Harvard Health Content API

Heartburn drugs don’t improve asthma, a new study concludes. Many people with asthma have heartburn — so many that doctors thought the two conditions were related. Therefore, some people with asthma were given drugs for heartburn, even if they didn’t have it. These people should stop taking the drugs, the study authors said. The study included 412 people with poorly controlled asthma. They were randomly divided into two groups. One group was given esomeprazole (Nexium). This is a type of heartburn drug called a proton pump inhibitor. The other group got dummy pills (placebos). They took the pills for six months. People who got Nexium had no improvement in symptoms, compared with those who got dummy pills. The study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. The Associated Press reported on it April 9.

Women’s immune systems get more active years before they develop a crippling form of arthritis, new research shows. The study used blood samples from 170 women. All of them later developed rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Their blood was different than the blood of women who did not go on to develop RA. It had higher levels of two proteins involved in the immune system. They are called IL-6 and sTNFRII. Women with high levels of sTNFRII were twice as likely as those with low levels to develop RA. IL6 also indicated an increased risk, but the increase was smaller. The study appeared in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism. Reuters Health news service wrote about it March 12.

Having Alzheimer’s disease triples a person’s health care costs, a new report says. The report tallied costs for nursing homes and other medical care. Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance paid for the care. The total was about $33,000 a year for someone with Alzheimer’s. Costs were about $10,600 a year for an older adult without the disease. The Alzheimer’s Association issued the report. The Associated Press wrote about it March 24.

Women who want to avoid weight gain as they get older should do at least an hour a day of moderately intense exercise, a new study concludes. Researchers tracked the physical activity and weight of more than 34,000 healthy women. Their average age was 54 at the start of the study, which lasted 13 years. On average, they gained about 6 pounds in that time. About 13% of the women started at a healthy weight and did not gain. They also did the most exercise – an average of an hour daily, mostly walking. Women who exercised 150 minutes a week or less were much more likely to gain weight. The study focused specifically on weight. The U.S. government says you can gain health benefits from 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week. The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association. USA Today wrote about it March 24.

Some obese children are developing severe liver damage, the Associated Press (AP) reported September 9. A few have needed transplants. The condition is called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. It is closely related to obesity. Experts told AP that many more of today’s obese children may need liver transplants in their 30s or 40s. Losing weight is the best treatment for early cases. It can reverse the condition if the liver is not yet badly scarred. Experts said doctors should order a blood test of liver enzymes every two years for high-risk children.

A study of more than 1 million women has found that even moderate drinking is associated with more cancers. The study was done in the United Kingdom. Even low levels of alcohol intake increased the risk for some cancers, including breast cancer and liver cancer. Smokers who also drank had higher rates of cancers of the mouth and throat. The study appears in the February 24 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The Associated Press reported on the study February 25.

Taking folic acid while pregnant may protect the baby in more ways than previously known. Two studies in the last month suggest this broader benefit, the Associated Press reported June 1. Folic acid taken in early pregnancy can help prevent birth defects of the spine and brain. Now researchers say it may help prevent other problems. One study looked at 35,000 pregnancies. Some women said they took folic acid pills for at least a year before they got pregnant. These women had only half the average risk of premature (early) birth. The other study was done in Canada. It included more than 1 million newborns. The study found that heart defects in babies have been less common since Canada started adding folic acid to some foods.

Children are more likely to get hit crossing a street if they’re also talking on a cell phone, a study suggests. The study included 77 kids, ages 10 and 11. They were asked to “cross the street” in a virtual reality environment. Half of the time, they were also talking on a cell phone. While on the phone, the children paid less attention, researchers said. They left less distance between themselves and the virtual cars. And they were more likely to “get hit” or have a near-miss than when they were not talking on the phone. The study appeared in the journal Pediatrics. HealthDay News wrote about it January 26.

Tiger Woods’ recent U.S. Open victory was remarkable because he played with knee and leg injuries, medical specialists say. Woods revealed June 18 that he will not play any more this season. He said he needs surgery for a ruptured left knee ligament. He also has stress fractures in the left shinbone. Woods should be back in fine form after treatment, orthopedic surgeons told the Associated Press (AP). But it’s possible that his injuries could lead to arthritis and a shorter career, they said. The AP article appeared June 20.

Eating small amounts of chocolate every day could lower heart attack or stroke risk, according to a new study. Researchers in Germany followed almost 20,000 people for eight years. The participants filled out questionnaires about their diets and exercise habits during the study. People who ate an average of six grams of dark chocolate a day — about one square of a chocolate bar — had a 39% lower risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Chocolate has antioxidants called flavonols. The study was published in March 31 issue of the European Heart Journal. The Associated Press wrote about it March 30.