GOOD HEALTH MAGAZINE : Pulse

FALL GUYS

Falls account for more than 4,000 deaths a year and countless injuries. Researcher Tom Leamon from Texas Tech university wants to know how to prevent them, so he’s studying how they happen. In his lab, three video cameras plugged into a minicomputer record what people do when they slip and fall, they jerk sideways. But Leamon doesn’t know yet if that helps or hinders a falling person. Good peripheral vision may help prevent falls by orienting walkers to the environment. If that’s so, long corridors with white, unmarked walls might be disorienting and more conducive to falls than striped walls or walls with designs

YOU ARE WHAT YOU PLAY

In Los Angeles, some say, you are what you drive. But, says Arizona State University professor of psychology Edward Sadalla, the sport you play can say plenty about your personality. “People seem to pick a sport that expresses the person they want to be,” says Sadalla, who along with colleagues is investigating what attracts people to certain sports--and what people think about the personalities of various athletes. College students were asked to rate bowlers, golfers, tennis players, skiers and motocross racers.

The results: Bowlers were rated least daring, least sensual and second-least cultured. Tennis players came across as sensual, attractive, moderately daring and highly cultured but rated low on calmness and honesty. Golfers were rated high on calmness, honesty and culture. Skiers were voted most sensual and attractive, second-most active and daring. Motocross participants were rated most active and daring but got low marks on culture, calmness and honesty.

PLEASE PASS THE PINEAPPLE

If you hate capsules but need your Vitamin C, eat pineapple, advises the Tufts University Diet & Nutrition Letter. One cup of fresh pineapple has 40% of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C and merely 77 calories

A STEP ABOVE

It’s the preferred working posture of Philip Marlowe-type detectives, along with a host of executives. But does working with your feet atop the desk have any physiological or psychological benefit? It “may be more relaxing,” says Dr. Thomas Shook, a cardiologist who directs the coronary-care unit at the Hospital of the Good Samaritan. “But that’s all speculation, no science.” Still, “working with the feet up improves circulation in the legs” and probably relieves swelling in the feet. “It certainly can’t hurt, unless you have back or other orthopedic problems. In that case, check with your doctor first.”

SUNDAY DRIVERS

Eating two servings of bran cereal daily helps shrink intestinal polyps, allowing surgery for the growths. In a New York study of people prone to these polyps-which can become cancerous bran-eaters developed fewer growths than did subjects who took Vitamins C and E (which may also inhibit cancer) or those who ate placebos.

TWO BOWLS IS ALL WE ASK

Eating two servings of bran cereal daily helps shrink intestinal polyps, allowing some patients to avoid surgery for the growths. In a New York study of people prone to these polyps--which can become cancerous--bran-eaters developed fewer growths than did subjects who took Vitamins C and E (which may also inhibit cancer) or those who ate placebos.

AND SO TO BED

The range of “normal” sleep varies from five to 10 hours a night, according to the Better Sleep Council. People who can get by with five hours, along with those who need 10, are in the minority. Short sleepers tend to be ambitious and energetic. Long sleepers, while more unsure of themselves, are often artistic or creative. Can’t sleep? Try to exercise daily, but not right before retiring. Don’t smoke. Don’t drink coffee or alcohol late in the day. Develop a pleasant bedtime ritual.

MORNING SICKNESS MAY BE WORTH IT

Morning sickness is no fun, as many moms-to-be can attest, but it could be the sign of a normal pregnancy. In looking at the records of more than 9,000 pregnant women, National Institutes of Health researchers found those who suffered morning sickness were less likely to have miscarriages or stillbirths.

RELIEF IS SPELLED M-A-G-N-E-S-I-U-M

Magnesium may spell relief for asthmatics and migraine sufferers. In one study, intravenous magnesium helped asthmatics, probably by relaxing the lung muscles and increasing the size of air passages. A second study indicated that migraine patients had lower magnesium levels than healthy people. But the investigators must solve the chicken-egg dilemma: which came first, low magnesium or migraine?

