Acupuncture can relieve chronic headaches

In the largest study of its kind, German scientists have found that acupuncture may bring relief to people suffering chronic tension headaches or migraines.
The researchers from Charite University Medical Center in Berlin studied more than 15,000 adults who suffered chronic headaches at least twice a month for at least a year. The patients assigned to have acupuncture received up to 15 sessions over three months, and then all patients were reassessed.
Those who received the treatment reported almost 50 percent fewer headache days per month (from 8.4 to 4.7) after the acupuncture sessions. Those who did not receive treatment reported virtually no change in headache days.
Acupuncture, where thin needles are used to stimulate “energy points” under the skin, has been used in Chinese medicine for more than 2,000 years. The study was reported in the journal Cephalagia.

Older patients less likely to be taken to trauma center

A study of more than 26,000 critically injured patients in Maryland suggests that older patients are much less likely to be transported to a trauma center for immediate attention.
Researchers analyzed the statewide records of the Maryland Ambulance Information System from 1995 to 2004 and found that while 18 percent of patients under 65 who needed immediate attention were not taken to a trauma center, almost 50 percent of patients over 65 were similarly under-treated.
The findings, reported in the Archives of Surgery, cited age bias as one of the top three reasons for the discrepancy, the others being insufficient training for handling older patients and lack of knowledge of protocols.

Risk of a fracture highest after hospital stay

The risk of fracturing a bone is three times higher for people in their 70s during the first year after a hospitalization, according to an analysis funded by the National Institute of Aging.
Researchers from the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study who followed more than 3,000 people between 70 and 79 found hip fractures were the most common injury, and the risk of injury increased with the number of times the person had been in a hospital.
The authors of the study, published in Archives of Internal Medicine, called for better bone assessment and treatment for older people who are hospitalized, including calcium and vitamin D supplements and exercise programs to improve strength and flexibility.

Weight loss raises risk of osteoporosis in men

Losing weight in middle age increases the risk of having osteoporosis later, according to a study from Norway.
Researchers from the University of Oslo examined data from almost 1,500 men between their 40s and 70s. They found that 15.1 percent of those who decreased their body mass index by 10 percent during the period developed osteoporosis. Among those who increased their BMI by 10 percent, only 0.6 percent developed the brittle bone disease.
BMI is a standard measure of how fat or thin a person is. The report was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Healthy living reduces risk of stroke by 80 percent

A healthy lifestyle can greatly reduce your risk of stroke, according to a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health.
In the study of more than 115,000 people, women who followed healthy habits, such as those related to exercise, weight and smoking, had a 79 percent reduced risk of stroke. Men with healthy habits had a 69 percent reduced risk.
The study also found that following any one of the five factors defining a healthy lifestyle—not smoking, 30 minutes or more of exercise most days, moderate alcohol intake, a body-mass index under 25 and a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables and lean meat—cuts the risk of stroke. For example, quitting smoking cuts the risk by 50 percent.
The report was published in the journal Circulation.

Broiled and baked fish lowers “silent” damage to brain tissue

Eating fish may reduce the risk of developing subtle brain damage that can lead to stroke and dementia, according to Finnish researchers.
The study from the University of Kuopio followed more than 3,500 people over 65 and found that those who ate baked or broiled fish at least three times a week were 25 percent less likely to have or to develop brain tissue damage called “silent” infarcts, small areas of tissue that die because of poor blood supply.
Researchers surmise that the lower risk of infarcts, which cause no symptoms but can increase the chances of stroke or dementia, is due to the omega-3 fatty acids found mainly in oily fish. They were quick to point out, though, that fried fish did not show the benefits found in the baked or broiled fish.
The report was published in the journal Neurology.

Three million found Medicare “doughnut hole”

More than 3 million Americans enrolled in the Medicare Part D drug plan reached a gap in their prescription coverage in 2007, leading some to stop taking prescribed drugs, according to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Researchers say that 26 percent of Part D enrollees who filled prescriptions reached the gap, popularly known as the “doughnut hole,” including 22 percent who were stuck in the gap for the rest of the year and faced paying full cost for their prescriptions.
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