Should GPs lead the way in facing the facts about obesity and its link to breast cancer?

breast

The Telegraph
United Kingdom

By Judith Potts Health and lifestyle
Last updated: July 27th, 2011

The believed causes of breast cancer are myriad and well-documented – family history; age; time and type of menopause (i.e. natural or induced by surgery where ovaries are removed); whether or not the woman has had children; over-indulgence of alcohol; smoking; HRT; a compromised immune system etc. To this long list has just been added the height of the person, the age at which a woman began menstruating and – perhaps most crucially – obesity.

Cardiovascular disease in women—often silent and fatal

heart

The Lancet
Volume 378, Issue 9787, Page 200, 16 July 2011
On June 21, two US organisations, WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease and the Society for Women’s Health Research, released 2011 10QReport: Advancing Women’s Heart Health Through Improved Research, Diagnosis and Treatment. The report emphasises the burden of cardiovascular disease in women and the disappointing lack of research into this predicament.

Lipids, Menopause, and Early Atherosclerosis in Study of Women’s Health across the Nation Heart Women

Medscape Today
Posted: 04/22/2011; Menopause. 2010;18(4):376-384. © 2010 The North American Menopause Society

Objective: The risk of cardiovascular disease increases after menopause. Recent evidence suggests that it is possible for high-density lipoprotein (HDL) to become proatherogenic or dysfunctional in certain situations. Our objective was to evaluate whether the relationship of HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) to subclinical cardiovascular disease differed across the menopausal transition, which would provide insight for this increased risk.

Easing Menopause Symptoms With Food

cathy margolin

Huffington Post
Cathy Margolin, L.Ac. Dipl. OM

Licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, women’s health specialist, founder of PAC Herbs, Chinese herbal medicine in PACkets.

June 28, 2011

“I didn’t sign up for this, I just want to feel normal again,” said Judy, my patient who aptly describes what the 21st century Western woman going through menopause feels. If you want to know how to turn down your body’s internal “thermostat” you are in the right place. Alternative medicine, including food therapy, is a viable option for managing menopause symptoms.

Pfizer Sets Aside $772 Million, Settles One-Third of Prempro Drug Cases

Bloomberg

By Jef Feeley – May 12, 2011 9:01 PM MT

Pfizer Inc. (PFE), which has settled a third of the pending cases over its Prempro menopause drug, said it set aside $772 million to resolve claims the medicine causes breast cancer.

Integrative approaches to menopause

chiroeco.com

Sharpen your understanding of hormonal balancing and estrogen level management.

By Debra Muth, ND, RN, WHNP, BAAHP
May 13, 2011

The transition to menopause can be a time of reflection and inspiration. Although transitions of any kind can be inherently difficult, many women experience a newfound sense of freedom and personal growth during menopause. As one author put it: “Menopause is a time of great change — it is the adolescence of older age but better than the adolescence of youth because menopausal women have confidence and experience.”

Less Hot Flashes With An Antidepressant?

Dr. Steven Park.com

January 18, 2011

Listen to Dr. Park discuss sleep during monthly periods, pregnancy, and menopause on
Holy Hormones Honey! – tonight on KRFC FM 6 to 7 pm MST

Can taking an antidepressant diminish menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats? A study just published in JAMA showed that menopausal women who were given Lexapro had small, but significantly less number of hot flashes per day compared to women given placebos.

Switching To Fresh Foods Cuts Hormone Disruptors BPA And DEHP

Medical News Today

Article Date: 30 Mar 2011 – 11:00 PDT

Switching to a fresh food diet devoid of canned and packaged foods reduces levels in the body of the hormone disruptors BPA and DEHP, according to a new study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives this week.

NEW Studies Reveal Alarming Hidden Cause of Breast Cancer

Mercola.com

March 18, 2011

By Russell L. Blaylock, MD, CCN

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in women worldwide and breast cancer rates are increasing rapidly.

A compelling number of studies, though not all, have shown that free iron concentrations in breast tissue, especially the ductal tissue, is playing a major role in stimulating cancer development and eventual progression to aggressive, deadly cancers.

Iodine – Getting It Right by Dr. Lynne August

QFAC

A woman in her mid-forties called me in a panic. She was suddenly having hot flashes. She had never had hot flashes before nor had she had any other menopausal symptoms. In fact, she is still menstruating regularly. However, she was experiencing other symptoms –heart racing, weight loss, agitation, sleeplessness, increased body temperature– all pointing to hyperthyroidism, i.e., too much thyroid hormone. Since her thyroid tests and physical examination were both normal, her doctor wanted her to take estrogen for the hot flashes.