Top Medical Breakthroughs of 2008 for Women

Enough medical studies were published last year to down a small forest. Most appeared with little fanfare and faded quietly, of interest only to a small group of scientists—but a handful hit like small bombshells, overturning conventional wisdom about serious but common conditions. We culled the journals and queried the experts to find 2008's breakthroughs: the best new tests, drugs, gadgets, and procedures for women, and the new thinking about what we should do right now to stay healthy.

Breakthrough that can: Supercharge your menu (for no extra calories)

Finally, an answer to the supermarket aisle question: Are organics worth the extra cost? A review of nearly 100 studies shows that the average levels of nearly a dozen nutrients are 25 percent higher in organic fruit, veggies and grains than in conventionally grown produce. In some studies, organic options had nearly 50 percent more of the antioxidants quercetin and beta-carotene.

Stay healthy: Buy organic produce when you can—it's pricier, but you get more bang for your buck, says Kathleen Merrigan, Ph.D., assistant professor of nutrition at Tufts University. And that's not counting the benefits that come from reducing the amount of pesticides that enter the groundwater—and your body. "You'll really do your health good if you splurge on organic as much as possible in the produce aisle," she says. If you have to be selective, she adds, pick organic versions of the fruits and vegetables that tend to have the highest pesticide residues. For a list of the most contaminated produce—plus other buying tips—go to prevention.com/budgetorganic.

Breakthrough that can: Make you a hero

If you witness someone collapsing, experts have long advised full-throttle CPR—chest compressions plus "rescue breaths." But last March, the American Heart Association announced a dramatic change: no more mouth-to-mouth for adults, because three studies have shown that chest compressions alone save just as many lives. Two-thirds of witnesses don't come to the aid of someone in need, often because they're worried they'll do CPR incorrectly, says Michael Sayre, M.D., the lead author of the recent AHA advisory. "We hope this gets more people to act, because a victim who gets any kind of CPR more than doubles his chance of recovery," Sayre says.

Save a life: If you see an adult collapse, call 911, then use both hands to push hard and fast (to the beat of the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive"). Traditional CPR is best if you come upon an adult who's already unconscious, if the victim is a child, or in cases of drowning.

Breakthrough that: Treats sinus infections the right way

You know you should avoid antibiotics whenever possible to prevent the growth of drug-resistant bugs. Still, even doctors tend to think the drugs are necessary for sinus infections if symptoms last beyond a week or so. But when researchers at Switzerland's Basel Institute for Clinical Epidemiology examined nine studies involving more than 2,500 adults, they found that the drugs almost never sped recovery. Even most of the people with a classic sign of severe infection—greenish mucus—improved just as fast by waiting as by taking meds. Antibiotics are powerless against viruses, the cause of most sinus infections, says allergist Neil L. Kao, M.D., a member of the rhinitis/sinusitis committee of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. The study shows that you shouldn't take antibiotics unless you have multiple symptoms, including facial pain, fever, pus, and more than a weeklong illness, he says.

Stay healthy: Don't bother going to the doctor unless you have multiple symptoms or the pain is unbearably intense, Kao advises. You'll get just as much relief with the following steps: Take a decongestant (avoid combo formulations with other active ingredients) and/or a mucus thinner. Rinse sinuses at least four times daily: Using a squeeze bottle containing ½ teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of tap water, bend your head down over a sink, squirt the solution into your nose, and let it run out. Take acetaminophen or another painkiller as needed for discomfort.

Breakthrough that can: Help you control hunger and lose weight

A kind of dietary fiber known as "resistant starch" is emerging as a new weight loss powerhouse. A 2008 Swedish study found that people who ate a resistant starch at supper (in the form of barley bread) felt much less hungry than those who munched on plain white bread—and the hunger-quenching effect lasted past breakfast the next day. Found in beans, slightly green bananas, and potatoes (white and sweet), among other foods, this kind of fiber "resists" being digested. Because the starch doesn't enter your bloodstream, it stabilizes blood sugar levels and may lower diabetes risk. It also boosts levels of healthful bacteria that nurture the immune system.

Stay healthy: Load up your diet with these indigestible carbohydrates, also found in brown rice and corn, says Leslie Bonci, R.D., author of the American Dietetic Association Guide to Better Digestion (Wiley, 2003). Because the starch becomes resistant during cooling, serve these foods at room temperature or from the fridge—think three-bean or (low-fat mayo) potato salad. You can find foods fortified with a resistant starch made from corn under the brand name Hi-maize (see our picks at prevention.com/starch). "If you're eliminating carbs to watch your weight, you're not doing yourself any favors," Bonci says. "Adding these starches is an easy way to control both hunger and blood sugar."

Breakthrough that: Improves osteoporosis treatment

A new risk calculator called FRAX helps you know if you really need bone-building drugs. Doctors have long disagreed about what to suggest for women with borderline results on a bone mineral density test; some prescribe the drugs and some don't. The result, say experts: Many women take the meds years before they really need to, facing side effects that range from stomach upset to esophageal ulcers. But FRAX, developed by the World Health Organization, uses 12 factors that affect bone health (including your weight, family history of hip fracture, and certain drugs or illnesses) to determine your 10-year risk of breaking a bone. According to guidelines set by the National Osteoporosis Foundation, if a bone density test raises concerns about your skeletal strength, you shouldn't start on bone-boosting drugs unless FRAX puts your risk of a fracture above 20 percent over the next decade.

Stay healthy: Don't take bisphosphonates without checking your FRAX score. Get a BMD test at age 65, and ask your doctor to use the result in calculating your FRAX score. (If you've been on bone-sapping drugs such as long-term steroids or have other risk factors for osteoporosis, ask your doctor if you should be tested earlier.) Or crunch your numbers yourself, with or without a BMD score, at shef.ac.uk/frax.