Parkinson's Disease: A Movement Disorder,

and a Mystery of the Brain

Parkinson's is a disease of the central nervous system. It is a progressive disorder. It gets worse
over time. The disease affects a small area of cells in the middle of the brain. This area is called
the substantia nigra. The cells slowly lose their ability to produce a chemical called dopamine.
The decrease in the amount of dopamine can result in one or more general signs of Parkinson's
disease. These include shaking of the hands, arms and legs. They also include difficulty moving
or keeping balanced while walking or standing. Also, there may be emotional changes, like
feeling depressed or worried. The symptoms of Parkinson's differ from person to person. They
also differ in their intensity.
The disease is named after James Parkinson. He was a British doctor who first described this
condition in eighteen seventeen. Doctor Parkinson did not know what caused it. During the
nineteen sixties, medical researchers discovered changes in the brains of people with the disease.
These discoveries led to medicines to treat the effects of the disease. There is no cure for
Parkinson's and no way to prevent it. And doctors still are not sure about the cause.
Parkinson's affects more than four million people around the world. It affects more than one
million people in North America. Most are older adults.
Most patients have what is called idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Idiopathic means the cause is
unknown. People who develop the disease often want to link it to something they can identify.
This might be a medical operation or extreme emotional tension.
Yet many doctors reject this idea of a direct link to Parkinson's. They point to other people who
have similar experiences and do not develop the disease.
Still, doctors say it is possible that such events might cause symptoms of Parkinson's to appear
earlier than they would have.

Studies have found a link between the disease and some chemical products. Last year, an
American study showed such a link between Parkinson's and pesticides, like those used for
killing insects. The study compared three hundred nineteen Parkinson's patients to more than
two hundred family members.
Two years ago, a European study showed a link between pesticide use and Parkinson's. This
study also found that serious head injuries also increased a person's risk. Scientists at Aberdeen
University in Scotland collected information about more than nine hundred people with
Parkinson's or similar conditions. They compared this group to almost two thousand people
without the disorder. All the people were asked about their use of pesticides, chemical fluids and
metals like iron. The researchers also collected information about family history of the disease
and head injuries.
Farm workers and others who said they often used pesticides had a forty-one percent greater risk
of Parkinson's than other people. The disease was also two and one-half times more common
among people who had been knocked unconscious more than once in their lives. These people
temporarily lost consciousness after suffering a blow to the head.
Another area of study is family genetics. There are examples of members of a family having the
disease. The National Institutes of Health in the United States says about fifteen percent of
people with Parkinson's have a family history of the disease. But most cases involve people with
no such family history.
A few years ago, researchers completed what they called the first large map to show genetic links
with Parkinson's disease. The map identifies changes in genes that may increase the risk in some
people.
Recently, a gene-testing company announced plans for a large genetic study of Parkinson's
patients. The company, 23andme, was the idea of Ann Wojcicki.
She is the wife of Sergey Brin, who helped create the Internet search engine Google. He has a
gene that increases his risk of developing Parkinson's. His mother has the disease. The company
is working with two not-for-profit groups. They hope to collect DNA from ten thousand
Parkinson's patients. The goal is to search for common genes that may cause the disease.
There is no cure for Parkinson's disease. But improved treatments to ease the effects of the
disease make it possible for many patients to live almost normal lives. People who have lost
their ability to do many things are sometimes able to regain some of these abilities with
treatment.
The most commonly used drug is levodopa. The National Institutes of Health says levodopa is a
chemical found naturally in plants and animals. When it reaches the brain, levodopa is changed
into dopamine, the chemical that is lacking in people with the disease.

