Harvard Health Content API

Parents’ resistance to the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine for their daughters has increased over time, surveys suggest. And there’s been a big jump in the number who cite safety concerns with the vaccine. The HPV vaccine protects against virus types that cause most cases of cervical cancer. It also prevents some cases of genital warts. The study was based on two national surveys. Parents’ answers on the 2010 survey showed about 25% of teen girls had received all 3 doses of the HPV vaccine. That was up from 16% in 2008. But the percentage of parents who said they did not intend to get the vaccine for their daughters increased from 40% to 44%. Some said that it wasn’t needed or that their daughters were not sexually active. About 16% cited safety concerns, up from 4.5% in 2008. That puzzled researchers, who said the vaccine is very safe and side effects are mild.

Researchers have raised doubts about whether hormone replacement therapy increases women’s risk of breast cancer. A large study, the Women’s Health Initiative, found such a risk for women who used estrogen plus progesterone. After that study was published in 2002, use of hormones dropped dramatically. Breast cancer rates also fell. Some experts thought the decline in hormone treatment was the reason. But the new study disagrees. The authors took another look at data from this study and two others. They found that the drop in breast cancer rates started in the late 1990s and ended after 2003. They concluded that the evidence is not strong enough to say hormone treatment causes breast cancer. An editorial published with the study agreed. The author said today’s lower doses of hormones should be compared with placebo (fake) pills in a new study.

A follow-up MRI doesn’t help evaluate results after treatment for sciatica, a new study finds. Sciatica is caused by pinching, irritation or damage in the sciatic nerve. Symptoms include pain or weakness in the lower back or leg. Most people feel better in a couple of months. Others need surgery to get relief. Doctors often order an MRI to show if there’s a bulging (herniated) disk pressing on or irritating the nerve. The new study included nearly 300 people with sciatica. All of them showed signs of a bulging disk on an MRI scan. They received surgery or more conservative treatments, such as exercise. After a year, they were given follow-up MRIs. About 85% of people reported that their treatment was successful. But researchers couldn’t tell from the MRIs who had good results and who didn’t.

Gaining weight after quitting smoking won’t reduce the benefits of quitting for your heart, a new study finds. People often gain a few pounds after they quit smoking. Some cite that as a fear that keeps them from quitting. The new study included more than 3,200 adults. They were part of a long-running heart-health study. More than half of those who smoked quit during the 27 years of the study. In all, 631 people had a heart attack, stroke, clogged leg arteries or heart failure, or died of related causes. These problems occurred only half as often in former smokers as in smokers. And that benefit was not reduced among people who gained weight after they quit. Typically, people gained about 5 to 10 pounds. These figures apply to people without diabetes. The trend was similar among people with diabetes.