Healthsifter by mary desmond pinkowish, since 2003

Get a new toothbrush--every 2 weeks???

Health & Fitness September 23, 2004

This is an interesting debate--sort of. I watched an episode of MythBusters on the Discovery Channel last spring (we love those guys), which seemed to debunk the whole idea of massive germ crops growing on unprotected toothbrushes. And does anyone have data on how many people are really getting sick from dirty toothbrushes? I hope I'm not sorry I said this, but really...

For more on the ancient origins of toothbrushes (hog-bristles and bone handles), see this short Wikipedia article.

More sex during ovulation?

Ovulation Eggs Women On - Journal Watch Women's Health

That's what these scientists found: Women are more likely to have more sex in the time around ovulation. Makes biological sense.
This is summarized in Journal Watch Women's Health, and the original article appeared in the July issue of Human Reproduction.

Can stem cells stop retinitis pigmentosa?

news@nature.com�-�Stem cells stop mice going blind

The scientist who did this work in mice says that he's "running to the clinic" with these data showing that newborn mice with form of retinitis pigmentosa were vastly improved when treated with stem cells taken from the bone marrow of adult mice. The findings of this study, which was conducted at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., are reported in news at Nature.com, and the original study was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Bonus: The method seems to circumvent objections to stem cell research, because the plan for human trials is to use stem cells generated by the patient's own bone marrow.

Soda sinking milk

Newswise

Is anyone surprised? This survey suggests that Americans are drinking less and less milk and more and more supersized sodas. Maybe that's ok for you (it's fattening, though), but is it healthy for growing kids? No.

Time to attempt a face transplant?

Yahoo! News - Doctors Ready to Perform Face Transplant

I have no opinion yet on this subject, and I think there are more crucial biomedical ethics issues right now, but I can certainly understand why both sides of this debate are emotionally overwrought.
Other sites with information on this issue:
The British Psychological Society
New Scientist
University of Louisville
The Lancet article

Home defibrillators

Defibrillators will now be available for anyone to purchase without a prescription, as The Boston Globe reports today. The manufacturer is Philips Medical Systems of Andover, Massachusetts.
Should you get one? It's probably a decent idea if someone in your household is at risk for sudden cardiac death, but you should remember a few things:

Learn how to use the device before you need to use it. Read the directions when you buy it.
Keep the thing available. It won't do you any good during an emergency if you store it in the attic.
Take a CPR course, too.
Always call 9-1-1 during an emergency. Even if the defibrillator works, you'll still need an ambulance.

Green tea: Cancer prevention?

The Journal : Current Issue

If you read this blog from time to time, you may have surmised that I'm not a big believer in dietary supplements or most one-magic-bullet theories about disease prevention. Nonetheless, I'm intrigued by the possible beneficial effects of green tea, and I'm trying to drink more of it. Here's an interesting commentary on the possible anti-cancer effects of green teas from the current issue of The Lancet.

Collected FDA documents: Antidepressant Use in children, teens, adults

Antidepressant Use in Children, Adolescents and Adults

These are links to the recent documents issued by the FDA on this topic.

Cough medicines for kids: Good news/Bad News

Cough suppressants are ineffective in children -- 329 (7467): 0 -- BMJ

This really short, comprehensible article from the British Medical Journal offers some practical advice about using cough suppressants in kids.

Angeliq--A new HRT?

FDA Issues Approvable Letter to Berlex Laboratories for ANGELIQ(R)
Time will tell...