These 3 Conditions Affect Women More Than Men

 

Ever wonder if you’re at a greater risk for some diseases because you’re a woman? You may be.

There are some diseases that affect people of different genders differently. Sometimes it is not entirely understood why gender plays a role in affecting risk, while the causes of gender differences may be easier to pinpoint in other conditions.

Here are three common health conditions that affect women more than men.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Women are more likely than men to develop dementia and are nearly twice as likely to have Alzheimer’s disease. The main reason for this is that women typically live longer than men and age is the biggest risk factor for the disease. But it may not be the only reason why.

There is not enough definitive research to explain the differences in Alzheimer’s and dementia risk in women other than living longer, but some other factors that affect risk may be at play. For example, educational opportunities, genetics and experiencing traumatic brain injuries may affect risk. Women are more vulnerable to concussion, and for reasons not yet fully understood, gene variants that affect dementia risk appear to have a greater effect on women than men.

Stroke

Another brain-related condition that affects women differently than men is stroke. Although many think of stroke as something that primarily happens to older men, the fact is that more women die from strokes each year than men. One reason that women are more likely to have strokes over their lifetimes is that women generally live longer than men and age is a risk factor for this condition.

In addition to universal risk factors for stroke that affect both genders, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, age and family history, women also have additional risk factors for stroke. These include:

• Taking birth control pills (especially if they smoke)
• Having high blood pressure during pregnancy
• Using hormone replacement therapy
• Having frequent migraines

Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune diseases occur when the body’s immune system goes into overdrive and mistakenly attacks healthy cells in the body. There are over 100 autoimmune diseases, but some of the more common ones include lupus, celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and psoriasis. When it comes to autoimmune disorders, women are four times more likely to develop one of these diseases than men.  It is not known exactly why women are at such a greater risk, but some theories include differences in sex hormones, the x chromosome, the microbiome and environmental factors.

If you are a woman, discuss your risks for these three conditions with your doctor. Just because women may be more likely to experience certain diseases doesn’t mean you’re automatically at a high risk just because of your gender. Often there are steps you can take to lower your risk for these conditions, as well as other serious diseases.

How to Save 1,000 Calories at Your Thanksgiving Meal

 

The average American consumes over 2,000 calories on Thanksgiving. Here’s how to save half those calories!

Thanksgiving and other seasonal holidays only come around once a year, which makes it hard to resist some of the mouth-watering foods associated with these festivities. While it’s okay to indulge a bit on these special occasions, you may not want to go completely off the rails. After all, enjoying all of your favorites may add up to thousands of calories.

Here are some food swaps that allow you to enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday while saving you over 1,000 calories in just a single meal!

Alcoholic drinks: Sure you want to have a good time, but every glass of wine, beer or cocktail you consume clocks in at over 100 calories or more. Have a glass of water or seltzer between drinks and you’ll save loads of calories. You’ll also stay hydrated and will be less likely to experience a hangover the next day.

Approx. calorie savings (2 glasses of wine): 250

Turkey: Eat roasted turkey without the skin instead of fried turkey with the skin. You’ll still get all the turkey goodness, but with less fat and calories:

Approx. calorie savings: 125

Veggies: Want to save your calories for something truly indulgent? Skip the green bean casserole and other creamy veggie dishes and have steamed veggies instead.

Approx. calorie savings: 150

Potatoes: Unless mashed potatoes are something you wait all year to enjoy, have a baked sweet potato with a sprinkle of cinnamon instead.

Approx. calorie savings: 175

Stuffing: This side dish can be loaded with carbs and fat. To lighten it up, swap in wild rice for half of the bread stuffing. You’ll get some healthy carbs and will lower the calorie count.

Approx. calorie savings: 100

Pie: Perhaps the most quintessential Thanksgiving foods appear on the dessert table – the pies! Opt for pumpkin over pecan pie and you’ll still enjoy the tastes of the season with fewer calories.

Approx. calorie savings: 250

Total calorie savings? 1,050

Here are a few other tips for eating more mindfully this holiday:

• Don’t arrive hungry. Some people think it’s best to eat nothing or very little all day so they can save up for the big feast. But if you arrive famished, you’re less likely to make good food decisions. Eat a filling breakfast or a high-protein snack before you arrive.
• Sample the spread. Before you take a serving of anything that passes you by, survey what the offerings are and decide which indulgences you truly have to have. Skip foods you can eat anytime and take small portions of the ones you really want. Then savor them slowly.
• Bring a dish. Offer to bring a dish or two and make it something healthy. This way you’ll know just where to go when you need to fill your plate with something nourishing and less calorie-dense.
• Sit strategically. Can’t help yourself when the cheese, nuts or cake are nearby? Find a place to sit or stand that’s not within arm’s reach. That way, you’ll have to make a conscious decision to get up if you want to indulge.

