Chiropractic OnLine Today's
In The News feature: Part Sixteen.

May 12, 1997 - June 30, 1997

EMPLOYERS FACE HIGHER COSTS UNDER MEDICARE PROPOSALS WASHINGTON-Legislation passed last week by a Senate panel to shore up the financially tottering Medicare program would mean higher health care costs for employers, especially those with retiree health care plans. [Crain Communications, 1037 words]

Back to States / Supreme Court sees no right to MD-aided suicide In a decision affecting the most emotionally-charged medical issue of the 1990s, the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday ruled unanimously that dying patients do not have a constitutional right to doctor-assisted suicide and affirmed that New York and other states may continue to ban the [New York Newsday, 1983 words]

Significant increase in HIV counseling and testing reported at state-funded test sites; California AIDS Prevention Campaign contributes to increase In conjunction with National HIV Testing Day, State Health Director S. Kimberly Belshe announced that HIV counseling and testing at state-funded test sites increased by 29 percent among Californians who are most at risk for contracting the virus ... [Business Wire, 819 words]

The Senate has approved legislation that would take politically tough steps to ensure the long-term solvency of the government's health care program for the elderly. The Senate Tuesday approved plans that would make affluent seniors pay more for Medicare and gradually raise the eligibility age. Senators supported a plan making single seniors with annual incomes of more than $50,000 and couples making more than $75,000 pay higher premiums for Medicare doctors' coverage. The Senate also voted to hike the Medicare eligibility age to 67 from the current 65 by 2027.

Weight Change Affects Risk Of Heart Disease

(Reuters) - Heavy people who gain weight and thin people who lose weight actually may have something in common. A new study shows that when people's weight changes from middle age to old age, they may be more at risk for coronary heart disease.

http://www.intelihealth.com/ih/ihtNewsDetail?c=36679

Hopkins Q&A: Predicting Heart Disease

Scientists, in their quest to prevent heart disease, have begun seeking ways to detect this number one killer even before it develops, enabling physicians to intercede before arteries suffer damage. A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reports that researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston have found that individuals with high blood levels of C-reactive protein are twice as likely to suffer a stroke and three times as likely to have a heart attack as individuals with lower levels. Combining this test with current knowledge of risk factors may accurately pinpoint people at high risk years before their attacks actually happen. In this InteliHealth interview, Roger S. Blumenthal, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and cardiology at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, says this new finding, if corroborated by additional studies, may provide a valuable tool to prevent the suffering and death of heart disease.

http://www.intelihealth.com/ih/ihtNewsDetail?c=36667

high-fat diet tied to risk of alzheimer's Americans know low-fat diets help prevent heart disease. A new report suggests that a healthier diet could help prevent Alzheimer's disease. [The Record (New Jersey), 208 words]

As always, COT recommends seeking the advice of a qualified health professional prior to initiating any dietary changes.

Researchers Link Gene to Migraines A genetic discovery that helps doctors unravel the difficult riddle of migraine headaches was announced yesterday by a research team from The Netherlands. [New York Newsday, 495 words]

Intellihealth 6/23/97 - New Treatments for Headache

(Reuters) - The treatment of migraine and other debilitating chronic headaches appears to be entering a new era, according to a panel of experts attending the 39th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Headache (AASH) meeting in New York. "Some of the new drugs will offer different routes of administration than are now available, some will be more rapid in onset, some will address the problem of headache recurrence, and some will have fewer side effects," Dr. J. Keith Campbell, AASH president and symposium chair told the gathering.

http://www.intelihealth.com/ih/ihtNewsDetail?c=36671

Make tobacco settlement global, activists urge@ (Updates with fresh quotes)
Anti-smoking activists from around the world signed a joint letter on Tuesday urging that any settlement in U.S. talks on lawsuits against tobacco companies take other countries into consideration. [Reuters [WS], 454 words]

Papers Win Right To Medical Data
A state judge in Albany, saying physicians have no privacy right when it comes to the work they do, has ordered the State Department of Health to turn over to two newspapers some raw information about doctors' treatment of patients admitted to hospitals. [New York Newsday, 440 words]

ADDICTIVE POTENTIAL OF MIGRAINE NASAL SPRAY SPURS NEW CONTROLS
After hundreds of reports of patients becoming addicted, the Food and Drug Administration has recommended that the popular migraine drug Stadol be classified as a controlled substance, to curb how doctors prescribe it. [Memphis Commercial Appeal, 353 words]

