HealthWatch For Sept. 16, 2005

http://www.nbc5.com/health/4984663/detail.html

CHICAGO -- What do jet lag and labor pain have in common? Well, both
may be influenced by our body clocks.

It's well known that biorhythms affect our sleep pattern. Now
doctors at Wake Forest University say they also appear to affect how
much pain women feel during labor.

They say women going through the birthing process at night need up
to 25-percent more epidural pain relief than women undergoing labor
during the day.

They hope their discovery will help doctors when they're deciding
how much pain medicine to give their patients.


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One of the most serious medical conditions for pregnant women is a
sudden increase in blood pressure, called pre-eclampsia.

Now researchers in Norway say there's a genetic link.

Daughters of women who had pre-eclampsia are twice as likely to
experience it themselves.

Even men who's mothers had pre-eclampsia can pass it on to their
daughters.


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A major medical study is showing which women would benefit most from
the new, digital type of mammogram.

Mayo Clinic doctors revealed today that the digital mammograms are
nearly twice as accurate as normal mammograms in younger women.

The researchers say that's because digital mammograms can find
tumors far better in the denser breasts of pre-menopausal women.

The study found no difference in accuracy between the two mammogram
systems in women over 50.


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Treatments for teenage acne include laser therapy and antibiotics.

Now there's evidence that patients who chose laser therapy may avoid
a side effect found with antibiotics.

A study in the Archives of Dermatology indicates that antibiotic
therapy for acne doubles the risk of patients getting respiratory
infections later on.

Doctors believe that's because during long-term treatment with
antibiotics, some drug-resistant bacteria are more likely to infect
the lungs.


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It'sno surprise that the teenage body clock makes it tough to get up
and go to school.

But University of Michigan researchers may have found an answer.

They say students who use a form of acupuncture called acupressure
are more likely to be alert and less fatigued in the morning.

They say, however, that more research is needed to both confirm the
benefit and to see if it actually improves performance in the
classroom.