USA TODAY articles from February 2003

USA TODAY archives from February 2003

Heavy price paid for lack of coverage. (Health Insurance).(United States)
February 1, 2003... When 41,000,000 people lack health insurance, it is not just the uninsured and their families who suffer, cautions a group of organizations sponsoring Cover the Uninsured Week (March 10-16). The impact is felt on the nation's economy and health...

Women should establish a lifetime game plan. (Health Care).(guidelines)
February 1, 2003... According to the Vagisil Women's Health Center, females of all ages need to be proactive about their health care, following game plans during various phases of life. During the teen years * Know your body so that you can recognize when...

Health beat.(new research United States)
February 1, 2003... Hospital emergency rooms treated more than 67,000 injuries related to sledding and snow tubing in 2001, the majority occurring among youths under age 15. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, most could have been prevented...

Surgical alternatives for uterine bleeding. (Gynecology).(medical research)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Excessive uterine bleeding (menorrhagia) is the cause of more than 20% of the 600,000 hysterectomies performed in the U.S. each year. The Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource reports that new surgical procedures are making hysterectomy unnecessary...

A better night's sleep for expectant mothers. (Pregnancy).(medical guidelines)
February 1, 2003... Pregnant women frequently suffer months of discomfort as they shift about in an attempt to find a comfortable sleeping position. Add in other disturbances such as nausea, heartburn, leg cramps, frequent visits to the bathroom, or even snoring,...

Women must read labels carefully. (Medication).(Council on Family Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on pregnancy)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Pregnant? Planning to become pregnant? Breastfeeding? There's a lot to know during this exciting time. That's why the Council on Family Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have launched a campaign to educate women about the safe...

Estrogen tied to drug vulnerability. (Hormones).(medical research)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Estrogen may make the brain more vulnerable to addiction, with the effects of heightened susceptibility persisting even in the hormone's absence, according to a University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, study for the National Institute on Drug Abuse....

Minorities less likely to survive cancer. (Mortality).(United States)
February 1, 2003... Cancer is a leading cause of death among older people on Medicare, particularly within racial and ethnic minority communities. In addition, racial and ethnic disparities still exist in cancer prevention and treatment, according to a report...

Female patients endure lower quality of life. (Heart Disease).(medical research)
February 1, 2003... Heart disease takes a greater toll on quality of life in women than it does in men, suggests research from Ohio State University, Columbus. A study of 536 patients with a variety of heart problems showed that women reported poorer physical and...

Drug may stop runaway cell growth. (Cancer).(medical research)
February 1, 2003... A study from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy may lead to the development of a drug to stop the growth of cancer cells. Lucio Miele, associate professor of biopharmaceutical sciences, and his team have developed a gene...

Tricking cancer cells to destroy themselves. (Malignancy).(Purdue University research)
February 1, 2003... News that a malignant tumor has spread to other parts of the body seems like a death knell to the ears of many cancer patients. However, researchers at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., are developing treatment methods that ultimately...

Dairy foods may help reduce cancer risk. (Colon).(medical research)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Research shows people at risk for colon cancer may have another reason to consume at least three servings of dairy products per day. It indicates that lowfat dairy foods--such as milk, cheese, and yogurt--may be powerful tools in reducing the...

Does chronic heartburn mean cancer is looming? (Esophagus).(medical research)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... If you have heartburn, it's unlikely that you are on a path to esophageal cancer, as some advertisements for heartburn medications imply. Nevertheless, chronic heart-burn can cause medical complications, and you should talk with your doctor...

Onset can be delayed or avoided. (Alzheimer's Disease).(medical research)
February 1, 2003... The race to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease has intensified in recent years. With the aging of the populations in most of the industrialized world, it threatens to overwhelm health care systems over the next few decades and exact a human...

Can cancer run within families? (Heredity).(medical research)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... If cancer seems rampant in your family, you could be at higher risk for an inherited cancer. However, it's important to put that risk in perspective, according to the Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource. An estimated 1,000,000 new cases of cancer...

