cwsmithsonian.org

Making Cancer Harder to Detect The American Cancer Society says that about 5 percent of women with fibrocystic breast changes are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer. Women who have the condition, along with another type of change in the cells known as atypia, are about four times more likely to develop breast [...]

Dwana Goodan, of Mt. Sterling, Ohio, was 38 when she first felt lumps in her breast. “I was terrified for days.” When her doctor finally told her she had cysts caused by “fibrocystic breast disease,” she panicked. “My first thought was, ‘it’s cancer.’” The scare was for naught, as fibrocystic breast change (sometimes mislabeled fibrocystic [...]

Q.What can you tell me about the West Nile encephalitis virus? This virus has been linked to an outbreak in New York recently, but I can’t find any information about it.

One of the biggest risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is obesity. Indeed, many people with OSAHS remember that they had problems sleeping and began to snore after gaining a certain amount of weight.

Macrobiotics is more than a diet. It is a philosophy of living. In Greek, “macro” means “big” or “great,” and “biotic” means “concerning life,” so macrobiotics refers to the “big view of life.” Macrobiotics is based on the ancient Chinese concept of yin and yang, opposite qualities interconnected to form a whole.

Women under 40 who develop ovarian cancer may be able to have children if their cancer is a particular type or found early and they undergo conservative, fertility-sparing surgery, results of a study suggest.

As we traverse menopause, we undergo great fluctuations in hormonal levels that may affect our sleep patterns and quality. Studies have shown that during the perimenopausal years, there is an increased incidence of complaints associated with sleep. Owens and Matthews studied sleep disturbances in healthy middle-age women and found that overall, 42 percent of these [...]

Now, according to the National Stroke Association, as yet unpublished research suggests that people can easily learn to detect atrial fibrillation with a self-test. The NSA’s August 12 announcement detailed the results from a study of 178 adults, three quarters of whom were able to accurately find atrial fibrillation with a few instructions.

Many people have never heard of atrial fibrillation, though this heart rhythm disorder affects up to 1 person in 20 over age 65 and can be life-threatening if left untreated. But a new technique allows you to screen yourself at home for this condition, and a recent study finds that most people can successfully detect [...]

Use your imagination when it comes to foreplay. Foreplay need not begin between the sheets. Held suggests you might take in a racy film. Be daring and willing to try new things. Try to remind yourself how much fun you had while dating. Sporting competition? Songs?