Category: news-perspectives

Though heart attacks have declined among older adults, a new study finds that rates have stayed the same for those under 55. And younger women continue to do worse than younger men after heart attacks. The new study covered the years 2001 through 2010. Researchers looked at records of nearly 231,000 hospital stays for heart attacks. All of the patients were ages 30 to 54. About one-quarter of them were women. Hospital-stay rates for heart attack remained about the same throughout the decade. This was true for both men and women. Women tended to stay longer in the hospital than men. They also were more likely to die in the hospital, though their death rates fell during the decade. Death rates remained the same for men. Black women were more likely than white women to have a hospital stay for a heart attack. There was not much difference between the rates for black and white men.

Going to a top-performing public high school can reduce very risky health behaviors among low-income teens, a new study suggests. These behaviors include binge drinking, substance use at school, risky sex and joining a gang. The study included high school students from low-income neighborhoods in Los Angeles who applied to top-performing charter schools. These schools choose students through a lottery. All of the students had similar test scores. They also came from similar family backgrounds. Researchers surveyed the health behaviors of two groups of students. One group included 521 students who got in to one of these top schools through the lottery. The other group included 409 students who applied but did not get in. The survey showed that 36% of the charter-school students compared with 42% of the other students admitted to very risky behaviors.

People infected with HIV in wealthier countries are 28% less likely to die early than they were in 1999, a new study shows. Only 29% of deaths were related to AIDS, the disease caused by HIV. They were still the most common cause of death, but death rates fell by about one-third. The study authors looked at medical data on about 50,000 HIV-infected people. They lived in Australia, Europe or the United States. The study covered the years 1999 through 2011. During these years, HIV medicines improved so much that many infected people who get regular treatment can live a normal life span. About 4,000 people in the study died. The rates of death from heart disease, stroke and related causes dropped by about two-thirds during the study period. Deaths from liver disease were cut in half. Death rates from cancers not linked with AIDS remained stable.

Giving extra potassium to everyone taking “water pills” might help people with heart failure live longer, a study suggests. Loop diuretics are often given for heart failure, which can cause people to retain fluid. Loop diuretics remove fluid through urine. But this also removes the important mineral potassium. The new study looked at Medicaid and death records for people in 5 states. Researchers focused on 360,000 Medicaid patients who began taking loop diuretics (often called “water pills”) in a 6-year period. About half of them were prescribed potassium pills at the same time they got their first diuretic prescription. They were compared with similar patients who did not get potassium pills. About 9% of those in the study died each year. But death rates were lower for those who received a prescription for potassium at the same time as the loop diuretic.

An automated program to monitor symptoms may improve pain treatment more than typical care, a study suggests. The study included 250 people who had long-term muscle or joint pain. They were randomly divided into 2 groups. One group was asked to report symptoms and answer other questions at regular intervals. This was the “telecare” group. People filed their reports using an automated telephone or Internet system. Based on this information, a nurse called from time to time with adjustments to the treatment plan. Doctors changed prescriptions and doses according to a set of rules based on research. The other group received usual care from their primary care doctors. After a year, more than half of the telecare group and one-quarter of the usual-care group reported at least a 30% improvement in pain levels.

People may be more likely to stop taking generic drugs if the color or shape changes, a new study suggests. Generic medicines may change color and shape if made by different manufacturers. This is more likely to occur if pharmacies switch suppliers or people switch pharmacies. In the new study, researchers looked at health insurance records for 11,500 people. All of them had heart attacks between 2006 and 2011. Each person received a new prescription for at least one generic heart drug. The four types were beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers and statins. During the next year, 29% of those in the study had at least one pill change to a different shape or size. People were 34% more likely to stop taking a medicine if the color changed. They were 66% more likely to quit if the pill shape changed.

Sleep-related deaths of younger babies occur most often when they are sharing a bed, a new study finds. But older babies are more likely than younger ones to die when there are pillows, toys or other objects in bed with them. Doctors advise parents to place babies on their backs to sleep. This can help to prevent SIDS and other sleep-related deaths. This new study looked at how a baby’s environment, as well as sleeping position, affects the risk of death. The study focused on 8,200 sleep-related deaths. Nearly 70% of the babies were sharing a bed at the time of death. About one-third were sleeping with an object, such as a pillow or toy. Researchers looked separately at deaths of babies younger and older than 4 months of age. Younger babies were twice as likely to be sharing a bed at the time of death. They were also more likely to be sleeping in an adult bed or on a person.

Does bad weather make your back hurt? Researchers have taken a close look at this question and concluded that the answer is no. The study included nearly 1,000 people. All of them visited primary care clinics because of acute (sudden) low back pain. Researchers looked at weather conditions when the back pain started, as well as a week and a month before. They found no connection between back pain and temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind direction or precipitation. Higher wind speeds and gusts were slightly more likely at the time the pain started than at other times. The journal Arthritis Care & Research published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it July 10.

Doctors have a moral duty to help protect athletes from the effects of concussions, a new policy statement says. The statement comes from the American Academy of Neurology. Neurologists treat concussions and other brain conditions. The statement says doctors should resist pressures from coaches, parents and others to return athletes to play too soon. Doctors also should educate athletes and their families about concussion risks that occur in sports. The statement calls for more baseline tests of brain function before the sports season begins. The doctors also urged creation of a national concussion registry. Reporting should be required, they said. And neurologists also should receive more training about concussions, the statement said. The journal Neurology published the statement. HealthDay News wrote about it July 9.

Another study has added to the debate about whether some common pain relievers can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. The new study looks at nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Many people take aspirin, one type of NSAID, to help prevent heart attacks. But the others carry a label warning about a possible increased risk of heart attacks. NSAIDs include ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil and generics) and naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve and generics). They also include the prescription drug celecoxib (Celebrex). The new study looked at the use of NSAIDs in 160,000 older women. They were part of the Women’s Health Initiative study. That study looked at older women’s use of hormone therapy. But it also recorded all of the medicines they took. The new study found a higher risk of heart attack and stroke among women who used naproxen or celecoxib.