http://www.kentucky.com/147/index.xml News, sports, and entertainment from Kentucky.com en-us Copyright 2008 Kentucky.com Health and Family 60 Sat, 17 May 2008 04:18:57 EDT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss McClatchy Interactive's Workbench webmaster@kentucky.com http://www.kentucky.com/148/story/407570.html http://www.kentucky.com/148/story/407570.html Sat, 17 May 2008 02:04 EDT
A health fair focusing on Alzheimer's disease will be held at Second Presbyterian Church from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Sponsored by the University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, UK HealthCare Clinical Research Development and Operations Center and the Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, the fair is free and open to the public. There will be free memory screenings, free lunches and door prizes, as well as opportunities to learn about normal healthy brain aging, respecting and interacting with a person who has Alzheimer's disease, and identifying community resources. Interactive exhibit booths will be on site and information about research opportunities.

Second Presbyterian is at Main and Ransom streets.

WARNING FOR TRANSPLANT DRUGS ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/148/story/407569.html http://www.kentucky.com/148/story/407569.html Sat, 17 May 2008 02:04 EDT
Mastectomies were standard treatment until 1990, when studies showed that women whose cancers were small and confined to the breast did just as well if they had less radical surgery followed by radiation. That set a trend of more women choosing breast-conserving treatment.

Now, a study of about 5,500 women at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., shows that mastectomies are on the rise. Doctors say there are signs this is happening elsewhere around the country, too.

"We really don't have a lot of data on why," said Dr. Julie Gralow, a cancer specialist at the University of Washington in Seattle. However, she said, it may be that newer tests like MRI scans are finding more cancers, or flagging so many suspicious spots that women want the breast removed just for peace of mind.

The study was released Thursday by the American Society of Clinical Oncology and will be presented at the group's annual meeting later this month.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/148/story/407535.html http://www.kentucky.com/148/story/407535.html Sat, 17 May 2008 02:04 EDT
It was the first test of these two highly targeted drugs, Herceptin and Tykerb. Both aim at a protein called HER-2/neu that is made in abnormally large quantities in about one-fourth of all breast cancers. Herceptin blocks the protein on the cell's surface; Tykerb does it inside the cell.

In the study, women getting the combo survived 12 weeks without their cancer worsening compared with eight weeks for those receiving Tykerb alone.

"Really blocking that pathway is an effective strategy. This gives us a new treatment option for patients," said Dr. Joyce O'Shaughnessy of Baylor-Sammons Cancer Center in Dallas.

She led the study and has consulted in the past for its sponsor, British-based GlaxoSmithKline PLC, which makes Tykerb. California-based Genentech and Swiss-based Roche Holding AG market Herceptin.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/148/story/406514.html http://www.kentucky.com/148/story/406514.html Fri, 16 May 2008 02:05 EDT
People 60 and older should get a one-time shingles shot that can help prevent the painful rash, U.S. health officials are recommending.

There's a 50-50 chance the shot will prevent shingles for those 60 and up, though the odds get worse the older you get. But shingles can be severe for some people, and the government believes it's worth the cost, $160 per dose.

Caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, shingles is a blistering skin rash most common in older people. It usually ends after four weeks, but one in five victims develops long-term nerve pain. Other complications include scarring and loss of vision or hearing.

As many as one in three infected people develop shingles later in life.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/148/story/406513.html http://www.kentucky.com/148/story/406513.html Fri, 16 May 2008 02:05 EDT
The results are sure to renew arguments about whether a little more sunshine is a good thing.

The skin makes vitamin D from ultraviolet light. Too much sunlight can raise the risk of skin cancer, but small amounts, 15 minutes or so a few times a week without sunscreen, may be beneficial, many doctors believe.

While the vitamin is found in certain foods and supplements, most don't contain the best form, D-3, and they have but a modest effect on blood levels of the nutrient. That's what matters, the Canadian study found.

Only 24 percent of women in the study had sufficient blood levels of D at the time they were first diagnosed with breast cancer. Those who were deficient were nearly twice as likely to have their cancer recur or spread over the next 10 years, and 73 percent more likely to die of the disease.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/148/story/405403.html http://www.kentucky.com/148/story/405403.html Thu, 15 May 2008 02:04 EDT
Middle-aged women have long been advised to get active to lower their risk of breast cancer after menopause.

What's new: That starting so young pays off, too.

"This really points to the benefit of sustained physical activity from adolescence through the adult years, to get the maximum benefit," said Dr. Graham Colditz of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the study's lead author.

Researchers tracked nearly 65,000 nurses ages 24 to 42 who enrolled in a major health study. They answered detailed questionnaires about their physical activity dating back to age 12. Within six years of enrolling, 550 were diagnosed with breast cancer before menopause. A quarter of all breast cancer is diagnosed at these younger ages, when it's typically more aggressive.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/148/story/405404.html http://www.kentucky.com/148/story/405404.html Thu, 15 May 2008 08:43 EDT
If you didn't get a Presidential Physical Fitness Award in school, the government is giving you another chance to prove you're in shape.

An adult fitness test is being introduced Tuesday by the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. It will incorporate several of the exercises that millions of students undertake each year as they aim for a certificate signed by the president.

The test involves three basic components: aerobic fitness, muscular strength and flexibility. The test is for people 18 and older who are in good health.

The aerobic component of the tests consists of a one-mile walk or 1.5-mile run.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/148/story/404251.html http://www.kentucky.com/148/story/404251.html Wed, 14 May 2008 02:06 EDT
The most widely used drugs are those to lower high blood pressure and cholesterol -- problems often linked to heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

The numbers were gathered last year by Medco Health Solutions Inc., which manages prescription benefits for about one in five Americans.

Experts say the data reflect not just worsening public health but better medicines for chronic conditions and more aggressive treatment by doctors.

In addition, there is the pharmaceutical industry's relentless advertising. With those factors unlikely to change, doctors say the proportion of Americans on chronic medications can only grow.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/148/story/403168.html http://www.kentucky.com/148/story/403168.html Tue, 13 May 2008 02:03 EDT
Cincinnati doctors are experimenting with texting to tackle a big problem: Tweens and teens too often do a poor job of controlling chronic illnesses such as asthma, diabetes or kidney disease.

It's a problem long recognized in adults, particularly for illnesses that can simmer without obvious symptoms until it's too late. But only now are doctors realizing how tricky a time adolescence is for skipping medicines, too.

Of necessity, parents start turning over more health responsibilities to their children at this age. It's also an age of angst, sometimes rebellion, and when youths might most hate feeling different from their friends because of medication, special diets or other therapy.

"It's a time of so much change in these kids' lives," says Dr. Marva Moxey-Mims, a specialist in pediatric kidney disease at the National Institutes of Health. "It's very difficult when you've got a life-threatening illness to say, 'Let them make their mistakes.'"]]> http://www.kentucky.com/148/story/403167.html http://www.kentucky.com/148/story/403167.html Tue, 13 May 2008 02:03 EDT
Parents claiming that childhood vaccines cause autism should not be rewarded by the courts when the scientific community has already rejected any link, government lawyers argued Monday on the first day of a hearing in federal court in Washington.

Overall, nearly 4,900 families have filed claims with the U.S. Court of Claims alleging that vaccines caused autism and other neurological problems in their children. Lawyers for the families are presenting three different theories of how vaccines caused autism. The theory at issue Monday was whether vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal caused autism.

