Category: news-perspectives

Wearing a nicotine patch may provide a small boost for older adults with mild losses in attention and memory, a study suggests. The study included 67 older adults with mild cognitive impairment. This is a decline in mental function that is not severe enough to be called dementia. People with this condition are more likely to develop dementia, however. People in the study were randomly assigned to wear either a nicotine patch or a placebo (fake) patch for 6 months. Test scores for reaction times, attention and long-term memory improved among those wearing the nicotine patch. Their short-term memory did not improve as much. Test scores went down for people wearing the placebo patch. The journal Neurology published the study. The New York Times and HealthDay News wrote about it January 9.

U.S. cancer deaths have continued to drop, a report says. The American Cancer Society releases a new report each year. Between 2004 and 2008, cancer death rates dropped 1.8% a year for men, the new report says. For women, the decline was 1.6% a year. Minority men had the largest declines in death rates among adults. Rates fell 2.4% a year for African-American men and 2.3% a year for Hispanic men. In all, death rate declines led to about 1 million fewer cancer deaths since the early 1990s, the report says. Among children, cancer death rates have fallen by more than half since 1975. But black men and women are still more likely than whites to get cancer and to die from it. New cases of some cancers also increased. They include cancers of the pancreas, liver, thyroid and kidney and some skin, head and neck cancers. The report appeared in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

People who live to be at least 110 may be protected from disease by rare differences in some genes, a new study suggests. Researchers analyzed the entire genetic makeup (genome) of two people. The man and woman had both lived past the age of 114. Both had about as many gene mutations linked to disease as most people. But each of them also had other gene mutations that had not been seen before. Researchers said it’s possible these gene differences are linked with longer life. The journal Frontiers in Genetics published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it January 8.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken a first step to limit use of antibiotics in some animals raised for food. The FDA said it would restrict use of cephalosporin antibiotics. They are injected into some cattle, pigs and poultry just before slaughter. These antibiotics are not used as often in animals as some others. But they are frequently needed to treat serious human infections. The number of infections that “resist” one or more antibiotics has been increasing rapidly. Many experts say one reason is the routine use of antibiotics in animals raised for food. The FDA said in 2010 that this use of antibiotics was “a serious health threat.” But this week’s action is the agency’s first to address the threat. The Associated Press wrote about it January 4.

Why do kids get little physical activity in child care and preschool? Researchers asked providers and got a long list of answers. Centers often lack play equipment because of cost or space problems. What they have may be safe but boring. And child care providers feel more pressure to stress ABCs than active play. Researchers found this out through focus groups that included 49 child care providers. They said state licensing rules limit the play equipment they can offer. And kids often lose interest in equipment that meets safety standards. Providers said parents also worry about injuries and don’t push for more physical activity. But they do push for more academic work. The journal Pediatrics published the study. HealthDay News and Reuters Health news service wrote about it January 4.

A shorter treatment can prevent active infection in people who have tuberculosis (TB) bacteria in their bodies, a new study finds. Standard treatment is 9 months of taking a daily pill, isoniazid. The new study included 7,731 people. Some had tests that showed TB bacteria in their bodies. Some were in close contact with someone with an active infection. Half were randomly assigned to receive standard treatment. The other half received isoniazid plus a second drug, rifapentine (Priftin). But they took both drugs only once a week, for 3 months. Weekly doses were taken in a doctor’s office. Researchers kept track of people for nearly 3 years. Very few developed active TB. But the numbers were lower for those who got the shorter treatment with 2 drugs. They also were more likely to complete treatment. The New England Journal of Medicine published the study December 8.

Only about 3% of cochlear implants in children fail and need to be replaced, a new study finds. But failure is more likely among children who had meningitis before their first implant. That’s what researchers concluded based on medical records for 738 children. All of them received a cochlear implant in the last 20 years. In all, 34 needed to have the implant replaced. Seven of the children with implant failure had meningitis before they got their first implant. On average, failure occurred about 5 years after the first implant. Most of the children heard and spoke at least as well with the second implant as with the first. The journal Archives of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it December 22.

Spinal manipulation and home exercise may relieve neck pain better than medicines, new research suggests. The study included 272 people. They had felt neck pain for 2 to 12 weeks before the study began. They were randomly divided into 3 groups. One group received spinal manipulation treatments. The second group took over-the-counter pain medicines, or prescription drugs if needed. The third group was trained to do home exercises for the neck. The study lasted 12 weeks. By the end, 82% of the spinal manipulation group reported that their pain was reduced by at least half. This compares with 69% of those on medicines and 77% of those who did home exercises. At least 30% of the spinal manipulation and exercise groups said all of their pain was gone. About 13% of the medicine group reported no pain.

Parts of the brain’s outer layer, the cortex, may become thinner before people develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study suggests. Researchers were able to see the difference on a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. The study included 159 people. Their average age was 76. They were given MRIs as the study began. They also took tests of brain functions such as memory and problem solving. About 12% of the people showed thinning of the cortex. This was seen in areas that also become thinner in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Most people had a cortex of average thickness. About 15% had a thicker cortex than average. People in these 3 groups did not differ in their results on brain function tests. But about 3 years later, 21% of the group with the thin cortex had lower scores on brain function tests.

Taking vitamin D pills reduces the risk of fracture in adults over 65. But this benefit occurs only if they also take calcium. That’s the conclusion of a new study that put together the results of 50 prior studies. The report came from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. This is an expert group that provides advice on preventive care to health professionals. The journal Annals of Internal Medicine published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it December 19. The report author told HealthDay that the group could not advise specific doses. People in the studies reviewed took from 300 to 1,100 international units of vitamin D. The calcium doses they took daily ranged from 500 to 1,200 milligrams.