Breast Cancer : Risk Factors

Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual's ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death. The branch of medicine that deals with the study and treatment of obesity is known as bariatrics. As obesity has become a major health problem in the United States, bariatrics has become a separate medical and surgical specialty.

Obesity is a term used to describe body weight that is much greater than what is considered healthy. If you are obese, you have a much higher amount of body fat than lean muscle mass. Adults with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 but less than 30 are considered overweight. Adults with a BMI greater than 30 are considered obese. Anyone more than 100 pounds overweight or with a BMI greater than 40 is considered morbidly obese.

Detailed information on obesity, including obesity causes, obesity health effects, obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, maintaining weight loss, and obesity prevention

Obesity is the condition of having an excessive accumulation of fat in the body, resulting in a body weight more than 20% above the average for height, age, sex, and body type, and in elevated risk of disability, illness, and death.

Detailed information on obesity, including cause, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention

Detailed information on obesity, including obesity facts, obesity causes, and obesity health effects

Detailed information on obesity, including obesity facts, obesity causes, and obesity health effects

Detailed information on obesity, including obesity facts, obesity causes, and obesity health effects

Weighing too much is harmful, but the location of those extra pounds can worsen the risk.

We've all heard warnings, yet many of us keep gaining weight. More than half of American adults are overweight or obese, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Obesity , defined as a body mass index of 30 or greater, is an epidemic in the United States and other industrialized nations, and it is rapidly becoming one in developing nations. As countries transition to westernized lifestyles, obesity tends to increase. Obesity rates vary from as little as 2 percent in some Asian countries to as much as 75 percent in some Pacific nations. There are more than 300 million obese persons in the world, and more than 750 million overweight persons. In the United States, 34 percent of adults are over-weight and 30.5 percent are obese. Between 1980 and 2000, the percentage of overweight children ages six to eleven doubled, from 7 percent to 15 percent, and the percentage of overweight adolescents ages twelve to nineteen tripled, from 5 percent to 16 percent (Ogden, et al.). In Europe, the thinnest country is Sweden, with about 10 percent obesity, while the fattest is Lithuania, with about 79 percent obesity. The sad fact is the prevalence of obesity appears to be increasing in all countries. An obese person has a 50 to 100 percent increased risk of premature death compared to someone of normal weight. In the United States, more than 300,000 deaths a year are attributable to obesity. Obesity is associated with type 2 diabetes , coronary heart disease , stroke , hypertension , elevated blood cholesterol , some cancers (e.g., colon, endometrial, kidney, gallbladder, and postmenopausal breast cancer ), osteoarthritis , gallbladder disease, and respiratory disease. In addition, obesity is often associated with discrimination and prejudice, causing some obese people to suffer poor self-esteem and reduced quality of life. The health care costs attributable to obesity exceed $100 billion a year in the United States, more than 6 percent of the total health care costs.

Detailed information on obesity, including obesity facts, obesity causes, and obesity health effects

Detailed information on obesity prevention strategies during infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood

Detailed information on obesity prevention strategies during infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood

obesity increases the risk for illness from 30 serious medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and several types of cancer.

With childhood obesity on the rise, should parents worry about the weight of their babies?

Detailed information on obesity, including obesity causes, obesity health effects, obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, maintaining weight loss, and obesity prevention

Detailed information on obesity, including obesity causes, obesity health effects, obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, maintaining weight loss, and obesity prevention

Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual's ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death.

As your body mass index goes up, so does your risk for health problems. Your blood pressure goes up and so do your cholesterol levels.

Detailed information on obesity prevention strategies during infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood

Detailed information on obesity prevention strategies during infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood

Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual's ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death .

The analysis of more than 15,000 young people in the United States found about a third of the cases of depression and obesity among those teens could be attributed to being from families with low incomes.

There is growing evidence that obesity increases a man's risk of developing prostate cancer. The reasons are still unclear, but obesity affects hormone production, which could in turn be influencing cancer growth.

Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, obesity gastric bypass (malabsorptive) surgery, and obesity gastric stapling (restrictive) surgery

Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, and obesity surgical treatment

Detailed information on obesity, including obesity causes, obesity health effects, obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, maintaining weight loss, and obesity prevention

Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, obesity gastric bypass (malabsorptive) surgery, and obesity gastric stapling (restrictive) surgery

Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, and obesity surgical treatment

Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, obesity gastric bypass (malabsorptive) surgery, and obesity gastric stapling (restrictive) surgery

Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, and obesity surgical treatment

Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, obesity surgical treatment, obesity gastric bypass (malabsorptive) surgery, and obesity gastric stapling (restrictive) surgery

Detailed information on obesity treatment, including obesity medical treatment, and obesity surgical treatment

Term describing a condition where the ratio of body fat to total body mass is higher than accepted norms. Obesity is a relative term used to describe the condition where the ratio of body fat, which is measurable, to total body mass is higher than the accepted norm. {Obesity and overweight are often used interchangeably, but their technical definitions are different. Overweight refers to an excess of body weight that includes all tissues—fat, bone, and muscle. Obesity refers specifically to an excess of body fat.) Body fat is about 15% of total body mass for the normal adult male and about 20-25% for the normal adult female. A general rule of thumb is that an individual is probably obese when his or her weight exceeds the maximum weight on standardized height and weight charts by more than 20%. However, during childhood and adolescence, when the body is growing and developing, the proportion of body fat is slightly higher than for a mature adult. In addition, the proportion of body fat fluctuates during various stages of growth. The percent of U.S. children who are overweight is estimated to be between 20-30%, but there is no firm definition of obesity for children and adolescents. The body mass index (BMI) and average weight-for-height charts provide general guidelines. Pediatricians and parents should evaluate an individual child's weight in the context of his stage of growth, level of physical activity, and general dietary habits. Richard P. Troiano, a researcher at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, encourages parents and physicians to observe children and adolescents in their environment over time, and cautions against making weight a disease. Adults should help children see the relationship between eating and exercise choices and weight.

Extreme obesity plagues more than a million teens and young adults, experts estimate. What's a parent to do?

Detailed information on obesity medical treatment, including obesity prescription medications and supplements, obesity behavioral strategies, and psychotherapy for eating disorders

Detailed information on obesity medical treatment, including obesity prescription medications and supplements, obesity behavioral strategies, and psychotherapy for eating disorders

Detailed information on obesity medical treatment, including obesity prescription medications and supplements, obesity behavioral strategies, and psychotherapy for eating disorders

Detailed information on obesity medical treatment, including obesity prescription medications and supplements, obesity behavioral strategies, and psychotherapy for eating disorders

Detailed information on weight and weight control, including healthy tips for maintaining your weight

Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20 percent or more over an individual's ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death. The branch of medicine that deals with the study and treatment of obesity is known as bariatrics. As obesity has become a major health problem in the United States, bariatrics has become a separate medical and surgical specialty.

Bariatric surgery, which helps extremely obese people lose weight by reducing the size of the stomach and intestines, carries a higher risk of death than previously believed, new research shows. Three studies, published October 19 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found death rates of 3% to 5% for middle-aged adults and more than twice that high for patients 65 to 74, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Among patients 75 or older, 40% of the women and half of the men died, the AP story said.

Exploring the causes and consequences of America's growing epidemic of obesity.Obesity is not a new problem. Forty years ago, 4 of every 10 Americans were overweight or obese. But obesity is a growing problem, and it’s growing quickly; today, two of every three Americans need to lose weight. In the 1960s, obesity was an epidemic; today, it’s a pandemic.

Detailed information on obesity surgical treatment, including gastric bypass surgery, and gastric stapling surgery

Detailed information on obesity surgical treatment, including gastric bypass surgery, and gastric stapling surgery

Detailed information on obesity surgical treatment, including gastric bypass surgery, and gastric stapling surgery

Detailed information on obesity surgical treatment, including gastric bypass surgery, and gastric stapling surgery

The American Diabetes Association estimates at least 20.1 million people in the United States have pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes means having a blood sugar level that is higher than normal, but not yet persistently high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes. By taking steps to control your blood sugar, you can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes from developing.