Lynn Ricciardella, a Justice Department lawyer, said that theory has not moved beyond the realm of speculation. She said the Institute of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have rejected any link between thimerosal and autism.

"There is no scientific debate," Ricciardella said. "The debate is over."]]> http://www.kentucky.com/512/story/407160.html http://www.kentucky.com/512/story/407160.html Fri, 16 May 2008 19:15 EDT
Explorer Ferdinand Magellan encountered fair weather on Nov. 28, 1520, after days of battle through the rough waters south of South America. From there his passage across the Pacific Ocean may have been eased by the calming effects of El Nino, researchers speculate in a new study.

When an El Nino occurs, the waters of the Equatorial Pacific become warmer than normal, creating rising air that changes wind and weather patterns. The effects can be worldwide, including drought in the western Pacific and more rain in Peru and the west coast of South America.

Tree ring data indicate that an El Nino was occurring in 1519 and 1520 and may even have begun in 1518.

After passing through the strait later named for him, Magellan sailed north along the South American coast and then turned northwest, crossing the equator and eventually arriving at the Philippines, where he was killed in a battle with natives.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/512/story/407232.html http://www.kentucky.com/512/story/407232.html Fri, 16 May 2008 19:15 EDT
How long can people survive trapped under piles of rubble?

A week or more under the best circumstances, some experts say. That means the victim isn't seriously hurt, was in good condition to begin with and the weather isn't too hot or too cold.

Survival can depend on all of those things.

"The stronger the person was prior to being trapped or injured, the better the chances for survival," said Dr. Paul Auerbach, who teaches emergency medicine at Stanford School of Medicine and is the editor of a book on wilderness medicine.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/512/story/407234.html http://www.kentucky.com/512/story/407234.html Fri, 16 May 2008 20:44 EDT
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was contacted by state health officials earlier this year after two people treated at the now-closed Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada were diagnosed with hepatitis C.

Officials have linked 84 cases of the liver disease to the clinic after notifying 50,000 patients of the clinic to be tested.

CDC investigators said in a report to the Nevada State Health Division that during visits to the clinic, they saw employees reusing syringes to give a sedative and that interviews suggested it was common practice.

"This was considered the most likely mode of transmission," the report said.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/512/story/406658.html http://www.kentucky.com/512/story/406658.html Fri, 16 May 2008 20:44 EDT
That's one of the mysteries solved in this edition of "Ask AP," a weekly Q&A column where AP journalists respond to readers' questions about the news.

If you have your own news-related question that you'd like to see answered by an AP reporter or editor, send it to newsquestions@ap.org, with "Ask AP" in the subject line. And please include your full name and hometown so they can be published with your question.

---

What oil companies, if any, do not import oil? I would buy from them alone if I knew who they were.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/512/story/406333.html http://www.kentucky.com/512/story/406333.html Fri, 16 May 2008 19:15 EDT
The skin makes vitamin D from ultraviolet light. Too much sunlight can raise the risk of skin cancer, but small amounts - 15 minutes or so a few times a week without sunscreen - may be beneficial, many doctors believe.

While the vitamin is found in certain foods and supplements, most don't contain the best form, D-3, and have only a modest effect on blood levels of the nutrient. That's what matters, the Canadian study found.

Only 24 percent of women in the study had sufficient blood levels of D at the time they were first diagnosed with breast cancer. Those who were deficient were nearly twice as likely to have their cancer recur or spread over the next 10 years, and 73 percent more likely to die of the disease.

"These are pretty big differences," said study leader Dr. Pamela Goodwin of Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. "It's the first time that vitamin D has been linked to breast cancer progression."]]> http://www.kentucky.com/512/story/406900.html http://www.kentucky.com/512/story/406900.html Fri, 16 May 2008 17:59 EDT
The Food and Drug Administration last October said it received reports of miscarriages and infants born with ear and mouth birth defects after their mothers took Roche's CellCept. At the time, FDA added its most serious warning to CellCept and a similar Novartis AG drug, Myfortic.

FDA spokesman Christopher Kelly said the agency has not received any new reports of pregnancy-related problems, but was concerned some doctors may not have seen the initial warning.

CellCept and Myfortic are used to suppress the body's immune system to avoid organ rejection in transplant patients.

In a notice posted online Friday, FDA said that before prescribing the drugs doctors should confirm their transplant patients are not pregnant, and are using effective contraception.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/512/story/407163.html http://www.kentucky.com/512/story/407163.html Fri, 16 May 2008 17:29 EDT
"The public does not yet know much about nitrogen, but in many ways it is as big an issue as carbon, and due to the interactions of nitrogen and carbon, makes the challenge of providing food and energy to the world's peoples without harming the global environment a tremendous challenge," University of Virginia environmental sciences professor James Galloway said in a statement.

"We are accumulating reactive nitrogen in the environment at alarming rates, and this may prove to be as serious as putting carbon dioxide in the atmosphere," said Galloway, author of a paper and co-author of a second on the topic in Friday's issue of the journal Science.

While nitrogen alone is inert and harmless, reactive nitrogen compounds - such as ammonia - have been released by its use in nitrogen-based fertilizers and the large-scale burning of fossil fuels.

Various forms of nitrogen contribute to greenhouse warming, smog, haze, acid rain dead zones with little or no life along the coasts, and depletion of the ozone layer in the stratosphere, the researchers concluded.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/512/story/406450.html http://www.kentucky.com/512/story/406450.html Fri, 16 May 2008 19:19 EDT
It was the first test of these two highly targeted drugs, Herceptin and Tykerb. Both aim at a protein called HER-2/neu that is made in abnormally large quantities in about one-fourth of all breast cancers. Herceptin blocks the protein on the cell's surface; Tykerb does it inside the cell.

In the study, women getting the combo survived 12 weeks without their cancer worsening compared to eight weeks for those receiving Tykerb alone.

"Really blocking that pathway is an effective strategy. This gives us a new treatment option for patients," said Dr. Joyce O'Shaughnessy of Baylor-Sammons Cancer Center in Dallas.

She led the study and has consulted in the past for its sponsor, British-based GlaxoSmithKline PLC, which makes Tykerb. California-based Genentech and Swiss-based Roche Holding AG market Herceptin.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/512/story/407027.html http://www.kentucky.com/512/story/407027.html Fri, 16 May 2008 20:24 EDT
Hope Food Supply Inc.'s products were distributed nationwide. The FDA this week directed the company to close until it has implemented the right plan to identify all food safety hazards and preventive measures to control risks. Hope Food Supply declined to comment when reached by telephone.

For more information, consumers can call the FDA at 888-723-3366. To report adverse reactions or other problems, visit http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html.

-Medicis has announced it is recalling the antibiotic Solodyn (lot numbers B08037 and B080038, both expiring 12/09) extended release tablets 90 milligrams, 30-count bottles. The company has learned that one bottle contains Azasin (azathioprine) tablets used in kidney transplant patients to prevent rejection and for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Taking Azasan instead of Solodyn can present a safety risk to patients. Side effects associated with the use of Azasan, particularly in the elderly, include bleeding, chills, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Anyone with questions about the recall should call 1-888-656-6381 from Monday through Friday. Those with medical questions or those who want to report an adverse event should call Medicis at 1-800-900-6389.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/512/story/407227.html http://www.kentucky.com/512/story/407227.html Fri, 16 May 2008 18:19 EDT
The three men aboard the space station monitored everything from inside. Russian and U.S. space officials said the docking went smoothly.

