Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource - Tip of the Month - November 2002

Friday, November 22, 2002

New Imaging Technique Shows Promise for Breast Cancer Detection

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a new breast-imaging technique that shows promise in improving breast cancer detection, according to the November issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource.

The new technique is called magnetic resonance (MR) elastography. It uses a combination of sound waves beamed into the breast and magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate tissues within the breast. In a preliminary study, Mayo Clinic researchers compared breast images of healthy women to those with known breast cancer. The images of the women with breast cancer showed areas of very high tissue stiffness, which corresponded to the known breast tumors. The new technique offers potential to improve breast cancer detection because cancerous breast tumors tend to be harder than normal tissues and most noncancerous tumors.

MR elastography is still in the early stages of development and is not available for routine breast imaging.

Insulin Resistance Syndrome - Common and Increasing

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - If you're overweight, have high blood pressure and high blood fat levels, you may have insulin resistance syndrome, an increasingly common condition that can lead to both heart disease and diabetes.

Recent studies show that insulin resistance syndrome affects as many as one in three Americans, a 60 percent increase over the last decade, according to the November issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource.

Insulin resistance means that body tissues that need insulin become less sensitive to its effects. Insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas, is needed to allow glucose to enter cells. Glucose is used by cells to fuel body processes. So, your body churns out more and more insulin into your blood in an effort to help glucose get into your cells. This works for a while, but eventually causes serious health problems. Doctors diagnose insulin resistance by evaluating triglyceride levels, blood pressure, fasting blood sugar levels, HDL "good" cholesterol levels and waist size. Treatments include exercising daily, losing weight, increasing dietary fiber and stopping smoking.

Eggs-actly Speaking, Are Eggs Bad for You?

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Perfect food with protein, vitamin A, vitamin D, riboflavin and other vitamins and minerals, or the culprit that may make cholesterol creep up to dangerous levels? Eggs are both, according to the November issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource.

One whole egg has 213 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol. The American Heart Association recommends that healthy people limit their cholesterol to 300 mg a day. If you have an egg for breakfast, that means limiting meat, poultry and dairy products the rest of the day to stay within the recommended guideline.

For people with coronary artery disease, high cholesterol or other cardiovascular risks, the recommended limit for cholesterol intake is 200 mg a day. That makes eating an egg regularly a challenge because most people get cholesterol from other foods, too. For example, a 3-oz. portion of skinless chicken has 70 to 75 mg of cholesterol. A similar portion of fish has 20 to 60 mg of cholesterol.

Consider egg substitutes as an option. Egg substitutes, which can be used in most recipes, provide color, thickening, consistency and nutrients - without the fat and cholesterol.

Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource is published monthly to help women enjoy healthier, more productive lives. Revenue from subscriptions is used to support medical research at Mayo Clinic. To subscribe, please call 1-800-291-1128.

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