Harvard Health Content API

Continuing to take the drug donepezil (Aricept) can help even people with more advanced Alzheimer’s disease, new research finds. The study included 295 people with moderate or severe Alzheimer’s. All of them had been taking donepezil for at least 3 months. They were randomly divided into 4 groups. One group kept taking donepezil. One switched to memantine. The other groups received either both drugs or placebo (fake pills) only. After a year, tests showed less decline in people who kept taking donepezil. The tests measured mental function and ability to do everyday tasks. The difference was equal to 3 to 4 months of decline compared with those who took the placebo, the lead author told HealthDay News. Memantine also showed a benefit, but not as much as donepezil. The study did not find any greater benefit from adding combining both drugs. But other research has disagreed.

About 92% of U.S. cases of a dangerous intestinal infection are related somehow to health care, a government study finds. About 3 out of 4 people began to show symptoms outside of hospitals. But most had recently been in a nursing home, hospital or doctor’s office. The study focused on Clostridium difficile (C. diff). The infection often occurs in people who recently took antibiotics for another reason. These drugs also kill “good” bacteria, allowing C. diff to grow and release toxins. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) did the study. They used laboratory data on stool tests in 8 regions. Only 1 out of 4 patients was in a hospital when symptoms began. Another 1 out of 4 had been in a nursing home. But about 2 out of 3 nursing home cases had been in the hospital recently. Some hospital cases also had been in nursing homes recently.

Doctors should honestly discuss the downsides as well as the benefits of treatments for severe heart disease, a new report says. The new American Heart Association statement calls for shared decision making with patients. The advice focuses on people with advanced heart failure. Their hearts don’t pump blood efficiently. Many patients may face decisions about procedures that might extend life. These could include a pacemaker, automated defibrillator or pump to help the heart beat properly. Some people may get procedures to open clogged arteries or replace a failing valve. But these treatments don’t cure heart failure. Some people may live longer while symptoms continue or get worse. People who also have other conditions, such as failing kidneys, might not even live longer.

Babies and toddlers who snore or have other breathing problems when they sleep may develop more behavior problems, a study finds. The research was based on surveys filled out by parents of more than 11,000 children. The first survey was done when the children were 6 months old. Parents were asked whether their children snored, breathed through the mouth or had pauses during breathing (apnea) while asleep. The surveys were repeated 5 times, ending at age 69 months. The parents also were asked about children’s behavior at ages 4 and 7. Behavior problems were twice as common at age 7 in children who had the worst sleep-disordered breathing. Hyperactivity was the most common problem. Others included attention issues, depression, aggression and conflicts with other children. The study does not show that breathing issues during sleep actually caused the behavior problems.

Women who have regular Pap smears are less likely to die of cervical cancer if they ever develop it, new research finds. The Pap smear removes a bit of tissue from the cervix. The sample is examined under a microscope. Any precancerous cells found can be removed before they become cancer. The study found that women who do have cancer are also less likely to die if it is diagnosed after a routine Pap smear, rather than after symptoms develop. The study focused on more than 1,200 Swedish women. They were diagnosed with cervical cancer between 1999 and 2001. The researchers found that 92% of those who had regular Pap smears were cured. The cure rate was 66% for women diagnosed after they had symptoms. With cervical cancer, symptoms occur after the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Women who had Pap tests, but not as often as recommended, also were more likely to die.