Month: March 2011

Two surgeries for coronary artery disease provide similar relief from chest pain, a study says. The study included 1,800 people. All of them had narrowed arteries. This can cause severe chest pain. It also puts people at risk for heart attack. About half of people in the study had coronary artery bypass graft surgery, or CABG. In this surgery, blood flow is rerouted to avoid narrowed arteries. The other half of people in the study had their affected arteries held open with wire-mesh tubes called stents. The stents released a drug that helps to reduce scarring of the artery walls. Both surgeries helped. About 7 of every 10 people who had the surgeries were free from chest pain a year later. The study was published March 17 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Whole-body scanning at airports has become more popular over the past few years. Some are concerned that the radiation from these scans can be a health risk. One type of scanner does not expose people to radiation. But the other type does expose people to a small amount. Experts point out that millions of people will undergo whole-body scanning. But there are many other sources of radiation that people are exposed to each day. Experts also recommend that airports choose scanners with millimeter wave technology, which does not expose people to radiation. The articles appear in the April issue of the journal Radiology.

U.S. smokers are less likely to be heavy smokers than they were in the 1960s, a new study finds. The study used data from 40 years of government health surveys. In 1965, about 56% of smokers went through at least a pack (20 cigarettes) each day. By 2007, the figure had dropped to 41% of smokers. Heavy smokers were about 23% of the U.S. adult population in 1965. Forty years later, they were only 7.2%. In California, where anti-smoking efforts have been intense for decades, rates are even lower. Only 2.6% of adults in the state are heavy smokers today. Researchers said that heavy smoking is less common for two reasons. Many older smokers quit. The surveys also show that young smokers are less likely to be heavy smokers. The Journal of the American Medical Association published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it March 15.

Health concerns have risen as more radiation leaks from a nuclear power plant in Japan. The plant was damaged by last week’s tsunami. Explosions and a fire have occurred. Officials advised people within 20 miles to stay indoors. Plant workers are trying to prevent further damage or a meltdown of the reactors’ fuel source. This could release much more radiation. One risk from escaping radiation is thyroid cancer. Potassium iodide pills can prevent the thyroid from absorbing radioactive iodine. The government has sent pills to evacuation centers as a precaution. Radioactive cesium is another concern. The whole body can absorb it. It also stays in the body and the environment longer than radioactive iodine. But cesium also is relatively heavy. If larger amounts escape, officials hope it will fall near the reactor or else be carried out over the ocean.

New research gives a hint about who might be most likely to prevent colorectal cancer by taking common medicines. Previous research has found a lower risk of these cancers in people who take aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen. These are common over-the-counter drugs. They relieve pain and fight fever and inflammation. But they do have side effects. Researchers want to know who might benefit most by taking them to prevent cancer. The new study looked at blood tests for women in a long-term health study. After tests were done, 280 women developed colorectal cancer. Their tests were compared with 560 women who did not develop cancer. Women who did develop cancer had higher blood levels of a protein called soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-2 (sTNFR-2). This protein shows up when there’s inflammation in the body.

Women who drink coffee may have a lower risk of stroke, new research suggests. The study included 34,670 Swedish women, ages 49 to 83. At the start of the study, they were asked how much coffee they drank. Researchers kept track of them for about 10 years. In that time, there were 1,680 strokes in the group. Women who drank coffee were less likely to have a stroke. Researchers adjusted their numbers to account for other differences between the two groups that could affect stroke risk. These included smoking, weight, high blood pressure and diabetes. Coffee drinkers still had a lower risk of stroke. The journal Stroke published the study online. The Associated Press wrote about it March 10.