn’t indicate whether patients died of breast cancer or something else.
Greif prepared a summary of his study for presentation Friday at a meeting of American Society of Breast Surgeons in Phoenix.
Prolonged sitting may increase women’s diabetes risk
By Rachael Rettner
MyHealthNewsDaily
Prolonged periods of sitting may increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes in women, a new study finds.
In the study, a woman’s likelihood of having risk factors for diabetes, such as insulin resistance and chronic inflammation, increased with the more time she spent sitting. No such link was found in men.
Even women who engaged in moderate or vigorous physical activity were at an increased risk for early signs of diabetes if they also were also sedentary for prolonged periods, the study found.
“If these results are replicated, they have implications for lifestyle recommendations, public health policy, and health behavior change interventions, as they suggest that enabling women to spend less time sitting is an important factor in preventing chronic disease,” the researchers wrote in the January issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Thomas Yates, of the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, and colleagues analyzed information from about 500 people living in the U.K. who attended a diabetes screening program. Participants reported how much time they spent sitting on a weekday in the last seven days. The researchers collected blood samples to test for diabetes risk factors.
On average, women said they spent five hours a day sitting, while men said they spent six hours a day sitting.
Washington state facing major whooping cough epidemic
1,132 confirmed cases reported year to date have already surpassed 2011 total
By Laura Myers
SEATTLE — Public health officials in Washington state have confirmed more than 1,100 cases of whooping cough so far this year in what is on track to become the worst epidemic of the disease to hit the state in seven decades.
No deaths have been reported from this year’s outbreak, but 20 infants have been hospitalized with the bacterial infection, which poses a special risk to young children, said Tim Church, a spokesman for the state Health Department.
Gov. Christine Gregoire made state emergency funds available on Thursday to help increase vaccinations against the disease and announced federal approval to redirect some funds to buy 27,000 more doses of vaccine for uninsured adults.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, causes severe, uncontrollable coughing. Worldwide, it infects between 30 million and 50 million people a year and kills about 300,000 — mostly children in the developing world.
In the United States, most children are immunized against whooping cough with a vaccine that is given as a series of shots starting at the age of two months.
Outbreaks in the United States tend to run in cycles, but Church said the latest wave of cases in Washington state was running well above typical peak years in the past, when 500 to 600 cases might be reported for an entire year.
Five hidden health dangers around the house
By David Gutierrez, May 3 2012
(NaturalNews) You may already know about toxic cleaning chemicals and flame retardants, but did you know about the five following common household poisons? 1. Air pollutants”There is absolute proof that air pollution kills people — and it’s ubiquitous,” says Sandra Steingraber, author of Raising Elijah: Protecting Our Children in an Age of Environmental Crisis. “Not only is air pollution linked to asthma and lung cancer, but it may also increase the risk for stroke, heart attack and diabetes…
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Holistic Health
Breast-feeding could contribute to baby gut-health, new study finds
By Scott Morefield,
(NaturalNews) In yet another scientific reason for mothers to strongly consider breast-feeding their newborns, a new study in the journal Genome Biology finds that babies who are fed breast-milk had a wider range of gut bacteria than formula-fed babies. A link was also found between the diversity of bacteria in the babies’ guts and the activation of certain immunity genes. While they recommended further research on the subject, the researchers wrote, “The early neonatal period is a critical phase…
Use vinegar to kill weeds naturally and give Monsanto’s Roundup the heave ho
By JB Bardot,
(NaturalNews) There’s been lots written recently about the toxicity of Monsanto’s poster child product Roundup, exposing how harmful it is for the earth and how poisonous it is on exposure for both animals and humans. However, what is not common knowledge to most organic gardeners and back yard enthusiasts is how they can manage weed control safely without the need for dangerous pesticides. Use vinegar to kill weeds naturally and safely, with no side effects to you, your pets, wildlife and mother…
Discover a common yard weed that’s proven to kill cancer cells
By Paul Fassa,
(NaturalNews) Most natural health advocates know that dandelion is a good liver tonic. But now research is showing that it’s also a cancer fighter. This research discovery occurred at Windsor University in Windsor, Canada. A Windsor University biochemist, Siyaram Pandey, reluctantly took up dandelion research from a Windsor oncologist’s suggestion. Dr. Caroline Hamm noticed a few cancer patients who had been drinking dandelion tea seemed to be getting better. Siyaram Pandey was initially skeptical…
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Pet Health
Eco-Friendly Cat Litter
What smells if you don’t change it, is thrown away when your “baby” is done with it, and is often made from clay? If you answered cat litter, you probably have some furry feline leaving you smelly presents ever few hours.
