Medicine in the News - November 8, 2006

Blind mice could help humans regain sight

The Australian

CELL transplants that restored sight to blind mice have raised hopes that similar kinds of blindness in people could also be cured.


Are Industrial Chemicals Killing Kids' Brains?
KTRE

A laundry list of common industrial chemicals could be responsible for a silent pandemic that already has resulted in brain impairment in millions of children worldwide, according to a study published today in the British medical journal The Lancet.


Time to Take Another Look at Medicare Drug Plans
New York Times - Nov 6, 2006
By JANE E. BRODY. Maybe you already signed up for Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit plan, and maybe you didn?t. Either way, experts strongly urge that every Medicare recipient take a second look.


Study links pancreatic cancer to high sugar intake
Reuters
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - People who drink large quantities of fizzy drinks or add sugar to coffee or tea run a higher risk of developing cancer of the pancreas, Swedish research showed on Wednesday.


Radioactive weapons against AIDS?
ZDNet - Nov 7, 2006
You all know that radiotherapy has been used for a long time as a treatment for several types of cancer. Why not applying it to people infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS?


Low-carb diet doesn't raise heart risk (AP)
AP - Eating a low-carb, high-fat diet for years doesn't raise the risk of heart disease, a long-term study suggests, easing fears that the popular Atkins diet and similar regimens might set people up for eventual heart attacks.

Doctors Rarely Discuss Drug Costs With Patients (HealthDay)
HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. doctors often fail to discuss costs, prescription drug insurance coverage and other related issues when they give new prescriptions to patients, a new study finds.,