Survey shows women needlessly suffer from the pain of urinary tract infections
Despite the extreme pain that frequently accompanies urinary tract infections, most women who contract a UTI wait 24 to 48 hours to receive relief, according to a national survey released today at the annual meeting of the Association of Women's Health, Obstetrics and Neo-natology. [Business Wire, 550 words]

Hypertension linked to loss of brain tissue in men
Ignoring high systolic blood pressure in middle age paves the way for brain damage and loss of cognitive ability by the early 70s, suggests a pioneering 25-year federal study obtained by USA TODAY. [USA Today, 278 words]

Washington Department of Health says avoid bats
According to the state Department of Health, despite publicity about two rabies deaths and warnings to avoid bats, people continue to handle them. In two counties, children brought bats to school for show and tell. [Business Wire, 762 words]

Health insurance bill enacted into law TOKYO, June 16 _ The House of Representatives passed into law Monday a bill that will more than double the amount patients pay for medical care under Japan's corporate health insurance system starting in September. [Kyodo, PREMIUM, 338 words]

Hold the hummus, FDA warns consumers
The Food and Drug Administration warned on Thursday that samples of a New Hampshire food company's hummus dips and lentil and tabbouleh salads have turned up with a bacteria that can cause fatal infections or lead to miscarriages. [WASHINGTON TIMES, PAY PER VIEW, 117 words, $1.00]

FATALITY RATE DROPS FOR BREAST CANCER -- IN WHITE WOMEN ONLY INCIDENCE OF DEATHS IN BLACKS RISING, ALTHOUGH IT HAS BEGUN TO LEVEL OFF
The U.S. death rate from breast cancer has started to decline but only among white women, according to a comprehensive national survey that credits early detection and better treatment for the decrease. [SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, PAY PER VIEW, 791 words, $1.00]

HEAVY SMOKERS BLIND TO RISK, STUDY SUGGESTS THEY OVERESTIMATE ODDS OF REACHING 75
Heavy smokers are in denial. That is one conclusion to be drawn from a study published yesterday by a University of California at Berkeley researcher who found that people who smoke a pack or more of cigarettes a day significantly underestimate their risk of premature death. [SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, PAY PER VIEW, 817 words, $1.00]

Physical Activity Reduces Economic, Physical Costs of Rheumatic Conditions Arthritis; Physical Activity Reduces Economic, Physical Costs of Rheumatic Conditions An estimated 40 million Americans suffer from some degree of arthritis, reports the Centers for Disease Control. [Health Letter on the CDC, PAY PER VIEW, 391 words, $4.00]

Fish oil could be dangerous, environmentalists say Some fish oil supplements such as cod liver oil could be contaminated with dangerous levels of toxic chemicals, environmentalists said on Monday. [Reuters [WS], PREMIUM, 475 words]

LYME DISEASE CASES UP; ILLNESS IN 45 STATES Reported cases of Lyme disease, a potentially fatal illness caused by tick bites, climbed to 16,461 last year in 45 states - the highest count since the government started keeping track in 1982. [CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, PAY PER VIEW, 679 words, $1.00]

FDA/ FDA warns consumers against dietary products that may contain digitalis mislabeled as "plantain" The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to purchase or ingest certain dietary supplement products containing "plantain" because the products may contain Digitalis ... [M2 Communications, 600 words]

MANAGED CARE SURVEY NOTES SAVINGS Single workers with managed care health coverage take home an average of $191 to $252 per year more than they would if they weren't in managed care, though the savings vary widely from state to state, a new survey says. [Crain Communications, 471 words]

Insurers Hustle to Meet Health Reform Deadlines Since the federal government issued 525 pages of regulations in early April, insurers have been scurrying to comply with the group and individual market reforms that formed the centerpiece of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act passed last year ... [AM Best, 368 words]

L.L.C./ Doc in the Box, new medical info site, is unwrapped Direct access to multiple specialists now available online As the health care system in the US undergoes massive changes, many primary care physicians have become overwhelmed with administrative and 'gatekeeper' obligations. [M2 Communications, 598 words]

