Articles filed under 'SENIORS HEALTH'
For the first time in years, breast cancer rates declined by more then 7% in 2003. The decline was greater in women 50 to 69, those most likely to use hormone replacement therapy (HRT). In those with estrogen-dependent types of tumors, the drop was 12%.
According to presenters at the recent San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, breast cancer was diagnosed in 14,000 fewer women than expected in 2003.
After the Women’s Health Initiative Study was stopped in July 2002 due to evidence of more risk than benefit of long-term HRT, many doctors urged post-menopausal women to go off their hormones. Within a year of this medical news, about half of the U.S. women who had been on HRT stopped their use.
Breast cancer had been steadily rising, about 2% annually, for decades. It is the most common major cancer in American women and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women. All U.S. cancer registries reporting to the federal government in 2003 showed a decline in their statistical information on this type of female cancer.
Researchers believe it possible that some breast cancers were already present, but that cutting off estrogen stopped their growth or caused them to shrink to an undetectable size. They also postulate that mammogram usage has been leveling off, thus contributing to the decline in cancer detection and smaller statistics. A trend toward lower-dose and shorter duration HRT could also have played a role.
Statistics from one year do not tell the entire story. It will take time to know whether breast cancer is truly on the decline and establishing a definite downward trend. Breast cancer might still be present in some menopausal women who abandoned HRT, but slower growing, taking longer to be detected.
In 2006, some 213,000 cases of breast cancer are expected in U.S. women, with over a million new cases worldwide.
Source:Â CNN.com
December 15th, 2006
Many women who are postmenopausal must deal with the silent condition of osteoporosis, or bone density loss. Unless she has had bone density scans, a woman may not realize she is at risk until she suffers a hip or wrist fracture after falling.
Physicians have varying opinions as to when to begin treatment with a bisphosphonate such as Actonel or Fosamax. Some prescribe one of these drugs when the first signs of bone loss become evident for a condition called ostopenia. When bone density has been reduced to a certain level, the diagnosis is osteoporosis. At that point, drug therapy is definitely needed on a long-term basis to strengthen bones and help prevent fractures.
In a recent study, researchers analyzed insurance records for 12,215 postmenopausal women taking Actonel and 21,615 women on Fosamax. All were 65 or older and were starting their drug regimen for the first time.
After treatment for a year, the group taking Actonel had 43% fewer hip fractures and 18% fewer non-spine fractures than women taking Fosamax. Even at six months, significantly lower rates of fracture were found in the women given Actonel.
Researchers concluded that Actonel works faster, although Fosamax may give equal benefits over the long term. This study was not a true clinical trial and therefore does not provide conclusive proof. Actonel was rated number one, with Fosamax a near second. The once-a-month pill Boniva was a distant third, as it has not been shown to reduce hip fracture.
Some women tolerate one drug better than the other. For this reason, those with distressing symptoms on Actonel might be placed on Fosamax as a comparison. Sometimes insurance will cover one and not the other, which is another consideration.
These drugs should not be discontinued simply because they do not cause a woman to feel better. Most persons with bone density problems will need to take them well into old age for maximum protection. Men can develop osteoporosis, too, but it is far less common. Getting adequate calcium and vitamin D are important, but if these measures do not prevent bone thinning, treatment with a bisphosphonate is needed.
For many women, scrupulous long-term use of the medication results in building more bone mass, not just preventing more thinning. Regular walking for exercise can help to maintain bone density or slow the demineralization process. A hip fracture can be a life-threatening event if the hip doesn’t heal properly and the individual cannot resume the ability to walk or get out of bed.
Source:Â WebMD
November 28th, 2006
The Center for Disease Control voted in October to make vaccination with the FDA-approved Zostavax shingles vaccine routine for all Americans 60 and older.
The older generation did not have the benefit of the chicken pox vaccine, now available to children and teens or older persons who never had the viral disease. Chicken pox was once a common disease of childhood.
Shingles will afflict about 20% of people who had chicken pox. For those who live to be 85, their chance of getting shingles rises to 50%.
A major clinical trial indicated that Merck’s Zostavax vaccine is more than 60% effective in minimizing shingles symptoms. It reduces painful PHN by 60% or more.
Shingles is caused by a herpes-type virus that remains dormant in the nerves until the individual’s immune system is suppressed due to aging, disease or immunity-suppressing drugs. An outbreak appears as clusters of red blisters above an underlying nerve path. It can vary considerably in size, severity, and length of time before it heals.
In about 30% of cases, shingles turns into an excruciatingly painful disease called postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). A smaller number get a painful disease called ophthalmic zoster which can cause blindness in one or both eyes. The worst part is not going blind, but the accompanying all-consuming pain experienced every moment without relief for years.
The patient’s and family’s lives are profoundly affected by this horrible affliction.
Severe cases of PHN pain can cause some to commit suicide to escape the unremitting pain.
Everyone 60 and over should welcome the opportunity to get the vaccination.
Medicare and Medicaid Part D are expected to cover the cost of the vaccination.
Source:Â WebMD
November 1st, 2006
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