VOL UME 23 • N UMBER 12 AUGUST 2016
3 trends worth tapping into
Activity trackers, farmers’ markets, and mindfulness aren’t just passing
fancies. They can help you develop beneficial health habits.
T
he word “trendy” has come
to refer to a fad or fash-
ion that may have little lasting
value, so it can be a turn-off,
© Digital Vision |Thinkstock
especially when applied to
health practices. But trends can
also have lasting health bene-
fits—for example, the trends
toward making public places
smoke-free or adding calo-
rie counts to fast-food menus.
There is increasing evidence
that the three trends below fall At farmers’ markets, produce is
into the “beneficial” category. likely to be at its freshest.
➊ Wearing activity trackers
Exercise is as close to a “magic bul-
let” as anything medicine has to offer. Physi-
cal activity has been linked to a lower risk of
heart attack, stroke, diabetes, many cancers,
osteoporosis, and dementia. “If a pill could
have such diverse benefits, everyone would
be clamoring for it,” says Dr. JoAnn Manson,
chief of preventive medicine at Harvard-affili-
ated Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “Most of
us are well aware that we need the equivalent
of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on
most days, but many of us lack the motivation
to get moving.”
More than 13 million wearable activity
trackers—which record the number of steps
taken and minutes of activity a day—were
sold in the United States in 2015. They have
been marketed as a solution to inertia, and
in this case, the marketers may be right. A
steady stream of research shows that the small
devices—worn on the wrist or clipped to cloth-
ing—actually encourage people to become
more active. In study after study, women 50 or
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INSIDE
older who were given activity
trackers to wear not only sig-
nificantly increased the num-
ber of steps they took daily
and the minutes they spent in
moderate to vigorous activity,
but also expressed an inter-
est in using the trackers and
increasing their goals after the
studies ended.
The key to the devices’
success seems to be in the
continual stream of feed-
back that users can access on
their smartphones, tablets,
or computers. Many also enjoyed competing
against themselves, friends, or others in their
age groups. “Getting this type of feedback is
empowering and helps to change behavior,”
Dr. Manson says. To tap into this trend, expect
to pay about $100 for a device that logs steps,
miles, active minutes, and sleep time.
➋ Shopping at farmers’ markets
In the last 30 years, farmers’ markets have
moved from the sides of rural roads to the cen-
ters of major cities and everywhere in between.
Although it may be coincidental, farmers’ mar-
kets are tailor-made for people who are serious
about following the 2015–2020 Dietary Guide-
lines for Americans, which advise a gradual
shift to a plant-based diet centered around veg-
etables, fruits, and whole grains. In one recent
study conducted by researchers at Harvard T.H.
Chan School of Public Health, when people
began to shop at inner-city farmers’ markets,
they also consumed less sugary soda and more
vegetables than they had previously. Farmers’
continued on p. 7 ▶▶
Ask the Doctors . . . . . . . . . 2
� I’m having a hysterectomy.
Should my ovaries be removed?
� Will progesterone avert
miscarriage?
Brain boosters . . . . . . . . . . 3
Two everyday habits can improve
mental acuity.
Hand exercises . . . . . . . . . 4
Short workouts can build strength,
and increase flexibility.
Why you need aspirin . . . . 6
It can prevent and arrest heart
attack and stroke.
Swallowing pills . . . . . . . . . 7
Simple tricks can help the
medicine go down.
Research we’re watching . . 8
� “Second skin” reduces eye bags
� Regular attendance at religious
services may lead to longer life
� Migraine linked to heart disease
IMPORTANT SKIN CARE UPDATE
Skin Care & Repair: Smart ways
to protect and care for your skin
www.health.harvard.edu/betterskin
FIVE THINGS TO
DO THIS MONTH
1 Take a morning walk. You’ll
greet the day with a sharper
mind. (page3)
2 Get a grip. Hand exercises can
give you a firmer grasp. (page 4)
3 Get some “adult” aspirin.
Your first-aid kit should contain
a bottle of 325-milligram pills.
(page 6)
4 Tuck your chin. It helps you
swallow pills. (page 7)
5 If you’re a believer, seek out
services. Regular attendance
may lengthen your life. (page 8)
 ASK THE DOCTORS
by Hope Ricciotti, M.D., and Hye-Chun Hur, M.D., M.P.H.

