*** News You Can Use! -- 3 July 1996 ***
USA Today asked men how they deal with stress, and the highest percentage -- 74% -- say they keep it inside. Another 66% talk it over with others. More than half respond to stress by getting physical: 62% exercise, and 54% talk a walk. Half get angry, and 29% meditate, but a surprising 29% drink alcohol to deal with stress. (USA Today, 27 June 1996)
British medical researchers say "ecstasy" -- an amphetamine-like drug that's popular at parties -- can leave users with brain damage. The study found that a single dose of "ecstasy" caused measurable damage in rats. The drug destroys the connections between brain cells, and severely damages nerve cells. (Broadcast News, 13 June 1996)
A Louis Harris survey was conducted for the Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical Company, and it estimated workers suffering from pain took about 50 million sick days last year. Most firms aren't causing the pain -- only 15% of workers said their pain was job-related. But the business suffers, because 50 million sick days works out to three billion dollars lost, per year. Two-thirds of full-time American workers, or 80 million people, have conditions that cause pain. About one in five suffer from chronic pain. The most common complaints were headaches and menstrual pain, each affecting about one-third of all U-S employees. (Associated Press, 13 June 1996)
The largest-yet mental health study of heavy on-line users confirms the early reports of what psychologist Kimberly Young calls "Internet addiction disorder." Obsessive Web-surfers have a true addiciton that interferes with their social and professional life. Young, of the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford, studied 396 men and women who went on-line an average of 38 hours per week. They all met psychiatric criteria used to diagnose alcoholic or drug addicts, being unable to stop surfing the Net, despite losing sleep, mates, jobs and peace of mind. Net addicts are "not just geeky teen-agers," says Young. "Many are outgoing, good-looking and middle-aged. They can look high-functioning, but there are serious problems just under the surface." (USA Today, 1 July 1996)
The pitched battle between Proctor & Gamble and the Center for Science in the Public Interest is far from over. C-S-P-I claimes the fat substitute olestra causes diarrhea and abdominal cramping. But the Food and Drug Administration approved its use in January, as long as products containing olestra carried a warning label to that effect. Proctor & Gamble had spent 200 million dollars over 25 years developing the fake fat, so it has a lot at stake in the test-marketing of "Max" potato chips, going on right now in three cities: Grand Junction, Colorado; Cedar Rapids, Iowa: and Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Not giving up, C-S-P-I set up a toll-free number and invited people to call with complaints, and they received 196 calls. Also, the Center commissioned a poll of 506 households in the test cities. "Max" chips had been eaten in 135 of those 506 households, and a total of 48 people had experienced some side-effects such as cramps, loose stools and diarrhea. Frito-Lay countered with its own figures, saying that after selling 200,000 bags of "Max" chips, only 67 people called the company to say the chips don't agree with them. (Associated Press, 1 July 1996, July 2; USA Today, 2 July)
British scientists say ancient Chinese Tai Chi exercises could help the recovery of people who've been stricken with a heart attack. Researchers at Sheffield University say practicing the slow, deliberate Tai Chi movements and breathing patterns lowers blood pressure. In some cases, it also slows the heart rate. (Broadcast News, 12 June 1996)
A research team at the University of Ottawa has produced a kit designed to help menopausal women make a very important health decision: whether or not to take hormones. In recent months, there have been reports touting both the benefits and dangers of taking estrogen and progesterone. The kit is meant to give women the information they need to make an informed decision. (Broadcast News, 2 July 1996)
There's a possibility Vitamin C can protect smokers from one of the most dangerous aspects of heart disease. In a study published in the American Heart Association journal "Circulation," researchers found that injections of Vitamin C reversed cell damage to the arteries of smokers. Chemicals that act like oxygen -- oxidants -- can be found in cigarette smoke. Those oxidants damage the layer of cells that expand and contract arteries, which allows plaque to form more easily, increasing the risk of strokes and heart attacks. the Vitamin C injections reversed that cell damage. It's not known if Vitamin C pills would have the same effect. (Associated Press, 30 June 1996)
STB's News You Can Use! edited and written by --
Tom Connolly, for Infant Moose Web Page Creations.
Past newsletters: 26 June 1996 | 20 June 1996 | 12 June 1996 | 6 June 1996 | 31 May 1996 | 25 May 1996 | 16 May 1996 | 9 May 1996
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