Category: news-perspectives

Fish oil may not help to protect the brain, a new study suggests. Some prior research had found a protective effect. The new study looked at levels of one omega-3 fatty acid in the blood of more than 2,100 women. These fats are found in fish and fish oil supplements. The women were age 65 or older when the study began. They had normal brain function. Omega-3 levels were tested at the beginning of the study. The women took tests of thinking and memory each year for 6 years. Researchers found no link between their blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids and changes in brain function. Women with higher omega-3 levels were not less likely to develop dementia. Specific aspects of thinking or memory also did not decline more slowly in women with higher omega-3 levels. The journal Neurology published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it September 25.

Married people are more likely to survive cancer, a large new study finds. They also tend to have their cancer diagnosed at earlier stages and are more likely to get appropriate treatment. The study included about 735,000 people diagnosed with cancer. Married men were 23% less likely to die of their disease than those who were single, widowed or divorced. For married women, the advantage was narrower, 16%. Married people were 53% more likely to get appropriate treatment. They were 17% less likely to be diagnosed with cancer that had spread beyond its original site. The study included people with 10 different types of cancer. For 5 types of cancer, being married improved survival more than the known benefit of chemotherapy. Researchers said the study doesn’t show that being married actually causes the lower death rates. But they said it shows the importance of social support.

Costs for each Medicare patient treated for a heart attack rose 17% in the last decade, a new study finds. Only about 26% of that increase came in the first 30 days, including the hospital stay. The rest of the increase occurred in the next 11 months. Researchers looked at cost data for more than 300,000 patients. Each of them had a hospital stay for a heart attack in 1998, 1999 or 2008. The total number of hospital stays for heart attacks fell, probably because of better preventive treatments. But costs for each patient rose about $6,100. About $4,500 of the increase occurred later than the month after the heart attack. Costs paid for nursing homes, hospice, home health care, medical equipment and outpatient care nearly doubled. Researchers noted that Medicare limits what it will pay for heart attack treatment and the 30 days afterward.

Nearly all first-time mothers who want to breastfeed have concerns about the process, a new study finds. And those with early concerns are more likely to quit. The study included more than 500 first-time mothers. Researchers did 6 interviews with each woman. The first one was during pregnancy. The others came at 3, 7, 14, 30 and 60 days after birth. About 92% of new mothers reported 1 or more concerns about breastfeeding. Common concerns included breast pain, milk supply or the baby not latching on to the breast properly. Women who had concerns 3 or 7 days after birth were those most likely to quit breastfeeding. They were up to 9 times as likely to quit as women who had no concerns. Women who had no concerns at day 3 tended to be self-confident about breastfeeding and had a good support network.

People who take statin drugs to lower cholesterol may be more likely to develop cataracts, a large new study finds. Previous research has had mixed results. Some studies found a higher risk of cataract for people who took statins. Others found a lower risk. The new study included two groups of veterans, both men and women. The first part of the study focused on 14,000 veterans. Half took statins. They were compared with others who did not take statins but were otherwise similar. Each person was assigned a score based on age, diabetes, smoking and many other factors. The factors were chosen because they could affect people’s risk of having cataracts or needing to take statins. Researchers compared people with similar scores. Those who took statins were 9% more likely to have cataracts than those who didn’t take statins.

Screening tests for colon cancer reduce deaths by one-third to one-half, 2 new studies find. The first study included nearly 89,000 health professionals. Researchers kept track of them for about 22 years. People who had a screening colonoscopy that found no problems were 56% less likely to die of colon cancer than those who had no screening tests. Colon cancer deaths were 40% lower for people who had a screening sigmoidoscopy that found no problems. Both tests look at the inside of the colon. A colonoscopy looks at the whole colon. A sigmoidoscopy looks at only the lower portion. A second study randomly divided 46,500 older adults into 3 groups. Two groups received fecal occult blood tests. This test looks for blood in the stool, which can indicate possible colon cancer. The third group received “usual care.” Few people in this group got the test.

A program of long-term support may not help people with addictions any more than a brief visit and treatment referral, a study suggests. The study included nearly 600 adults who abused alcohol or drugs. They were randomly divided into 2 groups. One group was assigned to a program of chronic care management. It included medical care at a primary care clinic. People also received addiction and psychiatric treatment. They got counseling to help keep up their motivation and prevent relapse. People in the other group saw a primary care doctor and received a list of addiction treatment resources. They also could get 4 sessions aimed at strengthening their motivation to quit, and follow-up care. After a year, 44% of those in the chronic care group had quit drinking or using drugs. About 42% of those in the other group also had quit.

Drug-resistant bacteria cause at least 23,000 deaths in the United States each year. They infect more than 2 million people every year. And a focused campaign is needed to keep antibiotic resistance from wiping out our ability to cure infectious disease, U.S. health officials say. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched that campaign with a report and news conference. Officials listed 3 types of bacteria as an “urgent” threat and others as less urgent but still worrisome. The report outlines how antibiotic resistance has increased the risks of dialysis, cancer treatment and surgery. Excess use of antibiotics is the main cause. Up to half of the antibiotics prescribed in the United States are not necessary, the report said. It also called for an end to the use of antibiotics to promote growth of livestock.

Teens have improved some of their health habits, and excess weight has leveled off, the latest national survey suggests. The study was based on national surveys of kids in grades 6 through 10. The survey is conducted every 4 years. The first of 3 surveys began in 2001. The last one ended in 2010. In all, 34,000 teens were involved. They were asked their weight, height and questions about diet, exercise and screen time. Between the second and third surveys, the obesity rate leveled off and the rate of overweight teens dropped a bit. Teens reported eating more fruits and vegetables and fewer sweets. They also reported having fewer sweetened drinks. They ate breakfast on weekdays more often. They were more active and spent less time watching TV. However, video game and computer use went up a bit. The improvements were small. And researchers said there’s a long way to go.

A new scoring system may help predict who will have a reversal of diabetes after weight-loss surgery. The system was based on results for nearly 700 obese diabetics who had weight-loss surgery. Within 5 years, 63% had full or partial remission of diabetes. People in both groups were able to stop taking diabetes medicines. Full remission meant that blood sugar returned to normal. Those with partial remission had lower blood sugar, but it was still above normal. Researchers found that 4 factors helped to predict who would have at least partial remission. It was much less likely to occur in people who took insulin before surgery. Other factors included age, hemoglobin A1c level (a long-term measurement of blood sugar) and what other diabetes drugs a person took before surgery. Researchers assigned points to each factor.