Levodopa helps ease the symptoms of Parkinson's. But it does not prevent more changes in the
brain that are caused by the disease. Long-term use can produce unwanted effects in some
people. These side effects include feeling sick to the stomach.
To prevent this from happening, levodopa can be combined with other substances, like
carbidopa. The National Institutes of Health says carbidopa delays the changes in levodopa until
it reaches the brain.
Other drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease act like dopamine. They produce reactions in the
nerve cells in the brain. They can be given alone or in combination with levodopa. Many of the
possible side effects are similar to those linked with the use of levodopa. They include
sleepiness, feeling sick or having bad dreams.
An operation called deep-brain stimulation also is used to treat Parkinson's disease. Doctors
place small electrical devices deep in the brain. The devices are connected to a piece of
equipment called a pulse generator.
Deep brain stimulation can reduce the need for levodopa and other drugs. It also helps to reduce
symptoms such as shaking and slowness of movement. Recently, a report in Science magazine
showed how deep-brain stimulation works. It found that the treatment affects neural wires called
axons.
The researchers were from Stanford University in California. They used light-sensitive
molecules to turn on and off nerve cells in the deep brain structure of mice. Nothing happened
when they turned on the light in cells in an area of the brain called the subthalamic nucleus. But
bursts of electricity on the axons improved movement in the animals.
A separate study found that a less invasive treatment might reduce the symptoms of Parkinson's.
It showed that a treatment called dorsal column stimulation could re-establish movement in
rodents with Parkinson's-like problems. In the study, researchers fired bursts of electricity at the
animals' spinal cords. Romulo Fuentes of Duke University in North Carolina led the
researchers. He noted that doctors already use spinal cord stimulation in people to help reduce
long-lasting pain.
Scientists are also exploring other experimental treatments. In March, President Obama ended
restrictions on the use of federal money for research using human embryonic stem cells. Stem
cells from very early embryos are able to grow into any tissue in the body. Scientists say such
cells might be able to cure or treat diseases like Parkinson's. But opponents say stem cell
experiments are wrong because human embryos are destroyed. They say this is just like
destroying a human life.
American actor Michael J. Fox has had Parkinson's disease for eighteen years. But unlike most
patients, he got the disease as a young man. He is forty-seven now and has many symptoms of
the disease. But Fox still acts on television, writes books and is an activist for Parkinson's. The
Michael J. Fox Foundation has raised more than one hundred forty-two million dollars to fund

research for better treatments. Michael J. Fox says he is sure that a cure for Parkinson's disease
will be found in the future.
This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by George Grow. Our producer was Brianna
Blake. I'm Barbara Klein. And I'm Bob Doughty. Transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our
programs are at voaspecialenglish.com. Join us again next week for more news about science in
Special English on the Voice of America.

New Treatment for Sleeping Sickness

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This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

The World Health Organization is using a new combination of drugs to treat human African
trypanosomiasis disease, also known as sleeping sickness. The drugs nifurtimox an eflornithine
will be given out in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Officials from the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative say the new treatment has fewer side
effects. It is also more effective and less costly than the drugs traditionally used. In addition, the
new treatment reduces the number of injections needed. And it shortens the amount of time
patients must spend in the hospital.
Sleeping sickness threatens millions of people in thirty-six countries in Africa. Most live in poor
rural areas. The disease is caused by the trypanosoma parasite. It is spread to humans through the
bite of infected tsetse flies.
Common signs of sleeping sickness include fever, headaches, extreme tiredness and pain in the
muscles and joints. Early identification of the disease may be difficult because many infected
people do not show any immediate symptoms.
Over time, the parasites invade the central nervous system. The disease causes sleep disorders,
mental confusion, personality changes, speech problems, seizures and coma. If left untreated,
sleeping sickness kills.
The World Health Organization estimates that about sixty thousand people are currently infected
with the disease. It develops in two different forms. Trypanosoma gambiense is responsible for
ninety percent of the reported cases of sleeping sickness. People infected with this form may
develop the disease over many years without any major symptoms. The disease develops more
quickly over a few weeks or months in people infected with trypanosoma rhodesiense.
Until now the drug melarsoprol was used to treat patients in the advanced stage of sleeping
sickness.

But the drug requires many painful injections several times a day for several weeks. It also
causes bad side effects, some of which can be deadly.
In Uganda, a new study has confirmed earlier research linking the spread of sleeping sickness to
infected farm animals. The writers of the study have called for stronger rules requiring cattle to
be treated before being sold at market. The study was published in the Public Library of Science.
And that's the VOA Special English Development Report, written by June Simms. I'm Steve
Ember.

