Category: news-perspectives

“Low T,” or testosterone, may not cause all of the symptoms of so-called male menopause, a new study suggests. In fact, low levels of the female hormone estrogen may play a role as well, the study finds. And there was no clear cutoff for “low” testosterone. The study included 400 healthy young and middle-aged men. They were given a drug to suppress natural production of both testosterone and estrogen. Then they were given either testosterone gel (in different doses) or a placebo (fake) gel to apply for 16 weeks. In men, some testosterone is converted to an estrogen called estradiol. Half of the men also were given a medicine that blocked this from happening. After 16 weeks, the loss of either hormone was linked with reduced sexual function. Men with lower levels of testosterone had more loss of muscle mass and strength. Low estradiol was linked with increases in body fat.

Heart patients with a positive outlook may be less likely to die early. And that might be because they’re also more likely to exercise, a new study finds. The study included 607 people with coronary artery disease. They were given a standard survey called the Global Mood Scale. It measured the ability to feel and show positive attitudes such as enthusiasm, joy and pleasure. They also were asked about their exercise habits. People with positive attitudes were twice as likely to exercise regularly as those with negative attitudes. Researchers kept track of people for 5 years. During this time, people with positive attitudes were 42% less likely than to die from any cause. The journal Circulation published the study September 11. MedPage Today wrote about it.

A new study suggests that moderate alcohol use in early pregnancy may not cause early birth or low birth weight for babies. But the authors say it’s still unclear whether any level of drinking during pregnancy can be defined as safe. The study included more than 5,600 women. They were interviewed between the 14th and 16th weeks of pregnancy. About 60% said they drank some amount of alcohol during pregnancy. This included only 5% who drank heavily. This was defined as more than 14 drinks a week. About 20% had 1 or 2 drinks a week. About 25% had 3 to 7 drinks and 10% had 8 to 14 drinks per week. More than one-third of all the women had 6 or more drinks in a single session before becoming pregnant. In this study, that was defined as binge drinking. Nearly one-quarter of the same women also binged during pregnancy.

Use of e-cigarettes by U.S. teens doubled in just a year, a new report says. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the report. It was based on the National Youth Tobacco Survey from 2011 and 2012. The surveys included students in grades 6 through 12. The percentage of high school students who had ever used e-cigarettes rose from 4.7% to 10%. About 2.8% had used them in the last month, compared with 1.5% in the first year of the survey. Numbers for middle school students were smaller, but they also doubled. Electronic cigarettes don’t burn tobacco. They release a vapor that often contains nicotine. The tobacco industry says they can be used to help adults quit smoking. But that’s not how the teenagers were using them. About 76% of e-cigarette users also smoked cigarettes. Among middle schoolers, 20% of users had never smoked tobacco.

Groggy grocery buying can make you fat. That’s one possible conclusion from a new study. Researchers gave 14 normal-weight men about $50 each to spend on a morning shopping trip. This occurred after they had been sleep deprived the night before. They repeated the shopping excursion on the morning after a normal night’s sleep. In each case, the men could choose any of 40 foods to buy. The list was evenly split between high-calorie and low-calorie items. They were supposed to spend most of the money. Before both trips, the men were given a hearty breakfast so they wouldn’t be hungry. Men bought 18% more food, with 9% more calories, after being sleep deprived than after having enough sleep. The journal Obesity published the study online. HealthDay News wrote about it September 5.

People having heart attacks are getting treatment faster in hospitals, a new study shows. But death rates have not dropped, the study found. Many people having heart attacks receive angioplasty. This procedure uses a tiny balloon. It is inflated inside an artery to open up a blockage. Hospitals have tried to improve how fast they get the procedure done after someone reaches the hospital. This is called “door-to-balloon time.” The new study included nearly 100,000 people treated for heart attacks. Researchers compared 2 periods of time. Between July 2005 and June 2006, the average door-to-balloon time was 83 minutes. That dropped to 67 minutes in the year from July 2008 through June 2009. In the first year, 60% of the patients had a door-to-balloon time of less than 90 minutes. That jumped to 83% in the last year of the study.

At least 200,000 deaths from heart disease and stroke each year are preventable, a new report says. More than half of these deaths occur in people under age 65. The overall rate of preventable deaths from heart disease and stroke went down by 29% between 2001 and 2010. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the report September 3. It was based on information collected in 2010. The report also found that blacks are nearly twice as likely as whites to die early from heart disease and stroke. Men have the highest risk of death. The number of avoidable deaths varies by region. Southern states have the highest preventable death rates. To save lives, people need to stop smoking, get more activity and eat less salt. Managing high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes is also key.

Children ages 6 months and older should get vaccinated against the seasonal flu as soon as the vaccine is available. This recommendation is from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). There are two vaccines this year. The trivalent vaccine protects against three strains of the virus. A new quadrivalent vaccine protects against the original three plus a fourth strain. The AAP is not recommending one vaccine over the other. It wants everyone to get vaccinated at the earliest chance so they are protected. The journal Pediatrics published the recommendations online. HealthDay News wrote about it September 2.

Cases of West Nile illness are being reported at about triple the usual rate, U.S. health officials say. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said there have been 1,118 human cases so far in 2012. About half have been in Texas. In a typical year, the CDC said, fewer than 300 cases are reported by the middle of August. Most cases are reported in August and September. CDC officials suggested that the mild winter, early spring and very hot summer have spurred breeding of the mosquitoes that carry the disease. They spread it by biting infected birds and then biting humans or other animals. Only 1 person out of 5 gets sick from the infection. Symptoms usually are mild. About 1 person out of 150 has a serious illness. The most severe symptoms include neck stiffness, paralysis and coma. The Associated Press wrote about the outbreak August 22.

Babies develop normally when they are fed either breast milk or formula, a new study confirms. Babies’ brains developed equally well when fed either cow’s milk or soy formulas. Those who got breast milk had slightly better learning and thinking skills. The study was based on tests of 391 healthy infants. They received tests of mental development at ages 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. The journal Pediatrics published the study online May 28.