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Women who gain weight between pregnancies have an increased risk of developing recurrent disorders marked by high blood pressure in a second pregnancy, researchers from Iceland report. Hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (HDP) was common, reported researchers from Landspitali University Hospital in Reykjavik. Among women who in their first pregnancy developed pre-eclampsia, the risk of HDP in the second pregnancy was 58.3 per cent.

ZERO to 12

Stay off steroids for asthma

Inhaled steroids—corticosteroids—prescribed in childhood does not alter course of asthma, said a new research in New England Journal of Medicine this week. Researchers from Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital reported the use of inhaled corticosteroids does not alter the development of asthma in early childhood and the drugs are not without risk. The message to parents and physicians is clear: Use of these drugs in children under 2 “should be highly selective”.

12 to 20

Attitude worsens diabetes

Parents of teenagers with Type 2 diabetes feel they face a range of obstacles to helping their kids take care of their health. US researchers found that parents often struggled to get their kids to eat right, check their blood sugar or think about the long-term health consequences of their condition. Parents also cited a number of other obstacles, including less-than-ideal food choices and a lack of exercise at school, and their teenagers’ resistance to letting classmates know they had the disease.

20 to 40

Large breasts a cancer risk

Women with large breasts have a greater risk of developing breast cancer. A study in International Journal of Cancer looked at 89,268 women, all of whom reported bra cup size at age 20. The participants were followed over time to see if they developed cancer. It was found that lean women with cup sizes of D and above had an 80-per cent greater risk. “The bigger the breast, the more breast cells. The more cells, the more risk for a potential mutation or malignant change,” said principal author, Karin B Michels of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.

40 and above

Heart failure link to dementia

A new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine has found a link between heart failure and a high risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Heart failure increased the risk of dementia by 84 per cent and Alzheimer’s by 80 per cent.