Should my doctor take out my

ovaries during my hysterectomy?

Editor in Chief Hope Ricciotti, MD

Q I’m having a hysterectomy for uterine pro-
lapse. Are there advantages to leaving my
ovaries, or should they be removed as well?

A
Associate Faculty Editor Hye-Chun Hur, MD, MPH
Executive Editor Beverly Merz
It depends on your age. In the past, it was
Editorial Board
common to recommend that women who
Board members are associated with Harvard Medical School were planning hysterectomies for benign problems to have their fallopian tubes
and affiliated institutions.
and ovaries removed to greatly decrease the risk of ovarian cancer—a deadly can-
Women’s Health Karen Carlson, MD, Martha K. Richardson, MD,
Isaac Schiff, MD cer for which there is no good screening test. If you are nearing or have completed
Bone Disease Scott Martin, MD, Donald T. Reilly, MD, PhD menopause, there is little disadvantage to this approach.
Cancer Marc Garnick, MD
However, for younger women, data from several major studies have challenged
Dermatology Kenneth Arndt, MD, Suzanne Olbricht, MD
Endocrinology Alan Malabanan, MD the notion that the ovaries should routinely be removed along with the uterus when
Exercise/Lifestyle I-Min Lee, MD, ScD, JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DrPH conditions other than cancer are the reason for the hyster-
Gastroenterology Jacqueline Lee Wolf, MD ectomy. The studies indicate that when a woman has a hys-
Geriatrics Suzanne E. Salamon, MD
Heart Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH,
terectomy with removal of tubes and ovaries for a benign
Paula A. Johnson, MD, Peter Zimetbaum, MD condition, her risk of breast and ovarian cancer declines, but

© alexander_yoel | Thinkstock
Neurology Gad Marshall, MD her likelihood of developing heart disease, stroke, or lung
Nutrition Eric B. Rimm, ScD
Psychiatry Ann R. Epstein, MD, Michael Miller, MD,
cancer goes up. In fact, losing her ovaries increases her risk
Ronald Schouten, MD, JD of dying from any cause. Removing the fallopian tubes, but
• not the ovaries, appears to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, but not to the same
Customer Service
extent as removal of both the tubes and ovaries.
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Letters Harvard Women’s Health Watch You can then better weigh the potential risks and benefits of all three approaches.
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Subscriptions $32 per year (U.S.) Does taking progesterone reduce miscarriage risk?
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Email HHP_licensing@hms.harvard.edu Q My daughter is 42 and pregnant. She has had one miscarriage. I’ve read that
progesterone may help prevent another one. Should she take it?