What is responsible for obesity, how to treat it.At one time it was commonly believed that overweight and obese people were compulsive eaters, anxious, depressed, under stress, or trying to compensate for inadequate upbringing, family conflict, or other deficiencies in their lives. But since then, when almost everyone seems to be getting heavier and obesity has become a national political issue, both experts and the public are turning away from the idea that weight gain is a personal emotional problem. Instead the trend toward obesity has become a subject for biologists and sociologists, regarded as the physical consequence of a general social condition. It’s become less clear what role psychotherapists and other mental health professionals should play in managing the problem.

More than 19 million Americans have type 2 diabetes, and millions more have a condition that puts them at high risk for developing it.

America is more overweight and out of shape than ever. The result? Soaring medical costs and lost productivity. The U.S. government is working to change that with "Healthy People 2010," its latest effort to show us that national health demands personal health. The drive includes 10 "leading health indicators," modeled after our leading economic indicators.

A study claims that obese people are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, but the findings do not prove that the conditions are causally related to each other.

The prevalence and consequences of obesity and how to treat it; explanation of BMI and waist-to-hip ratio.

Detailed information on maintaining weight loss, including weight loss benefits, weight loss maintenance strategies, and weight cycling

Detailed information on maintaining weight loss, including weight loss benefits, weight loss maintenance strategies, and weight cycling

Detailed information on maintaining weight loss, including weight loss benefits, weight loss maintenance strategies, and weight cycling

Detailed information on maintaining weight loss, including weight loss benefits, weight loss maintenance strategies, and weight cycling

I am 19 years old and weigh 300 pounds. I have tried diets and they don't work. I have had a physical and am healthy except for my weight. I would like to have stomach banding surgery done. Am I a good candidate for this procedure?

Portion sizes are bigger today, and that increase has contributed to the growing numbers of overweight or obese Americans.

The fact is, you might not care as much about looks as your wife does, but that fat around your abdomen is no laughing matter. A man's potbelly often warns of later problems ranging from heart disease to cancer, diabetes, arthritis, back pain and sleep apnea.

Each overweight or obese American spends $700 more a year on medical bills than trim neighbors, one expert says.

With two out of three Americans overweight or obese, it's become a community problem. The solution requires cooperation from public and private institutions.

Obesity has become a public health crisis in the United States, in part, because Americans are consuming more calories than they did 30 years ago. A large part of that increase in consumption can be pinned on a greater use of foods prepared away from home -- those ready-to-eat items available at restaurants, grocery store food counters and fast-food eateries.

Children whose parents are overweight or obese are at higher risk for becoming obese themselves, studies have shown. One study, in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that for a child under 10, having an obese parent more than doubled the child's risk for becoming an obese adult.

Obesity is the most common health problem facing children, child health experts say. More than 30 percent of children and teens are overweight, and 15 percent are obese.

True or false? Most overweight people got that way because they're self-indulgent weaklings without the will power to say no to super-sized french fries and fudge-slathered ice cream.

We've all heard warnings, yet many of us keep gaining weight. More than half of American adults are overweight or obese, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Many obese adults don't believe they are obese. A small survey (104 adults ages 45 to 64 were polled) found that 71% of normal-weight people placed themselves in the correct weight category, as did 73% of overweight people. However, only 15% of obese people identified themselves as obese. The Associated Press reported April 9 on the survey, done by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the CDC, an adult who is 5 feet 10 inches tall is overweight at 174 pounds and obese at 209 pounds.

