Capsules : Removing Ovaries Reduced Risk of Breast Cancer in Study
Some women who discover they carry a gene that predisposes them to breast cancer choose the option of removing both breasts in the hopes of forestalling development of the cancer. A new study suggests that the simpler, more common prophylactic measure of removing their ovaries is also highly effective in reducing risk.
The gene involved is called BRCA1, and the majority of women who carry it typically develop breast cancer by the age of 70. A team from the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center studied 122 women who had the BRCA1 gene and compared the incidence of breast cancer among the 43 women who had had their ovaries removed and the 79 women who had not.
Epidemiologist Tim Rebbeck and his colleagues reported in Wednesday’s Journal of the National Cancer Institute that the risk of developing breast cancer was reduced 70% by the surgery. Breast removal surgery reduced the risk by about 90%. Rebbeck believes the ovarian surgery is effective because the ovaries produce estrogen, a hormone that often stimulates the growth of breast tumors.
Researchers Measure Care in Latin America
Victims of heart disease in Latin America receive significantly less treatment than patients in the United States and are twice as likely to die, according to a new study by researchers at the Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina. The conclusion is based on a study of data from 585 patients treated in eight Latin American countries and 4,358 treated in the United States. That study tested the use of a new drug called Eptifibatide that helps stop blood from clotting. Patients were enrolled if they had chest pain or tests indicating they were suffering from a heart attack or would probably soon have one.
Dr. Mauricio Cohen of Duke told a meeting of the European Society of Cardiology on Aug. 30 that only 46% of the Latin American patients had a standard diagnostic procedure known as a cardiac catheterization, compared with 79% of American patients. Some 17.6% of the Latin American patients were given angioplasty and 10.9% had bypass surgery, the most common treatments for blocked arteries, compared with 33.6% and 20.1% of Americans, respectively. Overall, the death rate was 6.8% in Latin America, compared with 3.6% in the United States.
“Hospital physicians in Latin America take a much more conservative approach to treating patients with a heart attack . . . and this could be one of the factors associated with poorer patient survival,” Cohen said.
Orange Juice May Cut Colon-Cancer Risk
Orange juice can protect against artificially induced colon cancer in mice and may provide similar benefits in humans, according to researchers from Michigan State University. Biologist Maurice R. Bennink and his colleagues studied mice that were given a normal diet for 28 weeks and allowed to drink either orange juice or distilled water. The mice were then treated with a chemical that causes colon cancer.
Bennink reported Thursday at a meeting of the American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C., that the mice who drank orange juice had 22% fewer tumors. Colon cancer in humans is thought to be caused, in part, by chemicals in the diet so the juice might provide protection for humans as well, he said.
Herbal Tea Can Ape Symptoms of Disorder
The herbal tea fenugreek, long used as a home remedy to calm stomach disorders, can mimic symptoms of a rare, potentially deadly genetic disorder called maple syrup urine disease in infants, according to German researchers. A team from the University of Frankfurt discovered the link while treating a 5-week-old Egyptian infant who passed out for 10 minutes while drinking the tea. After performing expensive tests to detect maple syrup urine disease--a debilitating enzyme defect that strikes one in every 20,000 newborns and produces urine with a distinct maple syrup-like odor and for which there is no treatment--and not finding it, they looked at the tea.
The team reported in Thursday’s New England Journal of Medicine that the tea and fenugreek seeds contain sotolone, the compound responsible for the maple syrup odor in the genetic disease.
Estrogen May Reduce Periodontal Problems
One more benefit from estrogen replacement therapy: It can cut down on periodontal disease, according to researchers from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Periodontal disease is characterized by bleeding of the gums when they are disturbed and increased rates of tooth loss.
Dr. Richard Reinhardt and his colleagues report in the September issue of the Journal of Periodontology that post-menopausal women receiving estrogen had only half as much bleeding and a slower rate of tooth loss. They cautioned, however, that smoking accelerated periodontal disease more than estrogen therapy slowed it.
Vitamins Show Promise Against Preeclampsia
Taking vitamins C and E during pregnancy can halve the incidence of preeclampsia in women at high risk for the disorder, according to British physicians. In preeclampsia, the mother develops unusually high blood pressure, the placenta does not develop normally, and the baby’s growth can be restricted. It can lead to death of the fetus. Some research suggests the problem is caused by highly reactive oxygen-free radicals. The vitamins are antioxidants that can remove the free radicals before they produce damage.
Dr. Lucilla Poston of Guy’s, King’s and St. Thomas’ School of Medicine in London and her colleagues reported in Saturday’s Lancet that preeclampsia occurred in 17% of 142 women who were given placebos, but in only 8% of 141 who received the vitamins. But they cautioned that various other suggested treatments for preeclampsia, including aspirin and calcium supplements, looked promising in small trials but were not effective in larger ones.
Warm Feet and Hands Can Lull You to Sleep
If you are having trouble falling asleep, you might try putting on mittens and socks at bedtime, according to Swiss researchers who say warm hands and feet induce sleep quickly. They report in Thursday’s Nature that warming the hands and feet dilates blood vessels, a phenomenon that is known to be associated with sleep induction. Hot-water bottles may also be useful, they said. Overall, they found that warming the feet and hands was more effective at inducing sleepiness than melatonin supplements or heavy meals.
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Medical writer Thomas H. Maugh II can be reached at thomas.maugh@latimes.com.
