Harvard Health Content API

Coffee may lower the risk of depression in women, says a large study. Only drinkers of caffeinated coffee had the lower risk. Women who drank 4 cups per day had a 20% lower risk of having signs of depression, compared with those who drank decaf or no coffee at all. Those who drank 2 or 3 cups per day had a 15% lower risk. Coffee also has been linked with lower risks of stroke, type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. The study was part of a large research project called the Nurses’ Health Study. It tracked 51,000 women. The coffee study appeared in the September 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. HealthDay News wrote about it the same day.

There’s plenty of flu vaccine this year, and health officials are urging people to take advantage of it. There are 90 million doses available and another 80 million to come. Everyone older than 6 months should be vaccinated, officials said in a press conference September 21. This year, thinner needles should make the injection less uncomfortable. And there’s plenty of the nasal-spray form of the vaccine, which is okayed for everyone ages 2 and older. People need a new flu vaccine every year, officials stressed. Getting vaccinated now will give the body’s immune system time to build up power to fight the virus during peak flu season. USA Today wrote about the press conference September 22.

Since the 1960s, many people with failing kidneys have had their blood cleaned by machine three times a week. The schedule was meant to give patients a weekend break from dialysis sessions, which can last several hours. Now, an analysis of medical records from 32,000 patients has found that the two-day break may lead to more heart attacks and deaths, presumably from the build-up of toxins in the blood. On the day after a long break, hospital admissions for stroke and heart-related problems occurred in 44 of every 100 patients, compared with 20 of every 100 patients on other days of the week. But increasing the frequency of dialysis sessions could cost billions. The study was published September 22 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The Associated Press wrote about it the same day.

A drug that helps to block scar formation appears promising for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF. In this disease, the lungs build up scar tissue. There is no apparent cause, and no effective treatment. About 50,000 people are affected by IPF. The study involved 423 people. Half took a new drug called BIBF 1120. The other half took a placebo. People taking the drug had better lung function and better quality of life. The study was published September 22 in the New England Journal of Medicine. HealthDay News wrote about it September 21.