Harvard Health Content API

People having heart attacks are still waiting too long to get to the hospital, a new study finds. Doctors say heart attacks are best treated soon after symptoms start. But people in the study took an average of 2.6 hours to get to the hospital. Response time did not improve between 2001 and 2006. The study focused on a type of heart attack called non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction, or NSTEMI. It is often less serious than another type, called STEMI. The names refer to the patterns on an electrocardiogram (EKG). Researchers looked at records of 104,000 NSTEMI heart attacks. About 59% of patients took more than 2 hours to get to the hospital. Some groups took even longer than average. They included women, older adults, smokers, non-whites and diabetics. The journal Archives of Internal Medicine published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it November 8.

Most teens who have oral sex for the first time go on to have vaginal sex within 6 months, a survey has found. Moreover, half of teens who had oral sex in 9th grade also had vaginal sex before they were seniors, the survey found. But among teens who didn’t have oral sex until the end of 11th grade, 84% finished that grade without having vaginal sex. The study began with surveys of 630 California teens at the start of 9th grade. Most of them also filled out surveys every 6 months until the end of 11th grade. About 1 out of 5 teens had had oral sex before 9th grade. Only 71 had had vaginal sex. For all ages, students were twice as likely to have oral sex rather than vaginal sex first. The study was published online in the journal Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine. HealthDay News wrote about it November 1.

Most teens who have oral sex for the first time go on to have vaginal sex within 6 months, a survey has found. Moreover, half of teens who had oral sex in 9th grade also had vaginal sex before they were seniors, the survey found. But among teens who didn’t have oral sex until the end of 11th grade, 84% finished that grade without having vaginal sex. The study began with surveys of 630 California teens at the start of 9th grade. Most of them also filled out surveys every 6 months until the end of 11th grade. About 1 out of 5 teens had had oral sex before 9th grade. Only 71 had had vaginal sex. For all ages, students were twice as likely to have oral sex rather than vaginal sex first. The study was published online in the journal Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine. HealthDay News wrote about it November 1.

Giving heavy smokers regular CT scans can reduce their chance of dying from lung cancer, a large new study concludes. The study included 53,000 current or former heavy smokers. They were 55 to 74 years old and had no signs or history of lung cancer. Researchers randomly divided them into 2 groups. One group received three annual computed tomography (CT) scans with a low-dose spiral CT machine. The other group received three annual X-rays. Researchers kept track of both groups for another 5 years. In that period, people who got the CT scans were 20% less likely to die of lung cancer than those who got X-rays. In the spiral CT group, 354 people died, compared with 442 people in the other group. The National Cancer Institute announced the study results November 4, the Associated Press reported.

A panel of experts says all adults who smoke should get a shot to prevent pneumococcal pneumonia. The advice is part of a new list of recommended shots for adults. The panel also supports annual flu shots for more people. Flu shots had been recommended for older adults and people with long-term illnesses. Now the experts say their caregivers also should be vaccinated. Finally, the group recommends a shingles vaccine even for older adults who already had shingles. The new list is in the January issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Higher spending on medicine may not mean better care, a new study has found. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh did the study. They looked at Medicare drug spending nationwide. Drug spending varied widely by region. And so did doctors’ prescribing of drugs that have a high risk of harm for older adults. But the areas with high drug spending often were not the areas with the most high-risk prescriptions. In fact, regions with high spending on care other than drugs tended to have more high-risk prescriptions. The study contradicts “the idea that high spending leads to better prescription practices,” said lead investigator Yuting Zhang, Ph.D. The New England Journal of Medicine published the results online. HealthDay News and Reuters Health news service wrote about it November 3.

Exercise and support can make the difference in weight-loss programs, two new studies suggest. One study included 130 severely obese people. Their average weight was 264 pounds. They were randomly divided into two groups. Both got free low-calorie meals and counseling support. One group started an exercise program right away. The other started it after 6 months. After a year, the first group had lost an average of 27 pounds. The group that delayed exercising lost 22 pounds. The other study included 442 women. Their average weight was 200 pounds. They were divided into 3 groups. Two got Jenny Craig meals for free. One of these groups got counseling at Jenny Craig centers, and the other group by phone. Women in the third group did not get free food. They met with a dietician and had monthly follow-up calls.

A group of doctors who treat brain injuries wants more protections for athletes who suffer concussions. The advice came from the American Academy of Neurology. The new statement says that any athlete who may have a concussion should be removed from play until evaluated by an expert. The player would return only when a doctor trained in treatment of sports concussion says it’s safe. Anyone still having symptoms of concussion would not be allowed to play. The group also says that a certified athletic trainer should attend all games and practices when athletes are at risk for concussion. All of the advice applies to all levels of sports, from youth to professional leagues. Most youth sports do not have a trainer at games or practices, the Associated Press (AP) noted. Providing them would be very difficult, people involved in the sports told AP.