(May 14, 2008 - Insidermedicine) From Sweden - According to research in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, women who breastfeed for extended periods of time are less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis. Over 130 women with rheumatoid arthritis were compared to over 500 controls, and those who breastfed for one year following birth were half as likely to develop arthritis. Even breastfeeding for as little as a month lowered the risk.

From Ottawa - According to research in the New England Journal of Medicine, a medicine routinely used to prevent blood loss during heart surgery is associated with a 50% increased risk of death. In a randomized clinical trial comparing three different antifibrinolytic agents, about 6% of patients who received aprotinin died within 30 days of surgery compared to 4% of patients who received tranexamic acid or aminocaproic acid.

And finally, from Atlanta - The difference in death rates between highly educated and poorly educated people in the U.S. is widening. Researchers examined data on over 3.5 million deaths between 1993 and 2001 and found that, while the death rate for the most educated citizens decreased, the rate for those with less than a high school education increased. For example, white males who dropped out of high school were 4.4 times more likely to die prematurely than their college educated counterparts.

For Insidermedicine in 60, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.