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Health News
for 02/19/2010

(last updated 7:30am EST 02/19/2010)

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• AIDS vaccine effects may wear off AIDS vaccine effects may wear off
02/19/2010
An AIDS vaccine that appears to have worked at least partly in Thailand may only temporarily protect patients, with the effects starting to wane after a year or so. (1 h ago)

• Gene test can identify bits of cancer in... Gene test can identify bits of cancer in blood
02/19/2010
A personalized blood test can tell whether a patient's cancer has spread or come back, offering a better way to see if treatments are working, U.S. researchers said on Thursday. (1 h ago)

• Placebos may have biological effect on b... Placebos may have biological effect on body
02/19/2010
When it comes to the placebo effect, it really may be mind over matter, a new analysis suggests. (1 h ago)

• Fighting swine flu fatigue with weird ma... Fighting swine flu fatigue with weird marketing
02/19/2010
Some clinics now are practically begging people to get vaccinated, in a dramatic shift from just a few months ago when people stood in long lines and waited to get the scarce vaccine. (1 h ago)

• Opinion: Disability-free world may not b... Opinion: Disability-free world may not be better place
02/18/2010
Opinion: Genetic testing of parents and, in some cases, embryos, means fewer are born with Down syndrome and cystic fibrosis, but it also raises some difficult ethical challenges. (1 h ago)

• Birth weight on the decline in the U.S. Birth weight on the decline in the U.S.
02/18/2010
Reversing a trend of nearly five decades, birth weight in the U.S. may be on the decline, according to a new study. (1 h ago)

• New drug class offers hope against "supe... New drug class offers hope against "superbugs"
02/18/2010
Swiss scientists have found a new class of antibiotics, offering drug developers a fresh weapon in the fight against multi-drug resistant bacteria or "superbugs." (3 h ago)

• FDA raises safety warning on Novartis ir... FDA raises safety warning on Novartis iron drug
02/18/2010
A boxed warning highlighting serious safety concerns, including reported deaths, with the use of Novartis AG's Exjade drug to remove excess iron from the blood, has been added to the medicine's label, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. (3 h ago)

• Warning issued on 4 widely used asthma d... Warning issued on 4 widely used asthma drugs
02/18/2010
The government is taking steps to curb use of some long-acting asthma drugs used by millions, issuing safety restrictions Thursday to lower a life-threatening risk that asthma could worsen suddenly. (3 h ago)

• Glaxo pulls denture cream to remove zinc Glaxo pulls denture cream to remove zinc
02/18/2010
GlaxoSmithKline said Thursday it will remove zinc from its denture cream, following reports that excessive use over many years can cause neurological damage and blood problems in consumers. (4 h ago)

• Md. lawmaker aims to ban first-cousin we... Md. lawmaker aims to ban first-cousin wedlock
02/18/2010
A Maryland state legislator says it's time to ban marriages between first cousins and stop playing what he calls "genetic roulette" with their offspring. (4 h ago)

• Vaginal birth can be OK after several C-... Vaginal birth can be OK after several C-sections
02/18/2010
Women who attempt vaginal childbirth after having several babies by cesarean section may not have a greater risk of complications than women who've had only one prior C-section, a new study suggests. (4 h ago)

• ‘Dead’ woman moves arm at funeral home... ‘Dead’ woman moves arm at funeral home
02/18/2010
A Colombian woman declared dead of a heart attack moved one of her arms just as an undertaker was about to embalm her, doctors said Wednesday. (5 h ago)

• 528-pound mom gives birth to 6.4 pound b... 528-pound mom gives birth to 6.4 pound baby
02/18/2010
A 25-year-old woman weighing 528 pounds (240 kilograms) gave birth to her first baby on Thursday at a hospital equipped to treat obese people. (6 h ago)

• Obama report warns of health premium spi... Obama report warns of health premium spikes
02/18/2010
Eye-popping health insurance premium increases of up to 39 percent are not an exception but a worrisome sign of the times, the Obama administration said in a report Thursday. (7 h ago)

• H1N1 to be added to next flu vaccine, WH... H1N1 to be added to next flu vaccine, WHO says
02/18/2010
The World Health Organization is recommending that swine flu be added to the regular flu vaccine next season. (9 h ago)

• Drug could prolong men’s sexual staying ... Drug could prolong men’s sexual staying power
02/18/2010
Not since Viagra has a prescription medication held so much potential to affect the sex lives of American men. Here's why that could hurt you. (10 h ago)

• Slap on a smile and fake happy for your ... Slap on a smile and fake happy for your heart
02/18/2010
You've heard it before: to avoid a heart attack don't smoke, eat right and exercise. But it also may help to be happy, a new study says. (23 h ago)

• Who should consider genetic testing? Who should consider genetic testing?
02/17/2010
Inherited diseases such as cystic fibrosis often occur in families with no known risk of them. (1 d ago)

• Dreaded diseases dwindle with gene testi... Dreaded diseases dwindle with gene testing
02/17/2010
Some of the most devastating inherited diseases are declining, and a few have nearly disappeared, because more people are using genetic tests to decide whether to have children. (1 d ago)

• Medicare Private Plan Premiums Jump Medicare Private Plan Premiums Jump
02/19/2010
Latest Sign of Spiraling Health Care Costs Likely Fodder for Obama's Health Care Reform Foes (1 h ago)

• Video: Camel...It's What's for Dinner Video: Camel...It's What's for Dinner
02/19/2010
CBS News RAW: A traditional local restaurant in Dubai has tourists raving over the use of camel meat and milk in the cooking of various entrees and beverages there. (1 h ago)

• Denture Cream Overuse a Health Risk? Denture Cream Overuse a Health Risk?
02/18/2010
Glaxo Halts Production of Zinc-containing Denture Cream After Reports of Neurological Damage and Blood Problems in Consumers (59 m ago)

