Category: news-perspectives

Doctors prescribe antibiotics twice as often as needed for children with common respiratory infections, a new study concludes. The study was based on 24 previous articles. They were published between 2000 and 2012. This was after the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine was approved. This vaccine has prevented many cases of childhood illness caused by bacteria. The studies looked at how often ear, throat and sinus infections were caused by bacteria. Researchers could not find any studies on nasal or lung (bronchial) infections that met their standards. They also looked at treatment guidelines. Guidelines do not recommend antibiotics in many cases for these 5 infections. Many cases are caused by viruses. Some infections caused by bacteria also may get better on their own.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced approval for the third new diet drug since 2012. Contrave combines two drugs that were already approved. One, naltrexone, is used to treat alcohol and drug addiction. The other, buproprion, is used to treat depression and help smokers quit. Contrave is approved for use by obese adults. It also is approved for overweight adults who have at least one other condition related to excess weight, such as type 2 diabetes. In studies, 36% to 42% of those who took Contrave and 17% to 18% of those who took a placebo lost at least 5% of their body weight. The studies included a total of 4,500 people. Everyone also followed a reduced-calorie diet and a program of regular exercise. Contrave can increase blood pressure or cause seizures in some people. The drug is made by Orexigen Therapeutics of La Jolla, California.

A small study has found an association between poor sleep patterns and a reduction in brain volume over time. This does not mean that poor sleep caused the changes in brain size. Those changes may have caused the poor sleep patterns, or both things may be related to a third factor. The study included 147 adults. Over several years, they answered questions about sleep. They also underwent MRI scans of the brain. About one-third of people in the study had definite sleep problems. Those people tended to lose brain volume faster than people who slept well.

When it comes to weight loss, there is no “magic” diet, says a review of published studies. The review looked at 48 studies involving more than 7,000 people. Some were on low-carb diets, such as Atkins or South Beach. Others followed low-fat diets. People lost an average of 18 pounds over 6 months, regardless of the diet they followed. People tended to lose a few more pounds if the program told them to exercise, or if they had behavioral counseling at least twice a month for the first 3 months. By the one-year mark, however, most people had gained back 2 to 4 pounds. The study focused only on weight loss; it did not look at heart-disease risk or other health effects. The researchers say that the standard weight-loss advice of cutting calories and exercising still stands. They also say that the best diet is the one that a person can stick with over time.

Fit men tend to develop rising blood pressure nearly a decade later than those who are less fit, a study finds. The new research is based on data from a long-term health study. It included nearly 14,000 men. They received treadmill tests to measure fitness levels. On average, they received physical exams 4 times in up to 30 years of follow-up. Men in this study did not have a history of heart attack, stroke or cancer. Men who had high blood pressure or developed it during the study also were excluded. Instead of high blood pressure, the study looked at when men developed pre-hypertension. This is above-normal blood pressure, but not high enough for a diagnosis of high blood pressure. The average man with a low fitness level developed a systolic blood pressure of 120 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) at age 46. This is the threshold for prehypertension.

People who have low-risk colon polyps removed may have a lower-than-average risk of future colon cancer, a new study suggests. But those who have high-risk polyps removed may still have a higher risk. The study was done in Norway. It was based on data for nearly 41,000 people. They had colorectal polyps called adenomas removed during a colonoscopy. This test uses an instrument to look inside the colon for cancer. Adenomas are removed because they sometimes become cancerous. The study group was divided into low-risk and high-risk groups. The low-risk group had a single polyp smaller than 1 centimeter removed. During about 8 years of follow-up, people in this group were 25% less likely to die of colon cancer than someone in the general population. People in the high-risk group had large or multiple polyps removed.

Aspirin may offer some long-term protection for people who have had blood clots in the legs or lungs, a new study suggests. The study combined the results of two similar, smaller studies. They included 1,224 people who had a previous deep-vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in the legs or lungs. In each case, there was no likely cause, such as recent surgery. They were treated with heparin to dissolve the clot. In this situation, the risk of another clot is about 10% in the next year. To reduce the risk, people take warfarin or another blood thinner for 6 months to a year. But then most people stop taking the drugs because they increase the risk of bleeding. Everyone in these studies had completed initial treatment. They were randomly assigned to further treatment with daily low-dose aspirin or placebo (fake) pills.

A new survey suggests that about 15% of Americans have what’s sometimes known as “sleep drunkenness.” Doctors call it confusional arousal. This means that you wake up feeling confused and not knowing where you are, perhaps for up to 10 minutes. The new study was based on interviews with more than 19,000 adults. They were asked about their sleep habits, mental health and medicines. About 15% said they had a confusional arousal incident in the last year. More than half of this group said they had the incidents more often — more than once a week. Most of those who had episodes of sleep drunkenness also had another sleep disorder, mental health disorder or both. Just over 70% had a sleep disorder. About 37% had a mental health disorder. More than 31% took medicines for a mental health issue, mostly antidepressants. The journal Neurology published the study.

Most high schools and middle schools should start classes later in the morning, a large group of children’s doctors says. The change would help teenagers get more sleep. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says the ideal time to start classes would be 8:30 a.m. or later. Only about 15% of U.S. high schools have that schedule now. At the earliest, classes should not start before 8 a.m., the AAP says. The main reason is biology. As children, teenagers still need 8½ to 9½ hours of sleep daily. But it’s hard for them to fall asleep before 11 p.m. People start to feel sleepy when the brain releases melatonin. But that happens later for teens than for adults, an expert told HealthDay News. About 43% of U.S. public high schools start classes earlier than 8 a.m. Obstacles to change include the effects on bus schedules for all grades, student jobs, sports and other activities.

Two Americans treated for Ebola infection were released from Emory University Hospital this week. Kent Brantly, M.D., 33, and Nancy Writebol, 59, were infected while working at a hospital in Liberia. They were part of the mission groups Samaritan’s Purse and SIM. Dr. Brantly and Writebol were flown home in a specially equipped plane in early August. Both were treated in an isolation unit at Emory. They were given an experimental drug, ZMapp. The drug is so new it has not been tested in humans. It’s not known whether the drug helped them or if they would have recovered anyway. Standard treatment involves fluids, pain medicines and other supportive care. Emory doctors said the two are no longer infectious. Dr. Brantly appeared at a news conference August 21. He thanked and hugged members of the medical staff who cared for him. Writebol’s husband released a statement.