Fw: Health News

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----- Original Message ----- From: Kathi

Sent: Thursday, January 09, 2003 6:15 PM

Subject: Health News

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE: IT'S A SYMPTOM, NOT A DISEASE, STUPID! In short, there is no evidence whatsoever that lowering blood pressure has any effect on coronary heart disease....After all, how could a high blood pressure make atherosclerotic plaques form? Well, you can create a convoluted argument involving endothelial damage, but you would struggle to create a clear-cut case.... By RFW columnist, Dr. Malcolm Kendrick http://www.redflagsweekly.com/kendrick/2003_jan09.html CANCER JOURNEY My uncle Ed said "no" to everything the oncologists offered. He did not believe the dire prognosis. He had this positive attitude that not even mainstream medicine could shake out of him.... By RFW columnist, Marilyn Holasek Lloyd http://www.redflagsweekly.com/lloyd/2003_jan09.html Tooth Be Told For a snack that you can really smile about, skip the chips and pick up a piece of reduced-fat cheese. A recent study revealed that certain proteins contained in dairy products such as cheese may help to restore minerals in tooth enamel. What's more, cheese is high in calcium, a mineral that helps to strengthen the bones that support teeth. Keep your saturated fat intake down by choosing small portions of reduced-fat cheese. RealAge Benefit: Flossing and brushing your teeth daily can make your RealAge as much as 6.4 years younger. Toxic Success HONOLULU, Hawaii (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Maybe you have that phone conversation while driving to a meeting and grab your lunch on the way. Or maybe you check your email while talking to your kids as you're cooking dinner. It's multi-tasking, and one scientist says it's poisoning our lives. Here's his opinion on the trouble with always wanting more. "The number one cause of early death -- and I'm saying this now as a scientist -- is toxic success," Honolulu clinical psychoneuroimmunologist Pearsall, Ph.D., tells Ivanhoe. "That toxic success of, 'I'm going to have more. I'm going to do more,' just the opposite of these six words: have less, do less, say no." http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=5153 Power of Placebos LOS ANGELES (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- What is it about the very act of taking a pill -- even if it contains no medicine -- that makes some people feel better? It's commonly called the placebo effect and researchers studying depression have gathered some new insight into this response to treatment. http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=5108 Transfusion Alternative LOS ANGELES (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- If you've ever had major surgery, you may have had a blood transfusion. But the need for donor blood sometimes exceeds supply and donated blood still carries a minor risk of infection. Now, an alternative to a traditional blood transfusion has the medical world taking note. http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=5105 Chemicals Used To Protect Soldiers In 1991 Gulf War Can Damage Testes, Animal Studies Show DURHAM, N.C. -- A combination of chemicals given to protect Gulf War soldiers against deadly diseases and nerve gas may have inadvertently damaged their testes and sperm production, according to animal experiments at Duke University Medical Center. The new study could explain why some veterans have experienced infertility, sexual dysfunction, and other genitourinary symptoms, said Mohamed Abou Donia, Ph.D., a Duke pharmacologist. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/01/030109071231.htm Complaints against doctors soar Most complaints related to clinical care Complaints against doctors to the General Medical Council have soared over the past 11 years, a report shows. Figures released by the Medical Defence Union show complaints involving its members have increased almost 15-fold since 1990. Overall, complaints are rising by 33% annually. