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Health Tips ... from UPI

By LIDIA WASOWICZ, UPI Senior Science Writer

STRESS CAN WEAKEN HEART MUSCLE

Learning of an unexpected death or other shocking news can weaken the heart muscle, mimicking a heart attack, researchers say. The scientists at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore have found sudden emotional stress can result in severe but reversible heart muscle weakness, a condition formally known as stress cardiomyopathy and informally called "broken heart syndrome." These patients often are misdiagnosed with a massive heart attack when they in fact are suffering from a prolonged surge in adrenalin (epinephrine) and other stress hormones that temporarily "stun" the heart, says lead study author Dr. Ilan Wittstein. His study should help doctors tell stress cardiomyopathy from heart attacks and reassure patients they have not had permanent heart damage, Wittstein says. The study was published in the online issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

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PARENTS ADVISED TO REVIEW CHILD'S FRIENDSHIPS

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Parents should consider the quality of their child's friendships, even when the best friend is well behaved, says a specialist in childhood friendships. "Parents should ask themselves, 'How do my child's closest friends influence him or her?'" says Thomas Berndt, professor of psychological sciences at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. "And I don't mean peer influence, such as getting the child into trouble. I mean are the friends rivals? What about the quality of the relationship? Do those friends seem to be exploiting or manipulating the other child?" Berndt, who studies friendships in children ages 6-18, says parents should consider any negative effects from a friendship that can lead to development of attitude or behavior problems.


THINK TWICE BEFORE GIVING ADVICE

When people give advice, they may not realize they are doing more harm than good, says a specialist in interpersonal relationships. "People mean well, but when they try to help a friend, significant other or colleague manage their emotions, they can cause distress," says Brant Burleson of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. Advice-givers can learn to improve their comforting skills, he says. For example, if a friend is sad or distressed, don't encourage him or her to focus on something else or to think of positive things, he advises. "You can't change someone's feelings," Burleson says. "Instead, encourage the person to talk about his or her feelings or the upsetting situation."

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HERB THAT WORKS LIKE A DRUG

An herb used in traditional Indian medicine to treat diabetes may work like a prescription drug in lowering blood sugar and insulin levels, a study suggests. Ohio State University researchers say they got positive results from a study testing the herb Salacia oblonga in 39 adults. The largest dose of the herb extract -- 1,000 milligrams -- decreased insulin levels by 29 percent and blood glucose levels by 23 percent, says study co-author Steve Hertzler, assistant professor of nutrition. "These kinds of reductions are similar to what we might see with prescription oral medications for people with diabetes," he says. Salacia oblonga, native to India and Sri Lanka, binds to intestinal enzymes that break down carbohydrates in the body, Hertzler explains. If the enzyme binds to the herbal extract rather than to a carbohydrate, less glucose gets into the bloodstream, resulting in lowered blood glucose and insulin levels, he says. The study was published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.


(Editors: For more information about HEART, contact David March at (410) 955-1534 or [email protected]. For FRIEND, Thomas Berndt at (765) 494-7692 or [email protected]. For THINK, Brant Burleson at (765) 494-3321 or [email protected]. For DRUG, Holly Wagner at (614) 292-8310 or [email protected].)

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