What Do Dense Breasts Mean For Cancer Risk, Really?

…and other items from this week’s health news:

Dense breasts: not entirely what you might think

In few words: about half of women over 40 have dense breasts, and it doesn’t actually increase cancer risk much (it does increase it slightly, though).

However…

Dense tissue makes it harder to detect cancer on mammograms because both dense tissue and tumors appear white on X-rays.

Now, if that made you give yours a squeeze, please be aware: while self-examination for lumps/changes is always a good idea of course, dense breasts have no symptoms and for what it’s worth are also unrelated to breast size; only a mammogram can determine density.

Additionally, breast composition includes glandular, fibrous connective, and fatty tissues. There are four categories: entirely fatty, scattered fibroglandular, heterogeneously dense, and extremely dense—only the last two are considered “dense” for these purposes.

As for getting a mammogram: women with average risk should begin annual mammograms at age 40. Mammograms do remain the gold standard, though sensitivity may drop to 25–30% in dense breasts (not by 25–30%, to 25–30%!). However, even in dense breasts, mammograms can still detect ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), which appears as calcifications.

Read in full: Dense breasts: What it means and what women can do about screening

Related: The Exercises That Help Keep Breast Cancer At Bay

“Skinny fat” and your arteries

Researchers (Dr. Sonia Anand et al.) analyzed MRI data from over 33,000 adults, and these MRI scans measured visceral and hepatic (liver) fat, as well as carotid artery wall thickness and plaque buildup—which are all key markers of cardiovascular disease.

What they found: visceral fat showed the strongest association with carotid plaque and wall thickening; liver fat had a weaker but still significant effect.

Furthermore, these fat–artery links remained strong even after adjusting for cholesterol, blood pressure, and other metabolic or lifestyle factors.

The researchers described this as a “wake-up call” that visceral and liver fat damage arteries beyond traditional risk factors, and that BMI may (as usual) be an unhelpful tool for trying to assess risk.

Read in full: “Skinny fat” linked to silent artery damage

Related: “Skinny Fat” Explained (& How To Fix It)

IBS? Depression? Maybe what you need is a good…

…fecal microbiota transplant (FMT). No, putting someone else’s germs up there probably doesn’t sound like a fun activity (if it does, then well, you do you, but that’s not assumption we’ll make), but as it turns out, it may help!

Based on research with 347 participants:

• Patients with IBS enjoyed the greatest improvement in mood
• Patients with major depressive disorder still significantly benefited too

And yes, direct gastrointestinal routes such as colonoscopy or enema showed stronger effects than oral capsules.

As for the method, FMT was compared with placebo, autologous transplant, or standard medication, and scored well.

Read in full: Fecal microbiota transplant may help patients with IBS and depressive symptoms

Related: Feeling Squeamish About A Fecal Microbiota Transplant? You Might Be Right ← worth noting also before rushing to get one

Take care!