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2638813.stm Polymyositis A Manifestation Of Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease? A DGReview of :"Polymyositis as a manifestation of chronic graft-versus-host disease." Rheumatology 01/08/2003 By Anne MacLennan Evidence is increasing that both idiopathic myositis and myositis related to chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) may involve allo-immune responses. Researchers in the United States have found the incidence of myositis is higher in the chronic GVHD population than is explained by chance. This suggests muscle may be a target tissue for chronic GVHD, says this report from the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, and Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina. http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256CA30004EA50 20 areas named to improve patient treatment, quality of care WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 — The improvement of the nation’s health care system begins by focusing on 20 areas that could have a broad impact on patients, families and communities, the Institute of Medicine reported Tuesday. http://www.msnbc.com/news/856009.asp?0si=- & cp1=1 Study reveals medication mistakes Errors related to morphine, insulin, blood thinners prove most deadly A new study reveals the most common causes of deadly mistakes related to medications. NBC's Bazell reports. Bazell NBC NEWS Dec. 4 — A new study examined more than 100,000 cases of medication error. It found that mistakes related to morphine-based medications were the most common errors leading to death or injury. NBC’s Bazell reports. http://www.msnbc.com/news/843120.asp Parents protest law that protects vaccine makers Copyright © 2003 AP Online By JANELLE CARTER, Associated Press WASHINGTON (January 8, 2003 4:34 p.m. EST) - Parents rallied at the Capitol on Wednesday against a law that protects vaccine makers, and Democrats promised to fight to repeal the measure. The vaccine provision was attached to a bill creating a new Homeland Security Department, which President Bush signed into law in November. The Republican-backed provision essentially shields vaccine makers from lawsuits concerning the use of the compound Thimerosal by requiring that claims go through a special federal program that pays limited damages for vaccine-related injuries, rather than through courts. http://www.nandotimes.com/healthscience/story/708365p-5219010c.html Feds accepting applications for Medicare drug cards Copyright © 2003 AP Online The Associated Press WASHINGTON (January 8, 2003 6:13 p.m. EST) - The government is accepting applications from companies to offer pharmacy discount cards to Medicare recipients, despite a legal challenge. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, began accepting applications Wednesday for card sponsors. Officials said they hope Medicare beneficiaries can begin enrolling in plans this September. The agency will not endorse any cards, however, until the legal challenge is resolved. Under the program, Medicare participants could sign up for discount cards offered by private companies, which would use enrollees' purchasing power to negotiate discounts with drug makers and pharmacies. The drug cards use no government money to help finance coverage. Medicare beneficiaries would have to pay an enrollment fee of about $25. Representatives of large drug stores and community pharmacists have sued in U.S. court to block the plan, questioning whether federal officials have the authority to promote the cards without congressional approval. A federal judge had agreed and put the plan on hold, saying the agency should have proposed formal regulations and sought comment. The agency issued a revised plan last year and asked for public comments. It is still unclear whether the new proposal will satisfy the court. http://www.nandotimes.com/healthscience/story/708599p-5219987c.html Biotech firms have special permission to distribute 'orphan drugs' Copyright © 2003 AP Online Search the archive for: drugs By PAUL ELIAS, AP Biotechnology Writer SAN FRANCISCO (January 8, 2003 5:15 p.m. EST) - For the last 20 years, Cloud twice daily has ingested GHB, the notorious "date-rape" and rave-scene drug. "It saved my law practice," said Cloud, a Cincinnati lawyer. "It saved me from disability." GHB is illegal in the United States, classified alongside heroin and cocaine - except for Cloud and 725 other people who suffer from a rare but dangerous complication of the sleep disorder narcolepsy. Orphan Medical Inc., a tiny biotechnology firm in Minnetonka, Minn., began selling the drug to those patients in October after receiving federal regulatory approval and agreeing to distribute it under some of the most severe restrictions ever imposed on a medicine. http://www.nandotimes.com/healthscience/story/708464p-5219344c.html These warnings must be placed on ALL drugs containing estrogen, not just premarin/prempro. The indications for use have also been modified considerably. FDA Offers Guidance on Women's Hormone Use By Rob Stein Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, January 9, 2003; Page A01 Women can take hormones after menopause to alleviate hot flashes and vaginal dryness and perhaps to stave off osteoporosis if they are at high risk for thinning bones, but should always use the lowest doses for the shortest possible time, the federal government advised yesterday. In its first detailed guidance about post-menopausal hormone use since the discovery of new risks from the drugs caused widespread confusion and anxiety last summer, the Food and Drug Administration also said women should not take estrogen or combinations of estrogen and progesterone to reduce their risk for heart disease. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30290-2003Jan8.html Ebola Virus Tamed for Beneficial Use Killer can be adapted to treat lung diseases By Ross Grant HealthScoutNews Reporter MONDAY, Dec. 30 (HealthScoutNews) -- The Ebola virus, which authorities worry could become a terrorist weapon, may also work as a sheep in wolf's clothing. The outer shell of the deadly virus can be adapted to carry beneficial medicine into the body, helping to fight such diseases as cystic fibrosis, according to a study in the current Journal of Virology http://www.healthscout.com/template.asp?page=newsdetail & ap=1 & id=511047. Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen and Kids Experts say each has pros and cons when it comes to sick children By Gardner HealthScoutNews Reporter SATURDAY, Dec. 28 (HealthScoutNews) -- It's the wee hours of the morning, and your young child has a fever and is crying out for relief. You drag yourself out of bed and face the medicine cabinet. You're not comfortable using aspirin because it may increase the risk of Reye's syndrome, a potentially fatal disease that affects all of the body's organs. The American Academy of Pediatrics also cautions against using aspirin in children under the age of 14 if there is a high suspicion of chicken pox or influenza. http://www.healthscout.com/template.asp?page=newsdetail & ap=1 & id=510347 Healthcare Not Just Doctors Anymore Wave of Future: Coordinated Doctor, Non-Doctor Care By DeNoon WebMD Medical News Reviewed By , MD on Wednesday, January 08, 2003 Jan. 8, 2003 -- More and more people are getting healthcare from non-physicians. That's mostly good, experts say -- but there are dangers. There's been a huge change in the way people get healthcare. A trend for people to seek care from non-physicians accelerated in the 1990s, says study leader G. Druss, MD, MPH, of Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health. By 1997, more than 36% of patients got clinical care from a professional who was not a medical doctor. That's up from 31% in 1987. http://my.webmd.com/content/article/58/66492.htm?z=1728_00000_1000_ln_04 Panel proposes key areas for healthcare reform Last Updated: 2003-01-07 17:00:32 -0400 (Reuters Health) By Pallarito NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - An advisory panel to the federal government on Tuesday identified 20 "priority areas" for improving healthcare quality in America. The list spans the healthcare continuum, from preventive care measures to palliative care for the dying. It also includes broad interventions, recommending "care coordination" for the roughly 60 million Americans who live with multiple chronic conditions. A 17-member committee tapped by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies developed its recommendations with the goal of narrowing the gap between the best care that American medicine has to offer and the actual delivery of that care. Poor quality care is often due to inadequate healthcare delivery systems, not a lack of effective treatments, it says. http://www.4woman.org/nwhic/News/2003/03jan08-3.htm When Cure Is Worse Than Disease WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2003 (CBS) Health care costs are soaring – again. In his latest Against the Grain commentary, CBSNews.com's Dick Meyer says that the last time this happened, the cure was worse than the disease. Despite all the frightening news about war, terrorism, smallpox, cloning and the revival of “Star Search” right here on CBS, the story that scared me the most this week was a boring one about health care statistics. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/01/09/opinion/meyer/main535869.shtml

[Guest guest]

----- Original Message ----- From: Kathi

Sent: Friday, January 10, 2003 10:48 AM

Subject: Health News

