P H O T O : ( C O F F E E ) M A R T Y B A L D W I N
m i ll io n s o f
a d u l t s i n t h e
U .S . w h o s u f f e r
w i t h g o u t , a
n u m b e r t h a t
h a s g r o w n i n
r e c e n t y e a r s
P
a t e r n a l
p
r o
b l e
m
You’ve probably h eard th a t
m u tatio n s in th e genes BRCAi
and BRCA
2
sh arp ly elevate
a w o m an ’s lifetim e risk of
developing b re a st and o varian
cancer. B ut d id y o u k n o w th a t
w o m e n c a n in h e r it th e s e
m u ta tio n s ju s t as e a sily fro m
th e ir fa th e r s a s fro m th e ir
m o th e rs? Som e d o cto rs seem to
be overlooking th is, acco rd in g
to an ed ito rial in
T h e L a n c e t
O n c o l o g y .
R esearchers review ed
reco rd s o f w om en w ho had
v isited a fam ilial can cer clinic
an d found th a t p a tie n ts w ere five
tim es m ore likely to have been
referred for g en etic co u n selin g
w ith a m atern al fam ily h isto ry o f
b re a st o r o varian can cer versus
a p a te rn al history. (A nother clue
to look for on th e fam ily tree:
M en w ith e ith e r o f th e se gene
m u tatio n s m ay be at an in creased
risk o f p ro sta te and p an creatic
cancer, acco rd in g to th e N ational
C an cer In stitu te .) T he b o tto m
line: In fo rm y o u r d o c to r ab o u t
y o u r full fam ily h isto ry o f e ith er
d isease— even if y o u ’re n o t
p ro m p ted to.
J a v a j o
i n
t s
O ne m ore reason to w ake up w ith coffee: It could
reduce y o u r risk o f gout. T h a t’s th e latest finding
to em erge from an ongoing stu d y track in g nearly
9 0 , 0 0 0
w om en. G out, a form o f a rth ritis th a t
occurs w hen high levels o f uric acid in th e blood
form pain fu l cry stals aro u n d jo in ts, is on th e rise
am ong w om en. But com pared w ith th o se w ho
avoided coffee, w o m en w h o sip p e d
2 - 4
c u p s o f
c a ffe in a te d jo e d a ily w ere
2 2
p e rc e n t less likely
to d ev elo p g o u t. (D ecaf also w as
-----------------
associated w ith a reduced risk,
b u t to a lesser extent.) C affeine
and an tio x id an ts in th e brew
m ight low er th e body’s level
o f insulin, a horm one th a t
co n trib u tes to th e production
o f uric acid. ■
Prescription Medication
MO. 8 5 6 6 2 7 4 -18 4 3 2
O RINK 1 S E R V I N G O F C O F F E E
AT L E A S T O N C E D A IL Y A S N E E D E D
453 G COFFEE BEANS
t w
F r e s h e n
u p
i n
b e t w e e n
with Summers Eve
Feminine Wash
sum m erseve.com
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
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