Month: September 2010

A new type of drug has shown promising results for pain relief in osteoarthritis. This is the most common type of arthritis. But other studies of the drug have been suspended because some people developed a serious side effect. The study included 450 people with osteoarthritis of the knee. They were randomly assigned to get either the new drug, tanezumab, or a placebo. They received 2 injections, 2 months apart. Researchers checked on how they were doing after 4 months. Those taking tanezumab reported improvements of 45% to 62% in their pain level. People who got the placebo reported an average 22% improvement. Joint function also improved more with the new drug. Later, however, arthritis got worse in 16 people who received the new drug. Some of their bone cells died, and they needed joint replacements. As a result, the U.S.

Levels of a blood protein linked to inflammation vary by race, a new study finds. The study looked at C-reactive protein (CRP). People with long-term high levels may be more likely to develop heart disease. Researchers reviewed 89 studies about CRP. They included more than 221,000 people. Researchers broke down CRP results for this large group by race. They found that blacks had the highest average level, 2.6 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of blood. Levels for Hispanics were nearly as high, 2.51. They were followed by South Asians (2.34) and whites (2.03). East Asians had the lowest levels, an average of 1.01. Some doctors look at CRP levels to help them decide when someone needs treatment with a statin drug. These drugs reduce LDL cholesterol and inflammation. They have been shown to reduce heart disease deaths.

Active teens are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables than other teens, and they tend to drink more sports drinks, a new study finds. In contrast, teens who spend more time watching TV or playing video games drink more soda. Health.com wrote about the study. It was published online September 27 by the journal Pediatrics. The study looked at data from a survey of more than 15,000 middle- and high-school students in Texas. More than 60% of boys and 50% of girls drank at least one sweetened beverage per day. The study asked about soda, sports drinks, sweetened iced tea and other sugary drinks. Sports drinks do contain a little less sugar than soda. But that doesn’t make them healthful, a researcher who did the study told Health.com.

People too frail for heart valve surgery may have another option, researchers say. A new study found that a new aortic valve can be put in place using a thin tube threaded through an artery. The old valve is propped open and the new one is wedged into the opening. The study included 358 people with a diseased aortic valve. They were judged to be too sick to have open-heart surgery to get an artificial valve. People were randomly assigned to receive the new “transcatheter” valve or just comfort care. Within a month, 5% of those with the new valve died, compared with 2.8% of the others. Within a year, about 30% of those with the new valve died. But the one-year death rate was higher, 50%, for those who did not get a valve. Edwards Lifesciences Corp. plans to seek approval to market the valve in the United States. The study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine.

After this week, new health insurance policies must pay for all of the cost of preventive care. The new rules were part of the health care reform bill passed earlier this year. They took effect September 23, the Associated Press reported. The coverage rule applies to services that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force strongly recommends. This is an independent advisory group. Its decisions are based on research about whether care is effective in preventing disease or deaths. Covered services for adults will include tests for high blood pressure, depression and colon cancer, among other things. Vaccines for children also are included.

Mammograms may play a smaller role in preventing breast cancer deaths than experts had thought, a new study finds. Better treatments and early diagnosis through mammography both have improved survival. The study’s design allowed researchers to separate the effects of each one. The study focused on Norway. The country began a mammogram screening program in 1996. It included women ages 50 through 69 in certain counties. They were tested every 2 years. The program later was expanded to the whole country. The study included about 40,000 women with breast cancer. Researchers looked at death rates among those women in counties that did and did not offer screening. They also looked at breast cancer death rates for the same counties 10 years before screening started. Death rates from breast cancer fell in the counties that had screening.