The Australian Women’s Weekly — August 2017

[Your health]

128 AWW.COM.AU AUGUST 2017

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Health news

Here’s another reason

to enjoy chocolate.

Women who eat about

30g of chocolate (the

darker the better) once

a week can lower their

risk of atrial fibrillation

(AF) by 21 per cent, a

study in Denmark

has revealed. AF is

a common type of

irregular heartbeat

linked to a higher risk of

stroke and heart failure.

Did you know? Extra virgin olive oil is brain food – it preserves

memory and protects the brain against Alzheimer’s. So, swap

saturated fats in your diet for this good monounsaturated oil.

Sheree Mutton reveals the latest medical

research to help you stay healthier for longer.

Chocoholics

rejoice!

ENDOMETRIOSIS

BREAKTHROUGH

Aiming to uncover the genetic

causes of endometriosis,

University of Queensland

researchers analysed data from

more than 200,000 women and

identified five new gene regions

linked to the disease. “It is not one

gene mutation that causes this

disease, but multiple genetic

variations that contribute to

incrementally increasing a

person’s risk,” says Professor Grant

Montgomery from the university’s

Institute for Molecular Bioscience.

GOOD NEWS
ABOUT
CERVICAL
CANCER
Thanks to
the National
Cervical
Screening
Program and HP
vaccine, cervical
cancer remains a
all-time low in Australia, with seven new
cases per 100,000 women. It is one of
the most preventable cancers if caught
early. On December 1, the Pap test will be
replaced with the Cervical Screening Test,
but don’t delay your scheduled Pap test –
it’s still the best way to pick up cell changes.

S

V

atan

HELP FOR

SEIZURES

Epilepsy relief

A form of medicinal cannabis,

cannabidiol, can significantly reduce

seizures among children with Dravet

syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy,

a new study has found. Results

showed that 43 per cent of children

given the drug in an oral solution had

a 50 per cent drop in seizures.