A
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Miscarriage is more common as women get older, and for women in their 40s,
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Email womens_health@hms.harvard.edu
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Letters Harvard Women’s Health Watch there is nothing that a woman or her doctor can do to change this outcome. Most of
10 Shattuck St., 2nd Floor these are abnormal pregnancies, destined from the moment of conception to result
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occurred because there was inadequate progesterone being produced to support the
a division of Harvard Medical School pregnancy. However, a new controlled clinical trial—the first to compare progester-
Editor in Chief Gregory D. Curfman, MD
one to placebo in women with recurrent miscarriage—showed no improvement in
pregnancy outcomes. Still, nearly two-thirds had healthy pregnancies, with or with-
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Norwalk, CT 06854. Robert Englander, Chairman and This study suggests that trying again and again may be the answer. As difficult as
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 Need a quick brain boost? Take a walk
A brief bout of aerobic exercise can help if you need to stay
focused on a task and solve problems more efficiently.
I t’s not news that
exercise is good for
your body. You can
probably recite the lit-
any of physical bene-
fits of regular activity:
Exercise helps control
your weight, lowers
your blood pressure,
and dampens inflam-
mation. It reduces the
risk of having a heart
© Ryan McVay | Thinkstock
attack or stroke or of
developing diabetes or
certain cancers.
But exercise is just
A brisk walk can sharpen your mind.
as important for your
mind. Not only is regular exercise asso-
ciated with a reduced risk of depression
and anxiety, there is mounting evidence
that it slows cognitive decline and may
reduce the risk of dementia. “There is
good evidence that exercise behaves like
medicine to improve brain health and
thinking skills. There is a growing body
of science behind this,” says Dr. Scott
McGinnis, assistant clinical professor of
psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
Moreover, it turns out that some of
exercise’s benefits are almost instanta-
neous. Recent research has shown that 20
to 30 minutes of exercise before under-
taking a mental task may quicken reac-
tion time and sharpen decision making.
What the research found
Several studies conducted over the past
few decades have determined that doing
© Yuri Arcurs | Thinkstock
aerobic exercise shortly before taking a
test improved young adults’ reaction
times and performance on standard-
ized mental exams. However, although
there was accumulating evidence that
months of regular exercise improved
older people’s cognitive function, few
studies testing the immediate effects of
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improvements in their reaction times
while the sedentary group showed no
improvement.
� Exercise works for older men and
women. In a 2015 Chinese study of
46 healthy people ages 60 to 70, 30
exercise included peo-
ple over 60.
Studies over the
minutes on an exercise bike improved
both accuracy and reaction time.
Moreover, people who were the most
last few years are fill- fit had significantly greater improve-
ing that void. The ment than those who were least fit.
studies employ com- � Exercise gives older fit women a
mon standardized tests brain boost. In 2015, researchers
that evaluate reaction at Bowling Green State University
time, decision making, reported a study of 11 healthy, fit
and memory. Results women ages 60 to 75. The women
reported to date indi- took the mental test twice—after
cate that older brains 20 minutes of moderate cycling and
get the same ben- after 20 minutes of vigorous cycling.
efit from exercise as Their scores improved significantly
younger ones. Here’s a after both exercise bouts, but mod-
sample: erate exercise seemed to work about
� Exercise works for as well as the more intense workout.
adults of all ages. A team of Stan-
ford researchers studied 144 men and The bottom line
women ages 19 to 91, who were ran- The next time you’re facing a chal-
domly assigned to two groups. All lenge—be it a difficult crossword puzzle
of the participants took a test that or the road test to renew your license—
assessed memory and reaction time. you may want to take a brisk walk
One group looked at pictures for 30 beforehand. Better yet, make that walk
minutes, while the other rode sta- a daily practice. You’ll get a bigger brain
tionary bikes at a moderate rate. Both benefit from exercise the next time you
groups then took the test again. The need it, and you may be increasing
participants who had exercised— your chances of preserving your men-
regardless of age—had significant tal capacity for years to come.
Try a cup of joe for an extra brain jolt
A cup of coffee before a morning walk may have additional brain benefits. Studies
have shown that ingesting caffeine immediately before a workout both sharpens
athletes’ cognitive skills and increases their speed and endurance.
Even when you’re not able to exercise, a cup or two of coffee
can improve mental speed and accuracy in decision making,
according to preliminary results presented at the April 2016
meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society. Researchers
from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom gave cogni-
tive tests to 38 healthy adults, ages 55 to 91, on different days.
One day the participants were tested after drinking a cup of
decaf; another day, after downing a cup of regular coffee. The
researchers found modest improvements in the participants’
reaction time and accuracy only after they drank regular coffee.
August 2016 | Harvard Women’s Health Watch | 3
Help for your hands exercises help increase a joint’s range
of motion or lengthen a muscle and
its associated tendons through stretch-
A few simple exercises can preserve the strength and ing; these are helpful for osteoarthri-
flexibility of your hands and wrists. tis as well as tennis elbow and golfer’s
elbow—but not when the joints are

T here’s a reason that “having a good

grip on the situation” is used as a
metaphor for mastery. In physiologi-
cal testing, grip strength is one of the
indicators of health and vitality. Yet,
although we may exercise to strengthen
our cores and limbs, most of us don’t
make an effort to strengthen our fore-
arms and our hands. “We use our hands
continually, but we don’t take the time to
deliberately exercise them,” says Joanne
P. Bosch, a physical therapist and certi-
fied hand therapist at Harvard-affiliated
Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
That said, it’s not a good idea to
rush out and buy a device promoted
for building a “crushing hand grip” or
inflamed or painful. Other exercises
strengthen muscles around a joint to
generate more power or to give that spe-
cific body part greater endurance. These
are helpful for resolving tendinitis and
non-painful arthritis conditions.
Bosch says the following exercises
are commonly recommended for peo-
ple with hand and wrist problems,
but they can also help preserve hand
strength. However, if you have a pain-
ful or debilitating hand, wrist, or arm