Parkinson's Disease and Coffee

By Jerilyn Watson
This is Bill White with the VOA Special English Science Report.
Scientists say people who drink a lot of coffee may be less likely than others to develop the brain
disorder called Parkinson's disease. The Journal of the American Medical Association recently
reported a possible connection between the disease and caffeine. Caffeine is in coffee, tea and
many soft drinks.
The medical publication reported on a study of about eight-thousand Japanese-American men in
the American state of Hawaii. The study lasted thirty years. G. Webster Ross of the Veterans
Administration Medical Center in Honolulu led the research.
The study found that the men who drank the most coffee were the least likely to develop
Parkinson's disease. The report says men who drank about five cups of coffee a day were five
times less likely to develop Parkinson's than men who did not drink coffee. However, the
researchers say that they do not know if these results would also be true among women and other
ethnic groups.
Millions of people around the world suffer from Parkinson's Disease. The disease involves the
destruction of nerve cells in the brain that produce the chemical dopamine. Dopamine helps
control muscle movements. Signs of the disease include uncontrolled shaking, difficulty moving
muscles and loss of balance. Mental problems also can result. The effects get worse over time.
Patients become unable to care for themselves.
The disease usually affects people over fifty-five years of age. But some are younger, like
American television actor Michael J. Fox. Mr. Fox discovered he had the disease eight years ago,
when he was thirty years old.
Doctor Ross says there are several possible reasons why caffeine seems to prevent Parkinson's
disease. He suggests that caffeine might somehow protect against the nerve-cell destruction that

causes the disease. He says caffeine might increase dopamine levels. Or it might treat some of
the early signs of the disease, making it difficult to recognize those signs. Or people who drink a
lot of coffee may have a kind of brain chemistry that makes them less likely to develop the
disease. But Doctor Ross says it is too early to suggest coffee as a prevention or treatment for
Parkinson's disease. He says more studies are needed. And he says too much coffee can be bad
for health.
This VOA Special English Science Report was written by Jerilyn Watson. This is Bill White.

Brain Disorders
By Jill Moss
This is the VOA Special English DEVELOPMENT REPORT.
An international committee of doctors says that the number of cases of brain diseases in
developing countries is rising. The doctors were reporting the information for the United States
National Academy of Sciences.
They say that brain diseases affect at least two-hundred-fifty-million people in the developing
world. These diseases include strokes, epilepsy and mental sicknesses such as schizophrenia and
depression. They also include abnormal development of the nervous system, which causes
mental slowness and cerebral palsy.
Richard Johnson of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland was one of the leaders of
the committee. He says poor countries usually do not have the resources to deal with brain
diseases. This is because most developing countries are already struggling with food problems,
the spread of infectious diseases and child health issues.
Srinivasa Murthy also served on the committee. She works for the National Institute of Mental
Health and Neurosciences in India. She criticized the lack of international interest in brain
diseases. For example, Doctor Murthy says fifty percent of all countries have no policies about
brain diseases. In addition, she says health care centers in forty percent of the world's countries
do not offer common drugs to treat brain diseases.
Doctor Murthy says there are two reasons for this. One is a lack of money. The other is a lack of
human resources. For example, a recent study shows most developing countries do not have
enough doctors who treat mental sicknesses. Another barrier to action against brain diseases is
the unfair way in which the public acts toward victims. Many victims of brain diseases are
treated poorly.

The committee says there are effective and low cost medical treatments for these diseases. Yet
these treatments are not often provided in developing countries. The committee says more
treatments should be offered to poor countries.
It says health care systems in developing countries should provide mental health services for
their people. The committee says efforts should be made to increase public understanding of
brain diseases.
Finally, the committee says national research programs should be established to study brain
diseases.
This VOA Special English DEVELOPMENT REPORT was written by Jill Moss.

