Different tests for different breasts
For some women, standard mammography may not be enough to detect breast cancer. Those who have dense breast tissue are four to six times more likely to develop breast cancer than women with low breast density.
“Women with dense breasts may benefit from supplemental tests,” said Dr. Phil Evans, Director of the Center for Breast Care at the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “These tests could include tomosynthesis (the 3D mammogram), ultrasound, or MRI, depending on the individual’s level of additional risk factors,” he added.
How can women determine their risk? First, all women should speak with their physician about their risks and when to begin screening, but generally, women at average risk should begin annual screening with digital mammography at age 40. Most tools for assessing breast cancer risk use family history and other factors to determine a woman’s lifetime risk. Women can ask their physician if they fall into the category of dense breast tissue, which can further increase their risk.
Due to increased screening and improvements in treatment, the breast cancer death rate in the U.S. has declined more than 30 percent since 1990. With additional tests for those who need them, there is a greater chance to detect breast cancer early, even for women with dense breasts.
Belly fat may lead to high blood pressure by affecting kidneys
It’s been known for a while that a spare tire around the midsection is more of a risk for cardiac-health problems than a flatter stomach. Now researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center may have discovered why.
Dr. Aslan Turer, an interventional cardiologist at UT Southwestern, followed 900 Dallas individuals for seven years. He and his colleagues used abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) to assess abdominal fat at the start of the study. Individuals with high levels of fat in the abdominal cavity and around their abdominal organs were far more likely to develop high blood pressure, during the course of the study than individuals with lower amounts of this abdominal fat, irrespective of their overall amount of body fat.
The researchers hypothesize that “retroperitoneal fat” interferes with kidney function.
“Retroperitoneal fat is fat around the kidneys and adrenal glands, which hypothetically could be involved with the pathogenesis of hypertension, since these organs regulate the blood pressure,” Dr. Turer explained.
“Perhaps more important than how much weight a person gains, is where the fat is stored. Fat around the kidneys may be a particularly bad actor,” Dr. Turer said.
You don’t need to have an MRI to assess your abdominal fat. Simply take out a tape measure. Place the tape measure just above your hip bone and wrap the tape measure around your body. Breathe out and measure.
If your waist circumference measured just above the top of the hip bone is more than 35 inches for a woman or more than 40 inches for a man, you need to be concerned about your heart-attack risk, according to the National Institutes of Health. Losing as little as 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can make a difference.
Four ways women can boost their good cholesterolIf you are a woman, your physician is going to expect more from you – more HDL cholesterol.
HDL, which stands for high-density lipoprotein, is the substance commonly known as “good cholesterol.”
“Women typically have higher levels of HDL cholesterol than men, about 10 points higher on average. This is mostly due to the effects of estrogen,” says Dr. Anand Rohatgi, a preventative cardiologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “Typically, women should have an HDL greater than 50 mg/dL and men greater than 40 mg/dL,” he noted.
The higher the level of HDL cholesterol, the lower your risk for heart disease.
That’s because HDL is the street-sweeper of the blood stream, removing cholesterol from blood vessels, where it can cause damage.
“HDL mostly acts to help remove cholesterol from plaques in the arteries for delivery to the liver and removal from the body,” says Dr. Rohatgi. “This process, called ‘reverse cholesterol transport’ is considered one of the key ways that HDL protects against coronary heart disease.”
Women with an HDL level below 50 mg/dL should take action.
Healthy lifestyle measures, like increasing physical activity and reducing your waistline, can improve HDL levels.
Here are some other changes you can make that can help increase your good cholesterol:
- Substitute whole-grain bread and whole-grain pasta for white bread and regular pasta.
- If you smoke, quit. It’s one of the most effective ways to raise HDL.
- Limit dessert to a once-a-week treat.
- Increase the amount of walking you do. The recommended amount is 30 minutes of physical activity at least 5 days a week. If you wear a pedometer, every week calculate your average steps per day and try to increase it by 2,000 steps a day. The recommended goal is 10,000 steps a day.
What’s your cancer risk? Ask your genesOctober is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center are working to determine if the outcome of cancer may lie in your genes. One promising area of investigation involves identifying patients with Hereditary Breast-Ovarian Cancer syndrome and Lynch syndrome, two of the most commonly inherited cancer predisposition syndromes.
For people carrying these mutations, the lifetime risk for breast, ovarian, colorectal, and uterine cancer is as high as 85 percent.
“Knowledge of your genetic inheritance gives you power; power to prevent cancer in yourself, your family, and future generations,” said Dr. Theodora Ross, Director of the Cancer Genetics Program at the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern.
For some women, that may mean starting mammography at an earlier age, having annual colonoscopies, or choosing to remove their ovaries after having children.
Dr. Ross cautions that while genetic testing could provide some answers, it’s only part of the total picture.
“There is useful information in a patient’s genomes – if combined with patient and family history, as well as patience with the pace of strong clinical research,” Dr. Ross said.
Do’s and don’ts of helping your child lose weightAs the proportion of childhood and adolescent obesity continues to rise at an alarming rate, more and more children are at risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and even some types of cancer. Meanwhile, many parents are at a loss for exactly how to help their children maintain a lifestyle composed of a healthy diet and adequate exercise.
Dr. Christy Turer, a pediatrician at UT Southwestern Medical Center, explored how pediatricians can better support parents with an overweight child, including helping them identify a healthy diet plan, addressing health risks, and developing feasible weight-loss solutions for their child.
“The parents we spoke with said that the type of diet prescribed doesn’t matter,” said Dr. Turer. “What they want is advice about diets that are low-cost, easy to follow, and include foods that kids like.”
To help identify the best weight-loss solutions, Dr. Turer suggests that parents have an open dialogue with their child’s pediatrician about risk for weight-related health conditions and any concerns that might affect their weight-management strategies, such as cost or cultural food preferences.
Here are three common mistakes parents should avoid when trying to help their child lose weight:
Don’t: Blame yourself, your child, or others for weight challenges – stay positive and focus on what can be done.
Do: Consider whether all parents and caregivers model healthy habits: Do you drink mostly no-calorie drinks instead of coffee drinks, soda, and juice? Do you schedule time for regular exercise? Do you limit eating food prepared outside the home to less than once per week?
Don’t: Exclude your child in planning how to improve your whole family’s lifestyle.
Do: Engage your child’s creativity and sense of independence in planning healthy meals and fun recreational activities.
Don’t: Use food as a reward.
Do: Use special one-on-one activities as rewards – our time and love are more precious gifts than food, and have longer-lasting benefits.
RSS