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January-February 2008
By Katharine Greider and Trish Nicholson

Truth About Fat Pills

Don't expect dramatic results from today's anti-obesity medications. Canadian researchers reviewed 30 trials of three weight-loss drugs—orlistat (marketed as Xenical and as the over-the-counter product Alli), sibutramine (Meridia) and rimonabant (not available in the United States). The nearly 20,000 people in the trials weighed an average of 220 pounds. Their weight loss? An average of 5 percent of total weight, or less than 11 pounds. "Most patients will remain considerably obese or overweight even with drug treatment," concluded the reviewers, led by Raj Padwal, M.D., of Canada's University of Alberta. "These results are indeed modest," says Gary D. Foster, director of Temple University's Center for Obesity Research and Education. "You don't lose 50, 60, 70 pounds of body weight." On the other hand, Foster says, even a drop of 5 percent of body weight can improve blood pressure and levels of blood sugar and cholesterol. The study was reported in the Dec. 8 British Medical Journal.

B12 Helps Maintain Your Brain

Running low on vitamin B12 could hasten mental decline, a new study suggests. Published in November's American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the 10-year study tracked 1,648 men and women age 65 and older. Previous research indicated that B12 and folic acid—another B vitamin—might help fend off Alzheimer's disease. The new study found that a lack of B12 could diminish cognitive function. The researchers, led by Robert Clarke of Oxford University, suggested that doubling B12 levels with supplements might slow such a decline by a third. Maybe so—if the supplements can be easily absorbed, says Myrtle McCulloch, clinical assistant professor of nutrition at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington. Older people often have trouble absorbing B12, which is found in oysters and other mollusks, fish, meat, milk and eggs. McCulloch recommends sublingual B12 supplements, which dissolve under the tongue for better absorption.

November 2007
By Katharine Greider

Giving Bones a Break

The 300,000 Americans who break a hip each year are at high risk for another fracture. But a once-a-year injection of a new drug could substantially lower that risk. In an international study, 2,100 patients who had broken a hip were given an annual 15-minute infusion of either the osteoporosis drug Reclast or a placebo. During up to five years of monitoring, those taking the drug were 35 percent less likely to break another bone, according to a report in the Nov. 1 New England Journal of Medicine. The study was sponsored by Reclast maker Novartis and led by Kenneth W. Lyles, M.D., of Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. The data "are very, very good in terms of both fracture reduction and effects on bone density," says Stephen Honig, M.D., director of the Osteoporosis Center of the New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases. The latest study didn't reveal any safety issues for Reclast, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in August. But the FDA plans to review Reclast and other osteoporosis drugs, including Actonel, Boniva and Fosamax, for possible links to irregular heartbeat. Reclast costs about $1,000 per dose.

October 2007
By Katharine Greider and Elizabeth N. Brown

Buddies Are Good for You

Being lonely takes a toll on the body that seems to accelerate with age. University of Chicago researchers reported in August's Current Directions in Psychological Science that in their study of college students and of adults age 50 to 68, loneliness had little effect on the health of the younger subjects. But the older people, compared with their more social peers, had higher blood pressure, lower levels of "good" cholesterol and higher levels of the "fight or flight" hormone epinephrine. The paper adds to growing evidence linking social isolation to problems dealing with stress, poor sleep, weak immunity, heart disease, Alzheimer's and suicide, says Sheldon Cohen, a psychologist at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. "There are roughly 20 large-scale epidemiologic studies now," he says, "and they all show that the more socially integrated you are, the longer you live."

Score One for Calcium Pills

Can calcium supplements help prevent bone fractures? That's been long debated, but a new analysis of 17 clinical trials concludes that they can. Led by researchers at the University of Western Sydney and published Aug. 25 in the Lancet, the study found that fractures were reduced by 12 percent among those who took supplements. "What recent papers are telling us is that adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D is step one" in preventing osteoporosis, says Ethel Siris, M.D., president of the National Osteoporosis Foundation. Her group recommends at least 1,200 mg. of calcium and 800 to 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily for people 50 and over, via diet and supplements. "People should make up their minds," she says, "that just like they're not going to smoke, they're going to get enough calcium and vitamin D."

Downsides of Diet Soda

Diet soda may mean zero calories—but not zero risk. In analyzing data on 6,000 people in the Framingham Heart Study, scientists from Boston University and the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute found that drinking one soda a day—regular or diet—boosts by 48 percent the risk of developing metabolic conditions, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar and excess abdominal fat, which can cause diabetes and heart disease. The researchers, in the Aug. 24 issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, said it's not clear why diet soda has this effect. California cardiologist and nutrition expert Dean Ornish, M.D., wants the scientists "to demonstrate this [link], which, clearly, they have not done." The AHA notes that diet soda doesn't cause heart disease and is preferable to sugar-sweetened soda.

September 2007
By Katharine Greider

Stress Morphs Into Fat

Chronic stress—in tandem with a junk-food diet—can lay fat on your belly. Scientists at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington and in Australia and Slovakia have shown in mice that stress activates the hormone neuropeptide Y (NPY), which leads to fat accumulation. The findings, in July's Nature Medicine, have raised hopes that NPY could be manipulated to treat obesity.

"The study is absolutely groundbreaking in our understanding of why we gain weight when we're under stress," says Elissa Epel, who studies physiologic effects of stress at the University of California, San Francisco. But she says people get fat for many reasons, so blocking NPY "is not the solution to the obesity epidemic."

June 2007
By Katharine Greider and Roberta Yared

Prostate Test Gets a Passing Grade

Scientists at the Johns Hopkins University have developed a blood test for prostate cancer that appears to be much more precise than the standard PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test. Every year, about 1.6 million men with high PSA levels have biopsies; some 80 percent turn out to be cancer-free. An initial report in April's Urology indicates a false-positive rate of only 3 percent for the new test, which measures blood levels of the protein EPCA-2 (early prostate cancer antigen-2). The test could even indicate if a cancer has spread beyond the prostate. Still, the dream, says Jonathan W. Simons, M.D., head of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, is for a test that will tell us if there's any cancer left after treatment.

Ducking the Flu

The first human vaccine against avian flu has won approval from the Food and Drug Administration. The vaccine, which protects against the H5N1 strain of the flu virus, won't be commercially available but will be stockpiled for distribution by public health officials in a bird flu outbreak. An FDA official conceded to reporters that the vaccine is an "interim measure" until more effective vaccines that require lower doses are developed.

Don't Fret—You'll Live Longer

Stop that excessive worrying, and you just might lengthen your life. That's what a study led by a Purdue University researcher found in evaluating data on personality change and mortality in 1,663 men ages 43 to 91. During 18 years of follow-up, men who became increasingly neurotic had a much higher risk of dying than those who stayed the same or became less neurotic. The good news, says Robert S. Wilson, professor of neuropsychology at Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center in Chicago, is that change—learning to cope and overcoming the tendency to stew over things—"seems to make a difference, and that's pretty exciting." The study was published in May's Psychological Science.

No More Transfusion Confusion?

Scientists have found a way to convert donated type A, B or AB blood into O, the universal blood type that can be given to anyone. The technique, developed by a team of international scientists and reported in the April issue of Nature Biotechnology, could relieve blood shortages and cut the risk of incompatible transfusions. Results from clinical trials with converted donor blood are expected by year's end.

But Does It Smooth Wrinkles?

