I have high blood pressure. But my blood pressure varies a lot during the day, especially the top number. Which blood pressure reading should I use: the lowest, the highest or the average?
Alcohol causes about 3.5% of all U.S. cancer deaths and 15% of breast cancer deaths, a new report says. Most of the increased cancer risk is among people who have more than 3 drinks a day. But those who had an average of 1.5 drinks a day accounted for nearly one-third of the deaths, the report says. Researchers from the National Cancer Institute did the study. It’s the first thorough look at the links between alcohol and cancer in more than 30 years. They used information from several databases and surveys. The study estimated that alcohol caused 18,000 to 21,000 cancer deaths in 2009. Breast cancer was the most common type linked with alcohol in women. Among men, cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx and esophagus accounted for the most deaths. An expert interviewed by the New York Times News Service said the report failed to account for the effect of drinking patterns.
There seem to be many products to help with constipation. But are there any remedies for loose, poorly formed stools? I tried eating more fiber, but that hasn't helped.
The specific treatment for a stomach infection may be less important than how well people stick with it. That’s one conclusion of a new study on treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection. H. pylori bacteria are linked with stomach inflammation (gastritis) and ulcers. Long-term infection also increases the risk of stomach cancer. The new study included 1,463 adults from Latin America. All were infected with H. pylori. They were randomly divided into groups. The groups took different combinations of antibiotics for 5 to 14 days. Tests one year later showed nearly 80% were free of the infection. Rates were similar for all treatment groups. For about 11% of those who had successful treatment at first, the infection came back. H. pylori was most likely to return if people didn’t take their medicines exactly as prescribed.
My daughter has schizophrenia. The psychiatrist at her mental health center prescribed an antipsychotic drug. I know some of these drugs increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease. What sort of clinical monitoring do you advise?