Compiled by Peggy O'Farrell
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Research

No crystal ball: Certain genes and risky behaviors can indicate whether a person has a family history of colon cancer. But a family history of the disease can't predict whether a person will have cancer-related genes or behaviors, a new study says.

The study by Dr. Temotope O. Keku and colleagues at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did find that people with and without family history of colon cancer were equally likely to follow high-risk diets.

Changing those behaviors among people with a family history of the disease could reduce their risk of cancer without targeting their genes, Keku said.

Diets high in fat and cooked red meat and low in fiber and folate add to the risk of colon cancer.

Researchers studied the DNA of 230 adults with a family history of colon cancer. Researchers also collected data on participants' eating habits and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Some lab studies have shown that such drugs can prevent benign polyps that grow in the colorectal tract from becoming cancerous.

People with a family history of colon cancer were more likely to have cancer-related variations of the NAT2 gene, and people with the NAT2 variation who routinely ate red meat were more likely to have a family history of colon cancer.

People with a family history were also more likely to have a variation of another gene and less likely to use aspirin or ibuprofen regularly.

Calendar

For parents: Susan LeCates will present "All About Headaches" at 7 p.m. Thursday at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center's outpatient office in the Mercy Center for Health and Wellness, Anderson Township. Cost: $5. Reservations: 636-6100.

Coping: Dr. Maureen Dwyer will present "Coping with Depression and Chronic Illness" at 6:15 p.m. March 5 at St. Elizabeth Behavioral Health Center, Edgewood. Reservations: the Mental Health Association of Northern Kentucky, (859) 292-2486.

Tips

Follow these tips from the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians to reduce the risk of falling at home:

• Improve lighting, including using night lights.

• Fasten rugs to the floor or use a nonskid backing.

• Clear electrical cords from the floor.

• Install handrails in the bathroom and use a mat or nonskid strips in the tub/shower.

• Put rails on both sides of the stairs.

• Put kitchen supplies within easy reach.

• Arrange furniture to allow open pathways.

• Sit before standing in the morning to make sure you're not dizzy.

• Wear shoes with nonskid soles.

Resource

Extinguished: The American Gastroenterological Association is offering a brochure, Heartburn: How to Get It Off Your Chest, to answer questions about heartburn and acid reflux. To order, visit Web site or call (877) 488-9800.

Contact Peggy O'Farrell by phone, 768-8510; fax, 768-8330, or e-mail, pofarrell@enquirer.com