Breast cancer drug: Tamoxifen has been the accepted first-line therapy for post-menopausal woman with advanced breast cancer. Its use is associated with a significant reduction in the recurrence of the cancer. Now, a new class of agents called aromatase inhibitors have emerged as an alternative. The response rate in early trials is similar to tamoxifen, but with fewer side-effects reported. Larger trials are now being carried out to assess the drugs impact on survival rates. (Journal of Clinical Oncology)
Asthma and weight: Being overweight makes the lung function of asthmatics even worse. A recent study has shown the benefits of even moderate weight loss. Successful dieting led to better lung volumes and increased peak expiratory flow rates, a sensitive measure of asthma severity.
Sterilisation: One thousand women from Atlanta were followed up for five years after female sterilisation (tubal ligation) to see if the procedure had any effect on menstrual irregularity. The researchers concluded that sterilisation did not increase a woman's risk of menstrual problems.
Hearing loss: One in seven Irish people suffer from hearing loss. Hearing aids don't always restore all the hearing and sufferers can continue to have difficulty hearing high frequencies, according to the National Association for Deaf People (NADP). The NADP's country-wide programme of lip-reading and hearing support classes has just started its spring season. Call 01-8723800 for more details.
Heart Children: Between 500 and 600 babies are born with congenital heart defects in Ireland every year. Heart Children, a support group for families of these children, offers counselling to families and practical support to parents when their children face surgery. Its website, www.heartchildren.ie, is an excellent resource, or contact tel:1850-217017 or e-mail: heartchildren@eircom.net
Children's supplements: US experts have issued a warning on the use of dietary supplements for children, since many of them haven't been tested on children. At a recent meeting of the National Institutes of Health in Washington D.C., the potential harm caused by dietary supplements was raised, particularly in relation to teenage boys taking body-building supplements. Researchers pointed to the need for independent research. --(Reuters Health).
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