Health Tips ... from UPI

ESTROGEN MAY WORSEN MEMORY LOSS

A study indicates long-term estrogen replacement therapy in postmenopausal women with Alzheimer's disease may worsen memory loss. Researchers at the University of Arizona report the results of their rat studies in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience. The findings apply to humans because the conditions reproduced in the study are analogous to those of postmenopausal women with brain inflammation caused by a neurodegenerative illness like Alzheimer's or by head trauma, said G.L. Wenk of the Arizona Research Laboratories at the University of Arizona. The investigators found sustained estrogen replacement therapy or chronic brain inflammation impaired memory performance in rats whose ovaries had been removed to mimic postmenopause in women. "A therapy designed to mimic the natural cycle of hormone fluctuation may provide a more effective therapy to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease in postmenopausal women," the researchers said. The findings were confirmed by a 2000 study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, that examined the effects of estrogen replacement therapy on cognitive function in a large groups of women with mild to moderate Alzheimer's.

DECORATIVE LENSES MAY POSE RISK

The Food and Drug Administration warns consumers about risks of permanent eye injury, potentially leading to blindness, posed by non-corrective, decorative contact lenses distributed without a prescription and without proper fitting. The FDA has learned these products are being marketed and distributed directly to consumers through flea markets, convenience stores and beach shops. Decorative contact lenses present significant risks of blindness and other eye injury if they are distributed without a prescription or without proper fitting by a qualified eye care professional, researchers said. The government agency has received reports of corneal ulcer associated with wear of decorative contact lenses in excess of the recommended period. Corneal ulcer can progress rapidly, leading to infection if left untreated. Uncontrolled infection can lead to corneal scarring and vision impairment. In extreme cases, this condition can result in blindness and eye loss. "Consumers should understand that decorative contact lenses, like contact lenses intended for correcting vision, present serious risks to eye health if they are distributed without a valid prescription and proper fitting by a qualified eye care professional," said FDA Deputy Commissioner Dr. Lester Crawford.

DIABETES TREATMENT APPROVED

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug for type 2 diabetes, a disease that affects some 15 million Americans. The medication is called Metaglip(TM) HCl Tablets. Metaglip is a combination of metformin and glipizide -- the two most widely prescribed oral antidiabetic drugs. In clinical trials, Metaglip was shown to be more effective in controlling the blood sugar of type 2 diabetics than either metformin or glipizide used alone. Metaglip treats the primary defects underlying type 2 diabetes -- relative insulin deficiency and insulin resistance, researchers said. The drug combines glipizide and metformin HCl -- two widely prescribed oral antidiabetic agents -- in a single pill. The agents work in complementary fashion to improve blood sugar in patients. Peter Dolan, chief executive officer and chairman of Bristol-Myers Squibb said, "Metaglip represents an important new therapeutic choice for the management of type 2 diabetes." In rare cases, Metaglip, Glucovance and Glucophage XR may cause lactic acidosis (buildup of lactic acid in the blood), which is serious and can be fatal in half the cases. This occurs mainly in people whose kidneys are not functioning properly, researchers said.

SKIN AND SUN CAN MIX

Dermatologists long have warned that exposure to too much sun without adequate protection could lead to melanoma, or skin cancer. But one day, "catching some rays" may help treat cancer. Scientists at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, have been experimenting with the concept of turning the sun into a cheap and efficient medical laser that could snuff out malignant tumors. Jeffrey Gordon, a professor of energy and environmental physics, said he got the idea when he noted how "the exorbitant price of surgical lasers" kept them out of reach for many hospitals. The root of the problem, he says, is that most medical lasers require a complex -- and expensive -- means of producing high-intensity light. "We were searching for an alternative to lasers," Gordon said. "Ultra-bright, immense power density, light sources are uniquely suited to photo-thermal surgery and similar medical procedures."

(EDITORS: For more information about ESTROGEN, call 202-336-5700; about LENSES, call 202-336-5707; about DIABETES, call 212- 546-3775; about SKIN, call 212-891-0425.)