Melatonin, a hormone known for regulating sleep, may also help slow down aging. Scientists from Spanish universities found that daily doses of melatonin reduced inflammation and oxidative damage to tissue, processes thought to be linked to aging. But, says Russel J. Reiter, professor of neuroendocrinology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, more research is needed to see if melatonin supplements can keep people healthier longer. The study was published in April's Journal of Pineal Research.

May 2007
By Katharine Greider

CPR Techniques Are Changing

The rules for CPR are changing. To help someone in cardiac arrest—the loss of heart function—you can forget about mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. The person is more likely to survive with good brain function if only chest compressions are performed, according to a study by Tokyo's Surugadai Nihon University Hospital that was reported in the Lancet March 17. Records of more than 4,000 adults who had cardiac arrest showed that twice as many survived with compressions only. Benjamin S. Abella, M.D., associate director of the Center for Resuscitation Science at the University of Pennsylvania, says one-step CPR might encourage more bystanders to attempt resuscitation.

Drugs Can Work as Well as Angioplasty

Many of the 1 million Americans who each year have angioplasty with stents inserted to open blocked arteries—at a cost of about $40,000 per procedure—might do just as well on conventional drugs, according to a new study. In a multi-center clinical trial that tracked more than 2,000 people with stable coronary disease, angioplasty didn't cut the risk of death, heart attack or other major heart complications. After five years, over 70 percent of patients were free of angina pains, whether they'd had surgery or used drugs. A third of patients in the study's drugs-only group eventually needed angioplasty, but waiting didn't appear to carry any risks. "The take-home message is that in this select group of patients you can safely defer angioplasty and stent placement," says Edward McNulty, M.D., a cardiologist at the University of California, San Francisco. But he emphasizes that people with symptoms such as chest pain at rest, for example, should seek immediate attention, and may need angioplasty. The findings were published in the April 12 New England Journal of Medicine.

April 2007
By Katharine Greider & Roberta Yared

Birth of a Brain Cell

There's now strong evidence that humans, like other species, grow new brain cells throughout their lives, a finding that could lead to improved treatments for brain injuries and disease. Using MRI scans and electron microscope images, researchers at the University of Auckland in New Zealand and the University of Göteborg in Sweden found that stem cells formed in the forebrain develop into nerve cells as they migrate to the area of the brain that processes smells. The results, reported in Science online on Feb. 15, may at last correct the misperception that the human adult brain stops developing.

Pain Relief at What Risk?

High daily doses of popular over-the-counter painkillers raise the risk of high blood pressure, according to new research. In a study reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine Feb. 26, scientists from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School tracked 16,000 men for four years. Those who reported taking drugs such as aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen six or seven days a week were 26 percent more likely to develop hypertension than nonusers. The higher the dose and the longer you take the drug, the greater your risk, says Elliott M. Antman, M.D., lead author of an American Heart Association advisory on pain medications. Evidence suggests that the most heart-safe pills are aspirin and acetaminophen, followed by naproxen and ibuprofen. COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex should be prescribed as a last resort, the AHA says. A 2002 study indicated the painkillers can also cause hypertension in women.

Don't Hold Your (Bad) Breath

If you've been eating garlic in the belief that it lowers LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, you can kiss that claim goodbye. At Stanford University, 192 adults with moderately high cholesterol consumed either a placebo or raw garlic or garlic supplements for six months. The garlic's effect on LDLs: zip, according to a report in Archives of Internal Medicine Feb. 26.

February 2007
By Katharine Greider

A True Fish Tale

A diet rich in fish, fruits and vegetables—and light on red meat—may help prevent deep-vein blood clots that can be lethal if they break free and lodge in the lungs. So concludes a study conducted by American and Norwegian scientists who tracked the eating habits of nearly 15,000 middle-aged adults over a period of 12 years. According to an online report in the Dec. 18 Circulation, those who ate fish once a week or more had a 30 to 45 percent lower risk than those who ate very little fish. Slight declines in the risk of a venous thromboembolism (VTE) occurred as the consumption of fruits and vegetables increased. Medication is still key for people who have had a VTE, cautions Heather Gornik, M.D., a vascular medicine specialist at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. But eating more fruits, vegetables and fish as well "just makes sense, to live healthier," she says.

Treat It—or Wait and See?

A new study from the University of Pennsylvania suggests that older men with cancer confined to the prostate are 30 percent less likely to die of the disease if they undergo surgery or radiation as opposed to "watchful waiting." Whether treatment benefits men older than 65 has been controversial, because prostate cancer often progresses slowly and more than half of all men have it by age 80. The 12-year study, reported Dec. 13 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, included 44,630 prostate cancer patients ages 65 to 80. Of those who opted for observation, 2.4 percent died of the cancer compared with about 1.9 percent of those treated aggressively. Even so, H. Ballentine Carter, M.D., of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, says he tells older patients that the cancer is unlikely to harm them in their lifetime. "We can monitor it very, very carefully."

Detecting Alzheimer's Earlier

It usually takes comprehensive physical and neuropsychological exams to confirm Alzheimer's disease. But two tests in development may be able to detect it in the earliest—and most treatable—stages. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine Dec. 21 on a new molecule that binds to the "plaques" and "tangles" characteristic of Alzheimer's, causing them to light up during PET (positron emission tomography) brain scans. In a second study, scientists at New York's Cornell University identified 23 protein biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid that, taken together, peg Alzheimer's with 90 percent accuracy. They reported in the online Annals of Neurology in December.

January 2007
By Katharine Greider & Roberta Yared

Not-So-Daffy Daffodils

The fields of daffodils that bloom every spring in the Black Mountains of Wales are not only beautiful—they may help fight Alzheimer's disease, too. A compound, known as galantamine, that is extracted from daffodils and other plants is used in high-end prescription drugs to slow the development of dementia. Scientists found that Welsh daffodils appear to be especially prolific producers of galantamine. Trevor Walker, a biochemist with the research firm Alzeim, in Powys, Wales, told the BBC that he hopes to produce a less costly generic version of the compound.

They Were Blind but Now They See

British researchers have implanted retinal stem cells into the eyes of blind mice and partially restored their sight. The light-sensitive cells developed into photoreceptors, specialized cells whose loss can cause age-related macular degeneration and other eye diseases. Researchers led by Robert MacLaren, M.D., of Moorfields Eye Hospital in London used mouse stem cells that had already begun to differentiate into photoreceptors. The cells made the connections to the eye's nervous system circuitry to produce vision. While scientists say it's not feasible to obtain equivalent human cells, they have suggested that the special cells could be grown from embryonic stem cells or adult retinal cells. "It's really fantastic," says Guy Eakin, director of research grants at the American Health Assistance Foundation in Clarksburg, Md. The results showed actual improvement in eye function, surpassing earlier efforts by "an order of magnitude," he says. The study was published in the Nov. 9 issue of Nature.

One, Two, Three, One, Two, Three ...

Heart patients take note: Waltzing is as beneficial to health as working out on treadmills and stationary bikes. People are more apt to do it because it's fun, says researcher Romualdo Belardinelli, M.D., of Lancisi Heart Institute in Ancona, Italy. In a report at a meeting of the American Heart Association in November, Belardinelli said the waltzers had better oxygen uptake and less muscle fatigue than a group doing more traditional exercises and a control group who didn't exercise. They also reported a better quality of life. "Maybe we should try that here," cardiologist Robert Bonow, M.D., of Northwestern University Medical School told the Associated Press. "I'm not sure we can get Americans to waltz, but they certainly can dance."