on friday jan 10, 2003 muriel (sp) hemingway will be on entertainment tonight to talk about her breast implants & the leakage she encountered, she is also scheduled to be on 20/20 tonight as well sincerely silicone & saline sister gerr "Reproductive health damaged by Gulf war drugs" LONDON By Health Newswire reporters Chemicals given to protect the military in the 1991 Gulf war against nerve gas and disease may have caused damage to the testes and sperm production of men involved in the conflict, say US researchers.Insect repellents known as DEET and Permethrin and the anti-nerve gas agent pyridostigmine bromide, administered to both US and British troops, all caused extensive cell degeneration and cell death in rats, according to an investigation undertaken at the Duke University Medical Center, North Carolina. http://www.emedicine.com/cgi-bin/foxweb.exe/newsitem@d:\em\ga?name=104535 Letter Banned From "SCIENCE MAGAZINE" The following letter, which gives a good insight into how corporate science works in the global arena behind closed doors, has been rejected from Science magazine despite three requests for reconsideration from Dr. Epstein. The issue at stake is democracy and the social control of science and technology, which is all the more urgent, as technologies become more powerful and uncontrollable. This is not the first time that magazines such as Science, Nature and New Scientist have refused to give voice to scientists dissenting from the corporate view, to which they give undue and apparently unlimited access. http://Chem-tox.com/letters/banned.htm Immune System Under Attack It's a fact that the human immune system is under stress from our modern day chemical lifestyles. How severe this problem is depends on whether you talk to people who make money from the use of chemicals or if you talk to people who research how chemicals impact the immune system (the science of immuno-toxicology). Currently, chemical companies such as DOW, DUPONT, UNION CARBIDE, MONSANTO and others are not required by the EPA to test their chemical products for subtle or gradual harmful effects upon the immune system. However, independent research has found this immune system problem can occur from exposure to home and lawn/garden pesticides, disinfectants, cosmetic product chemicals, plastics, vinyl compounds, alcohol, car exhaust, electro-magnetic radiation (EMR), mercury (as in mercury/silver amalgam fillings and other sources. What is very worrisome is the fact that when an individual receives exposure to many of these sources simultaneously, the harmful effects upon the immune system are sometimes far greater ( 1 + 1 = 3). http://Chem-tox.com/immunesystem/immune-sys-index.htm Chemical Illness Report Page Petroleum based chemicals can cause serious health problems over time. Research shows this can occur from exposure in the workplace - home and also from many consumer products. Because of the time delay in exposure and symptom onset, as well as complexity of processes involved (individual liver enzyme detoxification efficiency - gradual attrition to neurological defenses, etc.), these illnesses are often overlooked, diagnosed incorrectly - or denied (by physicians representing the chemical or insurance industry). If you or someone you know has developed health problems from chemical exposure please let us know by clicking this link. Anyone to input their information and have it immediately posted to this web site. Also, please report any circumstances of illegal or unsafe chemical use or disposal. http://Chem-tox.com/ Thinking About Forgiveness Are you having trouble forgiving someone who has wronged you? Try reflecting first on a time when you wronged someone. Holding a grudge can increase your stress levels and take a toll on your physiological health. However, letting go of hurt feelings can be hard, too. In a study, people were better able to adopt a forgiving attitude toward an offender when they first thought about an instance when they had mistreated someone. RealAge Benefit: Taking care of your emotional health and well-being can make your RealAge up to 16 years younger. Government panel hears arguments on testing pesticides on humans WASHINGTON (January 9 9:57 a.m. EST) - Industry-sponsored studies that pa= y people to ingest pesticides are inherently unethical and their results have been mischaracterized, public health advocates told a scientific panel Wednesday. http://www.nandotimes.com/healthscience/story/709727p-5226253c.html Bittersweet benefits of diet regulating blood sugar (January 9 1:17 p.m. EST) - As diets go, an approach that aims to minimiz= e blood sugar spikes - promoted in such popular books as "The Zone" and "Sugar Busters!" - seems to defy nutritional common sense. http://www.nandotimes.com/healthscience/story/710059p-5227997c.html Vitamin A Look-Alike Certain gels and creams, which work like vitamin A, are often used to treat psoriasis and facial acne. Some can even reduce the appearance of fine face wrinkles and help the skin renew itself more quickly. But there are caveats you should know about before taking one particular Vitamin A-like topical, tazarotene http://health.webmd.com/cgi-bin21/DM?y=eJwR0fgLs0GF0Gcb0AR Does Your Diet Cause Acne? Could it be that certain foods like chocolate or pizza cause acne? Or maybe the entire western diet is to blame for the pimples