LiveLongAgeWell

“Quitting smoking is easy. I’ve done it a thousand times.” Mark Twain (probably around now…Happy New Year’s!)

Actually, quitting is tough, but about half of smokers eventually do it. Usually it takes multiple attempts. Especially if you are around secondhand smoke, which may even increase the risk of breast cancer, this year stop the damage and excess aging you are suffering; if you know a smoker, send him this post.

A smoker who quits, no matter her age, will begin to undue the damage, maybe even most of the damage. It doesn’t matter how long you smoked, you will be better off if you quit, now. Like all addictions it’s not easy, but if your personal resolve is strong you can try “cold turkey”. Many motivated smokers have quit this way.

But—no shame—if you want extra help, talk to your physician about nicotine replacement therapy (gum, patch, inhaler, or nasal spray), or one of the available prescription pills that significantly improve your chances of quitting. Realize though that if you choose a medication option, you still need a strong desire to quit, or you will fail.

All medication options have possible side effects, but not necessarily bad ones (and continuing to smoke has lots of side effects!)  Ask your doctor, and maybe research yourself) about this: the pill that has been on the market as a stop-smoking aid since 1997 (available relatively cheaply as generic bupropion) is also used as an anti-depressant, and many people even lose weight while taking it.

There is a newer drug (trade name Chantix) which is more expensive and has been heavily marketed to doctors, but may have more risks than the older medication bupropion. If your doc wants you to take the newer medication, quiz her closely about why she wants you to take the heavily marketed med rather than bupropion. Are the possible benefits really worth the risks of this new drug which could, in several years, be withdrawn due to side effects? (There have been enough concerns that the FAA has banned its use by pilots and air traffic controllers.) Often it’s safer, cheaper, and better to stick to the tried-and-true when it comes to medication. The newest is NOT necessarily better when it comes to prescription drugs!

Whatever method you choose, get support from an organization such as the Center for Disease Control (puts your tax money to work and has lots of great links) or the American Cancer Society.  And be aware that when you quit, for some time you could feel worse, even beyond missing the cigarettes.  Recent ex-smokers may cough more, and bring up more mucous, which might be a sign that the lungs are starting to come alive again, and that you are clearing out years of built-up debris. Discuss with your doctor.

When you—or someone you know—successfully quits, they will likely be happier, more self-assured, sick less, and no longer contributing to secondhand smoke risks.  Beyond that, while quitting, think of another reward.  Maybe a vacation, which now you can afford because you won’t be spending on cigarettes, and your health care costs will likely be lower!

Most people know that being overweight or obese contributes to the risk of heart disease and diabetes, but probably many don’t realize that being obese increases your risk of various cancers also. It’s a topic we will visit in future posts, but today I want to mention a recent study which demonstrates one way normal-weight women benefit from vigorous activity…they markedly cut their breast cancer risk.

It is a startling statistic, but one out of eight women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime (one out of 100 breast cancer cases occur in men), so anything that decreases this risk is welcome. And while the media tends to focus on risk factors we can’t control such as genes and family history, this study from the National Cancer Institute describes one relatively simple action women can take.

Beginning in 1987, the researchers studied over 32,000 post-menopausal women and found that women who engaged in regular vigorous activity or vigorous exercise had about a 30% reduction in the risk of breast cancer. Interestingly, this effect was seen only in slim and normal-weight women; obese women did not show the same good effect from strong exercise (though obese women would cut their risk by losing weight).

The type of activity that led to the decreased cancer risk included heavy housework such as washing windows, scrubbing floors, or digging outside. But don’t fear if you don’t want to do—or don’t have time for—heavy housework, because women who engaged in strenuous sports or vigorous exercise such as running, serious tennis, and fast dancing enjoyed the same benefit. Light housework such as washing clothes, basic gardening, or mild exercise didn’t seem to have the strong protective effect.

So especially if you have a higher-than-average risk of breast cancer, for example due to family history, keep vigorous activity in mind. (For an excellent current reference on breast cancer, check out this pdf from the American Cancer Society.) For Monday: how both men and women can cut their risk of another common and feared affliction, Alzheimer’s disease.

Most likely you have seen the flashy advertising for pomegranate juice, and primarily these ads promote it as a health drink, not for great taste or that it’s refreshing. Fortunately, there is good evidence that this juice is full of wonderful anti-oxidants; it probably cuts the risk of atherosclerosis, and may slow the growth of various cancers, particularly prostate and breast. However it’s expensive, rather bitter, full of calories, and if you buy the most heavily advertised brand, you actually might be getting more cherry juice than pomegranate (for all fruit juices, it’s important to read the label fine print carefully). You might find 100% pomegranate juice—just not the most heavily advertised brand—in some warehouse stores at a reasonable price.

For some years now it has been known that another healthy juice— grapefruit—can cause problems for people taking certain prescription medications, particularly blood pressure and “statin” drugs for high cholesterol. Grapefruit interferes with the metabolism, or breakdown, of certain medications in the body, so if you take one of those medications and also drink grapefruit juice, you could end up with too much of the medication in your system. It seems pomegranate might cause similar problems.

While it’s an ancient fruit that was celebrated centuries ago for its longevity and protective powers, pomegranate has burst into the U.S. scene so recently that scientists need more time and research to figure out exactly how it might interact with medications…still, there is enough concern such that if you take prescription medications, you should check with your doctor or pharmacist before drinking grapefruit or pomegranate juice (or eating the fruit, of course). Likewise if you have cancer, or are undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment, check with your physician (it could actually impair your treatments). Still, for most people, pomegranate is a very interesting and promising fruit. It just might fulfill its legendary promise and give many health benefits, and I will cover it, and other new, exotic fruits more in future posts (one pleasant Friday post will include the pomegranate martini, otherwise titled: how you can make alcoholic drinks healthier).