STB's News You Can Use -- 28 May 1997

* News You Can Use! -- 28 May 1997 *

Survival tips for the summer
Managed care, under scrutiny
Legalize cocaine and heroin?
When the Army experiments on you
Depression not linked to aging
The art of napping, the danger of apnea
Dangerous cloth-towel dispensers
Health News & Notes
Buffalo News_ article on STB
Index of past newsletters

How to survive the summer sun, water, and air

*** Guard against sun damage: Surveys conducted by the Canadian Dermatology Association, Environment Canada, and the Canadian Cancer Society found that protection against the sun's rays is a low priority in Canada. Based on the findings, they estimate that one million Canadians suffered a blistering sunburn in 1996, but less than half of those surveyed do nothing to protect themselves. One-third of those working outdoors don't wear hats, two-thirds don't use sunscreen, and half don't wear sunglasses or seek shade. And one-third of those outdoor workers say they're not worried about getting too much sun. Researcher Dr. Jason Rivers of the University of British Columbia says Canadians have an alarming disregard for sun damage, and they should adopt the attitudes of people in Mexico and Australia, where sunscreen is always worn, and people stay inside during peak sun times.
*** Moles predict skin cancer: And although sun exposure can lead to skin cancer, your lifetime dose of sun is not the best forecaster of malignant melanoma. Certain kinds of moles are. The problem moles are large and flat, with varying colors and indistinct borders. The more you have, the higher your risk. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, finds that people with one abnormal mole are about twice as likely to develop melanoma as people with none. An estimated 7300 people will die of malignant melanoma this year.
*** Who's at risk for drowning?: Young men engage in the risky behavior that puts them on the top of the drowning risk chart. The Lifesaving Society of Ontario released their annual report May 16, looking at the 188 water-related deaths from 1996. Eight in ten are male, and males 18-24 years old are prime candidates for death by drowning. Contributing factors are alcohol and not wearing a life-jacket, both typical young male behaviors.
*** 1997: Year of the Mosquito: Mosquito Control is warning that the wet spring along America's East Coast means a buggy summer. The wet conditions allow mosquitos to get a jump on the season, due to ideal breeding conditions. But Cornell University entomologist Lisa Patrican says a dry spell could reduce the population, and lessen the impact. (Associated Press, 20 May 1997, 13 May; Broadcast News, 26 May, 16 May, 7 May)

Putting managed care HMO's under the microscope

The trend toward health maintenance organizations, or HMO's, is coming under increasing scrutiny in some states. Connecticut has become the fifth state to pass legislation giving consumers the right to appeal if they are denied coverage by their HMO. It's more significant, because of Connecticut's reputation as a leader in the insurance industry, the HMO's natural ally.
And now Texas has become the first state to allow people to sue their HMO for medical malpractice. The suits are allowed if decisions to delay or deny treatment result in injury. The health care industry opposed the bill, saying the added liability will drive up health care costs, plus they can already be sued under breach of contract statutes.
And New York State has launched a review of the reimbursement practices of HMO's there, after receiving complaints from both doctors and patients. (Associated Press, 23 May 1997, 22 May, 9 May)

Health Canada study calls for legalization of cocaine, heroin

Under the auspices of Health Canada, The National Task Force on HIV, AIDS and Injection Drug Use issued a report with 90 recommendations, but there was one that caused more controversy than the other 89 combined. Saying that Canada is in the midst of a public health crisis, they issued a call to make it legal to possess drugs like cocaine and heroin for personal use.
Their aim: reduce the transmission of the AIDS virus. Vancouver has the highest reported rate in North America of HIV infection among injection drug users, about one in four. In Montreal, it's one in five.
The study authors say they don't condone drug use. But people who use drug would take better care if they weren't worried about being arrested, and they wouldn't have to carry dirty, used syringes around, a major source of transmission. (Broadcast News, 22 May 1997)

What happens when the Army experiments on you

Two disturbing revelations about how the Pentagon exposed people to substances without their knowledge...
Concerned that Iraq was prepared to launch chemical warfare against U.S. troops in Persian Gulf War, some 600,000 troops heading into the area were given an anti-nerve gas drug. Even though the drug presented certain potential dangers, the Pentagon insisted that the troops *not* be informed of them. At least, that's the testimony of FDA Deputy Commissioner Mary Pendergast before a House panel. She said that the Food and Drug Administration normally seeks "informed consent" before using such drugs on humans. But she also said the agency agreed with the Pentagon that it wasn't feasible in this case. And with Americans going into a wartime situation with the choice between an unproven protection or none at all, they felt the drug was "better than nothing."
Meanwhile, Britain's incoming Armed Forces Minister from the Labour Party says they will begina new investigation into the drug cocktails the troops were given, and any link they might have with the variety of ailments lumped together as Gulf War Syndrome.
And a new study has cleared the United States Army and Congress, for conducting secret biological warfare tests on an unsuspecting public. In the 1950's and 1960's, at the request of Congress, researchers sprayed 33 urban and rural areas in the United States and Canada with the flourescent chemical compound zinc cadmium sulfide. The test cities included Corpus Christi, Texas ... Fort Wayne, Indiana ... Minneapolis and St. Louis. Now a National Research Council committee says that while the compound simulated biological agents, there's "no evidence" that American and Canadian residents were exposed to harmful levels. (Associated Press, 14 May 1997, 11 May, 8 May)

