HRT Linked to 42% Increase in Cataract Risk

The Europeans and the Americans do seem to take a different approach to HRT, with the former being more sceptical and sometimes disagreeing with US findings. This is the case with some new research from Sweden which has reported that women who receive hormone replacement therapy appear to be at a higher risk for developing cataracts.

The research was funded by the Swedish Health Council and is an eight-year study of more than 30,000 postmenopausal Swedish women from 1997 to October 2005. The women initially completed a questionnaire about hormone status, HRT, and lifestyle factors. Lead researcher Birgitta Ejdervik Lindblad, MD, of Sundsvall in Sweden and her colleagues later compared these records with registers of cataract operations.

Compared with women who never had HRT, the risk of needing cataract surgery was 14% higher among those who received HRT at any point their lives and 18% higher for women currently taking hormones. The risk becomes even higher the longer a woman is on HRT, and if you have more than one alcoholic drink a day, then the risk rises to a staggering 42%.

Naturally occurring (endogenous) oestrogen is thought to protect the eyes from cataracts, and oestrogen receptors have been found on the lens, the part of the eye damaged by cataracts. Certainly the prevalence of cataracts is known to be higher in postmenopausal women compared with men of equivalent age. One reason why this research contradicts that in the US, which found that HRT lowered cataracts or had no influence, depending on the type of cataract, is that HRT dosages and types of oestrogen used vary in different countries, so comparison between the studies is difficult. Also the oestrogens in HRT are not natural but chemical and this again is probably an influencing factor.

If you are taking HRT it is advisable to have regular check ups with an optician as cataract screening is normally an automatic part of the process, but do mention it just in case.

Breast Cancer Survivors and Soy Foods

Because we know that breast cancer is promoted by oestrogen, any woman who has had breast cancer tends to avoid foods that contain it such as tofu and soy milk. The most common source for many women is soy, a plant that has chemicals with oestrogen-like and anti-oestrogenic properties — which makes it a tricky area if you are a regular soy consumer.

A study has been ongoing since 2002 in China to study the effects of soy on breast cancer and analysis of the research suggests that eating soy, even in large amounts, may not be harmful after all, and may even reduce recurrence and death from the disease. Researchers based at Vanderbilt University in Houston, Texas and the Shanghai Institute of Preventive Medicine have looked at the first four years of follow-up of two groups of women breast cancer survivors. The first group consumed soy from naturally occurring sources, such as tofu or soybean and took in more than 15.3 g of soy protein a day and the others who had less than 5.3 g per day (less than half acup of soy milk, which has 7 g of soy protein.)

The women who had the higher intake had a risk of death from breast cancer four years after diagnosis of 7.4% and the risk of recurrence was 8%. Women who had the lower intake had higher risks: a 10.3% risk of death from breast cancer and an 11.2% risk of recurrence. Although not all experts are convinced that it’s safe to begin advising women to add soy to their diet, they do agree that there is no need to avoid soy altogether – particuarly in its natural forms – though supplements should be avoided by those who have had breast cancer until more analysis of the research has been done.

Home births as safe as hospital delivery

Women who give birth at home do not have any higher rate of complications or death than women who give birth in a hospital. This research was carried out in the Netherlands where one-third of women choose to give birth at home, due to a government encouragement of the policy.

Because the Netherlands has one of the highest rates in Europe of infant death during or just after birth, some researchers have suggested that home births might be unsafe, but when researchers examined data from 530,000 births attended by midwives, they found no difference in the risk of mother or infant death between home births and hospital births.

The study looked only at low-risk women, defined as those going into labour with no known complications, and did not include hospital births attended by a doctor rather than a midwife.

The researchers found that a full one-third of women who began their birth at home eventually had to be transferred to a hospital but in such cases neither the mother nor infant was at any higher risk of dying than in any of the other births in the study.

Breast cancer awareness month

October is Breast cancer awareness month and as this is the most common cancer, and accounts for nearly one in three of all cancers in women, it is timely to pay attention.

There are 45,500 women diagnosed with it every year and one woman in nine will be affected in her lifetime. You can get involved in various events or contribute by buying yourself – or someone else – a fit that contributes to breast cancer research. Among my ‘wish list’ are Debenhams ‘bling piggy bank’, a special edition ipod cover and earphone set or – assuming we are ever going to get some more rain – Asda’s tickled pink wellies and slippers.

If you want to do something more active, then undertake a Friendship Walk to raise funds, or try ‘STEP ON IT’, which is one of Breast Cancer Campaign’s new individual walking challenge. You are asked to walk a step for each of the 46,000people who will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK this year.

More details from the website at www.breastcancercampaign.org/how/fwalk_resources/

Men are better than women at dieting

Most men do not embrace the concept of dieting unless pushed to it by a health problem or a few gentle (ie nagging) remarks from their partner. But research shows that when they do decide to got it they are better at it than women.

Men have not been well served by the diet industry, partly because of inertia, but also because of embarrassment. The traditional dieting aids for women like slimming groups just do not attract men. Do not despair though because I have found a couple of resources that can really help.

First is a clever woman who realised men don’t like dieting in public, for example asking for a gin and slimline tonic still isn’t quite the thing – and actually from a health point of view that slimline tonic is worthless. It may have fewer calories but it also has a cocktail of chemicals in it – go for the real thing and get the benefit!

