Posted: 07 Dec 2010 03:18 PM PST

Doctors Recently Advised Edwards to Stop Ineffective Cancer Treatment

Elizabeth Edwards died Tuesday at her North Carolina home following a six-year battle with breast cancer. She was 61. News of her death came soon after doctors advised her that further treatment of her aggressive disease would be futile. Elizabeth, who separated from former Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards in January after he admitted fathering a child with a campaign videographer, has in her last years been a fierce advocate for healthcare reform and spoken openly about her struggle with cancer. A day before her death, the mother of three reportedly left supporters with these parting words: "The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful." Her page is already teeming with condolences.

Certain lifestyle changes may help reduce the risk of breast cancer.

From: 4 Steps to Take Now to Lower Your Breast Cancer Risk

1. Be as lean as possible without being underweight. A healthy body mass index is defined as being above 18.5 but no greater than 25; that's equivalent to a weight range of 105 to 142 pounds for a 5-foot 4-inch woman, U.S. News's Deborah Kotz wrote in 2009. Studies have shown, though, that women closer to the lower end of the healthy weight range have the most protection from breast cancer.

2. Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. Experts say if you can't do that, do less. Some activity is better than none, but the more, the better.

3. Limit alcohol consumption. If you drink at all, limit your intake to one serving a day—a glass of wine (5 ounces), shot of liquor (1.5 ounces), or bottle of beer (12 ounces).

4. Breast-feed. New mothers should breast-feed exclusively for up to six months since the American Institute for Cancer Research says "evidence is convincing that mothers who breast-feed reduce their risk for breast cancer." Breast-feeding may also lower the child's risk of obesity later in life.

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TV Watching Is Bad for Babies' Brains

Posted: 07 Dec 2010 01:23 PM PST

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Sex at 95? Yes, It's Happening, and Yes, He'd Like More

Posted: 07 Dec 2010 11:09 AM PST

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Health Buzz: Daily Aspirin Could Reduce Cancer Deaths

Posted: 07 Dec 2010 08:48 AM PST

Study: Aspirin Cuts Death Risk From Array of Cancers

An aspirin a day could keep cancer away. Long-term, low-level use of the over-the-counter drug may reduce the risk of dying from certain cancers, according to a study published Monday in the journal Lancet. British researchers analyzed the results of eight trials involving more than 25,500 patients and found that those who took aspirin daily for several years were, on average, 21 percent less likely to die of stomach, lung, and other solid tumor cancers decades later, compared to those who didn't take aspirin. Twenty years after beginning the regimen, aspirin users' risk of dying from lung cancer dropped by 30 percent, their risk of colorectal cancer death fell by 40 percent, and their risk of esophageal cancer death was cut by 60 percent. "This is important as a proof of principle that a single simple compound like aspirin can reduce the risk of cancer substantially," study author Peter M. Rothwell told The New York Times. "There's been a lot of work over the years showing that certain compounds can increase the risk of cancer, but it's not been shown before that we can reduce the risk with something as simple as aspirin." But the drug isn't risk-free and probably not meant for everyone: A daily dose of aspirin increases the risk of ulcers and nearly doubles the risk of internal bleeding to one in every 2,000 to 3,000 people.

Skip the Eggnog! These Holiday Foods Are Good for You

It's hard to avoid indulging during the holidays. But do you have to? Actually, holiday foods aren't all bad, U.S. News's Megan Johnson reports. Excluding, say, eggnog, fried latkes, and other calorie-laden treats, some things that could land on your plate this season are in fact healthy.

Oysters—which supposedly taste best in the winter months—are an example. Traditionally served in stew on Christmas Eve, the mollusks contain more zinc than any other food. Zinc is a mineral that helps fight off infections and heal wounds, making oysters good for the immune system. They also contain vitamin B12 and iron, required to make red blood cells, and omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for heart health.

Maybe you have a favorite holiday dish: green bean or sweet potato casserole—or, perhaps, oyster stew. Recipes for these and many other festive dishes usually call for whole milk or cream and butter. But with that slice of pecan pie, made with sugar and eggs, a single celebratory feast could easily max out your daily allowance of calories. Still, you can make lighter, healthier versions with a few improvements. Top green bean casserole with sliced almonds instead of fried onions, and use fat-free cream of mushroom soup instead of the regular kind, suggests Bethany Thayer, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. In her dishes, Thayer uses skim milk and egg whites in lieu of whole milk and whole eggs. [Read more: Skip the Eggnog! These Holiday Foods Are Good for You.]

New Food Safety Regulations? It's About Time

The food safety bill passed by the Senate last week would give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration far greater authority to stop contaminated food from getting into supermarkets and onto our plates. What's amazing is that if the bill becomes law, this will be the first time the FDA's food safety regulations will have been updated since 1938—before penicillin came into widespread use. It's even more amazing, given that an estimated 76 million Americans get food poisoning every year, resulting in more than 300,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's similar to the number of yearly deaths that used to be caused by polio, which led to widespread panic and repeated calls for a vaccine before one was finally developed in 1955. Yet, the prevention of foodborne illnesses has hardly gotten the same attention from Congress. Until now.

The Senate bill would in essence provide the FDA with its first-ever mandate to prevent foodborne illnesses, U.S. News's Deborah Kotz reports. It would authorize the FDA to order mandatory recalls of contaminated foods instead of merely requesting a voluntary one. And it would establish a minimum frequency for FDA inspections of food processing facilities—increasing inspections to at least once every three years instead of the current practice of once every decade, according to Erik Olson, deputy director of the Pew Health Group, a nonprofit advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. "We think that this is really one of the major accomplishments of the 111th Congress and is a significant step forward for public health safety," Olson says. [Read more: New Food Safety Regulations? It's About Time.]

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Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Health : Health Buzz: Elizabeth Edwards' Doctors Stop Breast Cancer Treatment

Health : Health Buzz: Elizabeth Edwards' Doctors Stop Breast Cancer Treatment

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