A. An Effective, Friendlier
Form Of Estrogen
Narrator: This is Science Today. A plant-based
estrogen has been found to prevent osteoporosis
at lower doses than the more commonly prescribed
animal-based estrogens. Harry Genant, director of
the Osteoporosis Research Group at the University
of California, San Francisco says plant-based estrogens
also produced fewer side effects.
Genant: So this was a fairly exciting development
because it presents the opportunity for women to
utilize this form of estrogen at a low dose with
very few side effects and in particular without
troublesome vaginal bleeding or other side effects
such as breast tenderness, headaches, nausea.
Narrator: The majority of these women stop
estrogen therapy because of unpleasant reactions.
Genant: So if one were able to prescribe
a form of estrogen in which the side effects were
really minimal, yet the positive effects on the
skeleton as well as on the cardiovascular system,
then one could anticipate a wider utilization of
estrogen and far superior compliance.
Narrator: For Science Today, I'm Larissa
Branin.
B. A Good Salt That Lowers Blood
Pressure
Narrator: This is Science Today. Some may
find it hard to believe there's actually a good
salt which may lower high blood pressure, one of
the leading causes of stroke. But according to research
by Dr. Curtis Morris of the University of California,
San Francisco, the potassium-rich, chloride-free
salts found in fruits and vegetables, kept blood
pressure down, unlike table salt which contains
chloride.
Morris: Obviously it would be extremely
important to know with larger studies, whether one
could really reduce the likelihood of strokes by
supplementing the dietary intake of potassium, particularly
in people who have already had a stroke, who are
at increased risk of having another stroke.
Narrator: Until then, Morris says early
data suggests people should eat more fruits and
vegetables and learn how to prepare them to maximize
the potassium benefit.
Morris: You're better off if you use fresh
fruits and fresh vegetables that have not been cooked
for a long time. The best thing for vegetables is
to steam them. Prolonged heating, prolonged boiling
tend to cause a leeching of the potassium out of
the vegetables.
Narrator: For Science Today, I'm Larissa
Branin.
C. Giving Doctors Much Needed
Feedback
Narrator: This is Science Today. Researchers
are working to improve a technique called tissue
welding, which with the help of lasers, is a less
invasive way to close a wound without stitches.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researcher
Luis Da Silva says one facet of their work is to
come up with a feedback system to reassure doctors
that their adhesive solder holds up.
Da Silva: We've actually been able to develop
a diagnostic which looks at the temperature of the
solder and by monitoring that is able to kind of
reduce the chances of burning it and has significantly
increased the likelihood of success of a good joint.
Narrator: Da Silva says with this feedback
system, a doctor can shine a light at the joint
and a computer would determine when to turn the
laser off and how to control the temperature.
Da Silva: So, that is the emphasis - building
something that the surgeon can use as a feedback...something
that controls or helps the surgeon in determining
yeah, it's a great solder, the strength as well.
I can walk away from it and be sure it's actually
going to work and not be afraid that it's going
to rupture.
Narrator: Early trials have so far been
very successful. For Science Today, I'm Larissa
Branin.
D. New Hope For Treatment Resistant
Heart Patients
Narrator: This is Science Today. Over seven
million people have angina, a common symptom of
coronary heart disease. While the majority of patients
control these symptoms with medication, cardiologist
Tony Chou of the University of California, San Francisco
says many others seek relief through angioplasty
or bypass surgery.
Chou: As anigoplasties and bypasses have
developed and are reaching their technological limits,
we're really creating this whole population of patients
who can't have angioplasties and bypasses anymore
- they've just exhausted all those possibilities
and they're still having angina.
Narrator: For those patients, there's hope
in the form of a new treatment called enhanced external
counterpulsation. Chou says this device resembles
a giant blood pressure machine.
Chou: It actually squeezes the legs and
the thighs and the calves in a way that it improves
the bloodflow back to the heart during the time
period when the heart is at rest.
Narrator: If you have angina and want to
find out more about this treatment, Chou recommends
consulting your cardiologist. For Science Today,
I'm Larissa Branin.
E. An Easier Way To Test Concrete
Narrator: This is Science Today. Detecting
flaws and failure in concrete structures and highways
is obviously a crucial procedure. Today, diagnostic
tests require using radioactive compounds and must
be viewed under a black light. But researcher Bill
Carey at the Los Alamos National Laboratory has
developed an environmentally friendly test which
can be completed in minutes without any special
viewing techniques.
Carey: We've developed these stains that
are chemically specific and work in normal visible
light. We have two stains - one's a yellow stain
and then we used a pink stain.
Narrator: These stains recognize and highlight
specific gels that form within concrete and lead
to cracks.
Carey: Our next stage is really to put together
a kit which will consist of the stains, a booklet
explaining how they work So it will be sort of a
real hands-on kit that highway people and construction
people can put into practice without having to do
any real significant training at all, just read
through this, look at the samples and compare their
results to the kit.
Narrator: For Science Today, I'm Larissa
Branin.
