Harvard Health Content API

Even low levels of ozone can kill over time, new research shows. The study found that breathing ozone raises the risk of death from asthma and other lung diseases. The study lasted 18 years. It included nearly half a million people in 96 U.S. urban areas. Deaths from lung diseases rose along with ozone levels. The average increase was 4% for each 10 parts per billion of ozone in the air. Overall, ozone increased deaths from lung diseases 25%. Some California cities have very high ozone levels. The increase was 40% to 50% in those cities. The study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. The Los Angeles Times wrote about it March 12.

Keeping sick Medicare patients out of the hospital is really hard, a U.S.-funded study has found. The study included 15 pilot projects that tried to help older adults manage long-term conditions better. The conditions included diabetes, heart disease and lung disease. Only two projects reduced hospital stays. They provided more contact with a nurse than other programs. But even these two didn’t save Medicare any money. Researchers said big changes can occur only if doctors and patients change their habits. People need to exercise, eat better and stop smoking. Doctors may need to change how they care for some patients. The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The Associated Press wrote about it February 11.

The typical Western diet accounts for about 30% of the world’s risk of heart attack, researchers have concluded. This diet includes large amounts of meat, fried food and salty snacks. The study included about 16,000 people in 52 countries. They answered questions about their eating habits. Those who followed the Western diet had a 35% higher risk of heart attack than those who did not. Other people followed a “prudent” diet, with many fruits and vegetables. Their heart attack risk was 30% lower than for those who ate few of these foods. The Oriental diet, which included tofu and soy sauce, had no effect on risk. HealthDay News wrote about the study October 20. It was in the journal Circulation.

Expanding public access to machines that can restart the heart leads to more and better survival, a new study concludes. Researchers looked at the use of automated external defibrillators in Japan. These machines deliver an electric shock to hearts that have stopped beating (cardiac arrest). In some cases, this can restore a normal heartbeat. The study looked at three years when the supply of these machines in public places in Japan increased more than eight-fold. Researchers focused on 12,631 cardiac arrests that were caused by a heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation. All of them occurred outside a hospital but around witnesses. As the number of machines increased, bystanders were much more likely to use them. The shocks also were delivered faster. About 14% of the overall group survived cardiac arrest with little brain or nerve damage.

For adults, shots are nearly twice as effective as spray vaccine in preventing seasonal flu, a study has found. But that finding may not apply to the new swine flu vaccines that will be available soon. Experts said both kinds may be equally effective in children and adults. The new study looked at the effects of vaccine in 2,000 healthy adults in the last flu season. They were randomly divided into four groups. The groups received flu shots, the FluMist nasal spray, or a placebo (fake) dose of the shot or spray. The flu shot was 68 percent successful at preventing the flu. The spray was about 36 percent effective. The study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. The Associated Press wrote about it September 24.

A new way of doing bone marrow transplants has cured sickle cell anemia in 9 out of 10 adults in a study, researchers say. Bone marrow transplants have been used for some time on children. But adults were thought to be too sick. Before a transplant, powerful drugs and radiation are used to kill the person’s own marrow. Then stem cells are transplanted from a donor’s bone marrow. They begin to make healthy blood cells that replace the abnormally shaped “sickle” cells. The study used a new, less harsh method of preparing people for transplant. Therefore, these sick adults were able to tolerate the treatment. Study results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. HealthDay News wrote about the study December 9.

Excess drinking makes it more likely you’ll become depressed, a new study finds. The study from New Zealand enrolled 1,055 teenagers. Researchers kept track of them for the next 25 years. People in the study who abused alcohol were twice as likely as average to become depressed. Researchers said the abuse appeared to come first, then the depression. They were not sure why this occurred. The study appeared in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry. Reuters Health news service wrote about it March 2.

Smoking bans cause several positive health effects that are confirmed by research, the World Health Organization says. Agency researchers looked at previous studies and reports on the subject. They found that the bans help smokers to quit or cut back. They also protect people from secondhand smoke and reduce respiratory symptoms in workers. The bans also do not hurt business for restaurants or bars, researchers found. They said heart benefits also may occur. In some studies, hospital admissions for heart disease fell 10% to 20% in the year after a smoking ban was enacted. Reuters Health news service wrote about the report June 30. It was published in the journal Lancet Oncology.

Worried about hair loss? A new test may suggest whether the number of hairs you lose is normal. Researchers did a study with 60 white men who did not appear to be balding. Ages ranged from 20 to 60. They washed their hair three days in a row with the same shampoo. On the fourth day, they combed their hair over a towel for 60 seconds and counted the hairs that fell. They did the combing for the next two days as well. Researchers concluded that loss of 10 hairs in this test is normal. HealthDay News wrote about the study June 16. It was published in the journal Archives of Dermatology.

About 1 out of 4 parents have doubts about giving certain vaccines to their children, results of a survey suggest. But a doctor’s reassurance may make a difference. Researchers analyzed nearly 4,000 interviews with parents. They were part of a U.S. government survey. About 28% of parents fit into one of three groups. They were unsure about childhood vaccines, decided to delay them, or refused them. All three groups expressed concern about safety. But some of them changed their minds. The reason cited most often was new information or reassurance from a doctor. Reuters Health news service wrote about the study October 6. It appeared in the journal Pediatrics.