A good grip and flexible hands are essential for
performing routine daily tasks, like slicing food.
to start squeezing a tennis ball. “Doing
the wrong exercise can actually exacer-
bate some problems, particularly carpal
tunnel syndrome,” Bosch says.
How the right exercises
can help your hands
Therapists recommend specific exer-
cises to treat specific conditions. Some
© SolisImages | Thinkstock
condition, it’s best to get specific exer-
cise recommendations from a thera-
pist rather than trying something on
your own.
All exercises should be done slowly
and deliberately, to avoid pain and
injury. If you feel numbness or pain
during or after exercising, stop and con-
sult a therapist.

Strengthening exercises Wrist extension and flexion

� Wrist extension and flexion
� Wrist supination/pronation
By holding light weights (1 to 3 pounds)
during the two range-of-motion exercises at
right, you can begin a gentle strengthening
program. Increase the weight gradually
over time, making sure you can control the
movement while holding the weight within a
normal (or recommended) range of motion.
Begin with one set of 10 repetitions. If you
don’t experience any pain over the following
24 hours, gradually build up to doing three
sets of 10, as tolerated, exercising every
other day. Make sure the exercise is not
painful or causing any numbness. Do the
exercises slowly and deliberately, holding the
positions for a count of 10.
Be sure to do these only every other day,
because your muscles need to rest for 24 to
48 hours between sessions.
� Place your forearm on a table on a
rolled-up towel for padding, with your
hand resting off the edge of the table,
palm down.
� Move the hand upward until you feel a
gentle stretch.
� Return to the starting position.
� Repeat the same motions with the
elbow bent at your side, palm facing up.
Illustrations by Scott Leighton
Wrist supination/pronation
� Stand or sit with your arm at
your side, with the elbow bent
to 90 degrees, palm facing
down.
� Rotate your forearm, so that
your palm faces up and then
down.

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 Hand/finger tendon glide
1. Start with the fingers
extended straight up.
2. Make a hook fist;
return to a straight hand.
3. Make a full fist; return
to a straight hand.
4. Make a straight fist;
return to a straight hand.
Thumb flexion/extension
Range-of-motion
exercises
� Wrist extension and flexion
� Wrist supination/pronation
� Hand/finger tendon glide
� Thumb flexion/extension
� Wrist ulnar/radial deviation
Your muscles and tendons move the
joints through arcs of motion, as
1. 2. 3. 4.
Straight hand Hook fist Full fist Straight fist when you bend and straighten your
fingers. If your normal range of motion
is impaired—if you can’t bend your
Wrist ulnar/radial deviation thumb without pain, for example—you
may have trouble doing ordinary
things like opening a jar.
These exercises move your wrist and
fingers through their normal ranges
of motion and require all the hand’s
tendons to perform their specific
functions. Hold each position for five
to 10 seconds. Do one set of 10
repetitions of each exercise, three
times a day.

� Begin with your thumb positioned
outward.
� Move the thumb across the palm and
back to the starting position.
Wrist extensor stretches
Illustrations by Scott Leighton
� Support your forearm on its side
(on a table on a rolled-up towel for
padding) or rest it on your knee,
thumb upward.
� Move the hand straight up and down
in small motions.
Wrist flexor stretches
Stretching exercises
� Wrist extensor stretches
� Wrist flexor stretches
Stretching helps maximize the length
of a muscle-tendon unit. If you do
repetitive tasks, such as typing on
a computer or gripping gardening
tools, your muscles may shorten and
become tight and painful. Stretching
can help counter that problem.
These stretches are particularly
useful for relieving tendinitis and
tight forearm muscles, which are
common in people who work at

computers for long periods of time.

� Begin with a bent elbow.
� With the other hand, grasp the thumb
side of the hand and bend your wrist
downward.
� To increase the stretch, bend your
wrist toward your little finger.
� Repeat the same exercise with a
straight arm.
� Begin with a bent elbow.
� Grasp the fingers of that hand with
the other.
� Pull the hand back gently.
� Repeat the same exercise with a
straight arm.
Do these stretches gently, to the
point where you feel the stretch but
it is not painful. To get the most
benefit, do four repetitions of each
stretch twice a day, holding the
stretch for 15 to 30 seconds each
time. Rest for 30 seconds between
repetitions.

