Month: June 2014

A newer drug improved symptoms for more people than the usual drug given first to people with rheumatoid arthritis, researchers report. Methotrexate, an old drug, is typically what people receive first when diagnosed with this disease. A newer drug, tofacitinib, helps to reduce inflammation in this disease. It works in a different way than methotrexate. The new study included 956 people with rheumatoid arthritis. They had not yet been treated with methotrexate. They were randomly divided into 3 groups. One group received methotrexate. The others took tofacitinib, in different doses. After 6 months, signs and symptoms of the disease had improved more in the groups receiving tofacitinib. About 26% of those taking the smaller dose and 38% of those taking the larger dose had at least a 70% improvement. About 12% of those taking methotrexate improved that much.

A study of women with a high risk of developing breast cancer has found that annual MRI scans find more cancers than mammograms. The study included 2,207 women, ages 30 to 69. All were at high risk of breast cancer. They had high-risk genes, a family history of breast cancer, a history of radiation treatment before age 30 or other factors that increased breast-cancer risk. All were screened with digital mammograms and breast MRI scans. In the first year, the screening found 35 breast cancers. Of those, 23 were detected by MRI alone and 12 were found on both tests. No cancers were detected by mammogram alone. A researcher, quoted by HealthDay news, said the findings suggest that high-risk women should have both tests each year, starting at age 30. But the testing program will continue, and researchers will report later on long-term results.

A “bionic pancreas” can help people with type 1 diabetes control their disease with fewer incidents of low blood sugar, 2 new studies find. The “pancreas” is a device that includes two pumps. One delivers small doses of insulin to keep blood sugar from going too high. The other delivers glucagon, another hormone, to prevent hypoglycemia (very low blood sugar). A smartphone wirelessly receives reports from a continuous glucose (blood sugar) monitor. An app on the phone controls the pumps and adjusts them based on blood sugar levels. One study tested the pumps on 20 adults. The other study tested them on 32 teenagers at a diabetes summer camp. People wore the devices for 5 days. On another 5 days, people wore normal insulin pumps. For both adults and teens, average daily blood sugar was lower with the new device than with the pump.

Having TV on in the background while you play with your toddler may hinder the child’s language development, a new study suggests. That’s because parents talked to their children less when the TV was on. Talking to young children is considered important for helping them learn to speak. The study included 49 parents and their children, who were 12, 24 or 36 months old. Parents were asked to play with their children for an hour in a study laboratory. Age-appropriate toys were provided. Half of the time, the TV was on. The programs were appropriate to adults or older children. For the other half hour, the TV was off. Researchers observed and kept track of parents’ interactions with their children. Parents spoke about 9 times per minute and said about 36 words per minute with the TV off. Each minute that the TV was on, parents spoke about 6 times and said about 24 words.