Early imaging tests don’t help older adults with new back pain feel better any faster, a new study finds. But the tests do lead to higher costs. The study included 5,200 people over age 65. All of them went to see doctors for new pain in the lower back. More than 1,500 of them received an X-ray, CT scan, MRI or other imaging within 6 weeks of the first doctor’s visit. Everyone in the study filled out questionnaires about back pain and their overall function. Results were similar for people who did and did not get the early imaging tests. Researchers also reviewed medical records to see what back-related services people got in the year after their doctor’s visit. Costs were an average of $1,400 higher for those who got the early tests. The Journal of the American Medical Association published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it March 17.
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Raising the legal age to buy cigarettes to 21 would reduce smoking rates 12% by the time today’s teenagers are adults, a new report estimates. The report comes from the Institute of Medicine. It studied the issue on behalf of the Food and Drug Administration, which regulates tobacco. The report says raising the age to buy tobacco to 25 would cut smoking rates by even more, about 16%. But raising the age to 19 would reduce smoking rates by only 3%. Many 19-year-olds are in the same social circles as younger teenagers. So they could buy cigarettes for their younger friends, the report says. But most teens don’t have friends who are 21. Nearly every smoker starts before age 25. About 90% begin in their teens. Raising the legal age to buy tobacco would have the biggest effect on reducing smoking rates for youth ages 15 to 17, the report says.
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A lower-glycemic-index diet reduces sudden increases in blood sugar. To get the benefits of such a diet without having to look up the glycemic index of foods, cut back on white flour and white rice, white potatoes, and added sugars.
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Atrial fibrillation (afib) is an irregular quivering of the heart’s upper chambers, or atria. It can cause blood clots that lead to strokes. To prevent strokes, most people with afib must take a blood thinner (anticoagulant) for life.
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In a comparison of 137 studies of treatment for knee arthritis, the over-the-counter pain reliever acetaminophen (Tylenol, other brands) does not relieve pain much more than a placebo pill.
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A simple, inexpensive ultrasound of the arteries in the neck and upper leg may be a better way to screen people for possible cardiovascular disease than the current risk-based estimate used to guide treatment, though more research is needed.
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Yoga combines gentle physical movements, breathing, and meditation, all of which may lower heart disease risk. People who do yoga may reap benefits such as weight loss, lower harmful LDL cholesterol levels, and lower blood pressure.
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Whole-grain foods offer nutritional benefits beyond just the fiber from the outer layer. The nutrients and compounds from all parts of the grain offer a wide range of cardiovascular benefits and have been linked to longer life.
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