Experts in one study say the study shows the limitations of the Body Mass Index (BMI) as a measure of obesity, especially because it doesn't account for weight that is muscle rather than fat. A study of 90,000 U.S. women, described in the second article, says the risk of death jumps sharply for extremely obese women -- those at least 90 pounds overweight.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is warning that obesity during pregnancy increases the risk of several complications, including high blood pressure, a serious condition called preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. The ACOG opinion, published in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, says obese women also are more likely to miscarry, to need a Caesarean section, and to have excessive bleeding and infection after a Caesarean section. Babies of obese women are more likely to be stillborn, be born prematurely and have spinal cord abnormalities called neural tube defects. The risks affect women with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 30, and are even higher for women with a BMI of more than 30.

Experts are challenging a recent, widely reported study that suggested being overweight is not associated with early mortality.

Radiation therapy, sometimes called radiotherapy, x-ray therapy radiation treatment, cobalt therapy, electron beam therapy, or irradiation uses high energy, penetrating waves or particles such as x rays, gamma rays, proton rays, or neutron rays to destroy cancer cells or keep them from reproducing.

Radiation therapy uses high powered x-rays or radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells.

Detailed information on radiation therapy for prostate cancer treatment

Advances in Radiation TherapyDoctors first began using X-rays to treat cancer in the early 1900s. Since then, the field of radiation therapy has grown tremendously in its use to treat cancer patients.

Radiotherapy is the use of high-energy penetrating radiation (x rays, gamma rays, proton rays, and neutron rays) to kill cancer cells.

Detailed information on radiation therapy, one type of cancer therapy

Understanding Radiation TherapyRadiation therapy can help you in your fight against cancer. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells.What Is Cancer?

Radiation therapy, sometimes called radiotherapy, x-ray therapy radiation treatment, cobalt therapy, electron beam therapy, or irradiation uses high energy, penetrating waves or particles such as x rays, gamma rays, proton rays, or neutron rays to destroy cancer cells or keep them from reproducing.

Radiation in Cancer TreatmentThis is one section from the guide "Radiation Therapy: A Guide to Self-Help During Cancer Treatment" from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).What Is Radiation Therapy?Radiation therapy (sometimes called radiotherapy, ...

Radiation Therapy TreatmentRadiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells.Radiation therapy can help you in your fight against cancer. It begins with a planning visit to map out your treatment.

What to Expect After Radiation Therapy for Bladder CancerBecause radiation affects normal cells as well as cancer cells, you may have some side effects from this treatment. Usually, the risk of side effects is far less than the benefit of killing ...

Internal Radiation Therapy: What to ExpectThis is one section from the guide "Radiation Therapy: A Guide to Self-Help During Cancer Treatment" from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).When Is Internal Radiation Therapy Used?Your doctor may decide ...

Radiation Therapy TeamRadiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells.Radiation therapy can help you in your fight against cancer. Your radiation therapy team will work with you.

Managing Side EffectsThis is one section from the guide "Radiation Therapy: A Guide to Self-Help During Cancer Treatment" from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).Are Side Effects the Same for Everyone?The side effects of radiation treatment vary ...

Facts About Radiation TherapyThis is one section from the guide "Radiation Therapy: A Guide to Self-Help During Cancer Treatment" from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).Radiation therapy may vary somewhat among different doctors, hospitals, and ...

Radiation Therapy Side Effects, Part One: A Guide to Self-Help During Cancer TreatmentThe side effects of radiation treatment vary from patient to patient. You may have no side effects or only a few mild ones through your course of treatment.

Followup CareThis is one section from the guide "Radiation Therapy: A Guide to Self-Help During Cancer Treatment" from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).What Does "Followup" Mean?Once you have completed your radiation treatments, it is important...

Radiation Therapy Glossary TermsThis is one section from the guide "Radiation Therapy: A Guide to Self-Help During Cancer Treatment" from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).Adjuvant therapyTreatment added to the primary treatment to enhance the e...

Radiation Therapy Side Effects, Part Two: A Guide to Self-Help During Cancer TreatmentWhat Side Effects Occur With Radiation Therapy to the Chest?Radiation treatment to the chest may cause several changes.

If You Are Having RadiotherapyQuestions for the doctor:What is the goal of this treatment?How will the radiation be given?

