subject: Good For The Goose And The Gander? [print this page] Skin cancer has increased among young adultsSkin cancer has increased among young adults. During the years 1970-2009 the Mayo Clinic found melanoma increased eightfold among young women and fourfold among young men ages 18-39. Although men have a higher lifetime melanoma risk, the use of tanning beds has increased the risk for young women. Tanning beds can give 7 times the UV radiation as the sun. In 2009 the International Agency of Research on Cancer declared tanning beds carcinogenic. In fact, the risk of cancer from tanning beds is equal to the risk of cancer from smoking. Shouldn't this fact make tanning salons less "tantalizing"?
Women have more migraines than men. In fact, migraines affect 3 times as many women as men, with 25% of women having had a migraine. According to Dr. Andrew Charles, Director of UCLA's Headache Research and Treatment Program, a migraine is a wave of electrical activity that travels across the brain. Although many things trigger migraines - sounds, light, smells and movement - the main trigger is hormone fluctuation. Migraines are slightly more common in boys until girls begin menstruation. Then the number of migraines increases dramatically in girls as they grow into women - helping to explain why menstruation is called "the curse".
One or two drinks daily may be good for the long-time survival of men who've had a heart attack. This was the finding of a study published in the European Heart Journal that followed approximately 1,800 male heart attack survivors. Men who drank about 2 alcoholic drinks daily had a 42% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular problems and a 12% lower risk of dying from any cause compared to non-drinkers and heavy drinkers. However, it isn't clear whether women would experience similar results - which seems "hard to swallow" because the study was done at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital.
However, European researchers analyzed more than 100 studies looking at the relationship between alcohol and breast cancer. They found up to 1 drink daily increased breast cancer risk 4%. Three or more drinks increased the risk 40%-50%. The American Cancer Society recommends women not have more than 1 drink daily. Because of the decrease in coronary heart disease with moderate drinking, the American Heart Association sees alcohol as beneficial; but also recommends women not have more than 1 drink. Based on her risk for different illnesses, each woman must decide for herself whether she can "drink to her own health".