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Why you should always have Dr. Laidlaw notes that higher doses
of aspirin also inhibit a related enzyme,
aspirin on hand cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Both COX-1
and COX-2 are pivotal in the produc-
This old standby may not be your first choice for pain relief, but tion of prostaglandins, which promote
inflammation, a key player in both car-
it still has an important role in disease prevention and first aid. diovascular disease and colon cancer.

W e have a lot to thank aspirin

for. It’s cheap and plentiful. It
does a good job of relieving pain
What to consider before you
start taking a daily aspirin
There are a few reasons why you may
and bringing down fevers. It has not want to take a daily aspirin. Three
also been shown to reduce the of the most important follow.
risk of heart attack, stroke, and � Your risk of heart disease and

© Robert Byron | Thinkstock

colon cancer. It can even stop stroke is low. You can learn your
heart attacks and strokes in risk using the calculator devel-
their tracks. In fact, if you’re oped by the American College
in your 50s or 60s, you may of Cardiology and the American
want to think about taking a low-dose Even if you aren’t taking aspirin preventively, Heart Association posted on the
aspirin every day. you should make sure to have some on hand website, www.cvriskcalculator.com.
as first aid for heart attack or stroke.
After evaluating the results of scores The USPSTF used the calculator in
of studies, in April 2016 the U.S. Pre- Why aspirin works developing the recommendation. If
ventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Dr. Tanya Laidlaw, assistant profes- you aren’t likely to benefit from aspi-
recommended that women and men sor of medicine at Harvard Medical rin, the calculator will let you know.
ages 50 through 69 who have a 10% School, suggests one way aspirin may However, you should double-check
risk of a heart attack or stroke in the work to ward off cardiovascular events: the results with your doctor.
next 10 years take 81 milligrams (mg) “We think that one of the reasons that � You have an increased risk of
of aspirin daily. Under the previous rec- taking an aspirin daily protects you is bleeding. If you’ve had gastroin-
ommendations—which, were different because it decreases platelet reactiv- testinal upsets from taking aspirin
for men and women—daily low-dose ity.” Aspirin inhibits cyclooxygenase-1 or other nonsteroidal anti-inflam-
aspirin was advised for women ages 60 (COX-1), an enzyme required to manu- mator y drugs (NSAIDs) like
through 79 who were at increased risk facture thromboxane—a chemical that naproxen (Aleve) or ibuprofen
for cardiovascular events. The recom- encourages platelets to clump together (Advil, Motrin) or if you bleed for
mendation was revised to reflect a new to form blood clots. Heart attacks and a long time after a cut or scrape,
method of calculating the risk of heart strokes are commonly the result of clots talk to your doctor.
attack and stroke and of increased risk that block blood flow in narrowed arter- � You are sensitive to aspirin. Aspi-
of bleeding in older people. ies of the heart or brain. rin-exacerbated respiratory disease
(also known as AERD) is a chronic
medical condition that consists of
Aspirin as first aid asthma, recurrent sinus disease
with nasal polyps, and sensitivity to © nuiiun | thinkstock
Even if you don’t take aspirin, you should have a bottle of
aspirin and other NSAIDs. Approxi-
uncoated 325-mg pills in your medicine chest as emergency
mately 10% of all adults with asthma
therapy if you or anyone in your home has symptoms of heart
and 40% of people with asthma and
attack or stroke. Call 911 first. Then chew one aspirin tablet—
nasal polyps are sensitive to aspi-
or four low-dose aspirins—thoroughly before swallowing. A chewed aspirin lowers
rin and NSAID s, and the prob-
thromboxane levels three times faster than one that is swallowed whole.
lem is more common in women
Although aspirin may help to break up blood clots obstructing your vessels, you’ll than in men. “If you’ve had a reac-
need additional therapy, some of which can be administered by emergency medical tion to another NSAID, you should
technicians (EMTs) while you’re en route to the hospital. That’s why the phone call to talk with your doctor before taking
911 is so important. You’ll want the EMTs at your door as soon as possible. aspirin for any reason,” Dr. Laidlaw
advises.
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 Trends (from p. 1)
markets offer several other advantages
over supermarkets:
� Freshness. Just-picked produce is at
its peak in flavor and nutrition.
� Variety. You may find some fruits or
