Cancer drugs may pose heart risk

Powerful drugs that enlist the immune system to fight cancer can, in rare cases, cause heart damage, doctors are reporting. Fewer than 1 percent of patients taking checkpoint inhibitors have developed heart trouble. But in those who do, the damage can be severe and has led to several deaths because the drugs provoked the immune system to attack the heart. The risk appears highest when patients take two different checkpoint inhibitors at once.

Pap smears could spot defects early

A simple Pap smear may one day offer a way to screen for birth defects earlier in pregnancy than today's prenatal tests. Women typically get a Pap during early pregnancy, and researchers report that they can capture enough fetal DNA from the cells that test extracts to check for genetic abnormalities. More research is needed, but researchers say it might be possible to use as early as five weeks into pregnancy and to detect more disorders noninvasively.

Advice for fighting childhood obesity

The fight against childhood obesity should begin with routine weight screening for all kids ages 6 and up, according to fresh advice from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Draft guidelines urge doctors to check the body mass index of children to identify patients who would benefit from weight counseling programs, which have been shown to help participants change the trajectory of their weight gain.

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