Cancer: Breast cancer alters bone to help it spread

healthydailymail.com Researchers at the University of Sheffield said the tumours were effectively "fertilising" the bone to help themselves grow.

The study, in the journal Nature, said it may be possible to protect bone from a tumour's nefarious influence and consequently stop the cancer's spread.

Cancer charities said this opened up "a whole new avenue for research".

Around 85% of breast cancers that spread around the body end up in bone, at which point the cancer is difficult to treat and more deadly.

Bone

The scientists discovered patients with secondary cancers had higher levels of an enzyme called LOX being produced by their tumours and released into the blood.

Bone is constantly being broken down and rebuilt. But in a series of experiments on mice, the research team showed LOX was disrupting the process and leaving lesions and holes in the bone.

Using drugs to block LOX prevented the cancer from spreading.

Dr Alison Gartland, a reader in bone and cancer biology at the university, told the BBC News website: "We think it's a significant breakthrough in trying to prevent metastases (secondary tumours) in breast cancer.

"The cancer cells in the primary tumour are actually fertilising the soil for the future growth of itself, LOX is changing the environment in bone to make it better to grow."

Close up of bone

The structure of the bone is changed by breast cancers

The animal tests also showed that a set of osteoarthritis drugs called bisphosphonates could prevent the spread of cancer.

Bisphosphonates also interfere with the way bone is recycled in order to strengthen it.

They are already given to some cancer patients, but the Sheffield team believe they could have a much larger role.

The effect was discovered only in oestrogen-negative breast cancers. They account for around a third of cases, but are far more deadly.

Katherine Woods, from Breast Cancer Campaign and Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: "By unveiling the role that the protein LOX is playing, these results open up a whole new avenue for research and treatments that could stop breast cancer spreading to the bone.

"The research also adds weight to the growing body of evidence supporting the role of bisphosphonates in stopping secondary breast cancer in its tracks.

"The reality of living with secondary breast cancer in the bone is a stark one, which leaves many women with bone pain and fractures that need extensive surgery just when they need to be making the most of the time they have left with friends and family."

Waiting a few minutes to clamp the umbilical cord after birth is tied to better motor and social skills later in childhood

healthydailymail.com Waiting a few minutes to clamp the umbilical cord after birth is tied to better motor and social skills later in childhood - especially for boys, suggests a new study. 

Delaying cord clamping is already known to benefit babies by increasing iron levels in their blood for the first few months of life, researchers write in JAMA Pediatrics May 26.

“There is quite a lot of brain development just after birth,” said lead author Dr. Ola Andersson of Uppsala University in Sweden. “Iron is needed for that process.”

For the new study, the researchers followed up on 263 Swedish children born at full term to healthy mothers about four years earlier.

As newborns, the children had been part of a larger study in which a total of 382 babies were randomly assigned to either early cord clamping (within 10 seconds of birth) or late cord clamping (at least three minutes after birth).

Four years later, the children were similarly intelligent regardless of when their cords had been clamped, but there were some notable differences.

“When you just meet a child, you wouldn’t see or notice any differences,” Andersson told Reuters Health. “But we could see the differences in fine motor function.”

A psychologist assessed the children using tests of IQ, motor skills and behavior. Parents reported child development in communication, problem solving and social skills.

Overall, brain development and behavior scores were similar for both groups of kids, and there was no difference in overall IQ scores.

But more children in the delayed cord clamping group had a mature pencil grip on the fine motor skills test and better skills on some social domains, compared to those whose cords were clamped early.

Divided by sex, the researchers only found noticeable differences in boys, not in girls.

Iron deficiency is much more common among male infants than among females, Andersson said.

“Girls have higher iron stores when they are born,” he said.

Delaying cord clamping by three minutes allows an extra 3.5 ounces of blood to transfuse to the baby, which is equivalent to a half a gallon of blood for an adult, Andersson said.

“There’s a lot of iron in that volume,” he said. “Even three minutes can have quite a lot of effect on the iron in the blood in the body for a long time after birth.”

The World Health Organization recommends waiting at least one minute after birth, or until visible pulsing stops, to clamp the umbilical cord. The latest American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists opinion, from 2012, supports delayed cord clamping for premature infants, but says there is insufficient evidence to prove a benefit for full-term babies.

The new study provides evidence of benefit for full-term babies in a developed country where nutritional deficiency is extremely rare, Andersson said.

“When a baby transitions from inside the womb to outside the womb, if you think about what nature does, it is not to clamp the cord immediately,” said Dr. Heike Rabe of the Brighton and Sussex Medical School and University Hospitals in the UK.

About 60 years ago doctors started clamping the cord as early as possible, believing it may reduce the risk of hemorrhage for the mother, but we now know that is not the case, said Rabe, who coauthored an editorial published with the study.

Today, it is a big psychological hurdle for doctors to change how they have always done things, which in this case is to clamp the cord as soon as possible, she said.

Many mothers in developing countries are anemic, so babies are also anemic, Rabe said.

The new study found only a small difference at age four, but “if you did the same study in India you might see a marked difference, the reason is that there is excellent nutrition in Sweden,” she said.

Are you making the right choices cancer theraphy?

healthydailymail.com There’s more to cancer care than ridding the body of cancer cells. Equally important is the goal of maintaining quality of life while undergoing treatment. Staying strong enough to fight the disease and maintain work and family routines during treatment should be part of any cancer care program. That’s why patients should be offered integrative therapies to supplement conventional surgical, radiation and chemotherapy treatments.

Know your options.

Every cancer and every cancer patient is different. So different combinations of both traditional and integrative oncology therapies should be customized for every treatment plan. It’s important to work with a knowledgeable oncology team to understand your options, how they work, and be sure that they’re offered at your treatment center.

What exactly is integrative care?

Treatments for cancer typically consist of some combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. The combination of these treatment options with therapies designed to maintain quality of life during treatment is what is known as an integrative approach to cancer care. Therapies to improve energy and maintain the immune system during treatment, manage fatigue and guard against malnutrition are all critical. And the more therapeutic choices you have, the better you’ll be able to customize a treatment plan that’s right for you. These integrative therapies may include nutritional counseling, naturopathic medicine, physical therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, mind-body therapy, meditation and spiritual support. Patients should consider all of these when choosing a hospital and approving a treatment plan.

The importance of nutrition.

Fully eight out of ten cancer patients show symptoms of malnutrition. This may cause the loss of lean body mass, which can compromise the function of the immune system and weaken the patient. Nutritional therapy is therefore crucial for restoring digestive health and helping you stay strong to maintain your prescribed cancer treatment plan. A registered dietitian understands how the body metabolizes nutrients when a patient is undergoing chemotherapy or radiation and can help optimize nutrient intake during treatment. And a proper diet may help reduce the risk of a secondary cancer or other chronic illnesses to which some cancer patients are susceptible

Naturopathic medicine.

Naturopathic care should also be considered. This can include a referral to acupuncture, lifestyle counseling and also natural non-toxic therapies — herbal and botanical preparations, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, homeopathic plant extracts, etc. — that help manage symptoms and encourage healing. Naturopathic clinicians address a variety of conditions associated with cancer including digestive issues, nerve damage, respiratory conditions and cancer- related fatigue. And your naturopathic clinician should have extensive knowledge of radiation therapy and chemotherapy, plus a comprehensive understanding of the treatments you’re undergoing to ensure the right supplements are part of your treatment plan.

Team work.

Surgeons, doctors, clinicians and other oncology professionals should all be part of your care team. It’s also helpful if all of your team members are located in the same hospital to facilitate collaboration and speed of care. Having your team of physicians and therapists all under one roof allows you to schedule all your appointments at one time, which reduces wait time between appointments and allows you to focus on your treatment.

Danger! Study identifies number of drinks beyond the safe level

healthydailymail.com The elderly might want to lay off the alcohol, based on a new study that describes the serious consequences of just one or two drinks per day.

Harvard Medical School researchers surveyed 4,466 people with an average age of 76 who also underwent heart scans, and found minimal alcohol intake actually changed the structure of the heart in both men and women, NBC News reports.