Stress and Illness

This is Sarah Long. And this is Steve Ember with SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, a VOA Special
English program about recent developments in science. Stress is a condition of mental or
emotional tension. Today, we tell about the effects of stress on people's health.
Many people suffered mental and emotional problems after the September Eleventh terrorist
attacks in the United States last year. Terrorism creates fear and fear often leads to severe stress.
Studies suggest that stress can reduce the body's ability to fight disease and can lead to serious
health problems.
Stress affects everybody every day. It is your body's reaction to physical, chemical, emotional or
environmental influences. Some stress is unavoidable and may even be good for us. Stress can
keep our bodies and minds strong. It gives us the push we need to react to an urgent situation.
Some people say it makes them more productive at work and gives them more energy.
Too much stress, however, can be harmful. It may make an existing health problem worse. Or it
can lead to illness if a person is at risk for the condition. For example, your body reacts to
stressful situations by raising your blood pressure and making your heart work harder. This is
especially dangerous is you already have heart or artery disease or high blood pressure. Stress is
more likely to be harmful if you feel helpless to deal with the problem or situation that causes the
stress.
Anything you see as a problem can cause stress. It can be caused by everyday situations or by
major problems. Stress results when something causes your body to act as if it were under attack.
Sources of stress can be physical, such as injury or illness. Or they can be mental, such as
problems with your family, job, health or finances. Many visits to doctors are for conditions
related to stress.
The tension of stress can interfere with sleep or cause uncontrollable anger or sadness. A person
may become more forgetful or find it harder to concentrate. Losing one's sense of humor is
another sign of an unhealthy amount of stress.

Stress can lead to many other health problems if people try to ease it by smoking, drinking
alcohol, taking drugs, or by eating more or less than normal.
Chronic stress lasts a long time or happens often. Chronic stress causes the body to produce too
much of the hormones cortisol and adrenalin. Cortisol is called the "worry" hormone. It is
produced when we are afraid. Adrenalin is known as the "fight or flight" hormone. It prepares the
body to react physically to a threat.
People under chronic stress produce too much of these hormones for too long. Too much cortisol
and adrenalin can result in physical problems and even changes that lead to stress-related
illnesses.
Cortisol provides high levels of energy during important periods. However, scientists have
become concerned about the hormone's long-term effects on our health. Evidence shows that
extended periods of cortisol in the body weakens bones, damages nerve cells in the brain and
weakens the body's defense system against disease. This makes it easier to get viral and bacterial
infections.
Chronic stress has been linked to high blood pressure and heart disease. Research suggests that
people who are easily stressed develop blockages in their arteries faster than other people who
are more calm. A recent study of women was carried out in Japan. It found that women who
reported high levels of stress were more than two times as likely to die from stroke and heart
disease as other women.
High stress levels have been found to cause asthma attacks that make it difficult to breathe.
Stress is also linked to mental conditions such as depression and anxiety disorders.
Research also shows that chronic stress reduces the levels of the hormone estrogen in women.
This might put some women at greater risk for heart disease or the bone-thinning disease,
osteoporosis.
Experts say long-term stress also can weaken your resistance to infections such as colds and
influenza, as well as your ability to recover from these diseases. Extended periods of stress are
also linked to headaches, difficulty sleeping, stomach problems and skin problems.
Mental and health experts believe personality is an important part in how we experience stress.
Personality is the way a person acts, feels and thinks. Many things influence the development of
a person's personality, including genetics and experience.
Some people, for example, are aggressive and always in a hurry. They often become angry when
things do not happen the way they planned. They are called "Type A" personalities. Studies
suggest that these people often get stress-related illnesses.
The "Type B" personality is a much more calm person. These people are able to deal with all
kinds of situations more easily. As a result, they are less affected by stress.

