Month: June 2011

Moderate to intense exercise may help to protect older adults from so-called silent strokes, a new study suggests. This type of stroke is too mild to produce symptoms. But the effects can be seen on a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Silent strokes increase the risk of regular strokes and dementia. The new study included 1,238 older adults. They answered questions about their exercise habits. Six years later, they were given MRI scans of the brain. At this time, their average age was 70. About 43% said they got no regular exercise. About 36% did regular light exercise. Examples included golf, walking and bowling. Only 21% did regular moderate to intense exercise. This included hiking, tennis, swimming, biking and jogging. MRIs showed that 16% of the people had a past silent stroke. But this was 40% less likely in people who did regular moderate or intense exercise.

Doctors in Germany are trying a treatment that might be risky to fight severe Escherichia coli infections. They are treating some patients with antibiotics as soon as they enter the hospital. The Associated Press wrote about it June 7. The E. coli outbreak in Europe has affected more than 2,600 people in the last month. Antibiotics are commonly used to kill bacteria that cause illness. But E. coli infections are different. The illness is caused by toxins rather than the bacteria. Many doctors fear that killing the bacteria quickly could release more toxins. This could kill the patient. Most hospital cases are treated with intravenous fluids. But the World Health Organization and U.S. health officials say antibiotics may be used in special cases. Doctors treating people in the latest outbreak said they tried antibiotics because the cases have been so severe.

Boys who bully others may be more likely to grow up and abuse their wives and girlfriends, a study finds. Researchers surveyed 1,491 men who visited 3 health centers. They were 18 to 35 years old. They were asked about whether they had bullied other kids growing up. They also were asked about any sexual and physical abuse of a female partner. About 16% had committed any violence of this type in the last year. Men who had bullied others often as children were almost 6 times as likely to abuse a partner as men who had not bullied at all. Researchers also asked the men whether they been exposed to violence at home or in the community, or been abused or bullied themselves. These factors can affect whether a man is likely to abuse women. Researchers adjusted their numbers to try to exclude the effects of these factors.

Women with an above-average risk of breast cancer may have a new option for preventing it. A new study found that taking exemestane (Aromasin) lowered the risk of developing this cancer. Tamoxifen and raloxifene also can help prevent breast cancer. But many women don’t take them because of side effects. Study results were presented June 5 at a conference. The study included 4,560 women. All had an above-average risk of developing breast cancer. Some were just age 60 or older. Some had a history of abnormal cells in the breast or a cancer that was in a breast duct only. Some had a high score on a scale that includes family history and other factors that increase risk. The women were randomly assigned to take exemestane or placebo (fake) pills. In the next 3 years, there were 11 cases of invasive (growing) breast cancer among the women who took exemestane.

A simple plate has replaced a complicated pyramid as the U.S. symbol of good nutrition. The new emblem, called “My Plate,” made its debut June 2. It’s a circle divided into different colored sections. Each section stands for a major type of food. Together, fruits and vegetables make up half of the plate. The “grains” section is a bit larger than one-quarter. The smallest section is “proteins,” formerly called “meat and beans.” A little circle off to the side of the plate is labeled “dairy.” Nutritionists have praised the new symbol for its simplicity. Many have said for years that people should fill half of their plates with fruits and vegetables. The previous symbol, called MyPyramid, had few supporters. Many found it confusing. Shaped like a triangle, it featured a rainbow of vertical stripes. A figure was shown climbing the side, to symbolize exercise.

A new vaccine helps to shrink tumors in people with advanced melanoma, researchers report. The vaccine includes a peptide — part of a protein — found on the surface of melanoma cells. It primes the immune system to recognize and attack cells with this peptide. The study included 185 people. They were randomly divided into two groups. Both groups received interleukin-2. This drug boosts one type of cell in the immune system. One of the groups also received the vaccine. Tumors shrank by at least half in 16% of the group that received the vaccine. This compares with 6% of the group that got interleukin-2 alone. The average time until the disease got worse was a bit longer with the vaccine — 2.2 months compared with 1.6 months. People also lived longer with the vaccine. Their median survival was 18 months, compared with 11 months for the interleukin-2 only group.

Cell phones are a “possible cause” of cancer, one group of experts says in a report to the World Health Organization (WHO). This puts cell phones into the same category as car exhaust, the pesticide DDT, coffee and more than 200 other substances. The decision came from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of WHO. The Associated Press wrote about it. Agency experts reviewed dozens of studies about cell phones. They concluded that there was limited evidence linking cell phone use to two types of brain tumors. They found too little evidence to draw conclusions for other cancers. About 30 studies done around the world have not found more cell phone use among people who developed brain tumors. A large study last year found no clear link between cell phones and cancer. But it did suggest a possible link between very heavy phone use and glioma, one form of brain cancer.