• FDA to Curb Use of Popular Asthma Drugs FDA to Curb Use of Popular Asthma Drugs
02/18/2010
Restrictions Issued on Drugs Used by Millions Because of Life Threatening Risk to Some (1 h ago)

• US Report: Health Premiums Could Skyrock... US Report: Health Premiums Could Skyrocket
02/18/2010
Health and Human Services Report Finds Double-Digit Increases Are being Sought by Insurers in Several States (2 h ago)

• Dems Near Plan to Pass Health Care Bill Dems Near Plan to Pass Health Care Bill
02/18/2010
White House, Congressional Democrats Are Preparing Proposal Which Could Pass Via Reconciliation in the Senate (3 h ago)

• Fat War Wages On in the Skies Fat War Wages On in the Skies
02/18/2010
Fat Folks' Activist Weighs in on Kevin Smith-Southwest Airlines Debacle, Says Everyone Uncomfortable on Planes (3 h ago)

• Official Warns Crib Makers on Safety Official Warns Crib Makers on Safety
02/18/2010
CPSC Chairman Says Government Will Use Its New Recall Powers (4 h ago)

• Trials Show Marijuana Eases Pain Trials Show Marijuana Eases Pain
02/18/2010
Report Funded by California Says First U.S. Clinical Trials in 20 Years Proves Pot's Benefits for Some Patients (5 h ago)

• Study: Leave Ear Infections Alone Study: Leave Ear Infections Alone
02/18/2010
Research Suggests Antibiotics Not Necessary for Healing, Kids Can Often Get Better on Their Own (6 h ago)

• Video: Confronting Fear in Virtual Reali... Video: Confronting Fear in Virtual Reality
02/18/2010
Phobias, such as the fear of flying, elevators or public speaking can disrupt people's lives. Dr. Jon LaPook talks with psychologist Robert Reiner about how to overcome these fears with the help of virtual reality. (11 h ago)

• States Consider Banning "K2" Imitation P... States Consider Banning "K2" Imitation Pot
02/18/2010
Marijuana Users Beating Law Enforcement with Synthetic Form of Drug; Missouri, Kansas Consider New Legislation (11 h ago)

• Happiness Helps When it Comes to the Hea... Happiness Helps When it Comes to the Heart
02/18/2010
Study: Don't Smoke, Eat Right, Exercise - and Try to Be Happy (20 h ago)

• Health Advances May Not Mean Good Health Health Advances May Not Mean Good Health
02/18/2010
Americans' Use of Pills, Procedures Up Dramatically, but Increased Reliance on Technology Has Its Risks (22 h ago)

• Video: America's Life Expectancy Up Video: America's Life Expectancy Up
02/18/2010
According to the CDC's annual check-up on America's health, Americans are living an average of 2 years longer than 20 years ago, thanks to some major medical advances. Dr. Jon LaPook reports. (23 h ago)

• Maalox Total Relief Changing Name Maalox Total Relief Changing Name
02/17/2010
FDA Says it May Cause Internal Bleeding, Orders Change to Avoid Confusion with milder Maalox (1 d ago)

• Study: Where You Live Matters for Health Study: Where You Live Matters for Health
02/17/2010
Database Offers County-by-County Snapshot of Health; No Surprise: Poor, Rural Counties Fare Worst (1 d ago)

• CDC: Life Expectancy up, Racial Gap Clos... CDC: Life Expectancy up, Racial Gap Closes
02/17/2010
Americans Expected to Live Average of 77.9 Years; Discrepancy Between Black, White Americans Narrows to 4.6 Years (1 d ago)

• CDC: MRI, Other Scans Have Tripled CDC: MRI, Other Scans Have Tripled
02/17/2010
Use of High-Tech Diagnostic Tools Sees Dramatic Increase, New Report Shows (1 d ago)

• Gardasil: Wider Use Sought for Vaccine Gardasil: Wider Use Sought for Vaccine
02/17/2010
Studies Show Vaccine To Be Effective In Protecting Many From Cancer (1 d ago)

• Fumes from frying steak probed Fumes from frying steak probed
02/18/2010
“Frying meat on a gas hob may increase your risk of cancer,” according to the Daily Mail. This news story is based on research that attempted to estimate the concentrations of potentially harmful chemicals that professional chefs are exposed to from the fumes of cooking steak. This research looked at the gases produced by frying and not how breathing these fumes affected health or cancer risk. While the researchers found that certain harmful chemicals were produced, these were well within the established limits of safe environmental exposure. Although the chemicals found in these fumes may be carcinogenic in high concentrations, this study alone does not provide sufficient evidence to prove that fumes from cooking steak increase the risk of cancer in humans. Where did the story come from? This study was carried out by Dr Ann Kristin Sjaastad and colleagues at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The study was funded by the Norwegian Foundation for Health and Rehabilitation and published in the peer-reviewed journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Although The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail stated that the amounts of the chemicals produced during cooking were within safety limits, this fact was not adequately emphasised in their reports and their coverage tended to sensationalise the story. This research looked at the chemical composition of cooking fumes. It did not look at the health consequences of exposure to the chemicals produced by cooking, as could be assumed from reading the media reports. What kind of research was this? This was a laboratory study looking at the chemicals found in the fumes from cooking steak. The researchers wanted to see if there were any harmful chemicals in the fumes and what concentrations of these chemicals a cook would be likely to inhale. The researchers say that previous research has shown that some chemicals found in cooking fumes can have effects on cells in culture, suggesting that they may be carcinogenic. The chemicals that they were particularly interested in were polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which have been found in the fumes from different types of cooking oil. The researchers explain that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has recently classified the fumes from high-temperature frying as ‘probably’ cancer-causing to humans. They also highlight the results of a 1986 study that reported an increased risk of respiratory tract cancer in cooks and bakers. The researchers say that although there is “limited evidence” from studies in humans that emissions from high-temperature frying are carcinogenic, animal experiments have provided “sufficient evidence” to suggest that there is a link. What did the research involve? The researchers cooked 400g beefsteaks in either margarine or soya bean oil. The margarine used contained soya bean oil, rapeseed oil, coconut oil, palm oil and vitamins A and D. The first steak was cooked for 15 minutes, and after a 25-minute break the next steak was fried. The researchers repeated the process five times. Steaks were either cooked on a gas or electric hob. The kitchen had an area of 19 square metres and was fitted with an extractor hood. Air samples were taken by drawing air into a sampling tube with a fixed flow rate that was attached to the shoulder of the person frying the steak. This experimental process was designed to mimic the exposure a chef would regularly experience in a restaurant kitchen, and not the type of exposure experienced in a home kitchen. What were the basic results? The researchers could only detect one type of PAH, a chemical called naphthalene. Naphthalene is commonly known as the primary ingredient of traditional mothballs. The concentrations of naphthalene in cooking fumes were 0.15 to 0.27 millionths of a gram per square metre. The researchers reported that the environmental exposure limit for PAHs in Norway is 40 millionths of a gram per square metre. The researchers found that there were also various types of other chemicals called alkanals and alkanels in the fumes. These varied in concentration depending on whether the beef was cooked on an electric or a gas stove, with a greater amount generally found in the cooking fumes of steak cooked on a gas stove. They did not report if the two stoves cooked the meat at different temperatures. They also found that cooking on a gas stove produced a greater number of ultrafine particles in the air than cooking on an electric stove. How did the researchers interpret the results? The researchers concluded that the measured levels of total particles and PAHs that were likely to have been breathed in by the cooks were well below the occupational exposure limits set in Norway. They say that there are no defined limits for alkanals and alkanels. Conclusion This research looked at the chemical composition of cooking fumes produced when cooking steaks. The researchers set up their laboratory so that they could mimic the environment and length of exposure that a professional chef would regularly experience in a restaurant kitchen, and not a household setting. As such it should be regarded as preliminary laboratory research, which will need to be judged in the context of other studies looking directly at how these fumes affect health. Although this study showed that some potentially dangerous chemicals were generated, these were well within the safe limits of exposure. Other chemicals produced have no established safe level. This will need to be examined through additional research. The differences that the researchers observed in the chemicals produced when cooking on a gas compared to an electric stove are likely to be due to the different temperatures at which the steak was cooked. A limitation of the study was that these temperatures were not measured. This study did not directly measure the health effects of cooking fumes, and overall it does not provide evidence that exposure to the fumes from cooking steak is bad for your health. Links To The Headlines Frying steak on gas hob 'may increase risk of cancer' . The Daily Telegraph , February 18 2010 The 'cancer risk' of frying steak on a gas hob . Daily Mail , February 18 2010 Links To Science Sjaastad AK, Jørgensen RB and Svendsen. Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), mutagenic aldehydes and particulate matter during pan frying of beefsteak . Occupational and Environmental Medicine ; Published online February 17 2010 (5 h ago)

