Category: news-perspectives

Men with prostate cancer and diabetes may survive longer if they take metformin instead of other diabetes drugs, a study finds. The study included more than 3,800 men ages 67 or older who had diabetes. They later developed prostate cancer, at an average age of 75. About one-third were taking metformin when the study started. Others used different diabetes drugs. Researchers kept track of the men for more than 4 years after their cancer diagnosis. Men who took metformin were less likely to die of prostate cancer or any cause than men who took other diabetes drugs. The death risk was 24% lower for each 6 months they took metformin after their cancer diagnosis. Metformin helps the body to use insulin better to turn glucose (sugar) into energy. This means the pancreas needs to make less insulin. Research suggests that insulin might help cancer cells to grow.

Teenagers are not using smokeless tobacco to avoid the health hazards of smoking, a new study finds. In fact, almost three-quarters of teen smokeless tobacco users also smoke. The new study was based on a national health survey of 18,866 students in grades 6 through 12. About 5.6% said they used some form of smokeless tobacco. Nearly all of them used tobacco, snuff or dip. Almost 2% used snus, and 0.3% used dissolvable tobacco. Boys were more than 4 times as likely as girls to have the smokeless habit. Among youth who used any smokeless product, 72% smoked as well. The authors said doctors should ask their young patients whether they use any tobacco products, and stress that all are harmful. Smokeless tobacco use was highest, 10.8%, for those ages 18 and up. About 2% of children ages 9 through 11 were users. The journal Pediatrics published the study online.

Putting a tattoo over a mole or birthmark can make it more difficult to notice changes that can lead to cancer, a new report suggests. The authors discuss the case of a young man who decided to have a large tattoo removed by laser. Doctors examined him and noticed a mole under the tattoo. It did not appear to be cancerous, but they suggested removing it. The man refused. During the next seven years of treatments to remove the tattoo, doctors became more concerned about how the mole looked. Finally, the man agreed to let them remove it. The mole turned out to be a melanoma. Sixteen similar cases have been reported in English-language journals, the authors said. They said that in general tattoos should not be placed over a mole or birthmark. If they are, the tattoos should not be removed by laser.

Older adults with anemia may be more likely to develop dementia. That’s the finding of a new study. Researchers looked at blood samples for more than 2,500 men and women in their 70s. About 400 had anemia. This means they had lower than normal levels of red blood cells. The study lasted 11 years. In that time, about 23% of those with anemia developed dementia. So did 17% of those without anemia. Researchers also adjusted their numbers to account for differences in age, race, sex, education and other factors between the 2 groups. They found that people with anemia were 41% more likely to develop dementia than those without anemia. The study does not prove that anemia causes dementia. Some other condition or lifestyle factor could increase the risk of both. The journal Neurology published the study online. HealthDay News wrote about it July 31.

Hospitals can improve the discharge process for patients with heart failure, a new study finds. Following all 6 steps could reduce new hospital stays within 30 days. And that could save $100 million for the health care system, the study estimates. Researchers surveyed nearly 600 hospitals. They were part of a program to reduce hospital admissions for heart failure. On average, nearly 1 in 4 patients returned within 30 days after a hospital stay for heart failure. But specific steps were linked with a lower return rate. These hospitals had nurses supervise medicine plans. They also scheduled follow-up appointments before the patient left. They worked with other hospitals to use similar processes. They set up partnerships with doctors in the community. They sent discharge information to the patients’ doctors. And they called patients with test results that came in after discharge.

Doctors need to talk about sex with their heart patients. That’s the new advice from the American Heart Association and the European Society of Cardiology. For most people, sex is safe even after a heart attack, the statement says. But patients hesitate to bring up the subject. So do doctors, but that needs to change, the statement says. It suggests specific steps for doctors to take after someone has a heart attack, stroke or other serious event. They should check to see if the patient is healthy enough for sex, ordering tests if necessary. Counseling should be geared toward each person’s needs. If there’s any need for restrictions, doctors should suggest specific positions or how to be intimate without having sex. There are also suggestions for patients.

A government advisory group is recommending for the first time that heavy long-term smokers get regular tests for lung cancer. The advice comes from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Under the 2010 health reform law, insurance must cover cancer screening tests that the task force recommends. The new task force advice says that some smokers should get low-dose computed tomography (CT) scans of the lungs each year. The purpose is to find cancers early enough so they can be treated. The tests are recommended for people ages 55 through 79 who have smoked for at least 30 “pack-years.” This includes people who smoked a pack a day for 30 years or 2 packs a day for 15 years. It includes former as well as current smokers, but not those who quit at least 15 years ago. The advice is not final. Public comments will be accepted first, through August 26.

Boys with autism or attention disorders may be more likely to become addicted to video games, a small study suggests. The study included 56 boys with autism spectrum disorder and 44 boys with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Their parents answered questions about video game habits. They also were asked about the boys’ autism or ADHD symptoms. Parents of 41 boys with more typical development also were asked about video game habits. The boys’ ages ranged from 8 to 18. Habits linked with video game addiction were more common among boys with autism or ADHD. Attention problems also were linked with problem video game use. Among boys with autism, signs of addiction were more common for those who preferred role-playing games. Boys with autism played video games an average of 2.1 hours daily.

In another blow to the potential treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, human testing of a drug called semagacestat has been halted. It was hoped that the drug would block gamma secretase, an enzyme that makes beta amyloid. Beta amyloid is a protein that appears to “clog” the brains of people with Alzheimer’s. The study included more than 1,500 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s. Those taking the test drug had a faster mental decline than people taking the placebo or fake medicine. Those on the test drug also had serious side effects. But there is a silver lining. The drug maker, Eli Lilly, made all its results public. This can help other researchers. The study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. Health Day News wrote about it on July 24.

Stopping your cholesterol-lowering drugs may increase your risk of Parkinson’s disease, a new study suggests. The study involved 43,810 people in Taiwan who were taking statins and did not have Parkinson’s disease when the study began. Researchers used pharmacy records to verify statin use. People who stopped taking certain statins had a 58% higher risk of Parkinson’s disease than those who continued taking their statin medicine. Only statins such as simvastatin and atorvastatin were associated with a reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease. These are “fat soluble.” They tend to deposit in fat-containing tissues and are thought to get into brain tissue more easily than other statins. People who took water-soluble statins, such as pravastatin and rosuvastatin, did not have a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease compared to those who stopped the drug.