December 2006
By Katharine Greider & Roberta Yared

Pulverizing Pills

Crushing or splitting pills is one way to help the medicine go down.

But crushing certain pills, such as morphine and nifedipine (for blood pressure), can be dangerous, British lawyers and scientists warned in October. The team, led by pharmacologist David Wright of the University of East Anglia, created guidelines for managing patients with swallowing problems. Rosemont Pharmaceuticals, a British maker of liquid medicines, sponsored the work.

Carla Saxton McSpadden, a certified geriatric pharmacist with the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, says that even those without swallowing problems may be tempted to split monster-size tablets like potassium. But if they're slow-release pills, she says, crushing them can change the way the body absorbs the active ingredients and cause severe, even fatal complications.

Some alternative forms of medicine: patches, liquids and inhalers.

Debunking Decaf

Once and for all, most decaffeinated coffee is not, repeat not, caffeine-free.

Even in tiny amounts, caffeine can harm people who have high blood pressure, kidney disease or anxiety disorders, says researcher Bruce Goldberger, president-elect of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

But finding true decaf is hard. Goldberger and his team reported in October's Journal of Analytical Toxicology that they tested 22 16-ounce "decaf" coffees and espressos; caffeine content ranged from zero (in one sample) to 15.8 milligrams. This compares with about 190 mg in a 16-ounce regular coffee and 18 to 55 mg in 12 ounces of soda.

November 2006
By Katharine Greider & Roberta Yared

A 10-Minute Walk

People who exercise to control blood pressure can do their workouts in small doses.

Indiana University researchers reported in September's Journal of Hypertension that people in their study who took four 10-minute walks over several hours reduced their blood pressure for 10 to 11 hours, about three hours longer than did those who walked nonstop for 40 minutes.

"Not only can blood pressure be lowered by short bouts of exercise, it can also occur after low-intensity exercise," says the University of Connecticut's Linda Pescatello, an exercise physiologist whose own research has also shown that a 15-minute exertion can reduce blood pressure nearly as much as a 30-minute effort.

A Doctor's Duty?

How well are you sleeping? That's a question doctors should ask patients routinely, but many don't.

Yet sleep quality is a key indicator of health status, researchers from Northwestern University wrote in the Sept. 18 Archives of Internal Medicine. A raft of studies link sleep disturbances to heart disease, diabetes, depression and other conditions.

Northwestern professor Phyllis Zee found in her own study that doctors identified sleeplessness in only about one in five older patients who reported having several sleep-related symptoms.

One other problem: It's not clear yet how to treat certain sleep disturbances. "We've [only] gotten to the talking-about-it stage," says Neal Kohatsu, M.D., president of the American College of Preventive Medicine. Meanwhile, he says, patients need to volunteer concerns about sleep patterns to their doctor.

Behind the Counter

Those familiar over-the-counter cold remedies such as Sudafed and Dimetapp that contain pseudoephedrine (PSE) are no longer on the shelves. Instead, you have to ask the pharmacist for them.

New laws require that products with PSE be kept under wraps because it's used to make crystal meth, an illegal and addictive stimulant.

New cold remedies on display contain phenylephrine (PE). Janet Engle, a clinical professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Illinois-Chicago, says formulas with PSE are long-acting decongestants, taken only once or twice a day. PE medications are taken every four hours or so.

Skipping Rehab?

Regular exercise before a hip or knee replacement can reduce postoperative pain and the need for rehabilitation, according to a report in the October issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.

In a study of 78 patients at Boston's New England Baptist Hospital, 65 percent of exercisers went directly home after their joint replacements, compared with 44 percent of patients who didn't participate in the pre-surgery exercise program of three sessions a week for six weeks.

The exercisers also had more physical function and less pain at eight and 26 weeks after surgery. Their routine focused on flexibility, cardiovascular fitness and strength training.

September 2006
By Katharine Greider & Roberta Yared

Gender Gap

The differences between males and females start with the way their genes behave, new research finds. Understanding those genetic variations could explain why the sexes often respond differently to disease and drugs.

Nearly all genes in males and females are identical. But scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, analyzed gene expression—activities such as protein production—in mice and discovered more than 25,000 genes in brain, liver, fat and muscle tissue that act very differently according to gender, a far higher number than expected. Fully 70 percent of the genes analyzed in the liver, where drugs are metabolized, showed variations.

The researchers, who reported on the study in the August issue of Genome Research, say such differences are almost certain to occur in humans as well.

"It's pretty startling," Sherry Marts, vice president for scientific affairs of the Society for Women's Health Research, says of the study. It opens up new treatment possibilities. If, for example, scientists knew why women are more susceptible to autoimmune illnesses like lupus, she says, "we might have a better approach to treating or preventing them."

Insulin Influence

New studies are confirming that people with diabetes or obesity are at greater risk for Alzheimer's, researchers reported at an international conference in July.

In an aging country, with an estimated 73 million Americans who have diabetes or prediabetes, the findings could mean a surge in dementia cases. But "changes in diet and exercise and drugs already developed for diabetes may prove useful to better treat and prevent Alzheimer's," says Ronald Petersen, M.D., director of the Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's Disease Center.

Diabetics do not properly produce or use insulin, a hormone that regulates the body's use of sugar. Imaging studies indicate that dementia advances as insulin levels in the brain fall. Imaging also enables doctors to diagnose dementia earlier and learn what drugs and other therapies are effective.

The 10th International Conference on Alzheimer's Diseases and Related Disorders (held in Madrid) was sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association.

Juice It Up

Muscles weak and achy after that tough workout? Try cherry juice.

University of Vermont researchers and colleagues gave 24 ounces of the stuff to 14 students for eight days straight; on day four the men performed strenuous biceps curls. On average, those drinking cherry juice had only a 4 percent loss of muscle strength after exercise, as opposed to 22 percent for men getting a placebo.

Carol Torgan, an exercise physiologist and fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, cautions that the drink "didn't alleviate tenderness and effects on range of motion."

Published in August by the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the study was paid for by Cherrypharm Inc., maker of a cherry-based sports drink.

July-August 2006
By Katharine Greider & Roberta Yared

Snooze to Lose

Skimping on shuteye increases the odds of adding pounds. A 16-year study of nearly 70,000 middle-aged women found that those who slept five hours or less each night were more likely to gain a significant amount of weight than those who slept seven hours.

Sleeping less probably affects the resting metabolic rate (the number of calories burned during sleep), says lead researcher Sanjay Patel, M.D., of Case Western Reserve University. He presented the findings at the May American Thoracic Society International Conference. "Other research suggests similar findings in men," he says.

If it's coffee that keeps you awake, consider switching to decaf instead of going cold turkey. A 15-year study reports fewer deaths from heart disease among 27,000 older women who drank one to three cups of either regular or decaf coffee a day. "Coffee is rich in antioxidants, which may reduce the oxidative stress and inflammation that encourage arteries to narrow," says researcher David R. Jacobs of the University of Minnesota. The findings are likely to apply to men as well. The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in May.

Signs of Dementia

Wobbly balance and walking problems in people who don't show signs of cognitive impairment may be harbingers of the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Of 2,288 participants in a six-year study in Seattle, those who scored high on physical activity tests at the beginning of the period were three times less likely to develop dementia than those who scored low. None of the participants, all 65 years or older, had dementia or ill health at the start. The 319 participants who developed dementia had scored poorly on the physical tests, which included a 10-foot walk, standing balance, standing up from a chair and hand grip strength.

