A study in this week's issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association states that people who smoke marijuana heavily - at least two out of every three days - may have trouble paying attention and performing simple tasks even a day after going without the drug. AP 2/20/96
Another study in JAMA suggests that Alzheimer's disease may stalk its victims early in life, decades before it destroys the mind. The study is being performed on a group of nuns who are donating their brains to science. The study suggests that Alzheimer's disease may result from a lifelong biological deterioration that becomes apparent only when people are older. AP 2/20/96
A report in today's AP cites Government statistics which show that some 3 million teen-agers smoke and a third will eventually die from a smoking-related illness. Further, the later a teen-ager starts smoking, the sooner he/she is likely to quit -- but even late beginners probably will puff away for at least 16 years. AP 2/15/96
A study in the current issue of the journal Circulation, concludes that people with congestive heart failure have hearts which are producing a protein, tumor necrosis factor, which may be producing noxious symptoms. AP 2/14/96
OK doctors and anatomy buffs. Time to go back to school. Two dentists this week announced they have discovered a new muscle in the human body. The muscle, named sphenomandibularis, runs from behind the eye socket to the inside of the jaw bone, and assists chewing and may be the source of some difficult-to-treat headaches.
Stay tuned to see if this finding pans out to be true.
AP 2/13/96
A study in this week's The Journal of the American Medical Association reports on findings of diets high in fiber significantly lowering the risk of heart attacks in men, in a study of more than 43,000 health professionals. (Chiropractors were not included in this study). The study describes the foods analyzed.
Please consult your doctor or health professional for more information about proper eating guidelines.
AP 2/13/96
In a "suprise announcement", a doctor who plays hockey warns that a bad hit could lead to paralysis, and thus players need dto guard their necks.
AP 2/11/96
One in four stroke survivors suffers from anxiety, called general anxiety disorder or GAD, that often goes undiagnosed by physicians or, if recognized, is treated with the wrong drugs, according to a new study reported in the February issue of the American Heart Association journal Stroke.
GAD is characterized by excessive anxiety, worry, motor tension, vigilance and "autonomic hyperactivity" (shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat and dizziness).
AP 2/11/96
Scientists say they might have discovered an early step in the development of Alzheimer's disease, biochemical changes that make brain cells look like they're trying to divide.
AP 2/11/96
The government warned doctors Thursday about unapproved tests for women worried about their silicone breast implants and urged the use of more traditional tests such as magnetic resonance imaging.
AP 2/8/96
Findings of a study published in this weeks' Journal of the American Medical Association stated that menopausal women who take estrogen alone run a higher-than-normal chance of cancer of the uterus, but combining estrogen with the hormone progestin can counteract the risk. The report also discusses treatment in women without a uterus.
AP 2/6/96
A bill, which is pending in the US Senate, would help millions of Americans who lose health insurance when they change jobs, according to one of the bill's sponsors, and would not impose new costs on employers or the government. The bill would also limit the ability of insurers and employers to deny coverage to people because of prior illness or disability.
However, one of the bill's opponents said that insurers strenuously objected to one provision of the bill: a requirement that companies selling individual health insurance must offer such policies to people losing group health coverage.
The bill, drafted by Sen. Nancy Kassebaum, R-Kan., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., has not been called up for debate on the Senate floor, apparently because several senators have registered informal objections. NY Times 2/2/96
A recent study by a managment consultant, KPMG Peat Marwick, states that the rate of illness complications at hospitals in cities with high use of managed care was 0.9 percent higher than the national average, but claims that this finding was not statistically significant. According to the AP report, the study is saying that Health maintenance organizations and other managed health care programs are cutting hospital costs without hurting the quality of care.
The study also looked at cost and length of stays -- but not quality -- in 2,300 hospitals in smaller cities. It found that these facilities are often less efficient, resulting in generally higher cots even if patient stays are shorter.
AP 2/1/96
A report in today's AP states that the number of Americans with the AIDS virus is going down.
AP 1/31/96
Researchers from the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, Texas, whose results are being published in the January issue of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, report on the benefits of Aerobic Exericise and its potential role in the prevention of prostate cancer.
As always, COT advises everyone to discuss aerobic or any form of exercise with a professional for safety purposes.
AP 1/28/96
A new study from researchers at the University of Western Ontario says that people whose blood pressure shoots up during stressful mental challenges are more likely to get hardening of the arteries. However, one who was interviewed for the article was skeptical of these findings.
