Previous Medical News
2010/03/20
1. Mini clip is safer than heart-valve surgery (American College of Cardiology's annual scientific session, 3/14/10)
A tiny clip implanted through an artery was safer and nearly as effective as surgery.
2. ED, Heart Disease May Be Deadly Duo (Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, 3/10)
Men with erectile dysfunction (ED) and cardiovascular disease have higher risk of early death.
3. Colonoscopy Not Needed for Most With Irritable Bowel Syndrome (American Journal of Gastroenterology, 3/10)
People with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) aren't at increased risk for polyps, colon cancer or inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease and, in most cases, don't require a colonoscopy. Symptoms of IBS, which affects 10 percent to 20 percent of Americans, include recurrent abdominal pain or cramping in connection with altered bowel habits. The condition is more common among women than men.
4. Death, cardiovascular risk declines in people who "normalize" vitamin-D levels (American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions, 3/18/10)
People with low vitamin-D levels who managed to normalize their levels were significantly less likely to develop cardiovascular events over up to six years of follow-up. Remarkably, there was continued benefit up to a vitamin D level of 43 ng/mL.
5. Marathoners Face Greater Risk of Artery Problems (American College of Cardiology's annual scientific session, 3/13/10)
Marathon runners have increased stiffness of the large arteries, suggesting that some types of high-intensity exercise may actually be bad for the heart, potentially leading to hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure, heart attack and even death.
6. Intense Cholesterol, Blood Pressure Therapies Don't Help Type 2 Diabetics: Exercise and proper nutrition still important (American College of Cardiology's annual scientific session, 3/14/10 and New England Journal of Medicine, 3/18/10)
Two sets of results from a large U.S. government-sponsored trial find that neither aggressive treatment of cholesterol nor of blood pressure lowers the risk of heart events in people with type 2 diabetes. For the ACCORD cholesterol trial, more than 5,500 patients with type 2 diabetes and a high risk for heart disease who were already taking the cholesterol-lowering drug Zocor (simvastatin) were randomly assigned to add fenofibrate or a placebo to their regimen. Fenofibrate is used to increase HDL ("good") cholesterol levels and reduce triglyceride levels. The double-strength approach did not result in any notable differences in the rate of fatal cardiovascular events or the incidence of non-fatal first heart attacks, non-fatal stroke or death from cardiovascular problems between the two treatment wings of the trial.
The ACCORD blood pressure trial randomly assigned more than 4,700 men and women with type 2 diabetes to an intensive regimen intended to reduce systolic (the top number) blood pressure to less than 120 mm Hg, or to standard therapy designed to achieve systolic levels of 140 mm Hg. Although participants in the intensive-therapy arm did achieve lower blood pressure levels, this did not translate into any substantial differences in the incidence of fatal or non-fatal cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and stroke between the two groups.
7. 6 Out of 10 American Adults Drink (U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, 3/16/10)
Close to two-thirds (61 percent) of American adults consider themselves drinkers. Men are more likely to drink alcohol than women, and people with more education are the most likely to drink, but almost one-quarter of U.S. residents say they've abstained their whole lives.
8. Germs may blow the whistle on crooks one day (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 3/16/10)
Colonies of bacteria that live on people's hands are highly personal to each individual. The average human hand contains about 150 species of bacteria with only about 13 percent shared by any two people.
9. Twice-Weekly Shots Could Cure Infertility (British Fertility Society, 3/16/10)
A new shot could cure infertility in thousands of women. Twice-weekly injections of the hormone kisspeptin repaired a chemical imbalance in the female reproductive system. The shots have no side-effects—and results can be seen within two months. It may mean an end to invasive treatments and even in-vitro fertilization for many.
10. Helpful Dads Can Hurt Mom's Self-Esteem (Personal Relationships, 3/10)
Dads are helping out with childrearing more and more these days. The result can be both a boon and a letdown for super-moms, whose self-competence can take a hit when paired with husbands who are savvy caregivers.
11. Women More Likely to Die After Heart Attack (American College of Cardiology's annual meeting, 3/16/10)
Among patients admitted to the hospital for a heart attack, women were far less likely than men to get angiography in which blood vessels are injected with dye so that blockages are visible on an X-ray, or angioplasty to clear blockages. Women were about twice as likely as men to die within a month of a heart attack.
12. Psoriasis "firmly established" as risk factor for cardiovascular disease (American College of Cardiology's annual scientific session, 3/14/10)
A new study "firmly establishes" that psoriasis is a risk factor for heart disease.
13. Loneliness linked to high BP in elderly (Psychology and Aging, 3/10)
Loneliness may adversely affect blood pressure in older adults. This is independent of age body-mass index, smoking, and alcohol use. Depression and stress did not fully explain the increase in blood pressure among lonely people 50 years and older. Loneliness is a unique health-risk factor in its own right.
14. Arteries improve after smokers quit (Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 3/10)
Quitting smoking can turn back time. A year after kicking the habit, smokers' arteries showed signs of reversing a problem that can set the stage for heart disease. The improvement came even though smokers gained an average of 9 pounds after they quit. Their levels of good cholesterol did improve.
15. School Lunches Linked to Kids' Obesity (American College of Cardiology’s scientific session, 3/15/10)
Kids who bring lunch from home are less likely to be overweight. More than one in three middle school students who regularly eat school lunches are obese or overweight. They're also more likely to have higher LDL "bad" cholesterol levels than kids who bring lunch from home.
16. Recall: Graco Recalls More Than 1 Million High Chairs: Graco Harmony High Chairs (Consumer Product Safety Commission, 3/10)
Screws loosen on the Harmony High Chair. Dozens of them have suddenly collapsed. There have been 24 reports of children being injured after falling out of the chairs. Graco is asking customers to stop using the chairs immediately. For a free repair kit, call 800-345-4109.