Researchers say the study suggests that exercising to get in shape may delay the onset of dementia. "Physical and mental performance may go hand in hand, and anything you can do to improve one is likely to improve the other," says Eric B. Larson, M.D., of the University of Washington, co-author of a report in the May 22 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Shaking Shingles?

Anyone who had chickenpox as a child is a candidate for shingles as an adult. But a new vaccine may prevent or at least lessen the severity of shingles, a painful nerve disease marked by a burning red rash.

The herpes zoster virus that causes chickenpox lies dormant in nerve cells and then can "reawaken" as shingles. The vaccine, Zostavax, a more potent version of the chickenpox vaccine given to children, was approved in May by the federal Food and Drug Administration specifically for people 60 and over, the age group that accounts for about half of the 1 million U.S. shingles cases a year.

In a clinical trial with 38,500 people 60 and older, half the group received the vaccine and the other half a placebo. The vaccinated group had half the number of shingles cases (315) as the placebo group (642 cases), and their symptoms were significantly milder.

The trial was funded by several federal agencies and vaccine manufacturer Merck. A company spokesperson says a shot will cost $152.50. Medicare and other insurers are expected to cover the vaccine.

June 2006
By Katharine Greider & Roberta Yared

Bone Drug Alert

People taking Fosamax and similar drugs to enhance bone density may risk a very rare but alarming side effect: "jawbone death."

Medical journals have reported hundreds of cases in which patients taking drugs known as bisphosphonates developed osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). Potentially disfiguring and hard to treat, ONJ is characterized by jaw pain and ulcerations in the mouth.

The problem seems to arise mainly after patients—predominantly cancer patients receiving the drugs intravenously—undergo an invasive dental procedure such as tooth extraction.

But some patients with ONJ have taken pills—Fosamax or, less commonly, Actonel—for osteoporosis, the thinning of the bones that can lead to fractures. In April a Florida woman sued Merck, the maker of Fosamax, claiming the drug destroyed her jawbone. Merck added ONJ to the warning label for Fosamax last year.

Susan Ott, M.D., an osteoporosis expert at the University of Washington, says the drug may be overused among women who overestimate their risk for osteoporosis. But she says women with full-blown osteoporosis should not avoid Fosamax because the risk of jawbone problems is very small.

Patients taking bisphosphonates should alert their dental professionals, says Marc Balson, past president of the American Association of Endodontists.

Do Nothing

Suppose you have an implanted cardiac defibrillator and the manufacturer recalls the device?

The best thing to do may be nothing, since replacing an implanted defibrillator has a substantial risk of complications, says Andrew Krahn, M.D., of the London Health Sciences Centre in Ontario, Canada.

Krahn surveyed reports on 2,915 Canadians with implants who received recall notices during 2004-2005. Eighteen percent (533) had replacement surgery—of those, 43 had complications and two died. Among those who did not replace the device, only three malfunctions occurred—there were no fatalities or serious complications. The study was published April 26 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

A U.S. study, also reported in the Journal, found that of 415,780 patients receiving implants from 1990 to 2002, 31 died due to malfunctioning devices.

Spice of Life?

Ordinary powdered ginger destroyed human ovarian cancer cells in a laboratory experiment at the University of Michigan.

The spice killed the cells in different ways, indicating it may also limit cell resistance to standard treatment, says J. Rebecca Liu, M.D., of the university's Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Liu, who reported the findings at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting in April, plans to test ginger in animals.

May 2006
By Katharine Greider & Roberta Yared

Take a Deep Breath

Start walking. Older adults who don't exercise, when tested against nonexercising younger people in a walk paced at 3.5 miles an hour, used more oxygen. But over time, with regular exercise, their use of oxygen improved more than that of the younger adults.

In a study by the University of Washington in Seattle, healthy but "deconditioned" men and women ages 65 to 79 improved their oxygen efficiency by 30 percent, compared with 2 percent for adults ages 20 to 33. They developed "a much better way of using oxygen," says J. Susie Woo, M.D., lead author of a report in the March 7 Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The training course included stretching, walking and biking for 90 minutes three times a week over six months.

It's the regularity of exercise, not the level, Woo explains, that provides the benefits. "So do something you enjoy. But do it regularly, three times a week."

Take a Shot at It

Adults hospitalized for pneumonia are much more likely to survive if they've been vaccinated against a virulent bacterial form of the disease, according to research published April 15 in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Researchers from Philadelphia's Drexel University and the hospital system Tenet Healthcare examined the records of 63,000 adults admitted with pneumonia from 1999 to 2003. Those vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia were 50 percent less likely to die—from any cause—than those with no record of vaccination. The shots are recommended for people 65 and older.

Take a Snooze

Skimping on sleep night after night might increase the risk of full-blown hypertension.

Data from a survey of nearly 5,000 people showed that those who said they slept no more than five hours a night were roughly twice as likely to be diagnosed with high blood pressure over the next decade. The study, by Columbia University researchers, was published online April 3 in Hypertension.

April 2006
By Katharine Greider & Roberta Yared

A Dream Drug?

In tests with mice, a new drug reversed memory loss and reduced brain plaque and tangles linked to Alzheimer's disease. Now it's being tested in humans.

The excitement over the drug's potential was tempered by the usual warning that what works in mice may not work in humans. The drug, known only as compound 267, was developed by Abraham Fisher of the Israel Institute for Biological Research. A team at the University of California-Irvine's Department of Neurobiology and Behavior tested it in mice, and reported results in the March 2 Neuron.

The first human trial, conducted by TorreyPines Therapeutics in La Jolla, Calif., found compound 267 to be safe in younger men. A second test, with healthy people ages 65 to 80, is aimed at determining correct dosages. Tests in patients will begin later this year.

It seems "pretty safe," says Samuel Gandy, M.D., head of the Alzheimer's Association Medical and Scientific Advisory Council, but the findings are so "surprising" that caution is warranted.

Big Toll on Spouses

It's long been known that the death of a spouse can raise one's own risk of dying. But a new study shows that caring for a spouse with a debilitating illness exacts a big toll, too.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School and the University of Pennsylvania examined the Medicare records of more than 500,000 couples. They found the risk of dying increased the most among those with spouses who have mentally or physically disabling illnesses.

The findings, reported in the Feb. 16 New England Journal of Medicine, underscore the fact that caregiving spouses need support as much as bereaved spouses, says J. Shep Jeffreys, a grief psychologist who hosts the website griefcast.net. "You don't have that well person that used to be in your life," says Jeffreys. "That is a powerful loss."

Not for Sleeping

Melatonin was first hailed in the '90s as a safe, all-natural remedy for jet lag. It may be safe, but there's precious little evidence that it works.

Scientists from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, came to that conclusion after reviewing 25 trials on melatonin's safety and effectiveness.

Melatonin is a hormone that plays a role in sleep-wake cycles. But the new analysis, reported in the Feb. 18 British Medical Journal, suggests that, used in the short term, it does not help people suffering from jet lag, shift work or insomnia fall asleep faster. More research is needed to see if melatonin can alter sleep-wake cycles over longer periods.

So, Where Was I?

Changes in the brain mean that, starting about age 40, it's harder to filter out distractions and stay focused.

Using MRI brain scans, Canadian researchers tested people 20 to 30 years old, 40 to 60 and 65 to 87. They found that the balance between two regions of the brain—one for concentrating on a specific task and one for monitoring background information—began to shift around age 40. Increasingly, people were distracted by irrelevant information.

