Death rates appear to have stopped declining in the U.S. compared to a long stretch in the late 20th century, when there was a significant drop in the nation’s death rate.

The American Cancer Society analyzed trends of life span from 1969 to 2013, using federal mortality data. While previous research had shown death rates in the U.S. declining due to health care improvements and new medical technology from the 1960s through the first decade of the 21st century, the decline in death rates flattened between 2010 and 2013.

Researchers theorized that the obesity problem may be contributing to this pause in the decline. They also expressed surprise because while the death rate has slowed during previous periods, it has never done so this substantially.

More findings from the study which looked at a period of 44 years showed:

• During that entire period, death rates dropped about 43 percent.
• Over the same period, mortality rates for certain conditions fell, such as 77 percent for stroke and 68 percent for heart disease.
• Rate of decline in death rates slowed for some obesity-related conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

That last point supports the idea that the obesity epidemic may be a key factor in the flattening of the death rate.

This Week’s Slice of History: A Killer Smog: Oct. 27, 1948 

Sourced from: New York Times, Death Rates, Declining for Decades, Have Flattened, Study Finds

Drugs commonly used to treat heartburn and acid reflux could raise the risk of chronic kidney disease, according to two new studies.

The drugs, known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), are available both through prescriptions and over the counter, and are on the list of top 10 most prescribed medications in the U.S.

One study from Johns Hopkins University followed more than 10,000 people from 1996 to 2011 and found that PPI users were 20 to 50 percent more likely to develop chronic kidney disease than non-users. These results were replicated in a second Johns Hopkins study involving 240,000 people from 1997 to 2014.

A separate study at the State University of New York-Buffalo found that from 2001 to 2008, 24,149 people out of 71,149 developed chronic kidney disease out of 71,516. Almost 26 percent of those with kidney disease had been treated with PPIs. The researchers also noted, however, that those patients who took PPIs were less likely to have vascular disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The researchers said they hope the findings about PPIs and kidney disease will encourage health providers to become better educated about the potential side effects of the drugs, which are sometimes prescribed outside their approved uses.

This Week’s Slice of History: A Killer Smog: Oct. 27, 1948 

Sourced from: Medical News Today, Common heartburn med could increase risk of kidney disease

Could scientists one day reverse hearing loss?

A new discovery involving two genes vital for inner ear development has raised hopes about the possibility of people regaining hearing.

Hair cells in the inner ear are crucial for hearing and balance. Once they are damaged, they’re unable to regrow like the hairs on our heads.

But a study with mice at The Rockefeller University in New York may have found a way to address that.

Researchers examined mice before and after birth, and by observing changes in gene expression in the part of the inner ear lined with hair cells, they found two genes that were highly active before birth, but stalled after birth, which appeared to explain why hairs in the ear don’t regrow.

When the scientists turned these genes on in older mice, new hair cells were regenerated.

It’s only a first step and more research needs to be done, but the research does show promise in treating hearing loss. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), it affects about 36 million Americans.

This Week’s Slice of History: A Killer Smog: Oct. 27, 1948

Sourced from: Medical News Today , Inner ear gene discovery offers clues about restoring hearing, balance