Breast cancer survivors face other major threats

he Book of Broken Hearts,” “The Queen of Broken Hearts,” even “Broken Hearts, Fences and Other Things to Mend” ... the list of novels devoted to figuring out how girls and women can repair broken hearts is centuries-long. But for women in the U.S. who have survived breast cancer (the American Cancer Society estimates that 90 per cent of breast cancer patients are alive five years after diagnosis), the challenge is to avoid a broken heart altogether. That’s because the No. 1 cause of death for breast cancer survivors is heart disease.

Unfortunately, women tend to gain weight during breast cancer treatment, and afterward they often develop metabolic syndrome (elevated blood pressure, triglycerides/LDL cholesterol and glucose and/or excess body fat around the waist) and Type 2 diabetes. That spikes their risk for death from stroke, heart failure or heart attack, say researchers in a new study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. And, just to cause more trouble, metabolic syndrome also increases the risk of cancer recurrence.

The smart move? Make sure that posttreatment, you get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, plus resistance/strength training weekly. In this study of 100 women post-breast-cancer treatment, only 15 per cent of those who followed that exercise regimen for four months developed metabolic syndrome, but 80 per cent of those in the no-exercise control group did. So talk with your doc about starting an exercise regimen and a stress-management program, and choose healthy oils and appropriate portion sizes. These choices will raise your spirits and help save your life.

THE TO-DO LIST: YOUR NEW SLEEPING PILL?

In “The Bucket List” Carter (Morgan Freeman) and Edward (Jack Nicholson) are two unlikely friends who circle the globe hoping to check off their undone wishes before succumbing to the cancer that soon may be the end of them both. That idea — making sure you get to do often-quirky adventures before you die — fascinates folks. One survey found that almost 70 per cent of people have such a list. It seems those wish lists make difficult-to-accomplish goals seem more likely to come true.

Well, it turns out the power of the list isn’t just to make dreams come true — it’s to make dreams, period! Researchers at Baylor’s Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory have discovered that you’ll fall asleep faster if you write out a todo list before turning off the lights.

In their recent study, the scientists divided 57 young adults ages 18 to 30 into two groups. Before going to sleep, one group spent five minutes writing down all the things they had to do over the next few days. The other group wrote about things they’d already accomplished. Then they hit the hay while the researchers monitored their brain activity. Those who had written the to-do list fell asleep much more quickly than those reflecting on past activities.

So if you’re one of the 30 per cent of adults who contend with occasional insomnia, create a to-do list before bedtime so you know you won’t forget your goals. That may offload potential worries, clear your mind and help you sleep better.

IS CHOCOLATE REALLY A HEALTH FOOD?

In 1847, a British father-son team made the first commercially produced chocolate bar from cocoa powder paste and sugar. Two decades later in Switzerland, Daniel Peter invented milk chocolate. Now, 151 years later, the confection is being consumed for its health benefits.

This has happened in part because there’s some science supporting the health claims, which range from protecting your heart to shielding your skin from sun damage, and the chocolate industry has been pushing that message in a major way. Seems Mars alone has funded 100 studies, and all but two came to positive conclusions. Hmmm. With such prolific PR, it’s not surprising that chocolate sales in the U.S. grew from $14.2 billion in 2007 to $21 billion in 2014.

So what are the facts? According to the National Institutes of Health, Panama’s Kuna Indians consume 10 times the cocoa you might eat (ground from the bean, not all smooth and creamy) and have a dramatically lower risk of cardiovascular problems. Psst! You won’t get those benefits from a milk chocolate candy bar loaded with added sugars and syrups. Dark chocolate also contains significant levels of flavonoids that may fight high blood pressure, diabetes and even cancer.

IT’S TEA TIME

In 2008, on the way to the Pro-Am at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Classic in Orlando, Florida, golfer John Daly was informed by the news media that he’d been fired by his swing coach, Butch Harmon. Rough news. But he always liked the pro-am round with local business folks, and he was set for a 9:47 tee time. Upon signing in, he found that the tournament office had given him his official tournament starting time, not the one for the pro-am! He missed his proam tee time and was therefore disqualified from the entire tournament.

Missing a tee time in golf is pretty serious business, and it turns out so is missing your daily tea time. Researchers from the University of California have discovered that drinking black, caffeinated tea can substantially lower your risk of developing glaucoma, a disease in which fluid in the eye builds up and damages the optic nerve.

In a study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, they report that after analyzing data from the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, they found that “participants who consumed at least one cup of hot tea daily had a 74 per cent decreased odds of having glaucoma compared with those who did not consume hot tea.”

GET SECOND READING IF DOC SAYS YOUR CHILD HAS HBP

In the 2002 movie “The Rookie,” Dennis Quaid plays a talented pitcher who never made it past the minor leagues because of a shoulder injury. But he promises the high school baseball team he coaches that he’ll try out to be a pitcher again if they win their district playoffs, which they do. One night, driving past a roadside digital speedometer, he decides to see if he still has what it takes. He gets out of the car, walks back from the sign, winds up and throws a ball. The sign lights up ... 76 mph. Disappointed, he sighs and walks past it to retrieve the ball. Unseen, the sign flickers and the “7” turns into a “9” — 99 mph, a serious fastball.

Luckily, he eventually discovers that he does still have it — and the false reading doesn’t keep him from pitching again. But there are times when not getting the right reading has more serious consequences.

A new study in The Journal of Clinical Hypertension found that many children who get a high blood pressure reading don’t actually have hypertension. Researchers looked at data on over 755,000 kids ages 3-17 and found that although nearly 25 per cent of them had an HBP reading at their primary-care doctor’s office, less than half were confirmed with a second check. And only 2.3 per cent of those kids had sustained high blood pressure over time!

So, if your child gets a HBP reading, test again and if it’s elevated, monitor over time to see if it stays high. If it does, do whatever is needed to get it under control.