Month: September 2011

Even blood pressure that is just below “high” can increase your risk of stroke, an analysis of research shows. A normal blood pressure reading is below 120/80. High blood pressure is 140/90 or above. Pre-hypertension is the range between normal and high blood pressure. The new study put together results from 12 prior studies. They included more than 500,000 people with no history of heart disease or stroke. During the studies, people with pre-hypertension were 55% more likely to have a stroke than people with lower blood pressure. This was true even after numbers were adjusted to account for smoking and other factors that increase stroke risk. Then researchers split people with pre-hypertension into 2 groups. They found that stroke risk was increased only for those in the upper range of pre-hypertension. Their blood pressure readings were 130/85 to 139/89.

Men may need earlier testing for colon cancer than women, a new study suggests. Researchers looked at colonoscopy results for 44,350 adults. Their average age was just under 61. All took part in a national screening program in Austria. Nearly 25% of men had pre-cancerous tumors (polyps). The rate was 15% among women. About 19% of men ages 50 to 54 had polyps. Women didn’t have polyps at this rate until they were much older — ages 65 to 69. The rate of polyps was 11% among women in their early 50s. The Journal of the American Medical Association published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it September 27.

Coffee may lower the risk of depression in women, says a large study. Only drinkers of caffeinated coffee had the lower risk. Women who drank 4 cups per day had a 20% lower risk of having signs of depression, compared with those who drank decaf or no coffee at all. Those who drank 2 or 3 cups per day had a 15% lower risk. Coffee also has been linked with lower risks of stroke, type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. The study was part of a large research project called the Nurses’ Health Study. It tracked 51,000 women. The coffee study appeared in the September 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. HealthDay News wrote about it the same day.

There’s plenty of flu vaccine this year, and health officials are urging people to take advantage of it. There are 90 million doses available and another 80 million to come. Everyone older than 6 months should be vaccinated, officials said in a press conference September 21. This year, thinner needles should make the injection less uncomfortable. And there’s plenty of the nasal-spray form of the vaccine, which is okayed for everyone ages 2 and older. People need a new flu vaccine every year, officials stressed. Getting vaccinated now will give the body’s immune system time to build up power to fight the virus during peak flu season. USA Today wrote about the press conference September 22.

Since the 1960s, many people with failing kidneys have had their blood cleaned by machine three times a week. The schedule was meant to give patients a weekend break from dialysis sessions, which can last several hours. Now, an analysis of medical records from 32,000 patients has found that the two-day break may lead to more heart attacks and deaths, presumably from the build-up of toxins in the blood. On the day after a long break, hospital admissions for stroke and heart-related problems occurred in 44 of every 100 patients, compared with 20 of every 100 patients on other days of the week. But increasing the frequency of dialysis sessions could cost billions. The study was published September 22 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The Associated Press wrote about it the same day.

A drug that helps to block scar formation appears promising for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF. In this disease, the lungs build up scar tissue. There is no apparent cause, and no effective treatment. About 50,000 people are affected by IPF. The study involved 423 people. Half took a new drug called BIBF 1120. The other half took a placebo. People taking the drug had better lung function and better quality of life. The study was published September 22 in the New England Journal of Medicine. HealthDay News wrote about it September 21.