Indholdsfortegnelse for April 2018 i Prevention

IF YOU’RE PLANNING to add 15 minutes to your workout or cut down on sugar but haven’t quite gotten there yet, take heart. We can help. I, for one, have a goal to get 1 more hour of sleep every night, and I’m working on it. This magazine is my inspiration. At Prevention, it’s our mission to motivate you. We do that by arming you with the best health information available and advice on how to use it. In this issue’s “Prevention’s Guide to Preventing Disease” (p. 42), we’re fulfilling the promise of our name. A new movement in medicine that emphasizes preventive care over disease management reinforces our focus. In this roundup, we’ve condensed a wealth of cutting-edge health research into essential and concrete steps you can take to…

Swallowable Gut Sensor WHAT’S NEW? Clinicians typically rely on imprecise measures such as fecal samples to gauge what’s going on inside the gut. Now scientists have developed pill-size, swallowable sensors that transmit real-time data about a patient’s microbiome to a doctor’s cell phone BENEFIT: Currently in human trials, the capsules could someday help diagnose digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome or reduce the need for colonoscopies. Back-Pain Reliever WHAT’S NEW? A study found that kyphoplasty, one of the surgical procedures used to repair spinal compression fractures caused by osteoporosis, also helps alleviate the lasting back pain that can result from the fractures. BENEFIT: Back pain can be tricky to treat, and this procedure is minimally invasive. Surgeons make small incisions in the back, insert a balloon to reposition fractured vertebrae,…

A recent study published in JAMA Dermatology found that, with training, hairdressers can detect melanoma— the deadly skin cancer that kills nearly 10,000 Americans a year—in hard-to- see places like the neck and scalp. After watching a 5-minute educational video designed by University of Colorado and University of Southern California researchers, 71% of stylists were able to accurately identify abnormal skin lesions. The researchers see this training as a promising path for initial detection of skin irregularities that are hard to self-detect. But clients should remember that a visit to the salon doesn’t take the place of a check by a dermatologist.…

Just 2 years of regular aerobic exercise can counteract the harmful effects that decades of sitting have on the heart, according to new research from University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. When sedentary adults ages 45 to 64 engaged in moderate- to high-intensity exercise for 2 years, they reversed signs of heart aging such as cardiac stiffness and pumping inefficiencies. In particular, they showed a 25% improvement in heart elasticity, which helps reduce blood pressure and the risk of heart failure. Light Up Your Face Show off your glow with Clarins SOS Primers ($39) made to address specific complexion issues: Lavender neutralizes yellow undertones, green combats redness, and coral minimizes dark spots. (Prevention receives a share of the sales.) prevention.com/primer…

84 Percentage of the world population that experiences lower-back pain at some point in life The lower back, or lumbar region, is vulnerable to injury because of its complex mix of vertebrae, muscles, ligaments, and nerves that engage when you squat, twist, lift, sit, or stand. Overstretching muscle fibers can cause pain, as can nerve compression due to soft material bulging from inside disks separating vertebrae (herniated disk), degeneration of those disks (osteoarthritis), or narrowing of space around the spinal cord (spinal stenosis). “Back pain can be frightening but in most cases isn’t serious,” says Raj Rao, an orthopedic surgeon in Washington, DC. Up to 90% of cases resolve within 6 weeks. PREVENT IT GOOD POSTURE “A straight back helps prevent problems with muscles and vertebrae,” says Jack Ende, an internist…

The first large clinical and research prevention program—for cardiovascular disease—began almost 30 years ago at Johns Hopkins University. Since then, prevention clinics have sprung up across the country, aiming to provide the medical advice, lifestyle counseling, proactive tests, and preventive treatments that will help people recognize their risks and establish healthy habits. “If you can improve people’s lifestyle so they make sustained changes, that’s a good thing,” says Roger Blumenthal, a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. New York University, Emory University, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital now have cardiovascular disease prevention centers. The Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease, a comprehensive lifestyle program, is available at centers in 16 states. Diabetes prevention programs also exist in almost every state, as well as prevention resorts, such…

We often refer to certain emotions— anger, sadness—as “difficult.” The problem, though, isn’t the feelings themselves. Rather, it’s the way we react to them, which is typically through resistance. But many psychologists agree: The harder we try not to feel the difficult emotions that are an inevitable part of our lives, the more intensely we do. Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung wrote: “We cannot change anything unless we accept it.” To acknowledge and even welcome unpleasant emotions is ultimately a more useful approach than pushing them away. Mindfulness can help. This meditative practice, which focuses awareness on the present moment, has been shown to increase activity in brain regions associated with emotion regulation— sometimes quickly. A Michigan State University study found that participants who had never practiced mindfulness were better able…

SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM Paige Henry’s heart attack story reminds me of my sister’s health scare. She took sumatriptan for a migraine 2 days before getting arm and back pain. She went to the doctor, who immediately sent her to the ER. It turned out that she was having a coronary artery spasm. Until I read your article, we had no idea what had caused it. Thank you for a magazine that can save lives. Elaine Cadiente / Kailua Kona, HI START THE DISCUSSION Thank you for adding Lauren Streicher’s Women’s Health column. Her knowledgeable perspective and insights are absolutely needed and add another dimension of expert advice to Prevention. Sharon Swan / Alexandria, VA MEDITATE FOR YOUR HEART I started meditating during a period of high stress and within…

DRY OR SENSITIVE Both hyaluronic acid and glycerin attract water to the skin and help it maintain moisture. Aloe vera soothes the skin, and oils such as coconut moisturize it. OILY Charcoal and clays such as kaolin and bentonite draw out excess oil and remove dead skin cells that can clog pores. ACNE-PRONE Salicylic acid reduces inflammation and redness, while benzoyl peroxide kills bacteria. Raw honey has antibacterial properties that may help prevent breakouts. MATURE Vitamin C brightens and protects skin from damaging free radicals. Resveratrol fights inflammation and may reduce the appearance of wrinkles.…

1 Mix 1 can (15.5 oz) no-salt-added cannellini beans, rinsed, drained, and mashed, with 2 Tbsp pesto. $1.62 2 Spread mixture over 4 warmed whole wheat tortillas (8" diameter). $1.33 3 Slice 1½2 lb grilled chicken breast (hot or cold). Divide among tortillas. $2.18 4 Top each with ¼ cup baby kale and 1 Tbsp oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped. $1.85 5 Sprinkle each with 1½ tsp grated Parmesan. $0.31 6 Roll up from bottom, tucking in sides. Cut in half on the diagonal and serve. Total: $7.29 NUTRITION (per serving) 326 cal, 23 g pro, 34 g carb, 7 g fiber, 2 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 11.5 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 42 mg chol, 418 mg sodium Can Coffee Predict Parkinson’s? There’s no way…

FIBER—found in the highest quantities in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains— is a supernutrient in more ways than one. It not only slows digestion to keep you full but also reduces cholesterol absorption in your intestines, helping maintain heart and digestive health. But most of us don’t get enough. “The average American consumes about 14 g of fiber per day, but we should be consuming nearly double that,” says Elisabetta Politi, a registered dietitian at Duke University’s Diet and Fitness Center. Occasionally making these swaps will boost your fiber intake and may even offer bonus health perks. Instead of: Blueberries (2 g fiber per ½ cup serving) Swap in: Raspberries (4 g fiber per ½ cup serving) Although blueberries are packed with healthy nutrients, sometimes trading them for raspberries is…

MOST WOMEN count an annual pelvic exam as a routine part of their health care. In 2014, however, the American College of Physicians—a group of internists, not gynecologists—issued a statement saying there is no value in an annual pelvic exam unless a woman has a specific concern, such as pain or bleeding. Ever since, women have been confused about why and how often they should have the exam. Read on for my answers to four common questions. Is it true that I don’t need an annual pelvic exam if I don’t have any specific problems? “No complaint” does not mean “no problem.” Many conditions don’t have symptoms in their early stages, and in other cases women disregard symptoms that are important. They may not recognize that vulvar discoloration can be…

Mary Ann Bauman, American Heart Association; Roger Blumenthal, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Otis Brawley, American Cancer Society; David Cooke, University of California, Davis; Charles S. Dela Cruz, Yale University; MeiLan Han, University of Michigan Health System; Steven D. Hollon, Vanderbilt University; William C. Knowler, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; Joel Levine, UConn Health; Susan Love, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; Philip R. Muskin, Columbia University Medical Center; Sanjeeva Reddy Onteddu, University of Arkansas College of Medicine; Drew Ramsey, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons; Rudolph Tanzi, Harvard Medical School; Pierre Tariot, University of Arizona College of Medicine; Joseph Vassalotti, National Kidney Foundation; Ethan Weiss, University of California, San Francisco’s Cardiovascular Research Institute…

Mindfulness helps us pause the brain’s constant reminders (“I have to finish my to-do list!”), commentary (“Why must it rain today?”), and judgment (“That driver was rude.”). Reducing the volume of your thoughts can be as simple as going through a checklist of your senses: What do you see, smell, hear, taste, and feel right now? Make a mental list: I see chicken cooking on the stove, I smell that chicken, I hear the oil sizzling, I can taste the lemon water I’m sipping, and I can feel its cool glass. “That brings you back into your current experience and stimulates positive thinking instead,” says psychologist Kristen Race.…

