As a child and young woman my family never discussed cancer; maybe we were fortunate not to have had a reason to or just simply it was the belief that if you do not discuss cancer you won’t get it. The only illnesses discussed were the heart-attacks my grandmother claimed we gave her every time my sisters and I did something to annoy her. When I mentioned to my mother that I had discovered a hard spot on my breast, she said, “Yeah, it is probably from breast -feeding, not letting your milk dry out right.” Several years, many biopsies, and several opinions later the once benign breast lump was diagnosed as stage 2 breast cancer.

Good food, good music, and good conversation – three key ingredients to many Hispanic/Latino family gatherings.  But what is missing from many of those get-togethers is a life-saving conversation about the family’s medical history.  The American Diabetes Association is encouraging people to discuss any family history of diabetes, a conversation that could help stop diabetes before it starts. (Alexandria)

Medical experts have known for some time that Latinos living in the US have on average a better life expectancy than non-Hispanic whites.

One of the big healthcare related news stories this month was the announcement by CVS Caremark that it was going to stop selling cigarettes and all other tobacco products in its stores. 

As the country’s largest drugstore chain in terms of overall sales, second only to Walgreen’s in number of stores, the announcement made headlines across the nation. The decision will cost the company an estimated $2 billion in annual sales, a loss the company is willing to take to strengthen its brand as a health care provider and not just a retail business.

Time yourself as you get ready for bed tonight—including how long it takes to change into your pajamas, wash your face, brush your teeth, etc. Statistics indicate that the time you spend as part of your nightly routine might be longer than your next visit to the physician. Specifically, a study in 2013 revealed that newer physicians spend an average of eight minutes with a patient. Perhaps you can attest to this reality, and have experienced the feeling of just walking into a physician’s office when the visit is already over.