Health Report: Feb. 21, 1994

THE GOOD NEWS

— Peptic ulcers can be cured, not just treated, with antibiotics, reports the National Institutes of Health. A special panel has concluded that the bacterium Helicobacter pylori causes ulcers and can be wiped out by a combination of drugs such as tetracycline, metronidazole and amoxicillin.

— Many elderly women fail to perform breast self-exams because of arthritis, failing eyesight or loss of feeling in the fingers. Now a researcher has developed an alternative self-exam: the woman lies down and uses the palm of her hand to sweep over the breast, a more comfortable technique than the usual one of standing in front of a mirror and using the fingertips on the breast. In addition, women with poor eyesight can use a hand-held magnifying mirror to look for lumps.

THE BAD NEWS

— Baby boomers have a much greater chance of getting cancer than their grandparents did at the same age, says a new federal study. Researchers don’t think the higher risk is due to smoking or better diagnostic methods but believe it is probably the result of still unrecognized cancer-causing chemicals in the environment.

— Smoking cigarettes not only raises the risk of lung cancer and heart disease but also causes damaging bone loss in women. A new study, based on 41 pairs of female twins, has found that women who smoke a pack a day through adulthood reach menopause with bones that are up to 10% less dense than those of nonsmokers — and more vulnerable to fractures. Researchers speculate that smoking interferes with the body’s estrogen production.