ACETAMINOPHEN MAY CUT CANCER RISK
The pain-killer acetaminophen, when used at least once weekly over a six-month period, has been shown to reduce by half a woman's risk of developing ovarian cancer, according to an article in the British medical journal, The Lancet. However, investigators at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital say such findings shouldn't yet prompt a public health recommendation, because more in-depth study is needed.
Over a five-year period, researchers looked at women's use of acetaminophen, commonly available as Tylenol, along with ibuprofen and aspirin.
Their results: There was a 48-percent cut in the risk of developing ovarian cancer for acetaminophen users, a 25-percent reduction from the use of aspirin-type products, and no cut in risk from ibuprofen, a commonly-sold anti-inflammatory drug. But women taking acetaminophen daily -- and over a 10-year period -- exhibited a risk reduction of nearly 60 percent.
The researchers did not address the issue of medical warnings and previous studies relating to possible risks from extended use of such drugs.
INCREASE FOLATES AND B6
Researchers say that increasing the intake of folates -- primary sources of folic acid -- and vitamin B6 above current recommended levels may help women cut the risk of heart disease.
Writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, scientists at Boston's Harvard School of Public Health reviewed the incidence of heart attack and coronary heart disease (CHD) among the more than 80,000 women participating in the Nurses' Health Study.
Their findings: "Higher intakes of folate from food or supplements, alone or in combination with vitamin B6, are associated with substantially lower risk of CHD among women."
The current recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 1.6 milligrams of vitamin B6 and 180 micrograms for folate. But researchers say levels of 3 milligrams of B6 and 400 micrograms of folate resulted in the lowest risk of women developing coronary heart disease.
An accompanying editorial says the latest test results "support the view that current recommended dietary allowances for these nutrients are too low to provide optimal protection against cardiovascular disease and need to be revised accordingly for the population as a whole."
Folates are largely found in multiple vitamins, cold cereals, orange juice, eggs, broccoli and spinach; primary sources of vitamin B6 include vitamins, beef, potatoes, bananas, chicken, milk and tuna fish.