Radiation Therapy: Resources to HelpRadiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to treat your cancer.From the moment you found out you had cancer, you most likely have had questions about treatment. You are not facing cancer treatment alone.

Is it safe for a child to be around a person undergoing radiation therapy? Claire McCarthy, M.D., is a senior medical editor for Harvard Health Publications. She is an instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, an attending physician at Children's Hospital of Boston, and co-director of the pediatrics department at Martha Eliot Health Center, a neighborhood health service of Children's Hospital. The author of two books, "Learning How the Heart Beats" and "Everyone's Children", Dr. McCarthy was a regular columnist for "Sesame Street Parents Magazine" from 1995 to 1998 and is currently a contributing editor for "Parenting Magazine".

Radiation Therapy: Your Daily LifeRadiation therapy can help you in your fight against cancer. To feel better, get plenty of rest, exercise, and eat well.

Natural hormone replacement therapy (NHRT) is the use of non-synthetic, bio-identical hormones (estrogens, progesterone, and/or testosterone), derived from plants), to treat hormone imbalances and deficiencies. The first oral contraceptive pill was originally derived from Dioscorea species, wild yam; later soy was used as the precursor for oral contraceptive hormones.

Hormone therapy (HT) is a medical treatment with a medication containing one or more female hormones, commonly estrogen plus progestin (synthetic progesterone), and sometimes testosterone. Some women, usually those who have had their uterus removed, receive estrogen-only therapy. HT is most often used to treat symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood swings, sleep disorders, and decreased sexual desire. Hormone therapy comes as a pill, patch, injection, or vaginal cream.

Hormone Therapy For WomenHormone therapy (HT) increases your levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. This will help reduce signs of menopause.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the use of synthetic or natural female hormones to make up for the decline or lack of natural hormones produced in a woman's body. HRT is sometimes referred to as estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), because the first medications that were used in the 1960s for female hormone replacement were estrogen compounds.

Detailed information on hormone replacement therapy, including the controversy over its use

Detailed information on hormone replacement therapy, including the controversy over its use

Is HRT right for you? That's up to you and your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider will review your health needs. Then he or she will suggest steps you can take to control any symptoms or health risks. HRT may be one part of your overall program.

Hormone Replacement Therapy: Friend or Foe?Menopause is a natural stage of life for women.

A Harvard Medical School professor and prostate disease expert discusses the benefits and risks of testosterone-replacement therapy, including misconceptions about whether this treatment increases the risk of prostate cancer.

Women often perceive heart disease as an older person's disease that need not concern them until menopause.

What is the oldest age a woman can still take low-dose birth control pills as a form of HRT if no problems exist?

Women's health differs from men's health, and not just with respect to reproduction. To understand and examine these differences appropriately, the variables of sex and gender are each relevant. In general, sex refers to biological, anatomical, physiological, and hormonal variations that, on average, distinguish females and males. By contrast, gender refers to the differences between men and women, boys and girls, that stem from how behaviors, abilities, responsibilities, and overall values are ascribed differentially to males and to females in a society. Sometimes separately, but more often through their interactions, sex and gender are important determinants of health. For instance, there are sex-linked diseases (e.g., hemophilia) that only rarely and under exceptional circumstances affect women. There are also sex-specific cancers (e.g., of the prostate [men] and of the ovaries [women]), as well as specific conditions that, because of their biological exclusivity to males or females, can only occur in one or other sex (e.g., pregnancy-related conditions in women; testicular disorders in men). Generally, however, observed differences in the frequency of some health outcome between women and men do not reflect a sex (biologic) difference. Rather, most differences derive from a complex set of interactions between sex (biology) and gender (roles and expectations). Every society has its own economic, social, cultural, and political arrangements that make being a woman different from being a man. The gender norms and expectations applied to women and to men that derive from these arrangements vary from place to place, change overtime, and are always affected by other features (e.g., age, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, ability) that are attached to an individual. As a result of the gender differences assigned to them, individuals will experience their lives differently according to whether they are defined as male or female. Accordingly, women and men will have different exposures to different risks, different responses to the same exposures, different patterns to seeking treatment, and different needs for and responses to public health programs. These all contribute to differences in the frequency and distribution of diseases between them. Consequently, to understand and respond to most human health and sickness issues, clarifying the interaction between sex-linked factors and gender-based factors is critical; the expectations, norms, and stereotypes associated with the roles of men and women play out in their health, strongly influencing symptoms, treatments, and policies. As an example, consider the relation of work to health. Much research has shown that underemployment and lack of control over work situations or job demands are associated with increased levels of stress and poor health. These employment and working conditions differ according to gender, and women in the paid workforce in North America are more likely than men to have undervalued and underpaid jobs in the service sector, to work part-time, to have interruptions of their careers because of family responsibilities, and to experience high-demand, low-control conditions at work. All these factors influence their risks for (exposure to) disease, what they do when ill, how health care professionals respond to and treat them, and what public policies of work-related health promotion and health protection are developed. Thus, to examine the relation of work to health without accounting for the influence of gender would be to ignore how women may be exposed to health-damaging agents unlike those their male colleagues face; how they may have less access to private health care (United States) or necessary medications that must be paid for out-of-pocket (United States and Canada); and how they may have reduced opportunities to attend health programs, such as screening programs, because after-work hours are filled with child-care duties more often for women than for

