Want to beat breast cancer? Get yourself moving
Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
The 2011 hit movie “Moneyball” was based on the book “The Art of Winning an Unfair Game,” which chronicled the Oakland Athletics’ 2002 season. General manager Billy Beane, faced with a tight budget, enlisted the help of statisticians to craft his team based on special insights from collected data, rather than on scouts’ opinions, as teams usually do. The A’s made it to the playoffs that year and the next — with one of the lowest payrolls in baseball.
Now, in the same way, scientists have looked at data on beating breast cancer and identified the best strategy survivors can use to prevent recurrence. And the winner is … exercise!
Researchers looked at 67 studies to see how lifestyle choices, including nutritional changes, weight loss, smoking cessation, limiting alcohol consumption and physical activity affect a survivor’s risk of breast cancer recurrence and longterm survival. They found that 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week, along with two to three weekly sessions of strength training was most beneficial for lowering the risk of recurrence — plus, it reduced the chance of dying after a breast cancer diagnosis by more than 40 percent!
While most cases of breast cancer are diag- nosed at an early stage and are treatable, overall survivors still face a 25 percent risk of death from recurrence/metastasis. And only 13 percent of breast cancer survivors get 150 minutes of activity weekly. So if you’ve had breast cancer, get moving. It really will boost your chances of a long, healthy life.
DHA omega 3s help calm allergic response in asthma cases
During the witch hunts of the 16th and 17th centuries, tribunals determined if a woman was a witch by dunking her in water (called Ordeal by Water). If she floated, she was a witch (in Monty Python’s “Holy Grail,” she was either wood or a duck) and if she sank, she was innocent of the charges. Such bizarre trials were clearly an over-reaction to unexplained (at the time) events and fears, and destroyed the fabric of many communities.
Over-reactions in the immune system can be equally destructive to your well-being. Any time you have an allergic asthma attack (they affect about 50 percent of adults with asthma and 60 to 90 percent of children with the condition), the body overproduces IgE antibodies, which trigger inflammation. That can lead to life-threatening swelling in the airways and trouble breathing. Now researchers at the University of Rochester have determined that high-quality DHA omega-3 fatty acids can help calm the immune response, down-regulating IgE antibody production and quelling the risky symptoms of allergic asthma.
That doesn’t mean you can skip your longterm asthma control meds (oral corticosteroids and anticholinergic meds often are used). They are always your first line of defense. But it’s smart, if you have allergies or allergic asthma, to take DHA omega-3 supplements. We recommend 900 mg daily of DHA algal oil in pill form. It’s derived from algae; that’s where fish get it from! You can get the super-good-foryou DHA from salmon, sea trout, anchovies and tuna (canned only, please)!
Question: My husband, 76, is on testoster- one therapy and says he feels great. But I heard there was a new study that was negative about the side effects of the therapy. What’s the real deal? — Gladys F., Plano, Texas
Answer: The news that you’re wondering about was actually a series of seven coordinated studies published in JAMA that involved 12 academic medical centers. They looked at the impact of testosterone therapy in hundreds of men 65 and older who had measurably low levels of the hormone. (About 20 percent of men over 60 have diagnosable low testosterone.)
The findings: One lessthan-positive conclusion was that cognitive impairment was not improved at all for these guys with testosterone therapy. Also, guys taking the supplements saw an increase in noncalcified plaques in the coronary artery, which could be risk for a future heart attack, angina or stroke.
On the plus side: Researchers found that the men gained bone strength and density in their spine and hips. This may reduce the risk of often life-altering fractures — did you know osteoporosis affects about 25 percent of men on Medicare? Hemoglobin levels also went up in men with low testosterone levels and anemia. And sexual function, activity and desire improved over the course of a year.
So the benefits and risks all depend on your husband’s overall health, his goals for taking testosterone, if he was really deficient (low testosterone is considered below 275ng/ dL), and how the supplements make him feel.
He and his doctor can make a considered judgment about those matters — he should ONLY take testosterone if prescribed and obtained from a reputable pharmacy!
Also, make sure, since blood clots are a risk when taking testosterone ( just like with estrogen and progesterone), that he talks with his doctor about the benefits of taking a low-dose aspirin in the morning and at night. Our tip: If his physician doesn’t discuss this with him, he might consider getting another doc.
Q: After I herniated a disk, I developed high blood pressure — 150/90. Now I have a torn rotator cuff. (I overdid the golf practice after fixing the disk). I eat carefully, cut way back on red meat, but I have to ice my shoulder almost every day to ease the pain. Is it possible that the pain is spiking my BP? — John W., Toledo, Ohio
A: You have identified a too-often overlooked repercussion of acute and chronic pain, which you have from your disc and rotator cuff injuries: high blood pressure. Blood pressure becomes elevated because pain stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, and that affects the hypothalamus and pituitary glands. They pump up stress hormones, elevating your pulse rate. Blood vessels may constrict while the heart rate goes up, increasing pressure even more. Pain also causes emotional stress, and studies show that, too, taxes the heart.
Your best bet? Address the physical issues pronto. Elevated blood pressure usually comes back down when the pain disappears.
If you need rotator cuff surgery to restore function and relieve pain, get it! Your elevated blood pressure, if not accompanied by other cardio problems, shouldn’t interfere with getting cleared for the operation. It’s a laparoscopic procedure (usually), and you go home the same day. Recovery depends on conscientious physical therapy, but we bet you’ll do that.
Other suggestions: Adopt a stress-responsereducing regimen that includes 15 minutes daily of mindful meditation (you’ll find instructions at sharecare.com); get seven to eight hours of restful sleep nightly (no digital devices or TV in the bedroom; use light-blocking shades); and experiment with reducing your sodium intake to see if that affects your blood pressure (opt for spices and herbs for flavoring). Don’t let injuries discourage you from getting physical activity! Work with your physical therapist to devise a plan that includes aerobic activity and strength building. Do it before your surgery, and you’ll rebound more quickly afterward.