• Happy people, healthy hearts? Happy people, healthy hearts?
02/18/2010
“Being happy is a great way to keep your heart healthy,” reported the Daily Express . The newspaper quoted doctors who said that we should all have more fun to help avoid heart attacks. The 10-year study assessed a range of symptoms, such as depression, hostility and anxiety, in almost 2,000 men and women. The participants were recorded in videotaped interviews and scored on their joy, happiness, excitement and contentment on a five-point happiness scale. For each point higher up the scale a person was placed, their risk of developing heart disease dropped by 22%. It is plausible that happier people are healthier. However, the effect demonstrated in this study was quite small compared to traditional modifiable risk factors, such as smoking, blood pressure or bad cholesterol. Modifying each of these factors can independently reduce the risk of heart disease by more than a third, and the combined effect of improving them together is much greater. In comparison, the one-point improvement on the happiness scale used here produces a relatively small, but probably still important, decrease in risk. Where did the story come from? This research was carried out by Dr Karina W Davidson and colleagues from the Center for Behavioral Cardiovascular Health at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. The study was supported by multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Center for Research Resources and NIH Roadmap for Medical Research in the US. The paper was published in the peer-reviewed medical journal European Heart Journal . Many newspapers reported this story and interpreted the science fairly. All of them emphasised the benefits of a range of positive emotions. Some, including The Times , also quoted commentators, who said that this study does not prove ‘cause and effect’ and who recommended keeping established risk factors, such as smoking, blood pressure and cholesterol, under control. What kind of research was this? This was an analysis of data from a prospective cohort study conducted in Nova Scotia, Canada. The study aimed to see if positive emotions are linked to a lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). The researchers adjusted for several known heart risk factors and followed the population surveyed for up to 10 years. Only those who had completed the happiness questionnaires could be included in the analysis, and the five-point happiness scale was only recorded at the start of the study. It is possible that this could have led to inaccuracies in the estimate of the degree of benefit that happiness gives. What did the research involve? The researchers explain that previous studies have found a link between positive emotions and improved survival, immune function and lower risk of diabetes and hypertension. They say that negative emotions, such as anger, hostility and depression, are linked to a higher risk of a new episode of CHD. The Canadian Nova Scotia Health Survey looked at the health of men and women aged 18 and older in 1995 and followed them for the next 10 years. The main outcome of interest was heart disease and death. The researchers used hospital discharge codes or death certificates to assess new fatal or non-fatal cases of heart disease. They said that Nova Scotia has a universal healthcare insurance system and the computerised recording of health records is near complete. Only residents who had attended the first clinic session and completed the structured interview were included. Anyone who had had a hospital discharge diagnoses of CHD in the five years before the start of the study was excluded. The participants’ sex, age, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, history of diabetes and cigarette smoking were recorded at the beginning of the study, and a nurse measured their weight and height. From the collected data, the researchers took the records of 1,739 participants (862 men, 877 women) for analysis from the 5,576 original records in the survey. The researchers then used a range of interview scales to score emotions: Depressive symptoms were measured on the Centers for Epidemiological Studies-Depressive Symptoms (CES-D) Scale, using 17 items from a 20-item self-reporting scale. Hostility was assessed with the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale, which involved 50 true or false items commonly used to assess self-reported hostility. Anxious symptoms were assessed using the Trait-subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Scale, a 20-item test that describes symptoms of anxiety (such as, I worry too much over something that really does not matter). Positive affect (happiness) was scored using video of a 12-minute structured interview designed to be stressful. In the interview, researchers assessed how participants expressed emotions and stress reactions. Positive affect is a rating of the degree to which participant express positive emotions, whether verbally, in their behaviour (such as smiling) or in the tone of responses (such as cheerful). After the end of the interview, the tapes were coded from one (no positive affect expressed) to five (extreme positive affect) by 23 certified coders. What were the basic results? The researchers adjusted their results for traditional risk factors, including age, sex, blood pressure and cholesterol, and for negatives affects such as depression and hostility. They found that the rate of new episodes of CHD was 22% lower for a one-point increase in the positive affect score (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.63 to 0.96). When the researchers compared people with high happiness scores to those with lower scores, they found that those with higher scores were reportedly more likely to be female, less likely to be current smokers, and more likely to have lower total cholesterol, blood pressure, levels of hostility and anxious symptoms. The researchers say that this “suggests that higher levels of positive affect are related to better overall health”. How did the researchers interpret the results? The researchers say that, in this large randomly selected sample, increased positive emotions (happiness) were associated with a reduced risk of new heart attacks over 10 years, even after adjustment for depressive symptoms, hostility and anxiety. According to the researchers, the prospect that increasing happiness is associated with a decrease in the risk of heart disease is an exciting, but untested, theory that needs further research. Conclusion This study tested a theory that many people already accept without any strong evidence: that being happy is good for the heart. This research appears to show a link between happiness and heart disease, at least in the context of recorded interviews as an assessment of happiness. The researchers warn that better heart health may simply be related to better overall health in people who are happy. Some other limitations are also mentioned: As the information on cardiovascular risk factors was only measured at the start of the study, some misclassification is likely. Some people may have developed high blood pressure or started smoking during the 10 years of follow-up. As the electronic records did not exist before 1990, it is technically possible that some participants who experienced CHD events more than five years before the study could have been included in the analysis if they had denied or forgotten about their past heart disease. As this was an observational study, the researchers say that they cannot rule out the possibility that factors they did not measure or did not fully adjust for could have caused the effect thought to be due to happiness. They say that the participants selected for the study were generally younger, female and less hostile than the participants who were excluded from the analysis. They say that it is “possible that our results may be at least partially accounted for by a selection bias”. Overall, this study provides useful data and illustrates the way that happiness can be measured relatively objectively in studies of emotions. The link between happiness and heart disease is not completely clear and the wide confidence intervals in the statistical analysis suggest that, if the selection bias is taken into account, the effect of happiness may be quite small. It is plausible that happier people are healthier. However, the actual effect demonstrated in this study was quite small, compared with traditional modifiable risk factors, such as smoking, blood pressure or bad cholesterol. Modifying each of these factors can independently reduce risk by more than a third, and the combined effect of improving them together is much greater. In comparison, the one-point improvement on the happiness scale used here produces a relatively small, but probably still important, decrease in risk. Links To The Headlines Happiness wards off heart disease, study suggests. BBC News, February 18 2010 Good mood helps keep heart disease at bay. Daily Mirror , February 18 2010 Happiness may be good for your heart: research. The Daily Telegraph , February 18 2010 Happy and enthusiastic people less prone to heart disease, say researchers. The Times , February 18 2010 Happiness reduces risk of heart disease, research finds. The Guardian , February 18 2010 Optimists 'are less likely to get heart disease'. Daily Mail , February 18 2010 Being happy is the key to living longer. Metro, February 18 2010 Feeling happy? Then you’ve just added years to your life. Daily Express, February 18 2010 Links To Science Davidson KW, Mostofsky E and Whang W. Don't worry, be happy: positive affect and reduced 10-year incident coronary heart disease: The Canadian Nova Scotia Health Survey. European Heart Journal February 17 2010 (advance access published online) (7 h ago)

