Category: news-perspectives

A new vaccine helps to shrink tumors in people with advanced melanoma, researchers report. The vaccine includes a peptide — part of a protein — found on the surface of melanoma cells. It primes the immune system to recognize and attack cells with this peptide. The study included 185 people. They were randomly divided into two groups. Both groups received interleukin-2. This drug boosts one type of cell in the immune system. One of the groups also received the vaccine. Tumors shrank by at least half in 16% of the group that received the vaccine. This compares with 6% of the group that got interleukin-2 alone. The average time until the disease got worse was a bit longer with the vaccine — 2.2 months compared with 1.6 months. People also lived longer with the vaccine. Their median survival was 18 months, compared with 11 months for the interleukin-2 only group.

Cell phones are a “possible cause” of cancer, one group of experts says in a report to the World Health Organization (WHO). This puts cell phones into the same category as car exhaust, the pesticide DDT, coffee and more than 200 other substances. The decision came from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of WHO. The Associated Press wrote about it. Agency experts reviewed dozens of studies about cell phones. They concluded that there was limited evidence linking cell phone use to two types of brain tumors. They found too little evidence to draw conclusions for other cancers. About 30 studies done around the world have not found more cell phone use among people who developed brain tumors. A large study last year found no clear link between cell phones and cancer. But it did suggest a possible link between very heavy phone use and glioma, one form of brain cancer.

A study drug that increased “good” cholesterol failed to protect people from heart attacks or strokes, government researchers say. The study included more than 3,400 people. Their LDL (“bad cholesterol”) was well controlled with statin drugs. But they had low HDL, sometimes called “good cholesterol.” Low HDL increased their risk of heart attack and stroke. Taking niacin can raise HDL. People in the study were randomly divided into two groups. One group took Niaspan, a high-dose form of niacin. The other group received placebo (fake) pills. Both groups kept taking a statin. Researchers tracked them for an average of 32 months. HDL rose more for the Niaspan group than for the placebo group. But they had a similar overall rate of heart attack, stroke and related problems. The stroke rate was actually higher in the Niaspan group. That difference might have been caused by chance.

A major study has found a much larger rate of high blood pressure in young adults than expected — nearly 1 in 5. The study included 14,000 men and women, ages 24 through 32. Researchers asked whether anyone had told them they had high blood pressure. About 11% said yes. Then their blood pressure was measured. Readings were high for 19%. High blood pressure is 140 over 90 millimeters of mercury or higher. The high blood pressure rate was much higher than found in another major health survey taken at the same time. That study found 9% had been told they had high blood pressure and 4% actually had it. Researchers checked possible reasons for the difference. However, they were unable to explain it. The journal Epidemiology published the study online May 25. USA Today wrote about it.

Cases of bacterial meningitis, a potentially fatal infection, have dropped by 31% over the last decade. A new study found that most of the drop was due to fewer cases of one type, pneumococcal meningitis. The drop was dramatic among children. There is a vaccine for this type of infection. Researchers said the drop in this type was probably due to vaccinations. The study also found that the death rate from meningitis stayed about the same. About 500 people die in the United States from meningitis each year. The study was published May 25 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Science News wrote about it May 25.

Having one type of abnormal heart rhythm more than doubles the risk of death in otherwise healthy women, new research finds. The research was based on records for more than 34,000 middle-aged women. They were part of a study that kept track of them for 15 years. In that time, more than 1,000 developed atrial fibrillation. This is a rapid, fluttering rhythm in the heart’s upper chambers. Blood doesn’t pump out normally. It pools inside the heart. This can form clots, which can cause a stroke. During the study, 63 of these women died. About 3 out of 4 had high blood pressure. Researchers adjusted their numbers to account for this problem and other things that could increase the risk of death. Even so, women with atrial fibrillation were twice as likely to die as other women. They were 4 times as likely to die of heart disease or stroke. The overall death rate was small, about 2%.

A few changes could improve common medical practice, and save money, too, a group of doctors says. The advice comes from the National Physicians’ Alliance. A group of alliance members came up with “Top Five” lists of ways to improve primary care while reducing costs. The lists covered family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics. All of the advice is based on published evidence. But not everyone follows it now. Two of the lists overlapped. They said no imaging tests should be done for back pain for at least six weeks. They recommended no routine heart tests for low-risk patients without symptoms. They also said to reserve routine bone density tests for women 65 or older. Men should be 70 or older with high fracture risk. One list recommended generic drugs to lower cholesterol.

Many children with asthma get antibiotics they don’t need, new research suggests. One study looked at prescriptions for Belgian children. Those with asthma were almost twice as likely to be prescribed an antibiotic as other children. A second study looked at U.S. children with asthma who went to their doctor or an emergency room for care. About 16% got prescriptions for antibiotics they did not need, the study found. Antibiotics fight infections caused by bacteria. They have no proven benefit for asthma. Children with more severe asthma symptoms were the most likely to be given antibiotics. This occurred even if there was no bacterial infection. Experts say antibiotics are prescribed too often when not needed. This can help bacteria to become resistant to the drugs. Then the drugs become useless. The journal Pediatrics published the studies online.

A diabetes drug linked with a higher risk of heart attack will be sharply restricted starting November 18. The drug is rosiglitazone (Avandia). Nearly a year ago, a group of experts recommended that the drug be pulled from the market or remain with tighter limits. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) imposed some new rules in September. It announced the full new policy this week. Avandia will be pulled from pharmacy shelves. It will be available only through specific mail-order pharmacies. Doctors will have to be certified in order to prescribe it. The drug will be limited to patients who are doing well on it now or can’t control their blood sugar with other drugs. They must be informed of the risks and choose to take Avandia anyway. The policies also apply to Avandamet and Avandaryl. These pills combine rosiglitazone with other diabetes drugs.

Drinking lots of coffee might help to protect men from the most dangerous form of prostate cancer, new research suggests. The study focused on 48,000 men in a study of health professionals. Researchers asked about their coffee drinking habits. The study lasted 20 years. In that time, more than 5,000 men developed prostate cancer. Of those, 672 died of the disease or had cancer that spread beyond the prostate. Men who drank at least 6 cups of coffee daily had a 60% lower risk of these dangerous cancers. The risk was 30% lower for men who drank 1 to 3 cups a day. Only about 5% of the men drank 6 or more cups a day. Caffeine was not a factor. Cancer rates were similar whether the men drank regular or decaf. Coffee contains antioxidants, which could fight cancer. It also may help the body make better use of insulin.