OSTEOPOROSIS SCREENING PREVENTS HIP FRACTURES
Baltimore researchers determined that screening for osteoporosis in men and women age 65 and older can prevent a large number of hip fractures. Testing for osteoporosis was associated with a 36 percent reduction in hip fractures over six years compared with usual medical care. The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, is a unique look at the effects of screening for osteoporosis in a general population. One approach to prevent osteoporosis-related fracture is via adequate calcium and vitamin D intake, weight-bearing physical activity, and eliminating tobacco and alcohol. The second approach is to test for osteoporosis to help identify people with low bone density and then plan treatment, according to the Johns Hopkins researchers.
FLUORIDE LEVELS HIGH IN INSTANT TEA
Instant tea may be a source of harmful levels of fluoride, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The researchers found that some regular strength preparations contain as much as 6.5 parts per million (ppm) of fluoride, well over the 4 ppm maximum allowed in drinking water by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "The tea plant is known to accumulate fluoride from the soil and water -- our study points to the need for further investigation of the fluoride content of teas," says Dr. Michael Whyte. "We don't know how much variation there is from brand to brand and year to year." The study is published in the American Journal of Medicine.
ALCOHOL MAY HELP GUARD AGAINST DEMENTIA
Older women who drink a moderate amount of alcohol each day may be helping to keep their minds sharp, say North Carolina researchers. The research, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, finds women who reported having one or more alcoholic drinks daily scored higher on tests of cognitive function than women who reported drinking less. "Women who reported drinking one or more drinks a day had a 40 percent lower risk of significant declines in cognitive function over time, compared to women who reported no alcohol intake," says study leader Mark Espeland, at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C.
CUTTING PROSTATE CANCER RISK FACTORS
Prostate cancer, the most common cancer in U.S. men except for skin cancer, frequently develops without obvious symptoms.
Symptoms include a weak urine flow, frequent or painful urination, blood in the urine or semen, and pain in the lower back, pelvis or upper thighs. "Unfortunately, for prostate cancer, there are few preventable risk factors," says Dr. Yair Lotan, of University of Texas at Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. "The main risk factors are increasing age, family history and African-American ethnicity, which are not alterable. However, a high-fat diet is a potentially modifiable risk factor." A low-fat diet will likely reduce the risk for many cancers and a balanced diet that includes sufficient vitamin content such as vitamin E, vitamin C and selenium is appropriate, according to Lotan.
(EDITORS: For more information on TEA, contact Gwen Ericson at (314) 286-0141 or [email protected]. For DEMENTIA, Gwen Ericson at (314) 286-0141 or [email protected]. For PROSTATE, Scott Maier at (214) 648-3404 or [email protected].)
