Harvard Health Content API

Recently revised guidelines say that women don’t need to get Pap tests every year anymore. But a group of doctors says that women do need an annual exam. The advice comes from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. These doctors are often called ob-gyns. A committee of the college says that women should have an annual “well-woman” visit with their ob-gyn. After age 21, the group says, this visit should include a pelvic exam. This is an internal and external exam of female organs. Pap tests may be included in some years, depending on age and risk level. For women 40 and older, the visit should include a breast exam, the group says. These exams may be done every 1 to 3 years for younger women. Tests for sexually transmitted diseases may be done.

People newly diagnosed as HIV positive should start drug treatment right away, says a group of experts. The International Antiviral Society presented the guidelines July 22 at the International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C. They will be published in the July 25 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The guidelines say that even HIV-positive people with healthy immune systems should take antiviral drugs. The drugs are now stronger, easier to take and safer, the guidelines say. The drugs don’t get rid of the virus, but they can keep it from replicating. This keeps people healthier for longer periods. It also reduces the risk that HIV-positive people will transmit the virus to others.

Some children with egg allergies can build a tolerance for this food over time by eating carefully controlled daily doses, a new study concludes. The study included 55 children, ages 5 through 18. Forty were given very small doses of powdered egg white each day. The other 15 received cornstarch powder. The amount was increased slowly, every 2 weeks, to a maximum of 2 grams (about one-third of an egg). After 10 months, the 35 children who were still receiving egg doses took a “challenge” test in the doctor’s office. This involved eating a larger amount of egg white powder, about 5 grams. Of this group, 22 passed the test. The others had allergic reactions. After 22 months, 30 passed a second challenge. They ate no egg for the next 4 to 6 weeks. Then they were given another challenge with egg white powder and cooked egg white. Eleven passed.

U.S. drug regulators approved another new weight-loss pill July 17. It’s the second approval in the last month, and may be the more effective of the two. Together, they are the first new prescription weight-loss drugs in the last 13 years. The newest drug, called Qsymia, is made by Vivus Inc. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the first approval in late June. That drug, Belviq, is made by Arena Pharmaceuticals. Qsymia is a combination of 2 drugs already on the market. Phentermine suppresses the appetite. Topirimate makes people feel satisfied and full longer. In the 1990s, doctors often prescribed phentermine along with a different drug, fenfluramine, for weight loss. But in 1997 the combination was linked to heart-valve problems. Fenfluramine was withdrawn from the market. The FDA is requiring further safety testing of Qsymia after approval.

Frail older adults may live longer if they have high blood pressure, a new study suggests. The study included 2,340 people who took part in 2 national health surveys. All were age 65 and older. They were given a simple test to see how fast they could walk 20 feet. Those who took more than 8 seconds were considered “slow walkers.” Faster walkers had lower rates of diabetes, heart disease and other conditions. People in a third group were unable to complete the walk. They were classified as frail. In the next 7 years, 589 people in the study died. Among faster walkers, those with high blood pressure were 35 percent more likely to die than those with normal blood pressure. But among the frail group, the death rate was 62% lower for those with high blood pressure. Researchers said blood pressure goals may need to be adjusted for frail elderly people.