Studies show that men and women deal with stress differently. Women usually have stronger
social support systems to help them in times of trouble. These social supports may help explain
why many women seem to be better able to deal with stress than men are. However, experts say
women are three times more likely to develop depression in reaction to the stress in their lives.
Chronic stress is most common among people in the workplace, especially among women.
Scientists studying stress in the workplace say many working women are under severe stress
because of the pressures of work, marriage and children. Some experts say that pressure can
cause a chemical imbalance in the brain that can lead to depression. More than thirty-million
American women suffer from depression. These problems are linked to their stress-filled lives
and constant hurrying.
People who care for family members who are old or sick also suffer from high levels of stress.
Most caregivers in the United States are women. Several studies have been done on people who
care for family members with Alzheimer's disease. The studies showed that the caregivers had
high cortisol levels in their bodies. This greatly weakened their immune systems against disease.
For example, one study in the United States found that women who cared for family members
with Alzheimer's took an average of nine days longer to heal a small wound. The researchers
found that the blood cells from the caregivers produced lower amounts of substances that are
important for healing and for fighting disease.
Experts say there are several ways to deal with stress. They include deep breathing and a method
of guided thought called meditation. They also include exercise, eating healthy foods, getting
enough rest and balancing the time spent working and playing. Doctors say people should limit
the amounts of alcohol and caffeine in their diets. People who have many drinks with caffeine,
like coffee, experience more stress and produce more stress hormones.
Experts say exercise is one of the most effective stress-reduction measures. Running, walking or
playing sports causes physical changes that make you feel better. Exercise also improves the
body's defense system against disease. And a recent study has found that it helps protect against a
decrease in mental ability.
Doctors say deep, slow breathing is also helpful. And many medical studies have shown that
clearing the mind through quiet meditation helps you become calm. This causes lower blood
pressure, reduced muscle tension and decreased heart rate.
Experts also say keeping stress to yourself can make problems worse. Researchers have linked
the inability to identify and express emotions to many health conditions. These include eating
disorders, fear disorders and high blood pressure. They say expressing emotions to friends or
family members or writing down your feelings can help reduce stress. Experts say people should
try to accept or change stressful situations whenever possible. Reducing stress may help you feel
better and live longer.

This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS program was written and produced by Cynthia Kirk. This is
Sarah Long. And this is Steve Ember. Join us again next week for more news about science in
Special English on the Voice of America.

Compulsive Hoarding Syndrome

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This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Faith Lapidus. And I'm
Christopher Cruise.
On our program this week, we tell about compulsive hoarding syndrome. It is both a mental
sickness and a public safety issue.
Many people in the United States are looking forward to the return of spring. During this season,
millions of Americans do what is known as spring cleaning. They open windows in their homes
to let in fresh air. They use cleaning products that make their homes smell nice. And some
organize their belongings.
Many Americans have a strong desire to clean up their homes. This can also be called removing
clutter. Clutter can be described as a disorganized collection of things. To remove clutter means
to throw away the things you do not want. Then, you organize the things you have decided to
keep.
In recent years, it has become easy to find information on how to attack clutter. There are books,
websites and television programs on the subject. Specialty stores sell containers and boxes for
storing things around the house.
Some Americans pay people to come to their homes to remove clutter. Such people provide
advice on what to keep and what to throw away. They also help with organizing things. However,
the services of a professional organizer can be costly. Such services can cost up to two hundred
dollars an hour.

Some people have serious problems with clutter. They have a mental disorder called compulsive
hoarding syndrome. Compulsive hoarding syndrome affects an estimated one million people in
the United States.
Compulsive hoarding is commonly connected to obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD. This
disorder causes people to have ideas that interfere with their daily activities. Such persons act on
these ideas, even when they know the resulting actions are not reasonable.
Fear of being dirty may cause persons with OCD to wash their hands again and again. They may
inspect things repeatedly, like making sure all electrical devices are turned off.
People with untreated OCD may not be able to control the urge to repeat senseless activities.
People with compulsive hoarding syndrome gather many objects and seemingly cannot remove
them.
Most people would say the objects that hoarders collect are useless or worthless. However,
hoarders believe the objects could be useful some day. They may even develop an emotional
connection to such things.
Hoarders are afraid to throw away things. At the same time, they continue to bring more and
more things into their homes. They may save objects such as newspapers, clothing, and even old
food.
Hoarders live with so much clutter that it may endanger their physical health. Dirt, insects and
bacteria that form over time can cause sickness.
Safety experts say the homes of hoarders often are unsafe. A room filled with newspapers, for
example, can cause floor supports to break down. In many cases, a room is filled from top to
bottom with useless things. There is only a small space to walk from one end of the room to the
other.
One of the most famous hoarding cases involved two brothers in New York City. Homer and
Langley Collyer were found dead in their home in nineteen forty-seven.
Langley Collyer was buried under what appeared to be a mountain of old newspapers. The
weight of the newspapers crushed him. Langley was Homer's caretaker. Medical experts believed
Langley had been dead for several days before his brother Homer died of starvation.
Police found the home filled with thousands of unread books, pieces of wood, and skins from
large fruits and vegetables. The brothers also saved pipes and very large automobile parts.

