Our weekly roundup of the latest news in the world of health.

Record numbers of Americans got flu shots last year. But that still means that less than half of the population got vaccinated, U.S. health officials said. Research published this week found that people with cancer live longer if they are married. Another study found that women with early concerns about breastfeeding are more likely to quit. Women with high levels of omega-3 fats in the bloodstream are not protected from loss of memory and thinking skills, other new research concluded. U.S. regulators said this week that they will regulate only those smartphone apps that turn a phone into a medical device. This means measuring blood pressure, for example, but not counting calories.

Stay well.

This Issue:

CDC: Flu Vaccination Set Record Last Year
Study Finds Marriage Boosts Cancer Survival
Breastfeeding Concerns Linked to Quitting
Study: Fish Oil Won't Save Your Brain
FDA Sets Rules on Medical Smartphone Apps

In the News:

CDC: Flu Vaccination Set Record Last Year
Americans got flu shots in record numbers last year, health officials said this week. But there's still lots of room for improvement, they said. On average, 45% of Americans age 6 months and older received flu vaccine during the 2012-2013 season. That's 3.2 percentage points higher than the season before. Among children, 56.6% got their shots, up 5.1 percentage points. About 72% of health care workers were vaccinated. That's also a record number.  The highest rates were among children under 4 (70%) and adults 65 and older (66%). About half of pregnant women got their flu shots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the statistics. The CDC urged nearly all Americans age 6 months and older to get their shots this year. New options will help make it easier. There's a new vaccine not grown in egg cultures, so people with egg allergies can receive it. Another shot uses an extra-thin needle. A high-dose vaccine is available for those 65 and older. The CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it.

Study Finds Marriage Boosts Cancer Survival
Married people are more likely to survive cancer, a large new study published this week concludes. They also tend to have their cancer diagnosed at earlier stages and are more likely to get appropriate treatment. The study included about 735,000 people diagnosed with cancer. Married men were 23% less likely to die of their disease than those who were single, widowed or divorced. For married women, the advantage was narrower, 16%. Married people were 53% more likely to get appropriate treatment. They were 17% less likely to be diagnosed with cancer that had spread beyond its original site. The study included people with 10 different types of cancer. For 5 types of cancer, being married improved survival more than the known benefit of chemotherapy. Researchers said the study doesn't show that being married actually causes the lower death rates. But they said it shows the importance of social support. This means having someone who nags you to get a colonoscopy, for example. A spouse, or a friend, can also take notes when you discuss treatment options and make sure you get to your appointments. The Journal of Clinical Oncology published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it.

Breastfeeding Concerns Linked to Quitting
Nearly all first-time mothers who want to breastfeed have concerns about the process, a new study finds. And those with early concerns are more likely to quit. The study included more than 500 first-time mothers. Researchers did 6 interviews with each woman. The first one was during pregnancy. The others came at 3, 7, 14, 30 and 60 days after birth. About 92% of new mothers reported 1 or more concerns about breastfeeding. Common concerns included breast pain, milk supply or the baby not latching on to the breast properly. Women who had concerns 3 or 7 days after birth were those most likely to quit breastfeeding. They were up to 9 times as likely to quit as women who had no concerns. Women who had no concerns at day 3 tended to be self-confident about breastfeeding and had a good support network. Most of them had a vaginal birth, and often it was without pain medicine. They also were more likely to be under age 30 and Hispanic. The journal Pediatrics published the study online this week. HealthDay News wrote about it.

Study: Fish Oil Won't Save Your Brain
Fish oil may not help to protect the brain, a study published this week suggests. Some prior research had found a protective effect. The new study looked at levels of one omega-3 fatty acid in the blood of more than 2,100 women. These fats are found in fish and fish oil supplements. The women were age 65 or older when the study began. They had normal brain function. Omega-3 levels were tested at the beginning of the study. The women took tests of thinking and memory each year for 6 years. Researchers found no link between their blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids and changes in brain function. Women with higher omega-3 levels were not less likely to develop dementia. Specific aspects of thinking or memory also did not decline more slowly in women with higher omega-3 levels. The journal Neurology published the study online. HealthDay News wrote about it.

FDA Sets Rules on Medical Smartphone Apps
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) set standards this week for which health-related smartphone apps it will regulate. Most apps will escape FDA scrutiny. The agency is not interested in those that count calories or keep track of medicines. It will set standards only for apps that turn a phone into a piece of medical equipment. Examples include apps that read a heart rhythm, take blood pressure or act as an ultrasound machine. In all, the FDA has approved about 100 apps in the last decade. About 40 of those approvals came in the last 2 years. HealthDay News wrote about the FDA announcement.

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The above summaries are not intended to provide advice on personal medical matters, nor are they intended to be a substitute for consultation with a physician.