Breast Cancer, ‘Good Life’ Linked : Researchers Note Relationship of Affluence to Disease

Question: I heard a doctor say that more women may be getting breast cancer these days because they’re better off financially. I’m puzzled by this statement. It would seem to me that people who are better off financially should have less illness, not more. They live better, eat better and get better medical care than other people. How could this possibly cause breast cancer?

Answer: What some people refer to as the “good life” or affluence is characterized by the consumption of rich foods, generous use of alcohol, lack of adequate exercise and waiting until later in life to have children. Although it is not clear how these factors are related to the development of breast cancer, the disease does appear to be associated with a greater degree of affluence.

Q: I am 73 years old, and I have been following almost the exact same diet for at least 50 years. Can you explain why now I’m being told that I am using too much salt, and that the salt is responsible for my blood pressure going up? If it didn’t bother me 50 years ago, why should it bother me now?

A: The obvious answer to your question is that you are 50 years older today. An individual’s sensitivity to salt (sodium) appears to increase with age. Therefore, salt consumed 50 years ago may not have caused problems, whereas the same amount consumed today may be responsible for an increase in blood pressure.

Q: Is depression inherited? I have a friend who always seems to be on the edge of depression, and I was puzzled about it until I met her mother. The mother was just as depressed as the daughter. Can this be passed from mother to child?

A: Some types of depression do appear to run in families, which suggests a biologic vulnerability. However, it is important to realize that not every child born into such a family will develop a depressive illness. This would indicate that other factors, such as exposure to stress, must play a role in the development of the disorder.

Q: If a person has an emotional problem and is given medication for it and the medication is working, why would she also be referred for treatment to a psychiatrist?

A: I assume that the referral to the psychiatrist was for some form of psychotherapy. While medication may produce a fairly rapid relief of symptoms, it does not get at the root of the patient’s underlying problems. From the information you provide, I assume the referral was designed to help her better cope with her day-to-day situation.

Q: I would like some information about post-traumatic stress disorder. I first heard about it when it was used to describe some Vietnam veterans who had gotten into trouble. Then I heard that it can even happen to people in civilian life if a person has a frightening experience. Is it possible that a person who sees a frightening event, like a murder, can also have the post-traumatic stress disorder even though that person was only a spectator and not directly involved in the action?

A: It may not even be necessary for a person to witness an event, such as a murder, to develop the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. For example, there are indications that relatives of a victim, even though they did not witness the death, may show the same kinds of symptoms. Furthermore, these symptoms may continue to be evident years after the event that gave rise to them.

Q: I don’t need an operation, and I don’t need a blood transfusion. But if I ever did need one, I’d be scared to death of getting it because of the chance of AIDS. What’s the chance of getting AIDS if a person has a blood transfusion, and why can’t blood be tested before it’s given to a patient?

A: The possibility of contracting the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) as a result of receiving a blood transfusion is about one in 100,000. The risk of contracting hepatitis is more likely.

Donated blood is checked to see if it contains antibodies to the AIDS virus, an indication that the donor has been exposed. The reason that testing is not 100% reliable is that it usually takes a few months for the immune system to produce antibodies in sufficient numbers for them to be detected. Therefore, it is possible for the blood of an infected person to be accepted and, eventually, transfused.