Breast Cancer Risk Might Be Tied To Breast Size

Researchers say they have found a connection between a woman’s breast size and her risk of  breast cancer.

“There are surprising connections between some of the genes involved in determining breast size and the genes involved in breast cancer,” lead author Nick Eriksson, a researcher with the California-based personal genomics company 23andMe.

In a study published in the journal BMC Medical Genetics, the findings suggest that a woman’s cup size and her risk for developing breast cancer could be connected. However, even the researchers are quick to admit that the connection should be regarded as preliminary at best.

“It’s fair to say that the link is a bit uncertain, and based on current knowledge, it’s not a strong risk factor,” said Eriksson. He suggested that one possible, albeit oversimplified, explanation for the findings could be that larger breast size means more cells that could become cancerous.

But, he added, “part of the complication is that obesity also plays a complicated part in breast cancer risk.”

Indeed, breast cancer specialist Dr. Edith Perez, deputy director at large at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center (who was not involved in the 23andMe research), said that a major limitation of the new study is that researchers did not have complete information about the participants’ weight, which in many cases can directly influence a woman’s breast size. Obesity has also been shown to increase breast cancer risk, particularly after menopause.

In addition, Perez said, the researchers did not control for other factors that can increase risk, such as alcohol use and breast density. The latter trait is largely inherited and has been much more definitively linked to cancer risk than breast size has. Studies have suggested that women with dense breasts are up to five times more likely to develop breast cancer, for reasons that are not yet fully understood.

“The way I look at it is that it’s an interesting finding, but I do not think it will have a big impact on the way we stratify for risk for breast cancer,” said Perez, adding that the fact this is a commercial company’s study (as opposed to an independent data analysis) should be taken into consideration. She said she hoped future research would look at factors that women might be able to change or influence in order to cut their risk for breast cancer, which is currently the second-most common cancer among women in the United States. (Skin cancer is the first.)

Eriksson echoed that the new findings may have more implications for researchers interested in the possible connection between breast size and cancer risk than for women directly. For now, breast size is not a “major factor,” he explained, and certainly nowhere near as significant as obesity or breast density.

The biggest takeaway from the new study may be that when it comes to cup size, a lot depends on the genes.

“Breast size is definitely heritable,” Eriksson said. “But unlike height, where you can look at both parents and get some idea how tall you will be, you have much less data for breast size. A young woman can look at her mom. However, she won’t get the same insights by looking at her dad for his genetic contribution.”

LISTEN NOW: Free Diabetes Roundtable podcast Inspired by Rev Run http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2012/06/12/diabetes-roundtable-inspired-by-rev-run

Paul Deen Loses 30 Pounds!

“Divabetic” Paula Deen has been making big changes in her diet, and it’s paying off.

Paula Deen, the Southern chef known for her love of butter and the deep fryer, was much maligned
for promoting a high-fat diet when she revealed her type 2 diabetes diagnosis in January. She had kept her condition under wraps for three years.

Since sharing her diabetes diagnosis, she tells People magazine, she’s lost 30 pounds, dropping from a size 18 to a size 10.

“I feel a thousand times better,” Deen, 65, tells People, adding that she gives herself an injection every day to control her blood-sugar levels. “I have more energy, I sleep better. The weight loss has made my health issues better.”

Paula Deen tells People she is thinking differently about food these days.

“I do think differently,” about food, Deen tells People. She said she eats more green salads and veggies. And as for carbs? “Just a spoonful,” she allows. And dessert is sugar-free ice cream topped with berries, the magazine reports.

Fried food is mostly off the menu.

For someone with type 2 diabetes, changing your diet and losing weight are “the major modifiers” of the disease, says endocrinologist Dr. Osama Hamdy, medical director of the obesity clinical program at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. Those two things can sometimes be even more effective than medications, he said.

The body needs glucose, or sugar, to work properly, Hamdy says. Insulin is the “key” that opens the door to the body’s organs and tissues to allow the glucose in.

In type 2 diabetes, the body cannot metabolize sugar correctly, because either the pancreas is not making enough insulin or the body is resisting its own insulin. With the glucose locked out, too much sugar builds up in the bloodstream, causing type 2 diabetes.

A major risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes is weight gain because it makes the body not responsive to its own insulin, Hamdy says. But shedding pounds can reverse the course of the disease, he said.

“Weight loss is the key to improving diabetes management and the weight loss can also lead to reversing the course of diabetes from continuous progression to regression, and occasionally, weight loss can lead to remission,” Hamdy says.

