Real-Life X-Ray Glasses
Your doctor may soon be able to see right through you, thanks to a new device called the Sonic Flashlight that’s in development at the University of Pittsburgh. This sci-tech gadget works like the ultrasound machine doctors use on pregnant women. But instead of images showing up on a monitor, pictures of your insides are projected onto your body, creating the illusion of X-ray vision. "Being able to see the ultrasound image right on the patient’s skin improves doctors’ hand-eye coordination, making it much easier to perform delicate procedures like taking a biopsy of suspicious cells or spotting a small tumor," says George Stetten, M.D., Ph.D., the product’s inventor.
Wheezy Weather
Asthma sufferers beware: Researchers at the University of Sydney studied emergency-room admission records of six Australian towns and found that asthma attacks are 15 times more common during thunderstorms than during calm weather. The reason is basic meteorology. "Most thunderstorms push a wave of cool air ahead of them. That can lead to concentrations of ground pollen four to 12 times higher than normal," says Guy Marks, Ph.D., the study author. Men in particular should pay attention to the threat of an approaching storm. Another asthma study from MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland found that men are not only worse at recognizing the symptoms of an asthma attack — but are also less likely to seek out medical attention, even if the attack turns severe.
No Baby on Board?
Researchers at the National Institute for Child Health and Development (NICHD) analyzed sperm samples from nearly 1,500 men and found that many who were diagnosed as "borderline infertile" actually had few problems conceiving children. The study suggests that the medical guidelines used to classify men as infertile are often inaccurate. Meaning: Many men who are undergoing fertility treatment may be doing so unnecessarily, while men who’ve stopped trying to have children may actually be able to do so.
Catch Your Breath
Only a small fraction of the medication in a traditional asthma inhaler reaches the lungs. That can make stopping an asthma attack tough. However, Dutch researchers are developing a new inhaler that uses much smaller drug particles, which can be inhaled more deeply, providing the patient with a more powerful form of treatment.
Truth or Consequences
A new, high-tech device can tell if you’re lying just by looking at you. The machine works by detecting small changes in the temperature of your face that occur whenever you tell a lie. The detectors will likely be used in police stations and at airport security checkpoints.
Pop’s Quiz
There may soon be a test for Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers in California have developed a procedure that detects small lesions in the brain — one of the first symptoms of the disorder. Early testing may allow doctors to treat patients with the disease before it progresses to a more serious stage.
Age of Innocence
Boys in the United States are reaching puberty earlier and earlier. A 10-year government study of 2,000 boys between the ages of 8 and 19 found that most young males enter puberty a full 6 months earlier now than they did in the 1970s. Researchers aren’t sure what’s behind the boys’ increasingly early development.
The Ticker: How Things Are Trading on the Men’s Health Index
Tea Drinking tea may not protect you against heart disease. Doctors had theorized that compounds in black and green tea help lower cholesterol levels, but a new study from Australia calls those findings into question.
Garlic Supplements A National Institutes of Health study found that some garlic supplements counteract HIV medications, making them less effective at controlling or fighting the disease.
Bar Codes A new government policy may require all hospital medications to carry grocery-style bar codes that could be scanned before being used. Bar codes could save some of the 100,000 patients a year who die as a result of medical errors.
Ecstasy Besides being illegal, a hit of "X" could kill you. Researchers found that taking the drug in combination with antidepressants, migraine medications, decongestants, diet pills, or amphetamines can trigger a sudden, life-threatening stroke.
Alfalfa Sprouts After an initial health scare 4 years ago, the federal government has issued another warning against eating alfalfa sprouts raw. The sandwich topping is a common carrier of bacteria and caused at least one serious salmonella outbreak that sickened people in four states last year.
Feeling Car Sick?
If you get a headache every time you slide behind the wheel, the blame may fall on that hot new car you just financed, not on the stress of dealing with road wackos. According to an Australian study, that "new-car smell" everyone loves is often strong enough to trigger headaches, fatigue, nausea, and drowsiness. "It can take up to 6 months for the quantities of chemicals inside a new car to drop to safe, acceptable levels," says Stephen Brown, Ph.D., the study author. But don’t sell your new wheels just yet. You can avoid "new car illnesses" by driving with your windows open at least a crack, keeping the fresh-air vent open, and leaving your windows down when you park, says Brown. Also, avoid parking your car in the sun; more toxins are released as the temperature rises inside the car.
Bachelor of Hearts
Finally, something that makes the ordeal of going back to school worthwhile: According to a University of Pittsburgh study, having a good education may reduce your risk of heart disease. After testing 300 people with varying levels of education, researchers found that men with the most schooling also had the healthiest arteries. Yes, they had healthier lifestyles and ate better than those with less schooling. But according to Linda Gallo, Ph.D., the study author, they also had less depression, anxiety, and stress in their lives, and greater levels of social support — all of which reduce heart-disease risk.