The unmanned Progress cargo ship blasted off from Kazakhstan two days earlier.

Space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to lift off May 31 with an even bigger delivery for the space station: a massive laboratory from Japan named Kibo, which means "hope."

Two Russian cosmonauts and one U.S. astronaut are living at the orbiting complex.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/396446.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/396446.html Tue, 06 May 2008 09:43 EDT
Our mental health determines how we view the world around us, how we think, feel and react, and it affects the choices we make.

For adults who have had time to live with good mental health, mental illness might be easier to perceive.

But children often don't know when they have a mental illness. It is up to parents, teachers, professionals and other adults to discern that for them.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This week is Children's Mental Health Awareness Week, and Thursday is Children's Mental Health Awareness Day. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/396448.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/396448.html Wed, 07 May 2008 10:24 EDT
Warning: If you have an aversion to your body's waste, don't read any further.

However, your stool can tell you a lot about your diet and health. And who better to tell us a bit about our poo than Dr. Anish Sheth, a gastro.enterology fellow at the Yale School of Medicine and co-author of What's Your Poo Telling You? (Chronicle Books, $9.95). Here are a few diet scenarios and how they affect your poo:

Anti-diet: white toast, no fruits or veggies (no fiber)

A lack of fiber causes infrequent, hard stools that require straining during defecation. Fiber, in .insoluble and soluble forms, is vital to soften the stool and aid in its effortless passage through the GI tract. Low-fiber diets produce dry, pebbly stools and, in severe cases, can result in fecal impaction . in which stool forms a rock-hard plug that prohibits passage of any stool at all. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/396845.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/396845.html Tue, 06 May 2008 09:51 EDT
Question: I am a woman, 73, with type 2 diabetes. My doctor has .prescribed fenofibrate and .simvastatin.

Your recent column cautioned about possible muscle damage with this combination. I suffer from .arthritis, and I have a bad back and lots of joint pain, so how am I to distinguish between the pains? I have not had the additional blood work that was ordered and have not started on the above drugs yet. I would appreciate your opinion. (I currently take metformin, metoprolol and hydrochlorothiazide.)

Answer: Based on the drugs you mention, you appear to have mixed hyperlipidemia (high LDL .cholesterol and high triglycerides).

Fenofibrate reduces triglycerides, and simvastatin is a statin drug that reduces LDL cholesterol (the bad kind). ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/390068.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/390068.html Tue, 29 Apr 2008 09:13 EDT http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/389658.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/389658.html Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:54 EDT
Several news agencies are wondering aloud whether last week's Pennsylvania primary was a harbinger of the demise of the Democratic Party if Sen. Barack Obama were to be its presidential nominee.

All of the focus has been on Obama not carrying the Reagan Democrats or blue-collar white voters.

Polls showed that Obama lost white voters without college degrees by 44 points in Ohio and 42 points in Pennsylvania. Those blue collar voters, historically, are the bread and butter of the Dem.ocratic base, although in recent years that demographic has voted Republican.

Without them, Obama can't win, according to pundits and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/390146.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/390146.html Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:54 EDT
Question: My cholesterol numbers: total cholesterol, 125; LDL, 69; HDL, 32; and triglycerides, 119. My liver enzymes have been slightly high for years, and I recently was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Is there a safe, effective way to increase my HDL through specific foods or .supplements?

Answer: Most people would gladly take those lipid numbers and run. They are very good except for the HDL level of 32, which is lower than the recommended minimum of 40.

HDL cholesterol (the good kind) is the type you want more of because it helps mop up cholesterol that might otherwise find its way into artery-narrowing plaque.

Women tend to have a higher HDL than men. The average in women is 55 and in men 45. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/382910.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/382910.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:06 EDT
It's a brave girl who will let herself be photographed without makeup. Yet three already beautiful teenagers (and members of the Herald-Leader Teen Board) agreed to give their faces a good scrub at 7 a.m. and show up ready to face the cameras.

Then makeup artist Leigh-Ann Mims went to work, using mainly MAC cosmetics to softly sculpt a look that whispered .barely there but better..

It was fresh faces all around. Which is exactly what spring requires. Gone is the uneven skin tone of winter. Gone, too, the dry skin, the tired eyes and the lackluster lips.

The look takes no time and just a little trouble. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/382911.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/382911.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:58 EDT
Susan Burgess Laux looks .normal..

She wears normal-looking clothes and shoes, and her hair is beautifully cut and maintained.

There are no torn jeans, no hair going every which way, no tie-dyed T-shirt . images we are given to conjure up when thinking of people passionate about saving the Earth.

Nothing about Laux, the owner of The Woodlands Salon, would indicate that she long ago embraced our need to treat the Earth better so that it would be here much longer. She's been a cosmetologist for more than 30 years and has been environmentally concerned for most of that time. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/383403.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/383403.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:59 EDT
Question: I recently heard that tanning beds might be safer than previously thought and that they promote health by stimulating vitamin D production. Can you comment?

Answer: The source for your information seems to be a recent ad campaign sponsored by a trade group representing the indoor .tanning industry.

In general, advertisements and other information provided by special-interest groups should be taken with a grain of salt.

First, let's get our bearings. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/382912.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/382912.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:59 EDT
The stock market roller coaster, the housing crisis, the dreaded .R. word . it's stressful out there. Where can we turn? How about comfort foods? Unfortunately most comfort foods are notoriously high in calories. Knowing that, we thought it would be helpful to reach out to a few foodies and chefs to find several tasty, low-calorie comfort food recipes.

This healthy recipe is by Lisa Lillien of Hungry Girl (www.Hungry-Girl.com) and author of Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World (St. Martin's Griffin, April 29, 2008)

Kickin' chicken pot pie

8 ounces raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/376328.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/376328.html Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:20 EDT
A policeman and a kid in a diner having a chat. Tell people it's called The Runaway .

Lots of ideas come to mind if you've just got that to go on. But put on the red knapsack nearby and figure it's 1958 and you'll know that you are seeing this cop and this kid and this diner through the bespectacled eyes of American artist Norman Rockwell.

But if you're in fifth grade right now, you probably don't.

Because 1958 might as well be 1492 and Norman Rockwell could very well be Kid Rock's dad, for all you know. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/376327.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/376327.html Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:36 EDT
Something comes over me in the spring that compels me to dig in dirt and to plant and transplant things and throw mulch wherever I can.

I know. My family thinks I'm crazy, too. It's beyond my control.

Recently I've even been scouring the classifieds and car lots looking for a small truck that doesn't cost more than I've saved for my last child's college fund just so I can go get mulch when I need to and have it on hand. My husband hasn't filed for divorce yet . that I know of.

This overwhelming urge to garden has been with me as long as I can remember, but once I left home, there was a decade in which I could only dig at the roots of a small houseplant. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/376326.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/376326.html Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:36 EDT
Question: My doctor prescribed pills for an allergic reaction. Afterwards, I found out they were steroids. With all the news about athletes taking steroids and the harm they can cause, should I be worried? I only took them for seven days.

Answer: Your pills appear to be corticosteroids, probably prednisone or prednisolone. Corticosteroids are used for their anti-inflammatory effects and are different from the steroids used to enhance athletic performance, so don't be worried.

