Harvard Health Content API

Doctors should routinely ask patients about falls, new guidelines say. That’s because there’s a 1 in 2 chance that someone who has fallen will fall again. The guidelines are for neurologists. Many people they treat have a high risk of falls. These include people with dementia, Parkinson’s disease, a history of stroke, and weakness or nerve disorders in the legs. Problems with walking, balance or vision also increase risk. So do certain medicines. Doctors are urged to take steps to help prevent falls for these patients. The Associated Press reported on the guidelines February 11.

Acupuncture may help women get pregnant through in vitro fertilization, a study suggests. The analysis combined the results of seven studies. Women were randomly assigned to receive real or fake acupuncture, or none. This occurred within a day of when an embryo was placed in the womb. Study results were mixed. But when the numbers were combined they showed a clear benefit. The odds of getting pregnant were 65% higher for women who had acupuncture. The Associated Press reported on the study February 8. It was published in the British Medical Journal.

In a study, people who took one type of drug to lower blood pressure also were less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease. The study involved more than 7,000 people age 40 and older. Nearly half took blood pressure medicine. People who took a type of drug called a calcium channel blocker had a 23% lower risk of Parkinson’s disease. More research is needed to explain why. Other types of blood pressure drugs did not appear to affect the risk. The study appeared February 6 in the journal Neurology.

Pushing diabetics’ blood sugar down to normal levels may not save lives, a study suggests. In fact, there were actually more deaths in the study group with this “intensive” blood sugar control. The study was halted early. The National Institutes of Health announced the results February 6, the Associated Press reported. Keeping blood sugar low helps prevent kidney disease and some other health problems linked to diabetes. But the study found that it can harm people at high risk of heart problems. People in the group aiming for normal blood sugar did have fewer heart attacks. But they were more likely to be fatal.

Frequent use of marijuana may triple the risk of severe gum disease, a study suggests. Tobacco already was known to raise the risk of periodontal disease. This is an infection of the gums and other tissues that support the teeth. It can lead to tooth loss. Researchers in New Zealand wanted to know if marijuana had a similar effect. The study included 903 people. Some had smoked marijuana an average of almost once a week for about 15 years. They were three times as likely to have severe gum disease as nonsmokers of marijuana. Reuters Health news service reported on the study February 5. It was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Can using an electronic personal health record (PHR) keep you healthier? That’s the question a new study will examine. The U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is funding the project. Medical centers in four states will train patients to use a PHR for all their medical information. They will be compared with another group of patients who get standard care. A PHR allows patients to keep their records in one place. They can print the records or provide online access to doctors. The Associated Press wrote about the study on February 4.

Babies may be exposed to chemicals through baby products, a study suggests. The chemicals are called phthalates. They are found in many items, including fragrances and plastics. Animal studies suggest they may cause birth defects in reproductive organs. Health effects in humans are uncertain. The new study measured the chemical in urine from diapers of 163 babies. The highest levels were in babies whose mothers had used baby shampoos, lotions or powders on them in the last 24 hours. The Associated Press wrote about the study February 4. It is in the journal Pediatrics.

The Super Bowl could be a health hazard if you get too worked up over the game, a new study suggests. The study came from Germany. It found that heart attacks and other heart emergencies doubled when the German soccer team played in World Cup matches. But the hazard could apply to the Super Bowl as well. So said one of the researchers in an interview with the Associated Press. The authors blamed emotional stress for the heart problems. Excess eating, drinking, smoking and lack of sleep also could have been factors, they said. The study was published January 31 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Harassment and unwanted sex proposals don’t occur most often on social networking sites, a survey finds. Instead, kids are victimized more often through instant messages or in chat rooms. These findings come from a survey of nearly 1,600 Internet users, ages 10 to 15. About 1 in 8 said they had an unwanted online request in the last year to talk about sex or do something sexual. Almost half of the time this came in an instant message. About 1 in 3 incidents happened in a chat room and 1 in 4 on a social networking site. Kids also reported harassment. More than half of the time, this came through an instant message. The study was published online January 28 by the journal Pediatrics.

More older U.S. adults are getting diabetes, a study finds. The number of people diagnosed after age 65 rose 23% in a decade. The study looked at numbers from 1994 to 1995 and from 2003 to 2004. Most of those with new diabetes developed at least one more health problem in the next six years. Almost half developed heart failure. The study was published January 28. It is in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.