• Cancer survival with aspirin explored Cancer survival with aspirin explored
02/17/2010
“Aspirin may halve the risk of death from breast cancer in women who have had early treatment for the disease”, The Independent reported. This news story is based on research that looked at aspirin use in over 4,000 nurses who had been treated for breast cancer. The study found that there was an association between frequent use of aspirin and a decreased risk of recurrence of cancer and breast cancer-related death. This is a preliminary study and cannot determine whether aspirin directly caused the difference in cancer recurrence and survival. Further research is needed, most useful would be a randomised controlled trial comparing breast cancer patients taking aspirin with patients that arent. It should be remembered that aspirin is not without risks. Regular use can increase the risk of stomach irritation and bleeding, particularly in the elderly and in people who are taking medical treatments that increase their risk of bleeding. Importantly, people undergoing chemotherapy may be more susceptible to bleeding (due to the effect of chemotherapy upon platelet count) and so may be advised not to use aspirin. Individuals are advised to approach their GP with further questions. Where did the story come from? This research was carried out by Professor Michelle Holmes and colleagues from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, US. The study was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health. The paper was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Clinical Oncology. The research was covered accurately by the Independent . What kind of research was this? This prospective observational study investigated whether there is an association between aspirin use and the recurrence of breast cancer and deaths from the disease. One of the effects of aspirin is to reduce inflammation in the body and the researchers were interested in this property. A number of previous studies have suggested that these anti-inflammatory actions may protect against various cancer processes. The researchers suggest that cancer cells have an increased immune response compared to healthy cells. They say that in cell culture studies in the laboratory, aspirin has been shown to reduce the amount of inflammatory chemicals released by cancer cells and to inhibit cancer growth. They wanted to see whether there was any difference in survival and recurrence of breast cancer in women who had breast cancer and who had routinely taken aspirin, compared to those who had not. This type of study was designed to look for associations between aspirin use and breast cancer outcome. It cannot determine whether aspirin directly caused any increase in survival or reduction in cancer recurrence. What did the research involve? This research used data from the US Nurses’ Health Study, which has followed 121,700 female registered nurses, aged between 20 and 55 years, since 1976. Every two years the nurses answered a mailed questionnaire on cancer and cardiovascular risk factors. For any report of breast cancer, the participants gave permission for a doctor to review their medical records. The nurses’ use of aspirin was first assessed by questionnaire in 1980 and then every two years thereafter. Aspirin use was categorised as ‘never’, ‘past use after breast cancer diagnosis that subsequently stopped’, and ‘current use’. The frequency of use was classified as once a week, two to five times per week, or six to seven times a week. Assessments of aspirin use in the first 12 months after diagnosis were not included as aspirin use is discouraged during chemotherapy. For the women who used aspirin the researchers asked a series of questions as to why they were taking the aspirin, such as for heart disease prevention, muscle or joint pain, headache and menstrual cramps. Deaths were reported by the family or the post office, and the reviewers then ascertained the cause of death from death certificates. When analysing the data the researchers adjusted for how advanced the participants’ cancer was, their diet, physical activity, body mass index, weight change, reproductive factors, and smoking. They also adjusted for the type of treatment that the participants had received, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy or hormonal therapy. In total, the study looked at the information from 4,164 participants for whom aspirin use was assessed after breast cancer was diagnosed between 1980 and 2006. What were the basic results? Of the 4,164 participants diagnosed with breast cancer, and whose aspirin use had been assessed, there were 341 breast cancer deaths and 400 distant recurrences (including the breast cancer deaths). Aspirin was associated with a lower risk of death from breast cancer. For women who took aspirin two to five days a week, there was a 71% lower risk of death (relative risk [RR] 0.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.16 to 0.52) compared to individuals who had never taken aspirin. For women who currently took it between six and seven days a week, risk was 64% lower (RR 0.36, 95% CI, 0.24 to 0.54). Past use and current use on one day a week use was not related to a significant reduction in risk. When the researchers examined just the data from the first aspirin assessment questionnaire taken after breast cancer diagnosis, there was no association between a reduced risk of breast cancer death and aspirin usage. The relative risk of breast cancer recurrence was also lower for women that took aspirin two to five days a week or six to seven days a week (RR 0.40, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.65 and RR 0.57, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.82, respectively). How did the researchers interpret the results? The researchers conclude that using aspirin after breast cancer diagnosis was associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer related death and recurrence. They say that this is notable as previous analysis of data from the Nurses’ Health Study as a whole did not find an association between aspirin use and breast cancer incidence (the chance of developing breast cancer). They propose that further studies are needed including, ultimately, a randomised controlled trial of aspirin after breast cancer diagnosis. Conclusion This preliminary study found an association between the frequency of aspirin use and the risk of recurrence of breast cancer and breast cancer-associated deaths. The researchers highlight the following limitations of the study: The women’s aspirin intake, treatments and whether their cancer reoccurred were given by self-report. There is the possibility that participants may not have accurately recalled this information. The study only asked about the weekly frequency of aspirin use and did not ask about the daily dose of aspirin that participants took. This is likely to vary between individuals. The study population were all nurses who worked within the health system. It is possible that their health lifestyle may differ from the general population. This type of study cannot determine whether aspirin caused the observed reduced risks. To better establish this, follow-up research should include a randomised controlled trial that compared the prognosis for people given a defined dose of aspirin after breast cancer treatment to people who did not take aspirin. Importantly, aspirin is not without risks. Regular use of aspirin, or other anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, can increase the risk of stomach irritation and bleeding, particularly in the elderly and in people who are taking other medical treatments that increase their risk of bleeding. People undergoing chemotherapy are especially at risk as they may be more susceptible to bleeding (due to the effect of chemotherapy upon platelet count) and so may be advised against the use of aspirin. Links To The Headlines 'Aspirin may help breast cancer women live longer' . The Independent, February 17 2010 Links To Science Holmes MD, Chen WY, Li L, et al. Aspirin Intake and Survival After Breast Cancer . Journal of Clinical Oncology 2010 (1 d ago)

