Younger women with a family history of cancer can lower their risk of breast cancer simply by breast-feeding their babies, a new study suggests.
Among women with a mother or sister who had breast cancer, researchers found a 59 percent reduction in cases of pre-menopausal breast cancer for women who breast-fed. The study, which followed more than 60,000 women for eight years, was published in this week's online issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
"The observed 59 percent reduction in risk compares favorably with hormonal treatments such as tamoxifen for women at high risk for breast cancer," according to the study, which was led by Dr. Alison Stuebe at the University of North Carolina. "These data suggest that women with a family history of breast cancer should be strongly encouraged to breast-feed."
More good news: The risk reduction was seen whether the women breast-fed exclusively or supplemented their own milk with other foods. It was also seen in women who took drugs that suppressed lactation, although these drugs are linked to an increased risk of blood clots.
The benefit, however, was not seen in women who did not have a family history of cancer. Doctors speculate that when women do not breast-feed, inflammation and engorgement of the breasts after birth may spur cancer growth. ...
Something as simple as a daily dose of baking soda may help patients put the brakes on chronic kidney disease, British researchers say.
In fact, the household staple proved so effective, it helped keep patients off dialysis machines, according to the study from the Royal London Hospital.
The doctors studied 134 patients with advanced chronic kidney disease and metabolic acidosis. One group was given a small daily tablet of sodium bicarbonate in addition to their usual care.
After one year, the kidney function of these patients declined about two-thirds more slowly than that of individuals not given the tablets. Their rate of decline was little different from what would be expected with normal aging, the researchers said.
Overall, rapid progression of kidney disease occurred in just 9 percent of patients given baking soda, compared with nearly half of the other group. Patients taking sodium bicarbonate also were less likely to develop end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis.
Speculation is that the baking soda prevents inflammation in the kidney by limiting ammonia production. The findings were published recently in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. ...
Washington University researchers in St. Louis are no longer just scratching the surface when it comes to the problem of chronic itching.
Scientists have speculated that itching is simply a less intense form of pain. For decades, they have searched without success for itch-specific nerve cells to explain why the brain perceives itches and aches differently.
Now, Dr. Zhou-Feng Chen and his colleagues say they not only have found these cells in mice but also that pain signals are transmitted along different pathways in the spinal cord. Reporting in the Aug. 6 issue of Science Express, the researchers say they can knock out an animal's itch response without affecting its ability to feel pain.
"This finding has very important therapeutic implications," Chen said. "We've shown that particular neurons are critical for the itching sensation but not for pain. That means those cells may contain several itch-specific receptors or signaling molecules that can be explored or identified as targets for future treatment or management of chronic itching."...
St. Joseph's Hospital in Breese has begun accepting appointments again for its Memory Diagnostic Clinic.
"Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of memory disorder but conditions such as stroke, Parkinson's, depression, sleep disorders, thyroid or vitamin deficiencies can also play a role," said Gerrie Haukap, the hospital's director of social services. "Most of these conditions are treatable -- some are reversible -- but early diagnosis is essential.
The staff includes Dr. Scott Arbaugh, a board-certified psychiatrist; Gerald "Jay" Baltz, a board-certified adult psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner; and Susan Bickline, a speech pathologist. Patients are seen on Tuesdays at the hospital's HealthPlex on Jamestown Road; a physician's referral is not necessary. For an appointment, call 526-5636. ...
An emergency call center in the basement of the Black Hawk County Jail in Waterloo, Iowa, recently became the nation's first to accept text messages to 911.
Such texting should be of particular help to the county's deaf and hard-of-hearing residents, Waterloo Police Chief Thomas Jennings said. There also have been several national cases of kidnap victims summoning help by surreptitiously texting friends or relatives. With direct texting to 911, help might be made available faster.
The only downside: Unlike a cell phone call using voice communication, 911 operators cannot get even an approximate location of the texters unless they type the information and send it along with their SOS. ...
Letting the expletives fly when you hit your thumb with a hammer apparently increases your tolerance to pain, according to a new study from England.
Researchers from Keele University's School of Psychiatry found that swearing can have a 'pain-lessening effect' that may have its roots in human evolution.
To test their theory, the researchers had 64 volunteers keep their hand in a tub of ice water as long as they could. During their first attempt, they were allowed to repeat a swear word of their choice. During their second try, they were asked to pick an adjective that would describe a table.
The researchers figured the effects of swearing have been exaggerated; therefore, if anything, cursing actually would decrease pain tolerance. They were wrong. Volunteers found they were able to withstand the pain from the cold longer while repeating the swear word.
The researchers theorize that cursing triggers the natural "fight-or-flight' response, which may explain why the centuries-old practice of cursing developed and persists today.
"Swearing has been around for centuries and is an almost universal human linguistic phenomenon," said Dr. Richard Stephens. "It taps into emotional brain centers and appears to arise in the right brain, whereas most language production occurs in the left cerebral hemisphere of the brain."
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