Mayo Clinic Health Letter, October 2011 Highlights: Managing the Side Effects of Chemotherapy; Using Stem Cells for Healing; Choosing Omega-3s for Heart Health

ROCHESTER, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Here are highlights from the October issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter. You may cite this publication as often as you wish. Reprinting is allowed for a fee. Mayo Clinic Health Letter attribution is required. Include the following subscription information as your editorial policies permit: Visit www.HealthLetter.MayoClinic.com or call toll-free for subscription information, 1-800-333-9037, extension 9771.

Coping with Chemotherapy

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Cancer patients may be treated with any of more than 100 chemotherapy medications that all work in different ways and have different effects on the body. In the October issue, Mayo Clinic Health Letter features an eight-page Special Report on maximizing the benefits of chemotherapy, including ways to manage side effects. Featured tips include:

Eating well: Nausea and vomiting are common side effects of some, but not all, chemotherapy treatments. Appetite loss and unintentional weight loss can occur, too. It’s important to work with the medical team to manage these side effects and eat balanced meals when hungry.

Medications are available to prevent or treat nausea. Studies have shown that acupuncture may be an effective treatment for nausea, too. Other helpful strategies may include taking ginger tablets, drinking ginger ale or participating in relaxation techniques such as meditation, deep breathing or hypnosis.

Get plenty of rest: Feeling tired is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy and cancer. Fatigue may last for a few days at a time, with normal energy in between. When it occurs, fatigue can be debilitating. It’s important to give the body the rest it needs for the best chance at fighting the disease. Sleeping eight hours a night should be a goal. Patients might benefit from a nap or two during the day, too.

Get moderate exercise: Exercise can help improve the cardiovascular system, the respiratory system and muscle strength. It can also improve quality of life, emotional well-being and reduce stress, appetite loss and fatigue during treatment. Several recent studies have shown that people who regularly exercise at moderate levels during treatment are less tired. Bike riding, walking, swimming, yoga or tai chi all can be good exercise options during cancer treatment.

Make time for relaxation: No doubt that a cancer diagnosis and treatment are stressful. But research indicates it’s especially important to work on stress reduction while undergoing treatment. Stress has profound harmful physical, psychological and behavioral effects. There’s evidence suggesting that stress plays a role in the progression of disease and affects life span.

Helpful stress reduction techniques include simple activities such as journaling, breathing deeply or listening to soothing music. Mind-body practices, such as yoga, tai chi and meditation, have been shown to shown to help with stress, anxiety and depression among cancer patients.

Regenerative Medicine -- Using Stem Cells for Healing -- Still in Early Stages

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Science isn’t there yet, but one day doctors may be able to treat a damaged heart by injecting cells that could create healthy new heart muscle and blood vessels. Or implanted cells could one day replace cells damaged or destroyed by Parkinson’s, diabetes or Alzheimer’s.

This emerging field, called regenerative medicine, is covered in the October issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter. Doctors are using various types of stems cells -- which can produce some or all types of cells -- to find new treatments for devastating diseases.

Stem cells are the body’s raw material. A 4-to-5-day-old embryo is made up of about 150 stem cells. They divide and differentiate to become all cells of the body. There are several other types of stem cells, too, including adult stem cells. They are found in small numbers in most tissues. However, adult stem cells are limited in the variety of cells they can produce.

In 2007, researchers identified another category of adult stem called induced pluripotent stem cells. These versatile cells are genetically reprogrammed to become like embryonic stem cells, with the potential to produce any type of tissue. This category of stem cells avoids the many ethical and legal concerns surrounding embryonic stem cells and appears more promising than typical adult stem cells.

So far, bone marrow transplants are the most widely used application for stem cell therapy. There are a few other uses in patient care. For example, skin stem cells are manipulated in the laboratory to grow larger skin patches. These have been grafted on to large wounds. Implanted cornea stem cells are used in patients with damage to the front of the cornea.

The promise of stem cells is huge, but for now, most applications are still in their infancy. Many questions remain about how to guide the behavior of implanted stem cells inside the body. Researchers are unsure if stem cells will survive, cause tumors or possibly become some type of unintended cell. Most research remains confined to the laboratory as scientists seek to learn more.

Health Tip: Options for Omega-3s

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Tuna, salmon or supplements? The October issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter offers options for choosing omega-3s, the fatty acids which appear to reduce the risk of dying of heart disease.

One way is two 3.5-ounce servings each week of cold-water fish such as herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines or tuna. That’s the recommendation from the American Heart Association. But some people either don’t care for fish or worry about toxins from eating fish regularly.

Supplements offer more options for omega-3s. A daily dose of 250 to 500 milligrams (mg) of the combined omega-3 fatty acid types called DHA and EPA is a good target for most people. A daily dose of 1,000 mg often is recommended for heart attack survivors or people with cardiovascular disease.

Supplement choices include:

Fish oil supplements -- This is a low-cost option. A pill with a combined DHA and EPA of 500 mg costs about 10 cents. Studies of fish oil supplements have not detected toxins.

Krill oil supplements -- These often cost two to four times more than standard fish oil supplements. One study found that taking about one-third less krill oil than standard fish oil resulted in similar blood levels of DHA and EPA.

Algae-derived supplements -- These are reasonably priced but only provide DHA.

Flaxseed or walnut oils -- These contain the plant version of omega-3 called ALA, which is probably best in a supporting role to other sources of omega-3s.

Mayo Clinic Health Letter is an eight-page monthly newsletter of reliable, accurate and practical information on today’s health and medical news. To subscribe, please call 1-800-333-9037 (toll-free), extension 9771, or visit www.HealthLetter.MayoClinic.com.

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