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Statistics published by the American Cancer Society in 2025 suggest that one of every eight men (12.5%) will experience prostate cancer during their lifetime. And the incidence rate has increased by 3% each year since 2014. Men who are 65 and older are experiencing the highest rates of prostate cancer. Yet with intervention, the survival rates for prostate cancer are high at 97.7%. Since cancer goes into remission and never really goes away, the question “What future can I expect when living with prostate cancer?” has many answers. The pro...
June is packed with events as Alaskans get the most amount of sunshine of the year this month. The summer solstice is June 20 at 6:41 p.m. Alaska time.. https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/anchorage?month=6 You can get out and enjoy the summer through a variety of activities. … An event to bring metaphorical sunshine into your life takes place June 6. The Forget-me-not Chorus, a program of Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska, is performing its spring concert at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center Ballroom. Complimentary refreshments will be ser...
Thomas McCarty, a 71-year-old audiologist, celebrated two milestones in April. He entered his 14th Boston Marathon and raised more than $15,000 for cancer research in the process. McCarty is part of a program in which participants in the famous 26.2-mile race can raise funds for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in lieu of qualifying with a speedy time. The Boston Marathon is known for having a high barrier to entry and elite runners rubbing shoulders with more mortal athletes. McCarty started...
Older adults are expressing their discontent with medication barriers. A large majority of older Americans feel that health insurance, including Medicare, should cover anti-obesity medications, according to a new University of Michigan study. More than half of older adults who meet criteria for obesity said they were interested in trying one of these drugs to manage their weight. Current law prevents Medicare from covering medications to treat obesity, and most private plans don’t cover the m...
At-home urine test for prostate cancer Researchers at Vanderbilt and the University of Michigan are now reporting that they have come up with a simple at-home urine test for prostate cancer screening. Traditional prostate cancer screening with PSA testing and biopsy has been shown to lead to unnecessary procedures and overdiagnosis of low-grade cancers, according to researchers Dr. Jeffrey Tosoian, an assistant professor of Urology and director of Translational Cancer Research at Vanderbilt...
Alaska Health Fair, Inc. (AHF) is excited to announce the return of our health fairs and affordable blood tests. The schedule will be published on www.alaskahealthfair.org around the first week of January. You are welcome to make your appointment online or walk in at any of our events. Please consider signing up for our electronic newsletter to be notified of important updates, resources, and more. We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are ready to prioritize your health in the new year. This season, we will add new blood tests to...
Staying healthy at 35,000 feet If you are planning on flying and debating whether to wear a mask, it is best to know the facts. Infectious disease expert Dr. Clark Abraham, who is with the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, said some people may be surprised about the risk of germ spread on most airplanes. “Commercial airplanes contain high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter systems, which exchange the air rapidly. In general, the risk of spreading an a...
Osteoporosis is more common in women than in men, so it is often thought of as a women’s disease. Subsequently, it is underdiagnosed and undertreated in men, especially men age 65 and older, who are at risk for developing osteoporosis. In addition, the number of fractures caused by fragile bones in men has increased in recent years. A fracture after age 50 is an important signal that a person may have osteoporosis. Unfortunately, men are less likely than women to be evaluated for osteoporosis after a fracture. Men also are less likely to get o...
June is Men's Health Month, a time to raise awareness about the unique health issues men face and to encourage early detection, treatment and prevention. Alaska Health Fair offers a variety of blood screenings that can provide valuable information about your health. Take your blood test results to your doctor. Comprehensive Blood Chemistry panel. This test measures various components of your blood, providing insight into your kidney, liver, as well as glucose, electrolyte and lipid levels. Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test. Beginning at...
Q: When I see the doctor, I give them my symptoms over and over, but they are dismissive of my pains and concerns. What can I do? A: As adults age, it is crucial to take control of one’s health and wellness. By being consistent about preventive care, prioritizing medical issues, and actively engaging with healthcare providers to avoid ageism, one can optimize outcomes and quality of life. Prioritize healthcare First, stay informed about age-related health concerns, medications and treatment o...
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and Alaska Health Fair, Inc. is dedicated to educating our community and supporting early detection and intervention. Here’s what you need to know. Understanding prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men in the United States. The cause is not entirely understood, but risk factors may include age, family history, and race. Early symptoms may include difficulty in urination, blood in the urine or semen, and pelvic discomfort. Early detection of prostate cancer g...
Alaskan Native men warned about lack of screening for prostate cancer Men in Alaska age 50 or older may want to discuss prostate cancer screening with their healthcare provider. A new study from Wake Forest University School of Medicine is suggesting that American Indian and Alaska Native men are less likely to be screened for prostate cancer compared to other racial/ethnic groups and it is coming with a high price tag. The study appears in the online journal called Cancer Causes & Control, and...
