Monday's health links

1. Interesting and potentially promising new therapy for the prevention of bone loss - nitroglycerine ointment.
2. Some drugs used to prevent bone loss may lead to a higher incidence of rare and unusual fractures.
3. The whole "cancer coach" thing was news to me and I have appreciated the debate carried out in blog land. As an alternative to cancer coaches, how do we feel about patient navigators? This article includes a profile of the doctor who first advocated the role as well as a breakdown of its history and its possible benefits for users. And this article says navigators improve cancer survival rates. Perhaps one of the keys to their success is that they are health care professionals, often nurses, who undergo additional, specialized training.
4. Moderate alcohol consumption linked again to improved heart health. Moderate is 1 to 1.5 drinks for women and 2 drinks for men. Recall, however, that moderate consumption is also linked to increased risk for some forms of breast cancer.
5. University of Alberta finds that marijuana use improves appetite and sleep quality for advanced cancer patients.