Mother-daughter breast cancer link

It was reported by the MLA University Health Network on 3 May that a unique mother-daughter study shows that the percentage of water in the breast could be linked to the risk of breast cancer in older women.

Breast density is an inheritable characteristic that is known to be a cancer risk factor and by using magnetic resonance to measure breast density in younger women the Canadian researchers at The Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research at Princess Margaret Hospital in Ontario. Higher blood growth hormone concentrations were also linked to higher percent breast water and results showed that each 5cm difference in height in daughters was associated with 3% increase in percent breast water, which suggests a mechanism by which growth might affect the risk of cancer. They believe this could help in developing prevention methods as breast density is a strong risk factor for breast cancer in middle aged and older women as the breast is most susceptible to the effects of carcinogens at early ages. Their findings suggest that by identifying the environmental and genetic factors that influence breast tissue composition in early life they may be able to develop safe and effective methods of prevention.

Folic acid can boost birth weight for healthier babies

I mentioned a few weeks ago the benefits of Omega-3 for premature babies and now there is further help to boost your baby’s birth weight by over 60 grams – and this is very good news for their long-term health. The British Journal of Nutrition has reported that supplementing the mother’s diet with of 400 micrograms of folic acid during the pregnancy is important for two reasons:

The prime reason is that babies with a low birth weight (defined as less than 5lb 8oz) have an increased risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, ADD and depression later in life and sadly their number is increasing. Secondly, being underweight indicates that they have not had their maximum growth potential in the womb as this is dependent on their receiving the correct balance of nutrients during the pregnancy and folic acid has an essential role to play in the normal production of protein, lipids and DNA. Taking the supplement while already pregnant was seen to result in a 40 per cent lower risk of having a child with low birth weight and in fact was even more marked in women having their second child as when they supplemented before conception they saw a 240g higher birth weight compared with first time mothers who didn’t take folic acid at all.

It is recommended in the UK that women take a 400 microgram folic acid supplement daily from the time of conception to the 12th week of pregnancy, in order to cut the rate of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. This is in addition to the 200 micrograms of folate that should be obtained from a healthy diet from sources like brown rice, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, peas, and – interestingly – low calorie beer. Unfortunately, it seems that more than 90 per cent of women looking to start a family don’t have anywhere near this amount and so potentially are putting their children’s’ future health at risk.

Rheumatoid arthritis on increase among women

The overall rate of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been decreasing for 40 years, currently down to 2.1 million from the 3 million recorded in 1995. However, it has substantially increased among women according to a study done at the Mayo Clinic and presented the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals in San Francisco.

RA is a chronic inflammation of the joints caused when the body’s immune system destroys its own tissue, unlike osteoarthritis, which is caused by external damage to joints and connective tissue. Throughout the world, RA is generally more common in women than in men, which suggests that hormones may be playing a part. This is borne out by the fact that it usually goes into remission during pregnancy, and is very unusual for the disease to begin at that time. However, in the few weeks after delivery, women with RA often experience a relapse and there is a much higher frequency of development of RA. This may be because prolactin, the hormone which is responsible for milk production, enhances inflammation which is a key factor in RA.

Surprisingly, RA is also a relatively modern disease as it was unknown in Europe before 1800 which suggests either environmental or nutritional factors have played a part in its spread. It was first documented in North America where Native American skeletons dating back several thousand years show evidence of RA and they currently have the highest incidence of the disease anywhere in the world. Certainly RA is much less common in underdeveloped countries and rural areas with virtually no cases in Africa, China and Indonesia though it is found in those groups which move to an urban lifestyle in the city and change both their environment and their diet.

Until 1994 the rate of RA amongst women was only 36 per 100,000, but by 2005 it had grown to 54 per 100,000 while the rate amongst men for the same period stayed constant. This increase has prompted the researchers at the Mayo clinic to now investigate further to try and establish what has caused this rise.

Conventional treatment for RA usually involves painkillers such as paracetamol or NSAID’s such as ibuprofen to reduce inflammation which may relieve pain and swelling. Prescribed drugs such as sulfasalazine and methotrexate work to slow down the disease process and delay joint damage though they are often given in multiples and you will often have to experiment with different dosages and mixes. There are now four new medicines, infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab and rituximab, on the market which your doctor may prescribe if previous medications haven’t worked. Unfortunately, various medical studies have repeatedly shown that taking traditional painkilling drugs like ibuprofen and diclofenac have a 55% and 24% increased risk of heart attack respectively and can also increase your risk of peptic ulcers, diabetes and breast cancer.

