US Pharm. 2006;12:HS52.

Overweight Young Women Could Have Reduced Risk of Breast Cancer
According to a study recently published in the Archives of Internal Medicine , a higher body mass index (BMI), especially in early adulthood, may be associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer before menopause. This association does not appear to be related to the ovulation problems that overweight women may develop. However, according to the researchers, there may be a link between disruptions in ovulation and the likelihood of developing breast cancer.

High BMI can be associated with irregular or long menstrual cycles and the development of polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition that occurs when the ovaries malfunction, which can lead to a decrease in fertility. These disruptions in ovulation are likely to decrease the levels of estradiol and progesterone, which in turn may help to explain the correlation between BMI and a reduction in breast cancer.

Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School studied 113,130 premenopausal women over a 17-year period. The study revealed that women with a BMI of 30 or higher had a 19% lower risk of breast cancer compared with those who had a BMI between 20 and 22.4, after adjustment for family history, personal characteristics, lifestyle habits, and menstrual variables (Arch Intern Med. 2006;166:2395-2402).

New Jersey to Launch HIV Testing Initiative
Paterson, New Jersey, is rolling out a citywide HIV testing program. The city was chosen because of the diversity of its population and its growing number of HIV/AIDS cases. More than three quarters of the city's population is made up of Hispanics and African-Americans. These two cultural groups are strongly represented in the growing number of HIV/AIDS cases nationwide. In New Jersey alone, more than 50% of the state's HIV cases are estimated to be in African-Americans, while more than 21% of those living with the disease are Hispanics. Overall, the number of new HIV/AIDS cases per year in New Jersey is estimated to be 2,000, with more than 30,000 of its residents believed to be already infected with the virus.

Lung Cancer Web Site Emphasizes Early Screening
It is well known that early detection of cancer is vital to surviving its often devastating effects, and regular screenings are vital to detecting cancers early. That information was the motivation behind a new Web site recently launched by Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA), screenforlungcancer.org. The site is aimed at educating people at risk for lung cancer about the importance of yearly low-dose computed tomography screening. It is estimated that more than 70% of new lung cancers are diagnosed in people whose cancer is at a late stage, when prognosis for survival is poor.

Global AIDS Epidemic Continues to Grow
According to the latest figures published in the UNAIDS/WHO 2006 AIDS Epidemic Update, there are an estimated 39.5 million people worldwide who are living with HIV. Of these, 65%--by far the largest population of HIV patients--live in sub-Saharan Africa. The update also uncovered increases in HIV cases in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where there are some indications that infection rates have risen by more than 50% since 2004. In 2006, 2.9 million people died of AIDS-related illnesses.

Disturbingly, the update shows that where HIV prevention programs have not been sustained and/or adopted, infection rates are either staying the same or rising. This is particularly true for North America and Western Europe. 

The report uncovered that in many countries, HIV prevention programs are not reaching the people most at risk for the infection. "In sub-Saharan Africa, the worst-affected region, life expectancy at birth is now just 47 years, which is 30 years less than most high-income countries," said Dr. Anders Nordstrom, World Health Organization Acting Director-General. The full report is available at www.unaids.org.

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