Healthy Women, Healthy Lives

• ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction by Donna ShalalaPrefaceContributorsPART ONE: GETTING STARTEDCHAPTER ONE An Exciting Time for Women's HealthPersonal Health ChoicesHealth Choices in the Real WorldCHAPTER TWO What Is the Nurses' Health Study?The Nurses' Health StudyOther Research StudiesCHAPTER THREE Making Sense of Health ResearchAbsolute RiskRelative RiskDrawing ConclusionsThe Boundaries of ResearchPART TWO: LOWERING THE RISK OF DISEASESCHAPTER FOUR Lowering the Risk of Coronary Heart DiseaseBackgroundFactors You Cannot ControlFactors You Can ControlWhat It All MeansWhat I Tell My Patients About Lowering Their Risk of Coronary Heart Disease -- Dr. Carol BatesCHAPTER FIVE Lowering the Risk of Breast CancerBackgroundFactors You Cannot ControlFactors You Can ControlReproductive FactorsWhat It All MeansWhat I Tell My Patients About Lowering Their Risk of Breast Cancer -- Dr. Nancy RigottiCHAPTER SIX Lowering the Risk of Lung CancerBackgroundFactors You Cannot ControlFactors You Can ControlWhat It All MeansWhat I Tell My Patients About Lowering Their Risk of Lung Cancer -- Dr. Celeste Robb-NicholsonCHAPTER SEVEN Lowering the Risk of StrokeBackgroundFactors You Cannot ControlFactors You Can ControlWhat It All MeansWhat I Tell My Patients About Lowering Their Risk of Stroke -- Dr. Carol BatesCHAPTER EIGHT Lowering the Risk of DiabetesBackgroundFactors You Cannot ControlFactors You Can ControlWhat It All MeansWhat I Tell My Patients About Lowering Their Risk of Adult-Onset Diabetes -- Dr. Nancy RigottiCHAPTER NINE Lowering the Risk of Colon CancerBackgroundFactors You Cannot ControlFactors You Can ControlWhat It All MeansWhat I Tell My Patients About Lowering Their Risk of Colon Cancer -- Dr. Carol BatesCHAPTER TEN Lowering the Risk of OsteoporosisBackgroundFactors You Cannot ControlFactors You Can ControlWhat It All MeansWhat I Tell My Patients About Lowering Their Risk of Osteoporosis -- Dr. Nancy RigottiCHAPTER ELEVEN Lowering the Risk of Endometrial CancerBackgroundFactors You Cannot ControlFactors You Can ControlReproductive FactorsWhat It All MeansWhat I Tell My Patients About Lowering Their Risk of Endometrial Cancer -- Dr. Celeste Robb-NicholsonCHAPTER TWELVE Lowering the Risk of Ovarian CancerBackgroundFactors You Cannot ControlFactors You Can ControlReproductive FactorsWhat It All MeansWhat I Tell My Patients About Lowering Their Risk of Ovarian Cancer -- Dr. Celeste Robb-NicholsonCHAPTER THIRTEEN Lowering the Risk of Skin CancerBackgroundFactors You Cannot ControlFactors You Can ControlWhat It All MeansWhat I Tell My Patients About Lowering Their Risk of Skin Cancer -- Dr. Carol BatesCHAPTER FOURTEEN Lowering the Risk of Asthma, Arthritis, Age-Related Eye Disease, and Alzheimer's DiseaseAsthmaArthritisAge-Related Eye DiseaseAlzheimer's DiseaseWhat I Tell My Patients About Asthma, Arthritis, Age-Related Eye Disease, and Alzheimer's Disease -- Dr. Carol BatesPART THREE: CHANGING BEHAVIORSCHAPTER FIFTEEN Physical ActivityBackgroundThe Benefits of Physical ActivityThe Risks of Physical ActivityWhat It All MeansWhat I Tell My Patients About Physical Activity -- Dr. Celeste Robb-NicholsonCHAPTER SIXTEEN Weight ControlBackgroundThe Risks of Being Overweight and Gaining WeightA Few Benefits of Being Overweight and Gaining WeightWhat It All MeansWhat I Tell My Patients About Weight Control -- Dr. Nancy RigottiCHAPTER SEVENTEEN SmokingBackgroundThe Risks of SmokingPassive SmokingWhat It All MeansWhat I Tell My Patients About Successfully Quitting Smoking -- Dr. Nancy RigottiCHAPTER EIGHTEEN The Major Nutrients -- Fat, Carbohydrates, Fiber, and ProteinBackgroundDietary FatCarbohydratesFiberProteinWhat It All MeansWhat I Tell My Patients About the Major Nutrients -- Dr. Celeste Robb-NicholsonCHAPTER NINETEEN FoodsBackgroundFruits and VegetablesNutsWhole Grain FoodsRed MeatFishEggsWhat It All MeansWhat I Tell My Patients About Foods -- Dr. Celeste Robb-NicholsonCHAPTER TWENTY AlcoholBackgroundThe Benefits of Moderate Alcohol ConsumptionThe Risks of Moderate Alcohol ConsumptionWhat It All MeansWhat I Tell My Patients About Drinking Alcohol -- Dr. Celeste Robb-NicholsonCHAPTER TWENTY-ONE Vitamins and MineralsBackgroundVitamin A and CarotenoidsVitamin DVitamin EVitamin CFolateVitamins B6 and B12Sodium (Salt)CalciumMagnesiumPotassiumSeleniumIronWhat It All Means -- Vitamins and MineralsWhat I Tell My Patients About Vitamins and Minerals -- Dr. Nancy RigottiCHAPTER TWENTY-TWO Postmenopausal HormonesBackgroundThe Benefits of Postmenopausal HormonesThe Risks of Postmenopausal HormonesWhat It All MeansStrategies for Postmenopausal Hormone UseWhat I Tell My Patients About Postmenopausal Hormones -- Dr. Celeste Robb-NicholsonCHAPTER TWENTY-THREE Birth ControlBackgroundBirth Control PillsHormonal Implants and InjectionsIUDs (Intrauterine Devices)Barrier MethodsTubal LigationNatural MethodsStrategies for Birth Control UseWhat I Tell My Patients About Birth Control -- Dr. Carol BatesCHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR Aspirin and Other Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)BackgroundBenefits of Aspirin and Other NSAIDsRisks of Aspirin and Other NSAIDsWhat It All MeansWhat I Tell My Patients About the Proper and Safe Use of Aspirin and Other NSAIDs -- Dr. Carol BatesAPPENDIX A Types of Epidemiologic StudiesAPPENDIX B Being an Informed Consumer of Health InformationAPPENDIX C Some Useful TablesGlossarySelected ReadingsIndex

Susan Love author of Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book and Dr. Susan Love's Hormone Book In this age of hype and sound bites, it is refreshing to read a book based on data. Thank you to the authors and especially thank you to all the nurses who participated in this landmark study, which now gives us the guide we need to live healthy lives.