B Vitamin Couteracts Cancer DangerPosting Date: 10/31/2005 Q. How dangerous is it to drink wine if you are at risk of breast cancer? My mother died of breast cancer so I know I am at higher than average risk. I have heard that moderate drinking may not be a problem, and I hope that?s true. My husband and I drink a glass of wine with dinner most nights, but I rarely have more than one. A. Women who drink three glasses of wine daily increase their risk of breast cancer by over 40 percent (British Journal of Cancer, Nov. 18, 2002). Women who drink alcohol and get little folic acid in their diet (200 micrograms or less) may double their chance of developing this disease. New research suggests that women who consume ample folic acid (more than 400 micrograms daily) have no increased risk of breast cancer, even if they drink a couple of alcoholic beverages daily (British Medical Journal, Oct. 8, 2005). Q. My father has high blood pressure and high cholesterol. He takes atenolol, Zocor, aspirin, Norvasc and lisinopril. He used to be healthy, happy and energetic. Now his pulse is very slow and he has almost no energy. He complains of dizziness and seems depressed much of the time. He gets short of breath just walking up the driveway. I worry that he might be taking too much medicine, but now his doctor wants to prescribe even more--Zoloft for depression and albuterol for asthma. Could all these pills be contributing to his symptoms? A. Beta blockers like atenolol, metoprolol and propranolol can all slow the pulse. Some people also develop fatigue, depression and asthma on such medicine. A new review of atenolol and similar drugs (The Lancet Oct. 18, 2005) suggests that they may not be as helpful as different blood pressure medicine. Before adding more drugs, the doctor needs to determine whether your father?s blood pressure pills are causing his dizziness and other symptoms. Related Stories |
Email this page
Printer Friendly
Bookmark this page