There are also many self-help measures you can take to ease the symptoms, but not to eradicate the disease. Start with a simple hot water bottle, or ice pack, to relieve swelling and pain and try to find the right balance for you between exercise and rest. You may be recommended to see a physiotherapist and you need to try and keep your joints supple with some exercise, and swimming is ideal as it puts no strain on them. Being overweight will cause extra problems for your joints

Professor David L Scott, of Kings College Hospital, London did a study on patients who used complementary and alternative medicines and found it was over half of the UK and other Western countries who were using homoeopathy, acupuncture and aromatherapy to ease their RA symptoms. The first trial of homeopathic treatment with RA was published in a mainstream medical journal in 1980 on patients from Glasgow. It showed the patients had significant improvements in pain, joint tenderness and stiffness and two other trials in Germany showed equally positive results. Acupuncture has long been proven to be able to relieve pain – often being used instead of an anaesthetic in childbirth and clinical operations. A qualified aromatherapist will be able to create a mix of oils that can soothe pain and inflammation as well as helping relax and distress you.

HRT & Cancer confirmation

HRT is a thorny subject, with its advocates and detractors in equal numbers. I have been on HRT for 6 months many years ago, and know what it can do, but I also have seen much research on the damage it can wreak. New studies in recent months had pointedout the dangers of side effects such as strokes, blood clots, brain shrinkage, dementia, and even gallbladder disease, but the greatest danger comes from its role in promoting cancer.

The New England Journal of Medicine recently reported that when women are taken off HRT their cancer risk is dramatically reduced. A new study was conducted by UCLA oncologist Dr. Roman Chelbowski, and he found that the rate of breast cancer in postmenopausal women dramatically dropped in the first two years after they stopped using HRT, and then continued to reduce each year afterwards. Women in the study who also took hormone supplements of oestrogen and progestin had double the chance of developing cancer over five years, compared to women who weren’t on any form of HRT.

My view is that if you take HRT knowing the risks that is your business, but I do urge you not to fall into the trap of taking HRT long-term, which is what many doctors advocate. The risks increase, and the benefits decrease, the longer you are on it so make sure you have a definite schedule. Menopausal symptoms may be alleviated, but the menopause itself can’t be avoided, HRT or not.

Fight mood swings with fish oil

A recent report in the American Journal of Nutrition offers some hope for women – and those who have to live with them – who sufferfrom the hormonal havoc that can occur with PMS and in the time running up to the menopause. It’s not just the hormones of course, other stresses such as work and family life also add their load, plus the emotional challenge for many women of approaching the end of their childbearing years.

Other than hiding in a cupboard during the time when you want to lash out at everyone and everything and no sensible partner is insane enough to ask if you are alright without running the risk of a clip round the ear or a torrent of weeping. Now hope is at hand in the form of supplementing the diet with omega 3 oil.

Two groups of women took part in the eight week study; one being given 1.2 grams of omega-3 from fish oil and the others a placebo of sunflower oil. The group who had the placebo showed no improvement, but those taking omega-3 had definite improvements in their emotional state.

To supplement to the level of the trial you would need 1200mg a day of omega 3 and 1,050 mg of EPA. If you are not keen on taking supplements then you could increase the amount of oily fish in your diet such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring and anchovies. Or turn to that childhood staple of cod liver oil if you can stand the taste. It contains large amounts of EPA and DHA.

A word of caution, most people can take fish oil supplements safely, but if you are any form of anti-coagulant, such as Warfarin please speak to your doctor. Fish oil supplements can thin the blood so you must check whether they are suitable for you before embarking on adding them to your diet.

New hope for infertility treatment

It has just been reported in the Society for Endocrinology journal that the hormone kisspeptin shows promise as a potential new treatment for infertility. Research carried out at Imperial College London, have shown that giving kisspeptin to women with infertility can activate the release of sex hormones which control the menstrual cycle. For women with low sex hormone levels this could be a breakthrough for a new fertility therapy. Kisspeptin sounds like a loving form of antacid, but is actually a product of the KISS-1 gene and a key regulator of reproductive function. If we do not have this then gene, then puberty does not occur and we do not achieve sexual maturity.

The research was primarily concerned with a small group of ten women whose periods had stopped due to a hormone imbalance and who were injected with either kisspeptin or saline as a control measure. All the women gave blood samples to measure their levels of the two sex hormones essential for ovulation and fertility: luteinising hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH).

The group who were given the kisspeptin showed to a 48-fold increase in LH and a 16-fold increase in FSH, when compared to the control group who were given only saline. The lead researcher, Dr Waljit Dhillo, said that this discovery offers huge promise as a treatment for infertility as it suggests that kisspeptin treatment could restore reproductive function in women with low sex hormone levels.

The hidden breast cancer women must be aware of

This warning came to me this week from one of my health groups, and I think it is important that we pass on this information to as many women as possible. There is a rare form of breast cancer called inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) and although it accounts for less than three per cent of all breast cancers it has a much lower survival rate. Typical breast cancer survival over five years is now almost 90 percent, but for this particular form it is only 40 percent and the highest risk group for it are women under 50 and black women.

One of the issues with this cancer is that it does not have a good rate of diagnosis and it is essential to catch it in its early stages. Most women are aware of the sense of undertaking regular breast examination, usually in the shower, and to be aware of feeling a new lump.

