Benefit of cycle helmet laws to reduce head injuries still uncertain

Contribution of helmet legislation 'minimal' in context of existing safety campaigns, say researchers

2013-05-15

(Press-News.org) The authors say that, while helmets reduce head injuries and their use should be encouraged, in the context of existing safety campaigns, the impact of legislation seems to be minimal.

Cyclists are vulnerable road users and head injuries among cyclists account for 75% of cycling related deaths. But debate exists about whether or not helmet legislation is an effective strategy to reduce serious head injuries among cyclists of all ages.

So a team of researchers based in Canada examined changes in the rate of cycling related head injuries associated with helmet legislation in young people and adults, while accounting for baseline trends in the rate of cycling injuries.

Between 1994 and 2008, there were 66,716 hospital admissions for cycling related injuries, 30% of which were head injuries.

During this time, there was a substantial and consistent fall in the rate of hospital admissions for cycling related head injuries across Canada.

Reductions were greatest in provinces with helmet legislation. However, the researchers point out that admission rates were falling before the implementation of provincial helmet legislation and, after taking baseline trends into account, did not seem to change in response to legislation.

"When baseline trends in cycling related injury rates were considered, the overall rates of head injuries were not appreciably altered by helmet legislation," they say.

They conclude: "While helmets reduce the risk of head injuries and we encourage their use, in the Canadian context of existing safety campaigns, improvements to the cycling infrastructure, and the passive uptake of helmets, the incremental contribution of provincial helmet legislation to reduce hospital admissions for head injuries seems to have been minimal."

### END

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

BMJ calls for new and stronger partnerships to improve healthcare

2013-05-15

The journal says it is committed to "stepping up its commitment to patient partnership" and wants to "develop a strategy for patient partnership that will be reflected across the entire journal." In an editorial, BMJ editors along with Professor Victor Montori and Dave Paul at the Mayo Clinic in the US, argue that the preservation of institutional bureaucracies, as well as professional and commercial vested interests, "have consistently trumped the interests of patients." They say clinicians and patients need to work in partnership "if we are to improve healthcare and ...

Hysterectomy does not increase risk of cardiovascular disease

2013-05-15

Having a hysterectomy with or without ovary removal in mid-life does not increase a woman's risk of cardiovascular disease compared to women who reach natural menopause, contrary to many previously reported studies, according to research published online today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. "Middle-aged women who are considering hysterectomy should be encouraged because our results suggest that increased levels of cardiovascular risk factors are not any more likely after hysterectomy relative to after natural menopause," said Karen A. Matthews, ...

Treatment with 2 osteoporosis drugs better at increasing bone density than single-drug therapy

2013-05-15

A combination of two FDA-approved osteoporosis drugs with different mechanisms of action was found to increase bone density better than treatment with either drug alone in a small clinical trial. As reported in paper receiving Online First publication in The Lancet, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators found that treatment combining denosumab (Prolia) and teriparatide (Forteo) was superior to single-agent treatment in a 12-month trial in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. The authors note that additional study is required before their findings should ...

Local community group activities may help reduce neonatal mortality in Vietnam

2013-05-15

Community groups in rural Vietnam comprised of local health workers, politicians and laywomen (Maternal and Newborn Health Groups) set up to tackle challenges to maternal and neonatal health may reduce the neonatal death rate after three years and increase antenatal care attendance, according to a study by researchers from Sweden and Vietnam published in this week's PLOS Medicine. These findings are important as they show that is it feasible to implement community-based activity into the public sector system at low cost. The researchers (also the authors of this paper) ...

Fossil saved from mule track revolutionizes understanding of ancient dolphin-like marine reptile

2013-05-15

An international team of scientists have revealed a new species of ichthyosaur (a dolphin-like marine reptile from the age of dinosaurs) from Iraq, which revolutionises our understanding of the evolution and extinction of these ancient marine reptiles. The results, produced by a collaboration of researchers from universities and museums in Belgium and the UK and published today (May 15) in Biology Letters, contradict previous theories that suggest the ichthyosaurs of the Cretaceous period (the span of time between 145 and 66 million years ago) were the last survivors ...

Dual chamber defibrillators pose higher risk of complications

2013-05-15

AURORA, Colo. (May 14, 2013) – A device commonly used to treat dangerous heart rhythms may cause more issues for patients than a simpler version of the same device. The implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) prevents sudden cardiac death by detecting irregularities and delivering an electrical jolt to restart the heart. An analysis led by researchers at University of Colorado School of Medicine and published in the May 15 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association focused on people getting ICDs who do not have a clear reason for pacemaker support. ...

What impacts whether African Americans call 9-1-1 immediately for stroke symptoms?

2013-05-15

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – African-Americans know the signs of stroke, but concerns about medical cost, ambulance response time and unfamiliarity with the need for prompt hospital care impacted whether they called 9-1-1 immediately. A study that included 77 African-Americans in Flint, Mich., revealed barriers among adults and youth in getting help for stroke which is significantly higher among African-Americans and leads to more deaths and disability. Adults mentioned the cost of paying for an ambulance, while young people worried about staying calm if they witnessed someone ...

New drug enhances radiation treatment for brain cancer in preclinical studies

2013-05-15

A novel drug may help increase the effectiveness of radiation therapy for the most deadly form of brain cancer, report scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center. In mouse models of human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the new drug helped significantly extend survival when used in combination with radiation therapy. Recently published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, the study provides the first preclinical evidence demonstrating that an ATM kinase inhibitor radiosensitizes gliomas. Gliomas are brain tumors that originate from glial cells, ...

Using clay to grow bone

2013-05-15

Boston, MA – In new research published online May 13, 2013 in Advanced Materials, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) are the first to report that synthetic silicate nanoplatelets (also known as layered clay) can induce stem cells to become bone cells without the need of additional bone-inducing factors. Synthetic silicates are made up of simple or complex salts of silicic acids, and have been used extensively for various commercial and industrial applications, such as food additives, glass and ceramic filler materials, and anti-caking agents. Silicate ...

Newly described type of immune cell and T cells share similar path to maturity

2013-05-15

PHILADELPHIA — Labs around the world, and a core group at Penn, have been studying recently described populations of immune cells called innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). Some researchers liken them to foot soldiers that protect boundary tissues such as the skin, the lining of the lung, and the lining of the gut from microbial onslaught. They also have shown they play a role in inflammatory disease, when the body's immune system is too active. In animal studies, group-2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) confer immunity during a parasitic infection in mice and are also involved ...

Benefit of cycle helmet laws to reduce head injuries still uncertain

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: