High-Risk Women May Benefit From Mammograms Starting at Age 40
Should women begin routine mammogram testing in their 40s, or wait until their 50s, as some experts recommend? Two new studies published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine shed light on the debate. Researchers say that women with a close relative diagnosed with breast cancer, or who have unusually dense breast tissue, should have their first test at age 40 and then repeat the exam at least once every other year. These women face at least twice the average risk of developing breast cancer in their 40s. For them, the benefits outweigh the potential risks, such as false positivesâ€"which can cause anxiety, more invasive testing, and unnecessary treatmentâ€"and over-diagnosis, or being treated for small, slow-growing cancers. Though the American Cancer Society recommends mammograms for all women in their 40s, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends waiting. "The reason we keep discussing and debating this issue is that we have imperfect screening te sts," study author Jeanne Mandelblatt, the associate director for population sciences at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, told the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. "Investments need to be made in developing more precise tests. Those are difficult to develop."
How Will Jessica Simpson Lose the Baby Weight?
Now that Jessica Simpson hasâ€"finallyâ€"given birth to baby girl Maxwell, she already has the gossip mill buzzing about whether she'll be able to lose the roughly 60 pounds she gained during pregnancy. Her fuller figure has been chided by celebrities and doctors alike, who said 60 pounds is way too much for an expecting mother to gain, as it could cause delivery complications or set a child up for diabetes. This isn't the first time the 31-year-old singer has had her weight under a microscope (remember the mom jeans incident?) and it won't likely be the last.
While celebrity moms make it seem like post-baby weight loss is just for vanity (a bikini-clad Heidi Klum wowed audiences at a Victoria's Secret fashion show in 2005 just eight weeks after giving birth), the reality is that it's critical for your health, too.
Shedding pregnancy pounds is "absolutely necessary," says Raul Artal, chair of St. Louis University's Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health. Most women gain between 20 and 40 pounds during pregnancy, but holding onto those pounds can lead to obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease down the line. "After pregnancy, women should return to normal range for body mass index [a measure of body fat based on height and weight], which is anywhere between 19 and 25."
How long that should take depends on the individual. Celebrities have been known to drop pregnancy pounds in mere weeks by turning to questionable tactics such as fad diets, "extreme breast pumping," or having fat surgically removed from one spot and transplanted to another. Experts say a more realistic time frame for regaining your figure via healthier means is a several months. However, if you put on more than the average 25 to 40 pounds, or if you were overweight or obese before pregnancy, it could take as many as nine or more. In any case, aim to lose the weight before your baby's first birthday; studies have shown that any weight you retain beyond that point is unlikely to ever come off. Your doctor can help you determine the safest schedule. [Read more: How Will Jessica Simpson Lose the Baby Weight?]
Is Couples Therapy Right for You?
As the famous 1960's tune goes, "Breaking up is hard to do." But staying together can be just as challenging.
The number of couples seeking counseling has increased in recent years as the stigma surrounding the practice has faded, according to psychologist and University of Minnesota professor William Doherty. And it's not only women who are picking up the phone and dialing a therapist these days. Men, too, are increasingly seeking outside help to alleviate their romantic woes.
Couples counseling can be an effective way to mend a broken relationship, experts say, but only if people start the process before the damage is too extensive to repair.
"Many people wait until it's too late," says Doherty, a couples counselor. "Go to marriage counseling when you still don't want the divorce. Go while there's still glue there."
Is it time for you to hire a relationship referee? These signs can lead the way.
1. Your fights are getting out of control. Aaron Cooper, a psychologist at The Family Institute at Northwestern University, has a litmus test for determining whether it's time for a couple to seek outside help.
"If you're not willing to invite your children to pull up a chair and watch you fight," says Cooper, "that's a good sign you can use some help and counsel." [Read more: Is Couples Therapy Right for You?]
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Angela Haupt is a health reporter for U.S. News World Report. You can follow her on Twitter or reach her at ahaupt@usnews.com.
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