The latter are called anabolic steroids. They build muscle and strength and appear to be widely abused by both elite athletes and teenage wannabes who use them in pill or injectable form.

Recent congressional hearings focusing on anabolic steroid use in major league baseball grabbed media headlines, so let's look more closely at these drugs. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/369451.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/369451.html Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:55 EDT
Twice a year, women who might not be able to afford it otherwise are invited to have mammograms and Pap tests done by the professionals at the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.

The next testing day is April 26.

The screenings are for women, especially those older than 40 who are uninsured and underinsured, so they will not have to forgo the annual exam that might allow early intervention and treatment for breast and cervical cancer.

You don't even have to be from Fayette County to get the free exam. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/369454.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/369454.html Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:17 EDT
Before I started elementary school, my mother worked part-time as a domestic, cooking and cleaning for rich folk, as we called them.

Whenever a family didn't want a young child in their house, my mother would send me to her sister's house down the street.

Aunt Clara Mae was a vibrant woman when I first started staying with her, but eventually she slowed down tremendously.

Part of the reason was injuries from an accident, but another was diabetes. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/369453.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/369453.html Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:27 EDT
Even the most well-intentioned parents can have a hard time understanding how school systems work. To help, we are answering some often-asked questions. This is our second installment. For information about the previous topic and to suggest a topic for us to write about in the future, go to our new Web site, www.bluegrassmoms.com.

Question: What is the .primary talent pool?

Answer: It's a group of students who show the potential to perform at exceptionally high levels. They receive extra enrichment to help them achieve their potential.

These students generally represent about 25 percent of the total talent pool. Once children are in the primary talent pool, they should not be removed. School districts are not required to let parents know their child is in the primary talent pool. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/369452.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/369452.html Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:25 EDT
Question: My husband, who is 69, was taking a statin drug to lower his cholesterol but had to discontinue it because of muscle pains. I know other people who have experienced similar problems. How .common is this?

Answer: One estimate is that muscle pain (myalgia) occurs in 1 to 5 percent of those on statin drugs. Some sources place it higher. .Related muscle symptoms can include weakness, .tenderness or soreness.

Statins are the most .effective cholesterol-lowering drugs. They include lovastatin (Mevacor), simvastatin (Zocor), pravastatin (Pravachol), fluvastatin (Lescol), atorvastatin (Lipitor) and rosuvastatin (Crestor).

Having statin-related muscle symptoms doesn't necessarily mean the drug must be stopped. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/362615.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/362615.html Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:39 EDT
Guys, we have a few words for you: Man up and grab yourself a feather duster.

It's spring, and that fine veneer of Coors, pepperoni grease and dog fur on the coffee table isn't going to unpeel itself.



Admit it, fellas: You want a house that looks like one of those upscale home magazines . full of gleaming, uncluttered surfaces and gently .blowing curtains and artfully .arranged fresh fruit. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/362618.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/362618.html Wed, 02 Apr 2008 07:27 EDT
The bad news is that the Sister Study, which is seeking 50,000 sisters of women who have had breast cancer, is still looking for participants.

The good news is that statement won't be true much longer.

The study, which I wrote about in June 2006, and which one of my co-workers has been accepted into, is seeking volunteers who will be observed now and again over a 10-year period to determine if the shared environments, genetics and life experiences of sisters can help identify types of and treatments for breast cancer.

As of today, however, the participants accepted into the National Institute of Environmental Health Science study will be limited to women of color ages 35 to 74, and white women with a high school education or lower, and white women ages 65 to 74. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/362620.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/362620.html Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:39 EDT
SAN MATEO, Calif. . Shea Kelly is raising two fast-growing babies. One is her 26-month-old daughter, Marissa, the focal point of Kelly's life since her adoption in January 2006. The other is Chez Shea Baby LLC, her baby-products company responsible for what she hopes is the next big thing in baby bibs, DaBib.

With sales growing in the United States and as far away as the United Kingdom and Australia, DaBib's innovative design is catching on with relieved parents. Kelly already has several famous clients, some of whom received the new bibsin September at the Emmy Awards, where she spent $3,000 for a booth.

.This provides an elegant solution to parents,. the Massachusetts native said of her creation. .It's hard to imagine a more common activity than feeding your kid, and why hasn't somebody bothered to just make it right?.

Her first product has earned an iParenting Media Award, a product-evaluation-and-testing designation provided by iParenting.com, a Disney Internet Group media property. She was selected last August out of thousands of applicants in the feeding category. She launched the brand in October. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/362617.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/362617.html Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:28 EDT
Question: I'm 48 and recently had shingles. My doctor says she's seeing more cases of shingles in younger adults. Many of my friends had shingles or had a close friend or relative in their age group (40s to early 50s) who had it.

My doctor hypothesized that, with children being given the chickenpox .vaccine, shingles is erupting in a younger population. Why would that be?

Also, I would like to get the Zostavax shingles .vaccination to prevent further outbreaks. Why is it available only for people older than 60?

Answer: Shingles is caused by the chickenpox virus. After you've had chickenpox, the virus lies dormant in nerve pathways. Later in life it can reawaken painfully as shingles. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/362616.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/362616.html Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:39 EDT
In what some are calling an important breakthrough, scientists studying historical research have noted several quizzical physical symptoms in human beings that might lead to a widespread diagnosis for many Americans.

The conditions seem to affect nearly every system of the body, and grouped together elicit a collection of strange statistics.

Answer the following questionnaire to see whether you might be included in the diagnosis facing a majority of Americans.

1. You suspect that you blink frequently, up to 16 times a minute. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/356128.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/356128.html Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:55 EDT
Peer pressure, first love, suicide, drinking and driving, and the power of friends and family are all topics addressed in books by Sharon M. Draper.

The issues are what kids talk about with each other and are passionate about, she said.

.Kids like my books because I don't preach to them,. Draper said. .They like that it's on their level. . I don't talk down to them..

Draper, who lives in Cincinnati and has taught high school English for 25 years, is passionate about teaching and writing. The National Teacher of the Year in 1997, she is a prolific author and is a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Literary Award. Her book Copper Sun is currently on The New York Times' children's paperback best-seller list. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/356129.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/356129.html Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:16 EDT
For those of us short on attention spans but long on intentions, the Lexington Public Library downtown is where we should be on Saturday evening.

Lunafest, a collection of nine international short films made by women, will make its first appearance in Lexington. It tours throughout the United States and Canada from October through May.

The films .range in length from one minute to 19 minutes,. Lois .Kleffman, research and .communications coordinator for the Kentucky Environmental Foundation in Berea, said of the films. .There is a wide range of .topics, and some are .animated..

Despite being by, for or about women, the films are .not all issue-driven,. .Kleffman said. .Some are whimsical, and all are quite lovely and memorable.. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/356127.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/356127.html Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:17 EDT
Question: After reading about problems with Vytorin, is it safe to take, or is it true that this drug might cause a stroke?

Answer: The media blitz .surrounding a recent clinical study has generated much misinformation. There was no evidence that Vytorin causes strokes or is unsafe. The .clinical study compared Vytorin to Zocor. Vytorin is a combination product containing simvastatin and ezetimibe. Zocor contains simvastatin alone. (Ezetimibe alone is available as Zetia.)

