Coffee may cut prostate cancer risk.
Posted on July 27, 2011 by bob in NewsUCanUse
How Can I Tell if my Memory Problems are Serious?
A memory problem is serious when it affects activities of daily living. If you sometimes forget names, you’re probably okay. But you may have a more serious problem if you have trouble remembering how to do things you’ve done many times before, getting to a place you’ve been to often, or doing things that use steps, like following a recipe. Another difference between normal memory problems and dementia is that normal memory loss doesn’t get much worse over time. Dementia gets much worse over several months to several years. Some memory problems may be due to medications or depression. Talk to your family doctor about any concerns you may have.
– Memory problems that aren’t part of normal aging
– Forgetting things much more often than you used to
– Forgetting how to do things you’ve done many times before
– Trouble learning new things
– Repeating phrases or stories in the same conversation
– Trouble making choices or handling money
– Not being able to keep track of what happens each day
Coffee Cuts Prostate Cancer Risk
Harvard researchers have discovered that men who drank six or more cups of coffee a day were almost 20 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer than those who drank no coffee. And they were 60 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer that was fatal or metastatic. Metastatic cancer is cancer that spreads to other areas of the body. Men who drank less coffee – one to three cups a day – were almost 30 percent less likely to develop fatal or metastatic prostate cancer. Researchers are looking at the antioxidant properties of coffee to explain why coffee consumption reduced the risk of developing prostate cancer. It didn’t matter whether the men drank caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee. (The Journal of the National Cancer Institute)
Vaccine First to Show Improved Survival Rates for Patients With Metastatic Melanoma
For patients with advanced melanoma, which is the most lethal type of skin cancer, the results of a large clinical trial show that a vaccine combined with the immune-boosting drug Interleukin-2 can improve response rate and progression-free survival. The findings of the study were published in the June 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. This marks the first vaccine study in the disease and one of the first in all cancers to show clinical benefit in a randomized Phase III clinical trial. Therapeutic cancer vaccines, unlike typical vaccines that prevent infections, are meant to jump-start the immune system to help it battle existing tumors.
Migraine Relief
Bariatric surgery can lead to total or partial alleviation of migraines in nearly 90% of morbidly obese patients diagnosed with migraine headaches, according to a new study presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). Over an average follow-up of three years after gastric bypass surgery, more than 70% of patients never had another migraine. More than 18% had partial resolution, with migraine attacks dropping from five to two per month. These patients also experienced less painful migraines and took fewer medications. Nearly 11% of patients had no change in migraine status. The researchers noted that while gastric bypass generally improved or resolved migraine headaches among all study participants, those who developed their first migraines after becoming obese experienced the most improvement.
Artificial Disc a Viable Alternative to Fusion for 2-Level Disc Disease
When two adjacent discs in the low back wear out, become compressed and cause unmanageable pain, numbness or other symptoms, replacement with artificial discs can be a viable alternative to standard fusion surgery, based on two-year post-surgery data from a randomized, multicenter trial recently published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. The study was designed to meet FDA criteria comparing overall results from a disc replacement patient group with those of a fusion group. Overall, 24 months after surgery, patients in both groups had less pain and were able to reduce their use of medication, but the percentages were higher in the disc replacement group. Seventy-three percent of disc replacement patients met the study’s pain improvement criteria, compared with less than 60% of the fusion patients. Of these, only 19% in the disc replacement group continued to need narcotics for pain, compared with 40% in the fusion group. Also, more disc replacement patients said they were satisfied with their outcomes and would choose to have the surgery again. The article reported that disc replacement operations were quicker and resulted in less blood loss, hospital stays were shorter and patients experienced more rapid improvement.
Olive Oil in Your Diet May Prevent a Stroke
A new study suggests that consuming olive oil may help prevent a stroke in older people. The research is published in the online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. “Our research suggests that a new set of dietary recommendations should be issued to prevent stroke in people 65 and older,” said study author Cécilia Samieri, PhD. “Stroke is so common in older people and olive oil would be an inexpensive and easy way to help prevent it.” After considering diet, physical activity, body mass index and other risk factors for stroke, the study found that those who regularly used olive oil for both cooking and as dressing had a 41 percent lower risk of stroke compared to those who never used olive oil in their diet. Olive oil has been associated with potentially protective effects against many cardiovascular risk factors, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity.
