Your Health

By Janice M. Horowitz

GOOD NEWS

NO SWEAT Perspire so heavily that you don't dare lift your arm? German researchers have come up with a novel treatment: tiny doses of the botulinum toxin--yes, the same poison that causes botulism--injected directly into the armpits. A dozen or so injections are enough to block the nerves that activate sweat glands, but the treatment works only for those who suffer from truly excessive sweating in a restricted area, such as the armpits or the hands. If you drip sweat from head to toe, better stick with a shower.

BAD NEWS

FRUITY SETBACK Fruits and vegetables are packed with anticancer agents, but don't count on them to prevent breast tumors. A report that pooled the results of eight studies involving 350,000 women found no evidence that eating even the most promising veggies--such as broccoli, kale and carrots--lowers a woman's risk of breast cancer.

SLEEPING SICKNESS Folks who snore and feel drowsy the next day--even after eight hours of sleep--may have problems more serious than just getting a good night's rest. A study finds that snoring sleepyheads are twice as likely to suffer a stroke as ordinary snoozers. How come? The odd sleep patterns may be a sign of sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing briefly stops throughout the night--possibly disrupting blood flow to the brain.

FILL 'ER UP Do you feel unusually short of breath during exercise? It's a classic symptom of congestive heart failure, but you may have a form of the disease doctors barely understand. For years, heart failure was thought to have been caused by the heart's inability to pump blood efficiently. Now a study shows that half of all patients may have a different defect altogether: their hearts don't properly fill up with blood. Doctors still don't know how best to treat the problem, but they do know who is most likely to develop it: hypertensive women over age 65.

--By Janice M. Horowitz

Sources: Good News--New England Journal of Medicine (2/15/01). Bad News--JAMA (2/14/01); American Stroke Assoc. meeting; American Journal of Cardiology (2/16/01)