Gardasil 95.7% effective; HIV drugs cut risk of transmission; Walnuts cut cholesterol

By Lilian Anekwe

Our update on the latest research being presented at medical conferences.

Gardasil 95.7% effective

The quadrivalent HPV vaccine Gardasil prevents 95.7% of HPV-type-related infections, cervical pre-cancers, genital lesions and genital warts, according to results from a four-year follow-up study of 4,000 women. In women who received all three doses, Gardasil was 95.7% effective, with only one case of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or external genital lesions recorded, compared with 23 in the unvaccinated control group.

Eurogin 2010. Abstract SS3-3

HIV drugs cut risk of transmission to partner

HIV drugs dramatically reduce risk of transmission to partners, finds a study of 3,400 couples in Africa in which one partner was HIV-positive. At follow-up, 103 of the previously uninfected partners became infected, but all but one new infection had been transmitted before the HIV-positive partner began taking antiretrovirals – a 92% reduction.

17th conference on retroviruses and opportunistic infections. Paper 136

Walnuts cut cholesterol in type 2 diabetes

Daily consumption of walnuts could reduce plasma lipid levels and improve vascular function in patients with type 2 diabetes. In a randomised controlled trial of 24 patients, those who ate 56g of walnuts a day had non-significant reductions in total cholesterol of 9.7mg/dl compared with a 4.5mg/dl fall in the control group.

American College of Preventive Medicine 26th annual meeting. Poster abstract 212645