What You Should Know About Medicine

For decades doctors have relied on throat cultures to confirm the presence of Group A streptococci, the cause of strep throat. But cultures take 24 to 48 hours to grow and even then, some cases are misdiagnosed. Now a test developed by Biostar, Inc., of Boulder, Colorado, U.S., appears to be allowing faster, more accurate diagnosis.

Called strep A OIA, the new test uses silicon chips coated with an optical film and then layered with an anti-strep antibody. If a throat sample containing strep is placed on the silicon wafer, light reflecting off the chip changes color from gold to purple in about eight minutes. Easy to administer by health professionals, the test costs about the same as a traditional culture.

Immediate, accurate strep testing can shorten the duration of illness, curb disease transmission and, in negative cases, eliminate unnecessary antibiotic treatment. Early diagnosis can also prevent complications associate with strep throat, such as heart damaging rheumatic fever.

ASPIRIN: CURBS FOUR CANCERS?

People who regularly use aspirin many have a lower risk of fatal cancers of the esophagus, stomach, rectum and colon, according to the American Cancer Society.

In 1991, Dr. Michael Thun, director of analytical epidemiology for the ACS, reported with his colleagues that people who frequently used aspirin had a 40 to 50 percent decreased risk of fatal colon cancer. In a new study re-examining these earlier data, the researchers found that death rates from all four digestive-tract cancers were about 40 percent lower among me and women who used aspirin 16 times a month or more for at least one year than among people who didn’t use aspirin at all.

Researchers aren’t sure why aspirin may provide a protective benefit but evidence suggests it may inhibit tumor growth or enhance immune responses. Thun caution, however, that more studies especially clinical trials are needed before the drug can be recommended to prevent malignancies. “If aspirin is causing the reduced risk of these fatal cancers, we’ll need more information on the optimal dose, who should and shouldn’t take it, and how recommendations for cancer would fit in with those for cardiovascular disease, which is also affected by aspirin use.”

Because regular aspirin use can cause stomach ulcers and bleeding in some people, patients should consult their physicians before taking the drug.

RUNNERS: ON SOUND FOOTING?

If you run or jogs regularly, Physician and Sportsmedicine recommends you pay attention to your shoes especially you ever get painful “shin splints”. You may be suffering from medial tibial stress syndrome (MTTS), a condition caused by repetitive stress to muscles, bones or tendons at the inner side of the lower leg. It is often sparked by running on hard or uneven surfaces with worn shoes, as well as by improper training habits.

Athletic footwear loses much of its shock-absorbing capacity with wear, causing temporary discomfort with exercise and, in severe cases, MTSS as well. That’s why running shoes should be replace after clocking about 500 miles, or yearly, whichever comes first. People with flat feet or abnormalities of the lower legs are especially prone to problems. A useful tip: Alternate use of two pairs of running shoes. This will ensure that your feet and legs are not subjected to the same stress every day.

TERMINALLY DRY EYES

Working long hours at a computer can cause eyestrain. Japanese researchers studied some 50 office workers who spent an average of three hours a day at a terminal. Since blinking keeps eyes moist thus reducing strain the researchers counted blinking rates under difference conditions. The workers averaged 22 blinks a minute when relaxed, ten blinks a minute while reading a book and just seven a minute while reading text on a computer screen. The computer workers also kept their eyes open wider, which meant moisture evaporated more quickly.

If you work at a computer screen, close your eyes periodically. That spreads a tear film and rests your eyes. And remember to blink more often.

PRESSURE POINT

A study indicates the diastolic blood pressure reading (the bottom number) can be higher depending on where a patient sits.

Dr. William Cushman and colleagues at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi, U.S., measured blood pressure in 48 men who sat first in a chair and then on an examining table. The researchers found no difference in the systolic pressure, the top number in a reading, but the diastolic pressure rose an average of 6.5 points when patients sat on the table. Cushman suspects the jump involves the increased muscular effort required to keep a person upright without back support.

How should blood pressure be taken? With the patient seated on a chair, suggests Cushman and the reading should be done in a quiet room because talking can elevate pressure. Since a hanging arm will also affect a blood pressure reading, the arm should rest at heart level. Blood pressure varies throughout the day and even seasonally, so a health professional should, in most cases, take measurements on at least three difference visits before making a diagnosis of hypertension.