Category: news-perspectives

Getting more sleep may help prevent colds, a new study suggests. More than 150 adults were asked about their sleep habits. Then researchers sprayed cold viruses up their noses. They stayed in a hotel for five days. In that time, 135 became infected with the virus. But only 54 got sick. People who slept less than seven hours a night were three times as likely to get sick as those who slept eight hours a night. Sleep quality also mattered. People who tossed and turned at least 8% of the time they were in bed got 5 times as many colds as people who slept better. The Associated Press wrote about the study January 13. It appeared in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

Lung cancer risk among people who don’t smoke has stayed the same since the 1930s. And of the nonsmokers who get this disease, men are more likely to die. Those are among the findings of a large international study. It included information from nearly 2 million people around the world. Men who had never smoked had a 1.1% percent risk of lung cancer death. The risk was 0.8% for women. HealthDay News wrote about the study September 9. It was published in the journal PLoS Medicine.

Measuring cholesterol may get easier. That’s the conclusion of a new study. The study looked at blood tests for more than 300,000 people. They had taken part in 68 previous studies. None had heart disease at first. Their blood was tested for LDL (“bad” cholesterol), HDL (“good” cholesterol), total cholesterol and triglycerides. Researchers also looked at non-HDL cholesterol levels. They found that this number predicted future risk of heart attack or stroke as well as LDL levels. Fasting before the blood test made no difference in how well the results predicted risk. Also, triglyceride levels did not predict heart attack or stroke risk. Researchers said this means that tests could be simpler and done without fasting. The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association. HealthDay News wrote about it November 10.

A newer type of surgery for the back problem sciatica doesn’t speed recovery, a study has found. Sciatica is a painful condition. It is caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve. Sometimes the source of pressure is a bulging disk in the spine. The older procedure to repair the disc is called microdiskectomy. The newer one, tubular diskectomy, uses a smaller incision. Researchers divided 328 people with sciatica into two groups. Half had the older surgery, and half had the newer one. People who had the older procedure actually recovered a bit faster and with less pain. The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association. HealthDay News wrote about it July 8.

Young people who smoke pot are more likely than others to develop psychosis, a new study finds. And the earlier they begin, the greater the risk. The study focused on 3,800 people. Researchers assessed their health at ages 5, 14 and 21. During the study, 65 people were diagnosed with a psychotic illness, such as schizophrenia. At their last checkup, people were asked about marijuana use. About half of them had used it. People who smoked pot for six years or more were twice as likely to be diagnosed with a psychotic illness as people who never used the drug. They were three times as likely to have hallucinations — seeing or hearing things that were not real. They were four times as likely to have delusions — false beliefs that persist despite the facts. Both of these are potential symptoms of psychosis. The study appeared in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.

Babies who gain weight quickly may be more likely to be obese as toddlers, a study has found. The study focused on the first six months of life. It tracked 559 children. Their height and weight were measured at birth, age 6 months and age 3 years. Researchers then calculated their body mass index (BMI) at these ages. BMI is a number that reflects the relationship between weight and height. It’s often used to measure overweight and obesity. Babies who increased their BMI before age 6 months were more likely to be obese at age 3. The study appeared in the journal Pediatrics. HealthDay News wrote about it March 30.

A “polypill” combining five medicines for heart disease works as well as the drugs taken separately, a study has found. And side effects were no greater, researchers said. The pill is called Polycap. It combines three blood pressure medicines, aspirin and a statin to lower cholesterol. About 2,000 people were divided into groups of 200. Some received Polycap. Others were given some or all of its components as separate pills. Polycap alone dropped blood pressure as much as the three blood pressure pills alone. LDL (“bad”) cholesterol dropped 23% with Polycap and 28% with the statin. The study was presented at a conference. It was published online by the journal Lancet. The Associated Press wrote about it March 30.

Safety warnings have been issued for 1 out of 4 newer “biological” drugs, a study has found. The warnings were in response to serious side effects. These drugs are made from living materials. They often aim to boost the immune system. The study looked at U.S. and European drug approvals from 1995 through 2007. Safety warnings were issued through June 2008 for nearly 24% of the drugs. They included arthritis, cancer and heart failure drugs. The Associated Press wrote about the report October 22. It was in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Artery damage in young adults is more common for those whose mothers smoked during pregnancy, a study suggests. The trend was worse if both parents smoked. Researchers measured the thickness of the walls of the carotid arteries in 732 young adults. The carotid arteries lead to the brain. About 3 out of 10 mothers and 6 out of 10 fathers had smoked during the pregnancies. Their children were more likely to have a thick lining inside the artery walls. This can be a danger sign of heart disease to come. The study was in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology. HealthDay News wrote about it November 20.

Doctors should screen heart patients for depression, the American Heart Association says. Depression is three times more common in people who survive a heart attack or go into the hospital with heart problems. Depression can harm treatment and quality of life, the heart association said. Depressed patients may skip medicines. They may not exercise or improve their diets. The new statement was published in the journal Circulation. The Associated Press wrote about it September 30.