AP 1/27/96
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently examined the latest data on smoking, smokeless tobacco, tobacco's health costs, and tobacco taxes and state legislation. They found that eight of the 10 states with the lowest taxes on cigarettes have higher than average rates of adult smokers. AP 1/25/96
Researchers have isolateed a previously-unknown hepatitis virus, but experts aren't sure if it poses a health danger or even if it can cause disease symptoms. The new virus, identified as Hepatitis G, or HGV, will have its findings published in this week's journal Science. AP 1/25/96
IMPORTANT: Talk to your Doctor about Preventive Cardiac Measures. Today's AP reports on new figures released from the American Heart Association which found that the number of US deaths from heart and blood vessel-related diseases rose in 1993. The AHA expressed concern that the increase may represent a rise in the death rate from cardiovascular diseases. AP 1/24/96
A private report from the Institute of Medicine states that a surging number of foreign-trained doctors is causing an oversupply of physicians in the US. AP 1/23/96
Some of the nation's top hospitals are beginning testing of a simple procedure that backers say could eliminate 100,000 hysterectomies a year in the US. According to the article, the procedure to eliminate hysterectomies, or surgical removal of the utereus, involves use of a catheter and ballon to heat the inside of the uterus, in an attempt to stop excessive menstrual bleeding. AP 1/22/96
According to the American Cancer Society, almost 1.36 million Americans will learn this year that they have cancer. This estimate is based upon the number of cases from 1979 to 1992. The top four cancers effecting people remain lung, colorectal, breast and prostate. AP 1/21/96
A report in today's AP newswire discusses how Shoveling Snow can be injurious to one's low back. In discussing how no one ever prepares to shovel snow, the comment was made that, ".... shoveling ought to be considered a winter sport instead of an occasional annoyance". AP 1/21/96
A report in this week's Journal of the National Cancer Institute states that scientists have uncovered ore evidence that a diet high in wheat bran or calcium may lower the risk of colorectal cancer, by soaking up acids that doctors believe spur the tumors. Please consult your doctor or health professional for more information about proper eating guidelines. AP 1/16/96
Federal guidelines suggest eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. However, a recent study found that fifty percent of the children in the survey ate less than a serving of frut a day, and forty percent of the children ages 2-5 ate less than a vegetable a day. Please consult your doctor or health professional for more information about proper eating guidelines. AP 1/15/96
Signs Of Children's Depression
Signs of depression in young children and adolescents:
-- Persistent sadness.
-- Inability to enjoy previously favorite activities.
-- Increased irritability.
-- Frequent complaints of physical illnesses such as headaches and stomachaches.
-- Frequent absences from school or poor performance in school.
-- Persistent boredom, low energy, poor concentration.
-- A major change in eating or sleeping patterns.
-- Spends most of time alone.
-- Speaks of wanting to be dead or talks about suicide.
-- May abuse alcohol or other drugs.
Children or adolescents who cause trouble at home or at school may actually be depressed but not know it. Becuse the youngster may not always seem sad, parents and teachers may not realize that troublesome behavior is a sign of depression. When asked directly, these children sometimes say they are unhappy or sad.
Source: American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. AP 1/14/96
A study in the American Journal of Public Health examined the role "weight" and exercise have in children when looking at cholesterol levels. AP 1/14/96
People whose brothers, sisters or parents are found to have benign growths in their colons run twice the usual risk of developing colon cancer, so says a study published in this week's New England Journal of Medicine. AP 1/10/96
A study reported in this weeks New England Journal of Medicine states that symptoms similar to those of Parkinson's disease:
are found to be common among older Americans. Perhaps as high as one in five people over 65 are affected. The report suggests that these signs are common, and doctors and patients alike need to pay attention to them, as an increase risk of death is was connected to these symptoms in the study's population. Besides Parkinson's disease, the symptoms can be caused by Alzheimer's disease, small strokes and a variety of other less common illnesses. AP 1/10/96
Children exposed to lead will absorb less of it if they eat less fat, a new study suggests. Certain nutrients have long been known to affect the rate at which the body takes up lead, a toxic metal that can retard youngsters' development, lower their IQ's and damage their hearing. The findings are in the January issue of the journal Pediatrics, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The study also talks about levels of calories and lead absorption.
Please consult your doctor or the study itself, for more information. AP 1/9/96
A report last Thursday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that most elderly Americans have some immunity to this season's dominant flu strain because they've had it before. The Type-A Texas flu strain is the most common strain this season. The other two common strains this season include A-Johannesburg and B-Beijing. AP 1/5/96
The US Agriculture Department and the Department of Health and Human services are about to release the fourth edition of "Nutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans", 1995 edition. The January issue of Chiropractic OnLine Today has devoted its Journal Corner to Nutrition. Surf to Chiropractic OnLine Today's Journal Corner, for more Nutrition information and links to these guidelines. AP 12/30/95
Scientists recently announced that they have identified a powerful appetite suppressor in the brain. The substance is called glucagon-like peptide-1, or GLP-1. The feeling is that this substance is a key part of the brain's regulation of food intake. AP 1/4/96
In a study which lasted for 16 years, doctors from Johns Hopkins University discovered that mildly high blood pressure triples the usual risk of kidney failure. Nearly 200,000 Americans must undergo dialysis or transplants because their kidneys have failed. AP 1/4/96
The five largest tobacco companies accused the US government of an "illegal power grab" by trying to regulate cigarettes with rules they said will cost $1 billion a year -- paid mostly by retailers and advertising companies. AP 1/2/96
The two most popular types of cholesterol-lowering drugs in the United States cause cancer in rats and should be used sparingly in humans, two researchers say. The drug types are statins and fibrates. They include lovastatin, marketed as Mevacor, and gemfibrozil, marketed as Lopid. The report was disputed by a drug maker and by other doctors who questioned the validity of the rodent studies in an editorial accompanying the article in Wednesday's issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association. AP 1/2/96
A newly identified gene has been linked to about 55 percent of cases of an inherited heart disorder that can kill young, otherwise healthy people. It is the third gene to be found for the inherited form of the illness known as "long QT syndrome," which affects an estimated 20,000 Americans and is thought to cause 50 to 200 deaths a year. AP 1/1/96
Scientists say they've identified a gene that influences how impulsive, excitable, quick-tempered and extravagant your are, a possible step toward unraveling the genetics of personality. The January issue of the journal Nature Genetics carries the full story. AP 1/1/96 
A NY Times article reports on how the same medical procedure has different hospitalization rates across the United States. Surf here for more on this article and rates for Low Back Surgery in the US.
The ACA College of Radiology has recently released a statement on Diagnostic Ultrasound. Surf here for this statement.