Three Healthy Habits Cut Breast Cancer Risk, New Study Finds

Women who maintain certain so called breast-healthy habits can lower their risk of breast cancer. The three most important healthy habits to do so are the following:

• Engage in regular physical activity
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Drink alcohol in moderation

“Whether or not you have a family history, the risk of breast cancer was lower for women engaged in these three sets of behavior compared to women who were not” said study leader Dr. Robert Grambling, associate professor of family medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. Grambling wanted to look at the effects of lifestyle habits on breast cancer risk in particular as he suspect that some women with a family history of breast cancer may believe that their risk is out of their control, which is now contradicted.

To do this, Dr. Gramling and his team analyzed data on U.S. women aged 50-79 from the Women’s Health Initiative study starting in 1993. During the 5.4 years of follow up, almost 2,000 women were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. This is what he found:

• When following the guidelines, about 6 of every 1,000 women developed breast cancer over a year’s time.
• Circa 7 of every 1,000 women developed breast cancer each year if they had a late-onset family history and followed none of the behaviors.
• 3.5 of every 1,000 women developed breast cancer among the women without a family history who followed the three habits.
• 4.6 of every 1,000 women developed breast cancer among the women without a family history who followed none of the habits.

Gramling hopes that his research will reverse the thinking of women whose mother or sister had breast cancer who sometimes believe that they are doomed to develop the disease, too. And the results are supported by other experts. Dr. Susan Gapstur, vice president of the epidemiology research program at the American Cancer Society, says “The results of this study show that both women with a family history (late-onset) and without will benefit from maintaining a healthy weight and exercising, and consuming lower amounts of alcohol, limiting their alcohol consumption.”
The findings were published online on Oct. 12 in the journal Breast Cancer Research.

World Heart Day on Sunday

The annual World Heart Day celebrates its 10 year anniversary this Sunday, September 26. The World Heart Day was created to promote heart health and inform people across the globe the unconceivable truth; that heart disease and stroke are the world’s leading cause of death. Each year, the disease causes more than 17 million lives!

In partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) the World Heart Federation organizes events in 100 countries, with the aim of spreading awareness of heart diseases through health checkups, organized walks and lectures by healthcare professionals.

Even though major risk factors of heart disease, such as age, genes and family history, are beyond control, there are still a few key steps you can adopt towards reducing your risk of heart problems and increasing your health.

• Do not smoke – Smoking increases the risk of developing coronary artery disease by 50% or more.
• Eat a heart-healthy diet – control your salt and fat intake to keep the blood cholesterol level in shape. Control your sodium intake, as too much sodium can increase the blood pressure, resulting in a higher risk for heart disease and stroke.
• Have an active lifestyle and keep a healthy weight – with 30-60 minutes of physical activity each day you can reduce blood pressure levels and keep your weight.
• Limit your alcohol intake – Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to weight gain and with that high blood pressure.
• Go for regular health checkups – High blood pressure and high cholesterol can damage your heart and blood vessels.
• Encourage stress-free moments – High levels of stress is linked to an elevated blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. Establish a regular sleep schedule and regular relaxing activities.

Remember, if you take care of your heart, it will take care of you!!

Happy World Heart Day!

Genes behind why Men and Women put on Weight in Different Body Areas

The fact that women and men put on weight differently has been known for a long time. But why the fat storage is different between men and women are now closed to being revealed by researchers. The reason behind this is our genes. Fat is genetically different in men and women. ”Given the difference in gene expression profiles, a female fat tissue won’t behave anything like a male fat tissue and vice versa,” says Deborah Clegg of UT Southwestern Medical Center, in Dallas, Texas. She continues, ”The notion that fat cells between males and females are alike is inconsistent with our findings.”

The researchers have used mice in the study, since mice store their fat similar to humans in a sexually dimorphic pattern. And just like humans, female mice store fat in their hips, thighs and buttocks, while male mice store their fat in the belly and midsection area. ”We found that out of about 40,000 mouse genes, only 138 are commonly found in both male and female fat cells. This was completely unexpected. We expected the exact opposite – that 138 would be different and the rest would be the same between the sexes.”

”The research being performed by Dr. Clegg and colleagues underscores the importance of understanding the differences in fat deposition in men and women,” says Viviana Simon from Society for Women’s Health Research.

But how can we make use of these findings? Simon adds ”The ability to manipulate how and where in the body fat is deposited holds the promise of helping researchers develop strategies to prevent or delay the development of chronic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.”

The findings appeared in the International Journal of Obesity, and will surely have future effect on how to prevent medical diseases as well as the huge health threat that obesity is holding.

Weight Loss Surgery Improves Women’s Sex Lives

Close to 70% of women who have weight loss surgery see improvements in their sex lives within six months after surgery. This is claimed in a new study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery.

Exactly why the women’s sex lives improved afer undergoing surgery is not yet fully understood, but several factors, such as improved body image and mood, as well as changes in their hormonal profile probably play a role. Study researcher Dale Bond, PhD and assistant professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Miriam Hospital Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center at the Brown University Medical School, says that women can experience improvements in sexual function postoperatively, and this does not solely depend on the amount of weight loss. In the study, the women undergoing weight loss surgery reported improvements in their sexual desire, arousal, ability to achieve orgasm and higher satisfaction levels. “The greater their sexual problems before surgery, the greater the improvement afterward”, says Bond.

