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On the heels of events such as terrorist attacks, say researchers, some people do better to leave things unsaid for a while.
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Terrorist attacks, floods, fires and other disasters aside, sometimes it can be better to just zip your lip when it comes to personal problems too. >>
Knit, shop, go to the mall. But if you need to talk, choose the right form of expression. And eat well and exercise. >>
Recent clinical trials aimed at halting Alzheimer's have faltered and such treatment appears to be far off. Even so, much has been uncovered about the devastating disease. >>
Researchers say they think people would use such a test, if only to prepare for a future with limitations caused by dementia. >>
FOR PEOPLE already diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, waiting for research breakthroughs is disheartening. But life can still be lived with hope, says Wantland J. Smith, 69, a retired architect who was diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's at age 66. >>
HEALTHY SKEPTIC
The alcohol-free mouthwash is said to work after combining two liquid chemicals and rinsing with the mixture. >>
GOOD FORM
With the addition of light resistance, you'll make this classic exercise more intense, allowing you to perform fewer reps. You'll feel the work in your buttocks and hamstrings right away, but remember to fully stretch your leg and pause for a moment at full extension. >>
THE UNREAL WORLD
But some aspects of the A & E pilot episode, such as a neck injection for a heroin overdose, are not considered protocol. >>
A CLOSER LOOK
As a medication, EPO helps raise red blood cell levels in anemic patients but it can be deadly when athletes illegally use the drug to improve performance. >>
A recent study shows that urine tests to find the performance enhancer may not be foolproof. >>
Architects are designing new facilities with stemming the spread of infection in mind. >>
The state hasn't yet adopted the American Institute of Architects' recommendations, but Kaiser Permanente is among those using evidence-based design and ventilation to reduce infection risk. >>
CAPSULE
A study in Philadelphia finds that overweight children have lower scores in certain tests and are less inclined to join sports. >>
MY TURN
On a quest to find out why she has fainting spells, a patient tracks the mixed signals from her doctors. >>
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY
Five years ago, I developed duodenal ulcers after taking Fosamax for six weeks. I was also taking ibuprofen for headaches at the same time. >>
LETTERS
In regard to the July 21 article on hip replacement: Having had one hip resurfaced more than 10 years ago and the other resurfaced more than four years ago, I read the article on hip repair with interest. >>
Most California eateries must stop cooking with all but small amounts of the substances by 2010. A trade group opposed the legislation but voices confidence that members will meet the deadline. >>
Taxpayers pay up to 30% more for prescriptions under the privately administered program than under Medicaid, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform finds. >>
The doctor linked diseases to specific genes, established one of the nation's first departments of medical genetics and was one of the first to propose sequencing the human genome. He was 86. >>
The board instructs auditor-controller's office to identify those responsible for not properly monitoring workers who had county discipline records or criminal histories, and to recommend reform. >>
FOOD SAFETY
Markets act after Salmonella Saintpaul is found in a pepper at a Texas facility. >>
Internet entrepreneurs are teaming with medical professionals to build the comprehensive clearinghouse. >>
Legislation focuses on bonuses for canceling or limiting a patient's coverage. >>
The survival rate more than doubles among most of the men with aggressive cancers. A second, wider test shows similar results. 'Spectacularly effective,' a researcher says. >>
In a small study, 72% of those on SSRIs -- which can have debilitating sexual side effects -- reported improvement when taking the male impotence drug. >>
The strain blamed for an outbreak that has sickened thousands shows up in a Mexican-grown pepper in Texas. Officials warn against eating fresh jalapenos. >>
A study of 203 pregnant women finds a connection, but experts caution that the group is too small to draw definitive results. Still, they say they aren't surprised. >>
A customer believes her boyfriend is having an affair after her account mistakenly shows the purchase of a pack of condoms. >>
HEALTH
As mental health professionals debate the problematic behavior, clinics spring up. >>
THE MATING GAME
Eager to connect with that elusive (some say mythical) 'erotogenic zone'? Years after the hype began, finding it remains easier said than done. But that's not stopping researchers from looking. >>
Adopting compulsive shopping as a diagnosis would require most insurers to cover its treatment, among other implications. >>
The procedure may make subsequent surgeries more feasible than total hip replacement. Some doctors think it's the best option for young, active patients. Others caution against it. >>
More high school athletes are replacing elbow ligaments, raising concerns about overtraining. >>
BODY MATTERS
I have heard that the push-up is the best overall exercise for toning and strengthening the upper body. Is this true? >>
GOOD FORM
It's very easy to cheat when performing some of the more popular stretches. But without proper form, we can end up wasting our time or worse -- creating undue stress on our joints. When done correctly, this is an excellent way to stretch the muscles in the front of the thigh. >>
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY
My husband took Lipitor and had a bad reaction with muscle weakness. Now my doctor is recommending that I take it, but I am reluctant. My total cholesterol is 284, my LDL 156, my HDL 114. >>
