Daily Statin Might Raise Your Risk for Cataracts: Study

 

While statins such as Zocor, Crestor and Lipitor protect many people from heart attack and stroke, they may raise the odds of developing the vision problem by 27 percent, the researchers report.

But the risk of developing cataracts -- a clouding of the lens of the eye -- is insignificant compared with the benefits of these drugs, said lead researcher Dr. G.B. John Mancini.

"The benefits of statins are far outweighed by any small risk for cataract surgery," said Mancini, a professor of medicine at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

"However, the indication for statin use should be solid from the outset and fully understood by patients," he added.

Mancini said this study can't prove that statins cause cataracts. "Careful observations in clinical trials are needed to support or refute this association," he said.

Dr. Mark Fromer, an ophthalmologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said cataracts are very common. "In one's lifetime, the chance of developing a cataract is 100 percent," he said.

"The goal is we want to keep you alive long enough to get one, and that's where statins come in," he said. "Statins increase the length of life by decreasing strokes and heart attacks."

Cataracts can be treated with surgery that is "quick, painless and 99.9 percent successful," Fromer said. "So, since you are going to get a cataract anyway, you might as well take your statin -- it's in your best interest."

The study was published in the December issue of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.

For the study, Mancini's team used the British Columbia Ministry of Health database from 2000 to 2007 and the IMS LifeLink U.S. database from 2001 to 2011. In all, they looked at more than 207,000 adults with cataracts and more than 1.1 million without them.

Among people in the Canadian database, those who took statins for at least a year had about a 27 percent increased risk of developing cataracts that needed surgery, compared with people not taking statins. The increased risk for patients in the U.S. database was only 7 percent, but that was still statistically significant, the researchers said.

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Common Knee Surgery May Boost Arthritis Risk, Study Suggests

 

The procedure repairs tears in the meniscus, a piece of cartilage that acts as a shock absorber. There are two in each knee, and they stabilize the knee joint. Meniscal tears are one of the most common knee injuries, and surgery is often performed to reduce pain and improve joint function, the researchers said.

In their study, the scientists used MRI scans to look at 355 knees with arthritis, and compared them to a similar number of knees without arthritis. The average age of the patients was about 60 and most were overweight.

All 31 knees that were operated on to repair meniscal tears developed arthritis within a year, compared with 59 percent of knees with meniscal damage that did not have surgery.

Cartilage loss occurred in nearly 81 percent of knees that had meniscal surgery, compared with almost 40 percent of knees with meniscal damage that did not have surgery, the study found.

The study was to be presented Wednesday at the Radiological Society of North America annual meeting in Chicago.

Even though surgery to repair meniscal tears is common, "increasing evidence is emerging that suggests meniscal surgery may be detrimental to the knee joint," study author Dr. Frank Roemer, from Boston University School of Medicine and the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany, said in a society news release.

"The indications for meniscal surgery might need to be discussed more carefully in order to avoid accelerated knee joint degeneration," he suggested.

An alternative to surgery is physical therapy to help maintain and restore knee muscle strength and range of motion. Ice and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) are also used to treat pain and symptoms, according to the release.

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BPA in Canned Goods May Raise Your Blood Pressure: Study

 

BPA previously has been linked to a variety of ills, including heart problems, developmental problems in children and high blood pressure. The chemical is widely used in products ranging from plastic bottles and food containers to dental fillings and cash register receipts. In cans, BPA is used as a lining, the researchers said.

"We found that drinking two canned beverages increased systolic blood pressure by 5 mm Hg," said lead researcher Dr. Yun-Chul Hong, director of the Environmental Health Center at Seoul National University College of Medicine in Korea.

Putting that in perspective, he said a 20 mm Hg increase in systolic blood pressure doubles the risk for heart disease. The systolic blood pressure number is always the first of two numbers given in a blood pressure reading.

"Because these results confirm findings from other studies, doctors and patients, particularly those with high blood pressure or heart disease, should be aware of the possible risks from increased blood pressure when consuming canned foods or beverages," he said.

Previous research has shown that BPA in containers can leach into food and beverages.

Since BPA acts like the hormone estrogen, Hong thinks it raises blood pressure as it interacts with cells in the heart and blood vessels that are sensitive to estrogen.

For the study, Hong's team had 60 men and women, aged 60 and up, drink soy milk from either cans or glass bottles on three occasions. The researchers assessed participants' blood pressure and heart rate two hours after drinking the soy milk and also tested their urine for BPA.

Urine tests showed a 1,600 percent increase in BPA among those who drank from cans, compared with those who drank from glass bottles. Soy milk was chosen for the test because it has no known ingredient that elevates blood pressure, the researchers said.

