Update From the Medical Journals: January 2007
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Month: April 2007
Restless Legs Syndrome
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Heart Beat: Parkinson’s drugs linked to heart valve trouble
Two drugs used to treat Parkinson’s disease have been found to cause heart valve leakage. If you take one of these medications, you should ask your doctor about switching to a safer one. If no other drug is effective, watch for signs of valve trouble.
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Toenail fungus: Drill to kill
Toenail fungus is difficult to treat, but two new types of treatment in testing may make it easier. One uses short-wavelength light, and the other requires drilling tiny holes in the affected nail.
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Heart Beat: Tea with a twist
If you drink tea, taking it with milk seems to negate any positive effect from the antioxidants it contains. However, there is still no definite evidence that tea can protect you from heart disease.
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Ask the doctor: Is a lot of exercise bad for the heart?
I know that exercise is good for my heart, which is one reason why I took up long-distance running. But I have heard that marathon running damages the heart. Is that true?
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Heart Beat: Home defibrillator skills slip away
Research found that people who have a home defibrillator for use in case of a cardiac emergency tended to forget how to use the device over time. If you have such a device, it is vital to know how to use it and to maintain this knowledge.
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Sunscreens: New wave in sun protection: Blocking ultraviolet A
Experts now believe that ultraviolet A rays are as damaging to the skin as UVB rays. There is no standard for measuring effectiveness of UVA protection in sunscreens, but there are products on the market that protect well against both UVA and UVB.
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Medical memo: High-dose radiotherapy for prostate cancer
High-dose radiation treatments for prostate cancer may be more effective than other methods at treating the disease without damaging neighboring tissues, but follow-up studies will be needed to determine if survival rates improve.
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Aldosteronism: Too much of a good thing
An excess of aldosterone, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, causes hypertension in some people. Treatment depends on whether one gland or both is affected.
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