HIV and Smoking a Lethal Combo for the Lungs

HIV patients who take their medication but also smoke are about 10 times more likely to die from lung cancer than from AIDS-related causes. Lifesaving antiretroviral drugs have improved life expectancy to the point that patients now have more to fear from tobacco than HIV, said lead researcher. Based on the new findings, smoking cessation should be a focus of treatment. More than 40 percent of people with HIV are smokers, a rate more than double that of the general population. Fatalism and depression among HIV patients often lead them to take up the habit, even though the threat of HIV has decreased significantly for those who take their medication as prescribed. An evidence review published in The Lancet in May found that HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy stand an excellent chance of reaching old age. For example, average 20-year-olds starting treatment today will live into their mid-60s. In the past, most people didn't live long enough to face the consequences of smoking. Smoking wasn't commonly thought of as a threat to their health. Prior studies have shown that HIV infection increases the risk of lung cancer separate from smoking. The research team found that nearly 25 percent of HIV patients who take their medication but continue to smoke will die from lung cancer. Heavy smokers are at even greater risk, with about 30 percent dying from lung cancer. Overall, people with HIV who smoke and adhere to their drug regimen are 6 to 13 times more likely to die from lung cancer than HIV/AIDS, depending on how intensely they smoke and whether they are male or female, the lead researcher added.

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                                                                                      New Research Finds Value in PSA Testing

Despite ongoing debate over the value of prostate cancer screening, a new review says it can indeed reduce a man's risk of dying from the disease. Early tumor detection using the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test lowers a man's risk of prostate cancer death by 25 percent to 32 percent, the new analysis of two major trials of PSA testing found. The amount of early diagnosis was very strongly correlated with the reduced risk of prostate cancer death, the lead researcher said. However, there's still a good chance that many men will wind up treated for prostate cancer that would not have killed them. There are definitely harms and, on average, in a population probably five times as many men will be over treated. It's still going to require a discussion between a person and their doc, because of the overtreatment problem, lead researcher added. Prostate cancer surgery can lead to impotence and incontinence, drastically affecting a man's quality of life. At the same time, most prostate tumors are slow-growing, and most men with prostate cancer wind up dying of heart disease or some other cause. Because of this, debate has raged for years among health care experts about whether men should be screened for prostate cancer at all. Until about 2008, many doctors and medical societies’ encouraged yearly screening for men aged 50 and older using the PSA test, which examines blood for a protein produced by cells of the prostate gland, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute. Elevated PSA levels often occur in men with prostate cancer. Unfortunately, the trials provided confusion rather than clarity. The U.S. trial reported no benefit of PSA testing, while the European trial found a 20 percent reduced risk of death in men who underwent the screening. As a result, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) made the controversial move in 2012 to recommend against PSA testing altogether. Other groups, like the American Cancer Society, recommended that doctors share information from the clinical trials with men and let the patients decide.

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                                                             Researchers Find Genes Linked to Preterm Birth

Researchers say they've pinpointed gene areas linked with preterm birth and they said this could pave new ways to prevent the leading cause of death among children under age 5 worldwide. The team looked at DNA and other data from more than 50,000 women from the United States and northern European countries. The researchers identified six gene regions that influence the length of pregnancy and the timing of birth. These are exciting findings that could play a key role in reducing newborn deaths and giving every child the chance to grow up smart and strong, said lead researcher. Preterm infants are at increased risk of death. Those who survive often have serious, lifelong health problems. The new study found that one of the gene areas identified involves cells of the lining of the uterus, which may play a role in pregnancy length. Researchers said this may be a target for medications to prevent preterm birth. Another finding from the studies involves the dietary mineral selenium and how a deficiency might affect preterm birth risk. Selenium is found in Brazil nuts, yellowfin tuna, beef liver, sardines and some meats. We have known for a long time that preterm birth is a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Previous research has suggested that about 30 to 40 percent of the risk for preterm birth is linked to genetic factors. This new study is the first to provide robust information as to what some of those genetic factors actually are. This is a very exciting discovery that can be expected to lead to the development of new treatments to prevent pregnant women from going into labor too soon and to give more babies a healthy start in life.

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