PICKING A NURSING HOME

Finding a good nursing home isn’t easy. To ease the search, staff members at Johns Hopkins University suggest that you include the elderly person in the hunt as much as possible. Skilled nursing facilities provide round-the-clock nursing, regular medical supervision and rehabilitation therapy for residents recovering from long-term illness. Intermediate-care facilities are meant for those who don’t require 24-hour care but can’t quite manage on their own; at intermediate facilities personal care and social programs are emphasized more than health-related services. Once you’ve decided which facility is needed, go for a visit. Are the premises uncrowded, clean and reasonably odor-free? Are there grab bars in bathrooms, call buttons at bedside and in bathrooms? Will the patient have some privacy? Ask about costs, physicians on duty, patients’ rights, the policy on the use of restraints, social services and patient activities, and Medicare or Medicaid coverage.

ANOTHER REASON TO SWEAT

Regular exercise is often touted as a sure route to weight control and stress reduction. It might also improve the body’s ability to break down life-threatening blood clots by increasing the activity of a natural clot-dissolving protein, produced by blood-vessel cells, called tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA. Dr. John Stratton and his co-workers at Seattle Veterans Administration Medical Center measured tPA levels in 20 subjects, ages 25-74, before and after a six-month aerobic-exercise program. TPA levels increased an average of 29% by the study’s end. Elevated tPA, Stratton says, might enable people to clear blood clots on their own, thus avoiding heart attacks.

EAT BREAKFAST, GET SMARTER

Eating breakfast might just improve a youngster’s report card. Researchers recently studied low-income children enrolled in a school-breakfast program and found that such participation contributed positively to test scores. They concluded that eating breakfast, at least in the sample studied, is associated with “significant improvement” in academic functioning.

WRITE IT DOWN

Elderly persons who record their autobiographies enjoy increased self-esteem, say UCLA researchers. In a university project, older persons are encouraged to remember their past, recognize their achievements and share their stories. Those who participate experience renewed worth, say the researchers. Almost all have higher scores for self-esteem.

HOT TIP

Be wary of food kept warm for longer than two hours at weddings and other gatherings. You could be inviting a case of food poisoning. A good guideline: Hot food should be kept at about 145 to 165 degrees to prevent growth of bacteria. Most steam tables and chafing dishes don’t keep food hot enough, reports the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter.

FACING UP TO THE TEST

Drawing a clock face is a quick way to test patients for Alzheimer’s disease, the degenerative brain disorder that afflicts mostly older people. More often than not, Alzheimer’s disease patients draw clocks incorrectly, forgetting numbers or placing them inappropriately, report New York researchers who gave the clock test to more than 300 subjects. In contrast, healthy subjects and those with other mental problems such as depression drew clocks correctly. The drawing exercise requires eye-hand coordination, memory and spatial orientation. Researchers say the test’s not foolproof, but point out that it’s a simple diagnostic tool.

Pillow Talk

Many consumers keep bed pillows for long periods, but its better to replace them every two or three years. When pillow shopping, look for a firm to medium-firm pillow if you’re a side sleeper or side-and-back sleeper. Stomach sleepers do better with very soft pillows to avoid stiff necks. Down, preferred by some, is more expensive than synthetic fillers, but the feathers can cause allergic reactions., A final caveat from the Better Sleep council, a bedding industry educational organization: Throw out old pillows, don’t pass them on.

SLIMFUL FRENCH TOAST

French toast need not be sinful, advises the Tufts University Diet & Nutrition Letter. Here’s how to make it with just a trace of fat: Use skim milk and egg whites, not the yolk. Cook in a nonstick pan and dab with syrup or jelly.

CYCLIST COVER-UP

Fit and trim cyclists love to bare their muscular gams, but keeping them totally uncovered isn’t wise. Sun block is vital to minimize the risk of skin cancer. This caveat comes from English physicians at King’s College Hospital who treated five patients with skin cancer on their legs. All were avid bicyclists in their younger days. The same advice would apply to tennis players and other scantily clad athletes.

GERIATRIC GENEROSITY

Elderly persons react generously in situations that call for help, report University of Detroit researchers who published their findings in Psychology and Aging. They tested the theory by soliciting donations for infants with birth defects in shopping centers and parks from passers-by ranging in age from 5 to 75. Some solicitors simulated pregnancy by wearing foam prostheses. Older people were more likely than younger people to donate, although retired people generally donated less money than did younger adults. The “pregnant” solicitors collected more than non-pregnant ones, and women tended to donate more than men.

A LITTLE DROP

Eye drops can help relieve dry eyes and other conditions but you need to use an eyedropper correctly: Tilt your head back and pull the lower eyelid down so you create a pocket between the eye and the lower lid. (Do so by using one finger or by pinching and pulling the lower lid with the thumb and index finger.) Let the medicine fall into the pocket. Don’t let the dropper touch the eye, as it might cause contamination and infection.

POTATO POWER

If you’re increasing your intake of potassium, you don’t have to stuff yourself with bananas. While bananas are often mentioned as a high-potassium food, potatoes have about twice as much, reports the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter. A large banana contains 450 milligrams of potassium; a large baked potato with skin has 850 milligrams.

HEART BEATS

If your heart skips a beat more than occasionally--and your mind’s not on romance--you might have a cardiac problem. Occasional skipped or extra beats are rarely serious unless accompanied by symptoms such as chest discomfort or lightheadedness, says Dr. Charles Tucker, Stanford University clinical assistant professor of medicine. But recurring palpitations in young women might be a sign of “floppy” heart valve, a condition called mitral valve prolapse. Sometimes skipped or extra beats signal too much coffee or alcohol or a medication reaction, Tucker says. But if the palpitations occur several times a day for a week or more, or several times in a row, it’s time to see a doctor.

RUG BUGS

Keeping your kids off freshly shampooed rugs may reduce their risk of Kawasaki disease, an illness accompanied by fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes. Cornell University Medical Center researchers found that 25% of families with Kawasaki victims had recently shampooed their rugs, compared to only 3% of the control group families. Researchers aren’t sure, but speculate that shampooing rugs might trigger the fever by stirring up rug mites. Or the harsh detergents might be responsible.

GRIPPING EXPERIENCE

Some women who worry about thinning bones take calcium supplements. Squeezing a tennis ball might help, too. In a six-week British study, 69 elderly women squeezed tennis balls as hard as they could for 30 seconds six times a day. The mineral content of their forearm bone mass increased--by as much as 5%. The women with the strongest grips had the thickest bone. But to maintain stronger bones, they will have to keep squeezing. Once the women discontinued the grip exercises, their bones shrank.

IT DOESN’T ALWAYS HURT

Blacks are less likely than whites to experience chest pain as a warning sign of a heart attack, an analysis of 304 heart attack patients suggests. About 5% of white patients and 9% of Hispanic patients were without chest pain when admitted to the coronary-care unit, but 23% of black patients did not complain of it, says Dr. Luther T. Clark, a cardiologist at Kings County Hospital Center in Brooklyn who conducted the study. The most common complaints of those who came in without chest pain: Difficulty breathing or feeling sick.

CATARACT CURE

About half of all Americans 65 or older have cataracts, a clouding of the eye’s normally crystal-clear lens. For many, the clouding is too slight to notice and surgery isn’t necessary. But more than a million cataract operations are performed yearly. The procedure is safer than ever, thanks to refined microsurgical techniques and better artificial lenses, reports the New York University Medical Letter. Usually, the operation can be performed on an outpatient basis.

ANTACIDS ADVISORY

When heartburn strikes, you want relief fast. But first you need this crash course in antacids. Liquid types are usually most effective. Check with your doctor before taking antacids if you have a history of ulcers or kidney problems or if you’re taking other medications. The antacids may interfere with the absorption of other medicines. Use antacids sparingly. Be aware that severe “heartburn,” especially if you’re also breathless, perspiring heavily, have chest pain, nausea or vomiting, may actually be a heart attack or other serious disorder.

PLAN AHEAD

Pregnant women who--from conception through the first six weeks of pregnancy--take daily multivitamin supplements with folic acid reduce the risk of having babies with spina bifida or other types of brain and spinal cord deficiencies. That conclusion is based on a recent study of almost 23,000 women reported in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. Researchers say the finding lends support to the idea that folic acid in particular plays a critical role in the early development of the nervous system. The implication? Medical care for pregnant women ideally should begin when women are planning for pregnancy.

