Our weekly roundup of the latest developments in the world of health.
This week we look at why hormone pills may delay -- but not stop -- symptoms of menopause, at the neurological roots of anorexia, and at a surprising side effect of drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease. We also look at the health benefits of walking on stone paths.
Stay well.
This Issue:

HRT Doesn't End Symptoms
Anorexia and Brain Chemistry
Parkinson's Meds and Gambling
Cobblestones and Health
In the News:

HRT Doesn't End Symptoms
Taking hormones for a few years may not help women avoid menopause symptoms after all. A survey of women who participated in the Women's Health Initiative's hormone replacement study found that about a fifth of those who took hormones experienced menopause symptoms after stopping the treatment. The researchers say this suggests that HRT may delay menopause symptoms, but does not necessarily let women avoid them altogether. The survey was mailed out to about 8,400 women who'd participated in the WHI HRT study about eight to 10 months after the study was halted. In the original study, the women had taken either the HRT drug Prempro or a placebo for up to eight years. In their survey responses, 21% of the women who'd taken HRT reported experiencing moderate to severe symptoms such as hot flashes, compared to only 5% of the women who's taken dummy pills. More than a third of the women who experienced menopause symptoms were in their 60s and 70s, suggesting that menopause may last longer than doctors had expected. The study did not look at whether gradually stopping hormone pills might ease symptoms, The Associated Press reports. The survey results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Anorexia and Brain Chemistry

Researchers may be closer to understanding the neurological roots of anorexia. A small study published in the journal Biological Psychiatry finds evidence that anorexia may be explained by abnormal activity of a certain brain chemical. In the study, researchers used brain-imaging technology on 10 women with anorexia and 12 women who do not have the illness. They found that the women with anorexia had overactive dopamine receptors in one part of their brains. Dopamine is associated with regulating pleasure and positive and negative reinforcement, The Associated Press reports. The researchers say the irregular dopamine activity could mean that the anorexic women don't feel "rewarded" for losing weight and so are compelled to lose more. Although they could not explain what causes the problem with dopamine receptors, the researchers say their findings ultimately could lead to development of treatments for anorexia and even ways to determine who is at high risk for the disease, the AP says.
Parkinson's Meds and Gambling

Some medications for Parkinson's disease may have an unexpected side effect -- compulsive gambling. A report published in the Archives of Neurology describes 11 Mayo Clinic patients who started gambling or showed other compulsive behavior after taking Mirapex or other similar drugs for Parkinson's disease. The behavior stopped when the drug was stopped or the dose adjusted, the report says. Mirapex reduces tremors and improves movement in Parkinson's patients by mimicking the effects of the brain chemical dopamine, The Associated Press reports. The drug targets dopamine receptors in a part of the brain associated with reward-seeking behavior, the AP says. The company that manufactures Mirapex says there is no hard evidence that the drug caused the compulsive behavior, but earlier this year it began including compulsive behavior in the list of side effects, the AP says.
Cobblestones and Health

For older adults, walking on cobblestones may offer more health advantages than regular walking. A small study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that walking on cobblestones for a half-hour daily lowered blood pressure and improved balance in older people. The study involved 108 people over 60. Half of them walked for an hour three times weekly for 16 weeks, while the other half walked barefoot or in socks for half an hour per day on a surface 6 feet long and 1 1/2 feet wide designed to simulate rounded, river rock cobblestones. Almost all of the volunteers reported feeling better at the end of the study, but only those who had walked on the cobblestones had major improvements in blood pressure, balance and mobility, The Associated Press reports. The AP quotes other experts who say the results are promising, but larger studies should be done to see if cobblestone walking can help balance some effects of aging.
Used with the permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved. The above summaries are not intended to provide advice on personal medical matters, nor are they intended to be a substitute for consultation with a physician.