Statins may be beneficial for people after 75

A retrospective study published in the European Heart Journal reports  that people who continue taking statins even after they turn 75 reap benefits. 

A total of 120 173 subjects were followed for an average of 2.4 years.  17 204 (14.3%) discontinued statins and 5396 (4.5%) were admitted for a cardiovascular event. The adjusted hazard ratios for statin discontinuation were 1.33   for any cardiovascular event, 1.46 for coronary event, 1.26 for cerebrovascular event, and 1.02 for other vascular events.

The authors concluded that statin discontinuation was associated with a 33% increased risk of admission for cardiovascular events in 75-year-old primary prevention patients.

Over seven percent of cancers are attributable to obesity

According to a study published in JAMA Oncology more than seven percent of cancer cases in the United States are attributable to excess body weight (EBW). 

This nationwide study of US adults found that the proportion of cancers attributable to obesity ranges from 3.9% to 6.0% among men and from 7.1% to 11.4% among women, with the highest proportions found in several Southern and Μidwestern states, Alaska, and the District of Columbia.

Each year, an estimated 37 670 cancer cases in men (4.7%) of all cancers excluding non-melanoma skin cancers and 74 690 cancer cases in women (9.6%) 30 years or older in the United States were attributable to EBW.

The researchers concluded that the number of cancers attributable to obesity varies among states, but EBW accounts for at least 1 in 17 of all incident cancers in each state.

Measles Cases in 2019

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that from January 1 to June 13, 2019, 1044 cases of measles have been confirmed in the United States. This is the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1992 when 963 cases were reported for the entire year.

The outbreak has escalated since 82 people in 2018 and more that 40 people in 2019 brought measles to the U.S. from other countries, most frequently Israel, Philippines and Ukraine.

CDC Director Robert Redfield stated that measles is a highly contagious and sometimes deadly disease and for the way to end this outbreak is for children and adults to get vaccinated.

Measles was declared eliminated in 2000 from the list of endemic infectious diseases in the United States but if the current outbreak continues the U.S. could loose that status and the disease would be considered again endemic in the country for the first time in a generation. 

Thirty minutes of daily activity increases lifespan

A paper published by Diaz et al in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that replacing just 30 minutes of sitting with any kind of movement, every day, could help people to live longer.

The study involved nearly 7,999 American adults, aged 45 and older. Participants wore physical activity monitors (accelerometers) for at least four days as part of research conducted between 2009 and 2013. The study authors then tracked deaths among the participants until 2017.

The study found that half an hour of light activity – like walking, when a person would usually be sitting – corresponded to an estimated 17% lower risk of early death.

The study also found that half an hour of moderate or vigorous exercise corresponded to about a 35% lower mortality risk.

The authors concluded that physical activity of any intensity help in decreasing mortality risks incurred by sedentary lifestyle.

Weight Training in the Elderly

The New York Times  (3/20, Reynolds) reports, “Weight training by older people may build not only strength and muscle mass but also motivation and confidence, potentially spurring them to continue exercising,” researchers concluded. The study revealed that individuals “who discovered that they enjoyed and felt capable of completing a weight-training session subsequently joined a new gym and showed up for workouts.” The findings were published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that nearly 40 percent of American adults were obese with body mass index (BMI) of over 30 in 2015 and 2016. During the same period data indicate that 7.7 percent of American adults were severely obese with BMI over 40.

The authors analyzed data from 27 449 adults and 16875 youths. Age-standardized prevalence of obesity among adults increased from 33.7% in 2007-2008 to 39.6%. Prevalence of obesity increased in adult men and women aged 20 to 59 years. There was no significant linear trend among adults 60 years and older. Age-standardized prevalence of severe obesity in adults increased from 5.7% in 2007-2008 to 7.7%.  Among youth, obesity prevalence was 16.8% in 2007-2008 and 18.5% in 2015-2016.

In conclusion over the periods between 2007-2008 and 2015-2016, there was a sharp increasein obesity among American adultsfrom a decade earlier.  Severe obesity prevalence persisted among American adults, whereas there were no overall significant trends among youth. 

Syphilis Cases Increased Among Pregnant Women in the U.S.

A study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology found the rate of primary and secondary syphilis among women increased, and the rate of congenital syphilis increased too.

During 2012–2016, the number of syphilis cases among pregnant women increased 61%, from 1,561 to 2,508 among all women aged 15–45 years, and in all U.S. regions.  The most commonly reported risk behaviors were a history of a sexually transmitted disease (43%) and more than one sex partner in the past year (30%).  Over the same period the rate of congenital syphilis increased 87 percent.  Approximately 40 percent of newborns with syphilis are stillborn and those infected if left untreated develop serious complications such as jaundice, blindness and deafness.  Treatment of pregnant women with penicillin is 98% effective in preventing congenital syphilis.

The authors concluded that efforts to reduce syphilis among pregnant women should involve screening all pregnant women for syphilis at the first prenatal visit and rescreening high-risk women during the third trimester and at delivery.