vegetables you haven’t seen before or
new versions of old standards.
� Information. Because the people who
sell the produce are likely to have had a
hand in growing it, they should be able
to tell you the kind of farming meth-
ods used and offer suggestions on pre-
paring the food.
� Samples. If you’re wondering if the
cherries are sweet or tart or if the
Trouble swallowing your medication?
These tricks might help
Some simple techniques can make big pills go down more easily.
I f you have trouble swallowing a pill,
you’re in the majority. In a Harris sur-
vey conducted a few years ago, 51% of
women said they had experienced dif-
ficulty swallowing tablets or capsules.
“We often see people who can swallow
food and liquid just fine, but have dif-
ficulty with pills,” says Denise Ambrosi,
director of the Speech-Language Pathol-
ogy Department at Harvard-affiliated
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.
Ambrosi notes that some people have
physical issues that affect their ability to
swallow, while others have an aversion
to taking pills.
How swallowing can go awry
© Davizro | Thinkstock
Swallowing is a complex process involv-
ing many muscles and nerves that make
up the pharynx, or throat. When you
swallow a pill, your tongue pushes it to
the back of your throat. Then, the epi-
glottis (a flap of tissue at the base of your
throat) folds over your larynx (voice
box), closing off the entrance to the tra-
chea (windpipe). That sends the pill into
the esophagus instead of the airways.
Problems with the coordination of any
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apples are crisp, ask for a sample. Most
vendors are happy to comply.
� Sustainability. Eating locally or
regionally grown produce means less
energy is expended bringing it to your
table. And supporting regional agri-
culture is good for your community.
You can find a farmers’ market near
you by going to the U.S. Department
of Agriculture website using the link at
www.health.harvard.edu/farmers.
Practicing mindfulness
➌ Elements of a Buddhist medita-
tive practice have been incorporated in
techniques that enable people to employ
Some simple techniques can make it easier to
swallow all sizes of tablets and capsules.
of the nerves and muscles involved in
the process can lead to choking or aspi-
rating—inhaling foreign substances
into your lungs—which can create
inflammation and lead to pneumonia.
If you have persistent difficulty swal-
lowing, pain during swallowing, or a
sense that something is stuck in your
throat, you should get an evaluation.
“Maybe there’s something causing the
swallowing problems that would only
be identified with an instrumental swal-
lowing assessment,” Ambrosi says. Start
with your primary care physician, who
will likely refer you to an ear, nose, and
throat specialist or to a speech-language
pathologist for that assessment.
mindfulness in their daily lives. In con-
cept, mindfulness is simple—concen-
trating on the present moment and
processing it nonjudgmentally. By
focusing on the here and now, many
people find that they are less likely to get
caught up in worries about the future or
regrets for the past, and are better able
to form deep connections with others.
Mindfulness techniques have been
shown to help relieve stress, anxiety,
depression, substance abuse, and eat-
ing disorders. “They may also be help-
ful in treating chronic pain, improving
sleep, and lowering blood pressure,” Dr.
Manson says.
Helping the medicine go down
If pills present your only swallowing
issues, there are a few things you can
do to make swallowing medicine a
little easier:
� Tuck your head. The following may
help even a large pill go down: Put
the pill on your tongue. Take a sip
of water and hold it in your mouth.
Lower your chin to your chest.
Swallow.
� Disguise the pill. Put it in a food that
can be swallowed without chewing,
such as applesauce, yogurt, or a fruit
or vegetable puree.
� Modify the pill. Check with your
pharmacist to see if the pill can be
ground or broken into smaller pieces
that can be mixed into food or more
easily swallowed. If a pill is scored, it
can probably be divided. However,
coated, time-release, and combination
medications are meant to be taken
whole. So are capsules.
� Try a different form. Talk to your
doctor to see if you can take the med-
ication (or a related one) in another
form, such as a syrup, cream, injec-
tion, or infusion. For example, for
women who have difficulty swallow-
ing bisphosphonates like alendronate
(Fosamax) and ibandronate (Boniva),
zoledronate (Reclast, Zometa), is avail-
able as intravenous infusion.
August 2016 | Harvard Women’s Health Watch | 7
 RESEARCH WE’RE WATCHING
“Second skin” reduces eye bags
There may soon be
a nonsurgical alter-
