Harvard Health Content API

Getting a flu shot may decrease your risk of a heart attack, a new study finds. And the benefit is greatest for people with known heart disease. The new research combined the data from 6 studies on flu vaccines. They included nearly 7,000 people. Their average age was 67. About 36% had a history of heart disease. People were randomly assigned to receive flu vaccine or a placebo (fake) shot. Researchers kept track of them for an average of 8 months. In that time, the new study found, those who got the real vaccine were 36% less likely to have a heart attack, heart failure or related problems than those who got the placebo. The new study also took a separate look at just the 3 studies that included people with known heart disease. In these studies, flu shots reduced people’s risk of heart events by 55%. Flu shots are strongly recommended for people with heart disease.

Breast milk bought from milk sharing websites may be likely to contain bacteria, a new study suggests. Researchers tested 101 samples of breast milk bought from people who advertised on a U.S. milk sharing website. Nearly 3 out of 4 samples contained germs. These included several kinds that could make babies sick. About 1 in 5 contained cytomegalovirus. This usually causes a mild, flulike illness. However, in premature babies or those with compromised immune systems, the illness could be severe. Three samples contained salmonella, one cause of food poisoning. Researchers compared the purchased samples to samples of milk donated to a milk bank. Donors to milk banks are screened. Milk usually is pasteurized. However, the samples tested had not been pasteurized. Still, they had lower levels of bacteria than the samples bought from the milk-sharing site.

A survey suggests that most doctors aren’t telling people about the possible harms of cancer screenings. The study was based on an online survey. It included 317 men and women, ages 50 to 69. Only 9.5% said their doctors had told them that cancer screening tests can lead to
over diagnosis
and overtreatment. These possible harms include follow-up tests for abnormal results that turn out not to be cancer. People also may get treatment for cancers that were unlikely to cause harm in their lifetimes. About 80% said they would have wanted to know about these risks before getting screened. People also were asked how much
over diagnosis
was OK when weighed against possibly catching a cancer early. The answer depended on whether they were already getting the tests.

Fewer than 1 out of 10 nosebleeds that don’t stop at home require the most extreme treatments at the hospital, a study finds. The study used hospital data on more than 57,000 patients who were treated for nosebleeds. All occurred without any known cause. Hospital staff stopped the bleeding in about 38% of the cases with little treatment. Another 53% were treated either by stuffing the nose with cotton or by cutting off the bleeding vessel (cauterizing) with heat, electricity or chemicals. Nearly 5% had surgery to tie off the blood vessel. Another 3% had embolization. This procedure plugs the blood vessel with a sealant. These two treatments cost more and have more risks than the others. About 1.3% of those who had surgery died. That was twice the death rate of nasal packing. Strokes occurred in 1.5% of those who had embolization. Almost all nosebleeds can be stopped at home.

A drug long used for gout may also be an effective first treatment for pericarditis, a study finds. The drug, colchicine, also may help to prevent the condition from coming back. Pericarditis is an inflammation of the lining around the heart. Colchicine (Colcrys) reduces inflammation. However, it usually is not used as a first treatment for pericarditis. The study included 240 people with pericarditis. Everyone received standard treatment with aspirin or ibuprofen for 3 months. People were randomly divided into 2 groups. One group also received colchicine. The other group received look-alike placebo (fake) pills. After treatment, 83% of those who took colchicine improved and didn’t have a return of symptoms. Only 63% of the placebo group had this positive result. The colchicine group also had quicker relief of symptoms. And they were less likely to end up in the hospital.