The small change made the heart less efficient, and its structure and function suffered greater changes the more people drank. Women were found to be especially vulnerable to alcohol's effects, "which might potentially contribute to a higher risk of alcoholic cardiomyopathy, for any given level of alcohol intake," says lead author Scott Solomon, per Science Daily.

Cardiomyopathy involves the heart muscle becoming thick and rigid, or replaced by scar tissue. The left ventricle of the heart, or the pumping chamber, was hardest hit by alcohol and the ventricular wall became enlarged in men who consumed more than two drinks per day; for women, the changes were evident among those who drank just more than one drink daily.

This suggests the heart was working in overdrive; such a pace could cause the heart to enlarge and weaken over time, reports Time. "A little bit of alcohol may be beneficial, but too much is clearly going to be toxic," a researcher says.

Additional studies will determine whether genetic factors play a role in a person's susceptibility. "What is clear is that at more than two drinks a day is the point at which we start to think we are beyond the safe level for men, and with women, it’s likely to be even lower than that," Solomon tells Time. (Drinking more could also boost your stroke risk.)

Eating in between meals just got easier with this snack

healthydailymail.com you’ve worked hard in the gym and even harder at creating tasty, nutritious meals in an effort to stay fit and lean, but then you get a craving for something sweet. Do you…

A)    Give in and have chocolate, biscuits or cake?

B)   Don’t give in, but feel unsatisfied?

C)   Eat a tasty and protein-packed mousse?

Snacking and a sweet tooth are often two things that stand in the way of a healthy diet and a lean body, but it doesn’t have to be that way. You can now have the best of both worlds and satisfy cravings with the new USN Protein Mousse. High five to that!

Not only is the mousse high protein, but it’s also zero sucrose and formulated with essential amino acids, making it a triple whammy, guilt-free treat. The thick, creamy mousse offers 15g of high-quality dairy protein per portion, so if your goal is to get lean this summer, you don’t have to give up indulgent snacks or tasty desserts.

Bump up the nutritional value of the mousse even more by adding fresh fruits, such as raspberry, strawberry or banana with nuts and seeds. With three flavours to choose from – Café Latte, Peach & Mango and Strawberry White Chocolate – you can be as creative as you like, or just enjoy the low-fat, delicious snack on it’s own!

Have you also noticed that there’s a mousse on the loose? The USN mousse mascot has been up and down the country handing out samples and taking selfies with people, using the hashtag #MousseOnTheLoose. One lucky selfie taker will win £1000 worth of holiday vouchers.

If you’ve you not managed to catch the USN mousse mascot, we have just the ticket. We’ve got samples of the USN protein mousse up for grabs, all you have to do is email WFcompetitions@dennis.co.uk with your name, email address/postal address, by May 31, 2015. If that wasn’t enough, entrants will automatically be entered in to the competition for a chance to win £1000 of holiday vouchers. There are a limited amount available and samples will be sent on a first come, first served basis – so get in there quick.

WOW, Stressed out wives may make men’s blood pressure rise

healthydailymail.com When older men have stressed-out wives, their own blood pressure may go up, a U.S. study suggests. 

While previous research has linked stress and bad relationships to elevated blood pressure, less is known about how these challenges affect both members of a couple, and how the spouses affect one another, over time.

For the current study, researchers evaluated about 1,350 couples once in 2006 and again in 2010 to see how each person’s blood pressure might change based on shifts in their relationship satisfaction or stress levels.

“We found that husbands had higher blood pressure when wives reported greater stress and that this link was even greater when husbands felt more negative about the relationship,” lead study author Kira Birditt, a scientist at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, said by email.

“In addition, negative marital quality experienced by only one member of the couple was not associated with blood pressure, but when both members of the couple reported higher negative marital quality they both had higher blood pressure,” added Birditt.

About one in three U.S. adults has high blood pressure, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Birditt and colleagues reviewed data from a nationwide sample of 22,000 people born in 1953 or earlier, focusing on a subset of opposite-sex couples with both members having participated in face-to-face interviews about their relationships.

