Breast cancer survivors report pain years after treatment

Of the 3,754 women, 47 percent had painful sensations in one or more areas of the arm, underarm, breast, and side of the body. All had surgery, and some had additional treatment.

Although most reported moderate or light pain, 200 women described the pain as severe. The likelihood of pain or sensory disturbances increased for women who had radiation or lymph node removal.

The University of Copenhagen researchers concluded that chronic pain is common after breast cancer treatment, and that nerve-sparing surgical techniques might reduce the frequency.

An accompanying editorial in last week's Journal of the American Medical Association urged that physicians try to identify patients at high risk for postsurgical pain, and treat pain promptly with help from specialists in other disciplines.

- Marie McCullough

Exercise may reduce risk of Alzheimer's

Patricia A. Boyle and colleagues at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, studied 970 older adults with an average age of about 80. The participants underwent a battery of tests for cognitive function and physical strength.

During the nearly four years that followed, 138 of the participants, or 14.2 percent, developed Alzheimer's. But those whose muscle strength was in the top 90th percentile were 61 percent less likely to develop the disease than those in the bottom tenth percentile.

The link between muscle strength and risk remained even after the researchers factored in body mass index and physical activity level. The research is in the current edition of the Archives of Neurology.

So far, there is no explanation for the findings. One possibility, the researchers said, is that damage to the mitochondria, which produce energy for the body's cells, may lead to both loss of muscle strength and cognitive function.

- Sandy Bauers

Texting can be painful, Temple survey finds

In a survey of 138 students, Temple University researchers found those who did more texting were more likely to report shoulder and neck pain. When the results were split by gender, however, they were statistically significant only in males.

There may be an effect in women, too, but a larger sample would be needed to find it, said Judith Gold, director of Temple's Ergonomics and Work Physiology Laboratory. The non-random survey was a preliminary effort; participants were approached in and around campus.

Gold says the body position of a texter - stationary shoulders and back, with fast-moving fingers - is similar to that of someone typing on a computer, for whom the risk of repetitive stress injury is well known. The results were presented at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association last week in Philadelphia.

- Tom Avril

Prolonged use of statins lowers risk of gallstones

Researchers compared more than 27,000 people who had their gallbladders removed with 106,000 matched patients who didn't have the surgery.

The risk of having gallstones followed by surgery began to decrease after a year on statins, and continued to decrease with longer statin use. For patients who had taken the drugs long-term - at least four years - the risk dropped by 40 percent.

While most gallstones contain cholesterol, the researchers said their data suggested more than cholesterol was involved in the development of gallstone disease. They noted that only long-term use reduced the risk of gallstones followed by surgery.

The researchers also said several drug companies that make statins have given grants to support their institutions, but that funding was not used for this study.

- Josh Goldstein