Marriage may improve cancer survival: A new study suggests that “being married may significantly improve the likelihood of surviving cancer.” The study included more than 700,000 people with a variety of potentially deadly cancers, including prostate, breast, colorectal and esophageal cancers. Researchers found that “patients who were married were more likely to detect their disease early, receive potentially curable treatments and live longer.” Overall, married patients were 20% less likely to die than unmarried cancer patients. Researchers attributed this benefit to the social support marriage can provide. 

Statins may raise risk for cataracts: A new study suggests that statins, a type of medication commonly used to lower cholesterol, may “raise pill-takers’ risks for cataracts.” Cataracts are a clouding of the eye’s lens, which over time may significantly impair vision. Researchers found that “people taking statins were about 27 percent more likely to have cataracts than those not taking them, and the findings held up when researchers factored out other risks.” However, the study cannot say for sure whether statins are causing cataracts – just that that they are associated with them. An estimated 32 million Americans take a statin.