Category: news-perspectives

Increased heart risk among women who took hormones in a study faded in the three years after they quit, researchers say. The study of hormone use after menopause was halted in 2002. Women assigned to take hormones were told to quit because they showed a higher risk of heart disease and breast cancer than women who took fake pills. In the next two to three years, heart risk returned to normal, the new study found. But overall cancer risk was 24% higher than for women who took fake pills. The Associated Press wrote about the study March 5. It appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

U.S. adults are getting too little sleep, and it’s affecting their work, a survey has found. The average reported was 6 hours and 40 minutes a night. That’s about 40 minutes less than people need. The survey was conducted among a random sample of 1,000 U.S. adults. About 1 in 3 people said they had been sleepy or fallen asleep at work in the last month. The survey also found that sometimes work is keeping people up. They said they were working more hours, including more than four hours a week at home. The survey came from the National Sleep Foundation. The Association Press reported on it March 3.

Talking about sex with your kids shouldn’t just be a one-time thing, new research suggests. The study included 312 teens and their parents. They privately filled out questionnaires about their sex-related talks with each other. Kids who had more talks about sex with their parents felt closer to them. Some families covered more topics in their talks than others. Teens in these families felt more comfortable talking about sex with their parents. HealthDay News reported on the study March 3. It was published in the journal Pediatrics.

It’s not clear whether gingko biloba can protect against memory loss, a study has concluded. The study included 118 men and women age 85 or older. All had normal memory function. They were randomly assigned to take either gingko biloba or a placebo (fake pill) daily. Within three years, 21 people developed mild memory problems. Of these, 14 took the placebo and 7 took gingko. Researchers said this trend could have been the result of chance. Then they looked at people who actually took their pills regularly. Those who took gingko had a 70% lower risk of memory problems. HealthDay News wrote about the study February 28. It was in the journal Neurology.

People don’t get much better with popular drugs for depression than they do with a placebo, says a new study. The drugs are only effective for those with the most severe depression, the researchers found. The study looked at data from 35 studies. Some had never been published. The drugs included Prozac, Effexor, Serzone and Paxil. Serzone is not sold in the United States. The authors said these drugs should be prescribed only for severe depression. Reuters Health news service wrote about the study February 26. It was published in the journal Public Library of Science Medicine.

People often get other drugs to fight the side effects of cancer drugs. But the other drugs can increase the risk of blood clots and death, a study finds. The study combined results of 51 earlier studies. They included more than 13,000 people with cancer. Some took erythropoiesis-stimulating agents to fight anemia. They had a 57% greater risk of venous thromboembolism. This is a type of blood clot. They had a 10% higher risk of death. HealthDay News wrote about the study February 26. It was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Doctors believe that gene information may someday improve treatments. But some people are afraid to get genetic tests, the New York Times reported February 24. They are afraid that the results might be used against them by insurance companies. There is little evidence that this has occurred, the Times said. A bill in Congress would forbid companies to deny coverage or raise rates based on a person’s genes. The House passed the bill last year. It is awaiting action in the Senate.

Kids could drink fewer sugary sodas if they cut back on salt, a study suggests. The study used diet survey data for 1,688 children, ages 4 to 18. Kids who ate more salt also drank more fluids. Researchers estimated that if kids used half as much salt, they would drink 18 ounces less of sweetened soda every day. The Associated Press wrote about the study February 21. It was published in the journal Hypertension.

The stroke rate among middle-aged U.S. women tripled in 10 years, surveys show. Researchers blame the increase on obesity. The first survey occurred from 1988 to 1994. Just over one-half of 1% of women ages 35 to 54 reported strokes in that time. The most recent survey was from 1999 to 2004. Nearly 2% of women in that age group reported strokes. The average waist size was about two inches larger in the second survey. Their average body mass index rose from 27 to 29. Both measures show a rise in obesity. The Associated Press reported on the study February 21. It was presented at a medical conference.

If your heart stops in the hospital, you’re more likely to die if it happens late at night, a study has found. The study looked at more than 86,000 cardiac arrests in U.S. hospitals. About 20% of those who had a cardiac arrest on the day or evening shift survived and left the hospital. For the night shift, 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., survival was only 15%. Hospitals have lower staffing at night. On the night shift, patients were more likely to be found too late to restart the heart with an electric shock. The Associated Press wrote about the study February 20. It was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.