All About MenopauseMenopause -- when estrogen and progesterone production, ovulation and menstruation stop -- is a natural part of a woman's life. The average age that women reach menopause is 51.The years leading up to menopause, called perimenop...

A Prescription for Health in MenopauseThe best approach to menopause is to follow a healthy regimen. That includes dealing with smoking, nutrition, exercise, weight management and stress reduction.SmokingSmoking is a leading cause of preventable i...

Alcohol (ethyl alcohol or ethanol) consumption has a social aspect to it, but it is often abused. The effect of alcohol consumption on the body depends on how often it is consumed, how much, and the alcohol content of the drinks. Frequent alcohol use may encourage alcohol dependence or alcoholism. Alcoholism is a chronic disease that progresses and is often fatal. It is a primary disorder and not only a symptom of other diseases or emotional disorders. Factors such as psychology, culture, genetics, and response to physical pain influence the severity of alcoholism.

Alcohol use involves drinking alcohol, which is produced by fermenting the starch or sugar in fruits and grains. See also: Alcohol and diet; Alcoholism; Alcohol withdrawal state.

This report includes information on recognizing the symptoms of problem drinking, treatment techniques, coping with a loved one's drinking, and overcoming denial.

Researchers at the Harvard Medical School have discovered that the herb kudzu can curb the urge to drink alcohol.

Alcohol is considered a drug because it depresses the central nervous system and can disrupt mental and motor skills, as well as damage internal organs when used excessively.

It helps to understand why and when you drink if you are going to successfully reduce the amount of alcohol you consume.

As a woman, your body is much more sensitive to the effects of alcohol and more easily damaged than a man’s body. Because women have less water in their body than men, alcohol doesn't dilute as much and more of it gets absorbed into the blood. That’s why women suffer greater physical damage and often become more intoxicated than men when they drink identical amounts of alcohol.

A Harvard Medical School physician answers your question about forsaking the potential health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption.

Excessive drinking can cause potentially fatal conditions, not only high blood pressure, but also damage to the brain, heart or liver; diabetes and stroke.

Is there any connection between rheumatoid arthritis and alcohol consumption? Does a prior history of waterborne hepatitis predispose a person to RA?

Tips for avoiding the worst consequence of holiday overindulgence.Drinking fluids may help with the morning-after misery from getting drunk.

If you drink, you most likely want to drink reasonably and responsibly. But what are the factors that can help you keep a check on your blood-alcohol content so you don't embarrass yourself or, worse, hurt yourself or others?

Alcohol-dependent employees incur twice the health care costs of the average employee, are more likely to steal from their employers, are more likely to be involved in workplace accidents and are five times more likely to file worker’s compensation claims.