and blemishes that mar the skin. When comparing diets from different cultures, researchers found that other populations were zit-free. Want to know why? http://health.webmd.com/cgi-bin21/DM?y=eJwR0fgLs0GF0GY60AX Sensitive Skin Problems If your skin is sensitive to irritants and prone to itchiness and rashes, the culprit could be atopic dermatitis. Find out what you can do to lessen the severity of the scratching and dryness. http://health.webmd.com/cgi-bin21/DM?y=eJwR0fgLs0GF0Gcc0AS Chilled-out chemotherapy Cannabinoids can inhibit non-melanoma skin tumor growth in vivo. | Tudor P Toma Cannabinoids — the active components of Cannabis sativa linnaeus (marijuana) — have growth-inhibiting effects on gliomas, but their potential for treating other tumors such as non-melanoma skin cancer, has been unclear. In the January 1 Journal of Clinical Investigation, Llanos Casanova and colleagues from Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, Madrid, Spain, show that activation of cannabinoid receptors inhibit skin tumor growth and angiogenesis in vivo (Journal of Clinical Investigation, 111:43-50, January 1, 2003). http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20030106/04 Fruits And Veggies Everyday Getting five servings a day of fruits and vegetables is one of the best ways to prevent cancer, heart disease and stroke. Here are easy ways to achieve that daily goal. http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/325/26033.html First Aid The time to prepare for accidents and emergencies is before they happen. Our first aid guide can help you learn how to handle incidents both minor and major. http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH?t=32059 & p=~br,IHW|~st,24479|~r,WSIHW000|~b,*| Bone transplants growing success 00:01 10 January 03 NewScientist.com news service A remarkable surgical technique allowing transplanted bone to grow has proven successful in reconstructing the hip of a four-year old girl. Italian surgeons performed the operation in 1997, while removing a life-threatening cancerous bone. They reconstructed the hip using a graft of bone and blood vessels from the child's lower leg, along with donor bone to support it. Now, nearly five years after the operation, the bones are still growing and child can walking and swim. http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993252 In sickness and in health: mixed messages (Filed: 29/12/2002) Dr Le Fanu wonders what are we to believe when reports conflict? When making resolutions on how to live a better and healthier life, it is much better to trust your common sense and instincts, rather than relying on the latest scientific findings. Indeed, a couple of recent contradictory reports have sparked something of a crisis of confidence over whether "they" know what they are talking about. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml;$sessionid$0AK0QF1NTVIPLQFIQMGCFFWAVCBQUIV0?xml=/health/2002/12/30/hdoc29.xml & sSheet=/health/2003/01/10/ixhfeatures.html Groups blame high insurance costs on docs By STEVE MITCHELL, UPI Medical Correspondent WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Physician groups argue malpractice insurance premiums are skyrocketing due to frivolous lawsuits and exorbitant jury awards, but three consumer groups released a report Thursday they said shows the real causes of the increases are the insurance industry and doctors themselves. http://www.emedicine.com/cgi-bin/foxweb.exe/newsitem@d:\em\ga?name=WWN-UPI-1-20030109-17285200-BC-US-MALPRACTICE-TEXT.TXT Huge increase in complaints about doctors LONDON By Health Newswire reporters Complaints about doctors are increasing by 33 per cent per year, according to research by the Medical Defence Union (MDU).Research published in Doctor and Hospital Doctor magazines says complaints regarding doctors' conduct and performance have soared over the last 11 years, increasing by 1,450 per cent. http://www.emedicine.com/cgi-bin/foxweb.exe/newsitem@d:\em\ga?name=104477 New marker for Alzheimer's severity found LONDON By Health Newswire reporters US scientists have identified an inflammatory protein that is increased in the plasma of patients with Alzheimer's disease but not in other types of dementia.A team from the University of Pittsburgh and Indiana University found that levels of alpha-1-antichymotrypsin (ACT) increase with progression of Alzheimer's and say the protein could become a biomarker of disease severity. http://www.emedicine.com/cgi-bin/foxweb.exe/newsitem@d:\em\ga?name=104442 AMA supports new bill to stop physician Medicare cuts E-Mail Story Print Story Congress has narrow window to avert Medicare crisis by March 1 For immediate release January 8, 2003 The American Medical Association (AMA) supports House Joint Resolution 3 introduced by Rep. Bill (R-CA) that will halt implementation of the CMS Medicare payment rule and stop another cut in Medicare physician payments. The bill will freeze payments at their 2002 levels for one year. http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/article/1616-7151.html Baby 'slashed in mother's womb' Alannah Dunipace with her mother Joanne Keir An investigation has been promised after a baby was scarred for life when her forehead was allegedly slashed by a scalpel during a Caesarean birth. Alannah Dunipace sustained the 5in cut to her forehead when a surgeon at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee apparently cut too far into the womb. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2645331.stm Concern over 'intimate checks' Patients under anaesthetic are vulnerable Patients anaesthetised for operations are being used to train medical students in "intimate examinations" - without their consent. A survey of students in one medical school suggested a quarter felt examinations they carried out on sedated or anaesthetised patients may not have involved "adequate consent". http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2642861.stm Drug Linked To 124 Deaths In Japan Although pharmaceutical companies aren't allowed to sell unapproved drugs in Japan, they can supply experimental drugs to doctors who request them for their own patients. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/01/10/health/main535996.shtml Hospital Giant Sued By Feds January 9, 2003 (AP) The U.S. Justice Department sued Tenet Healthcare for up to $323 million Tuesday, accusing the nation's second-largest hospital chain of overcharging Medicare for certain procedures to inflate its revenue. The Justice lawsuit said Tenet improperly assigned diagnosis codes for hospital stays so it would receive higher reimbursements than it was entitled to between 1992 and 1998. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/01/09/health/main535930.shtml BETWEEN THE LINES: Doctors must study the National Health Bill Published on Jan 11, 2003 As experience in country after country has shown, health-system reform usually brings about controversy, noisy protests and even violence. Thailand is no exception. The disquiet over the draft National Health Bill is the latest case in point. Some voices of discontent in the medical professions have again called for the changes in some clauses of the bill that they find "impractical". Some critics object that they feel physicians have little say in the new mechanism. Others dislike the bill, which they call "socialist", because it seems to give more power to groups other than doctors. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/page.news.php3?clid=11 & theme=A & usrsess=1 & id=7196 C-Reactive Protein Identified as Cause of Blood Clot Formation Jan. 9, 2003 (SACRAMENTO, Calif.) -- Further underscoring the limitations of cholesterol screening in assessing a patient's risk for heart disease, a new study by UC physicians is the first to conclusively link C-reactive proteins (CRP) to formation of blood clots, a major cause of heart attacks, strokes and other vascular disease. Until now, CRP had been recognized mainly as a risk marker of heart disease. The study appears in the Jan. 25 print edition of the journal Circulation, a publication of the American Heart Association, and is available on the Web at http://www.circulationaha.org. http://www.newswise.com/articles/2003/1/CRP.UCM.html Overdoses of Acetaminophen Cause Most Cases of Acute Liver Failure DALLAS -- Dec. 17, 2002 -- Unintentional acetaminophen overdose is the most common cause of acute liver failure in the United States, research from UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas shows. The scientists' findings appear in today's issue of the ls of Internal Medicine. "This study is the first to prospectively characterize a large number of patients with acute liver failure," said Dr. M. Lee, professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern and the study's principal investigator. "Until recently, only limited data have been available on the causes and outcomes of acute liver failure because of its rarity and a lack of centralized data registry." Earlier this year, a preliminary report based on the study prompted a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee to recommend stronger warning labels on over-the-counter pain medications and cold-and-cough remedies containing acetaminophen, an analgesic with potency similar to aspirin. http://www.newswise.com/articles/2002/12/LIVRFAIL.SWM.html How you could be missing out on essential vitamins by CHARLOTTE HARDING, femail.co.uk ur increasingly busy lives leave many of us more prone