Harvard Health Content API

Prescriptions written for children have dropped 7% in the last decade, a new study finds. But prescriptions rose for some drugs, including those for attention disorders. Researchers looked at prescription numbers for children through age 17. The study covered the years 2002 through 2010. The types of prescriptions that fell included antibiotics. Experts have pressed for less use of antibiotics to reduce the growth of bacteria that resist these drugs. Cold and cough medicines also were prescribed less. U.S. drug regulators warned in 2008 that these drugs should not be used in young children. Prescriptions for allergy medicines also fell. Many of these medicines now can be bought over the counter. Prescriptions for drugs used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) jumped 46% during the study period.

More than 13 million Americans are cancer survivors, a new report says. That number is expected to jump to 18 million in 10 years. The American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute issued the report. It shows that more people are surviving cancer for several reasons. The number of people diagnosed is rising. So is the size of the older population — including cancer survivors. About 45% of U.S. cancer survivors are 70 or older, the report says. People are also living longer with some of the most common cancers. About 43% of male survivors had prostate cancer. Among female survivors, 41% had breast cancer. More than 58,000 Americans are survivors of childhood cancer. About 64% of survivors learned they had cancer at least 5 years ago. About 15% were diagnosed at least 20 years ago. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians published the report.

Using birth control methods that combine estrogen and progestin doubles a woman’s risk of heart attack and stroke, a large, long-term study finds. But the overall risk is still very low, especially for younger, healthier women. The study was based on records for 1.6 million Danish women, ages 15 through 49. The higher risk was seen among women using hormonal pills, patches and vaginal rings. The risks were 1.5 to 2 times as high for women taking pills as for those using non-hormone birth control. Risks were 2.5 to 3 times as high for the ring and patch. No increased risk was seen for methods that used progestin only. Overall, 1 in every 4,700 women had a stroke each year. About 1 in every 9,900 had a heart attack. Most of the increase in risk was seen in older groups. For example, women ages 40 to 44 were twice as likely to have a heart attack as women 35 to 39.