Harvard Health Content API

Two abnormal genes may have a role in bipolar disorder, a new study finds. Researchers pooled genetic data from several sources. They included a total of 10,596 people. Of these, 4,387 had bipolar disorder. Variant forms of two genes were most likely to be found in people with bipolar disorder. These genes build parts of channels that manage the flow of sodium and calcium to and from nerve cells. Drugs now used to treat bipolar disorder are believed to target these channels. The study was published online August 17 by the journal Nature Genetics.

People take statins to lower cholesterol. But a study suggests the drugs also may help preserve the mind. The study included 1,674 Mexican-Americans over age 60. None had dementia. During the next five years, about 1 out of 4 people took a statin drug. A total of 130 people developed dementia. This occurred only half as often in people who took statins. Reuters Health news service wrote about the study July 29. It was published in the journal Neurology.

Pandemic flu is the most pressing threat to the British public, a government report says. The report came from the United Kingdom’s Cabinet Office. It assesses risks in the next five years. Other dangers considered include terrorism, climate change and extreme weather. The report does not actually rank the threats. However, a spokeswoman said pandemic flu is the most pressing risk. Previous reports said that a pandemic could kill 750,000 people in the U.K. The Associated Press wrote about the new report August 8.

A blood pressure drug, valsartan, may not help to prevent a dangerous heart rhythm problem. That’s the conclusion of a new study. The study included 1,442 people with a history of atrial fibrillation. In people with this problem, the upper chambers of the heart don’t beat normally. Instead, they quiver. Half of those in the study were given valsartan. The other half received placebos (fake pills). In the next year, the rhythm problem occurred at the same rate in both groups. Experts told HealthDay News that valsartan still might be useful for particular patients. The study appeared April 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Large doses of vitamins C and E do not appear to prevent a major health problem of pregnancy, new research has found. The study of 10,000 pregnant women was the largest yet done. It confirms the results of several smaller studies. Preeclampsia is a problem that occurs in about 8% of pregnancies. The condition includes high blood pressure and protein in the urine. It can cause illness and death in both pregnant women and their babies. Doctors don’t know how to prevent it. The new study randomly divided women into two groups. They took either large doses of vitamins or fake pills. The women who took the vitamins were a bit more likely to develop high blood pressure. But the difference was so small it could have been caused by chance. The study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. USA Today wrote about it April 8.

A mild traumatic brain injury is often called a concussion. But parents take an injury that’s called a concussion less seriously, a new study suggests. An author of the study told HealthDay News that many parents think a concussion affects the head but not the brain. The study looked at hospital records of 341 children with traumatic brain injury. About one-third were diagnosed with a concussion. Others were told they had a traumatic brain injury. Children diagnosed with a concussion were 1½ times as likely as others to leave the hospital early. They were 2½ times as likely to return to school early. These trends persisted even if a child diagnosed with a concussion had a moderate or severe injury. The study appeared January 18 in the journal Pediatrics.

Broken bones occur more often in people with heart failure, a study finds. Researchers looked at records of 16,000 patients with various forms of heart disease. Of those, 2,000 had heart failure. All had been treated in emergency rooms. In the next year, people with heart failure were more than four times as likely as the others to have a broken bone. About 4.6% of those with heart failure had a fracture. About 1% of the others did. Hip fractures occurred in 1.3% for those with heart failure and 0.1% of the others. HealthDay News wrote about the study October 20. It was in the journal Circulation.

The U.S. youth suicide rate fell about 5% in 2005, researchers say. But the drop did not erase an 18% hike in 2004. That increase alarmed health officials. It was the first in 18 years. Since 1996, the suicide rate had fallen for children ages 10 to 19. It rose in 2004 to 4.7 suicides per 1,000 children. The new study shows the rate dropped to 4.5 in 2005. The study was in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The Association Press wrote about it September 3.

Heartburn drugs don’t improve asthma, a new study concludes. Many people with asthma have heartburn — so many that doctors thought the two conditions were related. Therefore, some people with asthma were given drugs for heartburn, even if they didn’t have it. These people should stop taking the drugs, the study authors said. The study included 412 people with poorly controlled asthma. They were randomly divided into two groups. One group was given esomeprazole (Nexium). This is a type of heartburn drug called a proton pump inhibitor. The other group got dummy pills (placebos). They took the pills for six months. People who got Nexium had no improvement in symptoms, compared with those who got dummy pills. The study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. The Associated Press reported on it April 9.

Women’s immune systems get more active years before they develop a crippling form of arthritis, new research shows. The study used blood samples from 170 women. All of them later developed rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Their blood was different than the blood of women who did not go on to develop RA. It had higher levels of two proteins involved in the immune system. They are called IL-6 and sTNFRII. Women with high levels of sTNFRII were twice as likely as those with low levels to develop RA. IL6 also indicated an increased risk, but the increase was smaller. The study appeared in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism. Reuters Health news service wrote about it March 12.