Compulsive hoarding can have a severe effect on a family. Family members who share a home
with a hoarder cannot understand why their loved one keeps so many useless and sometimes
dangerous things. It prevents the family from enjoying their home. Experts say the hoarder
should make a greater effort to keep the home clean and organized. However, it is not that
simple.
Randy Frost is a psychologist at Smith College in the American state of Massachusetts. He has
studied hoarding. Professor Frost says it is more than a mental disorder. He says hoarding is a
public health problem.
Severe health risks can result from collecting waste, food or materials that can cause fires. In the
United States, hoarding violates laws that were created to protect public safety and property.
Some cities have formed groups to deal with the problems caused by hoarding. Each group
usually has representatives from one or more government agencies.
Agency officials say they often hear about hoarders from people who live near someone affected
with the disorder. Those people no longer want to see broken household objects or old clothing
lying on property near their homes.
Persons suffering from compulsive hoarding syndrome do not only collect objects. Some collect
cats, dogs, birds, snakes or other animals.
Most animal hoarders believe they are rescuing the animals to care for them. However, hoarders
do not realize when they have too many animals. They are really doing more harm than good.
They may not be able to provide health care for the animals. Some animals may not be washed
or fed.
Officials have been shocked at the condition of the homes of animal hoarders. Floors were
covered with animal wastes. Infectious diseases were a problem. Some animals were found
starving, while others had died.
A grand jury in New York recently charged a man and his wife with hoarding one hundred cats.
The cats clearly had not received good care. Investigators said some of the animals were missing
teeth or eyes.
Others were suffering from many insect bites and dehydration, a lack of needed fluids in the
body. The owners were charged with torturing and injuring animals.
The American public has shown deep interest in the strange behavior of animal hoarders like the
people in New York. Several television channels show reality programs about hoarders. Reality
programs present events as they happen, such as the rescue of animals from hoarders homes.

Television cameras capture the sadness of the owners as animal police take away their pets. And
the cameras show the struggles of the hoarders and the efforts of people who want to help them.
Gregory Chasson is a mental health expert and professor at Towson University in Maryland. He
says the publics interest in hoarding programs comes from most peoples own natural human
desire to collect things.
The professor says that for most people, this simply means behavior like keeping too many
papers or having a little clutter. But he says hoarding becomes a mental health problem when it
interferes with normal life.
Professor Chasson says compulsive hoarding is extremely difficult to treat. He says hoarders are
less likely than others to recognize that they have a problem. But he suggests that cognitivebehavioral therapy can help.
In this method, hoarders work with an expert to understand why they gather and save so many
things.
When reasons are found for the hoarding, he says, people can develop a plan for organization.
They can learn how to decide what to throw away. They can learn to resist the urge to bring
home more things.
Some hoarders improve by meeting with others and talking over their struggles. These group
therapy meetings can take place in the hoarders homes. But the therapy does not always happen
in direct meetings.
Some meetings for hoarders are held through the Internet. And, some hoarders use their
computers to communicate with a supportive person.
A method as easy as taking a picture of the area to be organized before and after the work is done
can give hoarders a feeling of progress. With improved decision-making skills and ways of
thinking, it is possible for a hoarder to become a former hoarder.
This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Lawan Davis and Jerilyn Watson. June Simms
was our producer. I'm Christopher Cruise. And Im Faith Lapidus. Visit us at
voaspecialenglish.com, where you can find transcripts and MP3s of our reports. Join us again
next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

VOA Special English - Text & MP3

www.manythings.org/voa/medical

Using Lasers to Treat Kidney and Liver Tumors

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This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. Im Faith Lapidus.