Simvastatin and ezetimibe lower cholesterol in different ways. The combination lowers cholesterol more than either drug alone. Researchers wanted to find out whether the simvastatin-ezetimibe combination worked better than simvastatin alone in slowing artery-clogging plaque buildup.

It might seem like a no-brainer: The product that lowers cholesterol the most should be better at .preventing plaque. The result: Vytorin didn't work any better than Zocor on plaque. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/350046.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/350046.html Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:56 EDT
Her advice: Find a workout you really enjoy and just do it. Running burns mega calories for those who regularly hit the road or treadmill. But it doesn’t help much if you can’t bring yourself to lace up your running shoes. To jump-start an exercise routine, Knapen has come up with two of her favorite moves. They might stir up images of your high school gym class, but the addition of weights for one of them should speed up results. By the time summer arrives, you just might be able to fit into your bikini. Or at least not be too embarrassed to be seen on the beach or at the poolside.

Push-ups

What it works: Entire body. A Knapen favorite.

What to remember: Suck in your stomach and don’t arch your back. Do as many as you can. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/350048.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/350048.html Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:32 EDT
At 33, I really thought the country had come a long way in recognizing that a woman could be a man’s equal given the chance.

And Ferraro, a U.S. representative from New York, was the manifestation of that idea. If she were accepted as second in command of our country, the door would be open for women to achieve leadership roles in other areas as well, I hoped.

Then came the controversies about her husband’s tax returns and about Barbara Bush describing Ferraro as “a word that rhymes with rich.”

None of that dampened my admiration. In fact, I loved Ferraro’s willingness to speak her mind about political issues of the day and her refusal to back down in a debate with George Bush the elder, her Republican counterpart.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/350055.html http://www.kentucky.com/149/story/350055.html Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:36 EDT
Answer: Activella is an estradiol-norethindrone combination prescribed for menopausal symptoms. Estradiol is the estrogen component. Natural compounds in grapefruit block enzymes that normally break down estrogen and certain other drugs for removal from the body.

Most clinical sources rate the grapefruit-estrogen interaction as relatively minor. However, I’d be wary of this combination. That’s because estrogen taken orally has high first-pass metabolism. This means that most of the drug is broken down in the gut and liver before it reaches the general blood circulation. The recommended dose of estrogen takes this into account.

Grapefruit inhibits drug breakdown in the gut and liver, so it tends to have a more pronounced effect on such drugs. The result is that higher-than-expected amounts of drug make it into the bloodstream. It’s similar to taking an excessive dose.

Increased blood levels of estrogen could boost the risk of harmful blood clots and other adverse effects.

That’s why it’s best to use the lowest effective dose of estrogen.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/402865.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/402865.html Tue, 13 May 2008 08:37 EDT
The key to keeping a healthy mind is much the same as keeping a healthy body . stay active and eat healthy foods.

The best way to take care of your brain will be explored during the Science and Care Health Fair on Saturday and will include information about communicating with a person with Alzheimer's.

The free event will include memory screenings, an opportunity to learn about normal healthy brain aging, strategies for respectful interaction with people with Alzheimer's, and information about identifying community resources. A free lunch will be served, and those attending will have a chance to win door prizes.

The fair is sponsored by the University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, UK Healthcare Clinical Research Development and Operations Center, and Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/402863.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/402863.html Tue, 13 May 2008 08:44 EDT
Question: My teenage son and his buddies are into energy drinks like Red Bull. How do they work? Are they safe?

Answer: The caffeine content of these products gives you a .buzz.. They are promoted to fight fatigue and increase alertness, concentration and reaction speed.

Caffeine is the stimulant present in coffee, tea and some soft drinks.

Chocolate contains a caffeine cousin. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/402868.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/402868.html Mon, 12 May 2008 19:36 EDT
NEW YORK . All of the .philosophies in the latest bunch of diet books promise to help you shed the winter weight.

Here are some of the new titles, their plans and some perspective from Dawn Jackson Blatner, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

. The Alternate-Day Diet by Dr. James B. Johnson with Dr. Donald R. Laub Sr. (Putnam Adult, $22.95).

The plan: Diet every other day. During the two-week induction phase, dieters limit calories to about 500 on down days, then eat whatever they want on off days. You can then increase the down-day calories to about 25 or 35 percent of normal caloric intake. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/396447.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/396447.html Tue, 06 May 2008 09:26 EDT
Pitch a tent, invite 1,500 or so of your friends, and voil.: Derby party. That's the way Bill Morgan has been doing it since 1972. But it didn't start out quite so big.

While Morgan was a student at the University of Kentucky, he decided to throw a party for his friends who couldn't afford the exclusive Derby parties. The Poor Man's Harlan County Derby Eve Party was born.

Now it's the biggest party of them all.

And just like the more expensive parties, this bash is for .charity. .Morgan, wife Elizabeth Morgan, brother Bryan Morgan and friend James .Smitty. Jones . a onetime maitre'd at Columbia's Steak House on North Limestone . were the hosts. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/396446.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/396446.html Tue, 06 May 2008 09:43 EDT
Our mental health determines how we view the world around us, how we think, feel and react, and it affects the choices we make.

For adults who have had time to live with good mental health, mental illness might be easier to perceive.

But children often don't know when they have a mental illness. It is up to parents, teachers, professionals and other adults to discern that for them.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This week is Children's Mental Health Awareness Week, and Thursday is Children's Mental Health Awareness Day. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/396845.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/396845.html Tue, 06 May 2008 09:51 EDT
Question: I am a woman, 73, with type 2 diabetes. My doctor has .prescribed fenofibrate and .simvastatin.

Your recent column cautioned about possible muscle damage with this combination. I suffer from .arthritis, and I have a bad back and lots of joint pain, so how am I to distinguish between the pains? I have not had the additional blood work that was ordered and have not started on the above drugs yet. I would appreciate your opinion. (I currently take metformin, metoprolol and hydrochlorothiazide.)

Answer: Based on the drugs you mention, you appear to have mixed hyperlipidemia (high LDL .cholesterol and high triglycerides).

Fenofibrate reduces triglycerides, and simvastatin is a statin drug that reduces LDL cholesterol (the bad kind). ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/396448.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/396448.html Wed, 07 May 2008 10:24 EDT
Warning: If you have an aversion to your body's waste, don't read any further.

However, your stool can tell you a lot about your diet and health. And who better to tell us a bit about our poo than Dr. Anish Sheth, a gastro.enterology fellow at the Yale School of Medicine and co-author of What's Your Poo Telling You? (Chronicle Books, $9.95). Here are a few diet scenarios and how they affect your poo:

Anti-diet: white toast, no fruits or veggies (no fiber)

A lack of fiber causes infrequent, hard stools that require straining during defecation. Fiber, in .insoluble and soluble forms, is vital to soften the stool and aid in its effortless passage through the GI tract. Low-fiber diets produce dry, pebbly stools and, in severe cases, can result in fecal impaction . in which stool forms a rock-hard plug that prohibits passage of any stool at all. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/382910.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/382910.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:06 EDT
It's a brave girl who will let herself be photographed without makeup. Yet three already beautiful teenagers (and members of the Herald-Leader Teen Board) agreed to give their faces a good scrub at 7 a.m. and show up ready to face the cameras.

Then makeup artist Leigh-Ann Mims went to work, using mainly MAC cosmetics to softly sculpt a look that whispered .barely there but better..