• Child care link to obesity Child care link to obesity
02/16/2010
"Indulgent grandparents 'overfeed' kids and make them fat," is the headline in the Daily Mail today. The story is based on a large study looking at how different types of childcare between the ages of nine months and three years affect a child’s risk of being overweight. It found that grandparents provided three-quarters of all informal childcare, and that the children cared for full-time in informal care had a 34% increased risk of being overweight. This increased risk was limited to children from more advantaged socio-economic groups. The results of this study are consistent with other research in the field. As the researchers suggest, promoting healthy options to grandparents providing childcare is potentially one way of preventing obesity and overweight in children. Exactly which aspect of weight management, physical activity, diet or both will need further assessment. Where did the story come from? This research was carried out by Dr A Pearce and colleagues from the Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the UCL Institute of Child Health in London. The study was conducted as part of the Public Health Research Consortium supported by the Department of Health Policy Research Programme. Additional funding came from the Medical Research Council, a scheme of the National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centres and grants made to the Millennium Cohort Study itself. The study was published in the peer-reviewed medical journal International Journal of Obesity . Both the Daily Mail and BBC News highlighted the researcher’s suggestion that as National Insurance credits will soon be available to grandparents providing more than 20 hours a week care for grandchildren under 13 years, there is an opportunity for giving advice on healthy eating and exercise to grandparents. What kind of research was this? This was an analysis of data from a large cohort study in over 12,000 children. The participants had their height and weight measured and their parents or carers were interviewed at nine months and three years of age. The researchers analysed the data for links between type of childcare (formal, informal or parental) and the chance of the child becoming overweight or obese by age three. The researchers explain that about 80% of three to six-year-olds and 25% of children under three are now in some form of early childhood education or childcare. They add that childcare is potentially a valuable setting for obesity prevention. What did the research involve? The researchers explain that childcare in OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries has recently been studied, as it was thought childcare might widen inequalities between different socio-economic groups. They say that although childcare offers a potential setting for obesity prevention, the association between childcare and children being overweight has not been adequately researched. The researchers set out to investigate the links between childcare and becoming overweight (including becoming obese) particularly focusing on how the child’s socio-economic background affected this. The researchers had data from 12,354 children in the UK who had been part of a cohort study called the Millennium Cohort Study. This study looked at children born in the UK between September 2000 and January 2002. Children were preferentially selected from disadvantaged areas, and areas with high proportions of ethnic minority groups so that the analysis of inequalities could be done. Trained interviewers asked questions of the main caregiver, who was usually the mother, when the children were nine months old and again later when they were about three years old. In the first interview, mothers were asked whether they had breastfed and if so, how long for. Answers were categorised as 'never breastfed', 'breastfed for less than four months' and 'breastfed for four months or more'. Measures of socio-economic background were based on both the household and area in which the child lived and were collapsed into three categories: managerial and professional, intermediate, and routine and manual occupations. Educational backgrounds were also assessed. Of the original 18,296 singleton infants, 14,630 (80%) took part in the follow-up when the child was three. The children’s height and weight were measured at these times. Being overweight (including obesity) was defined by the International Obesity Task Force measures for body mass index (BMI). Childcare was classified into three categories based on what care was used for the longest duration over the full three years, and was based on information given from the interviews: Informal: care given by a friend, neighbour, grandparent or other relative, babysitter or unregistered childminder. Formal: care given in a nursery or childcare centre or by a childminder (not reported as being unregistered), nanny or au pair. Cared for only by a parent: children who had not been cared for by other means. In total, there was complete childcare and height and weight data for 12,354 children. The researchers adjusted their results appropriately for other factors (confounders) that are known to affect infant and childhood weight, such as the mother’s weight before pregnancy, mother’s ethnicity, number of children living in the household, and smoking during pregnancy. What were the basic results? Between birth and four months of age, 6% of children had been in informal childcare for at least 10 hours a week and 2% had been in formal childcare. By three years, nearly a quarter of the children had been in informal childcare since the nine-month questionnaire. Three-quarters of informal carers were grandparents. Just over one-fifth of children had been in formal childcare. Approximately one-quarter of children were overweight or obese at three years old. After controlling for reasonable confounders, children who had been in informal childcare from the age of nine months to three years (75% of whom were cared for by grandparents) were more likely to be overweight than those cared for only by a parent (risk ratio [RR] 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04 to 1.27). When looking at the socio-economic background of the parents, the increased risk of being overweight in informal childcare (compared with parental care) was limited to children from more advantaged groups, such as those whose mother was from a managerial or professional background (RR 1.23, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.47), had a degree (RR 1.43, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.83) or lived in a couple household (RR 1.18, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.32). There was no association between formal childcare and being overweight. Differences in breastfeeding or the age the child was introduced to solids was not associated with overweight at age three years. How did the researchers interpret the results? The researchers say there is a greater risk that children from more advantaged families who are put in informal childcare will become overweight. They call for more health-related information and support for both informal and formal carers and say there is an opportunity for health promotion when grandparents claim National Insurance credits for caring for grandchildren. Conclusion This large well-designed study is one of only a few to comprehensively examine the potential for childcare in widening inequalities. It examined the link in relation to formal and informal types of childcare, including care by grandparents, using an objective measure of being overweight. The researchers mention a few minor limitations to their study: The children were categorised to the type of childcare they mostly received based on answers given by their mothers at nine months and three years. It is possible that some recall inaccuracy was introduced at this point. Mothers were not asked about diet or physical activity in either of the interviews. It is possible, if these varied by childcare type, that both of these factors could have influenced the results and explain the effect. The results of this study are consistent with other research in the field and suggest a possible approach to preventing obesity and being overweight in children by focusing health promotion activities towards grandparents providing childcare. Exactly which aspect of weight management, physical activity, diet or both, should be the focus of any information campaign will need further assessment. Links To The Headlines Killing with kindness: Indulgent grandparents 'overfeed' kids and make them fat, scientists warn. Daily Mail , February 16 2010 Grandparents who care for children 'boost obesity risk'. BBC News, February 16 2010 Links To Science Pearce A, Li L, Abbas J, et al . Is childcare associated with the risk of overweight and obesity in the early years? Findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study Childcare and overweight in the early years. International Journal of Obesity February 9 2010, (2 d ago)