HEALTH/ MODERN LIFE FEEDS OBESITY TO EPIDEMIC PROPORTIONS Overweight and obesity have reached epidemic proportions spreading their grip around the world, causing people to suffer non-transmissible and other diseases, said the World Health Organization today. [Inter Press Service, 620 words]

United HealthCare signs letter of intent for complementary health services American Specialty Health Plans , formerly the American Chiropractic Network Health Plan, Thursday announced that it has received a letter of intent from United HealthCare of California Inc. to contract with ASHP for the provision ... [Business Wire, 472 words]

Rep. Fawell ERISA expansion bill clears House committee; amendment adopted June 12 calls for Department of Labor to establish federal guaranty fund. ERISA EXPANSION BILL NARROWLY APPROVED AS STAND-ALONE BILL and as part of the House Committee on Education & the Workforce's budget package. The bill aims to expand coverage by increasing the purchasing clout of small employers under ERISA. [Health News Daily, 203 words]

Medical Economics Co. Launches New Magazine to Help Physicians Meet The Clinical Challenges of Managed Care Strategic Medicine(R) Debuts September 1997 Medical Economics Company today unveils a new monthly magazine -- Strategic Medicine -- that will help physicians meet the clinical challenges associated with the delivery of cost-effective, quality healthcare. [PR Newswire, 367 words]

Evidence of physical cause of schizophrenia found@ (Release at 2300 GMT Thursday June 12) U.S. researchers said on Friday they had found more evidence of a physical cause of schizophrenia. Dr Nancy Andreason and colleagues at the University of Iowa said they had found evidence of altered blood flow in the prefrontal cortex of the brain - ... [Reuters [WS], 165 words]

Bowman Gray Says New Vitamin Study Answers Call for Study in Wednesday's JAMA Bowman Gray School of Medicine today issued the following: Final plans for a major national clinical trial on the effectiveness of vitamins in preventing strokes from recurring are under way, with patient recruitment planned to begin next month. [PR Newswire, 899 words]

AUTOIMMUNE HEPATITIS; HERBAL MEDICINE CAUSES HEPATITIS IN JAPANESE WOMAN - Autoimmune Hepatitis; Herbal Medicine Causes Hepatitis in Japanese Woman Researchers in Japan report the case of a woman who developed autoimmune hepatitis caused by the herbal medicine Dai-saiko-to. [Hepatitis Weekly, 608 words]

PATIENT INFO, THE INTERNET AND OTCS/ FDLI MEETING - The changed dynamics of the evolving US public health care system have implications for the availability of health care information to the public, Deborah Steelman, a lawyer specializing in managed care issues ... [Marketletter, 959 words]

HEALTHCARE REVENUES UP 15.0 PERCENT IN FIRST QUARTER '97; EARNINGS UP 11.4 PERCENT - The healthcare industry posted first quarter 1997 adjusted earnings growth of 11.4 percent on revenue gains of 15.0 percent, according to first quarter 1997 analysis released today by WDI Capital Markets and KPMG Peat Marwick LLP's Health Ventures practice. [Business Wire, 683 words]

OKAYAMA DOCTORS PLAN NEW SURGERY FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE - OKAYAMA, Japan, June 2 _ Doctors at Okayama University in western Japan have decided to apply in July for permission to perform a new type of operation for Parkinson's disease involving implanting a capsule containing rat cells, university officials said Monday. [Kyodo, 213 words]

HIGH COURT CLARIFIES MARINE INJURY CLAIMS - WASHINGTON-A U.S. Supreme Court ruling narrows the field of maritime workers who may seek tort as well as workers compensation damages if the workers are injured aboard navigable vessels. [Business Insurance, 1141 words]

PERSPECTIVE; MANAGING COMP CARE A CHALLENGE - NOTE: TRUNCATED STORY ** Nearly half of our nation's population is in a managed care plan, and within five years, treatment for most workers compensation injuries will be provided under managed care as well. [Business Insurance, 2130 words]

PAIN PROCESS ISOLATED BETTER TREATMENT COULD BE AHEAD - Scientists have identified a substance that sets off the chain of events that sends pain signals to the brain. They say the discovery could lead to the development of effective ways to treat pain, especially the hard-to-smother pain of some types of cancer. [CINCINNATI POST, 368 words]

