Methamphetamine use may lead to serious heart problems.   HealthDay (6/26, Reinberg) reports, "Prolonged use of methamphetamine can lead to a variety of cardiovascular problems, including arrhythmias, intracranial bleeding, and congestive heart failure," according to a study published in the June 25-29 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. HealthDay continues, "In experiments with rats, researchers identified the way the drug triggers the cardiovascular problems often seen in people who are addicted to it." Lead researcher Kim D. Janda, a professor of chemistry at the Scripps Research Institute, in La Jolla, Calif., said, "Long-term use of methamphetamine can cause an aberrant chemical reaction of amphetamine and sugar structures that change proteins to cause both an antibody and inflammation response," a "reaction [that] can cause both heart and blood vessel damage."

Two studies link bone loss in men and women to antidepressants.   HealthDay (6/26, Gardner) reports that two studies published in the June 25 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine found that "[o]lder men and women who take the class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may have an increased rate of bone loss." In the first study, researchers looked at "2,722 older women," with an "average age 78.5 years." They measured "[t]otal hip bone density and that of two hip sub-regions" five years apart. "After adjusting for other factors, the researchers found that bone mineral density at the hip decreased 0.82 percent in women using SSRIs and 0.47 percent among those using the older tricyclic antidepressants and in those not using any antidepressants." And, "SSRI users also had higher rates of bone loss at the two hip sub-regions." In the second study, researchers looked at "5,995 men aged 65 and older, and found that men using SSRIs also had lower bone mineral density at the hip and at the base of the spine. Total hip bone mineral density was 3.9 percent lower among SSRI users than among men not using any antidepressants. Spine bone mineral density was 5.9 percent lower among SSRI users compared with non-users." However, study authors stressed that the findings "are preliminary and shouldn't be seen as a reason to change medications."
      Canadian studies find osteoporosis drugs help prevent fractures.   HealthDay (6/26) reports that "[o]steoporosis drugs called anti-resorptive agents can help reduce the risk of low-trauma bone fractures in women age 50 and older," according to a study that was scheduled to be presented Monday at a meeting of the International Bone & Mineral Society in Montreal. "At the beginning of the study," researchers "measured bone mineral density of more than 6,000 women. ... They were then followed for seven years." In results which supported previous studies, researchers "found the use of anti-resorptive agents to be associated with an average 32 percent reduced risk of non-vertebral osteoporosis-related bone fractures." In a second study, researchers "analyzed data on the effects of a very low dose estrogen patch in 417 postmenopausal women" and "found that low-dose estrogen therapy is more effective in treating osteoporosis in women with lower...natural levels of estrogen in their blood." The study's authors concluded that based on these results, "[m]easuring a woman's natural estrogen levels prior to estrogen therapy may help doctors determine how effective her treatment will be."

SARS survivors report decline in mental health.   HealthDay (6/26) reports, "While most Canadian patients who survived the 2003 SARS [severe acute respiratory syndrome] outbreak in Toronto had good physical recovery, many reported a decline in their mental health the following year," according to a new study in the June 25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. Study authors wrote, "We have shown that most SARS survivors have pulmonary and functional recovery from their acute illness. However, one year after discharge from hospital, health-related quality of life remained lower than in the general population, and patients reported important decrements in mental health. These findings are reflected in the notable utilization of psychiatric and psychological services in the one-year follow-up period." The study "evaluated 117 SARS...survivors three, six and 12 months after they were discharged from hospital. Each evaluation included a physical examination, a six-minute walk test, a lung function test, a chest X-ray and quality-of-life measures. They were also asked how often they saw a doctor."
      MedPage Today (6/26, Smith) adds, "Because of the dramatic nature of the outbreak -- an unknown cause, widespread fear, and quarantine and isolation -- patients 'were subjected to extraordinary stressors during and after the outbreak and experienced significant emotional consequences as a result,' the researchers said." Among the troubling consequences were "[f]eelings of social stigmatization"; "quarantine and isolation"; "inability to be present at the death of close family and co-workers or attend funeral services"; "'overwhelming' fear for physical health" and "worry about transmitting the disease to family or loved ones."

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