A Table For One, Please

It might prove to be the simpliest way to diet: to eat less, eat alone. Georgia State University psychologists studied food diaries and found people ate 44% more when they ate with others--and they tended to gobble down more fatty foods than healthy ones. Researchers say being around other hungary eaters may arouse your appetite and relax your nutritional resolutions. (If they’re eating French fries, why can’t you?) None of the study participants were overweight, so the researchers can’t vouch for solitary dining as a weight-control method. But they speculate it’s worth a try.

NIACIN NOTES

The best-selling book, “The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure,” proposes the use of niacin to reduce blood-cholesterol levels. However, it should be used with caution, and under a doctor’s supervision. Three caveats from the Mayo Clinic Nutrition Letter: Don’t self-prescribe. Don’t think niacin can replace diet and exercise in lowering heart disease risk. Not everyone should take niacin--your doctor should help you decide.

LASTING EFFECT

Living through natural disasters can be psychologically distressing for older adults up to two years later. That’s the conclusion of Louisville researchers who interviewed 200 older adults before and after two major floods in southeastern Kentucky in 1981 and 1984. Traditional thinking holds that recurrent natural hazards such as floods are less psychologically disturbing than disasters that occur less frequently. But the research refutes that belief. “When both personal loss and high levels of community destruction were experienced, increased levels of psychological distress persisted for a minimum of two years,” report James F. Phifer and Fran H. Norris of the Urban Studies Center at the University of Louisville. They found that even residents who suffered no personal property losses were psychologically affected by the community destruction.

PREEMIES’ PERILS

Babies born prematurely are at higher risk than their full-term counterparts for bone fractures in the newborn period, but that risk doesn’t persist into childhood, a study suggests. British researchers compared 362 preemies with an equal number of full-term babies to arrive at that conclusion.

NAPPING NO-NOS

Water beds and thick sheepskin rugs are comfy but they’re not the places for infants’ naps. Researchers have documented deaths from suffocation of nine babies who slept on water beds and another four who were put down to sleep on sheepskin rugs. Most of the deaths occurred when parents were visiting with friends who did not have cribs.

OLDER-WOMEN CHECK-UPS

Older women should be especially sure to undergo regular gynecologic exams because they are at greater risk than younger women of developing genital cancers. Statistics indicate that 25% of cervical cancers and 40% of resulting deaths occur in women older than 65. Cancer of the endometrium (uterine lining) is most common after age 60; half the ovarian cancer deaths occur in women past age 65. Older women tend to get Pap tests less frequently than younger ones, reports Dr. Nancy Weintraub of the New York University Medical Center, who says that besides a Pap test, older women should have an annual mammogram, pelvic examination and rectal examination.

CARDIAC COUNT

The stereotype of a heart attack victim is an overweight middle-aged man who smokes and gets little exercise. However, cardiovascular disease also claims the lives of about 500,000 women each year, reports the American Heart Assn. One in nine women, ages 45-64, has some form of cardiovascular disease. One in three women age 65 and older has cardiovascular disease. Women who have heart attacks are twice as likely as men to die within the first few weeks after the attack. More than 90,000 women die of stroke annually.

Fitness Breaks

Trite but true: You can’t store fitness. You can lay off your exercise routine once or twice and probably not notice much change in your fitness level., But miss two weeks and your body definitely notices, resulting in a “detraining” effect. After a two-week exercise layoff, expect that you’ll tire more easily and be a bit sore after resuming your workout. Why? The Mayo Clinic Nutrition Letter reports that your “detrained” heart pumps less blood to working muscles. Your muscles will be less able to remove the oxygen from the blood that does arrive.

Sources for Pulse include Good Samaritan Hospital, the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, Edell Health Letter, Journal of Sports and Exercise Psychology, Archives of Diseases in Childhood, Tufts University Diet & Nutrition Letter, Johns Hopkins Medical Letter, Los Angeles Times Syndicate, American Journal of Diseases of Children, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Better Sleep Council, Journal of the American Medical Assn., Mayo Clinic Nutrition Letter, New York University Medical Center Health Letter, American Heart Assn., Stanford University, Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, Psychology and Aging, University of California, Associated Press and United Press International.