to eating convenience foods that we can either nibble on the hoof, throw in the microwave or grab from a takeaway. But these highly processed foods, are mostly low in vitamins and minerals - which, say nutritionists, can lead to deficiencies and health problems. http://www.femail.co.uk/pages/standard/article.html?in_article_id=154370 & in_page_id=179 Cancer Risk Not Equal In Both Breasts If Specific Atypical Type Of Diagnosed Lancet 01/09/2003 By Harvey McConnell Risk of breast cancer among women is not equal in both breasts after a diagnosis of atypical lobular hyperplasia, say clinicians in the United States. Their findings challenge the current belief that risk is equal in both breasts after a diagnosis of atypical lobular hyperplasia, declare Dr Page and colleagues at the Vanderbilt Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee. This emerges in a retrospect study among women who took part in the Nashville Breast Studies. http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256CA90044BA92 Straight Talk About Herbal Supplements New Web site discusses their safety, effectiveness By HealthScoutNews Reporter FRIDAY, Jan. 10 (HealthScoutNews) -- If you have high blood pressure, did you know you probably shouldn't take ginseng? Or that St. 's wort can interfere with chemotherapy? Or that garlic capsules and gingko biloba can hinder blood coagulation, a potentially major problem if you had to undergo surgery? http://www.healthscoutnews.com/view.cfm?id=511204 Every Cell Has a Timekeeper Researchers say protein is key to regulating the body's biological clock By Serena Gordon HealthScoutNews Reporter THURSDAY, Jan. 9 (HealthScoutNews) -- Every cell in your body contains a tiny timekeeper that regulates all of your daily activities from breathing to sleeping, according to new research from Purdue University. Learning how to alter this mechanism could have far-reaching medical implications, from minimizing jet lag to administering cancer medications more appropriately, say the researchers. http://www.healthscoutnews.com/view.cfm?id=511206 Long-Term Pill, Short-Term Memory January 10, 2003 06:09:54 AM PST, HealthScout News (HealthScoutNews) -- Long-acting drugs that allow you to only take one pill a day have their drawbacks. While you're more likely to remember to take your medication if it's once-a-day, according to Drugs & Aging, if you do forget, you've missed your treatment for the whole day. http://health./search/healthnews?lb=s & p=id%3A33980 Straight Talk About Herbal Supplements January 10, 2003 06:09:54 AM PST, HealthScout News By HealthScoutNews Reporter FRIDAY, Jan. 10 (HealthScoutNews) -- If you have high blood pressure, did you know you probably shouldn't take ginseng? Or that St. 's wort can interfere with chemotherapy? Or that garlic capsules and gingko biloba can hinder blood coagulation, a potentially major problem if you had to undergo surgery? A new Web site created by experts at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City provides up-to-date information on the safety and efficacy of 135 of the most popular herbal remedies and dietary supplements, from bee pollen to shark cartilage and skullcap to milk thistle. http://health./search/healthnews?lb=s & p=id%3A33983 Eyes aren't only for seeing, two new studies show By Merritt McKinney NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New research adds to increasing evidence that our eyes are good for more than just seeing. Independent research teams have shown that proteins found in the retina help the pupils adjust to light. These proteins may be important for setting the body's internal clock, according to the head of one of the teams, Dr. N. Van Gelder. "Our model of what the eye does is evolving," Van Gelder, who is an ophthalmologist at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, told Reuters Health. It is clear, Van Gelder said, that the notion that the only function of the eye is for vision "needs to be revised." http://www.reutershealth.com/en/index.html Folic acid intake tied to colon cancer risk By Riesenman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A diet containing little alcohol that is rich in folate sources like green leafy vegetables, fruits and whole grains may lower the risk for colorectal cancer, according to researchers in Italy. In a study of 1,953 patients with colorectal cancer and more than 4,000 disease-free patients, researchers found an association between the amount of folate in the diet and the risk of cancer. Dr. Carlo La Vecchia, the study's lead author, said the incidence of the disease was 40% higher for patients who were heavy drinkers and had diets deficient in folate and the essential amino acid methionine. http://www.reutershealth.com/en/index.html