Vitamins, minerals & supplements Archive

Research we're watching

Women at high risk for breast cancer might benefit from taking medication to prevent the disease, says a new recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a national group of experts. Medications such as tamoxifen (Nolvadex), raloxifene (Evista), and aromatase inhibitors have been shown to help prevent invasive, estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, but they can cause serious side effects, such as other cancers and blood clots. For some women, the potential benefits of these drugs outweigh those risks. The USPSTF, however, recommends against routine use of these medications for women who are not at high risk for breast cancer, because the potential benefit is much smaller. Women who are over age 35 and are at high risk for breast cancer or who have had previous benign breast lesions (such as atypical ductal or lobular hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ) might want to discuss this recommendation with their doctor. The USPSTF encouraged doctors to weigh the risk of breast cancer against potential drawbacks of the medications and the individual woman's risk for adverse effects.

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The holiday season presents a challenge to even to those most dedicated to health-conscious eating. Generally, people tend to gain a little weight during the holidays, but a study found that it is possible to avoid extra pounds.

Over the past decade, research has revealed that the majority of patients treated for cancer experience difficulties with memory, attention, concentration, and thinking. There are several lifestyle actions that can help improve these symptoms, as well as certain medications.

New recommendations could affect millions of people.

You may remember a time when taking a daily baby aspirin was almost a rite of passage for generally healthy older adults. The idea was that, for people with a low to moderate risk for heart disease, aspirin therapy was a simple and cost-effective way to help prevent a heart attack or stroke.

But taking aspirin increases the risk for bleeding in the stomach and brain (see "How aspirin affects the body").

Ask the doctor

Q. For 25 years, my doctor has recommended low-dose aspirin to reduce my risk of a heart attack. Recently, he told me that new studies indicate that I can stop. What's changed?

A. Millions of people are asking the same question. I'm afraid some of them think that, when doctors change their recommendations, it means we really don't know what we're doing. To the contrary, the recommendation you got 25 years ago was based on sound scientific evidence, and so is the recommendation you received recently.

News briefs

Want to make fast food a little bit healthier? The key might be to make changes when you order a combination meal (like a burger, fries, and a drink), Harvard researchers suggest. Their study, published in the September 2019 American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found that combo meals far exceed guidelines for healthy eating, typically providing twice the recommended amount per meal for calories and sodium. Scientists analyzed the nutritional information of combination meals at 34 fast-food and fast-casual restaurants, and found that the average combo meal as advertised had about 1,200 calories, 14 grams of saturated fat, 2,100 milligrams of salt, and 68 grams of sugar. Those numbers dropped dramatically when low-calorie options were substituted for high-calorie choices — for instance, removing topping or dipping sauces, ordering small fries instead of large, and replacing sugar-containing soda with a zero-calorie drink. In that case, the average combo meal had about 750 calories, 11 grams of saturated fat, 1,800 milligrams of salt, and 10 grams of sugar: a smidge healthier. Of course, a truly healthful diet involves generally avoiding fast food altogether. But if you're on the road with no alternatives, order healthier drinks and sides.

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Also known as garbanzo beans, chickpeas are featured in an array of dishes throughout the world, including in Africa, India, the Middle East, and Europe. Chickpeas are rich in fiber, folate (vitamin B₉), manganese, and other minerals. Several studies have found that eating chickpeas may improve cholesterol levels and reduce blood sugar.

Americans may be most familiar with hummus, a blend of chickpeas and sesame paste that's so popular you can even find it in small convenience stores. But chickpeas are also being used in a range of other products, including pasta and rice as well as snack foods such as chips, fries, and "puffs."

Research we're watching

To manage the painful joint disease known as osteoarthritis, people often take ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox). But these and related drugs — known as NSAIDs — may account for the higher rates of heart disease seen in people with osteoarthritis, a new study suggests.

Researchers matched 7,743 people with osteoarthritis with 23,229 healthy people who rarely or never took NSAIDs. People with osteoarthritis had a 42% higher risk of heart failure and a 17% higher risk of coronary artery disease compared with healthy people. After controlling for a range of factors that contribute to heart disease (including high body mass index, high blood pressure, and diabetes), they concluded that 41% of the increased risk of heart disease related to osteoarthritis was due to the use of NSAIDs.

Can you do anything about hand and finger joint pain?

Everyone experiences the occasional painful hands and sore fingers, but when osteoarthritis strikes, it can put a hold on many aspects of your life.

"As osteoarthritis progresses, you may lose some hand mobility, like the ability to grasp and hold objects," says Dr. Robert Shmerling, clinical chief of rheumatology at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and senior faculty editor at Harvard Health Publishing. "Over time, osteoarthritis can make the joints deformed, so it's harder to open and close your hands."

In the journals

Need a sexual boost? Eat more nuts. A recent study found that men who added 60 grams — about 1/2 cup — of nuts to their daily diet improved several aspects of their sexual life. The results were published online June 19, 2019, by the journal Nutrients.

Researchers asked 83 healthy men to follow either a traditional Western-style diet without nuts, or a Western-style diet that also included 60 grams (about 360 calories) of a nut mixture made from almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts every day. A questionnaire assessed their current sexual function.