Category: news-perspectives

Kids who are “fussy” as babies may end up watching more TV as parents try to soothe them, a new study suggests. The new research looked at data on nearly 7,500 children from a larger study of child development. When the children were 9 months and 2 years old, parents filled out questionnaires. The asked whether children had problems with sleeping, eating, paying attention or controlling mood and behavior. Experts call this “self-regulation.” If these skills are poor, parents may say the baby is fussy. When their children were 2, parents also were asked about TV habits. On average, kids watched 2.3 hours of TV or videos each day. Babies who had problems with self-regulation watched more TV than kids who didn’t have such problems. This was true even after researchers adjusted their numbers to account for factors known to affect children’s TV watching habits.

A new report questions the practice of governments stockpiling drugs to prepare for wide-scale flu outbreaks. The nonprofit Cochrane Collaboration released the report. Cochrane assembled a group of flu experts. They reviewed nearly 50 studies of the antiviral drugs oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza). These included internal reports from drug companies and the European Medicines Agency. The review concluded that these drugs can shorten flu symptoms in adults by about half a day. But the evidence does not show that they can help stop flu from spreading, Cochrane said. And they also didn’t keep people from developing pneumonia or other serious illness from flu. Since the H1N1 “swine flu” pandemic of 2009, the United States has spent $1.3 billion on these medicines. Several other governments also have bought large supplies. An official of the U.S.

Diets high in saturated fat may increase the chance of developing 3 common types of breast cancer, a new study says. The study included more than 337,000 women who answered questions about diet. In the next 11½ years, about 10,000 were diagnosed with breast cancer. Researchers adjusted the numbers to account for other things that can affect breast cancer risk. They found that women whose diets were high in total fat and saturated fat were 30% more likely to develop 2 specific types of breast cancer than women who ate the least fat. These cancers are known as estrogen-receptor (ER) positive and progesterone-receptor (PR) positive. They grow in response to hormones. Women who ate the most saturated fat were also more likely to develop HER2-negative breast cancer. These cancers do not contain the HER2 protein, which promotes cancer growth.

A daily low-dose aspirin may help prevent preeclampsia in women at high risk of this dangerous pregnancy problem, an expert group says. The new advice comes from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. This independent group provides guidance to doctors and the government on preventive care. Preeclampsia causes high blood pressure, swelling and protein in the urine. It can decrease the blood supply to the fetus and to the mother’s organs. The fetus may grow slowly. Early delivery may be required to prevent stroke in the mother. Preeclampsia can lead to eclampsia, which produces seizures. Preeclampsia is more likely for women who had high blood pressure or diabetes before pregnancy and for those pregnant with twins or more. For these women and some others, the task force recommends a daily baby aspirin (81 milligrams) starting in the second trimester.

Women who drink more milk may be able to fend off severe osteoarthritis longer, a new study suggests. The study included 1,260 women and almost 900 men with knee arthritis. They answered questions about what they ate. Researchers also X-rayed people’s knees at the start of the study and then each year for 4 years. Osteoarthritis grew worse more slowly in women who drank more low-fat or fat-free milk. But it got worse faster in women who ate more cheese. Eating yogurt had no effect. None of these links were seen in men. The study does not show that drinking milk actually prevented arthritis from getting worse. Researchers said more studies are needed. Experts interviewed by HealthDay News noted that milk contains calcium, vitamin D and other nutrients that have a role in bone health. They noted that estrogen also affects bone health.

An education program for parents can reduce incorrect use of medicines and emergency room visits for colds, a new study found. The study included 154 families enrolled in Early Head Start. This is a government program for low-income infants, toddlers and pregnant women. Parents were randomly divided into 2 groups. One group learned about what causes colds and flu. They were taught about how to use saline drops, a bulb syringe, a humidifier and other tools that did not involve medicines. The program also discussed over-the-counter medicines. Parents learned when and how to use them, when to avoid them and how to measure them. They also learned about proper use of antibiotics and home remedies and when to see a doctor. The other group of parents got no extra instruction. Families then reported weekly for 5 months on illnesses in their children and how they cared for them.

People with blood sugar just below diabetes levels may live longer with diet and exercise, a new study has found. The study included 438 people who were randomly assigned to a program of diet and exercise and 138 who did not make specific changes. All of them had pre-diabetes. This condition is defined by blood-sugar levels that are above normal but not as high as those in diabetes. But people with this condition have a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Diet and exercise, including weight loss, can lower the odds of developing type 2 diabetes in people with pre-diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes have twice the average risk of dying from heart disease or stroke. In this new study, researchers kept track of people for about 20 years. About 12% of those in the diet and exercise group died of heart disease, stroke or related causes.

Current evidence still doesn’t show any clear benefits from taking vitamin D pills, 2 new reports say. One report looked at hundreds of studies, including those that pulled together results from prior studies. The authors found that vitamin D’s effects have been examined closely for only 10 conditions. And there’s only enough evidence to say that vitamin D levels could affect 1 of them, the authors said. They found an apparent link between vitamin D levels late in pregnancy and the birth weight of children. The other new study examined previous studies that focused on death rates. Fourteen of the most reliable studies, known as known as randomized controlled trials, found an average 11% lower risk of death among those taking vitamin D3 pills. But death rates were up slightly for people taking vitamin D2. However, these studies were mostly small and included mostly older adults.

Physically fit young adults may have more nimble brains later on, a new study suggests. The study included 2,700 men and women. They were 18 to 30 years old when the study began. They were given treadmill tests that involved walking or running as the speed and incline of the treadmill increased. On average, people lasted about 10 minutes before they had to stop. Then they took the same test 20 years later. On average, time on the treadmill decreased by just under 3 minutes. About 25 years after the first treadmill test, people were given tests of memory and mental reaction time. People who performed better on the first treadmill tests also did better on these memory and thinking tests. There were also “trick questions.” An example might be asking the color of the word “yellow,” which was written in green (correct answer: “green”).

Artery stiffness may increase the odds of developing dementia, a new study suggests. People are more likely to develop both stiff blood vessels and dementia as they grow older. The new study looked at links between these conditions in 81 adults. All were age 83 or older. They did not have dementia when the study began. Researchers gave them positron emission tomography (PET) scans of the brain. They also estimated artery stiffness by measuring how fast blood moves through the body. They repeated the tests 2 years later. At the beginning, 48% of those in the study had beta amyloid plaques in the brain. Larger amounts of beta amyloid are linked with Alzheimer’s disease. Two years later, 75% had amyloid deposits. People with stiffer arteries were more likely to have these deposits. The journal JAMA Neurology published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it March 31.