Remission, which can be long- or short-term, means a patient has normal blood sugar levels and doesn’t require medication, he said, adding that there is no “cure” for diabetes. “If you gain the weight back, then it will be a problem,” Hamdy said, “and diabetes will reappear again.”

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic stops by  the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party to learn healthy ways to enjoy the barbecue  from everyday people.

Mr. Divabetic hosts Diva TalkRadio, a dynamic free online and mobile podcast channel featuring health care professionals, beauty, image/style and fitness experts, entertainment industry leaders and VIPs: women and men living with, at risk of and affected by diabetes.

LISTEN NOW: Free Diabetes Roundtable Inspired by Rev Run Podcast http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2012/06/12/diabetes-roundtable-inspired-by-rev-run

Which Star Wore 4th Of July Outfit Best?

They’re different ages and all boast different styles. But Miley Cyrus, Jessica Simpson, Alessandra Ambrosio and the Statue of Liberty do have at least one thing in common: they all like a good patriotic outfit.

Like Kate Middleton on Canada Day, the three Hollywood fixtures donned red and white patriotic outfits for the 4th of July. Jessica posed with her fiance Eric Johnson and their new baby girl, Maxwell Drew, against an unbelievably picturesque display of fireworks (seriously, was that Photoshopped?) wearing Wildfox Couture’s Seeing Stars Lennon sweater.

Earlier in the day, Alessandra stepped out with her new little one, Noah, wearing the same sweater, styled neatly with denim cutoffs and the sleeves rolled up. And leave it to Miley Cyrus to wear her Wildfox Couture sweater as a minidress, shrouding her teeny shorts and showing off her gams.

Three different stars all wrapped up in stars — so who wore it better?

What will you be wearing for that upcoming warm weather getaway, beach vacation, or just in general this summer? Let Divabetic help you decide. The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic talks to Divabetic Image & Style Expert, Catherine Schuller about ‘Wack or Wow’ Summer Fashions at the 10th annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party in New York City

Mr. Divabetic is the host of Diva TalkRadio, a dynamic free online and mobile podcast channel where tens of thousands of fans, followers and listeners turn to laugh a little and learn a lot. Guests include health care professionals, beauty, image/style and fitness experts, entertainment industry leaders and VIPs: women and men living with, at risk of and affected by diabetes.

LISTEN NOW: Free Golden Rules on Style Inspired by The Golden Girls podcast http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2011/10/18/studio-d-golden-rules-on-style-inspired-by-the-golden-girls

London Olympics Moves To Ban McDonald’s And Coca-Cola

As McDonald‘s readies to open its biggest location in the world as part of its sponsorship of the Olympics, the chain’s opponents are also ramping up their efforts to ban it and soda mega-corporation Coca-Cola from the games.

With just a month before competitions get underway, the London Assembly has voted to call for a ban on the two sponsors. The Olympics, an event that showcases the world’s best athletic talent, should not be bankrolled by companies that produce high-calorie food and drinks that may contribute to obesity, believes the Assembly.

The London Assembly, established in 2000, is an elected body that monitors the activities of the Mayor of London and has the power to amend the mayor’s annual budget.

The move urges the International Olympic Committee to adopt strict criteria for sponsorship of the Games, which would exclude companies like McDonald’s and Coca-Cola.

But, the issue isn’t black and white. Coca-Cola is the games’ longest-running sponsor, since 1928, and McDonald’s has been one since 1976. Over time, the companies have developed a mutually beneficially relationship.

But despite the criticism of their presence, without companies like Coca-Cola and McDonald’s, the Olympics would be under serious financial threat, a fact that organizers are happy to admit. Cash generated by commercial partnerships accounts for more than 40% of Olympic revenues, and the companies under fire have been two of the biggest contributors for many years.The two companies’ sponsorships have been blasted by UK doctors, who say they send the wrong message in a country struggling with obesity rates.

McDonald’s UK’s chief executive, Jill McDonald, defended her company’s offerings to the AP in May. “We do offer a breadth of menu,” she said. “You can see on the menu here we have grilled chicken wraps, we have salads, fruit smoothies as well as the more indulgent recipes that people know and love.”

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic is on location in Central Park, New York City to find out people’s reactions to Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed Super Size Soda ban.

LISTEN NOW: Free Diabetes Roundtable podcast Inspired by Rev Run http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2012/06/12/diabetes-roundtable-inspired-by-rev-run