How Good Are Those New Tests for Oral Cancer?
You may have seen ads claiming there are new tests for oral cancer “as powerful as a Pap test or colonoscopy.” This would be welcome news—if true. The number of cases of oral cancer has actually been declining in the U.S., perhaps because tobacco use (the main risk factor) has dropped. About 30,000 cases were diagnosed last year, two-thirds of them men. The five-year survival rate is only about 50%, largely because oral cancer is hard to identify and treat before it has spread. It’s encouraging that researchers are seeking new tests. The trouble is that the new tests have never been shown to be reliable for routine screening. None has been shown to improve detection of oral cancer, let alone save lives.

When Niacin Is a Drug
If you’ve learned that your blood cholesterol levels put you at risk for heart disease, your first steps have no doubt been to improve your diet, lose weight, and get more exercise. However, these changes may not help enough. In that case, the doctor usually prescribes a statin drug. But there is also a vitamin, niacin, which in large doses can improve cholesterol levels. Niacin’s beneficial effect on blood cholesterol has been recognized for at least half a century. It does not reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol as much as statins. But one advantage of niacin is that it raises HDL (“good“) cholesterol substantially; statins raise HDL only modestly. It also decreases triglycerides, fats in the blood that may increase the risk of heart disease.

Should You Be Wary of Nitrites?
Some processed meats boast of having “no nitrites” or being “naturally cured.” Are they safer than conventionally cured meat? Sodium nitrite is typically added to bacon, sausage, ham, hot dogs, and luncheon meats to inhibit growth of bacteria, especially those that cause botulism. It also contributes to the characteristic flavor and pink color of cured meats. The concern is that nitrites can combine with components of protein, called amines, to form nitrosamines, which cause cancer in laboratory animals. And though never proven to cause cancer in people, diets high in cured and other processed meats have long been linked to stomach and other cancers. Thanks to improved preservation techniques, cured meats today contain only one-fifth of what they did in the 1970s. There’s no evidence that the small amounts of nitrite-cured meat typically consumed by Americans or Canadians pose a significant health risk. Still, moderation is a good idea.

Wellness Guide to BPH
A common problem for older men, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a noncancerous growth of the prostate. The prostate, a walnut-sized gland below the bladder and in front of the rectum, is important in sexual function and reproduction, providing much of the seminal fluid that carries sperm. The gland grows slowly as men age, pressing on the bladder, and in some men this enlargement begins to cause symptoms by mid-life. By age 60 half of all men have trouble urinating, and by age 70 it’s nine out of ten. Here are practical steps you can take to limit BPH symptoms, plus medical options.

Ice vs. Heat
Should you use ice or heat if you’ve pulled a back muscle or sprained an ankle, or have a chronic musculoskeletal condition? What you do can make a difference in your recovery.

A New Twist on Light Bulbs
A rumor is now circulating that compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)—the kind your electric company and the government are urging you to use instead of traditional incandescent bulbs—are too dangerous to use. This is not true. Switching to CFLs is a change everybody should make. These spiral bulbs save money by reducing electrical consumption, and thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as the amount of mercury that coal-fired electrical plants release into the air and oceans.

ASK THE EXPERTS
Our readers ask: Can taking fish oil capsules help treat psoriasis? Is it a problem if one of my legs is shorter than the other? What is natto, and does it have health benefits—what about natto supplements? How dangerous is snuff? Full Story

WELL & INFORMED
Tips, Short Takes, and Other News You Can Use
12 ways to get more out of walking. . . Spending more on health care but getting less.

WELLNESS TIPS

• All women of childbearing age, not just those who know they are pregnant, should consume at least 400 micrograms of folic acid a day, since it’s important to start building up blood levels at least four weeks before becoming pregnant. This B vitamin greatly reduces the risk of neural tube birth defects. To be sure you’re getting enough folic acid (also called folate), take a multivitamin or eat a fortified cereal that supplies 400 micrograms.

• If you have low-back pain, try acetaminophen first. According to a new review, acetaminophen (one brand is Tylenol) is as effective as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)—aspirin, ibuprofen (such as Advil and Motrin), naproxen (such as Aleve), or prescription Celebrex—and has fewer side effects.

• Don’t wash reusable polycarbonate drinking bottles with very hot water or store hot beverages in them, since that can greatly increase the release of bisphonel A (BPA) into liquid subsequently stored in them, according to a recent study at the University of Cincinnati. BPA is a hormone-like chemical that has been linked to health problems in animal research.

• If you fall for no apparent reason, tell your doctor. Often the falls are caused by problems that can be treated or at least minimized.

• If you’re taking red yeast rice capsules in order to avoid a cholesterol-lowering drug, you should be aware that this dietary supplement actually contains the same ingredient as a statin drug—lovastatin (brand name Mevacor). However, since supplements are largely unregulated, you don’t know how much lovastatin they supply (usually a low dose) or what other substances are present.

• Don’t underestimate the effect of lack of sleep on your driving skills. Sleeping only four hours a night for five nights, on average, or five hours a night for a week can impair you as much as being awake for 24 hours—or being legally drunk. Having one beer in that sleepy condition has the effect of a six pack.