June is Men’s Health Month, a time to raise awareness about the unique health issues men face and to encourage early detection, treatment and prevention. Alaska Health Fair, Inc. is proud to support this important initiative, and we’re here to help you take control of your health. In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of men’s health and highlight the blood tests we offer that can help detect potential health problems. Men’s health issues can often go unnoticed or undiagnosed, which is why it’s crucial to prioritize regular checkups an...
March is National Kidney Month, and Alaska Health Fair, Inc. and the National Kidney Foundation are urging everyone to take healthy steps to protect their kidneys. An estimated 26 million American adults have kidney disease, though most don’t know it. To protect your kidneys, you should get tested for kidney disease, reduce the use of NSAIDs (over the counter pain medicines), cut down on processed foods, exercise regularly, and control your blood pressure and diabetes. High blood pressure and diabetes are major risk factors for developing k...
Everyone has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but a new study by researchers at the University of Groningen, Netherlands has found that some individuals weathered the stress of the pandemic better than others, in part, due to their genetics. How a person perceives their quality of life depends on a combination of factors that include the genes they inherited from their parents and their environment (a mix of nature and nurture). Studying genes related to quality of life can be complicated, but the COVID-19 pandemic allowed the...
The loyalty of many long time clients and the curiosity of many new ones has helped us at Alaska Health Fair to ride the crazy, wild waves of 2020-2022 and we didn’t go under water during the process. Our staff and volunteers will now take a short summer break, and dream of or take advantage of long weeks of camping or fishing as many of you might dream of. We use summer for personal leave, to rest and recover, write grants, do inventories, restock supplies, catch up on reports, book events and carefully prepare for the whirlwind of what we c...
Hidden brain benefits come with pet ownership Owning a pet, like a dog or cat, especially for five years or longer, may be linked to slower cognitive decline in older adults, according to a new study. In fact, having a dog for more than 10 years may have important brain benefits. “Prior studies have suggested that the human-animal bond may have health benefits like decreasing blood pressure and stress,” said study author Dr. Tiffany Braley with the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann...
Detecting cancer long before symptoms There may now be a way to find cancer before symptoms ever occur. A new blood test, which can detect more than 50 types of cancer, has been found to be accurate enough to be rolled out as a multi-cancer screening test among people at higher risk of the disease, including patients age 50 years or older. In a paper published in the journal Annals of Oncology, researchers report that the test accurately detected cancer, often before any symptoms arose, while ha...
Our agency has had a challenging year, as many non-profits have during our nation’s health crisis. The loyalty of many long-time clients, the curiosity of many new clients, plus many regular contributors have helped us to ride the crazy, wild waves of 2020-2021 and we didn’t go under water during the process. We are survivors and have proven this time and again over the past 41 years of serving Alaskans statewide. The Southcentral and Southeast health fair programs are closing their spring season at the end of May and the Tanana Valley Nor...
Cancer drug repurposed may help protect against hearing loss According to the World Health Organization, around 466 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss, a number the organization projects will double by 2050 to affect 1 in 10 people. However, a new study out of Creighton University School of Medicine has identified a drug that has the potential to protect against or treat hearing loss. The findings are significant because no such FDA-approved drug currently exists, and the drug...
Update: Alaska Health Fair requested the article below be updated with new details that arrived after the August print edition deadline. Online appointment registration now available Do you have email access (to a desktop, laptop, I-pad or cellphone)? Visit www.alaskahealthfair.org for easy, online, appointment scheduling. Pick a preferred date that fits your schedule, under your region’s program. Select the "Make Your Appointment" button (on that date); and then pick a time. Type your name, email and cell phone and answer three quick q...
Alaska Health Fair is closed for its traditional summer break from July 3 through July 12. The new Fall 2020 health schedule will be published shortly after that timeframe. Check out our website at www.alaskahealthfair.org for the dates being offered in your area of the state. The website will be updated as communities and worksites firm up fall events. You can also find our health newsletters, complete test roster descriptions and other announcements on the same site. In-office and, now, on-the-road appointments We have offered blood draw...
Alzheimer’s disease vaccine under investigation Some good news to report about Alzheimer’s disease and a potential vaccine. Researchers in California have teamed up with scientists in Australia and developed a new vaccine against Alzheimer’s disease that could be tested in humans within the next two years. After successful animal studies, investigators are hoping to produce a new vaccine to remove “brain plaque” and tau protein aggregates linked to Alzheimer’s disease. The successful...
Smartphone data may help surgery patients New uses for smartphone data are continually emerging, and the area of surgical care is no exception. In a new study presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2019, surgeons report that they can describe the impact of certain postoperative events in their patients by capturing data from a patient’s smartphone. This data allows surgeons to understand a patient’s level of postoperative physical activity, and how it may be impacted if...
BAs the holidays approach we have an opportunity to enjoy our traditions, remember family members who have passed, and recount the familiar stories that brings us together as a family. These stories have the power to shape the ways we live our lives. They are important and are perhaps best told by our seniors. Just as we may be curious about where our elders came from, what they looked like, or even what jobs they held, equally important is the gathering of our family’s health history. Knowing what diseases grandparents or parents lived with or...
