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| Photo: Getty Images/Neo Vision |
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September
Getting immunized is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Make sure you and your loved ones have all the necessary immunizations.
Get screened. Each year approximately 79,480 women in the United States are diagnosed with some form of gynecologic cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Gynecologic cancers affect reproductive organs including the ovaries, cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, vagina, and vulva. Hispanic women have one of the highest rates of cervical cancer. This is because so many women are not getting screened. The fact is that cervical cancer is almost always curable when detected early and it’s largely preventable! But you have to get screened to find out. Don’t wait. If you or someone you know hasn’t been screened this year, take time this month to get a Pap test and recto-vaginal-pelvic examination. It’s important to learn the warning signs for the other gynecological cancers. When women and health care providers are well-informed about the signs, symptoms, and risks of gynecologic cancer, the chances of early detection increase, and more women will survive. This month, make a commitment to get an annual screening and encourage your friends and the women in your family to do the same.
Additional Resources:
Take action. This year, more than 230,000 men are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among Hispanic men, and the third leading cause of cancer death, following lung cancer and colorectal cancer. Prognosis for prostate cancer has improved greatly in the past 20 years. The survival rate has increased from 67 percent to 97 percent, according to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. With early diagnosis and treatment, most men will continue to live healthy lives after prostate cancer. Get yourself tested and encourage the men you love—husbands, fathers, brothers, friends—to get screened this month, especially if they’re over 45. The risk of getting prostate cancer increases with age and the majority of men are diagnosed after age 65. Because there are few symptoms until very late in the disease, it is important to make yearly screenings part of your health care plan.
Get the low-down. Cholesterol is bad for you, right? It’s actually a bit more complicated than that. Cholesterol is a part of every cell in your body and plays an important role in keeping you healthy. The two most important kinds of cholesterol to monitor are HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, and LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, both of which play a part in your overall well-being. LDL, more commonly known as “bad cholesterol,” can become bad for you when it builds up on artery walls, impeding the flow of blood and increasing your risk of heart disease—the number one cause of death among Americans, including Hispanics, according to the American Heart Association. HDL, on the other hand, is believed to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it can be eliminated from the body. Some experts believe that HDL removes excess cholesterol and slows build-up on artery walls. So reducing your risk of heart disease is not as simple as lowering cholesterol levels, or even lowering the level of LDL. In fact, some experts believe that it’s not actually the levels of cholesterol that contribute to blockages but the size of cholesterol particles and cholesterol transport patterns. (This doesn’t mean you should keep eating French fries and potato chips!) Everyone agrees that a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol and regular exercise are good for you and your heart. But before you rush to take medication to lower your cholesterol levels, educate yourself about how cholesterol actually works in your body, read the latest research, and talk to your doctor.
Updated: October 2006 These links are provided for informational purposes only. AARP does not endorse, and has no control over, or responsibility for, the linked sites or the content, advertisements, materials, products, or services available on or throughout these sites. |
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