By Neil Osterweil , MedPage Today Staff Writer. Reviewed by Rubeen K. Israni, M.D., Fellow, Renal-Electrolyte and Hypertension Division, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Source News Article: Forbes, MSN
Review: TORONTO, Aug. 19-Women at a high risk for early-onset breast cancer because of mutations in the BRCA1-gene may be able to cut that risk by two-thirds if they lose weight early in adult life.

That’s the conclusion of an international team of researchers, who also found that women with harmful BRCA1 mutations who opt to have two or more pregnancies and who gain 10 or more pounds between the ages of 18 and 30 increase their risk of early-onset breast cancer by about 44%.

By Jeff Minerd , MedPage Today Staff Writer – Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
Source News Article: Bloomberg, USA Today, Washington Post (Registration Req.)

• Advise asymptomatic men age 40 or older of the potential risks and benefits of PSA screening.

Advise patients who inquire that several large clinical trials are underway that will provide more definitive evidence about the effectiveness of PSA screening to reduce morbidity and mortality, but these studies will take few years.

The atypical antipsychotic risperidone is no better than typical antipsychotics in terms of the risk of falls in residents of aged care facilities, and the atypical antipsychotic olanzapine may increase the risk of falls, according to findings published in the August issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

By Katrina Woznicki , MedPage Today Staff Writer – Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. – Source News Article: LA Times (Registration Req.), MSNBC, Washington Post (Registration Req.)

• For patients who want to use hormonal contraceptives, discuss their medical histories, especially conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, stroke, blood clots, and also whether they smoke.
• Inform patients that the risk of a blood clot or stroke when using hormonal contraceptives is small and there is little evidence that current low dose preparations are associated with increased risk in healthy women under the age of 35 without risk factors.

By Neil Osterweil , MedPage Today Staff Writer – Reviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD; Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
Source News Article: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Registration Req.), MSNBC, Washington Post (Registration Req.)

• Advise patients that beta-blockers are effective and safe, and appear to lower the risk of myocardial infarction following major non-cardiac surgery in patients with a high-risk of coronary artery disease, but may not be appropriate in low-risk patients undergoing similar procedures.
• Inform patients that this was a retrospective observational study and is subject to statistical variations and errors. Randomized clinical trials currently underway may produce clearer answers about the role of beta-blockers in reducing in-hospital mortality following non-cardiac surgery.