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A newer drug is better than an older drug at controlling kidney problems among people with lupus, new research concludes. The study included 227 people with lupus. This is an autoimmune disease. It can cause problems in many organs. All of the people in the study had kidney disease related to lupus. They were randomly divided into 2 groups. One group took an older drug, azathioprine. The other group took a newer drug, mycophenolate mofetil (Cellcept). Both drugs suppress the immune system. In the next 3 years, treatment failure occurred in 32.4% of people taking azathioprine. Failure occurred in 16.4% of those taking mycophenolate. About 23% taking the older drug had kidney flare-ups, compared with 13% of those taking the newer drug. Side effects were common. However, people on the newer drug had fewer serious ones. The New England Journal of Medicine published the study.

Postmenopausal women don’t benefit from using a vibration platform to prevent bone loss. The study included 202 women. Each was randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups. Two of the groups stood on vibrating platforms for 20 minutes a day at either high or low speed. The third group did nothing. After a year, there were no differences in bone loss among the groups. The special platforms are thought to stimulate bone growth in a similar way as weight-bearing exercise. They can be found in some health clubs and health food stores. About one-third of older women are at risk for fracture due to osteoporosis. The study was published Nov. 15 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. HealthDay News wrote about it the same day.

More teens are getting 3 vaccines developed in recent years, a study has found. One vaccine, TdaP, protects against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough (pertussis). MenACWY, also called MCV4, is for meningitis. The HPV vaccine prevents types of the human papilloma virus linked to cervical and other cancers. It also helps protect against genital warts. The vaccines were approved from 2005 through 2007. Researchers looked at vaccination rates for teens from a health survey. Rates for all 3 vaccines rose between 2006 and 2009. Overall, the rate of those receiving all 3 vaccines jumped from 10% to 42%. The TdaP shot rose from 11% to 56%. The meningitis vaccine jumped from 12% to 54%. The HPV vaccine is given as 3 shots. During the study period, it was recommended only for girls. The number who got at least one shot jumped from 25% to 44%. Fewer girls got all 3 doses.

Every U.S. child should get a test for high cholesterol between ages 9 and 11, an expert panel says. U.S. health officials appointed the panel to update testing advice. The largest group of U.S. children’s doctors endorsed the group as well. In the past, only children with an increased risk of high cholesterol had been tested. But that practice has missed many children. An estimated 10% to 13% of U.S. fourth graders have high cholesterol. Doctors recommend exercise and diet improvements first for kids with this condition. But some also take medicine. The expert panel said kids should not get medicine before age 10 unless cholesterol problems are severe. The new guidelines also call for diabetes tests every 2 years for children who have a high risk of developing this disease. This includes kids who are overweight or have a family member with diabetes. Tests would start at age 9.

People who have a “mini-stroke” don’t have lasting damage from it. But they do have a 20% higher risk of death in the next 9 years, a new study finds. The study included 22,157 adults who had a prior hospital stay for a transient ischemic attack (TIA). Researchers used public records to track deaths in the next 9 years. They compared the TIA group with expected survival rates for the overall population in the same age groups. Among people who had a TIA, 91.5% were still alive after a year. That’s a bit lower than the 95% expected survival. After 5 years, 67% were alive, compared with the expected 77%. Older TIA patients and those with other conditions had larger increases in death rates. The journal Stroke published the study online. USA Today and HealthDay News wrote about it November 10.

A new study questions the need to make alcoholics who need a liver transplant wait until they have been sober for 6 months. That’s the policy most transplant centers follow. The new study included 26 carefully chosen patients. All were alcoholics with severe hepatitis. Drug treatment was not helping them. They pledged to quit drinking and had good support from family or friends. They were given transplants as soon as livers were available. Six months later, 77% were still alive. In a comparison group that did not get transplants, only 23% were alive. Researchers kept track of people for 2 to 3 years. In that time, only 3 of the 26 had started drinking again. Among alcoholics who meet the 6-month sobriety rule, about 30% typically start drinking again. The New England Journal of Medicine published the study. The Associated Press wrote about it November 10.

Some newer birth control pills may carry a higher risk of blood clots, a study finds. The study focused on pills that use the hormone drospirenone. It is found in Yaz, Yasmin and some other brands. There are also generic pills. Drospirenone is a form of progestin. Older pills used other forms. The newer pills have become popular because they are less likely to cause certain side effects. The new study was based on records for 330,000 women in Israel. Overall, there were 6 blood clots in veins each year for every 10,000 birth control pill users. The risk was higher for those who took pills containing drospirenone — about 8 to 10 clots per 10,000 women per year. Clots in veins are known as deep vein thrombosis. These clots can kill if they travel to the lungs. The Canadian Medical Association Journal published the study.