Health Tips ... from UPI

TEENS NEED HELP NAVIGATING HEALTH NEWS

A study shows teens need help in navigating the Internet to get answers to health issues. The University of Michigan survey showed misspelled words, ambiguous search terms and an imprecise approach to scanning a Web site often prevented students from finding the information they sought. The study, published in the online Journal of Medical Internet Research, points to the importance of teaching teens better search strategies and encouraging Web site designers to target younger users, the authors said. "It is critically important that we learn more about the barriers patients of all ages are facing in accessing relevant health information so that we can continue to improve access to health content on the Internet," said study author Dr. Caroline Richardson, a physician in the Family Medicine Department.

ESTROGEN LEVELS IN OLDER WOMEN MAY OFFER HEALTH CLUES

A study shows the importance of measuring levels of the hormone estrogen in women treated with hormone replacement therapy. The study, by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, shows levels of the most potent estrogen, estradiol, can vary substantially in this group. The scientists said they also have identified the factors that influence the estrogen level in HRT-treated women. The findings, reported in the Journal of Women's Health, may help doctors and other researchers resolve the controversy about the benefits and risks of HRT, they said. Recent studies have raised questions about the safety and effectiveness of using HRT to treat postmenopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, fatigue and mood swings, or to decrease the risk of coronary heart disease and osteoporosis.

MONITORING LOWERS DEATH RATES IN HEART PATIENTS

Researchers have found daily monitoring of weight or symptoms of patients with advanced heart failure can lower their death rates. The national study, led by investigators in the Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant Program at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, found the group monitored by nurses suffered 11 deaths during the six-month study period, compared to 26 deaths among patients who were not monitored, the researchers reported in the American Heart Journal. "The findings were a surprise," said lead investigator Dr. Lee Goldberg, assistant professor of medicine. "We set out to determine whether the rate of hospitalization for patients who reported their weight and symptoms to healthcare personnel on a daily basis might be lower than the rate for unmonitored patients. Instead, we found the hospitalization rates were essentially the same for both groups -- but there was a striking disparity in their mortality rates over the period of the study."

MICROWAVING CAN ZAP NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS

Researchers have found certain methods of preparation and cooking, such as microwaving, can cause vegetables to lose some key nutritional benefits. The study, published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, analyzed various cooking methods of broccoli. The researchers found microwaved broccoli had lost 97 percent, 74 percent and 87 percent of three major antioxidant compounds -- flavonoids, sinapics and caffeoyl-quinic derivatives, respectively -- which are thought to have cancer-fighting properties. On the other hand, steamed broccoli had lost only 11 percent, none and 8 percent of the same health-promoting compounds. Co-author Dr. Cristina Garcia-Viguera says most of these compounds are water soluble so that during heating they leach in a high percentage to the cooking water, reducing the food's nutritional benefits. She said to cook veggies in a minimal amount of water to retain their nutritional benefits.

(Editors: For more information about TEENS, contact Nicole Fawcett at (734) 764-2220 or nfawcett@umich.edu. For ESTROGEN, Maureen McGaffin at (412) 647-3555 or McGaffinME@upmc.edu. For HEART, Ellen O'Brien at (215) 349-5659 or ellen.obrien@uphs.upenn.edu. For MICROWAVE, David Greenberg at (201) 748-6484 or dgreenbe@wiley.com)