Alcohol and Cancer Risk

BREAKING NEWS:
U.S. Reports First Human Bird Flu Death

The Louisiana Department of Health reported on Monday that a patient who had been hospitalized in the state with the first human case of avian influenza has died. The deceased was over age 65 and had underlying medical conditions, the department announced in a statement.

The person was apparently hospitalized with the flu after exposure to a backyard flock of birds and to wild birds. A genetic analysis had suggested the bird flu virus (H1N1) had mutated inside the patient, which could have resulted in a more severe illness.

CNN reports the National Institutes of Health (NIH) believed on December 31 that the disease is still “a low risk to the general public”, however, concerns about bird flu are spreading around the world.

PUBLIC HEALTH:
Alcohol use Raises Cancer Risk, Surgeon General

Drinking alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S., according to the department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and now the Surgeon General is warning that drinking alcohol is riskier than previously thought.

An advisory released in the new year cites alcohol consumption as the third leading preventable cause of death in the States, just behind tobacco and obesity, and it is believed to raise the risk of developing at least seven different types of cancers including breast (in women), colorectum, esophagus, voice box, liver, mouth, and throat.

Healthcare practitioners are being asked to make patients aware of the link between alcohol and increased cancer risk and to promote alcohol treatment services when necessary. Read the full HSS advisory here.

WOMEN’S HEALTH:
NYT Special Report; Hysterectomy & What’s Removed

About 600,000 hysterectomies are preformed every year in the United States. This makes it the second most common surgery among women of reproductive age. The most common is a cesarean section (c-section).

A New York Times (NYT) reporter hit a challenge when investigating hysterectomy procedures when some patients didn’t know which organs had been removed from their bodies. The women couldn’t explain if they still had parts like their fallopian tubes, ovaries, or cervix. Many women further didn’t understand they probably had a choice of keeping their ovaries (if they didn’t have ovarian cancer etc), nor did they know that by current medical standards, there was no reason for them to be removed in the first place.

Rachel E. Gross, a health reporter for the NYT takes a closer look at how many patients were left confused in An Article on Hysterectomies Asks What Might Have Been Lost.

FITNESS:
Investigating Walking 10,000 Steps a Day

New Years typically see scores of people resolving to make fitness a priority. Gym memberships spike but for people some walking might just do the job.

Fad or fact: walking a recommended 10,000 steps a day can improve health and even longevity? It started as a fad, but science has since proven that it’s a fact.

This trendy step goal translates to roughly five miles or more than an hour of walking a day depending on how fast you move. But how does it help your health? Ted-Ed explains exactly what happens to your body when you increase your daily step count.

HEALTH:
Better Managing Pre-Diabetes and Diabetes

The prevalence of pre-diabetes and diabetes in the United States is significant. Approximately 97.6 million adults (more than 1 in 3) had pre-diabetes by the end of 2021 according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

This time of year holiday eating can pose challenges for those managing these conditions by having a significant impact on blood glucose levels:

• Skipping meals to "save room" for holiday dinners can lead to blood glucose dips and subsequent overeating, causing blood sugar spikes

• Buffet-style meals and rich holiday foods can make it challenging to maintain a balanced diet and stable blood sugar levels

Working closely with healthcare providers, individuals can take significant steps towards reversing pre-diabetes and better controlling diabetes, even during challenging times like the holiday season and just afterwards.

There are a number of tools to help document and analyze daily activity levels such as exercise, socialization, and time for spirituality. The Patient Advocate has found Wellness Diary for Diabetes and Other Metabolic Conditions to be an easy step-by-step guide that facilitates open discussions with practitioners to identify what you consider important and then helps you work towards more of it.

Note: this article contains an affiliate link for Wellness Diary for Diabetes and Other Metabolic Conditions. If you purchase the book through this link, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. The Patient Advocate only recommends resources that I personally use and believe will benefit your health journey.

WELL-BEING:
Enjoying Hobbies to Reduce Stress & Anxiety

Free Sample:

Mindfulness means living in the present moment and being fully engaged in what is happening in a person's surroundings. In psychology, mindfulness can be used as a therapeutic technique for helping reduce stress and anxiety or for improving depression.

For example, during recent years, clinical studies have shown measurable evidence that the subtle act of coloring mandalas can have the potential to increase mindfulness and reduce anxiety. Studying mandalas is not new.

Dr. Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology, studied them extensively. In the 1970s, Dr. Jung wrote that he believed mandalas had a calming and centering effect upon its maker or viewer. Similarly, becoming immersed in a puzzle can be like practicing a mindful meditation.

If you found these pages helpful and would like more, the Patient Advocate has partnered with Amazon to provide the Mindful Hobbies series by Cambridge Publishing Group. If you purchase a book through these article links we may receive a small commission at no cost to you.