December 29, 2017

IN THE MEDICAL NEWS

1. Aromatase Inhibitor Side Effects: About half of women who take aromatase inhibitors report joint pain and stiffness that affects knees, hips, hands and wrists. The pain can be so severe that it makes it difficult for women to walk, sit, climb stairs, type or drive a vehicle. Researchers even have a name for the condition: aromatase inhibitor–associated musculoskeletal syndrome, or AIMSS. NIH funded reasearch “suggests that acupuncture may reduce drug-related joint pain”
2. Hormonal Contraceptives: a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that “women who use hormonal” contraceptives “for more than a year are at a 20 percent higher risk for breast cancer,” though “...a “study of 1.8 million women in Denmark” who were followed for “nearly 11 years.” as risk-free.” The researchers also found that “the breast cancer risk seemed to increase with the duration of hormonal contraceptive use.
3. Obesity and Breast Cancer Risk: New research suggests that in addition to being at higher risk of developing breast cancer, overweight women are more likely to have larger tumors at the time of diagnosis. The results could mean that such women should have mammograms more frequently than typically recommended. 
4. Dogs: research suggests “having a dog could” be linked to “a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.”
5. High Blood Pressure: the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology and nine other groups redefined high blood pressure as a reading of 130 over 80, down from 140 over 90