May 4, 2012

Got Heartburn? Don’t Ignore It

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. – James Revier, of San Jose, Calif., had no idea his heartburn was anything more than a nuisance until six years ago, when a piece of beef became logged in his esophagus and sent him to the emergency room. The on-call internist removed the meat and suggested Revier see a gastroenterologist for the lingering redness. It’s a good thing he did. Revier had developed Barrett’s esophagus, a condition caused by prolonged acid reflux. Over time, it produces cellular changes which can lead to adenocarcinoma, a type of esophageal cancer. “I’d had acid reflux for 15 years but […]
March 28, 2012

Healthy Answers: Reclaim the Energy of Youth

Dear Health-Minded Reader, In the near future, your doctor may prescribe a new drug called Prasterone. It has some wonderful benefits: lowers your risk of cancer, beats depression, improves bone density, just to name a few. But the price tag will be in the neighborhood of $100 to $150 a month.
March 7, 2012

Estrogen Pills Found Safe for Some Menopausal Women

For certain women, taking estrogen supplements for a few years close to menopause appears safe, and may reduce their risk of breast cancer, says a new study from the landmark Women’s Health Initiative (WHI). Those women include only the 30% of menopausal women who’ve had a hysterectomy, or surgery to remove the uterus.
February 13, 2012

Calcium Supplements Decrease Derriere

In an article published in Nutrition & Metabolism, researchers at Creighton University report that calcium supplementation is associated with a reduction in trunk fat gain and increased maintenance of trunk lean mass in postmenopausal women compared to those who received placebos.* Trunk fat includes the abdominal fat mass that becomes increasingly difficult to control as humans age.
December 6, 2011

A Long Bright Future

In this current day and age, humans are living an average of thirty years longer than those in the previous century. What to do with all those extra years of living?  In A LONG BRIGHT FUTURE, Laura Carstensen, the founding director of the Stanford Center on Longevity, has envisioned a new approach to life, one that allows us to put to best use the extra years we have gained. She calls for nothing less than a major reenvisioning of our life cycle, one that allows for more flexibility and leisure throughout our younger years and a more active, productive golden […]