Study suggests that getting older doesn't raise risk of depression

Previous studies had found higher rates of depression among the elderly, which sparked a debate as to whether old age itself led to depression. Now a new study by researchers at the University of Texas downplayed that association. After looking at about 2000 California residents, 50 or older, they found that disease and disability are better predictors of depression. In presenting the findings to the American Psychiatric Association May 21, Robert Roberts said the bottom line is that staying healthy pays off as you get older. (Associated Press, 22 May 1997)

Sleep-deprived Americans turning to old standby: naps

Cornell University professor James Maas noted that, before the advent of the electric light bulb, Americans averaged ten hours of sleep per night. Today, Americans sleep an average of 7.1 hours, and a third of Americans only get six hours of shut-eye.
William Anthony, a professor of psychology at Boston University, says that the American drive to be productive is creating a nation of secret nappers. He's written "The Art of Napping," in which he says the United States is filled with people who hide their napping from others. Anthony says President Bill Clinton and Winston Churchill admit to taking naps. Even the man who invented the light bulb, Thomas Edison, would sneak naps and deny it.
Now scientists hope to improve sleeping pills by studying one of nature's best cat-nappers -- the cat. You've seen how they take short catnaps and then spring instantly awake and alert. Harvard researchers reporting in the journal Science have found a chemical (adenosine) that signals cats when to be alert, and when to shut down for a restful sleep. The researchers hope to create a natural sleep medication based on the chemical.
See the CNN / Reuters story.
And there may be a connection between a sleep disorder called apnea and car accidents. People with sleep apnea repeatedly wake up because their breathing cuts off momentarily. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin say men who habitually snore or have a sleep disorder called apnea get into three times as many auto accidents as the rest of us. What's worse, both men and women with undiagnosed sleep apnea are *seven times* more likely to have multiple accidents. Snoring can be a symptom of apnea, which affects an estimated 17 million Americans. (Associated Press, 22 May 1997, 21 May, 13 May)

A call to remove cloth-towel dispensers

You probably remember the kind of towel dispensers they had in public and school restrooms -- the ones with a seemingly endless loop of towel. They're not as widespread as they once were, and now the Education Ministry of British Columbia is asking schools to get rid of the last of them. Two days before, a nine-year old boy in Surrey, B.C. was rushed to the hospital after being found unconscious, hanging from a dispenser. He was in good condition after a couple of days. He was playing a game in which the kids were wrapping the towel around their necks, to see who could hang there the longest. Accidents with the machines have killed three Canadian boys: a Manitoba boy in 1996, and Edmonton boys in 1990 and 1973. (Broadcast News, 22 May 1997, 20 May)

News You Can Use! (but I couldn't squeeze in)

Anti-obesity drug supported: An advisory panel of the Food and Drug Administration recommends the approval of Xenical, an anti-obesity drug. It makes you feel full, and blocks absorption of almost a third of the fat people eat. But there are embarrassing side effects, including soft stools and oily leakages of undigested fat. (Associated Press, 14 May 1997)
Warning about Chomper laxative: Health officials in the U.S. and Canada are warning consumers not to use Chomper dietary supplement products. The Food and Drug Administration says the herbal products, distributed by Arise and Shine of Mount Shasta, California, contained powerful substances found in a number of poisonous plants. In the case of one Massachusetts woman, the laxative is believed to have caused an abnormal heart rate and rhythm, and that could lead to cardiac arrest. (Associated Press, 23 May 1997, 16 May)
What's better than stitches? Glue!: A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that a new medical version of "super glue" is superior to stitches in closing many types of wounds. In a study of 130 emergency patients, the glue proved to be faster, less painful, and prevented some of the infections that typically occur in stitched wounds. However, the glue is weaker than stitches. The study received financial support from the glue's maker. (Associated Press, 20 May 1997) See the CNN story.
Mountain climbing causes brain damage?: Or do you have to be brain damaged to try it? Sorry. Just not my cup of tea. In a project sponsored by the PBS science prgram "Nova," researchers are testing how climbers adapt to the low oxygen of high peaks like Mount Everest. For years, climbers have reported symptoms such as short-term memory loss and motor coordination problems, sometimes lingering long after the climb. Researchers will compare brain scan results taken at the University of Washington to those taken on the mountain. (Associated Press, 16 May 1997)
Watch for Legionnaire's disease: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn hospitals to be vigilant against the bacteria that causes Legionnaire's disease. Dr. Anthony Fiore says that the bacteria thrives in hot water and air conditioning pipes, and he believes many hospital water systems are contaminated. Generally, it's not a problem, but it can be. The CDC bases its recommendations on reports on disease outbreaks at unidentified hospitals in Arizona and Ohio. (Associated Press, 15 May 1997)

*** News You Can Use! -- 28 May 1997 ***

* News You Can Use! -- 28 May 1997 *