Harvard Health Content API

Older male smokers should receive a one-time test to see if they have a swelling of the aorta in the abdomen. And the newest advice says that some male nonsmokers may benefit, too. The advice comes from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. An enlarged section of artery is called an aneurysm. An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is most likely to occur in men who are current or past smokers. The task force recommends a one-time ultrasound scan for AAA for men ages 65 to 75 who have ever smoked. The latest update says that some men in the same age group who have never smoked also may benefit from a one-time ultrasound. They include men with a parent or sibling who had AAA or a personal history of aneurysm in another location. Those with heart or artery disease also might be at risk.

Changing guidelines for treatment of several common conditions can be confusing for doctors and patients, a doctor writes in a new blog posting. The writer is Suzanne Koven, M.D., an internist. The Boston Globe published it January 27. Dr. Koven writes about how recent guideline changes have affected her and her patients. The guidelines include those for high blood pressure, cholesterol and cervical cancer screening. Some of them make big changes to the way she has practiced medicine for decades. For example, the new guidelines say no treatment is needed for some older patients who might have been treated for high blood pressure in the past. Changes like these can make patients uneasy and shake their trust in their doctors, Dr. Koven writes. But they are based on evidence and the goal is better care.

Nearly 7,400 people under age 20 end up in U.S. hospitals each year because of a gun-related injury. So says a study in the journal Pediatrics. That’s about 20 children a day. Six percent of those admitted died from their injuries, the study found. Researchers used data from the 2009 Kids’ Inpatient Database to examine the types of injuries seen. They looked at the cause of these injuries. In particular, were these gunshot injuries the result of an attack, suicide or accident? They also broke it down by age, gender and race. Among the findings: Nearly 90% of those hospitalized were male; 47% occurred in black children and teens. An attack or suicide was involved in most 15- to 19-year-old hospital admits related to guns. In children younger than 10, 75% were the result of accidents.