A major changing of the guard is happening at one of America's most prominent drugstore chains. Walgreens announced last week that it was being acquired by private equity firm Sycamore Partners. The deal represents a massive shift in strategy for a company that has been on the decline for several years, and business analysts are wondering whether this could be Walgreens' last gasp. 

The deal was valued at about $10 billion, but it could be worth up to $23.7 billion with debt, settlements and other financial obligations, according to a press release. This is a far cry from the $100 billion Walgreens was worth a decade ago. But the jury is out on whether the deal will be able to turn around Walgreens' misfortunes.

What did the commentators say?
Walgreens has been "attempting a financial turnaround for years, and now it says it has found a new path to finish it," said Chris Isidore at CNN. But if "history is any guide, its path is more likely to lead to its eventual demise than long-term success." 

The drugstore chain peaked in 2018 when it replaced General Electric in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. But its shares have "lost 83% of their value since that day, with a 71% plunge coming in just the last four years," said Isidore. Sycamore Partners has claimed it can get things on the right track, but "retail's graveyard is full of the bones of many once-dominant retailers who closed up shop after being bought by private equity firms."

The Walgreens deal is the "sad coda to what was once one of the most significant success stories," said the Crain's Chicago Business editorial board. But even at its peak, it was already facing stiff competition from Amazon, as well as brick-and-mortar competitors like CVS and Walmart. The company also went through a "failed pivot into the complex and costly business of delivering health care services directly to patients."

What next?
The ultimate victor from the deal may be neither the Walgreens executives nor Sycamore but instead Walgreens bondholders. Shareholders are being offered a 63-cent bonus if they sell their equity, and "some of the company's creditors could be in line for a similar bonanza," said the Financial Times. Stockholders will "probably be grateful to see a deal go through at all."

It was "virtually unheard of in the 20th century," but bowel cancer in people under the age of 50 now accounts for "around 10% of all new cases worldwide," said New Scientist. In the U.S., the incidence rate of early-onset colorectal cancer is expected to double by 2030," which means "10.9% of all colon cancers and 22.9% of all rectal cancers will be diagnosed in young adults," said the American College of Surgeons — a "stark comparison to 2010," when "4.8% and 9.5%, respectively, were diagnosed in this same cohort."

What's bowel cancer? 
This type of cancer, also called colorectal cancer, is caused by the growth of abnormal cells in the inner lining of the large bowel, which includes the colon and the rectum. Symptoms can include bleeding from your rectum, blood in your feces, a change in your "bowel habit," or losing weight without trying. 

According to American Cancer Society estimates, "154,270 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with colon and rectal cancer this year, and 52,900 will die from the disease," said the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. Bowel cancer is the "fourth most common cancer in the U.S. among men and women combined."

Why are rates in younger people rising? 
Experts are "still in the early stages of understanding" why there has been a rise in early-onset colorectal cancer, said The Guardian, and research has produced conflicting results. But higher consumption of junk food, lower physical activity and the "obesity epidemic" are "likely to be among the factors." 

There has also been a "soaring" increase in the use of antibiotics, said New Scientist. They can have a "profound impact on the gut microbiome, and there's good evidence that disturbances to the microbiome are a risk factor" for bowel cancer. 

How can you reduce your risk? 
Experts agree that diet is an "important factor," said The Guardian. Eating more fiber and cutting back on alcohol and sugary drinks should also help, as well as maintaining a healthy weight and getting regular exercise.  

You could also look at upping your calcium intake. According to researchers at Oxford University in the U.K., women who drink a large glass of dairy milk every day, said The i Paper, can cut their bowel cancer risk by nearly a fifth.