Cheryl Grady of the Rotman Research Institute in Toronto says the research can suggest ways to protect against cognitive decline. Meanwhile, she suggests staying physically and mentally active. The study was reported in the February Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.

March 2006
By Barbara Basler/Roberta Yared

All Heart, No Head

As any seasoned politician knows, it's emotion, not logic, that shapes the opinions people have about issues and candidates.

Scientists have reaffirmed that point in a study of reactions of staunch Republicans and Democrats to statements by presidential candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry during the 2004 elections. Imaging scans of the participants' brains showed activity in parts that govern emotion but little in parts that govern logic.

"None of the circuits involved in conscious reasoning were particularly engaged. What we saw instead was a network of emotion circuits lighting up," says Drew Westen, director of clinical psychology at Emory University, who reported on the study at a January conference of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.

Participants did not spot inconsistencies in the words of their favored candidate but easily caught contradictions made by the other candidate.

Sniffing Out Cancer

Our ancient alliance with dogs may one day yield a benefit our ancestors never dreamed of: a way to screen for cancer.

In a study by California's Pine Street Foundation, dogs trained to identify lung and breast cancers by smelling patients' breath were found to be amazingly accurate, sniffing out 564 of 574 lung cancer cases, according to a report in the March issue of Integrative Cancer Therapies. In a 2004 British study, dogs could detect bladder cancer in dried urine samples.

More studies are needed to see if dogs can distinguish between cancer and other diseases, says Ted Gansler, M.D., director of medical content for the American Cancer Society. If so, their sniffing ability would have to be replicated in a science-based test.

The Leap From Sleep

It's pretty obvious the brain doesn't snap to attention the instant you emerge from sleep. But just how muddle-headed are you when you first wake up? You may as well be legally drunk, according to research from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

A study of nine healthy subjects found that severe sleep "inertia"—impaired short-term memory and ability to problem-solve—lasted up to 10 minutes (other studies say up to two hours). The effects were worse than being deprived of sleep for 26 hours.

The results, published Jan. 11 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, sound "a cautionary note" for doctors and emergency personnel who may be pressed into action from a deep sleep, says Michael J. Sateia, M.D., director of the sleep laboratory at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H.

Dump the TV

More late-night TV can mean a lot less lovin', suggests a survey by Italian psychologist Serenella Salomoni.

Among couples over the age of 50 queried by Salomoni's team, those who kept TV out of the bedroom had sex, on average, seven times a month, compared with 1.5 times a month for couples with TVs.

"Past the falling-in-love stage, sex doesn't just happen unless you make it happen," explains sex therapist Aline Zoldbrod, author of Sex Smart: How Your Childhood Shaped Your Sexual Life and What to Do About It. "You can't coast, you have to steer. And if your TV is in your bedroom, then you coast into watching TV."

February 2006
By Barbara Basler/Roberta Yared

Statins Don't Cut Cancer Risk

Statin drugs, such as Lipitor and Zocor, do what they were designed to do: by lowering cholesterol levels, they help prevent heart disease.

But they do not cut the risk of cancer, as some scientists had theorized.

"We found that no type of cancer was affected by statin use and no subtype of statin affected the risk of cancer," researchers from the University of Connecticut wrote in the Jan. 4 Journal of the American Medical Association. "Statins did not reduce the incidence of cancer or cancer death," they found in analyzing studies of breast, colorectal, prostate, gastrointestinal, lung and skin cancers.

Another study, of 132,000 people, found no evidence that statins reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. Epidemiologists at the American Cancer Society reported on the study in the Jan. 4 Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Exercise Yes, Bickering No

Exercise helps skin wounds on older adults heal faster, according to a new study by Ohio State University.

The body's ability to heal even small cuts normally slows with age, but researchers found that among a group of 28 men and women ages 55 to 77 who received small puncture wounds on their arms, the cuts on those who exercised regularly healed, on average, 10 days earlier than the cuts on those who did not exercise. That means that a brisk 30-to-40-minute walk three times a week can help speed healing, says psychologist Charles Emery, who led the study.

Emery says the findings, reported in the November 2005 Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, suggest exercise enhances immune response.

If exercise speeds healing, other Ohio State researchers found that stress from bickering with a spouse hinders it. Tiny blisters on the arms of compatible couples healed faster than blisters on battling spouses. Researchers suggested hospitals try to limit stress for patients before surgery to improve healing. The study was reported in the December 2005 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Radiation Seeds—One Dose Does It

A slow-release radiation treatment is proving effective in early-stage breast cancer and could replace multiple doses given over several weeks.

"The great thing is that the patient can go home right after the procedure and live a normal life while receiving her radiation," says Canadian researcher Jean-Philippe Pignol, M.D., of the University of Toronto's Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Center. Beginning in 2004 he tracked 44 women in Canada who had radioactive "seeds"—the size of rice grains—implanted after a surgical lumpectomy. They are now cancer-free, according to his report in the January issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics.

Trials on limiting radiation "to reduce side effects, shorten treatment and improve the quality of life" are also under way in the United States, says Frank Vicini, M.D., of the Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., who is leading a study for the National Cancer Institute.

January 2006
By Barbara Basler/Roberta Yared

CPR Streamlined

Now that CPR techniques have been simplified, more people should be able to perform the lifesaving procedures for victims of sudden cardiac arrest.

The American Heart Association's new guidelines for CPR—cardiopulmonary resuscitation—call for more chest compressions and fewer mouth-to-mouth rescue breaths, for a ratio of 30 compressions to two breaths. Studies show that chest compressions increase blood flow through the heart to the brain and the rest of the body in the crucial minutes after heart function is impaired.

Seventy-five percent of the 330,000 U.S. deaths from sudden cardiac arrest occur at home. "The message is that people can save lives—the lives of their friends and family members—if they learn CPR," says Michael Sayre, M.D., associate professor of emergency medicine at Ohio State University. He helped draft the guidelines, which were published in the Nov. 28 issue of Circulation.

Learning the technique just got easier, too: The Heart Association has reduced its CPR training course from four hours to only 20 minutes.

Easy Does It

Acetaminophen is found in dozens of medications, from the painkillers Tylenol and Percocet to over-the-counter cough and cold remedies.

In fact, acetaminophen is present in so many products that overdoses of the drug are now the most common cause of liver failure in the United States. Acute cases linked to the drug rose from 28 percent in 1988 to 51 percent in 2003, researchers report in the December issue of Hepatology.

Experts recommend not taking more than 4,000 milligrams in one day.

Scientists at the St. Louis University School of Medicine found some good news about acetaminophen: In a new study, nursing home residents with dementia became more sociable when they took the drug. Researcher John T. Chibnall reported in the December Journal of the American Geriatrics Society that it's likely the residents, before entering the study, had pain that was not recognized or treated and kept them from interacting with others.

Cranberry Care

Cranberries have long been used to treat urinary tract infections. Now it turns out they can prevent cavities that lead to gum disease.

Research into how compounds in the fruit protect teeth is under way at the University of Rochester Medical Center by oral biologist Hyun Koo, whose work is reported in the January issue of Caries Research.

Koo says he has found "something" in cranberries that stops bacteria from attaching to teeth and gums. When researchers find that anti-cavity something, it could be added to toothpaste or mouthwash.

