Strong Bones Linked to Breast Cancer in Older Women

Researchers at the University of Arizona (UA) have just released the findings of a study that explored the connection between bone density and breast cancer in post-menopausal women.  In the study, which followed almost 10,000 women for eight years or more, the women with the highest bone density also had a higher rate of breast cancer during the course of the study. Read more

Lean Meats, Dairy Diet Sheds Pounds, Spares Bone

Researchers at the University of Illinois have recently announced the findings of a study which compared the merits of a diet based on the currently recommended food pyramid and a diet based on lean meats and low fat dairy products.  Diets high in meats and dairy have been thought to leach calcium from the bones, diminishing their strength and threatening osteoarthritis over time. Read more

Hormone Replacement Therapy Safety Revisited

A prestigious group of world-renowned experts on menopause have joined forces for a re-evaluation of the controversial use of hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) for healthy women experiencing distressing symptoms of menopause.  Once hailed as a desirable antidote to some of the most common symptoms of menopause, HRT fell out of grace in 2002 after research pointed to an increased risk of heart disease and breast cancer in women receiving the therapy. Read more

Screening Men for Osteoporosis-New Clinician Guidelines

The American College of Physicians has issued guidelines for performing bone mass density tests in older men, recognizing that “osteoporosis if not just a woman’s disease”. Lead author, Amir Qaseem, MD, PhD, MHA concludes: “Older men, especially those over the age of 65, need to be assessed regularly for risk factors for osteoporosis.” The recommendations come about because of the increasing incidence of osteoporosis among men. The guidelines are published in the May 6 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Read more

Some Diabetes Drugs May Negatively Affect The Bones

A class of popular diabetes drugs has been found to be associated with an increased risk of fractures of the hip and wrist in insulin-resistant patients.  The class of drug, insulin-sensitizing thiazolidinediones, makes up about 21% of the oral medications taken for diabetes in the United States and 5% in Europe. Read more

Study Suggests HRT Increases Stroke Risk

A study published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that postmenopausal women who take hormone therapy have an increased risk of stroke. The study, which was conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, evaluated the stroke risk associated with HRT n 121,700 women. Compared to women who had never used hormones, women currently taking hormone therapy had an increased risk for stroke (39 percent for those taking estrogen and 27 percent for those taking estrogen with progestin). Read more

Hormone Replacement Therapy Linked to Cancer

Healthy women facing menopause should seriously consider the consequences of taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT). One major study was stopped in 2002 after women randomly assigned HRT were found to be at greater risk of developing cancer and cardiovascular disease than the women in the control group taking only a placebo. Read more

Hormone Therapy May Affect Mammogram Findings

Hormone therapy is commonly used to help treat women with menopause. However, this therapy can increase their risk of having abnormal mammograms and breast biopsies and may decrease the effectiveness of both methods for detecting breast cancer. Read more

Expert Says Chronic Pain is a Disease

The idea that chronic pain should be considered a disease and be specifically treated as such is what a pain management expert in Australia is proposing. Read more

Generic Fosamax Available

The FDA has approved the first generic version of Fosamax (alendronate). The generic drug will be available in once-daily tablets (5 mg, 10 mg, and 40 mg) and once-weekly tablets (35 mg and 70 mg). Teva Pharmaceuticals USA received clearance to produce 5 mg, 10 mg, 40 mg once-daily tablets and 35 mg, 70 mg once-weekly tablets. Barr Laboratories was approved to make 70 mg once-weekly tablets. Read more

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