native for alleviating
those bothersome
eye bags. Researchers The skin under the eye on the left
at Harvard and Mas- was treated with “second skin.”
sachusetts Institute of Technology have reported the
development of a product they are calling “second skin”
from siloxanes—oxygen-silicone compounds that can
be modified to have various properties, including elas-
ticity and permeability. Second skin is applied as two
creams. The first contains the molecules that form the
base of the film; the second, a catalyst that links the
molecules into place. The result is a durable, transpar-
ent elastic layer that smooths the underlying skin.
The team tested the product on 12 volunteers with
noticeable eye bags who were randomly assigned
to use second skin or a placebo under their eyes.
Trained observers graded the subjects on the appear-
ance of their undereye skin. According to the judges’
ratings, the appearance of those who received second
skin improved by two points on a five-point scale,
compared with no improvement for those in the pla-
cebo group. The report was published online May 9,
2016, by Nature Materials.
Attending religious services linked to
longer lives, study shows
Although religious observance is declining in the
United States, about 40% of American women still
attend services regularly, according to a survey by the
Pew Research Center. Many short-term studies over
the years have indicated that practicing a religion may
have a positive impact on health, but the results have
been questioned. Could it be that people who reg-
ularly attend churches, synagogues, or mosques are
able to because they are health-
ier to begin with? A team from
IN COMING Harvard T.H. Chan School of
ISSUES: Public Health decided to address
that question with data from the
� Warning strokes
115,000-woman Nurses’ Health
Study by analyzing women’s reli-
� Juice drinks gious attendance and health over
16 years—a number large enough
� Superbugs and a period long enough to rule
out the possibility that only the
� Shingles healthy were churchgoers.
8 | Harvard Women’s Health Watch | August 2016
This Harvard Health Publication was prepared exclusively for Jefferson Malayao - Purchased at https://www.health.harvard.edu
The researchers analyzed data from questionnaires
completed every four years from 1996 to 2012. Among
© Olivo Laboratories, LLC
74,534 women who responded, 14,158 said they attended
religious services more than once per week, 30,401
attended once per week, 12,103 attended less than once
per week, and 17,872 never attended. Over 16 years there
were 13,537 deaths, including 2,721 from cardiovascu-
lar disease and 4,479 from cancer. When the researchers
matched deaths with reported religious attendance, they
found that women who attended religious services more
than once per week had a 33% lower risk of dying during
the 16 years of follow-up compared with women who
never attended religious services. Women who attended
services weekly had a 26% lower risk, and those who
attended services less than weekly had a 13% lower risk.
The researchers also found that women who went to ser-
vices regularly had lower rates of smoking and depres-
sion and were more likely to have strong social support
than those who didn’t.
The researchers acknowledged that going to ser-
vices is only one way to measure spirituality and sug-
gested that further research examine other spiritual
practices, such as meditation. The study was published
online May 16, 2016, by JAMA Internal Medicine.
Migraine linked with increased risk of
heart disease in women
About one-fifth of people in the United States have a
migraine at some time in their life, and women have
migraines three to four times more often than men. It’s
long been known that women with migraines have a
higher risk of having a stroke. Now, a new study suggests
that they have a higher risk of heart problems as well.
Researchers in Germany and the United States ana-
lyzed data from the Nurses’ Health Study. They found
that among the 17,531 women who reported having
migraines, the risk of chest pains, heart attack, hav-
ing to undergo procedures to open blocked arteries, or
dying of a heart attack was about 50% higher than that
of women who had never had a migraine. As expected,
women with migraine also had a 50% higher risk of
having a stroke.
There is no evidence that measures to prevent or
lessen migraines reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke.
However, if you have migraines, you may want to talk to
your doctor about taking steps to reduce any other car-
diovascular risk factors you might have, such as obesity,
high blood pressure, or high cholesterol. The study was
published online May 31, 2016, by The BMJ BMJ.
www.health.harvard.edu