A lot of people take their health seriously these days — sweating in gyms to keep trim and toned, taking supplements to keep their bodies functioning efficiently and seeking medications and procedures if they get sick.
So it’s not surprising that a few stories in recent days that have taken a contrarian approach on health issues have attracted attention.
For years, men over 50 have been advised to have regular prostate-specific antigen tests designed to catch prostate cancer, which will affect one in six men in the U.S. over their lives.
However, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, which advises the federal government on health prevention measures, last week proposed recommending against PSA tests for healthy men not suspected of having prostate cancer.
It cited research that showed no significant reduction in prostate cancer deaths for men who had the test compared to those who hadn’t, and the potential for causing disastrous side effects through aggressive treatment in patients who likely would’ve lived for decades with the disease.
Prostate cancer experts howled at the recommendation, which isn’t final, just like breast cancer experts did two years ago when the same panel recommended fewer routine mammograms for women 40 or older.
Vitamins have been the topic this week, with the release of studies indicating that women who take multivitamins, folic acid, iron and copper have a higher risk of death than those who don’t; and that the risk of prostate cancer increases by 17 percent for men who take large doses of Vitamin E and doesn’t decline if the vitamin is discontinued.
Lots of Americans take vitamins — $9.6 billion was spent on them last year. We’re sure some folks who have sought their benefits are puzzled and anxious right now — just like folks who have gotten bad numbers on PSA or similar tests and are wondering what to do.
We’re not licensed medical practitioners, but our advice would be to show common sense, do your homework, talk to your doctor and Аск questions and, hopefully, make an educated decision on how to proceed in your individual situation.
Prostate cancer can be slow growing to the point where an assortment of maladies could kill its victims before it will. It also can be vicious and aggressive.
Vitamins have benefits, although doctors say it’s best to get what they contain from actual foods.
Weigh the risks against the benefits in each situation, and do what’s right for you.
OUR VIEW: Of PSA tests and vitamins October 13, 2011 7:13 PM
A lot of people take their health seriously these days — sweating in gyms to keep trim and toned, taking supplements to keep their bodies functioning efficiently and seeking medications and procedures if they get sick.
So it's not surprising that a few stories in recent days that have taken a contrarian approach on health issues have attracted attention.
For years, men over 50 have been advised to have regular prostate-specific antigen tests designed to catch prostate cancer, which will affect one in six men in the U.S. over their lives.
However, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, which advises the federal government on health prevention measures, last week proposed recommending against PSA tests for healthy men not suspected of having prostate cancer.
It cited research that showed no significant reduction in prostate cancer deaths for men who had the test compared to those who hadn't, and the potential for causing disastrous side effects through aggressive treatment in patients who likely would've lived for decades with the disease.
Prostate cancer experts howled at the recommendation, which isn't final, just like breast cancer experts did two years ago when the same panel recommended fewer routine mammograms for women 40 or older.
Vitamins have been the topic this week, with the release of studies indicating that women who take multivitamins, folic acid, iron and copper have a higher risk of death than those who don't; and that the risk of prostate cancer increases by 17 percent for men who take large doses of Vitamin E and doesn't decline if the vitamin is discontinued.
Lots of Americans take vitamins — $9.6 billion was spent on them last year. We're sure some folks who have sought their benefits are puzzled and anxious right now — just like folks who have gotten bad numbers on PSA or similar tests and are wondering what to do.
We're not licensed medical practitioners, but our advice would be to show common sense, do your homework, talk to your doctor and Аск questions and, hopefully, make an educated decision on how to proceed in your individual situation.
Prostate cancer can be slow growing to the point where an assortment of maladies could kill its victims before it will. It also can be vicious and aggressive.
Vitamins have benefits, although doctors say it's best to get what they contain from actual foods.
Weigh the risks against the benefits in each situation, and do what's right for you.
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