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Study addresses soy milk concerns
Infants who were fed soy formula were no more likely to experience abnormal sexual development as young adults than babies who drank only cow's milk, says a new study.
Soy-fed babies receive high levels of phytoestrogens in the form of soy isoflavones. Phytoestrogens are plant chemicals that have estrogen-like hormonal effects on the body, but occur naturally in soybeans and foods made from them.
Theoretically, the chemicals could have a permanent effect on a person's reproductive health. To find out, the researchers tracked down 811 people, ages 20 to 34, who had participated in controlled feeding studies at the University of Iowa between 1965 and 1978. Of them, 248 were fed soy milk as babies and 563 were given formula made from cow's milk.
The subjects were interviewed by phone, and some turned over their medical records to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania. The researchers compared 30 physical measures, including pregnancy outcomes and menstrual history in women, and the age of puberty, sexual orientation and hormonal disorders in both men and women.
The study, which was published last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found no significant differences between the two groups.
Pancreatic cancer risk cut by activity
Obesity and exercise affect the risk of pancreatic cancer, says a study in the Aug. 22/29 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Past studies have shown that diabetics have an increased risk of pancreatic cancer, possibly because the pancreas of diabetics does not make enough insulin to remove sugar from the bloodstream after a meal. Obesity and a lack of physical activity similarly affect the way the body responds to insulin. More than 26,000 people in the United States annually are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
The study examined data on 46,648 men between the ages of 40 and 75, and 117,041 women between 30 and 55. Over 12 to 20 years, 140 men and 210 women developed pancreatic cancer. The researchers found that those with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher at the beginning of the study had a 72 percent higher risk of pancreatic cancer than those with a BMI of less than 23. (BMI is a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight and a BMI of 30 and above is considered obese.) Those with a BMI of 27 to 29.9 had a 30 percent higher risk and those with a BMI of 25 to 26.9 had a 29 percent higher risk.
The researchers also found that those who engaged in moderate physical activity, such as 90 minutes a week of walking or hiking, cut their risk of pancreatic cancer in half. This risk reduction was especially evident in those with a BMI above 25.
Incontinence support on Web
Incontinence is treatable in many cases, but the condition remains widely underdiagnosed and undertreated. A big reason for this lack of treatment is the unwillingness and embarrassment of many sufferers to speak to anyone, including physicians, about finding an answer. As many as 13 million people are believed to suffer the condition.
In the last several years, a number of new devices and treatments have been introduced that offer even greater relief for patients. Now people can easily find out about these new treatments and more by visiting the online site of the National Association for Continence. A nonprofit organization founded in 1982, NAFC offers numerous online publications and other support services and tools.
The information provided is straightforward, up-to-date and very helpful for incontinent sufferers. There's a contact list in case viewers wish to e-mail any questions or comments to particular staff members of NAFC. You will also find a primer on the basics of the condition, including its medical definition, the different types of incontinence, tips on how to find help, an overview of treatment options and a list of most frequently asked questions.
NAFC is a nonprofit organization. While there are no advertisements on the organization's site, corporations promote their wares in dedicated sponsor supplements included within the quarterly newsletter.