And Im Bob Doughty. Today, we will tell about a new cancer treatment and a study of the
disease malaria. We will tell about the possibility of drier conditions in many populated areas.
And we explain how cutting down on wasted food could lead to energy savings.
Doctors at the Mayo Clinic are using a process known as MRI-guided laser ablation to fight
kidney and liver tumors. They are said to be among the first American doctors to use the process
against the cancers.
Until now, doctors in the United States have used laser ablation mainly to treat tumors of the
brain, spine and prostate.

Liver cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. It is also the third leading cause of
cancer death worldwide. Many liver cancer patients are too sick to survive traditional
treatments, like chemotherapy and radiation. Even if they could, medical experts say these
treatments only provide a small increase in life expectancy.
Eric Walser is an interventional radiologist with the Mayo Clinic in Florida. He was one of the
first radiologists to use the MRI-guided laser ablation procedure to treat kidney and liver tumors.
He says the process makes it possible for doctors to target and destroy tumors without damaging
the rest of the organ.
Patients are placed inside an MRI machine. They are given a drug to keep them from moving
during the procedure. A special needle is inserted directly into the tumor and light energy is
passed through a laser.
The MRI machine can measure the temperature inside the tumor. Doctors are able to watch a
monitor showing the temperature rising. When the tumor is heated to the point of destruction,
the laser is turned off. The whole process lasts about two and a half minutes.
Doctor Walser first used the MRI-guided laser procedure in June. The Mayo Clinic reported that
he had successfully treated five patients by the middle of October.
Earlier this year, doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota used MRI-guided laser ablation to
remove tumors of the prostate. Doctor David Woodrum has successfully treated seven prostate
patients with the procedure. He says it provides for a less invasive and less traumatic experience.
The process is still being developed, but doctors say it could prove to be successful for treating
most cancers in the body. The doctors say it should only be used on tumors that are less than five
centimeters in size.
Malaria kills about one million people a year and sickens another two hundred fifty million.
Most of the deaths are in young children in Africa. People become infected when they are bitten
by mosquitoes carrying the malaria parasite.
A new report estimates the possibility of ending malaria in countries that have the deadliest form
of the disease. Researchers found that this could be possible in most parts of the world within
ten to fifteen years. What it would require, they say, is reducing the spread of malaria by ninety
percent from two thousand seven rates.
An international team created mathematical models and maps of areas where the disease is gone
or almost gone. The report says malaria could be eliminated if countries are serious about using
proven control measures like insecticides and bed nets.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation partly financed the research. The study appears in The
Lancet medical journal.
Some malaria experts expressed concern about giving too much attention to eliminating the
disease. They say such a goal could take many years, if it is possible at all. The concern is that
resources for controlling malaria could be lost if the money is spent instead on efforts to defeat it.
A new study shows that long, severe droughts may strike countries with large populations in the
not-so-distant future. The study was made for Americas National Center for Atmospheric
Research.
NCAR scientist Aiguo Dai led the research. It shows that drought conditions will threaten most
of North and South America by the end of this century. The research found that large parts of
Eurasia, Africa and Australia are also at risk. But places from Alaska to northern Europe may get
more rainfall and snow. The findings appeared in the publication Wiley Interdisciplinary
Reviews: Climate Change.
In the study, Mr. Dai examined rising temperatures linked to climate change. He says the higher
temperatures probably will create increasingly dry conditions. He says these conditions will be
seen across much of the world in the next thirty years.
The scientist also considered the possibility that drought could be much worse by the end of the
century. At that time, he says, lack of moisture in many places could be as bad as or worse than
any in modern time.
He made the predictions after looking at earlier studies and research. His study used modern
proposals of possible conditions. It also employed twenty-two computer climate models and a
list of drought conditions. The International Panel on Climate Change used twenty-two models
in its two-thousand-seven report.
Mr. Dai said he based the new predictions on the best current projections of carbon dioxide and
other gases linked to climate change. The projections are estimates of future amounts of such
greenhouse gases. He says many conditions will decide what actually happens.
The conditions include natural climate cycles and the amount of greenhouse gases that will be
released into the air. Two good examples of such cycles are El Nino and La Nina. They are
periodic events that change moisture levels in the atmosphere.
The study identified areas threatened with major drying in the future. They include much of
Central and South America. Southeast Asia, large parts of southwest Asia, and most of Africa
and Australia also will be affected. The research shows that drying in areas along the
Mediterranean Sea could also become intense.