The study was performed on 54 women who all completed questionnaires assessing their sexual function before and after surgery. The women were on average 100 pounds or more overweight before their surgery. 62% of the women reported some level of sexual dysfunction before their surgery, and after the surgery, 68% were no longer experiencing sexual problems! The new findings also held regardless of whether women had gastric bypass surgery or Lap-Band surgery.

“We really don’t think of sexual dysfunction as a comorbidity of obesity, but this suggests that improvements in sex life are an additional benefit that will matter to women who have the greatest sexual function impairment. Sexuality is an important and a distinct aspect of quality of life.”

This new study also sheds light on some of the quality-of-life issues affecting people who are overweight or obese. Shanu N. Kothari, MD and bariatric surgeon at Gundersen Lutheran in La Crosse, Wisconsin, says; “We focus on so many obesity-related comorbid conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and sleep apnea that we sometimes lose sight of the bigger picture, including quality-of-life issues. Sexual dysfunction is one of the hidden comorbid conditions that can improve with surgery.

Sexual function is just one aspect on improvements in life with a bariatric surgery. Others are improvements in infertility and reductions in complications related to pregnancy in women who have bariatric surgery. Even though no similar studies have been performed on men yet, experts are sure that they will reap similar benefits with improvements in energry, drive and function.

Do you belong to the large group of people considering weight loss surgery? Visit the Novasans website when it launches later this year, and search for hospitals and clinics all over the world offering weight loss procedures at far lower prices than in the U.S. or Europe!

Diet Alone Unlikely to Lead to Significant Weight Loss

How many of you would like to just loose that extra pound (or two), and struggles with balancing exercise and a healthy living into your already tight daily schedule? New research claims that it takes more than just cutting down on those extra calories. If you want to make sure to loose weight you need to add physical activity.

Reducing caloric intake is not enough to promote significant weight loss, newly-published research by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University demonstrates. This is due to a natural compensatory mechanism that reduces a person’s physical activity in response to a reduction in calories.

The research is published in the April edition of the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. One of the researchers, Judy Cameron, Ph.D. and senior scientist at OHSU’s Oregon National Primate Research Center and professor at the OHSU School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh, says “In the midst of America’s obesity epidemic, physicians frequently advise their patients to reduce the number of calories they are consuming on a daily basis. This research shows that simply dieting will not likely cause substantial weight loss. Instead, diet and exercise must be combined to achieve this goal.”

The research was not conducted on humans, but on rhesus macaque monkeys at the Oregon National Primate Research Center. The 18 female monkeys in the study were placed on a high-fat diet for several days, followed by a lower-fat diet. During the period, the monkey’s weight and activity levels were closely tracked. This was then compared to a group of monkeys that was fed a normal monkey diet.

Cameron says “This study demonstrates that there is a natural body mechanism which conserves energy in response to a reduction in calories. Food is not always plentiful for humans and animals and the body seems to have developed a strategy for responding to these fluctuations. These findings will assist medical professionals in advising their patients.

In the long rung, this may impact the development of community interventions to battle the childhood obesity epidemic and lead to programs that empasize both diet and exercise.

Bariatric Surgery can be Safer than Living with Obesity

Today, obesity is considered a public health problem due to ist prevalence, costs and health effects on Western societies. While some individuals manage to fight obesity through changing their life styles and eating habits, some put their hope into baratric (weight loss) surgy to battle the problem.

While a baratric, or gastric, surgery is a severe treatment containing many risks. A Geisinger physician now warns that the real danger may actually be a life of obesity. Christopher Still, D.O., and director of The Geisinger Center for Nutrition and Weight Management states “There are risks associated with bariatric surgery, as there are with any surgical procedure, but the risks associated with the procedure may pale in comparison to the health complications that can be caused by obesity.”

Obesity can lead to a variety of complications including diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, liver disease, heart disease and sleep apnea. Many patients considering bariatric surgery often suffers from at least one of these conditions.

“Some obesity-related conditions can be fatal, and others require chronic medication and treatment. With the help of bariatric surgery, medical complications caused by obesity can be eliminated, and patients can enjoy a much healthier life”, Dr. Still said.

A Bariatric sugery (weight loss surgery) can also lead to some complications and is only recommended for severely obese people (BMI over 40) who have failed to loose weight with other pharmacological dietary treatments. However, the long-term weight loss and decreased overall mortality rate justifies surgery for some people.

A gastric surgery eliminates medical complications and help many patients feel more in control of their lives. After surgery, many patients can perform daily tasks that they were unable to accomplish before. For many, a bariatric surgery leads the way to healthier habits.

Comment below or on our Facebook Page! 

Dr. Christopher Still at Gesinger Health System

Are You a Candidate for Gastric Bypass Surgery?

Gastric Bypass Surgery is a very popular procedure for obese individuals. The surgery makes the stomach smaller and allows food to bypass part of the small intestine. After this, many patients undergo impressive weight loss.

However, the surgery is not for everyone. According to The National Institues of Health (NIH) and The U.S. National Library of Medicine; a suitable candidate for a Gastric Bypass Surgery should meet these guidelines:

• Individuals without a drug or alcohol dependency problem.
• Individuals who are obese and unable to lose enough weight by dieting or exercising.
• Individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher.k
• Individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or over, in addition to a serious health problem that could get better with weight loss.
• Individuals who has tried and failed reasonable non-operative approaches.
• Individuals who are not mentally ill.
• Individuals who are committed to a strict diet and exercise program.
• Individuals who have been obese for at least 5 years.

If you find that you are a suitable candidate, contact your physician who will guide you to a gastric expert for advise.

Register on our website, Novasans.com, for more information about global healthcare!