Harvard Health Content API

Therapy beginning as early as age 18 months can greatly improve symptoms of autism, researchers say. The new study included 48 children. Their ages ranged from 18 to 30 months as the study began. Some of the children received specialized therapy. They worked one-on-one with a therapist to improve social and communication skills. The other children received less specialized care. After two years, the group that got the intense therapy improved more than the other group in IQ and language skills. About 30% were given a new diagnosis, with a less severe form of autism. Only 5% of the other group had a new diagnosis. The Associated Press wrote about the study November 30. It was published online by the journal Pediatrics.

About 10% of Americans took an antidepressant drug in 2005, a new study finds. That’s up from about 6% in 1996. But only about one-quarter of the people who took the drugs were being treated for depression. That ratio hardly budged during the period studied. This means that most people are using the medicines for other conditions, such as anxiety. The study used data from U.S. government surveys. They included only people over age 6. Researchers also found that only one-fifth of those who took an antidepressant were receiving psychotherapy. That’s down from nearly one-third in the earlier survey. Blacks and Hispanics were only about half as likely as other Americans to take antidepressants. The study appeared in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry. HealthDay News wrote about it August 3.

For the first time, experts are recommending that some men take a drug to prevent prostate cancer. The drug costs up to $3 a pill. It is already used for prostate problems and baldness. To prevent one case of prostate cancer, 71 men would have to take the drug for 7 years. The experts say this is a decision that each man should make after talking with his doctor. About 186,000 American men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year. In many men, the cancer grows so slowly that it is not a danger. The Associated Press reported on the recommendations February 25. They were published in two medical journals and discussed at a February 24 news briefing.

People who don’t sleep enough may be more likely to develop high blood pressure, a new study has found. The study included 578 adults. Their average age was 40. They wore sensors that recorded when they were at rest or active. Researchers also asked them how many hours they slept each day. The study lasted five years. In that time, people who slept less developed high blood pressure more often than others. This risk increased 37% for each hour of reduced sleep on an average night. For example, if 100 people who slept 8 hours a night developed high blood pressure, 137 people who slept 7 hours would develop it. The study appeared in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine. HealthDay News wrote about it June 8.

College students feel stressed, and maybe depressed — and they often don’t seek help, a survey finds. The poll was done on behalf of the Associated Press and mtvU, a division of MTV Networks. About 85% of college students said they felt stressed in recent months. About 42% had felt down, depressed or hopeless several days in the last two weeks. Based on poll answers, about 13% showed signs of at least mild depression. About 9% were at risk of at least moderate depression. Most had not sought help – including half of those who had seriously considered suicide. The economy also may play a role in poll results. People who recently had a parent lose a job were twice as likely as others to show signs of depression. The Associated Press wrote about the survey May 21.

New research suggests that protein in urine is a more important predictor of kidney problems and death than doctors realized. The study looked at tests done on nearly 1 million adults in Canada. One test looked for protein in the urine. The other, a blood test, showed how well the kidneys were clearing waste products from the body. Doctors usually focus on this kidney function test to predict whether kidney disease will get worse. But the new study found that people with high levels of urine protein were more likely to die or have a heart attack or kidney failure. And this occurred even in people with relatively normal kidney function, as shown by the blood test. The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association. HealthDay News wrote about it February 2.

Not everyone with swine flu should get the medicine Tamiflu (oseltamivir), the World Health Organization (WHO) said August 21. The drug should be saved for those who need it most, WHO said. High-risk groups include children under age 5, pregnant women, people over 65 and those with long-term health problems. WHO said these groups definitely should get the drug, the Associated Press reported. People with severe cases of swine flu also should get it, WHO said. This includes people who have breathing problems, chest pain or severe weakness. The advice is a warning to countries, such as the United Kingdom, that have given the drug out freely. WHO said excess use could help swine flu become resistant to Tamiflu. This would make it useless to those who need it most.

A medical lab company said it has fixed a problem with tests for vitamin D levels in the blood. The problem led to readings that were too high on some tests, Quest Diagnostics said. Quest said it discovered the problem because vitamin D levels found in tests were rising for no apparent reason. The company notified doctors and offered free repeat tests for some patients. Tests for vitamin D have been rising. Quest said there’s more interest now. That’s because new research suggests low vitamin D may increase the risk of cancer and heart disease. The Associated Press wrote about the Quest announcement January 8.

Some Dutch scientists have stirred controversy by saying that maybe kids should skip seasonal flu vaccine this year. But other health experts reject the idea, the Associated Press reported. The theory came from a group of scientists at Erasmus University in the Netherlands. The journal Lancet published their commentary online October 30. The scientists cited the 1957 Asian flu pandemic. They said people infected with seasonal flu that year were less likely to catch Asian flu. In mice and ferrets, having seasonal flu also seems to increase immunity to other types of flu, they said. But health officials said there’s no proof that letting children get seasonal flu will protect them from the current pandemic, H1N1 (swine) flu. Children are one of the groups most likely to get seriously ill from flu. Also, experts noted that most people in Mexico don’t get flu shots.

If people you know stop smoking, you’re more likely to quit too, a study has found. You’re influenced by the people you know and even by the people they know, researchers said. The study used a detailed set of data on 12,067 people. All were part of the 30-year Framingham Heart Study. The study found that if your spouse quits smoking, you’re 67% less likely to continue. If a friend quits, the odds that you’ll keep puffing drop 36%. Even if your friend’s sister or your husband’s co-worker quits, you’re more likely to quit too. The Associated Press wrote about the study May 22. It was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.