Category: news-perspectives

Many people don’t want to discuss suicide. But it has been getting more attention in high schools and on college campuses. The Associated Press (AP) reported on the trend October 9. A 2007 survey of U.S. high school students looked at the issue of suicide. About 16% of those surveyed said they had seriously considered suicide in recent months. Suicide prevention activists have highlighted the issue with events at colleges. AP also interviewed a college student whose award-winning film tells his own story. In Florida, a nonprofit uses social networking to put teens in touch with help. Schools also are becoming more involved. Several states require that they have suicide prevention plans.

Some epilepsy drugs may increase the risk of suicide, a new study finds. These drugs are called anticonvulsants. They help to prevent seizures. Some people also take them for bipolar disorder, mania, migraine and other conditions. The study looked at data on nearly 300,000 prescriptions for these drugs. In a 5 ½-year period, 26 people committed suicide. Another 801 attempted it and 41 died by violence. Suicide risk was higher for those who took certain drugs. They were gabapentin (Neurontin), lamotrigine (Lamictal), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), tiagabine (Gabitril) and valproate (Depacon). There was also a higher risk of suicide attempts. The risk with another anticonvulsant, topiramate (Topamax), was lower. U.S. labels for anticonvulsant drugs already carry a warning about suicide risk. The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Doctors should prescribe drugs to their patients less often, and with more care, a new report proposes. And they should favor medicines that are time-tested and known to be safe, the report says. The report is from the Center for Patient Safety Research and Practice. The center is based at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Medicines can cause side effects. They also can cause problems when they interact with each other. Often, other treatments can help as much as drugs, or more, the report says. These might include exercise, physical therapy or diet changes. The report urges doctors to practice conservative prescribing. This means they should think carefully about side effects and alternatives before prescribing a drug. They are urged to be especially cautious about new drugs. And they should explain to patients why this approach might be better for their health.

Breastfeeding reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), a review of related research concludes. And the benefit is greatest if babies receive breast milk only, the study found. The new study combined the results of 18 previous studies. All of them looked at any links between breastfeeding and a baby’s risk of SIDS. Researchers also adjusted their numbers to account for other factors that affect SIDS risk. These include smoking and infant sleep position. They concluded that breastfeeding a baby for any length of time reduced SIDS risk by 45%. The risk was 73% lower for babies who received only breast milk. The journal Pediatrics published the study online. HealthDay News wrote about it June 13.

U.S. drug regulators warned June 9 about muscle damage from the highest dose of a popular cholesterol medicine. The warning came from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It applies to the 80-milligram dose of simvasatin (Zocor). This is one of a group of drugs called statins. They lower LDL cholesterol. People taking the 80-milligram dose have an increased risk of muscle problems, the FDA said. They may feel pain, tenderness or weakness. In extreme cases, kidney damage may occur. About 12% of people taking this drug take the 80-milligram dose, the Associated Press said. Only people who have been taking this dose for more than a year without problems should continue taking it, the FDA said. New patients should start on a lower dose.

Moderate to intense exercise may help to protect older adults from so-called silent strokes, a new study suggests. This type of stroke is too mild to produce symptoms. But the effects can be seen on a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Silent strokes increase the risk of regular strokes and dementia. The new study included 1,238 older adults. They answered questions about their exercise habits. Six years later, they were given MRI scans of the brain. At this time, their average age was 70. About 43% said they got no regular exercise. About 36% did regular light exercise. Examples included golf, walking and bowling. Only 21% did regular moderate to intense exercise. This included hiking, tennis, swimming, biking and jogging. MRIs showed that 16% of the people had a past silent stroke. But this was 40% less likely in people who did regular moderate or intense exercise.

Doctors in Germany are trying a treatment that might be risky to fight severe Escherichia coli infections. They are treating some patients with antibiotics as soon as they enter the hospital. The Associated Press wrote about it June 7. The E. coli outbreak in Europe has affected more than 2,600 people in the last month. Antibiotics are commonly used to kill bacteria that cause illness. But E. coli infections are different. The illness is caused by toxins rather than the bacteria. Many doctors fear that killing the bacteria quickly could release more toxins. This could kill the patient. Most hospital cases are treated with intravenous fluids. But the World Health Organization and U.S. health officials say antibiotics may be used in special cases. Doctors treating people in the latest outbreak said they tried antibiotics because the cases have been so severe.

Boys who bully others may be more likely to grow up and abuse their wives and girlfriends, a study finds. Researchers surveyed 1,491 men who visited 3 health centers. They were 18 to 35 years old. They were asked about whether they had bullied other kids growing up. They also were asked about any sexual and physical abuse of a female partner. About 16% had committed any violence of this type in the last year. Men who had bullied others often as children were almost 6 times as likely to abuse a partner as men who had not bullied at all. Researchers also asked the men whether they been exposed to violence at home or in the community, or been abused or bullied themselves. These factors can affect whether a man is likely to abuse women. Researchers adjusted their numbers to try to exclude the effects of these factors.

Women with an above-average risk of breast cancer may have a new option for preventing it. A new study found that taking exemestane (Aromasin) lowered the risk of developing this cancer. Tamoxifen and raloxifene also can help prevent breast cancer. But many women don’t take them because of side effects. Study results were presented June 5 at a conference. The study included 4,560 women. All had an above-average risk of developing breast cancer. Some were just age 60 or older. Some had a history of abnormal cells in the breast or a cancer that was in a breast duct only. Some had a high score on a scale that includes family history and other factors that increase risk. The women were randomly assigned to take exemestane or placebo (fake) pills. In the next 3 years, there were 11 cases of invasive (growing) breast cancer among the women who took exemestane.

A simple plate has replaced a complicated pyramid as the U.S. symbol of good nutrition. The new emblem, called “My Plate,” made its debut June 2. It’s a circle divided into different colored sections. Each section stands for a major type of food. Together, fruits and vegetables make up half of the plate. The “grains” section is a bit larger than one-quarter. The smallest section is “proteins,” formerly called “meat and beans.” A little circle off to the side of the plate is labeled “dairy.” Nutritionists have praised the new symbol for its simplicity. Many have said for years that people should fill half of their plates with fruits and vegetables. The previous symbol, called MyPyramid, had few supporters. Many found it confusing. Shaped like a triangle, it featured a rainbow of vertical stripes. A figure was shown climbing the side, to symbolize exercise.