A study of 2,200 women aged 40 to 78 found those who never breastfed were twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes as those who did. Lead author Eleanor Bimla Schwarz attributes the difference to breastfeeding reducing maternal belly fat, a known diabetes risk factor.
Rachel Stockton
Diabetes
On Diabetes, Mid-Life and Alzheimer's
A Neurology study tracked 135 people in a Japanese village for 10 to 15 years and found those with type 2 diabetes or related traits such as obesity, insulin resistance and high blood pressure were significantly more likely to develop the brain plaques seen in Alzheimer's.
Lifestyle
Complaints from States Follow Craigslist Suicide
Seventeen state attorneys general wrote to Craigslist urging it to stop carrying prostitution ads, a push spurred partly by the suicide of Philip Markoff, who died before standing trial for killing a woman who advertised as a masseuse on the site.
Cancer
Breast Cancer Linked to Nicotine, Alcohol
Two studies in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute: Taiwanese researchers found the alpha-9 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit overproduced in 276 breast tumour samples, more so in advanced disease, while a second examined alcohol and breast cancer subtypes in 88,000 women.
Cancer
PSA Screening May Exaggerate Familial Predisposition
Swedish researchers led by Dr. Ola Bratt matched 13,975 prostate cancer patients with 22,511 of their brothers to test whether PSA screening inflates the apparent familial risk. Brothers of patients were diagnosed more often than men of the same age in the general population.
Miscellaneous
High Stress Worsens PMS Symptoms
An NIH-led survey of 250 women aged 18 to 44 found those reporting higher stress were four times more likely to have moderate to severe PMS symptoms. The researchers suggest relaxation techniques and exercise, which cost far less than painkillers or antidepressants.
Supplements
Vitamin D May Protect Against Certain Cancers
An Oxford-led study in Genome Research found vitamin D receptor binding sites clustered near genes tied to multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, colorectal cancer and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and traced direct interaction in 200 genes.
Obesity
Wanna Lose Weight? Try Drinking More H20
In a 12-week study of overweight adults aged 55 to 75 on a low-fat, low-calorie diet, those told to drink two cups of water before each meal lost 15.5 pounds on average against 11 pounds. Brenda Davy's team found the tactic does not work for 18- to 35-year-olds.
Cancer
Dodging Colorectal Cancer Under 40
The American Cancer Society estimated about 102,900 new colon cancers, 39,670 rectal cancers and 51,370 deaths in the United States for 2010, with death rates falling for 15 years as screening finds and removes polyps before they turn cancerous.
Heart & Blood
Lethal Combo:Alcohol and High Blood Pressure
Researchers in Seoul followed 6,100 adults for 21 years and found that among men with blood pressure of at least 168/100, moderate binge drinkers faced four times the stroke or heart attack risk of nondrinkers and heavy bingers twelve times.
Miscellaneous
Ketamine: Magic Depression Drug?
Ronald Duman's group reports that a single dose of ketamine can produce an antidepressant effect within hours, lasting up to a week, far faster than drugs that take weeks or months. Ketamine can trigger psychosis, harm brain function with long-term use and kill at high doses.
Avoiding Illness
Salmonella-Rich Eggs Recalled
Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa is recalling shell eggs that may carry Salmonella Enteritidis, which can cause serious illness in children, the elderly and the immune-compromised. The eggs went out under brands including Lucerne, Ralph's and Farm Fresh.
Lifestyle
Hearing Loss in Teens Can Change Their Future
National health data show one in five US teens has some hearing loss, a 31% jump in a decade. Dr. Josef Shargorodsky and colleagues compared NHANES results from 1988-1994 and 2005-2006 and say they cannot pin the rise on ear buds or any single cause.
Miscellaneous
Study Reveals Over-Diagnosis of ADHD
Michigan State's Todd Elder studied 12,000 schoolchildren and found the youngest kindergartners 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than older classmates, with younger fifth and eighth graders more than twice as likely to be prescribed stimulants. He suspects immaturity.
Other Diseases
Did Lou Gehrig have Lou Gerhig's?
Researchers from the VA Medical Center and Boston University examined the spinal cords of two football players and a boxer diagnosed with ALS and found a different motor neuron disease linked to head trauma. Gehrig was cremated, so his own case may never be settled.
Heart & Blood
For Heart Health, Chocolate is a Girl's Best Friend
Short trials have found chocolate's flavonoid antioxidants lower blood pressure, and population studies tie consumption to lower cardiovascular mortality, but effects in people with established coronary disease are unknown. Murray Mittleman's team studied intake in survivors of a first heart attack.
Lifestyle
No Siblings? No Problem!
Ohio State sociologists examined friendship nominations among students in grades 7 through 12 at more than 100 schools and found only children were named as friends as often as students with siblings, unlike a 2004 finding of weaker social skills in kindergarten.
Obesity
Obesity Rates Vary by Ethnicity
Kristine Madsen's team examined fitness assessment data on 8.3 million children in grades 5, 7 and 8 and found black, Hispanic and American Indian girls were two to three times more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic whites, whose rates dipped slightly to 10 percent.
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