Resumo de Know Your Diabetes & Cancer Health - pocket guide to good health

Diabetes
Diabetes, or high blood sugar, is a major cause of blindness, kidney disease, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and amputation of the lower legs and feet. Almost all adults who have diabetes have type 2 diabetes. This type usually appears in middle age. The number of people in the United States who have type 2 diabetes is growing.
Exercise, a healthy diet, and watching your weight can lower your chances of getting type 2 diabetes. If you already have diabetes, those health habits and quitting smoking can help you prevent or control many of the problems of diabetes.
Your risk for type 2 diabetes increases as you get older. In the United States, almost 1 in 5 people between the ages of 65 and 74 has diabetes.
Your risk for type 2 diabetes also is higher than average if:

You are American Indian, Alaska Native, Hispanic, or black.
You have a family member with diabetes.
You are overweight.
You had diabetes during pregnancy.
You may want to be tested for diabetes if you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol. If you have diabetes, you may need to maintain lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels than you would if you did not have diabetes.

Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis, or thinning bones, makes your bones break easily. This condition is more common in women than in men. After women have gone through menopause, their bodies make less estrogen (a hormone that helps protect their bones). Their bones become more prone to breaking.
Half of all women past menopause will break a bone during their lives. A bone density test can help determine whether your bones are prone to breaking. If they are prone to breaking, your doctor may suggest that you take a medicine to reduce your risk for fractures.
Women who are 65 or older should be tested regularly. You should begin to be tested for osteoporosis at age 60 if you are at increased risk for fractures, for example, if you weigh less than 155 pounds.
You can reduce your risk for osteoporosis by:

Doing weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, climbing stairs, jogging, yoga, and lifting weights.
Getting 1,000 to 1,300 milligrams of calcium every day by eating the right foods (go to Which Foods Are High in Calcium?). A cup of milk or plain yogurt has 300 milligrams of calcium. You can also take calcium pills with vitamin D if you are not getting enough calcium in the food you eat.
Not smoking.
Taking medicines that can help prevent osteoporosis.

Which Foods Are High in Calcium?

Foods in the milk group, such as milk and dishes made with milk, cheeses, and yogurt. (Choose lower fat, lower cholesterol foods, such as skim milk.)
Canned fish with soft bones, such as sardines, anchovies, and salmon.
Dark-green leafy vegetables, such as kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, and spinach.
Tofu, if it is processed with calcium sulfate. Read the label to find out.
Tortillas, if they are made from lime-processed corn. Read the label to find out.

Tests and Exams To Find Cancers
"I knew many of my friends were getting mammograms. But I didn't think it was very important because no one in my family ever had breast cancer. Then a good friend of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she had no family history of it. So I decided to ask my doctor about the testing. She told me that all women 40 and older need a mammogram every year or two."
you can increase your chances of finding a cancer before it has spread by getting certain screening tests and exams regularly. Many cancers can be treated more easily when they are found early.
The tests you get and how often you get them will depend on your age, health history, and risks, such as family history and lifestyle.
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Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer is second only to lung cancer as a cause of death from cancer. But if colorectal cancer is caught early, it can be treated.
Older men and women are more likely to get colorectal cancer than those who are younger. Starting atage 50, you should be tested for colorectal cancer. Tell your doctor if you have had polyps or if you have family members who have had colorectal cancer, breast cancer, or cancer of the ovaries or uterus. If so, you may need to be tested more often and at an earlier age.
There are a number of effective tests, used separately or in combination, for colorectal cancer. Each has advantages and disadvantages.

Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States.

Should You Take Medicines To Reduce Your Risk for Breast Cancer?
If you are at high risk for breast cancer, talk with your doctor about whether you should take medicine to reduce your risk. While medicines can reduce some women's risk for breast cancer, they also may cause blood clots and cancer of the uterus.
From age 40 on, your risk for breast cancer increases. If you have a sister or mother who has had breast cancer, your risk is even higher. A mammogram every 1-2 years beginning at age 40 can help find this disease early when it is easier to treat.
Mammograms have a few risks. They may not find all breast cancers. Also, they may show that you have cancer when you really do not. These false-positive results could lead to unnecessary biopsies.

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