It was fresh faces all around. Which is exactly what spring requires. Gone is the uneven skin tone of winter. Gone, too, the dry skin, the tired eyes and the lackluster lips.

The look takes no time and just a little trouble. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/389658.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/389658.html Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:54 EDT
Several news agencies are wondering aloud whether last week's Pennsylvania primary was a harbinger of the demise of the Democratic Party if Sen. Barack Obama were to be its presidential nominee.

All of the focus has been on Obama not carrying the Reagan Democrats or blue-collar white voters.

Polls showed that Obama lost white voters without college degrees by 44 points in Ohio and 42 points in Pennsylvania. Those blue collar voters, historically, are the bread and butter of the Dem.ocratic base, although in recent years that demographic has voted Republican.

Without them, Obama can't win, according to pundits and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/382911.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/382911.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:58 EDT
Susan Burgess Laux looks .normal..

She wears normal-looking clothes and shoes, and her hair is beautifully cut and maintained.

There are no torn jeans, no hair going every which way, no tie-dyed T-shirt . images we are given to conjure up when thinking of people passionate about saving the Earth.

Nothing about Laux, the owner of The Woodlands Salon, would indicate that she long ago embraced our need to treat the Earth better so that it would be here much longer. She's been a cosmetologist for more than 30 years and has been environmentally concerned for most of that time. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/382912.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/382912.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:59 EDT
The stock market roller coaster, the housing crisis, the dreaded .R. word . it's stressful out there. Where can we turn? How about comfort foods? Unfortunately most comfort foods are notoriously high in calories. Knowing that, we thought it would be helpful to reach out to a few foodies and chefs to find several tasty, low-calorie comfort food recipes.

This healthy recipe is by Lisa Lillien of Hungry Girl (www.Hungry-Girl.com) and author of Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World (St. Martin's Griffin, April 29, 2008)

Kickin' chicken pot pie

8 ounces raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/383403.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/383403.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:59 EDT
Question: I recently heard that tanning beds might be safer than previously thought and that they promote health by stimulating vitamin D production. Can you comment?

Answer: The source for your information seems to be a recent ad campaign sponsored by a trade group representing the indoor .tanning industry.

In general, advertisements and other information provided by special-interest groups should be taken with a grain of salt.

First, let's get our bearings. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/350048.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/350048.html Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:32 EDT
At 33, I really thought the country had come a long way in recognizing that a woman could be a man’s equal given the chance.

And Ferraro, a U.S. representative from New York, was the manifestation of that idea. If she were accepted as second in command of our country, the door would be open for women to achieve leadership roles in other areas as well, I hoped.

Then came the controversies about her husband’s tax returns and about Barbara Bush describing Ferraro as “a word that rhymes with rich.”

None of that dampened my admiration. In fact, I loved Ferraro’s willingness to speak her mind about political issues of the day and her refusal to back down in a debate with George Bush the elder, her Republican counterpart.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/350055.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/350055.html Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:36 EDT
Answer: Activella is an estradiol-norethindrone combination prescribed for menopausal symptoms. Estradiol is the estrogen component. Natural compounds in grapefruit block enzymes that normally break down estrogen and certain other drugs for removal from the body.

Most clinical sources rate the grapefruit-estrogen interaction as relatively minor. However, I’d be wary of this combination. That’s because estrogen taken orally has high first-pass metabolism. This means that most of the drug is broken down in the gut and liver before it reaches the general blood circulation. The recommended dose of estrogen takes this into account.

Grapefruit inhibits drug breakdown in the gut and liver, so it tends to have a more pronounced effect on such drugs. The result is that higher-than-expected amounts of drug make it into the bloodstream. It’s similar to taking an excessive dose.

Increased blood levels of estrogen could boost the risk of harmful blood clots and other adverse effects.

That’s why it’s best to use the lowest effective dose of estrogen.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/350046.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/350046.html Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:56 EDT
Her advice: Find a workout you really enjoy and just do it. Running burns mega calories for those who regularly hit the road or treadmill. But it doesn’t help much if you can’t bring yourself to lace up your running shoes. To jump-start an exercise routine, Knapen has come up with two of her favorite moves. They might stir up images of your high school gym class, but the addition of weights for one of them should speed up results. By the time summer arrives, you just might be able to fit into your bikini. Or at least not be too embarrassed to be seen on the beach or at the poolside.

Push-ups

What it works: Entire body. A Knapen favorite.

What to remember: Suck in your stomach and don’t arch your back. Do as many as you can. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/356129.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/356129.html Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:16 EDT
For those of us short on attention spans but long on intentions, the Lexington Public Library downtown is where we should be on Saturday evening.

Lunafest, a collection of nine international short films made by women, will make its first appearance in Lexington. It tours throughout the United States and Canada from October through May.

The films .range in length from one minute to 19 minutes,. Lois .Kleffman, research and .communications coordinator for the Kentucky Environmental Foundation in Berea, said of the films. .There is a wide range of .topics, and some are .animated..

Despite being by, for or about women, the films are .not all issue-driven,. .Kleffman said. .Some are whimsical, and all are quite lovely and memorable.. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/356127.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/356127.html Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:17 EDT
Question: After reading about problems with Vytorin, is it safe to take, or is it true that this drug might cause a stroke?

Answer: The media blitz .surrounding a recent clinical study has generated much misinformation. There was no evidence that Vytorin causes strokes or is unsafe. The .clinical study compared Vytorin to Zocor. Vytorin is a combination product containing simvastatin and ezetimibe. Zocor contains simvastatin alone. (Ezetimibe alone is available as Zetia.)

Simvastatin and ezetimibe lower cholesterol in different ways. The combination lowers cholesterol more than either drug alone. Researchers wanted to find out whether the simvastatin-ezetimibe combination worked better than simvastatin alone in slowing artery-clogging plaque buildup.

It might seem like a no-brainer: The product that lowers cholesterol the most should be better at .preventing plaque. The result: Vytorin didn't work any better than Zocor on plaque. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/376327.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/376327.html Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:36 EDT
Something comes over me in the spring that compels me to dig in dirt and to plant and transplant things and throw mulch wherever I can.

I know. My family thinks I'm crazy, too. It's beyond my control.

Recently I've even been scouring the classifieds and car lots looking for a small truck that doesn't cost more than I've saved for my last child's college fund just so I can go get mulch when I need to and have it on hand. My husband hasn't filed for divorce yet . that I know of.

This overwhelming urge to garden has been with me as long as I can remember, but once I left home, there was a decade in which I could only dig at the roots of a small houseplant. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/390146.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/390146.html Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:54 EDT
Question: My cholesterol numbers: total cholesterol, 125; LDL, 69; HDL, 32; and triglycerides, 119. My liver enzymes have been slightly high for years, and I recently was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Is there a safe, effective way to increase my HDL through specific foods or .supplements?

Answer: Most people would gladly take those lipid numbers and run. They are very good except for the HDL level of 32, which is lower than the recommended minimum of 40.

HDL cholesterol (the good kind) is the type you want more of because it helps mop up cholesterol that might otherwise find its way into artery-narrowing plaque.

Women tend to have a higher HDL than men. The average in women is 55 and in men 45. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/390068.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/390068.html Tue, 29 Apr 2008 09:13 EDT http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/376328.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/376328.html Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:20 EDT
A policeman and a kid in a diner having a chat. Tell people it's called The Runaway .

