Harvard Health Content API

A drug used to combat bone loss may also fight breast cancer, a new study finds. The study included 1,803 women with early-stage breast cancer. All had surgery. They also took medicines to reduce estrogen in their bodies and keep the cancers from using estrogen to grow. Half of the women also received zoledronic acid. This drug is used to treat bone loss caused by cancer treatment or osteoporosis. Within four years, the cancer came back or spread in 54 women who received the extra drug and 83 who did not. That’s a 36% lower risk with zoledronic acid. The study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. The New York Times wrote about it February 12.

Norway has reduced cases of the “superbug” MRSA to very low levels. This has occurred even this infection is growing around the world. The main reason? Doctors in Norway prescribe fewer antibiotics. This effort began 25 years ago, the Associated Press reported January 4. Hospital patients with MRSA are isolated. Medical staff who test positive stay at home. Doctors also track contacts of people with MRSA and test them. MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Standard antibiotics can’t cure it. The use of antibiotics helps spur resistance. The bacteria that survive usually are the resistant ones. Then they grow and infect other people. In Norway, antibiotics are used less. This gives bacteria less chance to become resistant. Most cases occur in someone who has been abroad.

Two types of intensive drug treatments have failed to reduce heart attacks in diabetics, researchers report. But one treatment did reduce strokes. One study randomly divided 5,500 diabetics into two groups. One group took TriCor, a pill to lower blood fats called triglycerides and boost HDL (“good”) cholesterol. The other group got placebo (fake) pills. All were given a statin drug to lower their LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. After five years, the two groups had similar rates of heart attack and stroke. In another study, about 4,700 diabetics received pills to lower systolic blood pressure. This is the top number in a blood pressure reading. One group aimed to push systolic pressure below 140. People with systolic blood pressure above 140 are said to have high blood pressure. The other group aimed for lower than 120.

People whose blood pressure spikes from time to time are more likely to develop long-term high blood pressure, a study finds. The study included 1,400 people. Some had “white-coat” hypertension. This means that pressure is high in the doctor’s office but normal otherwise. Of this group, 43 out of 100 had true high blood pressure within 10 years. Other people in the study had “masked” hypertension. Their blood pressure was normal in the doctor’s office but spiked from time to time in everyday life. Of this group, 47 out of 100 later developed high blood pressure. Some people always had normal blood pressure when the study started. Only 18 out of 100 of them later developed high blood pressure. The study appeared in the journal Hypertension. HealthDay News wrote about it June 29.

Three runners died October 18 during the annual Detroit Marathon/Half Marathon. They were all running the half marathon, which is 13.1 miles. Two men collapsed 11 to 12 miles into the race. Their ages were 36 and 65, reported ClickOnDetroit.com, a website of Detroit’s Channel 4. The youngest man was 26. He collapsed after crossing the finish line. All three received medical help right away. They were pronounced dead at hospitals. Autopsy results were not released. The coroner’s office said it would wait for toxicology (drug) test results, ClickOnDetroit said. Three deaths in one race are likely to be a statistical fluke. The death rate from running a full marathon is about 1 person out of every 50,000 to 75,000, LiveScience.com reported. Deaths in half marathons are even more unusual. About 19,000 people signed up for the Detroit race.

So-called virtual colonoscopy finds most colon cancers, researchers say. This finding comes from a new study. Experts say it may increase cancer screening. Many people avoid the standard test, colonoscopy. In this test, a tube inserted in the colon lets the doctor see inside. Virtual colonoscopy is done outside the body, using X-rays. It is formally known as CT colonography. In the study, about 2,500 people were given both tests. Virtual colonoscopy detected 9 out of 10 cancers that the standard test found. The Associated Press wrote about the study September 18. It appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Working longer may help to keep your mind sharp, a study suggests. Researchers looked at data on more than 1,300 people. All had dementia. People who retired later also tended to develop dementia later. The delay was an average of six weeks for each year of work. The study appeared in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. The Associated Press wrote about it May 18.

More Americans have diabetes, health officials say. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates the total was 24 million in 2007. That’s 8% of the population. It’s up by 3 million since 2005. The CDC said there’s good news too. People are more likely to get diagnosed. About 25% of people with diabetes don’t know they have it. This compares with 30% in 2005. About 57 million people have pre-diabetes. People with this condition are more likely to develop diabetes. The Associated Press wrote about the report June 25.

A new study suggests that doctors may want to try different drugs first to treat high blood pressure. Current guidelines say most people should get a diuretic (water pill) first. Other drugs can be added. But the new study found better results without a diuretic. The study included more than 11,000 people. Each person took pills that contained two drugs. All pills contained benazepril, an ACE inhibitor. The first group also received amlodipine, a calcium channel blocker. The second group also received hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic. People in the first group had fewer heart attacks, other serious events and deaths than people in the second group. The rate was 9.6% for the first group and 11.8% for the second. HealthDay News wrote about the study December 3. It was in the New England Journal of Medicine.

More cases of pneumonia are being caused by treatment-resistant bacteria. And this type of pneumonia most often follows a case of influenza, a new study finds. Researchers said this is an even larger concern because of the recent swine flu outbreak. The study focused on pneumonia caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. These are often called MRSA infections. They resist common antibiotics and are hard to cure. MRSA pneumonia can kill more than half of those who are infected, researchers said. Most cases are linked to a stay in a hospital or nursing home. But more and more cases start in the community, the study found. The study appeared in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases. Reuters Health news service wrote about it May 19.