Staying Healthy Archive

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It's tempting to try a direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic test kit that predicts your risk for developing certain diseases, like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. The kit is shipped to your home, where you collect cells (typically with a cheek swab or a saliva collection tube) and then send them to a lab for DNA analysis. But a report from British researchers, published in The BMJ on Oct. 16, 2019, warns that the tests commonly produce misleading predictions of high or low genetic risk for disease. In other words, a positive result for a particular gene doesn't necessarily mean you'll develop a related health problem, and a negative result doesn't automatically mean you'll dodge a particular condition. Study authors say that interpreting genetic data is complex and depends on the context of your individual and family medical history. If you want to try a DTC test, bring the results to your physician for more insight. If your doctor determines that further investigation is warranted, he or she can refer you for genetic testing that's more comprehensive than DTC tests, performed by an accredited laboratory. Those test results may be combined with genetic counseling to help you understand what to expect and what the information might mean for your health or the health of your family members.

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Tooth decay and gum disease can lead to serious health problems, including brain or heart infections.

A growing number of older adults have something to smile about: research shows they're keeping their teeth longer. While that makes chewing and talking easier and staves off malnutrition and the discomfort of dentures or missing teeth, it also means you need to be more vigilant than ever about preventing dental problems — including some that can have life-threatening complications.

Tooth decay

One in five adults ages 65 or older has untreated tooth decay (a cavity). This develops when food and bacteria form plaque that sticks to teeth and produces toxins that break down a tooth's outer layer (enamel).

Ask the doctor

Q. Just before the holidays, I heard that a study said it was okay to eat red meat. Previously, you've said just the opposite. Help!

A. We got lots of letters like yours. The bottom line is that we stick by our longstanding advice: avoid frequent meals of red meat, and especially processed meat.

They often lead to follow-up appointments and more testing.

Modern medical imaging saves lives: it can find a blocked artery, a bulging blood vessel, or a suspicious mass. But many times, an x-ray, CT scan, MRI scan, or ultrasound exam looking for one kind of problem can reveal an anomaly that's unrelated and unexpected. Such incidental findings can lead to more testing, more medical bills, and a great deal of anxiety.

"Frequently radiologists will point out something and say it's probably benign, but recommend an MRI. Once you've been told something might be abnormal, you might feel nervous until you know what it is," says Dr. Suzanne Salamon, associate chief of gerontology at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

You've tried nearly everything for your worn-out knee. But the remaining possibilities may include some risky options.

Knee osteoarthritis affects about half of us in older age. The cartilage that acts as a cushion between the bones wears away, and it hurts when the bones grind against each other. In many people, arthritis can become severe enough that they consider a knee replacement. Since surgery is an expensive and complicated option, you may wonder what else you can do to reduce knee pain. Beware: some treatments are bogus and even dangerous.

Stay away from these

The first sign that a knee pain treatment isn't the best choice: an ad promising that it's the surefire solution.

Report new symptoms immediately if you take one of these.

Taking blood thinners and prescription painkillers such as opioids can have potentially life-threatening complications. But many medications — even over-the-counter drugs — have the potential for dangerous side effects. "In most cases, the risk of serious side effects is very rare — much less than 1% of the time," says Dr. Joshua Gagne, a pharmacist and epidemiologist with Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.

If you're taking any of the following drugs, learn the rare risks.

Research we're watching

Replacing just one sugary drink each day with water may reduce your risk of developing diabetes, according to a study published online Oct. 3, 2019, by Diabetes Care. Researchers from Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health looked at more than two decades' worth of data collected in three long-term studies, involving more than 192,000 adults. By tracking beverage intake over time, they found that people who increased their consumption of sugary drinks (including 100% fruit juice) by more than 4 ounces a day over four years had a 16% increase in diabetes risk over the next four years. Turning to "diet" versions might not help, either: an 18% jump in diabetes risk occurred in people who increased their intake of artificially sweetened drinks by more than 4 ounces a day over the same period, although some of that risk could have reflected other factors, said researchers.

The bottom line: If you want to reduce diabetes risk, it's better to skip sweet drinks and stick to unsweetened tea, coffee, or water. When people drank one of those beverages once a day instead of a sweetened drink, diabetes risk dropped by 2% to 10%.