Catnip Makes Mosquitoes Scram
Catnip oil repels mosquitoes 10 times more effectively than commercial insect sprays do, according to a new Iowa State study. Several companies are scrambling to develop catnip insect repellents, but most pet shops already carry spray bottles of catnip oil that are just as effective. Spray the mixture around picnic tables and on screens, bedding, tents, and clothing, but keep it off your body. "We haven’t tested the safety of catnip oil on the skin," says Joel Coats, Ph.D., the study author.
A Tougher Cold Medicine
Sore throat? If you go to your doctor, there’s a 50/50 chance he or she will accurately diagnose whether you have a viral or bacterial infection. Rather than taking your chances with an antibiotic — which may or may not make you feel better — ask about a steroid called Decadron (dexamethasone) instead. In a study of 118 patients with colds, flu, or other hard-to-swallow maladies, Mayo Clinic researchers found that this steroid is effective at relieving sore-throat pain, and, unlike antibiotics, it works on both bacterial and viral infections. Plus, Decadron provides longer-lasting relief — up to 24 hours per dose–says Julie Wei, M.D., the study author.
Sickle Cell-Out
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health may have found a way to correct sickle-cell disease, a painful blood disorder that affects one out of every 500 blacks. By removing a defective bone-marrow gene and replacing it with a normal, healthy gene, the doctors were able to correct the disorder. Additional testing of the procedure is under way.
A Good Extinction
German measles are disappearing in the United States. Currently, fewer than 300 Americans a year develop the disease, which causes a rash, cold symptoms, and a fever. Most of the people who are infected are immigrants who’ve never been vaccinated in their home countries.
Lungs Like Granny Smith
Eat an apple, breathe easier. An English study of more than 2,600 people found that people who eat an apple a day have better lung capacity than people who rarely eat apples. The study also found that eating apples may reduce your risk of lung cancer while boosting your resistance to respiratory illnesses. "Apples contain a huge number of protective compounds called flavonoids, which are absorbed by the body and help make lung tissue healthier and more resistant to disease," explains John Britton, M.D., the study author.
Popeye’s Prostate Protection
We’ve long known that tomatoes are good for the health of your prostate gland. But tomatoes are not alone anymore. According to a study from Japan, spinach may be one of the top foods for fighting prostate cancer. Researchers at Hokkaido University tried to grow three different types of prostate-cancer cells in 15 different laboratory cultures, each of which had been supplemented with different a type of vitamin — including beta-carotene and lycopene (found in tomatoes). Of all the vitamins the researchers tested, a compound called neoxanthin was most successful at preventing growth of the cells. And the food with the highest total concentration of neoxanthin? Spinach, of course.
Berries Fight Cancer
Nearly 10,000 men die every year from esophageal cancer. The disease primarily strikes smokers and drinkers, but unlike with other cancers, your odds of beating this version aren’t good. Fewer than 12% of patients live more than 5 years after diagnosis. However, a new study suggests there may be a way to reduce your risk of the disease. Researchers at Ohio State University found that eating a cup and a half of berries a day may cut your risk of esophageal cancer in half. "Berries — especially strawberries and raspberries — are loaded with phytochemicals that may prevent development of the disease," says Gary Stoner, Ph.D., a study coauthor.
Nibble Away at Fat
Want an easy way to lower your lipid levels? Try eating several small meals throughout the day instead of one or two larger meals. In a study of 15,000 men and women, researchers at the University of Cambridge in England found that people who eat six or more meals a day have cholesterol levels up to 5% lower than those of people who eat just one or two meals a day. Even better, the frequent eaters have lower cholesterol levels even though they consume more total calories and fat. "Eating frequently appears to influence your metabolism by preventing spikes in insulin production and reducing cholesterol production in the body," says Kay-Tee Khaw, M.D., the study author.
Cholesterol-Lowering Pair
A new drug called Zetia (ezetimibe) prevents the body from absorbing cholesterol, reducing the damaging effects of LDL (bad) cholesterol on the body. Since the drug works differently from existing cholesterol-lowering medications like Zocor, doctors will likely prescribe a combination of both medications, possibly providing patients with a more effective means of controlling their cholesterol levels. The drug is currently awaiting FDA approval and may be available by early 2003.
Gut Check
Researchers at Stanford University are using a pill-size camera that patients can swallow as part of a test for bleeding within the small intestine. Aside from invasive surgery, the camera is the easiest and most effective means doctors have found for examining the small intestine.
Cart Wash
Raw meat and babies’ diapers can contaminate shopping carts, infecting your groceries when you go shopping. But a store in Louisville, Kentucky, may have found a way to solve the problem — by installing the first shopping-cart sanitizer. The machine works like a drive-thru car wash and will be available to more stores in the future.
Meat Grinder
Men who frequently eat bacon, hot dogs, sausage, bologna, and other processed meats are 46% more likely to develop diabetes, according to a Harvard University study. The risk comes from the combination of meat and the fatty chips or fries guys eat with them.