Note: The cranberries in sugar-laden juices and jellies will not protect against tooth decay.

December 2005
By Katherine Greider/Roberta Yared

Easy on the Heart?

Viagra rocketed to fame for boosting the sexual performance of men. Now it may help people with cardiovascular disease by blunting the effect of stress on the heart.

Scientists at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore gave healthy men and women injections that stimulated the heart to pump harder, mimicking the effect of emotional stress, exercise or a big meal. Viagra blocked the effect of stress by 50 percent.

If the study is borne out by future research, erectile dysfunction drugs could one day be used as maintenance medication for people with some types of heart disease, says David Kass, M.D., who led the study, published Oct. 25 in the journal Circulation. This would bring the drug full circle, since drug manufacturer Pfizer Inc. first studied Viagra as a treatment for angina.

But with many patients buying Viagra illegally on the Internet without a prescription, Sanjay Kaul, M.D., a cardiologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, cautions that the drug can have negative as well as positive effects on the heart.

"We really don't completely understand this medication," Kaul says, particularly in people at high risk for a heart attack, who should be carefully evaluated before using any medications. Those taking nitrates for angina should not take impotence drugs—together they can produce a sharp drop in blood pressure.

In July the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert saying users of impotence drugs had, in rare cases, suffered a form of blindness caused by reduced blood supply to the optic nerve. The agency said it wasn't possible to determine whether the drugs actually caused the problem.

The Hopkins study came out just as Congress passed a law that bars Medicaid and Medicare payments for impotence drugs but allows coverage if prescribed for certain other medical conditions and if approved by the FDA for such use.

Shots for Adults

Most adults haven't had a whooping cough vaccination since they were kids. But an advisory panel to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that people ages 19 to 65 get a booster shot to protect not just themselves but infants they might infect.

Immunity wanes within five to 10 years after children receive their last whooping cough, aka pertussis, shot, usually at age 5 or 6, says David Klein, bacterial respiratory diseases program officer at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Pertussis is no trifling matter in adults; in rare cases violent coughing has led to broken ribs. But the real danger, says Klein, is that infected adults will pass the illness to babies not yet fully vaccinated, for whom it can be fatal.

It Just Won't Wash

Soaps packing antibacterial agents may kill germs—but do they help prevent infections in people? No more than ordinary soap and water, advisers to the Food and Drug Administration concluded in October.

In fact, experts worry that pricier antibacterial products could harm humans by encouraging the development of bacteria resistant to the medicines used to fight infection, says Ronald M. Davis, M.D., a specialist in preventive medicine and trustee of the American Medical Association. The AMA has urged the government to evaluate the risks and benefits of these largely unregulated products.

Brian Sansoni of the Soap and Detergent Association, a trade group representing manufacturers, argues the antibacterial products have a role in everyday life. "They do what they say they do," he says. "If you look at the label, they say they reduce harmful germs on the skin."

Get a Whiff of This

You know when others have bad breath, but how can you tell if you do?

Japanese researchers have developed a "sniffer," or biosensor, more than twice as sensitive as the human nose that can test a human breath for halitosis, a condition that not only hampers a person's social life but also is often a sign of serious physical—including dental—problems.

The new sensor measures the methyl mercaptan in the breath, the chemical that is a major cause of halitosis. The sniffer won't be marketed for personal use immediately. Bioengineer Kohji Mitsubayashi of Tokyo Medical and Dental University says dental hospitals will probably be the first to use it.

The work is described in the October-November Analyst, published by the British Royal Society of Chemistry.

Rethinking Exercise

If you wrench your lower back shoveling snow or lifting too much, try going for a swim or a hike to get relief.

In a study that tracked about 600 people over 18 months, those who swam, walked or biked at least three hours a week reduced their pain, disability and psychological distress more than those who did specific back exercises.

The study's lead author, Eric L. Hurwitz of the School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles, says some specific back exercises may benefit some patients with lower-back pain. "But, on average, specific exercises do not seem to produce a favorable long-term outcome." Hurwitz recommends recreational activities and sports.

Study findings were reported in the October American Journal of Public Health.

November 2005
By Roberta Yared/Carole Fleck

Just-in-Time Pills

Sometimes you need immediate relief [see "Pressure Point" below], but sometimes you don't. Time-release, delayed medication may be the answer.

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a multilayered polymer coating for pills that allows drugs to be delivered precisely when and where they are needed.

The layered composition protects the pill from releasing its medication prematurely because the coating has been designed not to dissolve quickly. This means that one pill may be able to provide several medications to the body gradually over time.

The development was announced at the 230th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. MIT's Paula Hammond, an associate professor of chemical engineering who led the work, says that the new polymer coating might also work with implantable devices such as stents, sutures and bone replacements to prevent infection and promote healing.

Egg Beaters

Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies around the world are experimenting with cell culture technology to streamline the production of vaccines to combat flu and other pandemic diseases.

Vaccines are currently grown in fertilized chicken eggs. The new technique would incubate them in human, monkey, canine, insect or other cells in enclosed vats.

Health experts say the cell culture system is faster than the traditional egg-based method and allows for emergency production without depending on a supply of chicken eggs. It also eliminates the risk of using contaminated eggs and allows vaccination for people allergic to eggs.

Among the companies working on a cell culture vaccine is Sanofi Pasteur. The French firm's plant in Swiftwater, Pa., has received a $97 million contract from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to accelerate production and conduct clinical trials.

Pressure Point

Combining high-tech equipment with ancient Chinese acupuncture, Australian researchers have identified a technique that may reduce acid reflux and heartburn by about 40 percent.

The Adelaide-based group, headed by Richard Holloway, M.D., found that by placing electrodes on a traditional Chinese acupuncture point they were able to reduce the muscle relaxations around the esophagus, which allow acid to rise from the stomach. The electrodes were taped to the skin and delivered pulsed stimulation, a painless procedure.

The acupressure point, known in Chinese as "neiguan," is on the inner forearm, about an inch above the wrist, in a direct line with the middle finger.

Why the technique works "is completely unclear," says Holloway. "More research is definitely needed."

The team reported the results of its experiments in the American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology.

October 2005
By Roberta Yared

More Veggies for Men

Dean Ornish is at it again. The famed California physician who devised the ultra-low-fat, low-cholesterol diet for heart patients has now found that the spartan regimen, along with exercise and meditation, may slow prostate cancer.

Of 93 men with early-stage cancer, those who followed the Ornish plan for a year saw their PSA levels dip by 4 percent. Levels of those who didn't follow the plan rose by 6 percent, according to September's Journal of Urology.

But without further research, it's not yet a treatment option, says the American Cancer Society's Len Lichtenfeld, M.D.

More Risk for Women

Women taking high doses of ibuprofen, acetaminophen (Tylenol) and other over-the-counter pain relievers—but not aspirin—have higher blood pressure, Harvard medical researchers report.

Women ages 51 to 77 taking more than 400 milligrams daily (about two tablets of ibuprofen) had a 78 percent greater risk of hypertension than those not using the drugs. Women using 500 mg daily (one extra-strength Tylenol) had twice the risk. The four-year study of 5,100 women was published in the September Hypertension.

The authors note that the common use of these drugs "may contribute to the high prevalence of hypertension in the United States."

September 2005
By Katharine Greider

Chronic Fatigue

People with chronic fatigue syndrome put up with a lot of skepticism about their complaints. But a study by British scientists could send the doubters packing.

