Harvard Health Content API

About 1 in 5 U.S. adults is disabled, a new study has found. The most common cause was arthritis. Government researchers used data from a survey done in 2005. They found that about 48 million Americans are disabled. That’s up from 45 million in 1999. This change was caused mainly by an increase in the number of older adults. In the 2005 survey, about 8.6 million people were disabled with arthritis. Another 7.6 million had back or spine problems. Heart disease disabled 3 million. The study was published April 30. It appeared in the journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

A diabetes drug sold outside the United States may help to prevent the disease in people at risk, a study suggests. The study included 1,780 people in Japan. All had high blood sugar, but not as high as people with diabetes. This is called pre-diabetes. People with pre-diabetes are more likely to develop diabetes. People in the study were randomly divided into two groups. One group took voglibose three times a day. The other took fake pills that looked the same (placebos). Fifty people in the voglibose group developed diabetes within three years. This compares with 106 in the placebo group. People taking voglibose also were more likely to reduce blood sugar to normal levels. The journal Lancet published the study online. Reuters Health news service wrote about it April 21.

A study using mice offers some new clues about the pneumonia infections that often occur after flu. These second infections greatly increase the risk of death. First, researchers injected mice with flu virus. Later, they injected Haemophilus influenzae bacteria. These bacteria are a common cause of pneumonia. Mice were most likely to die if they were injected with the bacteria soon after the flu virus. Pneumonia quickly caused severe damage to the lungs. This damage often led to death. This happened in mice with both normal and weak immune systems. The study appeared January 22 in The American Journal of Pathology.

People who care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease may get sick from the stress, a study suggests. The study included 153 people with Alzheimer’s and their family caregivers. The caregivers’ average age was 61. In the 6 months before the study, 1 out of 4 caregivers ended up in a hospital. Some just went to an emergency room. Others were admitted. Depressed people were more likely to go to a hospital. So were those who took care of someone with behavior problems or poor function. The study was in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. HealthDay News wrote about it November 20.

Parents’ rules can help protect teen drivers, two new studies find. Both were based on a survey of more than 2,000 teen drivers. The first study looked at parenting style and rules. Teens who said their parents set clear rules and kept track of where they were going had half as many crashes as other teens. They also had better driving habits. The second study found that 70% of teen drivers had “primary access” to a car. The car was theirs or they did not have to ask for the keys. About 25% of these teens had been in crashes. This compares with 10% of teens who had to ask for the car keys. Numbers were adjusted to account for the amount of time spent driving. The journal Pediatrics published both studies. The Associated Press and USA Today wrote about them September 25.

Researchers and automakers are working to improve safety measures for pregnant women. Every year, hundreds of fetuses die in auto accidents. And more pregnant women die in accidents than from complications of childbirth. Not all are wearing seatbelts, and some don’t wear them properly. The Associated Press wrote about the topic December 25.