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Health Highlights: Feb. 11, 2003

Posted on: Tuesday, 11 February 2003, 06:00 CST

Health Highlights: Feb. 11, 2003

source: HealthScoutNews

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of The HealthScout News Service:

Sen. Kerry to Have Prostate Removed

Senator and presidential candidate John Kerry, D.-Mass., will have surgery tomorrow to remove his prostate after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Kerry should be able to return to work within a couple of weeks, the Associated Press reports.

The 59-year-old lawmaker has at least a 95 percent chance of being cured, says Dr. Patrick Walsh, urology chief at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, where Kerry's surgery will be done.

Kerry's father died of prostate cancer while he was in his 80s. Being diagnosed at a fairly young age should help the senator's chances of recovery, doctors say.

The American Cancer Society estimates about 220,000 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, and more than 28,000 will die from the disease.

It's the second-leading cause of cancer death for American men. The risk increases each decade that a man lives past age 50. When it's caught early, prostate cancer is highly curable.

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Eyes May Provide Focus For West Nile Diagnosis

Examining the eyes may help doctors determine whether a person is infected with the West Nile virus.

A study by Northwestern University doctors discusses a 62-year-old Chicago women who complained of seeing dots in one eye. The woman also suffered fatigue, low fever and headache, the Associated Press reports.

Tiny lesions and other abnormalities were detected in the woman's eyes. The doctors prescribed standard treatment but the woman's vision deteriorated and her fever increased. Following a series of blood tests, the doctors discovered the woman had West Nile virus.

When she was cured of the virus, her sight returned to normal.

The study appears in the February issue of the journal Archives of Ophthalmology.

The Northwestern doctors write that this case suggests it may be possible to use eye examinations to diagnose West Nile virus.

Last year saw a worrisome increase in West Nile infections in the United States. The number of cases ballooned from 149 between 1999 and 2001, to nearly 3,400 by Nov. 30 2002, officials said.

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Microbicide Can Block Transmission of HIV in Monkeys

U.S. and British scientists have found that a microbicide can block the transmission of HIV, a research first that may lead to new ways to stop HIV infection without having to use condoms.

A microbicide is a chemical that kills microorganisms.

The scientists tested a microbicide gel containing human antibodies and applied it in the vaginas of macaque monkeys. The gel protected the monkeys from infection with the simian HIV virus for more than seven hours, the BBC News reports.

This research could eventually prove significant for women whose male sex partners refuse to use condoms.

The number of women infected with HIV around the world is increasing. It's estimated there are now 2 million more women than men with HIV in Africa.

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Zoloft Approved for Long-Term Social Anxiety

Pfizer's Zoloft -- among the most widely prescribed treatments for depression and anxiety in the United States -- has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for long-term treatment of social anxiety disorder, the company reports.

In clinical trials involving more than 600 people, Zoloft proved effective in treating the symptoms of social anxiety disorder, including intense fear and avoidance of social situations. People with the disorder may have few friendships, experience trouble dating, be less likely to marry, suffer from low self-esteem, and have feelings of inferiority.

Some 53 percent of clinical trial participants responded to treatment with the drug, versus 29 percent who responded to a non-medicinal placebo. Patients enrolled in the study had the disorder, also known as social phobia, for an average of about 20 years, the company says.

Zoloft, approved by the FDA for depression more than a decade ago, also is approved for conditions including posttraumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Typical side effects include trouble sleeping, dry mouth, sexual side effects, and fatigue.

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Digestive Disorder Isn't So Rare, Study Finds

One of every 133 Americans may have a severe yet seldom-heard-of digestive disorder called celiac disease, report University of Maryland researchers in Baltimore. Prior studies had linked the disorder to only 1 in 4,000 Americans.

The disease -- triggered by the protein gluten found in wheat and other grains -- probably affects more than 1.5 million Americans, say the scientists at the school's Center for Celiac Research. As reported in the Feb. 10 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, the researchers screened more than 13,100 people in 32 states over five years.

People with the disorder who eat foods that contain gluten can have symptoms including severe diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss, and gas. Left untreated, it can also increase a person's risk of developing gastrointestinal cancer.

There is no cure for the disorder. People who have it can lead normal lives if they avoid products derived from wheat, rye, barley, oats, and other lesser-known grains, the researchers say.

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Record Levels of U.S. Children Getting Buckled Up

The number of American children being safely restrained in vehicles rose to a record level in 2002, but too many of them still ride in the front seat.

About 99 percent of babies under age 1 are now restrained, an increase of 4 percentage points from 2000, according to a survey by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The survey says that 94 percent of American toddlers are now restrained, a gain of 3 percentage points from two years ago.

While that's good news, the survey also reveals that an estimated 15 percent of babies under age 1 ride in the front seat; 10 percent of toddlers ages 1 to 3 ride in the front, and 29 percent of youngsters ages 4 to 7 ride in the front seat of vehicles.

Children riding in the front seat are at a greater risk of serious injury or death during a crash, the agency says.

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