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The longer you live past 90, the greater the odds that your genes are a big reason, researchers say in a new study. The study looked at thousands of groups of siblings in New England. In all of the groups, at least one person reached age 90. For people who lived to be 90, the odds that a sibling also reached 90 were about 70% higher than for an average person born around the same time. People who lived to age 95 were 3½ times as likely as the average person to have a sibling who reached that age. And those who made it to 100 had 9 times the normal chance of having a sibling who also reached 100. The genetic connection was even stronger for those who reached 105. Their odds of having a sibling who reached that age were 35 times normal. The Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it March 26.

Men who are fit in middle age may have lower risks of some cancers in later years, a new study finds. The study included nearly 14,000 men who were part of a long-term health study. Their average age when the study began was 49. Nearly all were white. Men were given treadmill tests to assess their fitness. After the men turned 65, researchers looked at Medicare records to see who was diagnosed with cancer. On average, they looked at 6½ years of records for each man. Men who had the top fitness scores in middle age were 55% less likely to develop lung cancer than those who were least fit. They were 44% less likely to develop colorectal cancer. But they were 22% more likely than less fit men to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. The men who were most fit also had a 32% lower rate of death from lung, colorectal or prostate cancer.

Propping open a narrowed artery in the brain actually may lead to more strokes than giving medicines alone, a study has found. The study included 112 people. All of them had a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA or mini-stroke) within the last 30 days. A mini-stroke causes stroke symptoms that last less than 24 hours. People in the study were randomly divided into 2 groups. Everyone received standard “blood thinner” medicines to prevent clots. One group also received angioplasty. This procedure used a tiny balloon to open a narrowed artery in the brain. Then the artery was propped open with a wire-mesh tube called a stent. In the next month, 24% of those who got stents had a stroke or TIA, compared with 10% of those who got medicines only. Nearly 9% of those who got stents had bleeding in the brain. About 5% died. Nobody in the medicine-only group had bleeding or died.

A structured exercise program may reduce the risk of serious injury from falls in older women, a new study suggests. The study included about 400 women, ages 70 to 80. All of them had normal vitamin D levels when the study began. They were randomly divided into 4 groups. One group took daily pills containing 800 international units of vitamin D. Another group took part in a structured exercise program. They focused on improving balance, agility and movement. They also worked on strength and the ability to lift weight. Classes occurred twice a week for a year, then once a week for a second year. A third group took vitamin D and also took exercise classes. The fourth group did neither. During the 2-year study, women in all 4 groups were equally likely to fall. But those in the 2 groups that did exercise were only about half as likely to have a serious injury when they fell.

Training parents to care for their children with ADHD may lead to improved behavior, a new study suggests. The study included 156 low-income children, ages 6 to 12. Their doctors had referred them to specialists to find out if they had attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Children were randomly divided into 2 groups. Both groups received care management that offered parents help in making decisions. One group also received “enhanced care.” These parents learned how to be involved in their child’s treatment, manage behavior challenges and address their own mental-health needs. Care managers provided the training. They were not health-care professionals but had been trained to teach this program. They served as go-betweens for the parents and the medical team. Parents completed questionnaires about symptoms in the middle of the 1-year study and at the end.