Traditional cat litter, first introduced in the mid-1940s, is made from clay, which is then dried and pelleted. The clumping characteristics of the litter, meanwhile, is derived from the type of clay used — sodium bentonite, a type of clay made from volcanic ash.
As with all clay, sodium bentonite must be mined. But it is the manner in which bentonite is mined that is most concerning. Because bentonite is generally found near the surface, “strip mining” is used to excavate the mineral. Environmentalists have long argued that this method of mining, unless reclaimed, has a negative impact on the topography, vegetation, and water resources of the surrounding area — essentially leaving behind large tracts of infertile waste rock.
More than 25 percent of the 4.87 million tons of bentonite mined in the United States in 2008 was used for pet waste absorbents, according to U.S. Geological Survey. And it appears as if the amount of bentonite mined will continue to rise unless the demand for it diminishes.
So, what can a concerned citizen of the Earth do? Check to see if your cat litter lists sodium bentonite as an ingredient or seek eco-friendly alternatives. There are a variety of biodegradable litters on the market today, including those made from recycled newspaper, clumping sawdust, corn, wheat, beet pulp, pine wood pellets and other plant resources. Not only do many of these provide you the benefits of traditional cat litters, but your conscious can remain guilt-free.
Environmental Impacts on Your Cat’s Nutrition
At first glance, feeding cats seems like it should be a relatively simple endeavor. An owner picks out the best cat food that offers balanced nutrition made from quality ingredients and places it in front of the cat. He or she promptly eats it and all is well. However, making sure that a cat’s nutritional needs are met depends on three interconnected variables: the animal, the diet and the environment.
[Provided courtesy of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition]
If you own a healthy, adult cat, use the MyBowl tool to make sure that the diet you’ve selected is balanced and made from quality ingredients. If your cat has a medical condition, talk to your veterinarian about appropriate dietary options. Once you have the right food for your cat picked out, evaluate the way that the environment might be playing a role in his or her health and nutritional status.
Exercising with Your Cat: A How-To Guide
Do you worry that your indoor cat is not getting enough exercise? While it is true that cats have the evolutionary advantage of a high metabolism that works even as they lounge around (see lions in the wild), they do still need some physical activity to keep them from a sedentary life of sloth and eventual obesity.
Unlike dogs, cats cannot be hitched to the end of a leash and taken for a stroll around the neighborhood — well, some can, but they need to be trained from kitten-hood. It may take a little imagination, along with some trial and error, but you can find ways to encourage your cat to be more active.
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Cruelty To Animals
Graphic photos surface of Michigan DNR forced shooting of baby pigs, breastfeeding momma pig
By Mike Adams,
(NaturalNews) Graphic photos have surfaced of the baby pigs and momma pigs that a Michigan farmer was forced to shoot in cold blood to avoid being arrested as a felon. This is the latest development in the outrageous story of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, which conducted armed raids on multiple farms, using police state legal tactics to trespass onto private property and search for any living pigs that they consider to be “feral” breeds. In reality, these breeds have been raised as…
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Positivity Mind and Body
Wayne Dyer – Power of Intention – 1st Half (Full version)
Uploaded by Nemorzuz on Nov 30, 2011
Wayne Dyer, a great inspirational speaker and bestselling writer withing the topics of spirituality, psychology and life.
This is the first part of the full length speech about Power of Intention.
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Articles of Interest
Lost Bird Reunited With Owner After Telling The Police His Address
Published on May 3, 2012 by IBTimesTV
Piko-chan, the lost budgerigar, returned home on Wednesday to a pleasantly surprised owner by telling authorities his address and phone number. The two year old budgie escaped from his cage when his owner accidentally left the cage door open. Landing in the room of a nearby hotel, the bird was turned into the authorities when suddenly the bird began reciting his address all the way to his exact street number.This is not the first time the intelligent budgie had got away, so the owner Fumie Takahashi taught his bird a valuable lesson, how to say his home address so finding home would be a breeze.
Human genes engineered into experimental GMO rice being grown in Kansas
By Ethan A. Huff,
(NaturalNews) Unless the rice you buy is certified organic, or comes specifically from a farm that tests its rice crops for genetically modified (GM) traits, you could be eating rice tainted with actual human genes. The only known GMO with inbred human traits in cultivation today, a GM rice product made by biotechnology company Ventria Bioscience is currently being grown on 3,200 acres in Junction City, Kansas — and possibly elsewhere — and most people have no idea about it. Since about 2006…
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