Harvard Health Content API

Considering harm to others as well as yourself, alcohol is worse than heroin or crack, drug abuse experts say in a new report. In fact, they found alcohol to be the most harmful of 20 drugs considered. The criteria included personal harms such as health effects. On this scale alone, the most harmful drugs were heroin, crack and methamphetamine. But the experts also considered harm to relationships, non-drug crime rates and other criteria. Combining both types of harm, alcohol far outranked other drugs. This was partly because it is used so widely, experts told the Associated Press. Heroin and crack came next in total harm. They were followed by methamphetamine, cocaine, tobacco, amphetamine and marijuana. The journal Lancet published the study online October 31.

Researchers have announced progress in detecting colon cancer or pre-cancers using a stool or blood test. If proven effective, they could be an alternative to the more invasive tests thought to be best now. And that could encourage more people to get tested. Colonoscopy, the most recommended test now, involves threading a tube with an attached camera into the colon. The new stool test comes from Exact Sciences, of Madison, Wis. It looks for hidden blood, a chemical change and differences (mutations) in specific genes. The blood test looks for changes in a single gene. It comes from the German company Epigenomics AG. Results of both tests were reported at conferences. The stool test was tried on samples from people who also had colonoscopies. It detected 64% of the polyps that can grow into cancer and 85% of the cancers.

More U.S. adults know that they have high blood pressure and are taking medicine for it, a new report says. But the overall rate of the condition among U.S. adults is steady. It’s been about 30% for the last decade. The report comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s based on government health surveys from 1999 through 2008. In all, more than 24,000 people were surveyed. They also got blood pressure checks. In early surveys, 70% who had high blood pressure were aware of it. That increased to nearly 81% by the last survey. Also, nearly 74% who had high blood pressure were taking medicine for it, up from about 60%. The Associated Press wrote about the report October 27.

The blood thinner clopidogrel (Plavix) may work poorly in people with a difference in a single gene, new research has found. Researchers combined results from 9 studies, with a total of 9,685 people. The studies focused on a gene that affects how the body uses clopidogrel. The drug is less effective in people who have a different form of this gene. About 26% of U.S. whites have 1 copy of this form of the gene. About 2% have 2 copies — 1 from each parent. During the 9 studies, 863 people died or had a heart attack or stroke. The risk of these events was 55% higher for people with 1 copy of the different gene. The risk was 76% higher for those with 2 copies. Also, 84 people developed blood clots in a tube called a stent. These devices are placed in arteries to keep them open after blockages are cleared.

When a mother is depressed, it can harm her child as well. So the nation’s largest group of children’s doctors is urging its members to screen new mothers for depression. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published the report in the journal Pediatrics. Depressed mothers may be less able to bond with their babies and more likely to neglect them, the AAP said. This can affect early brain development. Research shows that development delays are more likely in babies with depressed mothers. The AAP is asking pediatricians to use a brief questionnaire to screen for depression. If their answers showed they may be depressed, women would be referred to other services. The Associated Press wrote about the report October 25.

Barbers can help get black men with high blood pressure to get treatment, a study finds. The study focused on 17 black-owned barbershops. Customers received blood pressure checks before the study began. Eight shops got pamphlets about high blood pressure to give to customers. In the other nine shops, barbers were trained to provide blood pressure checks. If pressure was high, they urged the customer to visit a doctor. They also shared stories about customers who got treatment. Barbers were paid for all of this. Customers got a free haircut if they sought treatment and brought a card signed by the doctor back to the shop. The barber got $50 for each customer who did this. The study lasted 10 months. Blood pressure control increased in both groups of shops. But results were better where barbers tested blood pressure.