• Poverty link to cancer survival Poverty link to cancer survival
02/16/2010
“There is a genetic explanation for why women from poor backgrounds are less likely to beat breast cancer,” BBC News reported. It said researchers have found an association between a woman’s postcode and a particular mutation of a gene linked with a poorer prognosis for breast cancer. The researchers found that women who lived in deprived areas were more likely to have p53 mutations, and were less likely to have survived cancer-free. The p53 gene normally acts to suppress the development of tumours, but if it is mutated it increases the risk that a cell may become cancerous. These findings suggest that part of the reason why women from deprived areas have worse overall and disease-free survival from breast cancer may be related to mutations in the p53 gene. Exactly how socio-economic status interacts with the p53 gene to have this effect will require further investigation. Although the suggestion is made in the news reports that poor lifestyle factors, such as smoking or drinking may be responsible, the current study did not investigate the reason for the higher level of p53 mutations in the more deprived group, so it is not possible to say whether this is the case. Where did the story come from? The research was carried out by Dr Lee Baker and colleagues from Dundee University, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School in Dundee, and Roche (the manufacturers of the genetic test used). The study was funded by Breast Cancer Research, Scotland. The paper was published in the peer-reviewed British Journal of Cancer . This study was reported on by the BBC News and The Guardian , which both covered it accurately. BBC News suggested that “poor lifestyle may trigger” the mutations, and The Guardian mentions a survey that found that factors associated with deprivation such as smoking, drinking and an unhealthy diet could make the p53 mutation more likely. However, the survey mentioned was not part of the current research study, which did not assess the causes of the p53 mutations. What kind of research was this? This cohort study investigated whether there is a relationship between socio-economic status, certain genetic mutations in breast cancer, and survival or recurrence of the cancer. Women from deprived areas have poorer survival rates from breast cancer than women from more affluent areas. However, it is not clear what causes this difference. Previous studies have suggested that certain mutations in the p53 gene are associated with more aggressive breast cancers, and can predict how successful treatment will be. The researchers wanted to know whether the effect that socio-economic status has on prognosis is related to differences in this gene. The study used donated tissue from a tissue bank that had already been collected. Some clinical and pathological information about the women was also collected prospectively which increases the likelihood that it is accurate. One limitation is that the researchers had to rely solely on the information that had been previously collected, and this may not have included all of the factors that could have affected the results, and that they would have liked to take into account. The data on gene mutation and socio-economic status was examined cross-sectionally, as the tissue samples were collected at the time of surgery. The women were then followed up over time to determine their outcomes. As the tissue was collected at the time of surgery, looking at the DNA from this tissue gives a snapshot of what mutations were present in the cancer cells at the time of treatment, and that could have affected the women’s outcomes after surgery. What did the research involve? The researchers used primary breast cancer tissue that had been donated to a tissue bank for research purposes. They extracted DNA from these samples, and used a genetic test to look for mutations in the p53 gene. They looked at where the women who had given these samples lived, and how deprived the area was. This data was then analysed to see whether the level of deprivation in the area where a woman lived was related to whether she had p53 mutations. The researchers also looked at whether a woman’s p53 status was related to the characteristics of her tumour, how long she survived overall, and how long she survived without a recurrence of her cancer. The samples were obtained from 246 Caucasian women with primary breast cancer who had surgery to remove it between 1997 and 2001, and who had not previously received treatment. The women were all diagnosed and treated at the same centre. The removed tissue was stored in a tissue bank and the women followed up for at least five years to see what their outcomes were. Information on the women’s tumours and their outcomes were collected prospectively . The tissue was tested with a ‘microarray’, a system that can test DNA samples for many different mutations at the same time. The microarray assessed the DNA sequence at 1268 positions within the p53 gene, and could detect single ‘letter’ changes and deletions in the sequence at these points. The analyses compared women in three ways by looking at: all women in the study, all women with p53 mutations, and all women without p53 mutations. The level of deprivation in the areas where the women lived was calculated based on the commonly used Carstairs index of socio-economic status, which gives deprivation scores for individual postcode areas. Women in the most deprived areas (worst 10% of scores) were compared with women in less deprived areas (the remaining 90%). The researchers also investigated whether differences in treatment or tumour characteristics could account for differences in outcomes. What were the basic results? Of the 246 women followed for five years or more, 205 (83%) were still alive at their last follow up, 184 (75%) were alive without recurrence of their cancer, and 41 (17%) had died. There were 17 women (7%) from the most deprived areas. Certain tumour characteristics were more common among these women (grade 3 tumours and HER2-positive tumours), while there was no difference in other tumour characteristics (tumour size, lymph node status, and oestrogen or progesterone receptor status) or treatments received. Women from the most deprived areas were more likely to have a relapse or die than women from less deprived areas. The researchers found that just over a quarter of tumours carried a p53 mutation (64 out of 246 tumours or 26%). Women with p53 mutations were more likely to have a higher tumour grade, tumour spread to armpit (axillary) lymph nodes, HER-2 positive tumours and oestrogen receptor negative cancers. Women with p53 mutations had lower overall survival and disease-free survival five years after their surgery than those without mutations in the gene. Mutations in the p53 gene were more common in women from the most deprived areas. Almost 60% of these women had p53 mutations in their tumours (10 out of 17 tumours). Fewer women in the most deprived areas who had p53 mutations were still alive five years after their cancer diagnosis (24%) compared with women from less deprived areas with p53 mutations (72%). Women from the most deprived areas who had p53 mutations were also less likely to have survived five years without recurrence of their disease (20%) than women from less deprived areas with p53 mutations (56%). These differences were statistically significant, even after adjustment for tumour characteristics that could be affecting results. However, there were no differences in overall or disease-free survival between the deprivation categories in analyses looking only at women without p53 mutations. How did the researchers interpret the results? The researchers conclude that, “p53 mutation in breast cancer is associated with socio-economic deprivation and may provide a molecular basis, with therapeutic implications, for the poorer outcome in women from deprived communities”. Conclusion These findings appear to suggest that part of the reason why women with breast cancer from deprived areas have worse overall survival and disease-free survival, may be related to mutations in the p53 gene. Exactly how socio-economic status interacts with the p53 gene to have this effect is not clear and will require further investigation. Other points to note about the current study are that: The measure of the women’s level of deprivation was based on the women’s postcode. Though this is an accepted method for measuring deprivation, it may not give as exact a measure as a more thorough assessment of individual women’s socio-economic characteristics (e.g. household income, education and so on). The study was relatively small, with few women in the most deprived category (17 women). Technically, this means that the results are less reliable than they would be with a larger sample, and the authors acknowledge that further studies will be needed to confirm the results. The researchers were able to take into account some factors that could affect potentially have affected the results, but there may be others, such as inflammatory markers, that were not measured. The researchers say it is possible that some of these unmeasured factors could explain some of the effect seen. The study only included Caucasian women, so the results may not apply to other ethnic groups. The study did not assess why women in the more deprived areas have more p53 mutations. Previous studies have shown that women from more deprived areas have poorer breast cancer prognosis than those from less deprived areas, although the reasons for this are not clear. This study has investigated whether p53 plays a role in this. Although some news sources have suggested that lifestyle factors such as smoking or alcohol use could be to blame, this study did not assess why p53 mutations were more common in the deprived group. Therefore no conclusions can be drawn about what factors might be responsible. Further research will help to solve this. Links To The Headlines Scientists link poverty to breast cancer gene damage. The Guardian , February 16 2010 Key cancer gene 'link to poverty’. BBC News, February 16 2010 Links To Science Baker L, Quinlan PR, Patten N, et al . p53 mutation, deprivation and poor prognosis in primary breast cancer. British Journal of Cancer ; Advance online publication January 26 2010 (2 d ago)