Compared to the larger group, the subset in this study was healthier, younger, more likely to be white and report less chronic stress. Most couples were married, but 3% were cohabitating.

In 2006, about one third of husbands had high blood pressure, as did 26% of the wives. By 2010, 37% of the men and 30% of the women had high blood pressure.

Stressed out husbands had lower blood pressure when their wives reported less stress, the study found. The stressed out women, however, had lower blood pressure when their husbands were also under a lot of stress.

The wives’ stress was more likely to be linked to high blood pressure in their spouses when the men were unhappy with the relationship.

The study only used four questions to assess relationship quality, which might miss some nuances that could impact the results, the researchers acknowledge in their April 7 online report in the Journals of Gerontology, Series B.

There is mounting evidence that exposure to stress, including negative relationships or marriages, is related to poor physiological outcomes, Kristen Peek, a professor of preventive medicine and community health at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, said by email.

“Older husbands tend to be dependent on their wives for care, defined broadly as meal preparation, household responsibility and caregiving,” said Peek, who wasn’t involved in the study.

For older couples whose marriages follow more traditional gender roles, it makes sense that "older husbands would have decreased mental and physical health in response to their wives decline,” Peek said.

Want to slim down? Slow down! Aoife Stuart-Madge reveals how eating on the hop is sabotaging your weight and health

healthydailymail.com Whether it’s grabbing a bite at your desk in between meetings or shovelling breakfast down before work, we’re all guilty of not making enough time for a meal at some point in our busy lives. But while most of us know that eating on the run isn’t exactly the healthiest way to refuel, the true extent of the damage speed-eating can do to your body is shocking.

According to a study from Osaka University in Japan, women double their chances of becoming fat by eating too quickly, while men who speed eat are 84 per cent more likely to become obese. The study, which monitored the eating habits of 3,000 people, found that eating too quickly overrides the mechanisms in the brain that tell us we’re full. It’s estimated that it takes 20 minutes after you start eating for the message to stop eating to reach your brain, so if you finish a meal in less time, you risk over-stuffing your stomach. ‘Rapid, “mindless” eating means that the food goes down so quickly that by the time the stomach signals to the brain that it has had enough, we have, in fact, overeaten,’ explains Dr David Lewis from Mindlab, who led scientific research into the UK’s lunchtime eating habits. ‘The consequence is that we add unnecessary calories and put on weight.’

As well as weight gain – and the obvious discomfort that comes from over-filling your stomach (hello, gas, bloating and indigestion) –you’re also at risk of serious health complications. Research from the Medical University of South Carolina found that gulping down food can raise your risk of acid reflux, which can lead to a number of health complications including gastroesophageal reflux disease, a narrowing of the oesophagus, bleeding, or the pre-cancerous condition Barrett’s oesophagus. The study showed that eating a 690-calorie meal in five minutes rather than 30 minutes resulted in up to 50 per cent more acid reflux episodes.

So how can you begin to unlearn fast-eating habits, which are often developed in childhood? Here, our experts reveal their top tips for slowing down.

Switch off the TV

In order for your brain to register when you’ve had enough to eat, you’ve got to be paying attention to what’s going in to your mouth. Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition categorised eaters into ‘attentive’ and ‘distracted’ groups, and found the distracted eaters tend to eat more in a sitting. ‘One of the first stages of digestion involves simply thinking about food which, literally, gets your digestive juices flowing,’ says Nina Omotoso, a nutritional therapist at Revital (revital.com). ‘Rushing meals means you miss out on this, which is why bad habits like eating on the run or bolting your food down in 20 seconds flat in front of the TV can really affect your digestive health, leading to indigestion, poor nutrient absorption, stomach pain and bloating.’

Make a meal of it

Forget stuffing a sandwich down in five minutes as you check emails at your desk, in order to properly digest your food, Dr Lewis recommends setting aside 15 minutes for a snack, and at least 30 minutes to enjoy a full meal. ‘Relax when you are eating. Do not keep glancing at your watch or thinking about all you have to do after the meal,’ advises Dr Lewis. ‘Eat with your eyes as much as your mouth. By enjoying the experience of eating you will not only enhance the pleasure you derive from your food but also encourage a greater sense of overall wellbeing. That old adage ‘you are what you eat’ is not quite true. More accurately you are what you ingest and digest. Both these processes work best when they are allowed to work slowly.’

