Brooks JD et al. – No association between body mass index (BMI) and contralateral breast cancer (CBC) risk was seen in premenopausal or postmenopausal women with ER–positive first primaries. Overall, BMI is not associated with CBC risk in this population of young breast cancer survivors.

• The authors included 511 women with CBC (cases) and 999 women with unilateral breast cancer (controls) who had never used postmenopausal hormone therapy.
• Rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to assess the relationship between BMI and CBC risk.
• No associations between BMI at first diagnosis or weight-change between first diagnosis and date of CBC diagnosis (or corresponding date in matched controls) and CBC risk were seen.
• obese (BMI≥30kg/m2) postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor (ER)-negative first primary tumors (n=12 cases and 9 controls) were at an increased risk of ...read more

Huang JF et al. – This study demonstrated pancreatic β–cell function was ameliorated by peginterferon plus ribavirin(PegIFN/RBV) therapy in chronic hepatitis C(CHC) patients, particularly in those responders.

• Total of 277 non–diabetic patients treated with PegIFN–α and weight–based RBV, with 80/80/80 adherence, were recruited.
• Their insulin resistance(IR) and β–cell function by homeostasis model assessment model (HOMA–IR and HOMA–%B) before treatment and at 24 week after treatment [end of follow–up (EOF)] was measured.

• Sustained virological response (SVR) was achieved by 79.4% (220/277) of all patients: 63.6% (75/118) of genotype–1 and 91.2% (145/159) of genotype–non–1 patients.
• There was no significant change of ...read more

Jakobsen LH et al. – The high protein(HP) group improved their reaction time significantly compared with the usual group. Branched chain amino acids and phenylalanine in plasma were significantly increased following the HP diet, which may explain the improved reaction time. Healthy young males fed a HP diet improved reaction time. No adverse effects of the HP diet were observed.

• Randomised intervention study was conducted with 23 healthy males (aged 19–31 yrs).
• All subjects consumed a Usual Protein (UP) diet (1.5 g protein/kg BW) for a 1-wk run-in period before the intervention period where they were assigned to either a UP or a High Protein (HP) diet (3.0 g protein/kg BW) for 3-wks with controlled intake of food and beverages.
• Blood and urine samples were taken along with measurements of physiological functions at baseline and at the end of the intervention period.

• HP group improved their ...read more

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Beauchet O et al. - Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentrations were associated with high stride-to-stride variability of stride time (STV) reflecting a disturbed gait control. This association could be explained by a possible action of vitamin D on different components involved in gait control.

• 411 community-dwelling older adults (mean age 70.4 ± 1.8 years, 57.9% women)
• STV and 25OHD concentration assessed
• The following established 25OHD thresholds were used:
  • severe 25OHD insufficiency <10 ng/mL
  • moderate 10–30 ng/mL
  • normal >30 ng/mL
• Age, number of drugs used per day, use of psychoactive drugs, depressive symptoms, cognitive decline, history of falls, distance visual acuity, lower limb proprioception, center of mass (CoM) motion, and walking speed were considered as potential confounders.

Leuzzi C et al. - This article summarizes the different causes of postmenopausal hypertension and the specific treatment recommended by guidelines for this condition.

• Hypertension is the most common chronic disease in industrialized countries and represents the most common major cardiovascular risk factor after the fifth decade of life in both men and women.
• The prevalence of hypertension is lower in premenopausal women than men, whereas in postmenopausal women it is higher than in men....read more

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Machado P et al. – The ASDAS is a well balanced index covering the underlying construct of disease activity and designed to avoid redundancy. It is a feasible and valid measurement instrument with a very good performance compared to existing tools. The ASDAS and its cut-off values may help clinicians and researchers to better assess patients with axial SpA, more reliably determine their disease activity status, the effectiveness of treatments and whether they are providing clinically meaningful improvement.

• The Assessment of Spondyloarthritis international Society (ASAS) developed new index for disease activity measurement in axial SpA: the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS)