Harvard Health Content API

Add another to the list of reasons not to like tax-filing days — a higher risk of fatal traffic accidents. That’s the finding of a new study that looked at 30 years of U.S. traffic data. Researchers analyzed deaths that occurred on tax day (usually April 15) and the days 1 week before and after tax day. In all, there were 6,783 traffic-related deaths on those days. The average was 226 on tax days and 213 on the other days. That’s a difference of about 6%. Researchers say they can’t explain it. Maybe it’s the result of stress, or stress-related drinking. Maybe people are rushing to get to a post office. But since the first years studied, electronic filing has become common. About 3 out of 4 personal tax returns are filed that way now. And electronic filing has not reduced traffic deaths on tax days, researchers said.

Taking fish oil pills won’t protect against heart attacks and strokes for people who already have heart disease, a new review of research finds. Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids. Many studies have found a lower risk of death from heart disease and stroke for people who eat fatty fish at least twice a week. The new study looked at people who took fish oil in the form of pills. It combined the results of 14 prior studies. They included more than 20,000 people who had heart and artery disease. People took half a gram to 5 grams of fish oil daily. Researchers kept track of people for 1 to 5 years. In that time, taking fish oil pills made no difference in whether people died from heart disease or any other cause. It also did not affect their chances of heart attack, congestive heart failure, stroke or so-called mini-strokes.

Children with asthma who use non-traditional treatments don’t skip their regular asthma medicines more often than others, a study finds. The study included 187 children with asthma. Their families were part of a larger health survey. The survey gathered information from parents each year for 3 years. They were asked about what medicines their children took. Parents were asked how often the children missed doses. They also were asked about complementary and alternative (CAM) treatments. These included herbs, supplements, chiropractic care and other non-traditional treatments. On average, parents said their children missed about 7% of the medicine doses their doctors prescribed. There was no difference between children who also used CAM treatments and those who did not. The journal Pediatrics published the study online April 9.

Do you really need that test or treatment? In many cases, the answer is no, a coalition of nine doctors’ groups says. The groups released lists of five items each. They said doctors and patients should question whether tests and treatments on the lists are needed. They add to spending on health care. And some may even cause harm, the groups said. The items included most colonoscopies repeated after less than 10 years and antibiotics prescribed for most sinus infections. The doctors said people who faint but don’t have seizures usually don’t need a CT or MRI scan. And most people without heart disease symptoms don’t need routine stress tests. Cancer doctors were one of the groups involved. They listed criteria for stopping treatment of certain end-stage patients. Doctors of internal and family medicine also were part of the coalition.

Changes (mutations) in genes that affect only a child, not the parents, may account for some cases of autism, 3 new studies find. The changes occur in the sperm or egg around the time the child is conceived. Fathers are 4 times as likely to pass on these mutations as mothers, 1 study found. This occurred most often with fathers age 35 or older. Three different teams of researchers did the studies. They took a close look at the DNA in blood samples from families that included a child with autism. Neither the parents nor the other children were affected. The 3 studies included a total of 549 families. In all, hundreds of mutations were found in the autistic children and not in their parents or siblings. Most occurred in only 1 child. But mutations in some genes were found in multiple children and in 2 or more of the studies.

Adding other tests to a mammogram may help to find more breast cancers in some high-risk women, a new study suggests. The study included nearly 2,700 women. All of them had dense breast tissue, which increases breast cancer risk. Each woman also had at least one other factor that increased her risk, such as certain genes. Everyone received a mammogram and an ultrasound each year for 3 years. On average, for every 1,000 women, the ultrasound found 4.3 cancers each year that the mammogram did not find. Some of the women also agreed to have a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. This was done soon after the third annual mammogram. For every 1,000 women, the MRI found 14.7 additional cancers. However, the ultrasound and MRI tests also increased the number of false-positive results. These were suspicious results that turned out not to be cancer.

Some children with autism can become much more able to function over time, a new study finds. And the mother’s race and education make a big difference in which children improve. Researchers reached these conclusions based on records for nearly 7,000 California children. They looked at how well kids were able to function when they were diagnosed. They were divided into low, medium and high function groups based on their symptoms. The focus was on 3 areas. How well did they communicate? Could they get along with others and have friends? Did they have many repeated behaviors? Researchers also tracked changes over time. Most children improved in communication and social skills. Repeated behaviors tended to stay the same. But about 10% improved so much that they moved from low to high functioning.

About 15% to 25% of breast cancers found after a mammogram do not need to be treated, a new study estimates. But no one knows for sure which tumors are the bad ones. So some women get treatment they don’t need, the study authors say. The study looked at results of a mammogram screening program in Norway. Women ages 50 to 69 were offered testing every 2 years. Some areas of the country began regular screening earlier than others. Researchers compared cancer rates in areas that started early with those that started later. They estimated that the program prevented 1 death from breast cancer for every 2,500 women offered screening. But they also estimated that 6 to 10 women of every 2,500 got treatment they didn’t need. The journal Annals of Internal Medicine published the study. The Associated Press wrote about it April 3.