Don’t drink with your meal

Research has shown that drinking too much water during a meal can mess with the natural levels of bile and acid in the stomach, slowing digestion. ‘Avoid drinking too much while eating. Fluid not only distends the stomach but also dilutes the digestive enzyme in the mouth and essential acid in the stomach,’ explains Dr Lewis. Try this trick: hydrate yourself 30 minutes before a meal with cucumber water – a natural diuretic that can aid movement through your digestive tract.

Put obstacles in your way

The faster you eat, the more air you let into your body, which bloats you and gives you that uncomfortably full feeling. Consciously slow your pace down by adopting this habit: putting your knife and fork down between bites, or, if you’re eating a hand-held food like pizza or a sandwich, consciously set it down between bites. Also incorporating foods that are tougher to eat, such a grapefruit, in your diet, naturally slows you down.

Taste your food

Recent research commissioned by food company Glorious found that 60 per cent of the UK population admitted to ‘never’ or ‘rarely’ tasting what they ate. Research leader Dr Lewis said, ‘Researchers found that, on average, 79 per cent of people were unable to detect when basic flavours had been swapped, this rose to 88 per cent when people ate while distracted, increasing to 93 per cent for people eating under time pressure.’ The research indicated that office workers in particular consume food simply to refuel the body and most never, or rarely, taste what they’re eating. ‘Mastication, the process in which the food in our mouth is broken into smaller fragments and thoroughly mixed with saliva, represents the first stage of digestion,’ explains Dr Lewis. ‘Poor mastication means that we fail to savour and appreciate the true taste and texture of the meal. It can also result in a range of problems, from indigestion and heartburn to an inadequate uptake of essential nutrients from the food.’

Chew properly

Without chewing your food properly, your body can’t digest it. ‘Chew your food carefully,’ advises Dr Lewis. ‘Take smaller mouthfuls so that the enzyme in saliva is breaking down smaller food morsels, aiding quicker digestion. The larger the portion of food in your mouth, the less effectively it is chewed and savoured.’ Chatterbox? It might be an idea to schedule a catch-up over coffee rather than lunch or dinner. ‘Not only does talking prevent you paying full attention to your food, it also causes you to swallow air, leading to a greater risk of discomfort,’ Dr Lewis says.

Plan your meals

When pushed for time, it’s easy to make poor food choices (who hasn’t grabbed an unhealthy snack during a last-minute trip to the vending machine?) but the more hurried your food choices, the more unhealthy the choice you’re likely to make. ‘Being overscheduled, stressed and pressed for time seems to be a common complaint amongst my clients,’ says Nina, ‘so it’s not surprising that “quick and convenient” is a deciding factor in many of our food choices. The main problem is that leaving it to the last minute limits your options. And if you’re already starving you’re more likely to make poor food choices. Eating like this usually means more sugar, salt and saturated fat in your diet, fewer nutrients, and more expensive, pre-packaged foods – not great for the figure or the bank balance.’ The answer, Nina says, is to adopt a mindful attitude. ‘It’s not just about diet but lifestyle as well. This way people feel more capable, more relaxed and in control. If you’ve got a hectic week coming up, try to plan ahead – stick an apple, a small bag of unsalted nuts or even a high-protein energy bar in your bag. That way you can relax a little and spend the time you do have eating slowly and listening to your body’s hunger signals, rather than running about and eating frantically.’

Don’t reward yourself with food

It’s in our make-up to crave reward for hard work, so when you are under pressure it’s natural to reach for a sugar fix as an instant reward. Nutritionists say many women subconsciously start to associate feeling stressed with speed-eating through the office vending machine. What’s more, when you’re stressed, you’re less likely to savour taste of food or respond to feelings of fullness. Try chewing on a piece of gum next time you feel like stress-eating, and reward your hard work with a lunchtime mani or blow-dry instead.