A team based at St. George's Hospital in London reported in August's Journal of Clinical Pathology that certain genes in white blood cells are much more active in those with chronic fatigue than in healthy people. The study does not identify the causes of CFS but it could lead to the first diagnostic test.

That would be "huge, huge news for CFS sufferers, many of whom have been told it's all in your head," says Marcia Harmon of the CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome) Association of America.

Fast Aging

Smoking—and obesity—hasten biological aging, and researchers have hit on a reason why.

U.S. and British researchers examined the white blood cells of 1,100 women. Women who smoked or were obese had much shorter telomeres—the tips of chromosomes that shorten with age—than the nonsmokers or the lean women.

Smoking a pack a day for 40 years can age you 7.4 years and obesity 8.8 years, lead author Tim Spector, M.D., of St. Thomas' Hospital in London wrote in the June 14 online edition of the Lancet.

Short telomeres don't necessarily mean a shorter life. "Nobody knows if someone with telomere shortening has any more problems than somebody with longer telomeres," says Peter Hornsby of the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio.

Natural Opiates

Why don't some of the most traumatic injuries hurt at first? Possibly because a marijuana-like compound made by the body kicks in and dulls the pain, researchers at the University of California, Irvine, and the University of Georgia have found.

The discovery could lead to new drugs that boost the effect of the pot-like chemicals, called cannabinoids, without the side effects of existing pain medications, says a report in the June 23 issue of Nature.

July-August 2005
By Katharine Greider

Grumpy Young Men

Older adults who have a quarrel with a close friend or relative are more likely than younger people to wait and let things simmer down—and less likely to holler or storm off in a huff.

New research is punching holes in the stereotype of the older person as stubborn grump. In a study published in May in the Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 184 subjects ages 13 to 99 were asked how they had behaved in a tense or hurtful situation. Younger adults often reported they responded angrily and in ways that could destroy relationships. Older people tried to avoid confrontations.

A second study, reported in last month’s Psychology and Aging, produced similar results. Researchers analyzed the responses of 666 men and women ages 25 to 74 who described any arguments they’d had over an eight-day period.

"It’s possible that older people are simply better able to regulate their reactions to problems than younger people," says Kira Birditt of the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research and the lead author of both studies.

Bypass Benefits

People with at least two blocked coronary arteries may be better off with bypass surgery than with a stent, a tiny mesh cylinder that props the artery open.

A study led by Edward L. Hannan of the State University of New York at Albany looked at 60,000 cases and found that bypass patients were more likely to be alive three years after treatment—and much less likely to require a repeat procedure—than those who had stents.

In a bypass, a blood vessel is taken from elsewhere in the body and grafted to create a detour around the blocked artery. Stents are inserted during angioplasty, which opens an artery with a balloon-tipped catheter.

The study was published May 26 in the New England Journal of Medicine, which said the findings suggest that bypass surgery may be appropriate for more patients than generally believed.

But Frederick Feit, M.D., head of interventional cardiology at New York University Medical Center, cautions that the results also may reflect the way researchers adjusted for the poorer outcomes of bypass patients.

Calcium Confusion

Buying OJ isn’t easy. Do you want the low-cal juice? The no-pulp? Maybe you’ll just settle for the fortified-with-calcium variety.

But wait a minute. Even that’s not a simple choice. A new study comparing two brands of juice fortified with two different forms of bone-building calcium found big differences in how they are absorbed by the body.

The Creighton University research, published in May in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, found that calcium citrate malate had a 48 percent higher absorption rate than the other form, a combination of tricalcium and calcium lactate.

Some nutritionists suggest that the best way to get calcium is in foods such as dairy products and dark green vegetables, not in fortified products. Or take a supplement, says Carol Meerschaert, executive director of the Massachusetts Dietetic Association. "You can have plain orange juice—and use that to swallow down your calcium pills."

June 2005

Hot to Clot

If you’re scheduled for surgery, don’t take any aspirin for five days beforehand—this will help your blood clot properly during the operation.

Researchers at Cork University Hospital in Ireland studied volunteers regularly taking aspirin to prevent clots that occur in stroke and heart attack. They found that not taking aspirin for five days keeps a patient’s risk of clots to a minimum, without increasing the risk of excessive bleeding. Normal clotting ability starts again in six days.

The report appeared in the April Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

Keep It Moving

There’s more proof that exercise can help people with arthritis stay fit enough to perform everyday tasks like cooking, dressing and bathing.

In a two-year study of more than 5,700 adults with arthritis age 65 and older, researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago found that the sedentary adults were twice as likely to have to limit their movements because of arthritis than the active participants.

Exercising more—by gardening, swimming or walking—could prevent a good deal of physical decline in people with arthritis, lead author Dorothy Dunlop, M.D. of the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern wrote in the April issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism. Other research has found exercise can also help ease the joint pain caused by arthritis.

Music to Snooze By

A little night music can help older adults sleep better and longer.

In a study of men and women ages 60 to 83, those who listened to soft, soothing music for 45 minutes at bedtime reported that it took them less time to fall asleep, and that their sleep was sounder than before.

The study, by researchers in Taiwan who reported in the February issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing, built on research by Marion Good of Case Western Reserve’s School of Nursing in Cleveland, who found that soft music eased the pain patients often experience after surgery.

May 2005
By Katharine Greider

Laugh—and Live

Want to improve your health as well as your disposition? Then have a good belly laugh because, according to a new study, laughter helps relax the lining of the blood vessels, easing blood flow.

University of Maryland investigators told a recent meeting of the American College of Cardiology that they measured the blood flow of 20 participants before and after they watched a funny film. After the movie, 19 subjects showed improved flow, with an average increase of 22 percent. Other research shows that laughter can reduce stress and boost immunity.

Popeye Power

It seems like heresy, but canned or frozen produce may be more nutritious than fresh fruits and vegetables—unless they’re, well, really, really fresh.

A study in the November/December Journal of Food Science found that fresh spinach stored in the fridge at 39 degrees for eight days lost roughly half its nutrients; at 68 degrees, it lost half of them in four days. The investigators, from Penn State, say field-fresh produce—even if it still looks good—may already have lost nutritional oomph during a long journey to the grocer’s.

Canned and frozen vegetables, on the other hand, "are typically processed at the peak of their quality," says Pat Kendall, a professor of nutrition at Colorado State University. "You do lose some nutritional value with the processing, but then it’s captured at that level."

Cheaper Heart Test

An inexpensive, widely available blood test may help predict heart disease.

In a study with 72,242 participants, a test for elevated white blood cells proved to be as accurate in predicting heart attack and stroke as a more costly test that measures levels of C-reactive protein. Both tests reveal inflammation, believed to play a role in the formation of clots in arteries. The white cell test costs about $25; the CRP test is about $75.

The tests could help those with moderate risk for heart problems, says Thomas A. Pearson, M.D., who has written guidelines on such tests for the American Heart Association and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Neither test is recommended for low-risk people because high counts could indicate other conditions, such as infection.

The study, part of the Women’s Health Initiative, was reported March 14 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

April 2005
By Roberta Yared and Katharine Greider

On the Sunny Side of the Ward

Sunlight, a spirit lifter for many, seems to diminish postoperative pain, too. In a University of Pittsburgh study with patients recovering from spinal surgery, some were assigned to the sunnier side of the hospital and others to the darker side. Those recovering in sunny rooms reported less stress—and used 22 percent less painkiller per hour—than those in dim rooms.

