Category: news-perspectives

An intense program that does not involve surgery can help some extremely obese people lose weight, a new study found. The study included 390 adults. They had a body mass index of 40 or more, which is very obese. People were randomly assigned to a weight-loss program or an Internet program. The program included medicine, a short-term liquid diet, a longer-term diet and group counseling. About half of each group stayed in the study for two years. In that time, 31% of those in the intensive program lost 5% or more of their body weight. About 7% lost at least 20% of their body weight. Those who received usual care lost less weight. About 9% of them lost at least 5% of their weight. About 1% of this group lost 20% or more. The study appeared January 26 in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

Generic drugs treat heart and artery disease just as well as brand-name drugs do, a study concludes. Yet some doctors and patients don’t think they are as good, the authors say. The article looked at studies that compared brand-name drugs and their generic copies. Nearly all found they were equally effective. But related editorials did not agree. Half of them discouraged using generics. Most editorials did not list whether the authors received drug company funds. HealthDay News wrote about the article December 2. It appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Birth defects are much more likely if the mother is diabetic, researchers say. The new study used birth records for 10 states. Researchers looked at 13,000 births involving a birth defect. They were compared with 5,000 healthy births. Birth defects were three to four times more common if the mother had diabetes before pregnancy. Nearly 40 types of birth defects were involved. Prior research had not linked this many types to diabetes. The Associated Press wrote about the study July 30. It was in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

A controversial new study suggests that rules barring air travel by people with tuberculosis (TB) are too strict. The study reviewed 13 previous studies. It found that there’s little risk of catching TB from another passenger. U.S. health officials disagreed with the conclusions. So did an expert interviewed by the Associated Press. Global and U.S. rules require testing fellow passengers when a TB infection is found later in someone who flew recently. The study looked at research on 4,300 people who were on a flight with someone who had TB. Only 10 TB infections later were diagnosed. No one had active TB disease. The study’s author said tests should be done only if the infected person has infected others. But he supported more caution in the case of drug-resistant TB. The study was published February 21 in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Two drugs are a bit better than others for major depression, a new study concludes. Researchers used data from more than 100 studies. They looked at benefits, side effects and cost of 12 newer drugs. Researchers concluded that sertraline and escitalopram were slightly better than the others. Sertraline is sold as Zoloft and generics. Escitalopram is sold as Lexapro, Cipralex and other brands. The study was published online by the journal Lancet. The Associated Press wrote about it January 29.

Face masks are everywhere in Mexico City as people try to protect themselves from swine flu, the Associated Press says. The government has handed out millions of them. But U.S. officials say there’s little evidence that they help to prevent the spread of flu. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not advised the public to use them. Some experts say masks might even cause harm. This could occur if people who wear them fail to take other precautions such as washing hands often.

Tiotroprium (Spiriva) does not keep chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from getting worse over time, a large study has found. But the drug does improve symptoms. The study included nearly 6,000 people with COPD. They were assigned to receive either tiotroprium or a placebo once a day. In four years, the disease got worse at the same rate in both groups. This was measured by the amount of air that can be exhaled in one minute. But people who got tiotropium did feel less shortness of breath. They also were less likely to end up in the hospital. The New England Journal of Medicine published the study online. HealthDay News wrote about it October 5.

People being treated for colon cancer who also take aspirin may cut their risk of death by nearly 30%, a study suggests. The study focused on nearly 1,300 people with colorectal cancer. All were involved in one of two larger studies. Their health had been tracked for an average of 12 years. All had surgery for colon cancer. Some had chemotherapy. Of the whole group, 549 used aspirin regularly. About 15% of them died of colorectal cancer. Of the 730 people who didn’t use aspirin, 19% died. Researchers said more study was needed. The ideal study would randomly assign people with colon cancer to take or not take aspirin. Aspirin can lead to side effects. It can cause bleeding in the stomach or intestines. The study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. The Associated Press wrote about it August 12.

About 8 out of 10 large U.S. companies are trying to help their workers better manage long-term health conditions, a survey has found. That’s an increase from half of the companies the year before. Some employers are providing personal health coaches or on-site clinics. Some are waiving copayments for some drugs. People with diabetes, heart disease and other conditions account for a large share of health insurance costs. Keeping these workers healthier can reduce costs. McClatchy-Tribune Information Services wrote about the trend April 3.

Some people with multiple sclerosis (MS) don’t get diagnosed right away. This is more likely if they also have other conditions, a new study finds. The study used files for more than 9,000 MS patients. MS was found 1 to 10 years later in people who also had other conditions. These included high blood pressure, high cholesterol and mental, artery or joint problems. People who were obese or smoked also were diagnosed later. The authors said the other problems may have been blamed for symptoms of MS. HealthDay News wrote about the study October 29. It was in the journal Neurology.