The 10 major health stories of 2008
December 6th 2008 04:39
Major health stories, issues and developments around the world are monitored by America's venerable Harvard Medical School, and the most important are published at the end of each year in the school's Harvard Health Letter.
Here is a list of the 10 most important health-related stories to come out of 2008, as prioritised by the Harvard Medical School.
1. There's more to diabetes than watching blood sugar
Three clinical trials in 2008 all suggested that there is too much focus on lowering blood sugar levels in those dealing with type 2 diabetes, particularly for people over 60. The danger of focusing on blood sugar control is that high blood pressure and cholesterol monitoring can miss out.
2. Blood pressure always an issue
The largest ever 'hypertension in the very elderly trial', involving 3,845 people over two years, showed that controlling high blood pressure pays off even for the 80-plus age bracket, significantly reducing both stroke and mortality
3. Yes but they claimed ...
Two trials in 2008 challenged performance claims of the cholesterol drug Vytorin. This led yet again to calls for new medication to be prescribed sparingly until there is better evidence that it really improves health.
4. New age stem cells
In 2007, several research groups discovered ways to genetically tinker with adult cells so they look and behave like stem cells. They are called iPS cells. In 2008, researchers showed how iPS cells might be used. For example, skin cells from two older patients with Lou Gehrig's disease were transformed into iPS cells and then coaxed into becoming neurons and other cells that might be used to treat the disease.
5. If the genes fit
The day when an individual's genes determine a personalised medical regime got closer in 2008 when US doctors started ordering gene tests to assess sensitivity to the blood thinner warfarin. Meanwhile, many direct-to-the-consumer genetic tests hit the market, along with a chorus of alarmed questioning if the tests will be done correctly.
6. Smile while we scan you
A new generation of imaging machines is taking pictures at extraordinary speeds and with incredible detail. These new machines are known as multidetector CT scanners. They are especially valuable in hospital emergency departments, where time is crucial. They still use radiation, however, and therefore remain firmly linked with cancer risk.
7. Wounds that don't show
Psychiatrists at America's Walter Reed Army Institute of Research reported on a study on troops returning from combat zones which showed almost half of the soldiers who had lost consciousness as a result of concussion met criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder. About a quarter of these were suffering from major depression.
8. Going generic
The year saw another giant leap for generic drugs. In 2008 about two-thirds of the prescriptions written by doctors in the US were for generic drugs. The growth has been caused by big-name prescription drugs such as Fosamax, Zocor and Zoloft losing their patent protection in recent years, and by the emergence of low-cost suppliers, many of them in India.
9. Yes but they claimed ... 2
A clinical trial threw major doubts on the effectiveness of bispectral index (BIS), which uses the brain's electrical activity to help monitor anaesthetic levels during surgery. It is widely used but controversial, largely because the company that sells it has been secretive about how it actually works. This year's trials tested the BIS monitoring in a 2,000-person randomised trial, and concluded that it was no better than another system used as a test comparison.
10. Obama's promises
Finally, a story of speculation: the Obama administration has promised sweeping health care reform, but can this be delivered during a period of such sharp economic downturn? Part of the story is the counter-argument: health care reform is essential for any kind of durable economic recovery.
Here is a list of the 10 most important health-related stories to come out of 2008, as prioritised by the Harvard Medical School.
1. There's more to diabetes than watching blood sugar
Three clinical trials in 2008 all suggested that there is too much focus on lowering blood sugar levels in those dealing with type 2 diabetes, particularly for people over 60. The danger of focusing on blood sugar control is that high blood pressure and cholesterol monitoring can miss out.
2. Blood pressure always an issue
The largest ever 'hypertension in the very elderly trial', involving 3,845 people over two years, showed that controlling high blood pressure pays off even for the 80-plus age bracket, significantly reducing both stroke and mortality
3. Yes but they claimed ...
Two trials in 2008 challenged performance claims of the cholesterol drug Vytorin. This led yet again to calls for new medication to be prescribed sparingly until there is better evidence that it really improves health.
4. New age stem cells
In 2007, several research groups discovered ways to genetically tinker with adult cells so they look and behave like stem cells. They are called iPS cells. In 2008, researchers showed how iPS cells might be used. For example, skin cells from two older patients with Lou Gehrig's disease were transformed into iPS cells and then coaxed into becoming neurons and other cells that might be used to treat the disease.
5. If the genes fit
The day when an individual's genes determine a personalised medical regime got closer in 2008 when US doctors started ordering gene tests to assess sensitivity to the blood thinner warfarin. Meanwhile, many direct-to-the-consumer genetic tests hit the market, along with a chorus of alarmed questioning if the tests will be done correctly.
6. Smile while we scan you
A new generation of imaging machines is taking pictures at extraordinary speeds and with incredible detail. These new machines are known as multidetector CT scanners. They are especially valuable in hospital emergency departments, where time is crucial. They still use radiation, however, and therefore remain firmly linked with cancer risk.
7. Wounds that don't show
Psychiatrists at America's Walter Reed Army Institute of Research reported on a study on troops returning from combat zones which showed almost half of the soldiers who had lost consciousness as a result of concussion met criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder. About a quarter of these were suffering from major depression.
8. Going generic
The year saw another giant leap for generic drugs. In 2008 about two-thirds of the prescriptions written by doctors in the US were for generic drugs. The growth has been caused by big-name prescription drugs such as Fosamax, Zocor and Zoloft losing their patent protection in recent years, and by the emergence of low-cost suppliers, many of them in India.
9. Yes but they claimed ... 2
A clinical trial threw major doubts on the effectiveness of bispectral index (BIS), which uses the brain's electrical activity to help monitor anaesthetic levels during surgery. It is widely used but controversial, largely because the company that sells it has been secretive about how it actually works. This year's trials tested the BIS monitoring in a 2,000-person randomised trial, and concluded that it was no better than another system used as a test comparison.
10. Obama's promises
Finally, a story of speculation: the Obama administration has promised sweeping health care reform, but can this be delivered during a period of such sharp economic downturn? Part of the story is the counter-argument: health care reform is essential for any kind of durable economic recovery.
www.health.harvard.edu, seniorjournal.com, www.news-medical.net
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