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Oct 27, 2003 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- COSMETIC SURGERY LEAVES SOME DISAPPOINTED
A study shows satisfaction with cosmetic surgery wanes with time. Researchers found patients who undergo laser resurfacing to help smooth wrinkles become less enamored of the results as time goes by. The Stanford University Medical Center researchers questioned 27 men and women over a 30-month period about their satisfaction with the procedure designed to help smooth wrinkles around the eyes and mouth, minimize scarring from acne and correct sun-damaged skin. Study author Dr. Sonia Batra said the percentage of patients who felt the procedure met their expectations declined over time, from 85 percent within three months of the procedure to a mere 13 percent 30 months later. "There was a perception that rather than reset the clock, the procedure should halt the clock," Batra said. "That was just unrealistic."
TOMORROW'S SENIORS HIP AND FIT
A 15-year study shows tomorrow's seniors will be hip and fit. Case Western Reserve University sociologist Eva Kahana received a $1.68 million grant from the National Institute on Aging to study 800 older Americans. She foresees a generation of computer-savvy senior citizens who will rely on e-mail, digital cameras, computers and other high-tech aids to help them cope with old age. Kahana predicts in the journal Ageing International these "new elderly" also will be more likely than previous generations to enhance their appearances with cosmetic surgery and other methods, keep physically fit and seek self-improvement through education and spiritual growth. "They also are more likely to work past retirement age because they are healthier and living longer," she added.
CANCER PROTEIN SHEDS SECRETS
Scientists say they have discovered how a key cancer protein functions, opening the door to controlling abnormal cell growth in breast malignancies. The Mayo Clinic researchers observed what goes wrong during the growth cycle of certain cells that can lead to inherited forms of breast cancer. Knowing the nature of the biochemical process paves the way to designing drugs that can correct the wayward mechanism to stop cancer, the investigators write in the journal Science. The finding is important because it solves a long-standing cancer mystery: how regulatory mechanisms of the cell-cycle work. The research focuses on the BRCA1 tumor suppressor gene. Growth errors, or mutations, in this gene are associated with nearly half of all inherited breast cancer, researchers said.
ANTI-SMOKING PATCH MAY SLOW MEMORY LOSS
Researchers are studying the safety and effectiveness of using anti-smoking nicotine patches to treat mild cognitive impairment. The condition is thought to be a precursor of Alzheimer's disease. Often difficult to diagnose because of the mild nature of memory changes, MCI is characterized by such symptoms as increased forgetfulness but is not accompanied by the disorientation, confusion and impaired judgment typical of Alzheimer's, doctors say. Studies suggest if left untreated, 12 percent of MCI patients will develop Alzheimer's. "Just like heart disease doesn't start with a heart attack -- it starts with years of cholesterol buildup -- mild cognitive impairment may represent the early stages of memory loss prior to the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease," said Dr. Paul Newhouse, professor of psychiatry and director of the Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit at the University of Vermont College of Medicine.
(Editors: For more information about COSMETIC, contact Ruthann Richter at (650) 725-8047 or richter1@stanford.edu. For SENIORS, Ryan Boekelheide at (952) 346-6234 or rboekelh@webershandwick.com. For CANCER, Robert Nellis at (507) 284-9521 or newsbureau@mayo.edu. For PATCH, Jennifer Nachbur at (802) 656-7875 or jennifer.nachbur@uvm.edu)
Copyright 2003 by United Press International.
