*** News You Can Use! -- 15 May 1996 ***
To date, the only way to positively diagnose Alzheimer's disease is after death. Now, National Cancer Institute researcher Dr. Jay Robbins says he's developed a new laboratory test. Once someone has a probable diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, the test is designed to separate actual Alzheimer's sufferers from those with other, treatable disorders. By finding fundamental differences in skin and blood cells, the test offers the promise of early detection. Robbins says more work is needed before the test is ready for general use. The report appears in the 14 May 1996 edition of "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences." (Associated Press, 14 May 1996)
Heart disease is the leading killer of women, and too few women know it. "That's why it's called the silent epidemic in women," says Dr. Jo Dalal, a Tallahassee, Fla. cardiologist. She lists stress as one of the risk factors for heart disease, since it constricts coronary arteries and increases blood pressure. Other more familiar risk factors include: smoking, obesity, a family history of heart disease, diabetes, and high cholesterol. (Knight-Ridder)
A new report by the Alliance for Aging Research says there are not enough doctors trained in the needs of elderly patients. And, the problem will get worse. The Washington-based group estimates that 30,000 geriatric doctors are needed in the United States, but there are currently fewer than 7,000. Since the number of Americans over the age of 65 is expected to double by the year 2030, the demand for expert care is going to go up dramatically.
Doctors reporting in the British medical journal The Lancet say that adults reporting symptoms of loss of memory, decreased attention span, and poor memory may not have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Those symptoms are shared by lead poisoning. While lead contamination is widespread, lead *poisoning* had been thought to be rare outside of industrial settings. Researchers theorize that many people living in older homes may be suffering from lead poisoning, from water pipes and lead solder in old hot water heaters.
When Americans spend nearly three billion dollars annually for something that they could choose to get from their kitchen sink, you're talking about a major success story. Americans don't seem to trust that tap water, so bottled water is a booming business. New federal regulations that took effect Monday, May 13, require bottled water companies to tell you on the outside of the bottle the real source of the water inside it. So no matter how many pictures of mountains you see, the label must also state in words whether the water came from a spring or a glacier, or if it isn't. (Associated Press, 13 May 1996)
On Tuesday, May 7, the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Paxil to treat panic disorder. An anti-depressant, Paxil has been available in Canada since 1992. The makers say this product is an improvement over other approved drugs, because it is non-addictive, and can be used over the long term. Panic disorder afflicts between one and three million Americans, causing recurring attacks of racing heartbeat, breathlessness and choking.(Associated Press, Broadcast News, 8 May 1996)
Just last week in News You Can Use! we told you that winemakers wanted the government to let them list the health *benefits* of wine on labels. Now it looks like they have more to say. The latest edition of Fitness magazine reports that drinking wine can help prevent food poisoning. Wine can kill significant amounts of the bacteria that cause food poisoning. The report listed ten-year-old wine as having the best anti-bacterial properties.
As the baby boom generation ages, it's predicted that in the year 2020, 60 million Americans will suffer from arthritis. That report comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One puzzling finding -- about 15-16% of most races reported symptoms of arthritis, but Americans of Asian and Pacific Island descent had dramatically lower incidences (about seven percent). Hispanics also had a lower risk, about eleven percent. Dr. Charles Helmick of the CDC said the lower rates could be due to a reluctance to admit symptoms, as well as genetic factors and less obesity.(Associated Press, 9 May 1996)
A federal court in Philadelphia has tossed out a 1.3 billion dollar settlement against asbestos companies. A three-judge panel ruled that the claims are so "radically different" that they cannot be combined under one lawsuit. The largest-ever asbestos settlement would have involved 20 companies and up to 100,000 asbestos victims well into the future. The decision clears the way for individual lawsuits against those companies.(Associated Press, 10 May 1996)
Well, maybe. In the latest edition of Men's Health magazine, they report the unscientific findings of one Tom Goral of Danbury, Connecticut. Here's the technique -- Take an all-metal object, like a spoon. Place it in a glass of water. Then press one end of the utensil against your temple as you take a sip of water. Now e-mail me at stbvideo@earthlink.net, and tell me if it really worked.
STB's News You Can Use! edited and written by --
Tom Connolly, for Infant Moose Web Page Creations.
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