STUDY SHOWING ASPIRIN BENEFITS IN STROKE PATIENTS NOT A "BREAKTHROUGH," LANCET EDITORIAL CAUTIONS; "SMALL" IMPROVEMENT SEEN IN RECURRENT STROKES. - ASPIRIN LINKED TO "SMALL BUT WORTHWHILE IMPROVEMENT" IN RECURRENT STROKES and deaths due to acute ischemic stroke in a 36-country study of nearly 20,000 patients published in the May 31 issue of The Lancet. [Health News Daily, 917 words]

HMOS SEEN PUSHING INTO LONG-TERM CARE MARKET - Within one year, three of the largest health maintenance organizations will be cross-selling long-term care policies alongside Medicare risk HMOs in select markets, predicted an executive whose company provides risk management services for long-term care insurers. [BEST NEWS, 974 words]

US INDUSTRY WARNED OVER REIMBURSEMENT FRAUD - Increased funding to prevent fraud and abuse in the US health care reimbursement system will mean increased scrutiny in all areas, including drugs, Kevin McAnaney, chief of the Industry Guidance Branch at Health and Human Services' Office of Counsel ... [Marketletter, 1620 words]

JENNY CRAIG MUST WARN WEIGHT LOSS IS ONLY TEMPORARY@ (ADDS JENNY CRAIG COMMENTS, BACKGROUND, RECASTS LEAD) - From now on, Jenny Craig Inc. must warn consumers its weight loss methods are usually only temporary, the federal government said Thursday. [Reuters, 388 words]

STUDY FINDS MORE EVIDENCE OF GENETIC CAUSE OF MS@ (RELEASE AT 2300 GMT MAY 29) - British researchers said on Friday they had found more evidence that people with the muscle-wasting disease multiple sclerosis had a higher than average chance of passing it onto their children. [Reuters, 272 words]

ALIGNIS ANNOUNCES THREE NEW CONTRACTS ADDING 10 MILLION LIVES UNDER CONTRACT - Alignis Inc., a national alternative managed health care company, Wednesday announced several new contracts adding more than 10 million covered lives. [Business Wire, 349 words]

COMPANIES SAY AIDS TEST WARNS OF DRUG RESISTANCE@ (RELEASE AT 0500 GMT MAY 29) - A new test can tell doctors whether patients with HIV are resistant to certain drugs, offering them the opportunity to avoid the waste and expense of useless treatment, two drugs companies said on Thursday. [Reuters, 228 words]

AHCPR, AAHP, AMA TO DEVELOP NATIONAL CLINICAL GUIDELINE CLEARINGHOUSE - HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala today announced plans to develop a comprehensive Internet-based source for clinical practice guidelines. [U.S. Newswire, 565 words]

COMMON INFECTION MAY BECOME UNTREATABLE, CDC SAYS - A microorganism that is a common cause of hospital infections has developed resistance to the only antibiotic that remained effective against it, U.S. health experts said on Wednesday. [Reuters, 387 words]

NEW STUDY SHOWS 29.1% INCREASE IN HOSPITAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CAPITAL PROJECTS IN 1997 - Underscoring the impact of the massive conversion of the health care industry from a cottage industry to an industrial model, 1997 IT capital and operating budgets are expected to balloon by 29.1% and 10.9% ... [PR Newswire, 630 words]

OREGON EMPLOYERS' WORKERS' COMPENSATION COSTS CUT BY ONE THIRD - More than 1,200 Oregon businesses participating in Liberty Northwest's Liberty Better Business Alliance group program during the 1995-96 plan year have seen their workers' compensation premiums reduced by an average of 31 percent. [Business Wire, 169 words]

More HMO/Managed Care companies are in California, Illinois and Florida The largest number of major HMO and managed care organizations are located in California, Illinois and Florida, Biomedical Market Newsletter Inc. Friday announced. [Business Wire, 387 words]

GOVERNMENT SHOULD SUPPORT ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE NATURAL LAW PARTY CHARGES - At a news conference in Toronto today, Natural Law Party spokesman for health, Dr. Richard Wolfson, called upon the government to start supporting natural alternative approaches in health care. [Canada NewsWire, 496 words]

ALIGNIS SIGNS NATIONAL AGREEMENT WITH FOCUS HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT; EXPANDS WORKERS' COMPENSATION AND AUTO LIABILITY BUSINESS - Alignis, Inc., a national alternative managed healthcare company, announced today an agreement with FOCUS Healthcare Management to provide chiropractic services to FOCUS workers' compensation clients. [Business Wire, 312 words]