Jeni Blaskett decided to create a slimming group in which men would flourish and lose weight. One that meant that men could go about their daily routines without feeling they were losing face so she set up a website www.Beltdown.com exclusively for men

Beltdown’s key diet plan principle is unique, and couldn’t be easier to follow – ‘If you can’t wash it, try to avoid it’. So a cooked breakfast of eggs, bacon, tomatoes and mushrooms makes it onto the tick list, cake and biscuits do not. The website has plenty of info aimed specifically at men, such as which are the lowest calorie beers and curries, and the format allows for men to stay totally anonymous, whilst still getting the challenge, competitiveness and interaction of a group – but online.

If you have an internet connection, it costs £8 a month membership and is available 24/7 – so no more excuses skip over to www.beltdown.com

Men only

If you want a programme designed by a man who has been there and done that himself, then I can recommend Robert Paterson’s book ‘Warriors’. He found the same problems in going to slimming groups as Jeni describes so he put together a very successful programme that has all the elements needed for successful weight loss. It is particularly aimed at those who have found success in their careers but who, due to hectic lifestyles and lack of time, have lost their healthy body in the process.

He created a specially developed ‘business plan’ to show you how to: – Set targets you can meet – Devise sensible day-to-day eating plans – Motivate yourself when the going gets tough – Achieve long term success – Treat your body as your business

Robert was an international banker weighing 22 stone who lost 8 stone on his regime, and kept the weight off. He is now Chairman of the Emerging Markets Group and Chairman of Performance Consultants, Brasil. He is a spokesman for the British Heart Foundation and regularly competes in events to raise funds for them. You will find his book on Amazon by typing in his name and Warriors in their search box.

Complete Exercise Kit for Pregnancy

Celebrity mums go overboard in trying to return to their pre-baby shape, but there is a simpler solution that any pregnant woman can turn to.

Exercise is available to everyone through classes and videos, but there is a new solution in The Miracle Box. This kit contains an exercise/birthing ball recommended by midwives for core strength, posture and back pain relief during pregnancy and can also be used during labour to help with pain and to get baby in the right position.

The kit has three specific wall charts, one for exercise during pregnancy, one for postnatal exercise and one for general toning along with access to online charts showing you the exercises to make sure that using the exercise/birthing ball is both fun and effective. You also get a free DVD to show you simple, safe and effective core and pelvic floor exercises to strengthen muscles and get you back in shape.

Good for any expectant mum, and an ideal present so find out more at The Miracle Box website at www.themiraclebox.co.uk

Weight gain and increased breast cancer risk

It’s a natural tendency for women to gain weight as they go through menopause and the body lays down fat cells to provide the oestrogen that is lacking from the natural cycle. We know that the highest risk group are women over 50, they comprise around 80 percent of cases, but there are now two new studies that show that a woman’s risk is increased if she is seriously overweight – whatever her age.

Previously it was believed that postmenopausal women were the most at risk but the study by scientists at Geneva University, Switzerland, have shown that it is a woman’s lipid profile and oestradiol levels related to her weight are also determining factors. They found that in their study of women aged 25-80 years old that obese women presented significantly more often with stage III and stage IV cancer and the figures are extraordinary:

** these women were a staggering 180% more likely to have later stage breast cancer than women of normal weight.

** they were also 240% more likely to have tumours that were equal to or greater in size than 1 centimeter

** their chances of having positive lymph nodes were 510% more likely than normal weight women and this suggests cancer may have spread to other parts of their bodies

Not only does obesity clearly increase breast cancer risk, but other research has shown it shortens the time between return of the disease and lowers overall survival rates. In 2007, Italian researchers went presented evidence that a hormone found in fat cells called leptin significantly influences breast cancer development. Leptin is a hormone derived from fat cells that sends messages to the body that it is time to stop eating. Obese people often do not have a clear signal from the leptin receptor and it is this failure that has previously been shown to be involved in the development of breast cancer. Leptin has been found in 86.4% of primary breast tumours. This is because it increases the amount of oestradiol in breast tissue and we know that excess oestrogen is associated with breast cancer.

Normalising leptin function is therefore critical in cancer risk individuals as it is the single most important hormone for controlling our body weight control. Because leptin regulates our thyroid, insulin, growth, and adrenal hormones it is vital for regulating all our metabolic processes.

What can you do?

Anyone with a pattern on consistently overeating will become leptin resistant, which means that leptin is unable to deliver its message to the brain to stop eating. To regulate and redress this you need to first drastically cut out any consumption of processed carbohydrates and focus on a diet of natural whole foods. A good night’s sleep is also important and light interrupts leptin function so make sure your bedroom is really dark and don’t put on lights to go the bathroom but put in a low plug light to show you the way. Exercise in a moderate will help, and so will reducing any stress in your life. My own stress book is now available as an ebook for immediate download at www.sortingstressout.com but if you prefer a real paperback I have some copes available, just email me.

If sugar is an addiction for you, then speak to a herbalist and look at some of the herbs like Gymnema sylvestre, and Inula racemosa to help reduce the desire for sweet tasting foods and help bring the taste system back to natural balance.

Heart disease risk for women increased with exposure to plastic food containers

New research presented in Washington in June has shown that exposure to bisphenol A (BPA)– a chemical found ion plastics – causes abnormal heart activity in women. It is the oestrogen receptors that are responsible for this effect in heart muscle cells.

BPA is an environmental pollutant with oestrogen activity, and is used to make hard, clear plastic and is commonly used in many plastic food containers, including water bottles.

Even low doses of BPA markedly increased the frequency of arrhythmic events the researchers found and it was made worse when exposed to estradiol, the major oestrogen hormone in women.

BPA is already linked to neurological defects, diabetes and breast and prostate cancer.

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.

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