The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that fatalities from certain types of cancer are dropping. The CDC studied the five leading causes of death for people under 80 between 2010 and 2014. It said what it calls ‘potentially preventable’ deaths from cancer fell 25 percent. Deaths from stroke and heart disease also fell. But deaths from accidental causes, including drug overdoses, and chronic respiratory disease, increased.
Smokers suffering from chronic kidney disease might not benefit as much from medication as non-smokers. Researchers in Boston studied patients who were taking drugs to slow kidney failure. Non-smokers and smokers who quit had a slower decline in kidney function than those who continued to smoke. Researchers believe smoking partially negates the protective effects of the medication.
Scientists are learning more about the secrets of Alzheimer’s disease. Australian researchers said a brain protein which is lost as the disease progresses, can have a protective effect if reintroduced. Authors said the study, which focused on mice, is a new way of understanding the disease. The next step is to develop a treatment for humans.
Sources:
1 – CDC
2 – Tufts Medical Center
3 – University of New South Wales