CAPSULE
But men can be taught to protect their relationship, a study found. >>
IN PRACTICE
Linda Reid Chassiakos recalls a lesson learned as a medical student. >>
EXPLAIN THIS
Children born to mothers who ate nuts or nut products daily were 50% more likely to have asthma than those whose moms avoided the foods, a Dutch study shows. >>
WHAT WE EAT
A protein in the Florida-grown fruit tricks the tongue's sweet receptors into being stimulated by acids. >>
Understanding why you shop may break the addiction to it and lead to solvency, an expert says. >>
* Debtors Anonymous: With about 400 meetings across the nation, this self-help group is modeled on the 12-step processes of Alcoholics Anonymous and others. www.debtorsanonymous.org. >>
LETTERS
I loved Karen Ravn's piece on obesity [“We’re Fat Because . . . ,” July 14]. There is one additional theory which many non-scientists (and some scientists) believe that would have been worth exploring: Hormones such as growth hormone and other anabolic hormones are given to dairy cows and cattle to improve their meat and milk production. >>
MY TURN
At 80, she was told she no longer needed periodic colonoscopies. Why? >>
A diet supplemented with folic acid, vitamin B-12 and other additives appears to block a gene and prevent successive generations of mice from getting fatter, researchers report. >>
A man and woman are hospitalized with the disease, authorities say. Blood donations reveal two others with infections but no symptoms. >>
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield also agree to restore coverage to patients whose coverage was canceled after they became ill. >>
A congressional committee will investigate health insurers' practice of canceling coverage when policyholders get sick, its chairman said Thursday. >>
A new report contrasts with the agency's recent move not to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. >>
All varieties can be consumed without worry, the FDA says. Warnings against hot peppers are still in effect. >>
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
Irvine police are called to his home after acquaintances say they were concerned for the popular MMA fighter's well-being. >>
INSURANCE
L.A. city attorney's suit contends Blue Shield of California has illegally rescinded the coverage of more than 850 policyholders since 2002. >>
Items reviewed: SRAM Power Link, Park Tool TB-2 Emergency Tire Boot, Topeak Hexus 16, Park Tool spoke wrench. >>
The discovery offers a partial explanation for the disproportionate spread of the virus among Africans and African Americans, researchers say. >>
Subjects on the low-carb Atkins regimen shed the most pounds and saw the greatest cholesterol benefits, with the Mediterranean program a close second, according to an Atkins Foundation-aided study. >>
HEALTHCARE
The measure now goes to Gov. Schwarzenegger, who is under pressure by HMOs to veto it. >>
But according to guidelines recently released by the American Academy of Pediatrics, statins may be needed to prevent harmful plaque buildup. >>
THE HEALTHY SKEPTIC
5-Hour Energy, Red Bull and Cranergy pack in the vitamins, but they don't enhance the power of the already caffeine-laden beverages. >>
A critical look at the virus theory, the corn syrup conjecture and other (wishful?) thinking. >>
CAPSULE
A study reveals emergency room visitors are bombarded with information and terminology. >>
A CLOSER LOOK: GENE TESTS
The state has ordered 13 gene testing companies to 'cease and desist' while leaving other such firms alone. What does this mean to consumers? Read on for answers. >>
THE UNREAL WORLD
But minor aspects of the pilot episode are misleading, including information about pregnancy tests. >>
A CLOSER LOOK: GENE TESTS
Valid or void?Everyone agrees that the science of gene testing is imperfect, but the companies offering tests directly to consumers, along with their supporters, say the information they give is valid and valuable, noting that clients can get updates as more is learned. >>Studies show the specialized equipment can reduce athletes' core temperature, helping to minimize heat-related illnesses. >>
Active patients whose replacement tissue came from a cadaver often required a second reconstruction. >>
GOOD FORM
For most people, lower back pain is a cumulative process, creeping up on us through poor posture and bad habits when lifting and bending. Here is an easy exercise you can do throughout the day to help strengthen your back muscles while sitting for long periods of time. >>
For 20 years, statins have been shown to be largely safe and effective, with no cumulative side effects, for adults. "What we don't know is, over decades, how safe they are for children," says Dr. Alan Lewis of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. "We're all cautious about extrapolating data from adults to children, but that's all we have available." >>
LETTERS
The problem with sick pay is that someone has to pay for it ["Buck Up, Sicko," July 7]. The self-employed are acutely aware that if you miss a day's work, you forfeit a day's income. Those who work for a large organization, where the connection between work and income is obscure, can shift the cost to others. >>
ASK US
I noticed that when I am working out my feet tend to turn outward. Is this due to not wearing the proper fitness shoes, or is it a foot problem that I need to correct, and how can I correct it? >>
Few things annoy a doctor as much as a patient making a decision to stop a medication without consulting the physician. That's just what happened, repeatedly, to Dr. David Becker, cardiologist at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. "I saw dozens of people in my practice. I'd run the cholesterol panels, and I'd say, 'Good job. You're staying on the Lipitor or Zocor,' " he says. But it turns out their good results weren't because of the cholesterol-lowering statins he had prescribed. >>
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