News & Articles
Color’s January Newsletter, Spectrum – Color
Linda Jiang
Color’s monthly newsletter, Spectrum, helps you stay up to date on living a healthy life with the latest in health and wellness, genetics, and cancer and heart health. If you found this information interesting, sign up for our monthly Health Notes here.
Health & Wellness
Here’s Why the Flu Is Especially Bad This Year
Time, by Jamie Ducharme
On Friday, the CDC announced a first in its 13 years of flu monitoring: As of Jan. 6, every part of the continental U.S. showed “widespread” flu activity. Here’s what you need to know about this year’s unusually active flu season …
Sugar And Sleep: More Rest May Dull Your Sweet Tooth
NPR, by Allison Aubrey
Listen up, night owls: If you’re sleeping six or fewer hours per night, you’re not doing your health any favors. A new study finds that getting the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep per night may help you tame your sweet tooth …
Exercise Alters Our Microbiome. Is That One Reason It’s So Good for Us?
New York Times, by Gretchen Reynolds
Exercise may change the composition and activity of the trillions of microbes in our guts in ways that could improve our health and metabolisms over time, a new study finds. The results provide novel insights into how exercise can affect …
Genetics
Friends Are More Similar Genetically Than Strangers, Study Says
Time, by Jamie Ducharme
You may have more in common with your friends than you think, according to a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Your genes may be similar, too. Past research has suggested that people tend to be somewhat genetically similar to their spouses and adult friends …
FDA Approves First Gene Therapy for An Inherited Disease
Washington Post, by Laurie McGinley
In a historic move, the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesdayapproved a pioneering gene therapy for a rare form of childhood blindness, the first such treatment cleared in the United States for an inherited disease …
BRCA Mutations Don’t Hurt Breast Cancer Survival
NBC News, by Maggie Fox
Women who have BRCA mutations do just as well after treatment for breast cancer as other patients, British researchers reported Thursday. It’s good news for people with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations that raise their risk of cancer …
Cancer & Heart Health
Why Sitting May Be Bad for Your Heart
New York Times, by Gretchen Reynolds
Sitting quietly for extended periods of time could be hurting your heart, according to a surprising new study. It finds that the more people sit, the greater the likelihood that they will show signs of injury to their heart muscles …
A Heart Risk Factor Even Doctors Know Little About
New York Times, by Anahad O’Connor
To millions of Americans, Bob Harper was the picture of health, a celebrity fitness trainer who whipped people into shape each week on the hit TV show “The Biggest Loser.” But last February, Mr. Harper, 52, suffered a massive heart attack …
When You Need A Breast Screening, Should You Get A 3-D Mammogram?
Kaiser Health News, by Michelle Andrews
When I went to the imaging center for my regular mammogram last year, the woman behind the desk asked me if I’d like to get a “3-D” mammogram instead of the standard test I’d had in the past. A growing number of women are likely to face a similar choice in coming years …
