Harvard Health Content API

Having a big belly in middle age could increase your risk of dementia in old age, a study suggests. More than 6,500 men and women in their 40s were measured front to back using calipers. A distance of more than 10 inches was considered high. About 35 years later, nearly 1 in 6 people had developed Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. People who had big bellies in their 40s were nearly twice as likely to have dementia. This was true even for people who had normal body weight but extra fat in the belly. Overweight people were even more likely to have dementia if their weight was concentrated in the belly. The Associated Press wrote about the study March 27. It was in the journal Neurology.

A computed tomography (CT) scan can help predict the risk of a heart attack, a study finds. But it’s unclear if the scans are worth the cost, $300 to $600. Researchers gave CT scans to more than 6,700 men and women. They were white, black, Chinese and Hispanic. Some people’s scans showed large amounts of calcium in the walls of the heart arteries. They were 10 times more likely to have major heart events in the next four years as those with the least calcium in their arteries. Events included heart attacks, heart-related death, major chest pain and procedures to unblock heart arteries. HealthDay News wrote about the study March 26. It was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Crews in Alamosa, Colo., began flushing out the city’s water system with chlorine March 25, the Associated Press (AP) said. The purpose was to kill salmonella bacteria. Nearly 250 people have become ill from salmonella in the last couple of weeks. The bacteria can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach pain. Officials are not sure of the cause. They have ruled out contamination with wastewater. They also say the water was not tainted on purpose. People shouldn’t drink city water until the chlorine washes away, AP reported. This may take a few weeks. Bathing may be allowed in a few days.

People who get free drug samples may spend more, not less, on prescriptions, a study finds. The study used data on 5,709 people from a U.S. health survey. In two years, 14% received at least one free drug sample. In the six months before this, they spent an average of $166 on prescription drugs. They spent about $244 during the six months they got the sample and $212 in the next six months. People who didn’t get free samples spent about $178 in six months. HealthDay News reported on the study March 24. It was in the journal Medical Care.

Health officials no longer recommend that preference be given to the four-vaccine combination called MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella, varicella). Although it requires two separate injections, rather than just one, the parents of children should first be offered the MMR vaccine and a separate varicella (chicken pox) shot. That’s because fever-related seizures are seen more often in children who receive MMRV instead of the two separate shots. The change was published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on March 14.

A researcher who found gene mutations related to bipolar disorder now is selling a home test for the genes. This is the latest of more than 1,000 home gene tests for various conditions. The Associated Press reported on the home tests March 22. The new test looks for mutations in two genes. A person spits into a cup and sends the saliva to a laboratory. Results are sent to the person’s doctor. A positive result does not mean that someone has bipolar disorder. It means the risk of this disease is two to three times higher than average.

Prostate cancer treatment affects each man differently. It also affects spouses and partners. Researchers studied 1,201 men and 625 of their spouses or partners. They found that certain treatments caused more quality-of-life issues. These included problems with sexual function, urination, mood/energy, and bowel function. These quality-of-life issues also often affected spouses and partners. The study is published in the March 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease. It has become so rare in the United States that many younger doctors have never seen it. But a government report says that syphilis is becoming more common. Cases of the disease have increased every year since 2000. Last year, 20,000 people were diagnosed with syphilis. Doctors may need to be retrained to recognize symptoms. The report is published in the April issue of the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases.

An advisory committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has new recommendations about who should receive drugs that increase red blood cells. The group said that only people with incurable cancers should get these drugs. Some studies have reported lower survival rates and more tumor growth in people who are given these medicines. The drugs include Aranesp, Epogen and Procrit. The Associated Press reported March 17 on the FDA recommendations.