"It was something I had suspected," says Stephen Long, M.D., head of Commonwealth Pain Specialists in Richmond, Va. "In the bleak winter months, it seems like patients don’t tolerate their pain as well."

The study, published in the January-February issue of Psychosomatic Medicine, joins a growing body of evidence demonstrating health benefits for hospital patients who enjoy sunny views. A possible explanation: Sunlight increases serotonin, a brain chemical affecting mood, sleep and appetite.

Monday Morning Stress

Gearing up for the work week can cause a spike in blood pressure. A study by Tokyo Women’s Medical University tracked the blood pressure of 175 Japanese people over seven days. Average readings rose every morning, but the surge was lowest on Sunday and peaked on Monday. The results, published in the December 2004 American Journal of Hypertension, may help explain why more people have heart attacks at the beginning of the work week.

The crank-up from rest on the weekend to work on Monday further boosts rising morning blood pressure, says David S. Krantz, medical psychologist at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md. But, he says, "if there’s no underlying disease, these processes are not clinically important."

A Shot in the Wrist

Steroid injections seem to work as well as surgery in treating carpal tunnel syndrome, a repetitive injury of the wrist. In a trial conducted at several hospitals in Madrid, Spain, patients who were injected with corticosteroids had more improvement in function and reported less pain after three months than those who had surgery.

The results were reported in the February issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.

March 2005
By Barbara Basler and Roberta Yared

You, Too, Can Be Doggone Smart

Forget the folk wisdom—old dogs can indeed learn new tricks, and the same may be true for their masters.

Researchers at the University of Toronto reported in the January issue of Neurobiology of Aging that older beagles kept a gleam in their eye and a spring in their step when they were fed a diet fortified with vitamins and kept in a stimulating canine environment—with toys, playmates and plenty of exercise.

Dogs are good models for the study of human aging because they have similar brain structures and, like people, they can develop memory and learning problems as they grow old.

In the two-year study of 48 beagles ages 7 to 11, some of the dogs received standard care, while others got an enriched diet or lifestyle, or both. All the pampered dogs showed improvement in mental acuity compared with the control group. But the beagles that got it all—exercise, stimulation, an enriched diet—outperformed the other dogs in increasingly difficult tests.

What does this mean to you? "Better late than never," says Molly Wagster, program director of the Neuropsychology of Aging Branch at the National Institute on Aging, which funded the study. Eat well, exercise and stay active, she says, and you—and your pooch—can stay sharp as you grow old together.

Hiking Into Peak Condition

Climb up the mountain and you clear the fat from your blood. Hike down and you lower your blood sugar. Go in either direction and you reduce your "bad" cholesterol.

These were the conclusions of a study of 45 normally sedentary people who hiked in the Austrian Alps three to five times a week. Blood samples taken after each trip were matched against samples taken before the study started.

If you’re too unfit or weak to scale the peaks, walking downhill still protects against cardiovascular disease and diabetes, says study leader Heinz Drexel, M.D., of the Vorarlberg Institute for Vascular Investigation and Treatment in Feldkirch, Austria. He reported on the study at the 2004 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.

Tap Your Toes, Fidget the Fat Away

Twiddle your thumbs, wave your arms, stretch your legs—these movements can mean the difference between being lean or obese, says a report from Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic.

Researchers used sensors to monitor even the smallest movements of 10 obese and 10 thin participants. The study concluded that obese people naturally move less than lean people, sitting an average 150 minutes more a day and burning 350 fewer calories.

An individual’s propensity to move more—or less—is fixed, probably by brain chemistry, says James Levine, M.D., an endocrinologist and the lead author of the study report in the January issue of Science. Even so, it’s still possible to change.

February 2005
By Barbara Basler and Roberta Yared

Diet Plan Dropouts

Americans often lose their resolve faster than their pounds when they try to follow some of today’s most popular diet plans.

Nearly half of 160 overweight participants in a year-long study of four well-known diets—Atkins, Weight Watchers, the Zone and Ornish—dropped out early. Researchers at Boston’s Tufts-New England Medical Center reported that 58 percent of the dieters in the study stuck with their diet for the year. But even they "cheated" more as time passed and lost no more than 7.3 pounds. How faithfully they followed their diet was more important than which one they followed, researchers said.

Another recent study found that of the top 10 commercial diet plans, only one, Weight Watchers, offered any scientific evidence that its plan was effective—but its adherents showed a modest 5 percent weight loss, most of which was regained.

Journal of the American Medical Association, January 2005

Not So Many Mammograms

Women age 50 and over may be able to safely reduce the number of mammography screenings they receive, a new study reports.

Older women are no more likely to increase their risk for late-stage breast cancer when they have a mammography every two years rather than every year, the study showed.

Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle looked at women who were diagnosed with breast cancer after mammography screening intervals of one year (5,400 women) or two (2,400). While less frequent screenings did not change late-stage cancer rates in older women, younger women who had biennial screenings had a 35 percent increase in risk.

The study did not look at high-risk women or those with a history of breast cancer.

Lead researcher Emily White of Hutchinson’s public health sciences division cautions women not to change their screening intervals based on this study. But, she says, the findings should help guide the national organizations that make public recommendations about screenings.

Journal of the National Cancer Institute, December 2004

What Turns Hair Gray?

It’s not your teenagers or your boss or your tax bill that’s turning your hair gray. Blame the stem cells in your scalp instead.

Scientists from Harvard medical institutions stumbled across the graying-hair mechanism while they were investigating potential treatments for melanoma, a skin cancer.

They found that stem cells generate melanocytes, pigment-producing cells that color the hair. When stem cells die off with aging or function incorrectly, sending the melanocytes to the wrong site in the hair follicle, no color is created.

Emi Nishimura, M.D., first described melanocyte-producing stem cells in 2002. Her colleague on the melanoma project, David E. Fisher, M.D., made it clear that despite the serendipitous discovery of how hair loses its color, they have no plans to seek treatment for the problem. So save your hair dye.

Science online, Dec. 23, 2004

January 2005
By Roberta Yared, Patricia Barry

Chronic Pain Shrinks Brain

Chronic back pain can cause premature aging by shrinking the brain’s gray matter as much as 11 percent in one year, the equivalent of 10 to 20 years of normal aging.

Researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine compared the brains of 26 pain-free people with those of 26 people who had lived with unrelenting pain for more than a year. MRI scans showed that those with pain lost gray matter, areas of the brain rich in nerve cells that process information and memory.

"The longer one lives with chronic pain, the more potential damage to the brain," says lead researcher A. Vania Apkarian. "Patients and physicians should aggressively treat the condition as early as possible."

He and his colleagues said it’s possible to lose gray matter without substantial damage to nerve cells, and treatment could reverse some of the loss.

The study is the first to explore the link between chronic pain and the shrinking of brain tissue. With the findings about the specific brain areas affected, Apkarian says, new drugs are being tested to treat chronic pain and stop premature aging.

Journal of Neuroscience, Nov. 17

Striking Back at Stroke

New research finds that ultrasound may help dissolve clots that cut off blood supply to the brain in stroke patients.

In a study by the University of Texas Medical School, Houston, almost half of 129 patients with blocked arteries who were treated with ultrasound, combined with the clot-dissolving drug t-PA, had restored blood flow within two hours, compared with less than a third of those on the drug alone.

Ultrasound stirs up the blood, enabling the t-PA to get to the blockages to break them up.

New England Journal of Medicine, Nov. 18