Category: news-perspectives

For most people, fasting might not be necessary before cholesterol tests, a new study suggests. These blood tests usually measure 4 things: LDL (“bad cholesterol”), HDL (“good cholesterol”), total cholesterol and triglycerides. The standard practice is to fast (avoid eating and drinking) for at least 8 hours before the test. The new study looked at laboratory data for more than 200,000 people who had these tests done. Some people had fasted before the tests. Others had eaten recently. Researchers found that levels of total and HDL cholesterol varied only about 2% based on whether a person fasted or not. LDL levels varied less than 10%. Triglycerides varied the most, but still less than 20%. The journal Archives of Internal Medicine published the study. A commentary published in the journal said the results show that doctors may be able to use non-fasting tests for many patients.

In a new survey, about 2 out of 3 smoking parents who don’t allow smoking at home said they do allow it in the car. Among those who don’t have a no-smoking policy in the car, half allow smoking even when children are riding.. Researchers were surprised by the results. They said it shows people don’t realize that smoke in the car, and even the residue of past smoking, can harm children. Researchers interviewed about 800 smokers who had brought their children to a doctor’s office. About 3 out of 4 said that someone had smoked in their car in the last 3 months. About 1 out of 4 said they had a strict no-smoking policy for the car. Only about 12% said their child’s doctor had urged them not to allow smoking in the car. The journal Pediatrics published the study online. HealthDay News wrote about it November 12.

A couple of cups of coffee may help our brains process some words faster, a small experiment suggests. But we only get the message faster if the words are emotionally positive. The study included 66 healthy young men. They were told to consume no caffeine, nicotine or alcohol in the 12 hours before the experiment. The men were randomly divided into 2 groups. One group took a tablet containing 200 milligrams of coffee, about the amount in 2 to 3 cups of coffee. Each person in the other group received a placebo (fake) pill. Half an hour later, the men were given tests that involved being shown a series of real and invented words. They had to press buttons to indicate whether a word was real or not. Men who took the caffeine pills did this faster and more accurately for words with a positive emotional connotation.

Statin drugs to lower cholesterol may also reduce the risk of cancer death, a new study suggests. The study included 18,721 Danish adults who took statins before being diagnosed with cancer. They were compared with 277,204 cancer patients who had never used statins. People who took statins were 15% less likely to die of cancer or any other cause during a follow-up period. Researchers said that’s about the average benefit of chemotherapy. But experts said this doesn’t mean people with cancer should take statins. For example, death rates were not lower for those who took bigger doses of statins. Researchers look for that sort of relationship as evidence that a drug fights disease. The study also did not randomly assign people to receive a treatment or a placebo (fake). That means other factors could explain the results. The New England Journal of Medicine published the study.

Exercise probably is the best treatment other than surgery for knee pain caused by osteoarthritis, a research review finds. Current guidelines already recommend exercise. But the review did not support other recommended treatments. It found no long-term benefit from tai chi or massage. With electrical stimulation, pain actually got worse over time, the review found. The new study was based on a review of 193 earlier studies. It found that only a few types of physical therapy helped to reduce pain or disability or help function of the knee. Exercise worked best. The authors said people should get an exercise prescription from a physical therapist. Aerobic exercise or strength training both can help, they said. Sticking with the plan improved results. But strenuous workouts were no better than moderate exercise. The journal Annals of Internal Medicine published the study.

Medical advice about cutting back on screen time didn’t lead to a reduction for 3-year-olds, a study found. But the children did eat fewer meals in front of the TV. The study included 160 families. All had a child who was seeing a doctor for the regular 3-year-old “well visit.” All of the families got information about media safety. They also answered questions about kids’ eating and media habits. Half of the families, chosen at random, also received more advice. They were told about the health impact of excess screen time, such as TV and video games. They were given strategies to cut back. These included keeping TVs out of kids’ rooms and not watching during meals. One year later, screen time remained the same for children in both groups. But kids whose parents were urged to limit screen time cut back from 1.9 meals a day in front of the TV to 1.6 meals a day.

Even the healthiest middle-age Americans have a 1 in 3 chance of heart problems or a stroke later in life, a new study finds. But they’ll avoid these diseases longer than less healthy peers. These estimates are based on numbers from 5 large, long-term studies. They included nearly 50,000 people ages 45 and older. Authors of the new study looked at long-term health for people based on whether they had health conditions that increase risk. The healthiest adults were those who didn’t smoke and didn’t have diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Among those who fit this healthy profile at age 55, about one-third developed heart or blood vessel problems. The problems included a heart attack, stroke, heart failure, chest pain caused by clogged arteries, or death related to one of these conditions.

Popular drugs for depression may lead to more risks than benefits for pregnant women, a review of research finds. The review focused on women who had problems getting pregnant. But the studies reviewed also included other pregnant women. The most popular drugs for depression are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Prior research has linked the use of some of these drugs during pregnancy with higher risks of miscarriage, birth defects and preterm (early) birth. The strongest evidence of risk has been seen for paroxetine (Paxil). Some studies also suggest effects on the babies’ behavior and health. The new review of research found no evidence that treating depression with drugs can lead to a healthier pregnancy or birth. The study did conclude that talk therapy can reduce depression symptoms. This type of treatment does not require drugs.

A newer drug appears to work well against head lice, researchers report. The new study used a lotion made with ivermectin, an insecticide. Researchers randomly divided 765 children who were infested with head lice into 2 groups. One group received ivermectin lotion. The other got a placebo containing no medicine. The lotions were applied to the hair and left on for 10 minutes before rinsing. A day later, 95% of the ivermectin group and 31% of the placebo group were louse-free. Researchers also checked at day 15 because louse eggs may hatch after treatment. At that point, 74% of the ivermectin group and 18% of the placebo group still had no lice. Researchers said current treatments, such as permethrin and pyrethrin, are only about 50% effective. Lice also have been gaining resistance to these treatments.

Breast cancer screening of women over 50 saves lives, but leads to overtreatment of many more women, an expert group says. For every life saved, the group says, 3 women will be treated for cancers that never would have harmed them. The United Kingdom’s health department and Cancer Research U.K. sponsored the study. The expert panel added together the numbers from 11 prior studies. They concluded that screening of women in their 50s reduces breast cancer deaths by 20%. They looked more closely at 3 studies that randomly divided women into 2 groups. One group was invited to regular screening, and the other group was not. Based on these studies and other information, the expert group estimated overtreatment rates. In the UK, women over 50 are invited to have screening mammograms every 3 years.