The Best Way to Catch Lung Cancer Early

 

If you are a current or former smoker, here’s how to protect yourself from lung cancer.

No one wants to hear that they have lung cancer, but if you are a current or former smoker, finding out that you have this disease at an early stage can be the difference between life and death. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death around the world and this is due in part to the fact that lung cancer is often not diagnosed until the cancer is in advanced stages, when treatment options are limited.

What can be done to detect lung cancer early when it’s most treatable?

One of the best ways to detect lung cancer early is with a low-dose CT scan. This screening test can identify cancer in the lungs long before a person experiences any symptoms. Not everyone is eligible to receive this screening, but the US Preventive Services Task Force has put together a set of guidelines to determine who should get an annual low-dose CT scan. Criteria for screening includes:

• Being between the ages of 50 and 80 years old
• Being a current smoker or having quit smoking within the past 15 years
• Having a 20 pack-year smoking history
• Not having a health problem that limits life expectancy or the ability to have surgery if cancer is found

To determine your pack-year smoking history, multiply how many packs of cigarettes you smoked per day by the number of years you smoked. For example, if you smoked one pack a day for 20 years, you would have a 20-pack-year smoking history. If you smoked two packs a day for 15 years, you would have a 30-pack-year smoking history.

Is there any other way to detect lung cancer besides a low-dose CT scan?

Currently, this screening is the only one that is recommended as being effective for detecting lung cancer early. A regular chest x-ray may miss early-stage lung cancers. Sputum cytology, a test that checks for abnormal cells in sputum, has also not proved to be effective in early lung cancer detection.

Waiting until you experience symptoms of lung cancer is not an effective way of protecting yourself against lung cancer either. Although you should certainly see a doctor if you have any of the following symptoms, this disease usually doesn’t produce symptoms until more advanced stages.

Symptoms of lung cancer may include:

• Coughing that gets worse or doesn’t go away
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Wheezing
• Coughing up blood
• Experiencing lung infections that keep coming back
• Constant fatigue
• Weight loss with no known cause

What happens if you find out you have early-stage lung cancer?

There are a variety of treatment options for early stages of lung cancer. Surgery is usually recommended if the tumor has not spread. Chemo or radiation may be used before surgery to shrink the size of the tumor. It may also be used after surgery. Targeted therapy and immunotherapy may also be considered. Once the cancer has spread and is not localized in the lung, it is harder to treat and the prognosis is typically not as good.

The Best Time to Exercise If You Have Diabetes

 

All exercise is good if you have diabetes, but here's when it may help the most.

Exercise can be one of the best defenses against diabetes and is usually prescribed to people with type 2 diabetes alongside dietary changes and medication if needed. Regular physical activity helps regulate blood sugar and makes the body more sensitive to insulin. So is there an ideal time to exercise that will make the activity most effective? And is there a particular type of exercise that is better at getting the job done?

It turns out that any kind of exercise at any time of day aids in the management of type 2 diabetes. But a recent study published in the American Journal of Medicine indicates that physical activity may be most effective at reducing blood glucose and improving insulin sensitivity if it is done later in the day, especially after meals. Several other studies have also shown that exercising after meals is a great way to help manage spikes in blood sugar that occur after eating.

Even if you can’t fit in a workout after dinner, consider getting in some physical activity later in the day, whenever it’s most convenient. Whether it happens before or after a meal, and in the afternoon or evening, the most important thing is that you find time to fit it in.

You don’t need to set aside a big chunk of time to get in an effective workout. Getting small bits of activity in throughout the day is just as effective and may significantly improve blood sugar. Aim for 10 – 15 minutes at a time if you can’t get in a full 30-minute or more workout. Even 5 minutes of activity helps. Take the stairs, march in place or do some body-resistance exercises. It all counts.

When it comes to the types of exercise that are good for managing diabetes, there’s no single “best” exercise. A combination of cardio, strength training and flexibility exercises is best. Each of these helps with many aspects of overall health, from keeping the heart healthy and helping with weight management to maintaining muscle mass and improving balance. They all help with glucose control, although cardio and strength training offers a slight edge over flexibility exercises in this regard.

Another benefit to mixing up the exercise you do is that it keeps things interesting. Doing the same thing day after day can get boring, which may lead some people to skip workouts. Instead of getting into an exercise rut, why not consider switching things up a bit? For example, do strength training exercises twice a week and spend another day or two doing yoga or tai chi. Then walk, bike or swim on other days. Taking an after-dinner walk, either as your primary form of daily exercise or even on days you do other activities, offers an added boost to help control blood sugar.