REP. STARK'S MANAGED CARE BILL WOULD CREATE CAUSE OF ACTION IN FEDERAL COURT FOR CONSUMERS; MEASURE WOULD AMEND ERISA. - FEDERAL CAUSE OF ACTION CREATED FOR CONSUMERS IN MOST MANAGED CARE PLANS under legislation introduced May 22 by Reps. Pete Stark , Nita Lowey George Miller , Dale Kildee and 16 other House Democrats. [Health News Daily, 636 words]

ATLANTA--(BW HealthWire)--May 22, 1997--Alignis, Inc., a national alternative managed healthcare company, announced today an agreement with FOCUS Healthcare Management to provide chiropractic services to FOCUS workers' compensation clients.

FOCUS, a division of CRA Managed Care, is one of the country's largest specialized PPO's focused on the workers' compensation and automobile liability markets. FOCUS offers a wide array of cost management services, including provider networks and medical bill review. The company has contracts with leading insurance carriers, employers, third-party administrators and brokers throughout the country. Business Wire 5/22/97

T-RAY COULD BE SHARPER, SAFER THAN X-RAY@ (EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE AT 2301 GMT MAY 21) - The T-Ray could replace the X-Ray with images that are sharper and safer, researchers said on Thursday. New York researchers say the terahertz rays -- electromagnetic waves with frequencies that are measured in trillions of seconds -- could be used in everything from medicine to drug [Reuters, 137 words]

NATIONAL SURVEY DEMONSTRATES TELEMEDICINE MARKET MATURITY - Instead of relying on public funding, a majority of healthcare providers are investing their own funds in telemedicine equipment and start-up, evidence that the market is maturing, according to a national survey conducted by Telemedicine and Telehealth Networks magazine. [PR Newswire, 444 words]

Dates: November 10-12, 1998
Place: City of Lahti, Finland

This International Conference will include several keynote lectures given by leading researchers and experts from around the world. The keynote lectures together with the complementary poster presentations will provide an outstanding opportunity for exchanging latest research information and new ideas on weightlifting and strength training. The program of the Conference is built to meet the needs of the following groups of participants:

* researchers, physicians and physiotherapists * exercise instructors and students & teachers in physical education * coaches and athletes in weightlifting * power & strength coaches and athletes in all other sports events

The updated Conference information (topics, Conference organization, registration information, deadline for abstract submissions, etc.) can be obtained in detail at URL:

http://www.jyu.fi/wlconference

CALIF. ASSEMBLY ABOLISHES DRIVE-THROUGH MASTECTOMIES (ADDS BILL NOW ADVANCES TO THE CALIF. STATE SENATE, 2ND GRAPH) - California lawmakers on Monday passed a bill to abolish so-called "drive-through mastectomies" by requiring health insurers to provide 48 hours of in-patient coverage to mastectomy patients. [Reuters, 277 words]

MEDICAL GROUPS SEEK MORE REGULATION OF MANAGED CARE - Leading medical organizations today called on Congress to pass a comprehensive bill to regulate the practices of managed care plans, rather than the procedure-by-procedure proposals that have marked legislative efforts last year and this year. [CONGRESS DAILY, 213 words]

AMERICAN SPECIALTY HEALTH PLANS FILES FOR ACUPUNCTURE HMO; INTRODUCES NAME CHANGE - American Specialty Health Plans , formerly the American Chiropractic Network Health Plan, Monday announced that it has filed a notice of material modification with the California Department of Corporations to become licensed as a specialized health-care service plan for acupuncture. [Business Wire, 1039 words]

GENETICS; KNOCKING OUT GENE PRODUCES MIGHTY MICE - Genetics; Knocking Out Gene Produces Mighty Mice Johns Hopkins researchers have genetically engineered mice to grow herculean muscles, an achievement that eventually may lead to the development of treatments for muscular dystrophy and other muscle-wasting diseases. [Gene Therapy Weekly, 486 words]

HEALTH GROUP OFFERS HOLISTIC PLAN THE ALLIANCE ORGANIZES NETWORK OF ALTERNATIVE PROVIDERS THAT INCLUDES ACUPUNCTURE, MASSAGE - A Colorado health care co-operative is offering its members an alternative discount plan - a pre-paid holistic medicine card. [ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 308 words]

