Category: news-perspectives

Women’s smoking patterns have been similar to men’s for a while now, and a new study shows the result — higher death rates. Women smokers in the 2000s died of lung cancer almost 26 times as often as women who never smoked. That’s about the same as the gap between men who do and don’t smoke. And it’s a big jump compared with women smokers in the 1980s. They died of lung cancer at 13 times the rate of nonsmoking women. In the 1960s, the risk for women smokers was only 3 times as high. The reason for the change, researchers said, is that women have been starting smoking earlier and smoking more cigarettes. And they’ve been doing that long enough for health effects to occur. Women smokers also have nearly caught up with men in their increased risk of emphysema and other smoking-related diseases. The study was based on statistics from the American Cancer Society.

Hearing loss may increase the risk of problems with memory and thinking in older adults, a study suggests. The study included 1,984 people in their 70s and 80s. At the start of the study, tests showed they had normal brain function. But 1,162 of them had problems with hearing. Researchers kept track of everyone for about 6 years. They repeated the tests of hearing and brain function 3 times. More than 600 people developed memory or thinking problems. Researchers adjusted their numbers to account for other factors that can increase the risk of mental decline, such as high blood pressure or low education. People with hearing problems were still 24% more likely to develop thinking and memory problems than people with normal hearing. Researchers noted that people who don’t hear well may not talk to other people as much.

Many children with medical conditions are using alternative therapies, a study suggests. Researchers surveyed parents of children who got medical care at specialty clinics in Canada. All of the children had long-term conditions. They included epilepsy, asthma, heart problems and cancer. About 71% of children at a clinic in western Canada used some type of complementary or alternative medicine (CAM). About 42% of those at a central Canada clinic used CAM. The most common CAM products used were multivitamins and minerals (85%). About 16% used herbal products. Nearly 12% used homeopathic products. The CAM practice used most often was massage (39%). More than 20% used chiropractic. About 16% each used relaxation and aromatherapy. The journal Pediatrics published the study online. MedPage Today wrote about it January 14.

A cough from a head or chest cold is likely to last longer than you think, a new study finds. That means you usually don’t need antibiotics for a lingering cough, researchers said. The study included nearly 500 adults. As part of a poll, they were asked how long they expected a cough to last. People estimated about 7 to 9 days. Researchers compared these answers with the results of 19 studies on treatment of coughs. The studies showed that, on average, an untreated cough lasts about 18 days — twice as long as people who were polled thought. Researchers said people who think their cough should be gone quickly are more likely to ask for an antibiotic when it hangs on longer. But most coughs are caused by viruses. Antibiotics don’t treat viral infections. They only treat infections caused by bacteria.

Early treatment for HIV infection strengthens the immune system better than waiting, a new study suggests. Researchers looked at records for 468 adults with HIV infection. Levels of CD4 cells, a key part of the immune system, rose during the first 4 months of the estimated date of infection. Then they began to drop as the infection killed the cells. People started taking medicines, called antiretroviral therapy (ART), at different times. CD4 cell counts recovered in 64% of those who started ART within 4 months of infection and 34% of those who started later. The New England Journal of Medicine published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it January 16.

With reminders, doctors may prescribe fewer antibiotics for bronchitis, a study finds. Antibiotics kill bacteria. They won’t help bronchitis, which is caused by a virus. But doctors prescribe antibiotics for 70% of U.S. patients with bronchitis. The new study included 33 medical offices. They were randomly divided into 3 groups. One group received posters that pointed out when antibiotics should and should not be used. The second group received advice through the office’s electronic records system. The third group did not get either form of decision support. The study lasted 6 months, October through March. Researchers kept track of antibiotic prescriptions for bronchitis during the study period. They compared this to the same period in the last 3 years. In the offices that got the posters, prescriptions dropped from 80% of bronchitis cases to 60.7%.

Flu is widespread in 47 states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said last week. That usually doesn’t happen until late January or February. The good news is that the flu vaccine is a good match for the viruses that are around this year. But protection is not perfect — about 62% on average so far, the CDC said January 11. A major type of virus circulating this year also tends to make people sicker than other types. As a result, hospitals from the Rocky Mountains to New England are crowded with flu cases. Boston declared a public health emergency last week. A hospital near Allentown, Pa., set up a tent outside its emergency room to handle the onslaught of cases. Health officials said the season seems severe because last year’s was so mild. But it’s too early to say whether this will turn out to be a bad year or just average.

Treating high blood pressure may also decrease the risk of dementia, new research suggests. The study included 774 deceased men who had high blood pressure while alive. Autopsy results showed fewer signs of dementia in the brains of men who had been treated for the condition. They had less brain shrinkage and fewer areas of brain cell death caused by mini-strokes. They also had fewer amyloid plaques and tangles, signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Treating high blood pressure can decrease the risk of strokes. But it’s unclear why treatment would prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Another surprise was that the men treated with beta-blockers had the healthiest looking brains. Beta-blockers are less effective than some other blood pressure medicines. But for those who used them brain damage was about half as severe as that for men who used other treatments.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered the makers of some sleep aids to reduce recommended doses for the drugs. The decision came after the FDA reviewed recent driving simulation studies. They showed that the drugs remained in some people’s bodies enough to affect driving 8 hours later. The new rule applies to sleep aids that contain the drug zolpidem. The drugs include Ambien, Edluar, Zolpimist and others. Problems with driving were seen most often in women. They process the drug more slowly than men. Therefore, the recommended dose for women will be cut in half, from 10 milligrams to 5 milligrams for regular products. Extended-release doses will drop from 12.5 to 6.25 milligrams. The FDA recommends that these doses apply to men, too. However, the changes will not be required for men. The Associated Press wrote about the announcement January 10.