Breast Cancer—Understanding Genetic TestingCancer is a disease of the genes. Most cancers develop as a result of genetic damage we sustain over a lifetime.

Genetic Testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2: It's Your Choice1. What are BRCA1 and BRCA2?

First Aid: Chemical ExposureSome chemicals cause burns. Others may be absorbed through skin or lungs, causing hidden damage.Seek Medical HelpChemicals may cause serious damage not only to the outside of the body but also to the inside.

DES (diethylstilbestrol) is a hormone that was prescribed for pregnant women in the 1950s and early 1960s. Many years later, doctors discovered that the daughters of the women who received DES were at high risk for a variety of problems, including infertility , premature labor , and cancer of the vagina and cervix.

Oral contraceptives are medicines taken by mouth to help prevent pregnancy. They are also known as the pill, OCs, or birth control pills.

Oral Contraceptives and Cancer Risk: Questions and AnswersKey PointsSome cancers depend on naturally occurring sex hormones for their development and growth. Researchers are interested in learning whether the hormones in oral contraceptives affect...

Oral contraceptives are medicines taken by mouth to help prevent pregnancy . They are also known as the Pill, OCs, or birth control pills.

A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association provides data that suggest that women with a family history of breast cancer who used high-dose birth control pills during/prior to 1975 may have an increased risk to develop breast cancer.

Starting at what is commonly called middle age, operations of the human body begin to be more vulnerable to daily wear and tear; there is a general decline in physical, and possibly mental, functioning. In the Western countries, the length of life is often into the 70s. The upward limit of the life span, however, can be as high as 120 years. During the latter half of life, an individual is more prone to have problems with the various functions of the body and to develop any number of chronic or fatal diseases. The cardiovascular, digestive, excretory, nervous, reproductive and urinary systems are particularly affected. The most common diseases of aging include Alzheimer's, arthritis, cancer , diabetes, depression, and heart disease.

In general, only about three percent of the elderly living independently in the community will experience depression. That figure increases to around 20 to 30 percent of persons in nursing homes or with chronic illnesses like emphysema, heart disease or diabetes.

Aging is the process of growing older, a process that includes physical changes and, sometimes, mental changes. "The aged" refers to elderly people, those who have reached an advanced age.

Through the daily grapevine of popular culture, we get the message over and over that young is better than old. But new research contradicts these age-old stereotypes. Indeed, studies suggest that the older you get, the happier you become.

Starting at what is commonly called middle age, operations of the human body become more vulnerable to daily wear and tear. There is a general decline in physical, and possibly mental, functioning. In the Western countries, the length of life often extends into the 70s. However, the upward limit of the life span can be as high as 120 years. During the latter half of life, an individual is more prone to problems with the various functions of the body, and to a number of chronic or fatal diseases. The cardiovascular, digestive, excretory, nervous, reproductive, and urinary systems are particularly affected. The most common diseases of aging include Alzheimer's, arthritis, cancer , diabetes, depression , and heart disease .

13 Real-Life Age-StoppersYou can't turn back the clock, but you can slow down the aging processes often associated with getting older.Says Robert N. Butler, M.D., president and CEO of The International Longevity Center in New York City: "Many of t...

