Harvard Health Content API

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.

Obesity is costly for our wallets as well as our health, a study has found. The study looked at U.S. medical spending. It averages $1,400 more per year for an obese person than for someone of normal weight, the study found. Obesity-related medical spending has reached $147 billion per year. That figure has doubled in less than 10 years. Several conditions occur more often among obese people. Two of the most common are heart disease and diabetes. Obese people also take more prescription drugs. Researchers said Medicare drug spending alone is $600 higher each year for an obese person. The study appeared in the journal Health Affairs. The Associated Press wrote about it July 27.

The United States needs health care reform now, members of interest groups and both political parties agreed March 5 at a summit. The White House sponsored the meeting. People don’t agree on how to solve the problem, President Barack Obama said. But he stressed that every idea and opinion must be heard. The goal is to provide health coverage for everyone, he said. Congress is expected to begin writing the plan by June. Drug makers, insurance companies and others support the reform effort. Their opposition in the 1990s helped to derail health reform under President Bill Clinton. The Associated Press reported on the summit March 6.

The government recently gave the okay for a cholesterol-lowering drug to be used to prevent high cholesterol. Rosuvastatin (Crestor) could now be taken by people who have no cholesterol problem but are at risk for high cholesterol. Right now, about 40 million people who already have high cholesterol take statins. These drugs lower cholesterol with few side effects. High cholesterol is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke. But a large study found that while taking rosuvastatin does protect against these events, they are rare in people who don’t have high cholesterol. According to that study, called JUPITER, about 500 people would need to be treated with rosuvastatin for a year to avoid one heart attack. That would cost about $638,000.

An arthritis drug also may help to control diabetes, new research suggests. The study included 108 people with type 2 diabetes. They were randomly assigned to receive the drug salsalate or placebos (fake pills). Salsalate is similar to aspirin but has fewer side effects. After three months, people who took salsalate had more improvement in blood sugar control than people who took placebos. They also did better in some tests related to heart disease risk. But the salsalate group also was more likely to have protein in the urine. This can be an early warning sign of kidney problems. Researchers said more and larger studies are needed. The study was published online by the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. HealthDay News wrote about it March 15.

Hormone treatment for prostate cancer may slightly increase a man’s risk of heart problems, a new study suggests. The study focused on more than 30,000 Swedish men. They were treated with hormones for about three years. Researchers said these men had a 28% higher risk of a fatal heart attack than Swedish men in general. But the overall risk of heart problems was low. Researchers said there would be about 10 extra cases of heart problems a year for each 1,000 men treated with hormones. The Associated Press reported on the study results. They were announced September 22 at a cancer conference in Germany.

Those Valentine’s Day chocolates might be good for the heart in more ways than one. So says a research review that was released February 11. Canadian scientists looked at three studies. Two seemed to show that eating chocolate reduced the risk of stroke. The third did not show a link. Chocolate contains flavonoids, which have shown health benefits. But it also contains saturated fat, which can increase cholesterol levels. The research will be formally presented in April at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting. The Canadian Press wrote about it February 12.

A cancer drug may also become the first treatment for scleroderma, researchers say. Scleroderma is long-lasting disease that hardens the skin and damages the lungs and other organs. The new study included 30 people with diffuse scleroderma. This is a widespread and severe form of the disease. All were given imatinib (Gleevec). This drug usually is used for specific types of leukemia and stomach cancer. After one year, researchers measured to see if the amount of skin affected by the disease had changed. They found a 23% improvement. Lung function also was better. Usually lung function gets worse over time in people with scleroderma. The study was presented at a conference. Ivanhoe Newswire wrote about it October 19.

Soy foods may be safe for women who have had breast cancer, a new study finds. In fact, they may live longer if they eat soy, the research suggests. Soy foods contain plant estrogens. Most breast cancers grow in response to estrogen. So many doctors have not recommended soy foods for breast cancer survivors. The study included more than 5,000 survivors in China. They were divided into groups based on how much soy they ate. Women in the low-soy group had about the amount in one-half cup of soy milk daily. Intake was three cups in the high-soy group. After four years, 7.4% of those who ate the most soy had died. The death rate was 10.3% for women who ate the least soy. Results were similar whether or not the women’s cancers were the type that grows in response to estrogen. The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association. USA Today wrote about it December 9.