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September 30, 2008
Fewer lumpectomy patients follow through with radiation
 Lumpectomy is as effective as mastectomy only if it includes lymph node testing and a course of radiation treatments. But according to a 2003 study, only 71 percent of lumpectomy patients followed through with radiation — down from 79 percent in 1992.
That's according to University of Minnesota epidemiologist Beth Virnig.
“A lot of women with serious breast cancer are not getting comprehensive treatment,” she told Good Housekeeping magazine.
More from Good Housekeeping
Social Oppression, Homosexuality, and Health
 For more than 150 years, scholars and educators have debated whether homosexuality is an objective disorder or whether social oppression, not homosexuality, leads to the higher rates of depression, drug use, and HIV in gay men.
In a study of 422 Midwestern gay and bisexual men, Simon Rosser, a University of Minnesota epidemiologist, found that in all cases, internalized negative attitudes about homosexuality predicted poorer mental health.
Rosser says that his findings show that the old advice, which encouraged gay men to deny their homosexuality, is harmful.
• Listen to Rosser on our Public Health Moment podcast
September 23, 2008
The Health Benefit of Whole Grains
 Each year the Whole Grains Council promotes September as Whole Grains Month.
Why are whole grains important for our diet? We asked Lyn Steffen, a University of Minnesota expert on nutrition.
She says that research at the University of Minnesota indicates that greater consumption of whole grain food is associated with a lower mortality rate and a decreased risk of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
Steffen adds that the best sources for whole grain include whole grain breads and cereals, including oatmeal.
• Listen to Steffen on our Public Health Moment podcast
September 19, 2008
BPA associated with heart disease, diabetes
 Higher levels of Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical compound used in some plastic packaging for food and beverages, is associated with cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and liver-enzyme abnormalities, according to a study in the Sept. 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Bill Toscano, an environmental health professor at the University of Minnesota, says that the study is unique because it's the first time that risks from BPA have been identified to affect humans.
He recommends minimizing exposure for kids and parents. But that's easier said than done.
In an interview with KARE 11, Toscano said: "It's everywhere. We make about 7 million pounds of it a year. It's in plastic, hard plastic bottles, Nalgene bottles, a lot of baby bottles, inside liners of tin cans; it's used in dentistry now to replace mercury."
Read more and watch the KARE 11 report
Read the JAMA news release
September 18, 2008
Diet, exercise key to healthy aging
September is Healthy Aging Month, a campaign intended to focus attention on the positive aspects of growing older.
Lyn Steffen, a University of Minnesota epidemiologist, says that it’s important for seniors to adopt healthy dietary practices in order to better manage chronic conditions. She says that 80 percent of elderly Americans have at least one chronic condition and 50 percent have two or more.
Steffan adds that an active lifestyle is also a key to healthy aging.
• Listen to Steffen on Public Health Moment
September 11, 2008
Lowering the Drinking Age
 Underage drinking has long alarmed college administrators and health professionals. But now a deep schism is forming among those same people on how to address the problem.
Last month, more than 100 college presidents signed a petition calling for a debate on whether the minimum legal drinking age should be lowered from 21 to 18.
That's a bad idea, says Traci Toomey (pictured), a University of Minnesota researcher. She says in a 2002 analysis of high-quality studies on the age-21 drinking law's effects, the majority of studies found that the higher drinking age resulted in lower rates of traffic crashes, none found the opposite.
�It is the most well-studied alcohol control policy we have in this country,� says Toomey, an associate professor in the School of Public Health.
Listen to Toomey discuss this issue
More about lowering the drinkin age from theday.com
September 4, 2008
Prostate Cancer Screening
 A national task force of has recommended that doctors stop screening men ages 75 and older for prostate cancer because the search for the disease in this group was causing more harm than good.
The PSA or Prostate Specific Antigen test is the screening method that doctors use, says Tim Church, a University of Minnesota expert on cancer screenings.
Church adds that two large clinical research trials are looking at whether or not screening is beneficial for men under age 75. While awaiting those results, Church says men who have concerns should talk to their doctor.
• Listen to Church on Public Health Moment
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