Although the authors did find that the women receiving 120 mg of raloxifene showed less decline in tests of verbal memory and attention, overall there were no significant differences in mean scores on any of the cognitive tests across the 3 years. In addition, raloxifene can increase hot flashes, and some studies have linked hot flashes with decreased cognitive abilities. In this study, the authors found that hot flashes did increase in those women taking raloxifene, but again, there were no differences in cognitive function. Patients don't have to be afraid of treadmill tests. A new option to test for intermittent claudication may be more efficient and less expensive.
Intermittent claudication is a circulation problem in the legs, usually brought on by exertion.
Atherosclerosis plaques of fatty tissue in the leg arteries forces the development of small collateral vessels to compensate for the blockage. With exertion, however, these collateral vessels are unable to provide enough blood, and pain in the form of cramping, aching, numbness, fatigue or heaviness in the leg muscles can develop. Because leg pain can also indicate other conditions, your doctor will need to test for claudication. This usually is done with a treadmill test in a vascular laboratory. Participants repeated the test until they felt pain or tiredness in the legs or until they reached a count of 50.