Month: October 2011

A large study showed more deaths in a group of women who took daily vitamins, compared with a group of women who did not. The deaths were from cardiovascular disease and cancer. The study included more than 38,000 women. Their average age was about 61. They filled out questionnaires in 1986, 1997 and 2004. Results showed more deaths in women who took multivitamins, vitamin B₆, folic acid, iron, magnesium, zinc and copper. The link was strongest with iron. But the study also showed fewer deaths in women who took calcium supplements. The study was published Oct. 10 in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. USA Today wrote about it Oct. 11.

Guidelines that recommend regular screening and monitoring for esophageal cancer may need to be re-evaluated, a new study says. Screening is done by inserting an endoscope (flexible tube) into the esophagus to examine the cells that line it. Danish researchers examined 11,028 patients from 1992 to 2009. They all had been diagnosed with Barrett’s esophagus. This condition is often caused by GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). It also is a risk factor for developing esophageal cancer. But researchers found that the risk is smaller than previously estimated. The risk of cancer is higher in those patients who have more severe cellular changes. Other factors, such as age, race, sex and weight, also play a part. The study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. HealthDay News reported on it Oct. 12.

Taking vitamin E pills, once thought to help prevent prostate cancer, appears to actually increase a man’s risk of the disease, a new study finds. The study included more than 35,000 men. They were healthy and at least age 50 when the study began. They were randomly divided into 4 groups. One group took a high-dose vitamin E pill each day. One group took selenium, another nutrient. One group took both. The fourth group took placebo (fake) pills. The study was halted after about 5 years because it was clear that the pills were providing no benefit. Early results also suggested a higher prostate cancer risk with vitamin E. But researchers still kept track of the men. The new follow-up study confirmed a 17% higher prostate cancer risk for the men who took vitamin E. In a 7-year period, there were 76 cases diagnosed per 1,000 men in this group.

More U.S. children are being treated in emergency rooms for head injuries, a new study finds. Between 2001 and 2009, the number rose 60%. For the most part, researchers think that’s because people are more aware of the need to treat concussions. The study found that most injuries were linked with sports and other active pursuits, such as bicycling. About 71% of those injured were boys. About 71% were age 10 or older. Football and bicycling were the most common activities linked to brain injuries in boys. For girls, soccer, basketball and cycling caused most injuries. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the report October 6. During the period covered by the study, the CDC launched a campaign to increase awareness about concussions. The campaign stressed the need to see a doctor if you have certain symptoms after a blow to the head.

PSA blood tests to screen for prostate cancer do more harm than good, an influential panel of experts says. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released the report. This group advises the government and doctors on preventive care. In the past, the task force had said there was not enough evidence to advise men to get PSA tests or not. The new statement specifically advises against the tests for routine cancer screening. A high PSA level sometimes indicates that a man has prostate cancer. But other things can cause a high level. Men need to get a biopsy — a type of surgery — to find out the cause. Task force members looked at all previous research on the subject. One study estimated that 2 out of 5 cancers found after a PSA test were too slow-growing to ever cause harm. The task force concluded that PSA testing does not reduce death rates. And it found that testing causes harm.

Women exposed in their mother’s womb to the drug DES face a doubled risk of early breast cancer, among other health problems, a new study finds. These women also are twice as likely as average to have problems getting pregnant. DES was used for 30 years to help prevent miscarriages. But doctors later found out that it didn’t work. It also was linked to a rare form of cancer in the vagina. The new study looked more closely at other health risks. It included about 4,600 “DES daughters.” They were compared with 1,900 similar women whose mothers had not used DES. Researchers used surveys and medical records to track their health. When last surveyed, their average age was 48. DES daughters were more than twice as likely as the other women to have early menopause. They were twice as likely to have a pre-cancer found during a Pap smear.

A new drug reduces the relapse rate for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), research suggests. Most MS drugs are injectable. The new one, teriflunomide, is taken as a pill. The study included 1,088 people who had “relapsing-remitting” MS. People with this form of the disease have periods with and without symptoms. People in the study were randomly divided into 3 groups. Two groups were assigned to take teriflunomide, in different doses. The third group took a placebo (fake pill). People took a pill each day for more than 2 years. In that time, both groups taking the real drug had 31% fewer relapses than those who got the placebo. Serious side effects were similar in all 3 groups. People who got the real drug were more likely to have some mild side effects. They also were more likely to have high levels of an enzyme that can indicate liver damage.