| 6/7/00 |
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Dry Mouth May Complicate Medical Conditions, Experts Say Dry mouth is a common side-effect of many prescription drugs, and one that is often thought of as harmless. In reality, dry mouth can be a serious problem, and can lead to cavities, infections and even gum disease. Compounding the problem are patients and doctors who are unaware of the problem. |
| 6/6/00 |
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Bottled, Filtered Or Tap: Which Water Is Healthiest? The debate over water continues, as brands of bottled water begin adding fluoride and minerals. Experts disagree on which type of water is best, bottled, filtered, or just plain tap water. What everyone can agree on is that consumers need to be educated about the water they're drinking. |
| 5/31/00 |
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Growth Hormone, Methotrexate Used to Treat Crohn's Disease An article published in the June 1st issue of The New England Journal of Medicine reports that human growth hormone and methotrexate could be beneficial in treating Crohn's disease. Combined with a high-protein diet, human growth hormone reduced symptoms in Crohn's patients, and also curtailed the need for steroids or immunossupressants. In the methotrexate study, 65% of patients taking the drug continued in remission, compared to 39% of the placebo patients. Researchers indicate that more study is needed to determine the long term effects of both drugs. |
| 5/24/00 |
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New Capsule Endoscope Developed in the UK Researches in the UK have developed a camera small enough to be swallowed that can will take pictures of the digestive tract. The camera sends a radio signal to a recorder that is strapped to the patient's waist. The main advantages are that it's completely painless, and patients can avoid a hospital stay. The camera can take up to 6 hours of images. Relatives of Colon Cancer Patients Need Screening People whose relatives have had colon cancer are not getting screened. In fact, about one third of them don't even realize they are at increased risk. A study on 1,266 individuals found that providing education about colon cancer prompted more of them to get screened. |
| 4/4/00 |
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Father's use of bowel drug linked to pregnancy disorders A study in the March issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology reported that men who take the immunosuppressive 6-MP in the three months prior to conception have a greater risk of fathering babies with birth defects. The rate of birth defects was found to be 15.3%, which is significantly higher than the 3% found in the general population. |
