DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am thoroughly confused. Several months ago, I read of the benefit of wine for women. The conclusion was that it reduced a woman’s chances of heart attack and stroke by 30 percent. My husband and I have started to drink one glass of wine a day. Now comes a new report that says just one glass of wine a day increases the chances for breast cancer. Should I be concerned? — M.T.

ANSWER: Welcome to the army of nutrition confusion. What’s good one day might be life-threatening the next. I don’t rely on one report. I stick to what the majority says. If the majority changes its mind, then I change.

Wine and other alcoholic drinks lower the incidence of heart disease and, apparently, strokes. That’s the current majority thinking. Moderate drinkers of alcohol — wine in particular — have a lower overall mortality rate than do alcohol abstainers and heavy drinkers. “Moderate” drinking is one glass of wine, one 12-ounce can of beer or 1.5 ounces of whiskey for women; it’s two for men.

The role of wine (or alcohol) in promoting breast cancer is less clear. Analysis of 40 studies shows an increase in breast cancer for women downing three or more drinks a day. The same studies suggest that even one or two daily drinks might pose a slight danger.

Other studies show an increase in lobular breast cancer with one drink a day, but no increase in ductal breast cancer. Ductal cancer is the most common kind of breast cancer.

I am positive that equally confusing information will be forthcoming.

The best advice I have read is this: If a woman truly savors drinking wine, one glass a day is relatively safe in regard to breast cancer. The benefits of heart health and prevention of stroke are not so great that they should induce anyone to change from being a nondrinker to a drinker.

The booklet on breast cancer explains this illness in detail. To obtain a copy, write to: Dr. Donohue — No. 1101, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Can. with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: You wrote, “The danger of a strep throat is it being followed by rheumatic fever.” My grandson is afflicted with PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Strep). Please inform people about this condition. — L.M.

ANSWER: PANDAS is a relatively newly described disorder that can follow a strep infection in prepubertal children. These children are already affected by obsessive-compulsive disorder or by tics. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is the habitual repetition of certain acts, such as avoiding stepping on sidewalk cracks or constant hand washing. Tics are involuntary muscle contractions like facial grimacing or making grunting noises. Some of these children suffer a worsening of their illness following a strep infection. It might be that antibodies, generated by the strep germ, adversely affect parts of the brain involved in these disorders. Antibodies are products of the immune system. Hence the “autoimmune” part of the name.

Treatment of an acute strep infection with antibiotics appears to prevent this from happening. The role of antibiotics for prevention of PANDAS isn’t clear and isn’t deemed appropriate at this stage of PANDAS knowledge.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have a friend with pancreatic cancer. Many years ago, I read that a pancreas from a sheep or pig could be implanted in a human and it would work fine. Why don’t they do that anymore? — G.B.

ANSWER: I never heard that such transplants were ever done. If they were, they didn’t work.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

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