2011 was another year of many discoveries in prevention and disease prediction.  Here is our take on the top medical stories in 2011.
The major advancement is that mapping the human genome has reached the sub-$1000 range (down from millions just 15 years ago!)  The price is expected to go down with the decreasing price of the gene-chip which allows a less labor intensive and quicker test.
The second most interesting story this year is the dark side of vitamin supplementation.  The Nurse’s Health Study, a longitudinal study now over 20 years strong, reports no added health benefits from added supplementation.  Another study from the British Medical Journal concludes that calcium supplementation with vitamin D increased heart attack risk by 20%.

Yet another study reported in The Journal of American Medical Association found that Vitamin E supplementation raised prostate cancer risk in men by 17%.

For younger people, the American College of Pediatricians recommends vaccinating boys 11-12 with the HPV-vaccine (Gardasil).  The reasoning involves adding protection to girls from contracting human papilloma viruses that cause cervical cancer.
For heavy smokers, a National Screening Panel study found that CT-chest screening reduced lung cancer mortality by 20%.  This is important as, in the past, it didn’t seem to matter when lung cancer was detected; early detection had no effect on outcomes.  This means that there is now hope for those with aggressive lung cancers.
The large study on ovarian cancer screening using the lab test CA-125 and pelvic ultrasound revealed disappointing results.  The study involving thousands of women failed to show improved outcomes if ovarian cancer was discovered.  Of note, there is excitement over a newer genetic test that will be available in the next few years.

For members watching their blood pressures, they will be amused to find that home blood pressure monitors, the type that automatically measure blood pressure, are more accurate than blood pressure readings in the physician office.  The study’s authors did comment that people using home blood pressure monitors use them according to the instructions:  measure blood pressure seated, blood pressure cuff at the same level as your heart, same time each day, and at rest for at least 15 minutes.

The drug Simvastatin has taken a beating this year; the 80mg strength is being taken off the market due to major toxic effects at this dose and recommendations for dosage reductions if a concurrent medication like Norvasc is taken with Simvastatin.  The good news is that Lipitor is going generic so those needing a higher potency cholesterol medication can switch to this lower cost generic.
Here’s another reason to take an aspirin a day:  long-term aspirin use can result in a 34% decrease in cancer mortality regardless of gender or smoking status.  The longitudinal study from The Lancet reports that adenocarcinomas seemed to be prevented more than other types of cancers in those who are not allergic or can’t tolerate aspirin.
A placebo-controlled study of probiotics showed promising results in the prevention of upper respiratory infections.  This rigorous study showed that those taking probiotics (acidophilus and Bifidobacterium twice per day) had a 50% decrease in school and work absenteeism.  The results were published in the Cochrane Database, a well-respected medical journal.