The Latest On Breast Cancer Confusion [U.S. News & World Report] Do you really need that mammogram? For women across the country, it’s getting tougher to decide, as federal health agencies and experts continue to offer up conflicting advice. A new study, presented this week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, adds to the uncertainty: According to this research, following the guidelines of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force—which advise for fewer mammograms—could trigger a dip in breast cancer detection. If you’re perplexed, talk to your doc, and get up to speed with our recent guide to the mixed messages. New Hope In Treating Alzheimer’s [Los Angeles Times] In a finding that offers hope of an eventual cure for Alzheimer’s disease, researchers writing in the journal Nature have found that an existing medication—already approved to treat plaque psoriasis—might be able to stop or even reverse early symptoms of the illness. The drug has the potential to suppress an immune reaction thought to be vital in the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s. It’s still too soon to know whether or not the approach will work, but the study authors suggest that a human trial on patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s would be a viable next step. (For the latest on recent Alzheimer’s research, check out The Latest Strategies To Ward Off Dementia.) Do We Sniff Ourselves Broke? [LiveScience] Are you spending more because of how a store smells? Perhaps, according to new research that suggests the scents in retail outlets can actually influence our shopping habits. Researchers found that simple smells, like citrus or pine, take less mental energy to process—freeing up the brain to focus on (over) spending. You can’t exactly ask that a store cut out the peppermint air freshener, but being aware of environmental cues might help you control that buy-buy-buy impulse. (Boost those savings even more with these 10 Sneaky Holiday Shopping Tricks.) Follow her on Twitter: @katiedrumm Send news tips and positive vibes to: Katie.Drummond@rodale.com