BUT, IBC first presents as a swollen area near the surface on your breasts and when the skin is dried it will feel red, tender and warm to the touch. This is caused by blocked lymph vessels in the skin and most doctors will not immediately connect this with breast cancer; you are more likely to have it diagnosed as an infection and given antibiotics to treat it.

Unfortunately, this means that the majority of women with IBC are not diagnosed until they are at stage III (locally advanced) and stage IV (advanced to other organs) which means it has to be treated very fast and aggressively with a regime of chemotherapy, followed by surgery and radiation.

On the natural front, it seems that adding L-glutamine during chemotherapy could be helpful. This key amino acid is essential to immune function and a 1980′s study found that it. According to a study conducted in the late 90s, when l-glutamine is given with chemotherapy, it significantly reduces the toxicity of the chemicals. I would also add in the very good homoeopathic remedy that counteracts the side effects of chemotherapy and is available by mail order from Galen Pharmacy in Dorset on 01305 263996 who are always happy to discuss any remedies with you.

The hidden benefits of oysters for women

The benefits of oysters as an aphrodisiac are well known, but eating them could actually be a great way of avoiding type 2 diabetes – but only if you are a woman.

There has been a long running data survey running in the USA that has yielded some fascinating results. Over 25 years of medical and nutritional data on over 80,000 nurses has been studied by the Harvard School of Public Health and interesting information on the relationship between zinc in their diet and the chance of developing type 2 diabetes has come to light.

The nurses were all over the age of 33, and when their dietary intake was analysed it was found that there was between an eight to ten percent lower risk of diabetes in women who showed the highest zinc intake. That seems impressive enough, but when they looked at their figures and took other factors into account the figure jumped to a 25 percent lower risk for those with the greatest amount of zinc in their diet.

Oysters of course are a great source of zinc, each one can give you around 40-250mg, plus other essential minerals and omega-3 fatty acids. However you have to eat them raw to get the benefit, and have a healthy bank balance as well. If you are looking for more economical ways of upping your zinc intake then you should include red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, whole grains, cabbage, and dairy products – or buy a decent supplement.

If you are over 50, then you should definitely check your zinc intake as it declines with age and it is an essential element for a healthy immune system.

Breast cancer natural preventives

As I always believe prevention is better than cure, I am happy to report two new pieces of information this week on easy, natural and enjoyable ways to reduce breast cancer risk.

Breakthrough 1 gives you even more reasons to enjoy a nice cup of tea. If you are a regular black or green tea drinker then you are already helping to reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and endometrial cancer. Regular tea drinking has two important functions: it inhibits uncontrolled cell growth, known as cell proliferation, and encourages the death of cancer cells, known as apoptosis. A recent study found that smokers who drank four cups of decaffeinated green tea per day showed a 31 percent decrease in oxidative DNA damage in white blood cells as compared to those who drank four cups of water. Oxidative DNA damage is implicated in the promotion of many forms of cancer. Now a new study has also linked tea to a substantial decrease in breast cancer risk. Particularly for women under 50, the risk is reduced by 37%, and as this is the group in whom the cancer can be particularly virulent and fast acting this is very worthwhile news. In fact, let’s raise a cup together, preferably green or white tea as these are the least processed. The darker the tea, the more processing as a rule, but these two have even more health benefits, and up that to three cups a day to boost your immune system and lower your cancer risk.

Breakthrough 2 concerns another favourite staple, and that is olive oil. Australian researchers have reported that that olive oil has a host of positive health effects, and now researchers from the Catalonian Institute of Oncology (ICO) in Girona have discovered specifically that extra virgin olive oil appears to be a powerful weapon against breast cancer.

The key ingredient is the polyphenols that are present in extra virgin olive oil. These are powerful natural antioxidants found in abundance in olive oil and are highly active against both HER2-positive and HER2-negative breast cancers cells. Polyphenols in the oil not only inhibit the activity of cancer-promoting HER2 activity but also promotes the protein’s degradation.

As Jamie Oliver would say, give it a good glug and not only will your food taste better, but your cells will thank you.

6 times higher health risk with pre-eclampsia

New research is pointing up future problems for women who have pre-eclampsia – a condition where elevated high blood pressure is brought on by their pregnancy. It can occur in 5% to 7% of all pregnancies and now it seems these women run an increased risk of both heart problems and diabetes in the future.

The study was done at the University of Copenhagen, and reported at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine in the USA. It found that women who had severe pre-eclampsia were more than six times more likely to develop chronic hypertension compared with women with uncomplicated pregnancies and also at higher risk for type 2 diabetes. It seems the risk is increased for women with pre-eclampsia who had premature or smaller babies, as well as in those who had pre-clampsia in two pregnancies.

The study of over 78,000 women who were previously free of any heart condition or diabetes, is intended to be an early warning system for women and their doctors to assess their risk. A woman who has had pre-eclampsia can use this information to monitor her health and be alert to take effective early action if any symptoms of high blood pressure or diabetes occur. It is also helpful to be aware of these risks if future medication will include hormonal treatments of any kind such as the contraceptive pill.

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