How to Prevent Stroke in Women?…Walking

If you are a woman and will like to reduce your risk of stroke, you might like to walk at least 2 hours a week, especially at a brisk pace.

According the long-term follow-up of the Women’s Health Study (WHS) that involved 39,315 healthy US women 45 years and older and followed up for 12 years, women who walked 2 hours or more per week had a 30% lower risk for any stroke than women who did not walk.  Furthermore, women who walked at a brisk pace (>4.8 km/hour) had a 37% lower risk for any stroke than women who did not walk.

At baseline, women were asked to estimate the average time spent on 8 groups of recreational activities during the past year: walking or hiking; jogging; running; bicycling; aerobic exercise; aerobic dance; use of exercise machines; tennis, squash, or racquetball; lap swimming; and lower-intensity exercise, including yoga.  They were also asked about their walking pace.

The patients were stratified into different groups: those who do not walk regularly and those who walk at a pace of less than 3.2 km/hour, 3.2 to 4.7 km/hour (considered to be an average pace), 4.8 to 6.3 km/hour (considered to be brisk pace), or 6.4 or more km/hour (a striding pace).

After a follow-up of 13 years, the investigators found an inverse relationship between the amount of time spent walking and decrease in stroke.

Table 1. Stroke Risk According to Time Spent Walking at Baseline and at 3 Years of Follow-Up

Time spent walking at baseline/at 3 years (hours per week)	<2/<2	<2/≥2	≥2/<2	≥2/≥2
Total stroke, No. of cases	117	29	26	31
Ischemic stroke, No. of cases	98	28	19	26
Hemorrhagic stroke, No. of cases	19	1	7	5

The WHS was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health.

Stroke. Published online April 6, 2010.

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Pancreatic cancer – Causes, Prevention, Prognosis, Diagnosis and Latest Treatment

Prevalence

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of adult cancer death, accounting for an estimated 42,470 new cases and 35,240 deaths in USA for 2009.  The high mortality rate is due to the high incidence of metastatic disease at initial diagnosis, the aggressive clinical course and the failure of current therapies. 

Causes

It is not clear what causes pancreatic cancer, but some risk factors have been linked to the disease.  Modifiable risk factors that have been associated with pancreatic cancer include:

Smoking: Smokers have 2 to 3 times higher risk of getting pancreatic cancers.. About 2 to 3 out of 10 cases of pancreatic cancer are thought to be caused by smoking.

• Obesity and lack of exercise: Overweight people and those who don’t get much exercise are more likely to develop pancreatic cancer.
• Diabetes: Patients with type 2 diabetes have an increase risk of getting pancreatic cancer.
• Chronic pancreatitis: Some patients with chronic pancreatitis develop pancreatic cancer
• Cirrhosis of the liver: People with cirrhosis due to hepatitis and alcohol consumption seem to have an increased risk of pancreatic cancer.
• Work exposure: Heavy exposure to certain pesticides, dyes, and chemicals may increase the risk of getting pancreatic cancer.
• Stomach problems: Having too much stomach acid or having bacteria called H. pylori in the stomach may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Melanoma Cases on the Rise – Latest Incidence, Prevention and Detection

Incidence

While the incidence of other cancer such as prostate cancer has leveled off, the incidence of melanoma in US is on the rise, according a presentation at the 68^th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. 

In his presentation at Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, Dr. Rigel pointed out that the average American’s risk of developing melanoma in his or her lifetime increased from one in 1,500 in 1930, to one in 250 in 1980 and one in 74 in 2000.  By 2004, the risk of getting this deadly skin cancer increased to one in 65 and by today, the risk is 58.

If this rate continues, he predicted the risk will be one in 50 by 2015!

He did not believe the risk in melanoma is due to increase in the number of skin cancer screenings.  If that was true, we should see a sudden rise in melanoma cases and then leveled off.

Prevention

Melanoma is caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, whether from the sun or indoor tanning beds and lamps. To prevent yourself from getting melanoma, make sure you have put on sunscreen before going under the sun.  Also, avoid using the tanning beds, which is known to increase your risk of melanoma and serious eye problems.

Detection

Monitor your mole regularly.  Make sure you mole does not have any of the following characteristics.

• Asymmetry: one half unlike the other half.
• Border: irregular, scalloped or poorly defined.
• Color: varies from one area to another; shades of tan and brown, black; sometimes white, red or blue.
• Diameter: the size of a pencil eraser or larger.
• Evolving: changing in size, shape or color.

If you see a mole with any of the above characteristics, you should see a dermatologist immediately.  Also, mole that grows bleeds, crusts, or changes also required immediately doctor’s attention.

Presentation at the 68^th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. 

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