Treatment may inhibit cells' "power centers". (AIDS).(HIV-AIDS drug therapy side effects and mitochondria disease research)
February 1, 2003... Companies that create HIV-AIDS drugs now have key information that could assist in making new medications with fewer side effects. Researchers Henry Weiner, a professor of biochemistry at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., Steven Zollo of...

Brain signals could hold the key. (Parkinson's Disease).(medical research)
February 1, 2003... David Terman, professor of mathematics, Ohio State University, Columbus, and his colleagues may have found the origin of tremors suffered by people with Parkinson's disease. This could potentially aid the development of new treatments for...

Solving the structure of deadly viruses. (Immunology).(flaviviruses research)
February 1, 2003... Opening doors to the possibility of developing new vaccines and antiviral agents to fight a host of insect-borne diseases, scientists have, for the first time, determined the structure of a family of viruses known as flaviviruses. Researchers...

Dairy curbs heart disease and diabetes. (Prevention).(medical research)
February 1, 2003... A new study suggests that young adults who consume more dairy products may be less likely to become obese and develop insulin resistance syndrome (IRS), a key risk factor for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. According to the National Dairy...

Diabetes drugs reduce symptoms. (Multiple Sclerosis).(medical research)
February 1, 2003... Drugs currently used to treat Type 2 diabetes also may prove useful for treatment of multiple sclerosis, according to studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the West Side Veterans Administration Hospital, Chicago. Douglas...

Body contouring after massive weight loss. (Plastic Surgery).(medical research)
February 1, 2003... With the growing popularity of gastric bypass surgery to treat morbid obesity, body contouring after massive weight loss has become a focus of the plastic surgery community. An updated and innovative method that adjusts treatment according to...

Second-time facelifts as safe as first ones. (Cosmetic Surgery).(reasons to smile)
February 1, 2003... Facelift recipients have yet another reason to smile while looking younger, thanks to a study finding that a person's second facelift is as safe as the original procedure. The 101 study participants, ranging from 40 to 81 years old, with an...

Arthroscopic surgery may not be best option. (Orthopedics).(to relieve osteoarthritis)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... One of the most-frequent procedures performed by orthopedic surgeons--arthroscopic surgery, used to repair and flush out damaged cartilage in the knee---is not effective for relieving pain associated with osteoarthritis, argues Frank...

Growing new cartilage outside the body. (Arthritis).(medical research)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass., are excited about a new technique for repairing cartilage that could have significant advantages over the procedure now commonly used. It involves growing cartilage...

Underage drinkers' risk of brain damage. (Alcoholism).(American Medical Association)
February 1, 2003... An American Medical Association (AMA) report on the effects of alcohol on the brain dispels the myth that youth are more resilient than adults to adverse effects of drinking. Harmful Consequences of Alcohol Use on the Brains of Children,...

How cocaine elevates blood pressure. (Cardiovascular System).(medical research)
February 1, 2003... Researchers at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have identified the underlying mechanism by which cocaine triggers hypertensive crisis, the most-severe form of high blood pressure and one of the most-common...

Is extra-strength acetaminophen better? (Analgesics).(medical research)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... True or false, extra-strength acetaminophen gives greater relief from pain and headache than regular-strength? According to a report in The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics, there are no published data showing that 1,000 mg (two...

Are generics equivalent to brand-name drugs? (Pharmacology).(United States Food and Drug Administration ratings)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... As the clamor from consumers, legislators, and managed care organizations for lower drug prices escalates, consumers increasingly are turning to lower-cost generic versions of brand-name drugs whose patents have expired. To manage this demand,...

Blocking chronic pain and inflammation. (Research).(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... New information on a cellular messenger may lead to powerful painkilling drugs, researchers report. Blocking a common signaling messenger between cells might shut down the chronic pain and inflammation that plagues millions, says Lisa Teather,...

