Harvard Health Content API

More than 1 in 3 adults has balance problems, a study has found. These problems can lead to dangerous falls. Adults with diabetes are even more likely to have problems with balance. Balance is controlled by a system in the inner ear. It is called the vestibular system. When it doesn’t work right, a person feels dizzy. The study looked at 5,086 adults, ages 40 and older. They found that about 35 of every 100 people had some balance problems. Among people with diabetes, about 60 of every 100 had some balance problems. The study was published May 25 in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

Weight-loss surgery done by experts is no more dangerous than other major surgery, a study concludes. These procedures are known as bariatric surgery. The study looked at data on two types, gastric bands and gastric bypass. The bands are wrapped around the stomach to make it smaller. The bypass makes the stomach smaller and also bypasses part of the intestines. Researchers looked at two years of data from 10 hospitals that specialize in this type of surgery. For every 1,000 people, 3 died during surgery or within the next month. Another 43 had a major problem, such as a blood clot. A few years ago, death rates were about 20 per 1,000. The study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. The Associated Press wrote about it July 30.

A disturbingly large number of black men and women develop heart failure before the age of 50, according to new findings from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. People in the study were ages 18 to 30 when the study began. Researchers observed them for 20 years. One in 100 blacks in the age group studied developed heart failure. This rate is 20 times higher than whites. Heart failure in black study participants was often preceded by risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity, and chronic kidney disease. The Associated Press wrote about it March 19.

Soccer is growing in popularity for kids. Unfortunately, soccer injuries also are becoming more common. The American Academy of Pediatrics released a report that lists tips to help prevent soccer injuries. There were about 186,500 soccer injuries in 2006, and more than half were to the ankle or knee. Concussions in soccer are as common as they are in football or ice hockey. The AAP provides tips for parents, coaches, and pediatricians. MedPage Today wrote about it January 25.

Being fat in middle age can reduce women’s chances of being healthy at age 70, a study has found. The study included 17,000 female nurses. Researchers kept track of their weight and health from 1976 to 2000. A normal body mass index (BMI) is 19 to 24.9. A BMI of 25 or more is considered overweight. Researchers tracked women’s BMI increase after age 18. For every 1-point increase, they had a 12% lower chance of being healthy at age 70. Good health included being free of major disease. It also included being able to perform daily tasks such as vacuuming and climbing stairs. Risk was highest for women who were overweight at age 18 and later gained more than 20 pounds. Their chance of good health at age 70 was 80% lower than for normal-weight women. The study appeared in the journal BMJ. The Associated Press wrote about it September 30.

A test that does not require surgery can be used to diagnose endometriosis, a study finds. This condition can be painful and cause infertility. It occurs when cells from the uterus lining (endometrium) grow outside the uterus. The new test looks for nerve fibers in the endometrium through a biopsy. Researchers inserted a device through the vagina and took tissue samples from 99 women. The women also had surgery through a small cut (laparoscopy). This is the standard way to diagnose endometriosis now. The surgery found disease in 64 women. The biopsy found nerve fibers in all but one sample from this group. The surgery found no disease in the other 35 women. Biopsy samples showed no nerve fibers for 29 of these women. A second study found that nerve fibers are 14 times more common in the uterus lining among women with endometriosis.

A drug tested to prevent prostate cancer did seem to reduce risk, a study says. More than 10,000 men were in the study. Some took dutasteride (Avodart) and others took a fake pill. After 4 years, men who took the drug were less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. They also had fewer problems with enlarged prostates. But men who took the drug were more likely to have sexual side effects, as well as heart failure. And men who took the drug and still got prostate cancer were more likely to have an aggressive form of cancer. The study was published in the April 1 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The Associated Press reported on it March 31.

A brain scan may show signs of multiple sclerosis years before symptoms occur, a study has found. But not everyone with abnormal brain areas developed MS symptoms. The study included 44 people. All of them had magnetic resonance (MRI) scans of the brain for a variety of reasons. Doctors noticed abnormal areas in the brain like those seen in MS. They kept track of the people for 5½ years. In that time, about one-third developed MS symptoms. One-third developed additional abnormal areas, but had no symptoms. The study was published December 10 in the journal Neurology. USA Today and HealthDay News wrote about it.

H1N1 flu is still around and people should consider getting vaccinated, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Flu cases are increasing in the Southeast, even as spring weather appears. In the past week, Georgia has reported 40 hospitalizations for flu-like illness. H1N1 does not appear to follow the usual pattern of flu outbreaks. Seasonal flu is more common in cold weather, but H1N1 was first identified in April 2009. In the United States, infections appeared to peak in late October and early November. H1N1 vaccine is still available. About 86 million Americans have been vaccinated.

U.S. health officials are urging doctors to ask patients about alcohol use before a problem turns into alcoholism. The Washington Post reported on the effort June 17. The latest tool is a video. It shows doctors how to screen their patients for alcohol abuse. The guidelines urge doctors to ask each man a basic question: “How many days in the past year have you had five or more drinks?” For a woman, the number is four drinks. Officials hope doctors will screen for alcohol abuse as many of them do now for depression, the Post reported. The guidelines come from the National Institutes of Health.