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02/17/2010
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• GOP sees possible upside in health care ... GOP sees possible upside in health care summit
02/17/2010
Congressional Republicans see a chance for political gain in President Barack Obama's televised health care summit next week, even though the president will be running the show. Barack Obama - Republican - Health care - Politics - United States (1 d ago)

• 1 in 5 prescriptions never filled, study... 1 in 5 prescriptions never filled, study shows
02/17/2010
Many people whose doctors start them on medications for conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure may never fill those prescriptions, a new study suggests. Hypertension - Diabetes mellitus - Health - Conditions and Diseases - Diabetes (1 d ago)

• Danger of Marines’ water removed from re... Danger of Marines’ water removed from report
02/17/2010
An environmental contractor dramatically underreported the level of a cancer-causing chemical found in tap water at Camp Lejeune, then omitted it altogether as the Marine base prepared for a federal health review, an Associated Press review has found. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune - Marine - Associated Press - Water - United States (1 d ago)

• Merck: Studies boost Gardasil for new us... Merck: Studies boost Gardasil for new uses
02/17/2010
The Gardasil vaccine protected most young women from cervical cancer and homosexual men from anal cancer, according to new studies released Wednesday by its maker, Merck & Co. Gardasil - Merck & Co - Cervical cancer - Cancer - Health (1 d ago)

• Aspirin cuts death risk after breast can... Aspirin cuts death risk after breast cancer
02/17/2010
Breast cancer survivors who take aspirin regularly may be less likely to die or have their cancer return, new research shows. Those in a large study who took aspirin had a 50 percent lower risk of dying from breast cancer and a 50 percent lower risk of cancer's spread. Breast cancer - Cancer - Health - Conditions and Diseases - Breast (1 d ago)

• Acupuncture may ease menstrual cramps Acupuncture may ease menstrual cramps
02/17/2010
Acupuncture may be helpful in alleviating menstrual cramps, which affects up to half of all young women, an extensive review of past studies has found. Health - United States - Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine - Alternative - Practitioners (1 d ago)

• Too big? Survey finds why men refuse con... Too big? Survey finds why men refuse condoms
02/16/2010
Condoms that do not fit right could break and may reduce sexual pleasure for both partners, suggesting reasons why men and women often fail to use them, researchers reported. Condom - Health - Human sexual behavior - Birth control - Shopping (2 d ago)

• Lullabelly: Prenatal Music Belt Lullabelly: Prenatal Music Belt
02/19/2010
Expecting mommies often hear about the benefits of playing music for your baby while it's in the womb. The old school version of putting headphones around your belly has finally been revamped! Now you can plug in your iPod or MP3 Player with the brand new prenatal music belt — the Lullabelly. Some experts say listening to music in the womb encourages learning, language development and memory skills. Plus, playing the same music after birth can help your baby sleep better. The Lullabelly prenatal ... (1 h ago)

• Seen that? - Breast Cancer and Fiber Seen that? - Breast Cancer and Fiber
02/18/2010
Breast Cancer and Fiber Well Woman Blog It's an established fact that fiber is good for you. Fiber prevents constipation, lowers cholesterol and helps in weight loss. Research done at the University of Leeds in London has found yet another reason ... (21 h ago)

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• You Have the Right to View Your Medical ... You Have the Right to View Your Medical Records
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• Road bumps may trick defibrillators in a... Road bumps may trick defibrillators in ambulances
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• Kids’ chronic health ills fade by adulth... Kids’ chronic health ills fade by adulthood
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• Insomnia may shrink your brain, scans sh... Insomnia may shrink your brain, scans show
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• Seen that? - Alert: Worthington® Vegetab... Seen that? - Alert: Worthington® Vegetable Skallops®
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A simple, inexpensive test of reaction time may help determine on the sidelines whether an athlete has suffered a concussion, according to new research. Concussion - Reaction time - Social Sciences - Psychology - Research Methods (2 d ago)

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