The tool feels heavy. That’s my immediate impression when Dan Leach hands me a Pulaski, an ax-type device used for chopping wood and clearing trail. The 14 other Sierra Club volunteers I’m working with in Hermit Park, an open space in the Colorado Rockies, are spread out along the ribbon of trail we’re building. Leach explains that I’m meant to swing the tool against the stump of a Ponderosa pine recently cut to make way for this new 6.8-mile path for hikers, mountain bikers, and horses, providing greater access to 1,362 acres of mountain meadows and pine forests. It may sound odd that Sierra Club volunteers would hack up trees, but there’s a method to the madness: The pine is a sacrifice to the greater good of preserving wilderness by,…

The price of a pedicure or nail color might be higher than you think. Two recent Rutgers University studies show that many salon-goers and employees experience adverse health effects. In addition, most hair and nail technicians are not properly trained in hygiene and chemical use, which can increase the risk of problems—including exposure to bacteria from improperly cleaned tools, respiratory irritation from poor air quality, and allergic reactions to chemicals in products— for both clients and workers. 33 NUMBER OF COMMON NAIL SALON CHEMICALS THAT CAN HAVE NEGATIVE HEALTH EFFECTS In the first study, lead researcher Lindsey Milich and her colleagues asked 90 regular and occasional New Jersey salon customers to identify problems they’d had after hair and nail treatments. Fifty-nine percent had experienced one or more adverse dermal symptoms, including…

Barley HEALTH PERKS Rich in the minerals copper and selenium, it’s also packed with fiber. Swedish researchers found its high fiber content may stimulate gut hormones that help balance blood sugar and control metabolism. TRY IT Replace rice with barley in risotto or pilaf. Farro HEALTH PERKS This hearty, chewy grain is a good source of iron, which enables red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body, and magnesium, which helps the body metabolize carbohydrates and fat. TRY IT Toss farro with vegetable noodles or stuff it into bell peppers and bake. Kamut HEALTH PERKS Kamut, the trademarked name of Khorasan wheat, provides 5 g of protein per ½ cup cooked, up to 40% more than regular wheat. It’s also a good source of fatty acids and zinc. TRY…

ASTHMA is a chronic respiratory disorder that results in inflammation and narrowing of the airways, causing less air to flow in and out of the lungs. Typical symptoms of an asthma attack include wheezing, coughing, and difficulty breathing. The number of Americans diagnosed with the disease increased from about 20 million in 2001 to almost 25 million in 2009, according to the CDC; many experts point to worsening indoor and outdoor air quality as a contributing factor. People may be predisposed to develop asthma as a result of genetics, significant or recurrent viral infections (such as severe colds or sinusitis), or exposure to environmental toxins. For reasons that may be related to fluctuating hormones, asthma is more common and more severe in women. Asthma can be allergic or nonallergic, and…

The body’s inflammation response can be protective, helping to fight off infection and prevent illness. But when inflammation becomes a chronic condition, it can contribute to the development of any of the deadliest diseases. “Chronic inflammation is a silent killer,” says Rudolph Tanzi, director of Massachusetts General Hospital’s Genetics and Aging Research Unit. “It’s what leads to the deterioration of every organ of your body.” Maintaining a healthy lifestyle—with proper diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management— will help keep the inflammatory response in check, according to Tanzi. A blood test for C-reactive protein— a substance produced in the liver that is elevated in the presence of inflammation— can help detect chronic inflammation so steps can be taken to reduce it.…

Scan your body “Imagine yourself from your head to your toes, bringing awareness to the different parts of your body,” says Race. This takes the attention away from your busy brain. Time your breaths Focus on your breath as you inhale for four counts and exhale for six counts. “By increasing exhalation, we trigger a relaxation response in the body,” explains Race. Reflect on your day Think about a good thing that happened during the day. Taking a moment to feel thankful can help you relax, ward off worries, and get you in the right mind-set for sleep.…

Projects like the Sierra Club’s offer a sense of purpose, among other benefits, says Karl Pillemer, a professor of gerontology in medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. Clearing trails and cleaning streams can be motivating because “someone who may not be inclined to exercise may love the idea of maintaining an environmental area,” he says. Another plus: Eco-volunteers are nearly three times as likely as nonvolunteers to meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for physical activity. That bodes well for their long-term health; studies show that moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise helps to reduce the risk of heart ailments, obesity, and other chronic diseases. Finally, conserving natural areas offers what Pillemer calls “generativity”—the chance to build a legacy, to “do something that will benefit generations beyond your…