Month: August 2011

Women with sleep apnea may be more likely to develop dementia, a new study suggests. The study included 298 elderly women. Their average age was 82. They did not have dementia or mild cognitive impairment as the study began. All of the women took part in an overnight sleep study. More than one-third were found to have sleep apnea. They stopped breathing briefly or breathed very shallowly at least 15 times per hour during sleep. Five years later, the women were given tests to measure their thinking and memory. Researchers adjusted those results to account for factors that can affect dementia risk. These include age, education, excess weight, diabetes and smoking. About 45% of the women with sleep apnea had developed dementia or mild cognitive impairment. The rate was 31% among those without sleep apnea. That’s an 85% increase in risk for those with sleep apnea.

Soy supplements don’t reduce hot flashes or maintain bone strength in women after menopause, a new study finds. In fact, women in the study who received soy actually ended up having more hot flashes. The study included 248 women between ages 45 and 60. All of them were past menopause. They were randomly divided into 2 groups. One group took supplements containing isoflavones, a component of soy, for 2 years. The other group took placebo (fake) pills. By the end of the study, there was no difference between groups for most menopause symptoms. But nearly half of the soy group had hot flashes, compared with one-third of the placebo group. Bone loss in the spine was similar for both groups. But among women with low vitamin D levels, those who received the soy pills did have less bone loss. The journal Archives of Internal Medicine published the study.

Cargill said August 3 that it was recalling 36 million pounds of ground turkey. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it was one of the largest meat recalls ever. U.S. officials requested the recall after they linked a months-long salmonella outbreak to ground turkey from a Cargill plant. USDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did the investigation. So far the outbreak has made 77 people sick and caused 1 death. This particular strain of salmonella is difficult to cure with antibiotics. Cargill said all of the recalled packages include the code “Est. P-963.” The turkey was sold under several brand names, including store brands. Some turkey had no label or went to food service companies. All of the recalled turkey was produced at Cargill’s Springdale, Ark., plant from Feb. 20 through Aug. 2. The Associated Press wrote about the recall.

Doctors have some updated advice on how to prevent streptococcus group B infections in newborns. The journal Pediatrics published the new policy statement this week. MedPage Today wrote about it. Many women have group B strep bacteria in their vagina or rectum but have no symptoms. The infection can be passed on to the baby during childbirth. In babies, group B strep can cause dangerous blood infections (sepsis). It also can cause meningitis, a swelling of the coverings around the spinal cord and brain. It is different from the kind of strep that causes throat infections. The new policy statement explains when to test pregnant women and how to treat them if they are infected. It also gives guidance on how to test, observe and treat babies who are infected or might be infected. Previous guidelines led to a drop of 80% in group B strep infections among U.S. newborns.

Doctors in the Midwest have discovered a new type of bacteria linked to the infection ehrlichiosis. Ticks transmit this disease to humans. The new strain is spread by deer ticks. Researchers have named it Ehrlichia species Wisconsin. So far, it’s been found only in the blood of people from Wisconsin and Minnesota. But it could spread. Deer ticks, which also spread Lyme disease, are found across the United States. The new type of bacteria was identified in four patients. All recovered after treatment with antibiotics. But one — a man with a prior lung transplant — required a short hospital stay. Researchers reported about the new bacterium in the New England Journal of Medicine. HealthDay News wrote about it August 4.

Even small amounts of daily exercise help to reduce the risk of heart disease. That’s the conclusion of a new review of research on the topic. Some benefit was seen with as little as 10 to 15 minutes of exercise a day. The review combined the results of 9 previous studies. All of them included information on exercise habits. Researchers looked at people who did moderate-intensity exercise (such as walking) for at least 150 minutes a week. That is the current recommended minimum. People in this group had a 14% lower rate of heart disease than those who did no exercise. Benefits of exercise were strongest among women. The study appeared in the journal Circulation. USA Today wrote about it August 2.

The maker of Tylenol is lowering the top daily dose listed on the label. Johnson & Johnson announced the change August 1. The Associated Press wrote about it. The label change will occur in the fall. New labels on Extra Strength Tylenol will list the top daily dose at 6 pills. That’s 3,000 milligrams of acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol. The current top dose is 8 pills a day. The purpose of the change is to help prevent accidental overdoses. In excess doses, acetaminophen can cause liver failure. Other Tylenol products will get label changes next year. They also will cap the maximum daily dose at 3,000 milligrams.