• June Better Health News featuring: "Lower Your Risk of High Blood Pressure"

• Drinking Tea/Coffee Can Help Protect Against CHD
• Get Active This Summer!
• Snoring - Are You Suffering From Sleep Apnea?
• Anti-Depressants' Effect on Breast Cancer Treatment

This Better Health News issue will focus on a range of topics that could be having an affect on your health. Keep reading to find ways to improve your quality of life. Live stronger, fitter and healthier this summer!

Please feel free to forward this Better Health News to your friends and colleagues who might benefit from or be interested in some of the information provided. You can also submit any feedback you may have to [email protected]

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In a recent study conducted in the Netherlands, it was found that drinking a moderate amount of tea and/or coffee can actually decrease the risk of developing Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). Many people in the United States are affected by this heart condition. It is in fact one of the leading causes of death in the United States for both men and women. In 2006, approximately 17 600 000 people suffered from CHD.

Coronary heart disease is a type of cardiovascular disease in which fat builds up in the blood vessels and causes them to narrow. In this case, the coronary arteries specifically are affected. The coronary arteries are the arteries that transport oxygenated blood to the heart muscle. When these arteries narrow, blood flow to the heart slows down and can even stop.

Two to four cups of coffee per day and three to six cups of tea per day noticeably decreased the risk of CHD. For coffee, the best results occur from drinking two or three cups. For tea, the greater amount that was drunk the better effect it had. Thus, six cups had the best results. Tea can also play a role in decreasing the mortality rate of CHD. The mortality rate refers to the number of deaths that occur in a year from a certain condition.

Coffee and tea have their benefits but it is not recommended that you start drinking tea and/or coffee just because of what you have read in this article. Tea and coffee also have negative effects that need to be considered. As well, the study discussed above does not apply to every single type of tea and coffee. This study was performed with filter coffee as prepared in the Netherlands and with black tea.

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While the weather's so nice an warm outside, it's a great opportunity to seize the day and partake in some quality physical activity, whether it's in taking a walk with your dog, or in implementing a new fitness routine, your body will thank you in the long run. If you find yourself a little queasy over the prospect of exercise, there are several methods to help you become physically active, and not all of them require extreme strenuous effort. Gardening, yoga classes, walking and taking a casual swim are all excellent ways to increase and improve your current state of fitness. Increasing your fitness level has many additional benefits, as listed below:

Reduce the Risk of Severe Chronic Conditions – Studies show that becoming physically active significantly helps to reduce the risk of over twenty-five serious health conditions, including high blood pressure, osteoporosis, breast cancer, heart disease, colon cancer, stroke and type two diabetes.

Improvement of Mental Health – Exercise does much more than simply keeping you fit, as several mental health benefits have been attributed to physical fitness, including improved stress management, reduction of anxiety and alleviation of depression. Many people additionally experience a boost in self esteem and confidence as a result of becoming more physically active.

Increased Energy – If you constantly feel tired even though you've technically been getting enough sleep, physical activity can actually help you to become more productive during the day, by helping your body to make the most use of your sleep and the food that you eat.

Weight Loss – Exercise is the most natural way to lose weight and prevent weight gain, as it naturally elevates your metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories each day. By increasing your physical activity, you can easily and cost-effectively manage your weight.
Starting an active and healthy lifestyle this summer could be the best thing you do all year – it can even help you to gain back the few years that you've lost to aging; studies show that much of the decline in functional capacity associated with aging is actually caused by a lack of physical activity.

If you snore, then it's likely that at some point in your life you've probably kept some poor light sleeper awake, whether it was the kid in the next bunk at summer camp or your partner lying next to you last night. Although your snoring may seem harmless, with few repercussions other than unhappy and un-rested roommates, your snoring could be a lot more dangerous than you think. There are many possible causes of snoring, which include vibrations of the muscles and tissues near the airways, large tonsils, and additionally apneas. While the vibrations of muscles and tissues near the airways and large tonsils are relatively harmless, apneas, or stoppages in breathing, are rather serious, especially considering that they occur while you are asleep. Frequencies of these apneas contribute to a condition called Sleep Apnea, which can lead to death if your body is unable to overcome an apnea while you are asleep.

Sleep Apnea is difficult to diagnose, and is probably more noticeable to your roommates than it is to you. Sleep apnea is generally a chronic condition, meaning that your breathing stops while you are sleeping about three times per week. Symptoms of sleep apnea may include: loud snoring on a regular basis; interruptions of breathing such as pauses, gasps and snorts which may wake you up; odd sleeping positions; and heavy sweating during sleep. Because the body has to work harder than it normally would to ensure breathing remains regular at night, many people with sleep apnea will display irritability and other symptoms of insomnia during the day. The fatigue caused by sleep apnea makes it much more difficult for those who experience sleep apnea to concentrate and remain alert, making it dangerous not only to sleep, but also to do regular everyday activities such as driving.

The good news is: Sleep Apnea is treatable. While it may seem slightly uncomfortable at first, there are several options for treating sleep apnea, making it easy to find one that is right for you. The most common treatment options for sleep apnea are surgery or the wearing of a dental device to prevent snoring. The Aveo TSD is a non-prescription device that has been an affordable and easy solution for many of those who suffer from sleep apnea. Just think – no more snoring, a lot more sleep and therefore a lot more happiness.

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women. However, thanks to modern medicine, breast cancer is generally treatable if caught early. Tamoxifen is used to treat women who have estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, which is the most common type. The drug Tamoxifen has been able to reduce breast cancer recurrences by one-half and breast cancer deaths by one-third in women who have early-stage estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Unfortunately, Tamoxifen may not be able to help women who are taking certain antidepressants.

An enzyme in the liver called CYP2D6 is the main enzyme that converts tamoxifen to endoxifen, the active form of the drug within the body. However, antidepressants, such as paroxetine, fluoxetine, and bupropion, brand names Paxil, Prozac, and Wellbutrin respectively, are the most likely to inhibit the CYP2D6 enzyme, which may prevent women from receiving any benefit from tamoxifen. With 20-30% of women who take tamoxifen also using antidepressants, this could become quite a significant problem.

McGill University and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, both conducted studies involving the drug interactions between antidepressants and tamoxifen. While these studies were limited in ways, they added to the growing concerns of antidepressants interfering with the effectiveness of tamoxifen. As a precautionary measure, many women are now being prescribed antidepressants that are less likely to interfere with the anticancer effects of tamoxifen. Those unable to switch antidepressants may be able to receive different anti-estrogen drugs. These drugs react differently than tamoxifen and do not rely on the same enzymes.