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

December 29, 2017

IN THE MEDICAL NEWS 

(summary of studies published in journals read by doctors in the US)

1. Calcium and vitaminD supplements don't help reduce bone fractures
2. People who ate an average of more than two tomatoes or more than three portions of fresh fruit a day, especially apples, had a slower decline in lung function than those who ate less than one tomato or less than one portion of fruit a day.
3. Older people who ate at least one serving of leafy greens a day had a slower rate of decline on tests of memory and thinking skills than did people who rarely or never ate these vegetables,” researchers concluded. The study revealed that “after almost five years, regular consumers of such veggies as kale, spinach, collard greens and lettuce enjoyed a mental edge that was the equivalent of 11 years in age.
4. People with cardiovascular disease who were not married – including those who were divorced, separated, widowed or never married – had 24 percent higher rates of death from any cause during the study period, compared to those who were married
5. Participants who consumed hot tea daily were less likely to have glaucoma than those who did not consume hot tea. No significant associations were found between the consumption of coffee, iced tea, decaffeinated tea and soft drinks, and glaucoma risk.