CLINTON COMMITS U.S. TO DEVELOP AIDS VACCINE@ (RECASTS LEAD, ADDS QUOTES) - Evoking the memory of John F. Kennedy's challenge to Americans to put a man on the moon in the 1960s, President Bill Clinton on Sunday promised that the the United States would find an AIDS vaccine within a decade. [Reuters, 600 words]

STUDY FINDS COCKTAIL DRASTICALLY CUTS HIV DEATHS@ (RELEASE AT 2300 GMT THURSDAY, MAY 15) - AIDS researchers from four continents have published the results of a key study which is changing the way HIV-positive patients are treated. [Reuters, 472 words]

AMERICANS WANT DRUG-FREE PAIN RELIEF BUT AREN'T DOING IT ACCORDING TO NATIONAL SURVEY - Three-quarters of the nation, 75%, believes that it is possible to significantly reduce chronic pain without drugs, but most Americans don't do it. [PR Newswire, 467 words]

U.N. PROMOTES STUDY OF ADDICTION CURE IN VIETNAM - The United Nations said on Wednesday it would contribute $500,000 to a project in Vietnam which will study the effectiveness of a herbal medicine for drug addiction. [Reuters, 209 words]

TELEMEDICINE ON THE RISE ON THE INTERNET - After decades of roadblocks and isolated successes, the U.S. telemedicine industry is poised to deliver on its promise of interactive remote health care. [Inter@ctive Week, 1772 words]

DOCTOR-PATIENT COMMUNICATION IDENTIFIED AS KEY ELEMENT IN MANAGING OSTEOARTHRITIS MATERIALS AND SEMINAR BASED ON 'POWER OVER OSTEOARTHRITIS PAIN' ROUNDTABLE <> - Effective management of osteoarthritis has more to do with simple pain relief, exercise and open and honest physician-patient communication than a highly sophisticated or complex medical regimen. [PR Newswire, 1176 words]

(Reuters) - People with rheumatoid arthritis have lower blood levels of antioxidants such as vitamin A, vitamin E, and beta carotene in the years before the disorder is diagnosed. And the same may be true for another autoimmune disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, a new study suggests. However, it's not clear if the lower level of antioxidants is a cause or the effect of the diseases, or indirectly related to the disorders, according to the report in the current issue of the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases. Reuters 5/14/97

5/10/97
The Kansas State Board of Healing Arts has formally adopted an administrative rule which will require a baccalaureate degree for all chiropractic applicants who begin chiropractic college on or after January 1, 1999. The new rule states that the baccalaureate degree must be obtained PRIOR to entering chiropractic college.

The baccalaureate requirement was instituted to bring the chiropractic pre-professional training in line with the other healing arts professions. Currently, 99.35% of all medical students and 97.0% of all osteopathic students have at least a baccalaureate degree with they enter medical school. On the other hand, only 42.25% of chiropractic students have a baccalaureate degree when they enter chiropractic college. (Source: February, 1997 JMPT)

The change was supported by the leadership of the Kansas Chiropractic Association and the three doctors of chiropractic who serve on the Kansas Board of Healing Arts.

James Edwards, D.C., F.I.C.C. Emporia, Kansas
Member, Kansas State Board of Healing Arts
Email: jedwards@cadvantage.com

KAISER PROGRAMS OFFER ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS FOR STRESS, PAIN - A series of innovative Kaiser programs is teaching alternative behavioral techniques to help people deal with stress-related disorders, chronic pain and disease. [Business Wire, 731 words]

LOSS OF SMELL MAY OFFER CLUES ABOUT PARKINSON'S - Most patients with Parkinson's disease have trouble smelling, which could offer clues to the cause and diagnosis of the disease, British researchers reported on Monday. [Reuters, 312 words]

SACHS HMO HONOR ROLL IDENTIFIES NATION'S TOP HEALTH PLANS - Thirteen health plans were identified as the nation's best through Sachs HMO Honor Roll - 1997, announced today by Sachs Group. The annual Honor Roll recognizes an elite group of health plans rated superior in their markets by their members. [Business Wire, 624 words]

The plans on the Honor Roll are: