Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.health From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: health Wed, Jul 22 1992 Date: Wed, 22 Jul 92 04:31:58 EDT Message-ID: 07-22 0000 DECISIONLINE: Health USA TODAY Update July 22, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network MORE STRANGE HIV CASES FOUND: The known case-count of people with AIDS-like illnesses but no sign of HIV infection grew to at least two dozen Tuesday. A special session was called at the International Conference on AIDS after reports of 11 such cases raised public concerns earlier this week. Scientists say the cases don't necessarily signal a new health threat, but they want to know what caused them. VACCINE ISSUES ADDRESSED: Developing a good AIDS vaccine, getting it to the people who need it and getting them to use it will mean overcoming considerable obstacles - not all of them scientific. Experts at the International Conference on AIDS say they could be two or three years away from getting a first vaccine into large human trials. (For more, see special Vaccine package below.) POISON IVY VACCINE TESTED: University of Mississippi scientists have developed a vaccine against urushiol, the chemical in poison ivy that's responsible for the itchy rash it causes. Stiefel Laboratories in Coral Gables, Fla., has licensed the vaccine and has shown its effectiveness on lab animals. Human trials and federal approval, however, will take several years. NIH TO EXPLORE NEW FRONTIER: The government plans to search for new medical findings in space. The National Institutes of Health and NASA have teamed in a joint biomedical agreement. Space offers scientists the opportunity to study biological functions more quickly because some minerals break down faster in space. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, D-Md., says the potential for medical advances makes the project "wise." FREEWAY STRESS COMMON: According to Dr. Michael Cox of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, stress on the freeway can have a cumulative effect when combined with other stresses. It can make people more tired and less tolerant each day. The following steps can help reduce freeway stress: Take a deep breath, and slowly count to five; exhale and relax; repeat several times and play relaxing music. SPICES GOOD FOR WEIGHT CONTROL: According to research done by Dr. Susan Schiffman, director of the weight loss unit in the Department of Psychiatry at Duke University, spices can aid in weight control. The studies done by Schiffman and her colleagues have shown that the better tasting the food, the less hungry you feel after eating. Also found: Hot spices can make a 25% increase in the metabolic rate. SWIMMER'S EAR AFFECTS MANY: Physicians at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston claim swimmer's ear is one of the most common problems seen by doctors during the summer months. Swimmer's ear is an infection of the outer ear canal, occurring mainly during humid, hot weather. It is often brought about by a scratch in the ear canal or by prolonged swimming, causing the ear canal's skin to soften. FDA APPROVES HEPATITIS DRUG: The Food and Drug Administration has approved interferon alfa-2b, the first drug to treat hepatitis B. Two vaccines against the liver desease have been on the market, but no approved treatment existed before last week's approval of Schering Plough Corp.'s genetically engineered drug. Alfa-2b is already used to treat a form of leukemia, hepatitis C and AIDS-linked Kaposi's sarcoma. ANTIBIOTICS LESS COSTLY: Giving all preganant women antibiotics would be cheaper than treating the effects chlamydia, says Judith Lovchik of the University of Maryland. Lovchik found screening and treating infected women in one group saved $228 per patient in post-birth expenses, but giving antibiotics to all saved $2,728 per patient. The disease can cause premature or low-birth weight babies. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON VACCINE: COUNTRIES DON'T WANT TO BE USED: Scientists want to test vaccines in areas where rates of HIV infection are high - such as poor countries in Africa. Such countries want assurances that participants will not be exploited and that, once proven effective, the vaccine will be made cheaply available. Developing countries "are not ready to be used in this exercise," says Stephen K. Lwanga of the Uganda AIDS Commission. DOCTORS IN `CATCH 22': Another problem doctors confront is deciding what sort of HIV prevention education to give participants. Proving the vaccine effective will mean proving that many vaccinated people were exposed to the virus, but not infected. Yet, ethically, researchers must tell people how to avoid exposure. PATIENTS COULD BE STIGMATIZED: People chosen for the trials could also be stigmatized as people at high risk for AIDS, says Carel B. IJsselmuiden of Medical University of Southern Africa. Such a stigma could dampen interest in getting a trial vaccine. It could also keep people from lining up for an approved vaccine. (End of package.) Health Editor: Michele Coleman. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM