Harvard Health Content API

Three tests that doctors can give to stroke patients in the office might show who is more likely to pass a driving test, researchers say. The study used data from 27 studies. They included more than 1,700 people. All of them had a stroke and later took a driving test on the road. Just over half of them passed the test. Before the road test, doctors gave them other tests in the office. Researchers found that three tests could predict who would do well or poorly on the road test. They predicted correctly 80% of the time. One test looked at how people recognized road signs and matched them to the correct driving situations. Another test was similar to a board game. It tested knowledge of traffic flow in a traffic circle. The third test measured mental and physical quickness. People had to quickly and accurately draw lines between letters and numbers.

Nearly 10,000 U.S. babies and toddlers are hurt each year in accidents involving cribs and playpens, a new report says. Most of the injuries involved falls by toddlers. In many cases, they were trying to climb out of the crib. There were also more than 100 deaths a year, the report said. The journal Pediatrics published the study. It was released early because of a hearing in Congress. The hearing was expected to cover crib safety. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has said it will ban cribs with movable sides. The ban takes effect in June. The drop sides of these older cribs can come loose. A baby can get trapped in the gap between the side and frame. The Associated Press wrote about the crib study February 17.

Stretching before you run doesn’t cause or prevent injury, new research finds. But don’t change what you’re doing now. That just might hurt you, the study also suggests. The study included more than 2,000 runners. They were randomly divided into two groups. One group stretched leg muscles for 3 to 5 minutes before running. The other group didn’t stretch. The study lasted 3 months. About 1,400 people completed it. About 16% of the runners got hurt badly enough to miss at least a week of running. Rates of injury were about the same for the stretch and no-stretch groups. But people who changed what they normally did for purposes of the study were more likely to get hurt. Former stretchers who stopped stretching for the study had a 40% increased risk of injury. Risk rose 22% for those who did not stretch before but were assigned to the stretching group.

Having two knees replaced at once may be a good option compared with two operations a few months apart, a study finds. Researchers studied two groups, about 35,000 patients in all. One-third of them had both knees replaced in the same procedure. The others had one knee replaced at a time. There were several months between procedures. Researchers kept track of both groups for a year. In the group that had one surgery, fewer infections occurred. There were also fewer problems that required a second surgery. This group did have a higher risk of heart attack or a blood clot in the lungs, however. Researchers said more study is needed to find out who would fare best with each approach. Study results were presented February 17 at a conference.