This term is used by demographers when referring to an increase over time in the proportion of older persons in the population. It does not necessarily imply an increase in life expectancy, that "people are living longer that they used to," or that they are dying on average at older ages, although these phenomena are usually observed in association with aging of the population. From the demo-graphic perspective, the principal determinant of aging in the population is a decline in the birth rate. When fewer children are born than in earlier years, the consequence is a decline in the proportion of younger persons, and it necessarily follows that there is an increase in the proportion of older persons. The proportion is further weighted toward older persons by improved survival rates from conditions that can cause death in early life, that is, in infancy and childhood and among younger adults. In the industrialized nations, a more recent phenomenon has been an increase in life expectancy that has accompanied improved survival rates, and this, of course, contributes further to the increased proportion of older persons. However, if birth rates remain high, there is also an increase in the numbers, and therefore in the proportion, of infants and children in the population. This happened in many industrialized nations after World War II, during the "baby boom" period, roughly 1946 to 1960. There was a secondary surge in birth rates when the children born during that period reached peak reproductive ages (the echo of the baby boom) in the 1980s and 1990s. The baby boom and its echo temporarily retarded and in some nations even briefly reversed the long-term trend toward smaller families. This trend began in the Western industrial nations before the 1920s and continued through the 1930s, aggravated by the Great Depression, but persisting through good times as well as bad. Although it is true that in the past, declining birth rates were primarily responsible and reductions in mortality rates played little part in the process of aging the population, in the future it can be expected that increases in life expectancy will contribute more to the process. Little further reduction in mortality rates in the first half of life can be expected to occur, so increased life expectancy, or mortality rate reduction, in the second half of life, from age forty-five onward, is beginning to exert more influence on the structure of the population (the shape of the population pyramid). This too is contributing to an increase in the proportion of older persons in the population, and over the coming decades, other things being equal, this will play an increasingly prominent role in the process. J OHN M. L AST ( SEE ALSO : Birthrate ; Demography ; Life Expectancy and Life Tables ; Mortality Rates ; Population Pyramid )

Discusses what we can do, if anything, to put ourselves in the category of those who live to advanced ages.

Art, music, and other challenging activities may play a role in keeping the mind alert, even for those affected by dementia.

Consider this fact: More than half the people who ever lived to be 65 are alive today. That alone suggests that myths about aging based on past generations may not hold true for this one. Let's look at 10 of those myths, and see what experts have to say about them.

Not only do baby boomers expect to live into their 80s or 90s, but they are expecting to be independent, one expert says.

Beyond giving you energy to conquer a multitasking day, your diet can help slow the tick-tock of the biological clock that governs the aging process.

No need to search for a secret formula to erase the effects of getting older. You already have the power to keep yourself feeling young for years.

This report helps you avoid common health woes, such as heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and sight and hearing disorders.

This report can help you preserve your independence and remain in your home in your later years. Includes information on financial and legal planning, finding and working with a caregiver, and useful home modifications.

A practical guide to the causes of memory loss and the steps you can take to improve your ability to learn and remember for a lifetime.

This report takes a view of the whole woman and helps her choose the most practical strategies for making her midlife transition.

Like the rest of your body, your eyes naturally change throughout your life. These changes occur gradually and become apparent in later years, as the structures in and around your eyes become less efficient. For most people, the first sign is presbyopia, deterioration of close-up vision. Luckily, this problem can be treated with reading glasses or bifocals.

Learn how to put together a caregiving plan, draw on useful services, and address legal, medical, and financial planning issues. Also, find advice on involving family members, handling daily tasks, and maintaining your well being.

Aimed at older adults, this report provides practical advice on how to avoid common and often deadly accidents at home.

This report describes causes and treatments for the most common age-related skin problems. It also reviews the newest and most effective cosmetic treatments, including anti-aging creams, laser procedures, Botox injections, and surgeries.

This report details how physical changes that occur as you age can affect your sexuality.It includes information on the therapies and medications that can help you overcome sexual problems.

New research indicates that-while not exactly a fountain of youth-exercise can reverse some of the physiological signs of aging and reduce overall disease and mortality.

While regular physical activity is a cornerstone of wellness at any age, it’s during your 30s, 40s and 50s that exercise becomes especially important.

Physical removal of age spots can be costly and painful. Topical treatments take time to work, but are generally safe, cost less than removal procedures, and are easier on the skin.

It's never easy to ponder death, whether you're facing the demise of a loved one or the end of your own life. But taking some time to think and plan ahead for those final hours or days can be a future blessing for your family and others close to you. Most people want a say in all life's important decisions. The same should be true regarding decisions surrounding death, such as what kind of medical treatment you receive. But what if you're unable to make your decisions or wishes known? Say, for example, you are unconscious and can't speak or hear. Unless you have spoken with your loved ones and taken certain legal actions, there may be confusion and stress over what those decisions will be and who can make them for you.