Botox and migraines

Study subjects: Various data

Location of study: U.S.

Results: A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association disavows early claims that Botox benefits patients with chronic migraines. Botox wasn’t found to help people with episodic migraines or chronic tension-type headaches better than a placebo did.

Significance: The side effects of Botox, compared to the placebo, included a greater frequency of drooping of the upper eyelid and neck pain.

Abuse causes premature aging

Study subjects: 236 children chosen from a study of 1,100 sets of twins

Location of study: U.K./U.S.

Results: A Duke University review of British data on families with twins found that children who had experienced violence — either domestic, bullying or physical abuse — had significantly more DNA damage than those who hadn’t.

Significance: The researchers concluded that protecting children from harm is an important preventative medical tool.

13 percent have high cholesterol

Study subjects: 6,000 adults

Location of study: U.S.

Results: The CDC’s latest report on the state of the nation’s total cholesterol level shows the promising news that just 13 percent of U.S. adults have high cholesterol. The government’s target level of 17 percent had previously been achieved.

Significance: The drop is probably due to cholesterol-lowering drugs, not changes in eating habits that may benefit health. High cholesterol is a risk for heart disease.