Study finds low doses of hormones halt bone loss

A lower dose of hormone replacement therapy may prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women just as well as the regular dose, say New York researchers.

A new study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Assn., found that women who received a variety of doses of estrogen and progestin showed significant gains in spine, hip and total bone mineral density after two years.

Women who received only calcium or a placebo showed a loss of bone mass. More than 800 women participated in the study.

Some women may prefer lower doses of the hormones, which sometimes have troubling side effects, such as vaginal bleeding and breast pain. About 30 million women age 50 and older are at risk of osteoporosis, a condition that causes fragile bones and easy fractures.

Incidence of sepsis rises

The incidence of sepsis a severe immune response to infection is increasing at a rate of 16 percent a year, according to the U.S. National Hospital Discharge Survey.

Although mortality rates from sepsis have fallen over the past 21 years, researchers found that the incidence increased in 1979 to 1999. Males, African Americans and other non-Caucasians had the highest rates of hospitalization due to sepsis.

Sepsis begins with an identifiable infection, caused by a virus or bacterium, which intensely activates the immune system, leading to uncontrolled inflammation throughout the body. Without antibiotic treatment, sepsis can cause organ failure and death within 24 hours.