Our weekly roundup of the latest news in the world of health. This week we learn that ginkgo supplements don't prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease, that family history is a good indicator of breast cancer risk, even in the absence of "breast cancer genes," and that vitamins C and E don't prevent cancer in men. We also learn that banning advertising for fast food could help cut childhood obesity rates.
Stay well.
This Issue:
Ginkgo and Alzheimer's Breast Cancer, Genes and Family History Vitamins C and E and Cancer Prevention Banning Ads Could Fight Obesity In the News:
Ginkgo and Alzheimer'sGinkgo supplements don't prevent Alzheimer's disease or dementia. That's the conclusion of a long-running study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study looked at 3,000 people age 75 and older in four states. Half the participants took 120 milligrams of ginkgo biloba twice daily, while the others took a placebo. All participants were screened for dementia every six months. After six years, the rate of diagnosis of dementia and Alzheimer's was similar in both groups. While it did not appear to ward off dementia, the supplements appeared to have little in the way of adverse effects. The researchers did not look at whether ginkgo could be helpful if started earlier, or whether it improves memory and thinking in the short term, the Associated Press reports.
Breast Cancer, Genes and Family History
Women with a family history of breast cancer could be at high risk for the disease even if they do not have common genetic markers for the disease. A study presented this week at the American Association for Cancer Research tracked 1,500 women from 365 breast cancer-prone families. The women had tested negative for BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, which are known to be associated with breast cancer. After five years of follow-up, the researchers found that the women had four times the risk of developing breast cancer compared to average women. However, the women did not have an increased risk for ovarian cancer, unlike women who are BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers. The researchers say the findings confirm that negative genetic test results do not mean a woman with a strong family history of breast cancer is safe, the Associated Press reports.
Vitamins C and E and Cancer Prevention
Taking vitamin C or E supplements do not prevent cancer in men, according to the latest results released from the Physicians Health Study. The study had previously found that the vitamins do not prevent heart disease. The latest findings are based on study of some 14,600 male doctors age 50 or older. The men took either 500 milligrams daily of vitamin C, 400 international units of vitamin E every other day, both vitamins or a placebo. During an average of eight years of follow-up, the rates of cancer in general, and prostate cancer in particular, were similar among all four groups, the Associated Press reports.
Banning Ads Could Fight Obesity
Banning fast food TV commercials could help reduce childhood obesity. The study, to be published in the Journal of Law & Economics, shows, perhaps for the first time, a link between fast-food advertising and obesity in children, the Associated Press reports. The study was based in part on government survey data as well as on information about local stations in the 75 largest TV markets, including locally seen fast-food commercials. The researchers estimate that a ban on the ads could cut obesity rates in young children by as much as 18 percent, and among older kids by 14 percent, the AP says.
Used with the permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved. The above summaries are not intended to provide advice on personal medical matters, nor are they intended to be a substitute for consultation with a physician.
