The electrocardiogram is useful in diagnosing many heart conditions, and is receiving new attention due to its role in determining whether someone has had a heart attack.
A vaccine that helps prevent cervical cancer in women also protects men against genital warts, a study finds. The vaccine, known as Gardasil, prevents infection with four types of human papilloma virus (HPV). These types cause cervical cancer in women and genital warts in both sexes. HPV also can cause cancer of the anus, penis and mouth. The three-dose vaccine is recommended as a routine vaccine for girls. The nation’s largest group of children’s doctors said this week that boys “may” also receive it. But the group did not endorse routine use. The new study included more than 4,000 boys and men, ages 16 through 26. They were randomly assigned to receive either Gardasil or a placebo (fake) vaccine. Researchers kept track of them for 2 to 3 years. For those not previously infected, getting all 3 shots of the real vaccine reduced new infections by 90%.
Older adults with metabolic syndrome may be more likely to have memory problems, new research suggests. This syndrome is a collection of factors related to health. Together, they greatly increase the risk of fatal heart attack and stroke. People with the syndrome have at least three of the risk factors. They include high blood pressure, a large waistline and high blood sugar. The others are abnormal levels of blood fats: high triglycerides and low levels of HDL (“good cholesterol”). The study included 7,087 people over age 65. About 16% had metabolic syndrome. They were given several memory tests. The people with metabolic syndrome were 20% more likely to have memory problems than other people. The journal Neurology published the study online. USA Today wrote about it February 2.
If you’re the daughter of a woman who had a stroke, your risk of heart attack as well as stroke may be increased, a study finds. The study included 2,210 men and women who had a previous heart attack, severe chest pain or stroke. About 1 in 4 said that a parent or sibling had had a stroke. People who had this family history of stroke were just as likely to have a heart attack or chest pain themselves as to have a stroke. But the family history of stroke was different for women who had a heart attack or chest pain than for men. Among women, the parent who had a stroke was twice as likely to be her mother as her father. Among men, the parent with a stroke was equally likely to be the mother or father. But if a man’s sibling had a stroke, it was 4 times as likely to be a brother as a sister. The study appeared in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics.
X-rays and other imaging tests should not be ordered routinely for low back pain, new guidelines for doctors say. The tests are often not needed, and can cause harm, the report says. An X-ray or CT scan exposes people to radiation. Over time, this can increase the risk of cancer. Tests also can find things that are abnormal â for example, a bulging disc â but are not causing the pain. Sometimes people then get surgery that doesn’t help. Most back pain goes away within a month, the guidelines say. The guidelines were prepared by experts for the American College of Physicians. This is the professional group for doctors of internal medicine. The guidelines are intended to help member doctors, who provide primary care to adults. The journal Annals of Internal Medicine published the guidelines. HealthDay News wrote about them January 31.
Taking hormones even for a short time in early menopause may increase the risk of breast cancer, a large study finds. Many women used to take estrogen plus progesterone to treat menopause symptoms. Previous research showed that this increased breast cancer risk. But most women in those studies were well past menopause or took the hormones for five years or more. Doctors now advise women to take no more than a small dose for a short time. The new study included 1 million British women as they went through menopause. Researchers looked at breast cancer rates in those who were 50 to 59 years old. Of those who had never taken hormones, 0.3% a year developed breast cancer. The rate was 0.46% a year in women who started taking hormones at least 5 years after menopause began.
A test for a blood protein may not help predict who needs to take statin drugs, a new study suggests. The test looks for C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood. High levels of CRP indicate more inflammation in the body. Statin drugs lower LDL cholesterol and inflammation. Some people with normal LDL end up having heart attacks and strokes. Earlier research suggests that a CRP test could show which ones have the highest risk. The study included 20,536 adults. All of them were at high risk of having a heart attack or stroke. They were randomly assigned to receive a statin or placebo pills. After 5 years, people who took the statin were 24% less likely to die or have a heart attack, stroke or procedure than those who got the placebo. Risk was lower for those who took the statin regardless of whether they had low or high CRP or LDL cholesterol.