Keep abreast of what your patients are currently seeing in the media with our round-up of popular news stories, available from WHF as abstracts with links to the full-text articles.

From the week of January 7, 2008:

Bone-Loss Drugs May Cause Severe Joint, Muscle Pain

Bone-loss drugs categorized as bisphosphonates may produce severe joint and muscle pain, according to a new warning from the FDA. Merck & Co.’s Fosamax and Novartis AG’s Reclast are two of the most popular bisphosphanates, and are used to treat osteoporosis. Roughly 10 million Americans suffer from loss of bone density, with the majority of them being postmenopausal women. The FDA’s statement instructed healthcare professionals to consider discontinuing treatment with bisphosphanates in patients complaining of pain. Other drugs named by the FDA include Procter & Gamble’s Actonel and Didronel, Novartis’s Aredia and Zometa, Sanofi-Aventis SA’s Skelid, and Roche Holding AG and GlaxoSmithKline Plc’s Boniva. Bisphosphantes are also currently under review for a possible link to irregular heart rhythm.

Read the full story on bloomberg.com

Breast Cancer Genes May Pose Lower Risk

Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are linked to increased risk of breast cancer, but new research estimates the risk to be much lower than previously thought. In a study sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, researchers found that women carrying mutations in one of the two genes face an estimated 40% to 51% risk of developing breast cancer by age 70, as opposed to the previous assumption of a 50% to 80% risk. Risk is affected by family history, lifestyle, and environmental factors. This news comes in the midst of a marketing campaign by Myriad Genetics Inc to encourage women with breast cancer in their family to use a test developed by the company to assess their risk level.

Read the full story on wsj.com

Women With IBS Unable to Switch Off Pain Response

Researchers at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) found that women with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) anticipate and react to pain differently than women without IBS. The condition affects roughly 10% of adults in the United States, of whom a greater proportion of sufferers are women. There is no cure for IBS, which can cause abdominal pain, constipation, and diarrhea. The female participants' brain activity was monitored by the researchers, as the women were anticipating and experiencing mild abdominal pain. While they were anticipating pain, the women with IBS were unable to reduce activity in the areas of the brain associated with pain and emotional arousal. During pain stimulation, the IBS sufferers showed greater brain activity in areas of the brain associated with pain arousal than their unafflicted counterparts. The study showed that IBS sufferers’ abdominal sensitivity lessens their ability to regulate and escape pain.

Read the full story on healthday.com

The Torch of Women’s Lib

As late as the 20th century, smoking was considered unladylike, and women were discouraged from indulging in the habit. In the 1950s, smoking became increasingly acceptable for women, and the ensuing smoking boom lasted until the 1970s. By 2005, the gap between male and female smokers in the United States had narrowed to 24% and 18% of the population, respectively. Consequently, cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have skyrocketed, and lung cancer has surpassed breast cancer as the leading cancer killer of women.

Read the full story on nytimes.com