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Tiotroprium (Spiriva) does not keep chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from getting worse over time, a large study has found. But the drug does improve symptoms. The study included nearly 6,000 people with COPD. They were assigned to receive either tiotroprium or a placebo once a day. In four years, the disease got worse at the same rate in both groups. This was measured by the amount of air that can be exhaled in one minute. But people who got tiotropium did feel less shortness of breath. They also were less likely to end up in the hospital. The New England Journal of Medicine published the study online. HealthDay News wrote about it October 5.

Face masks are everywhere in Mexico City as people try to protect themselves from swine flu, the Associated Press says. The government has handed out millions of them. But U.S. officials say there’s little evidence that they help to prevent the spread of flu. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not advised the public to use them. Some experts say masks might even cause harm. This could occur if people who wear them fail to take other precautions such as washing hands often.

Two drugs are a bit better than others for major depression, a new study concludes. Researchers used data from more than 100 studies. They looked at benefits, side effects and cost of 12 newer drugs. Researchers concluded that sertraline and escitalopram were slightly better than the others. Sertraline is sold as Zoloft and generics. Escitalopram is sold as Lexapro, Cipralex and other brands. The study was published online by the journal Lancet. The Associated Press wrote about it January 29.

A controversial new study suggests that rules barring air travel by people with tuberculosis (TB) are too strict. The study reviewed 13 previous studies. It found that there’s little risk of catching TB from another passenger. U.S. health officials disagreed with the conclusions. So did an expert interviewed by the Associated Press. Global and U.S. rules require testing fellow passengers when a TB infection is found later in someone who flew recently. The study looked at research on 4,300 people who were on a flight with someone who had TB. Only 10 TB infections later were diagnosed. No one had active TB disease. The study’s author said tests should be done only if the infected person has infected others. But he supported more caution in the case of drug-resistant TB. The study was published February 21 in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Birth defects are much more likely if the mother is diabetic, researchers say. The new study used birth records for 10 states. Researchers looked at 13,000 births involving a birth defect. They were compared with 5,000 healthy births. Birth defects were three to four times more common if the mother had diabetes before pregnancy. Nearly 40 types of birth defects were involved. Prior research had not linked this many types to diabetes. The Associated Press wrote about the study July 30. It was in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Generic drugs treat heart and artery disease just as well as brand-name drugs do, a study concludes. Yet some doctors and patients don’t think they are as good, the authors say. The article looked at studies that compared brand-name drugs and their generic copies. Nearly all found they were equally effective. But related editorials did not agree. Half of them discouraged using generics. Most editorials did not list whether the authors received drug company funds. HealthDay News wrote about the article December 2. It appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

An intense program that does not involve surgery can help some extremely obese people lose weight, a new study found. The study included 390 adults. They had a body mass index of 40 or more, which is very obese. People were randomly assigned to a weight-loss program or an Internet program. The program included medicine, a short-term liquid diet, a longer-term diet and group counseling. About half of each group stayed in the study for two years. In that time, 31% of those in the intensive program lost 5% or more of their body weight. About 7% lost at least 20% of their body weight. Those who received usual care lost less weight. About 9% of them lost at least 5% of their weight. About 1% of this group lost 20% or more. The study appeared January 26 in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

High cure rates are possible for a form of tuberculosis that resists most drugs, researchers report. The study looked at 651 people in Peru with TB. Of these, 48 had the extensively drug-resistant type. They were treated for an average of two years. In all, 29 completed treatment or were cured. The success rate for those with a less drug-resistant type of TB was slightly higher. Reuters Health news service wrote about the study August 6. It was in the New England Journal of Medicine.

A newer test is no better than the Pap smear at detecting possible cervical cancer, a study has found. The Pap test collects cells from the cervix. They are smeared on a slide for viewing under a microscope. The newer test is called liquid-based cytology. The cells are rinsed in a preservative solution before the laboratory examines them. The study included 89,784 Dutch women. They were randomly assigned to one of the two tests. Both tests detected cervical cancer and pre-cancerous changes to cells at about the same rate. Study results appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association. HealthDay News wrote about the study October 27.

Less strict control of the heart rate is fine for people with a common heart rhythm problem, a new study finds. Researchers looked at 2 ways of treating people with atrial fibrillation. With this condition, the heart’s upper chambers don’t beat normally. Instead, they quiver. Doctors treat this problem with medicines. They try to lower the heart rate to less than 80 beats per minute at rest or 110 beats with exercise. For the study, researchers randomly divided 614 people into 2 groups. One group was treated according to current guidelines. The other group had a more lenient goal — less than 110 beats per minute at all times. Researchers kept track of how many people had strokes, blood clots, hospital trips for heart failure, and other heart-related problems. In 3 years, about 13% of the group with the less strict target had such problems.