The report was published online Dec. 8 in the journal Hypertension.

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Restroom Hand Dryers Spread More Germs Than Paper Towels, Study Finds

British researchers placed a harmless type of bacteria on the hands of volunteers in order to simulate poorly washed hands. They then had them use warm-air dryers, high-powered "jet-air" dryers or paper towels to dry their hands.

The investigators measured airborne bacteria levels and found higher amounts of germs around both types of dryers than around towel dispensers.

Jet-air dryers were the worst, the study found. Bacteria levels in the air around jet-air dryers were 4.5 times higher than around warm air dryers and 27 times higher than around paper towel dispensers, said a team led by Mark Wilcox of the University of Leeds.

His team also found that the bacteria persisted in the air around hand dryers long after they were used. Forty-eight percent of the bacteria around hand dryers was collected more than five minutes after use, and the bacteria could still be detected 15 minutes after use.

"Next time you dry your hands in a public toilet using an electric hand dryer, you may be spreading bacteria without knowing it. You may also be splattered with bugs from other people's hands," Wilcox said in a university news release.

"These findings are important for understanding the ways in which bacteria spread, with the potential to transmit illness and disease," he added.

The study was published Nov. 20 in the Journal of Hospital Infection and was also presented at the Healthcare Infection Society International Conference in Lyon, France.

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Testosterone Plays Minor Role in Older Women's Sex Lives, Study Finds

Testosterone is the main sex hormone in men. But, women's ovaries also naturally produce small amounts of the hormone, the researchers noted.

The researchers analyzed data from more than 3,300 American women taking part in a long-term study of women's health. They found that women with higher levels of testosterone and another reproductive hormone called dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) felt sexual desire and masturbated more often than those with low levels of the hormones.

However, the links between hormone levels and sexual function were subtle, according to Dr. John Randolph Jr., of the University of Michigan Medical School.

Randolph and his colleagues also found that women who tended to be happier and more satisfied with their relationships reported better sexual function.

The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

"While levels of testosterone and other reproductive hormones were linked to women's feelings of desire and frequency of masturbation, our large-scale study suggests psychosocial factors influence many aspects of sexual function," Randolph said in a news release from the Endocrine Society.

"A woman's emotional well-being and quality of her intimate relationship are tremendously important contributors to sexual health," he added.

"Our findings suggest menopausal women who are dissatisfied with their sexual function should consider whether these non-hormonal factors are playing a role when discussing treatment with a qualified health care provider," Randolph concluded.

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Restroom Hand Dryers Spread More Germs Than Paper Towels, Study Finds

Bacteria counts in the air around the machines far exceeded those around paper dispensers

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Study Ties Teen Smoking to Risk of Severe Menstrual Cramps

Tobacco use known to restrict blood flow, researchers say

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Testosterone Plays Minor Role in Older Women's Sex Lives, Study Finds

Quality of relationships may have more impact on libido

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Type 1 Diabetes Lowered Survival in Study

Better blood sugar management helped, but risk during 14-year period was still doubled



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Working Night Shift Slows Metabolism, Study Suggests

Finding means fewer calories burned, and may explain why shift workers tend to gain weight, researcher says

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Testosterone Plays Minor Role in Older Women's Sex Lives, Study Finds

Quality of relationships may have more impact on libido

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Study Ties Teen Smoking to Risk of Severe Menstrual Cramps

Tobacco use known to restrict blood flow, researchers say

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Restroom Hand Dryers Spread More Germs Than Paper Towels, Study Finds

Bacteria counts in the air around the machines far exceeded those around paper dispensers

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Cocaine Can Cause Heart Problems: Study

Subtle blood flow changes may not show on standard heart test, raising risk of disease or death, researchers find

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Daily Aspirin Fails to Help Older Hearts in Japanese Study

Study's findings unlikely to change U.S. guidelines though, expert notes

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Experimental Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Effective, Study Reports

New medicine might help those who can't tolerate commonly used statins

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Hookahs Deliver Toxic Benzene in Every Puff, Study Shows

Even nonsmoking bystanders had raised blood levels of the chemical, which is tied to leukemia risk

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Long-Term Use of Aspirin Plus Blood Thinner Is Safe: Study

Benefits of combination outweigh potential risks, experts say

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Low Levels of Vitamin D May Raise Early Death Risk: Study

But having gene variants linked to levels of the vitamin didn't affect rate of deaths from heart causes

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Nearly 3 in 10 Americans With Diabetes Don't Know It: Study

Many had even seen a doctor in the past year, researchers report

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