Lots of ideas come to mind if you've just got that to go on. But put on the red knapsack nearby and figure it's 1958 and you'll know that you are seeing this cop and this kid and this diner through the bespectacled eyes of American artist Norman Rockwell.

But if you're in fifth grade right now, you probably don't.

Because 1958 might as well be 1492 and Norman Rockwell could very well be Kid Rock's dad, for all you know. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/376326.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/376326.html Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:36 EDT
Question: My doctor prescribed pills for an allergic reaction. Afterwards, I found out they were steroids. With all the news about athletes taking steroids and the harm they can cause, should I be worried? I only took them for seven days.

Answer: Your pills appear to be corticosteroids, probably prednisone or prednisolone. Corticosteroids are used for their anti-inflammatory effects and are different from the steroids used to enhance athletic performance, so don't be worried.

The latter are called anabolic steroids. They build muscle and strength and appear to be widely abused by both elite athletes and teenage wannabes who use them in pill or injectable form.

Recent congressional hearings focusing on anabolic steroid use in major league baseball grabbed media headlines, so let's look more closely at these drugs. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/369451.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/369451.html Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:55 EDT
Twice a year, women who might not be able to afford it otherwise are invited to have mammograms and Pap tests done by the professionals at the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.

The next testing day is April 26.

The screenings are for women, especially those older than 40 who are uninsured and underinsured, so they will not have to forgo the annual exam that might allow early intervention and treatment for breast and cervical cancer.

You don't even have to be from Fayette County to get the free exam. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/369454.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/369454.html Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:17 EDT
Before I started elementary school, my mother worked part-time as a domestic, cooking and cleaning for rich folk, as we called them.

Whenever a family didn't want a young child in their house, my mother would send me to her sister's house down the street.

Aunt Clara Mae was a vibrant woman when I first started staying with her, but eventually she slowed down tremendously.

Part of the reason was injuries from an accident, but another was diabetes. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/369453.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/369453.html Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:27 EDT
Even the most well-intentioned parents can have a hard time understanding how school systems work. To help, we are answering some often-asked questions. This is our second installment. For information about the previous topic and to suggest a topic for us to write about in the future, go to our new Web site, www.bluegrassmoms.com.

Question: What is the .primary talent pool?

Answer: It's a group of students who show the potential to perform at exceptionally high levels. They receive extra enrichment to help them achieve their potential.

These students generally represent about 25 percent of the total talent pool. Once children are in the primary talent pool, they should not be removed. School districts are not required to let parents know their child is in the primary talent pool. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/369452.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/369452.html Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:25 EDT
Question: My husband, who is 69, was taking a statin drug to lower his cholesterol but had to discontinue it because of muscle pains. I know other people who have experienced similar problems. How .common is this?

Answer: One estimate is that muscle pain (myalgia) occurs in 1 to 5 percent of those on statin drugs. Some sources place it higher. .Related muscle symptoms can include weakness, .tenderness or soreness.

Statins are the most .effective cholesterol-lowering drugs. They include lovastatin (Mevacor), simvastatin (Zocor), pravastatin (Pravachol), fluvastatin (Lescol), atorvastatin (Lipitor) and rosuvastatin (Crestor).

Having statin-related muscle symptoms doesn't necessarily mean the drug must be stopped. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/362615.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/362615.html Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:39 EDT
Guys, we have a few words for you: Man up and grab yourself a feather duster.

It's spring, and that fine veneer of Coors, pepperoni grease and dog fur on the coffee table isn't going to unpeel itself.



Admit it, fellas: You want a house that looks like one of those upscale home magazines . full of gleaming, uncluttered surfaces and gently .blowing curtains and artfully .arranged fresh fruit. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/362618.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/362618.html Wed, 02 Apr 2008 07:27 EDT
The bad news is that the Sister Study, which is seeking 50,000 sisters of women who have had breast cancer, is still looking for participants.

The good news is that statement won't be true much longer.

The study, which I wrote about in June 2006, and which one of my co-workers has been accepted into, is seeking volunteers who will be observed now and again over a 10-year period to determine if the shared environments, genetics and life experiences of sisters can help identify types of and treatments for breast cancer.

As of today, however, the participants accepted into the National Institute of Environmental Health Science study will be limited to women of color ages 35 to 74, and white women with a high school education or lower, and white women ages 65 to 74. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/362620.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/362620.html Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:39 EDT
SAN MATEO, Calif. . Shea Kelly is raising two fast-growing babies. One is her 26-month-old daughter, Marissa, the focal point of Kelly's life since her adoption in January 2006. The other is Chez Shea Baby LLC, her baby-products company responsible for what she hopes is the next big thing in baby bibs, DaBib.

With sales growing in the United States and as far away as the United Kingdom and Australia, DaBib's innovative design is catching on with relieved parents. Kelly already has several famous clients, some of whom received the new bibsin September at the Emmy Awards, where she spent $3,000 for a booth.

.This provides an elegant solution to parents,. the Massachusetts native said of her creation. .It's hard to imagine a more common activity than feeding your kid, and why hasn't somebody bothered to just make it right?.

Her first product has earned an iParenting Media Award, a product-evaluation-and-testing designation provided by iParenting.com, a Disney Internet Group media property. She was selected last August out of thousands of applicants in the feeding category. She launched the brand in October. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/362616.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/362616.html Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:39 EDT
In what some are calling an important breakthrough, scientists studying historical research have noted several quizzical physical symptoms in human beings that might lead to a widespread diagnosis for many Americans.

The conditions seem to affect nearly every system of the body, and grouped together elicit a collection of strange statistics.

Answer the following questionnaire to see whether you might be included in the diagnosis facing a majority of Americans.

1. You suspect that you blink frequently, up to 16 times a minute. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/362617.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/362617.html Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:28 EDT
Question: I'm 48 and recently had shingles. My doctor says she's seeing more cases of shingles in younger adults. Many of my friends had shingles or had a close friend or relative in their age group (40s to early 50s) who had it.

My doctor hypothesized that, with children being given the chickenpox .vaccine, shingles is erupting in a younger population. Why would that be?

Also, I would like to get the Zostavax shingles .vaccination to prevent further outbreaks. Why is it available only for people older than 60?

Answer: Shingles is caused by the chickenpox virus. After you've had chickenpox, the virus lies dormant in nerve pathways. Later in life it can reawaken painfully as shingles. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/356128.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/356128.html Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:55 EDT
Peer pressure, first love, suicide, drinking and driving, and the power of friends and family are all topics addressed in books by Sharon M. Draper.

The issues are what kids talk about with each other and are passionate about, she said.

.Kids like my books because I don't preach to them,. Draper said. .They like that it's on their level. . I don't talk down to them..

Draper, who lives in Cincinnati and has taught high school English for 25 years, is passionate about teaching and writing. The National Teacher of the Year in 1997, she is a prolific author and is a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Literary Award. Her book Copper Sun is currently on The New York Times' children's paperback best-seller list. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/343056.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/343056.html Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:00 EDT
One compelling testimony to the power of Krav Maga is that the Kentucky State Police uses it for self-defense training. It figures, when it's a call between an endangered trooper and possible injury or death, the Israeli-developed martial art is a potent weapon.

Krav Maga . pronounced .krahv ma-GAH,. meaning .close combat. in Hebrew . is part martial art, part fitness, part strategy.

