2010 February | Health & Wellness

Anti-Depressant Paxil Interferes With Breast Cancer Treatment

paxil 300x197 Anti Depressant Paxil Interferes With Breast Cancer Treatment Canadian researchers have found that the popular anti-depressant Paxil may interfere with breast cancer treatment — causing more patients to have relapses or even die, in the worst cases.

Women who took Paxil while also taking tamoxifen — the standard therapy for breast cancer — at the same time were more likely to die of their breast cancer, and the longer both drugs are used together, the higher the risk becomes.

Researchers recommend speaking to a doctor immediately to switch to another antidepressant as the study did not find any other medications to increase risk.

Soda Linked to Pancreatic Cancer

soda 300x198 Soda Linked to Pancreatic Cancer A new study links sugary sodas to pancreatic cancer — a rare, deadly cancer that recently took the life of actor Patrick Swayze.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota found that people who drink only two or more sugar-sweetened, carbonated beverages per week have a much higher risk of pancreatic cancer. The study of more than 60,000 people found that those who drank mostly fruit juice instead of soda did not have the same risk.

“The high levels of sugar in soft drinks may be increasing the level of insulin in the body, which we think contributes to pancreatic cancer cell growth,” lead researcher Mark Pereira said.

FDA Plans to Change Nutritional Labels

nutritionallabel 300x197 FDA Plans to Change Nutritional Labels In another effort to combat our nation’s growing obesity issue, the Food and Drug Administration is looking to make some radical changes to food packaging…including putting labels on the fronts of packages and make serving size information clearer for consumers.

Serving sizes now aren’t in sync with how much Americans really eat, so the calorie counts are oftentimes misleading. My making serving sizes more realistic and posting the calorie counts for a ‘real’ serving on the front of a package, the FDA hopes to sticker shock people and create awareness.

For example, the New York Times points out that most potato chips suggest a 1oz serving size — which usually is around six chips. Most people eat 2 – 3 times that amount without realizing that they’re actually consuming 2 – 3 times the calories and fat noted on the label.

What do you think? Will clearer and blatant packaging help Americans eat less?

Must Read: Everyday Calm

everydaycalm 227x300 Must Read: Everyday Calm So, you need to make some time to relax. Yeah, right. Perhaps in between running the kids to school and getting into the office? Oh, no, that won’t work because you have to bring the car in for an oil change.

Maybe you can take a time out for yourself on Saturday between soccer practice and your best friend’s birthday party? Nope, that won’t work either because you have to pick up her gift and get to the supermarket before the babysitter arrives.

Sound familiar? So make the most of your multi-tasking ways with Everyday Calm.

Everyday Calm offers “relaxing rituals for busy people” with more than 50 fun and simple ideas for daily stress relief – no matter where you are. The effective stress busters are easy to do on the way home from work, at the supermarket, or even at the movies.

Everyday Calm: Relaxing Rituals for Busy People – $9.95 at Amazon.com

Go Red Today: American Heart Association’s Wear Red Day

jenniegarthgored 300x236 Go Red Today: American Heart Associations Wear Red Day February is the American Heart Association’s “Go Red” month – their annual campaign to educate Americans about the #1 killer of women. Today, Friday February 5th, is Go Red For Women day — an opportunity to wear a fiery red lipstick, a festive red blouse or your high, red heels.

While donning your crimson clothes, it’s important to also be aware of heart disease — which kills more women each year than breast cancer. Nearly 1 in 3 women will die from cardiovascular disease and 90 percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease in the future.

38-year old actress Jennie Garth has joined the campaign to help spread the word. “After learning of my own heart condition and losing my father to heart disease, I know how important it is to speak up about this silent killer,” she said. “Too many women remain unaware.”

So, what are the risk factors?

Diabetes is one of the most significant risk factors for heart disease: diabetes increases the risk of heart disease three to seven times in women. Low levels of HDL (high-density lipoprotein), the “good” cholesterol, also have shown to be a stronger predictor of heart disease deaths in women. High levels of triglycerides, another type of fat, also appear to be a particularly important risk factor in women.

And, it’s important to know that the symptoms of heart disease and heart attack in women are different from men. For a list of some symptoms, click here.

So put on a sexy red outfit and make sure you take care of yourself!

February: Go Red for Heart Disease Awareness Month

womanheartdisease 300x199 February: Go Red for Heart Disease Awareness Month February is Heart Disease Awareness Month — the American Heart Association calls it “Go Red” month to highlight heart disease in women and how to prevent the #1 killer of women each year. Heart disease kills more women each year than breast cancer: almost one in three women will die from cardiovascular disease.

However, most — over 80% of cardiac emergencies in women — can be prevented with proper diet, exercise, and not smoking. Focusing on low sodium foods and cutting out processed carbohydrates can make huge differences in our susceptibility to heart disease.

It’s also important to know the signs of a heart attack — which differ in women and men. Signs a woman is possibly having a heart attack include:

- Chest discomfort — tightness, pressure, pain — in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.

- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body including pain in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach. These are especially important if they occur during exercise.

- Shortness of breath accompanied with chest discomfort.

- Cold sweats, nausea, or light-headedness.

If you feel any of the above or any type of chest discomfort — err on the side of caution. Call 911.