Issue Date: May 16, 2004
Strokes: The eyes may show signs of risk
You've heard the old saying "The eye is the window to the soul"? Now a study published in Stroke: "Journal of the American Heart Association" reports that the eye may also be a window to stroke risk -- and prevention.
Researchers at Germany's University of Erlangen-Nurnberg demonstrated that the blood vessels in the retina, the part of the eye that detects light, don't expand and contract the way they're supposed to in people who have high blood pressure. Retinal blood vessels are so similar to blood vessels in the brain that they're good indicators of stroke and heart disease risk.
The researchers gave 38 people a type of blood pressure medicine known as an angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) and found that the drug improved blood flow in the eye. Because it works in the eye, it also may work in the brain to help prevent strokes.
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Skin: Makeup makes women face more itches
Women are more likely to get the itching, redness, scaling and swelling of facial contact dermatitis, because they use more of the cosmetics and other products that can trigger reactions. Tracking down the cause may not be easy, though, because the reaction may not show up for several days after contact, dermatologist Susan T. Nedorost of Cleveland's Case Western Reserve University said in a presentation to the American Academy of Dermatology.
Corticosteroid creams are OK for short-term treatment, but in the long term they can harm the skin and endanger eyes, so it's important to find out what's causing symptoms by asking your dermatologist for a patch test.
Fragrances and preservatives in toiletries are the most common triggers. Other possible causes: the chemicals used to make rubber makeup pads and foam applicators; nickel in eyelash curlers, tweezers and earrings; acrylate chemicals in artificial nails; pine resin in mascara; cocamidopropyl betaine in adult and baby shampoos; and benzophenone in sunscreens.
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Cavities: Breakfast prevents tooth decay
Want to help your children avoid cavities? Make sure they eat breakfast.
It sounds too easy, but a study published in the "Journal of the American Dental Association" showed that by eating breakfast regularly, kids ages 2 to 5 may reduce their risk of developing dental cavities by 40% or more, says the study's lead author, Bruce A. Dye, a dental epidemiologist with the U.S. Public Health Service.
The foods kids chose didn't matter. The important thing was that they ate the morning meal daily. Why? Because without breakfast, kids may be more likely to snack on cavity-promoting foods and drinks to make up for missing morning nutrients, Dye explains.
-- Peggy J. Noonan
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