Harvard Health Content API

Five children who once had severe allergies now can eat peanuts because doctors retrained their immune systems. Researchers reported on the experiment at a conference March 15. In the study, children were given tiny amounts of peanut flour. Over months or years, they were able to tolerate greater amounts. The kids kept having some peanuts each day so their bodies would stay used to them. The newest part of the study tried to find out if they could go without any peanuts for a month and then eat peanuts without an allergic reaction. Five out of nine children were able to do this. The Associated Press wrote about the research March 16.

Secondhand smoke may increase the risk of poor circulation, a study has found. The study included 1,209 women. All were 60 or older and had never smoked. About 40% were exposed to smoke at home or work. They were exposed at least 15 minutes a day, 2 or more days a week. This exposure occurred for at least two years in the last decade. These women had a 67% higher risk of peripheral artery (or vascular) disease than other women. This is a narrowing of arteries in the arms and legs. The women also had higher risks of stroke and coronary artery disease. HealthDay News wrote about the study September 22. It appeared in the journal Circulation.

Vaccinating children can sharply reduce the risk of catching the flu in a whole community, new research finds. The study focused on people who follow the Hutterite faith in Canada. Hutterites live in small, isolated farming colonies of 80 to 120 people. Researchers focused on 46 colonies. They were randomly assigned to receive either flu shots or hepatitis A shots. Children, ages 3 through 15, got the shots in the fall of 2008. About 80% of the children received the shots. During the fall and winter, nurses visited the colonies. They tested people with flu-like symptoms to see if they had flu. Rates of flu were 60% lower in colonies that got flu shots. Researchers said “herd immunity” protected them. Children usually play a big role in spreading flu. But the children were vaccinated, so fewer cases occurred. The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Elderly people with one form of heart failure may not benefit from their medicines, a study finds. The study included 142 older adults with diastolic heart failure. This means that the heart cannot relax fully and fill up with blood between beats. But treatments are geared toward another form, systolic heart failure. This is a problem with the heart’s pumping action. The average age of people in the study was 87. Researchers kept track of them for 5 years. Two-thirds of them died during the study. Taking standard drugs for this condition did not help them live longer, researchers said. Nor did the drugs prevent hospital stays. The study appeared in the American Journal of Cardiology. HealthDay News wrote about it March 12.

In a study, blood pressure improved for people who monitored it at home and sent results to a pharmacist. The pharmacist could adjust doses and prescribe new medicines. More than half of people in this group attained normal blood pressure readings. The study kept track of nearly 800 people with high blood pressure for a year. Some people were assigned to do home monitoring only, without the pharmacist’s help. Others were told just to work with their doctors. Only about one-third of these groups got pressure under control. HealthDay News reported on the study June 24. It was in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Older adults with memory problems improved a bit after a program of brisk walking, researchers report. The study included 85 adults, ages 50 and older. All had signs of memory problems. They were assigned to walk or do other brisk exercise at least 2½ hours a week. They recorded activity in diaries. Newsletters and phone calls encouraged them to keep it up. After six months, they took a test of brain function. So did a similar group that was not urged to exercise. The exercise group performed 1.3 points better on a 70-point scale. The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The Associated Press wrote about it September 3.

President Obama says he will sign a bill that gives the government power to regulate tobacco products. The U.S. Senate passed the bill June 11. The House passed it June 12, the Associated Press said. The Food and Drug Administration will be in charge of regulating tobacco. The bill requires bigger warning labels on cigarettes. It bans flavored cigarettes and tobacco sponsorship of sports events and concerts. Tobacco ads are banned near schools, and they can’t call products “light” or “mild.” Cigarette vending machines will be limited to places that serve adults only.

Up to 2 out of 3 U.S. adults had a test in the last few years that exposed them to radiation, researchers estimate. And for a smaller number of people, that may increase their risk of cancer. A new study looked at insurance claims for nearly 1 million adults under 65. For most people, radiation exposure was low. But for 20% who had exposure, the levels were moderate. And for 2% the exposure was high. About 71% of the tests were regular X-rays. But they contributed only 11% of the radiation from medical tests. About 21% of the tests were computed tomography (CT) scans or nuclear imaging. They provided 75% of total radiation. CT scans use far more radiation than regular X-rays. Nuclear imaging uses a small amount of radioactive materials. The study was in the New England Journal of Medicine. The Associated Press wrote about it August 27.

Accidental deaths from prescription drugs are up, and a study in West Virginia shows some of the causes. The state had the nation’s largest increase of such deaths. The study looked at 295 accidental deaths from pain-killers in 2006. Nearly 2 out of 3 of those who died overdosed on pain-killers, but did not have a prescription. More than 1 out of 5 people who died had pain-killers prescribed by at least 5 doctors. HealthDay News wrote about the study December 9. It appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Most people with diabetes and heart disease should start with drug treatment alone, a new study suggests. Procedures to open blocked arteries did not change rates of death, heart attack or stroke compared with drugs alone. The study included nearly 2,400 people. They were randomly divided into groups. Both groups received drug treatment for diabetes. One group also received either angioplasty or bypass surgery to open blocked arteries. After five years, the groups had similar rates of death, heart attack and stroke. People also were assigned to receive two different types of diabetes drugs. There was no difference in results based on the type of drugs they took. The New England Journal of Medicine published the study online June 6. USA Today and HealthDay News wrote about it.