Children consuming too many calories from fat. (Diet).(nutritional research)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Current dietary recommendations suggest that children and adults should consume no more than 30% of calories from fat. However, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Waco, Tex., found that kids are surpassing that number. In fact, they...

Early sexual maturity and obesity. (Fitness).(medical research)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Early-sexually-maturing girls are more likely than other girls to be obese, while in boys, early developers are less likely to be obese than other males, according to University of Illinois at Chicago nutritional epidemiologist Youfa Wang....

Female figure skaters are eating wrong. (Nutrition).(Gerber Products Co. and Iowa State University research)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... With double axels, triple salchows, and triple twists, figure skating is a sport in which body form and physical endurance play a large part in the athletes' performance. Many female athletes have diets low in energy and nutrients. According to...

Organ donation system needs better evaluation. (Transplants).(health care United States)
February 1, 2003... More than 80,000 people are anxiously waiting for a life-saving organ transplant in the U.S., but many of their needs will never be met. Seventeen individuals die every day waiting for a transplant, according to the United Network for Organ...

Scarred for life not necessarily. (Wounds).(Cured Scar Therapy Cosmetic Pad)
February 1, 2003... Unless you are a war hero who wears scars with pride and patriotism, most people with those indelible marks would rather they just fade away. However, nearly half of those who have scars think there is no option but to live with them, according...

How safe are soft contact lenses? (Eyes).(corneal abrasions)
February 1, 2003... Almost one in 13 soft contact lens wearers in a recent study had abrasions on the cornea severe enough to lead to infections or other problems. Mild abrasions--called corneal staining--happen to nearly everyone from time to time, whether or not...

Revolutionizing the contact lens industry. (Vision).(hyper-oxygen transmissible development by University of Texas)
February 1, 2003... Researchers at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas report that contact lenses, both rigid and soft, made from new hyper-oxygen transmissible materials are expected to reduce the possibility of bacterial infection...

Aerospace technology creates "virtual mouth". (Dentistry).(DentAART Inc.)
February 1, 2003... The marriage of dentistry and aerospace engineering may soon yield new "virtual mouth" technology to help orthodontists and dentists accurately calibrate movement of teeth and precisely design and speed manufacturing of restorations and...

Confronting skin hypersensitivity. (Dermatology).(atopic dermatitis treatment)
February 1, 2003... Do you find yourself itching and sneezing excessively during allergy season? Does your family have a history of hay fever and asthma? Does your skin seem to get red and irritated even if someone just touches your arm for a minute? Does the...

Combating ultraviolet exposure damage. (Skin).(medical research)
February 1, 2003... According to the Centre de Recherches et d'Investigations Epidermiques et Sensorielles (ERIES), Paris, a protein called hepatocyte growth factor helps maintain cell life and skin barrier function without increasing the risk of cancer following...

Warts are reaching epidemic proportions. (Viruses).(human papilloma virus)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... An estimated 3,900,000 warts are experienced by children every year, spreading from person to person on swimming pool decks, damp towels, showers, and locker rooms--places where one typically walks barefoot. These warm, moist environments are...

Depressed people don't cry more. (Mental Health).(medical research)
February 1, 2003... Depression evokes powerful images of sadness and despair that are often expressed by tears. However, common lore that depressed people cry more than those who are not depressed may be wrong, a Stanford (Calif.) University study indicates. The...

Worms' bacteria main cause of river blindness. (Parasites).(medical research)
February 1, 2003... River blindness, a devastating tropical disease that affects 18,000,000 people in Africa, the Arabian peninsula, and Latin America, is caused by parasitic worms that burrow into the skin and release millions of tiny offspring that spread...

Diagnosis key to treating von Willebrand disease. (Bleeding).(medical research )
February 1, 2003... Although yon Willebrand disease (VWD) is the most-commonly inherited bleeding disorder, affecting approximately 3,000,000 Americans, few people--including physicians--are familiar with the condition. This lack of awareness may contribute to the...