Category: news-perspectives

The drug pioglitazone may reduce the chance of diabetes in people at high risk of developing it, new research finds. The new study included 602 adults. All of them had been diagnosed with pre-diabetes. Their blood sugar was higher than normal, but not as high as in people with diabetes. This condition often leads to diabetes. But diet and exercise can help to prevent it. So can taking the diabetes drug metformin. Half of those in the study were randomly assigned to take a different diabetes drug, pioglitazone (Actos). The others took a placebo (fake pills). Researchers kept track of them for about 2 ½ years. In that time, 2.1% of the group that took the real drug developed diabetes, compared with 7.6% who took the placebo. Nearly half of those taking pioglitazone went back to normal blood sugar levels. This happened for only 28% of those taking the placebo.

Another type of drug-resistant bacteria is spreading in California, officials say. This “super bug” is carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP). The infection spreads from person to person. It resists almost all antibiotics. The Los Angeles County health department released a report on the illness March 24. It said 356 cases were reported from June to December 2010. About 42% were in hospitals that provide long-term care. About 6% were in nursing homes and the rest in general hospitals. Symptoms vary but often resemble pneumonia. The infection can be deadly. But the health department did not find out how many people died or recovered. That may be the topic for a future study. An official said this may be the first time a health department has required reporting of such cases. The New York Times News Service wrote about the report.

Children are being diagnosed with hearing loss earlier since laws required all newborns to be tested. But hearing problems in many kids are still found long after birth, a study finds. The study used data on 391 children in Illinois who received cochlear implants in Illinois. These devices help people to hear. Researchers divided the kids into two groups. They looked separately at those who got the implants before and after newborn hearing tests were required by law. Hearing loss was found earlier in children born after the tests were required. They also got their cochlear implants sooner. But about 1 out of 3 children who received the implants had passed the tests as newborns. They were diagnosed with hearing loss later in childhood. Researchers don’t know why. The journal Archives of Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery published the study.

Most people who are prescribed two specific types of blood pressure drugs don’t need that combination. In fact, it can be harmful for them, a study finds. The study included more than 32,000 people over age 65. All took medicine for high blood pressure. Some took an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. Some took an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB). About 5% took both drugs. Taking both drugs is known to benefit people with very specific medical problems. Most people in the study who took both drugs did not have these problems. This study confirmed that the combination can harm other people. Those who continued to take both drugs had higher rates of kidney failure, end-stage renal disease and death than people who took one drug. But most of those taking both drugs quit within 3 months. Researchers said it may have been because of very low blood pressure.

A blood test may help to find out years ahead of time which people are most likely to develop diabetes, researchers say. The study included 2,422 people. They were part of the long-term Framingham Heart Study. Blood tests were taken when they entered the study. Researchers kept track of them for about 12 years. In that time, 201 developed type 2 diabetes. Leaders of the new study checked those early blood tests for metabolites. These are chemicals released as the body burns calories for energy. The study compared blood samples of people who developed diabetes and 189 others who did not. The diabetes group had higher levels of 5 amino acids. These are the building blocks of proteins. Researchers also compared the groups in other ways. They looked at age, weight and other things that affect diabetes risk.

There’s new advice on the best way to protect children riding in cars. And it may mean changes in the way many parents use car seats. A group of children’s doctors and U.S. highway safety officials issued the new guidelines. They say that kids should use rear-facing car seats until age 2 instead of age 1. The change is based on evidence. Research shows that 1-year-olds are 5 times less likely to be hurt in a crash if they’re in a rear-facing seat. Bigger kids who outgrow front-facing seats should use a booster seat. They need the booster until they’re 4 feet, 9 inches tall. Boosters can help prevent abdomen and spine injuries. Poorly fitting seatbelts can cause these injuries during crashes. Finally, the guidelines say, every child younger than 13 should ride in the back seat. The American Academy of Pediatrics issued the new advice. It appears in the journal Pediatrics.

Two surgeries for coronary artery disease provide similar relief from chest pain, a study says. The study included 1,800 people. All of them had narrowed arteries. This can cause severe chest pain. It also puts people at risk for heart attack. About half of people in the study had coronary artery bypass graft surgery, or CABG. In this surgery, blood flow is rerouted to avoid narrowed arteries. The other half of people in the study had their affected arteries held open with wire-mesh tubes called stents. The stents released a drug that helps to reduce scarring of the artery walls. Both surgeries helped. About 7 of every 10 people who had the surgeries were free from chest pain a year later. The study was published March 17 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Whole-body scanning at airports has become more popular over the past few years. Some are concerned that the radiation from these scans can be a health risk. One type of scanner does not expose people to radiation. But the other type does expose people to a small amount. Experts point out that millions of people will undergo whole-body scanning. But there are many other sources of radiation that people are exposed to each day. Experts also recommend that airports choose scanners with millimeter wave technology, which does not expose people to radiation. The articles appear in the April issue of the journal Radiology.

U.S. smokers are less likely to be heavy smokers than they were in the 1960s, a new study finds. The study used data from 40 years of government health surveys. In 1965, about 56% of smokers went through at least a pack (20 cigarettes) each day. By 2007, the figure had dropped to 41% of smokers. Heavy smokers were about 23% of the U.S. adult population in 1965. Forty years later, they were only 7.2%. In California, where anti-smoking efforts have been intense for decades, rates are even lower. Only 2.6% of adults in the state are heavy smokers today. Researchers said that heavy smoking is less common for two reasons. Many older smokers quit. The surveys also show that young smokers are less likely to be heavy smokers. The Journal of the American Medical Association published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it March 15.

Health concerns have risen as more radiation leaks from a nuclear power plant in Japan. The plant was damaged by last week’s tsunami. Explosions and a fire have occurred. Officials advised people within 20 miles to stay indoors. Plant workers are trying to prevent further damage or a meltdown of the reactors’ fuel source. This could release much more radiation. One risk from escaping radiation is thyroid cancer. Potassium iodide pills can prevent the thyroid from absorbing radioactive iodine. The government has sent pills to evacuation centers as a precaution. Radioactive cesium is another concern. The whole body can absorb it. It also stays in the body and the environment longer than radioactive iodine. But cesium also is relatively heavy. If larger amounts escape, officials hope it will fall near the reactor or else be carried out over the ocean.