Even though Krav Maga has been popular around the United States for close to a decade, it's now catching on around Lexington.

On the Oscar red carpet, actress Hilary Swank sang the praises of Krav Maga training and the bloody knuckles it gave her. Jennifer Lopez studied it to fend off an abusive husband in the so-bad-it's-good movie Enough . University of Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart was an early student in Lexington. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/343059.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/343059.html Tue, 11 Mar 2008 09:42 EDT
Melinda Earlywine, a real estate agent in Lawrenceburg, has another title: grandmother with permanent custody of her 6-year-old grandson, Jacob.

.He has added so much to our lives,. said Earlywine, 52. .He's a very intelligent child and well-behaved. We were lucky with all those things..

Because of addictions, incarceration, death and abandonment, more and more of the responsibility for rearing grandchildren has fallen solely on grandparents in recent years.

In Kentucky, for example, 57,141 children live in grandparent-headed households, according to information gathered by the AARP Foundation and several child-welfare organizations. That's nearly 6 percent of all children in the state. An additional 12,294, or 1.2 percent, live in households headed by other relatives. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/343057.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/343057.html Tue, 11 Mar 2008 09:39 EDT
Question: I hope readers heed your warnings about online prescriptions. There also are risks even from well-known Web pharmacies. I had my Lipitor prescription filled and delivered to my home for about 18 months. Twice, I received someone else's order. The first time it was three bottles of prenatal vitamins; the second was phenobarbital for a dog. Now I stand in line at the local drugstore and check the label before I pay. Can you comment?

Answer: There's no place like home. In this case, home is your neighborhood pharmacy, where mix-ups are less likely and can be corrected on the spot. If you have the option, that's the place to go.

Q: You recently wrote about the switch to the new albuterol HFA asthma inhalers. I have mild asthma and use my inhaler infrequently, but when I need it, I really need it. Living in Ohio, I already have had to switch to the new HFA inhalers and have found them not as effective as my old CFC inhaler. They lack the .kick. at the end that allows me to breathe normally again. My physician has offered to keep letting me try different ones, but the problem seems to be with the delivery rather than the product. His only other suggestion is to switch to daily use of an inhaler designed to prevent attacks. This seems like overkill for my case. Any suggestions?

A: I agree that a daily inhaler should be a last resort for you. Because you use your HFA inhaler so rarely, the problem might be related to a priming or cleaning problem, although you might have ruled this out. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/336025.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/336025.html Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:13 EST
As wedding season descends upon those gleefully in love, happy couples ruminate endlessly about color schemes and flower choices.

But there is one topic couples mightily try to avoid: money.

.It's a huge issue,. said Mike Allen, marriage and family life minister for the Catholic Diocese in Lexington. .Most statistics show that (disagreement about finance) is one of the prime causes of marital conflict.

.Money in a strange way is a very personal thing,. said Allen, who counsels engaged couples as part of his job. .We have a lot of fears related to money.. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/336027.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/336027.html Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:36 EST
Having a small Catholic church hosting a nationally recognized glee club on Palm Sunday in Lexington isn't as mind-boggling as it might seem.

You just have to know the right people.

The Spelman College Glee Club, directed by Kevin .Johnson, will perform here on March 16, sponsored by St. Peter Claver Catholic Church, the smallest Catholic church in Fayette County.

The plan to bring the club to Lexington began last summer when members of St. Peter Claver attended the National Black Catholic Congress in Buffalo, N.Y., and were spellbound by the work of Johnson, who was directing music for the event. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/336024.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/336024.html Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:29 EST
Talk-show host and financial adviser Dave Ramsey is pretty clear about marriage and money.

Couples should discuss their finances before ever putting rings on fingers and absolutely never get involved with .financial transactions before the ink is final on the marriage license.

The .money makeover. man, who can be heard on WVLK-590 FM from 8 to 11 p.m. weekdays, is coming to Southland Christian Church, 5001 Harrodsburg Road, on Thursday and Friday. At press time, both shows were nearly sold out.

Ramsey shared his views about love and money with the Herald-Leader. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/336028.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/336028.html Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:30 EST
In the haunting 1959 short story All Summer in a Day by science-fiction writer Ray Bradbury, Margot lives on oppressively rainy Venus, where the sun appears just once every seven years. Classmates, jealous because Margot once lived on Earth and remembers the sun's brilliance and warmth, lock her in a dark closet on the historic day it appears.

There is a real Italian Alpine village that is sunless from mid-November through early February because it's tucked in the shadow of a steep mountain. The mayor recently had a 430-square-foot mirror installed on a mountainside to deflect the sun's rays into the town square.

During winter, many of .us have felt a little like .Margot or the 200 residents of .Viganella.

For most people, shorter days and a dearth of regular sunshine result in mild lethargy and gloominess. But some people have enough psychological and biological symptoms to be diagnosed with winter depression, or seasonal affective disorder, according to Michael Young, an associate professor at the Institute of Psychology at the Illinois Institute of Technology. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/336023.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/336023.html Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:31 EST
Readers have reported difficulties finding a clinic that would administer Zostavax, the vaccine aimed at preventing shingles in people 60 and older. In a previous column, I asked readers to relate their experiences trying to run down the shot. That struck a chord, and the mailbox filled up.

Turns out there is a patchwork of procedures in play to get and pay for the shot. Reader experiences run the gamut from smooth sailing to shoal waters. For example:

. Special storage/administration requirements and billing/coverage .issues have created barriers for people seeking the vaccination.

. The Zostavax vaccine must be kept frozen at an average temperature of 5 degrees Fahrenheit and administered within 30 minutes of reconstitution. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/336044.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/336044.html Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:30 EST
CHICAGO . Ever since she was a girl in the Robert Taylor Homes, Linda Davis has hated cigarette smoke. The soft-spoken Swissotel housekeeper, who wears a four-star-crisp white apron and immaculate matching sneakers and socks, winces at the memory of her mom filling the apartment with tobacco exhaust.

Davis, 34, says she fought back by flinging open the windows, even in winter. Now, when Davis walks into a Swissotel room and catches that telltale scent, she freshens the premises and changes the linens.

Then she turns the guest in. She gets a $10 reward, and the offender gets a $250 fine.

Other Chicago hotels ban smoking and penalize rule-breakers, but with a top-to-bottom renovation of 632 rooms under way, Swissotel is paying housekeepers for turning in no-smoking scofflaws. It's the only hotel in the country that rewards staff for collaring smokers, according to the American Hotel . Lodging Association, a trade group. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/255559.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/255559.html Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:10 EST
I love you and your always thoughtful attention to my holiday gift.

But we have to talk. It’s about the sweater — the one with Santa, Rudolph, Frosty, Snoopy and baby Jesus so beautifully knitted across the back and over the shoulder. It’s not really me. Truth is, it’s nobody I know, either.
So, in the spirit of making us closer and because I promise to write a genuinely long and gushing thank-you note, I had a few of my friends — the Herald-Leader teen board girls — engage in a little advance shopping, and we have a few suggestions.

The really cool thing about this is that we are from all over Kentucky and we are into lots of different things (literature! volleyball! horses! boys!). And although we see the world really differently sometimes, we all agree on what makes a groovy gift for a teen girl.

Love now and always,]]> http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/235932.html http://www.kentucky.com/147/story/235932.html Wed, 28 Nov 2007 08:51 EST