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People with the least common blood type may have a higher risk of dementia than those with other types, a new study suggests. The study included more than 30,000 people, ages 45 or older. They were given a series of tests of memory and thinking skills. About 500 people had low enough scores to show some impairment. Researchers compared the blood types of this group with almost 600 people who had normal test scores. People with type AB blood were 82% more likely to have impaired thinking skills than those with type O blood. Only 4% of people in the study had type AB blood. O is the most common type. Researchers said the increased risk for those with type AB was relatively small. Smoking, lack of exercise and obesity are linked with much greater risks of dementia. The journal Neurology published the study online. HealthDay News wrote about it September 10.

Osteoporosis drugs do reduce the risk of fractures. But there’s no evidence that one drug is clearly better than others, an evidence review concludes. Osteoporosis causes bones to become thin and brittle. They are more likely to get broken. This condition is most common in older women. The pills prescribed most often are bisphosphonates. They include Actonel (risedronate), Boniva (ibandronate), Fosamax (alendronate) and others. Denosumab (Prolia) and teriparatide (Forteo) are given as injections. The new study combined results from 294 prior studies. These studies compared osteoporosis drugs to placebo. The new analysis found that various drugs cut the risk of a spine fracture by 40% to 60%. They lowered the risk of hip and other fractures by 60% to 80%. There were few studies comparing drugs to each other. However, raloxifene (Evista) appeared to prevent only spine fractures.

Breastfeeding leads to fewer ear, throat and sinus infections. But it doesn’t lead to fewer colds, lung or urinary infections. And it doesn’t necessarily protect children from developing food allergies. So says a series of studies in the journal Pediatrics. They were done as a follow-up to the Infant Feeding Practices Study II, sponsored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The original study examined infant feeding practices, from birth through 12 months. The new studies followed up with the same moms and children 6 years later. Other interesting findings include: Although breast-fed babies have slightly healthier diets later in childhood, they are just as likely to eat sweets and snacks as babies who were bottle-fed; if babies don’t eat many fruits and vegetables, they are less likely to do so at age 6.