Harvard Health Content API

Men who take statin drugs to lower cholesterol may be more likely to develop diabetes than men who don’t take the drugs, a study published this week finds. The study included 9,000 men. None had diabetes when the study began. More than 1 out of 4 men took statins. During the next 6 years, men taking statins were 46% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than other men. This was true even though researchers adjusted the numbers to account for other differences that can affect diabetes risk. The study also found that the bigger the dose of statin, the greater the increase in diabetes risk. All of the men received several blood tests. These included tests for insulin sensitivity. This is a measurement of how well the body uses insulin to turn blood glucose (sugar) into energy. In type 2 diabetes, insulin sensitivity is reduced.

A new vaccine protects against hepatitis E infection for at least 4½ years, a new study shows. Hepatitis E is uncommon in the United States. It is spread by poor sanitation, such as in refugee camps. In the developing world, it sickens 3 million people a year. About 1% to 3% die. Among pregnant women, the death rate is 20%. The new study was done in China. It included more than 100,000 adults. Half were given a series of 3 shots of the hepatitis E vaccine. In the comparison group, people received the hepatitis B vaccine instead. In the next 4½ years, 7 of those who got the hepatitis E vaccine and 53 who got the other vaccine developed hepatitis E infection. Almost 90% of the hepatitis E vaccine group still had antibodies against the disease at the end of the study. The New England Journal of Medicine published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it March 4.

A new study suggests that people with non-cancerous lumps on the thyroid may not need the close follow-up they get now. About half of people develop these lumps, called nodules, by age 60. Most are found when people get imaging tests for other reasons. More than 90% are found to be benign (not cancerous). But follow-up tests are recommended in case they do turn into cancer. The new study included nearly 1,000 people with thyroid nodules. Some had biopsies with a fine needle to make sure the nodules were not cancerous. Others skipped the biopsy because the nodules were less than 1 centimeter across and did not look like cancer. Everyone got an ultrasound scan each year for 5 years, as current guidelines recommend. In that time, most nodules didn’t change much. About 15% grew in size by at least half. About 19% of the nodules shrank.