Health Tips ... from UPI

METHOD COULD LEAD TO TREAMENT FOR SPINAL CORD INJURIES

Scientists have found how to direct the growth of nerve cells using a laser. The technique could provide a way to treat spinal cord injuries or to connect nerve cells for other purposes, they said. By using low-energy laser light placed at the edge of growing nerve cells, the investigators nudged the cells, called neurons, to extend their appendages in new directions. "Small proteins within the cell that participate in growth would be attracted to this light, and would start drifting in the light's general direction," said Dr. Mark Raizen, physics professor at The University of Texas, Austin. The results appear in the journal The Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences. Using the kind of lasers that dermatologists work with to remove tattoos and blemishes, the investigators changed the general direction of growth for most neurons tested and increased their speed of growth up to six-fold. They found they could even change the direction of growth by more than 90 degrees. In the future, the laser guidance technique may lead to semiconductors that include nerve cell components, or neural networks, that resemble structures in the brain, among other possibilities, Raizen said.

HIGH BLOOD PRESURE READINGS MAY NEED DOUBLE-CHECKING

Researchers advise patients with high blood pressure to have their readings double-checked. There is growing concern new devices that measure blood pressure are poor replacements for the old-fashioned, mercury-gauged cuffs. "Sometimes these new devices give readings that are very wrong. If we don't know whether we as physicians have an accurate reading, we can't be sure patients are receiving proper -- even safe -- treatments," said Dr. Daniel Jones, high blood pressure spokesman for the American Heart Association and associate vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. A public health alert about the devices was issued by AHA and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Since mercury is a toxic pollutant that needs proper disposal, hospitals and physicians nationwide have been returning mercury-gauged sphygmomanometers to the manufacturers to comply with a 1998 federal waste reduction standard. Mercury-gauged arm cuff units -- known for trouble-free readings -- gradually are being replaced with less-reliable aneroid (with a dial reading) or least-reliable electronic (with a digital reading) arm cuff units. The new models are more apt to become inaccurate with prolonged use, or if dropped or bumped, Jones said. Even brand new models have been found to be inaccurate -- by as much as 50 points. To ensure the accuracy of newer devices, UMC keeps a mercury-gauged unit in every clinical site and has newer devices verified at least annually and, if needed, recalibrated, said Chief Nursing Officer Lyn Sanderford.

STUDY BEGINS OF OVARY DISORDER

Virginia Commonwealth University and Pennsylvania State Univeristy's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center have launched a study for women with polycystic ovary syndrome who want to become pregnant. Recruitment is under way at 13 medical centers across the country, said study leader Dr. Richard Legro, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Penn State. The study could enroll as many as 678 women, ages 18 to 39, who suffer from the disorder of the endocrine system. The condition causes hormone imbalances, leading to irregular menstrual cycles, excess facial and body hair, weight gain and adult acne. PCOS is a leading cause of female infertility, affecting up to 10 percent, or 5 million, women. "The goal is to test a combination of medications to bring about ovulation in women with infertility due to polycystic ovary syndrome," Legro said. "This investigation is important because few studies ever focus on pregnancy as an outcome due to the liability and ethical issues." Women with PCOS who meet the study criteria will be assigned at random to one of three medication groups: comparing metformin XR (a sustained-release version of metformin) and placebo, an inactive pill; clomiphene citrate (the standard treatment for infertility in women with PCOS) and placebo, and metformin XR and clomiphene citrate. Each arm of the study will contain at least one active medication that improves the chance for ovulation and, ultimately, pregnancy, Legro said.

DRUG MAY MAKE COLDS THING OF THE PAST

A study published in the American Journal of Therapeutics suggests a daily dose of COLD-EEZE, an over-the-counter cold remedy, can lower the incidence of colds by more than 50 percent. The study also found using COLD-EEZE against the common cold reduces antibiotic use by 92 percent. The researchers found when taken daily, COLD-EEZE's Zinc Gluconate Glycine formula can lessen the number of colds suffered each year from 62 percent to 28 percent. "Up until now, prevention of the common cold has never been established," said Dr. Betty McElroy, medical director at the Heritage School in Provo, Utah. "We didn't didn't set out to complete a clinical study, but after witnessing firsthand the efficacy of COLD-EEZE to treat symptoms, we decided to report our findings. We were later pleased to discover that COLD-EEZE was also an effective means of cold prevention when taken once daily." The study also found when the medicine is taken as treatment for the common cold, it reduces the use of antibiotics for respiratory illnesses by 92 percent. Additionally, the findings reinforce the original clinical trials, concluding that COLD-EEZE reduces the median duration of a cold by some 4 days. "While antibiotics should be used to treat bacterial infections, they are not effective against viral infections like the common cold, most sore throats, and the flu," McElroy said. "The results of this study show that the public has an effective, over-the-counter, cost effective alternative for the common cold."

(EDITORS: For more information about SPINAL, call 512-471-4753; about HIGH, call 601-984-2150; about OVARY, call 717-531-6272; about COLD, call 212-725-4500, ext. 323.)