Other areas were said to expect more moisture. They are much of Scandinavia, Russia, Canada
and Alaska. The study shows that some areas of the Southern Hemisphere also may escape
drought.
Do not waste food, and you will save energy. That is the message of scientists who say America
wastes food energy equal to about three hundred fifty million barrels of oil a year. That
represents about two percent of yearly energy usage in the United States.
Scientists Amanda Cuellar and Michael Webber work at The University of Texas at Austin. They
reported the findings last month in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Mr. Webber says a lot more energy goes into food than people think. His report estimates that,
three years ago, between eight and sixteen percent of all energy used in the United States
supported food production.
The Texas researchers estimated the energy intensity of preparing food from agriculture,
transportation, processing and food sales. They also included the energy intensity of storing and
preparing food. The researchers measured food intensity in British thermal units, better known
as BTUs. A BTU is the amount of heat energy needed to raise the temperature of about one-half
kilogram of a substance by one degree Fahrenheit.
The scientists say they used information provided by the United States government from
nineteen-ninety-five. At that time, the government estimated that twenty-seven percent of food
for human consumption was wasted.
The report said the most wasted foods were dairy products, eggs, fats, grains and oils. Among
the least wasted were dry beans, fish, lentils, meat, poultry, peanuts, peas and tree nuts.
Last year, a report in the journal PLoS One considered the environmental effects of wasting
food. Scientists from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
measured the energy content of Americas wasted food. They found that American waste of food
per person has risen by about fifty percent since nineteen seventy-four.
This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Jerilyn Watson, Caty Weaver and June Simms,
who was also our producer. Im Faith Lapidus.
And Im Bob Doughty. Listen again next week for more news about science in Special English
on the Voice of America.

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Defeat Malaria, or Just Control It?; A Better Vaccine for Polio

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This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

Malaria kills about one million people a year and sickens another two hundred fifty million.
Most of the deaths are in young children in Africa. Malaria causes twenty percent of childhood
deaths in Africa.
People become infected when they are bitten by mosquitoes carrying the malaria parasite.
A new study estimates the possibility of ending malaria in countries that have the deadliest form
of the disease. Researchers found that this could be possible in most parts of the world within ten
to fifteen years.
What it would require, they say, is reducing the spread of malaria by ninety percent from two
thousand seven rates.
An international team created mathematical models and maps of areas where the disease is gone
or almost gone. Andrew Tatem, an assistant professor at the University of Florida, led the study.
Professor Tatem says a number of things have helped countries successfully fight malaria.
ANDREW TATEM: " ... such as relatively low levels of malaria risk to start with, political
stability, a good health system and low levels of population movement bringing in infections
from elsewhere."
The study says malaria could be eliminated if countries are serious about using proven control
measures. These include insecticides and bed nets.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation partly financed the research. The study appears in the
Lancet medical journal in a series of reports on eliminating malaria.
Other malaria experts writing in the Lancet expressed concern about giving too much attention to
eliminating malaria. They say such a goal could take many years, if it is possible at all. The
concern is that resources for controlling malaria could be lost if the money is spent instead on
trying to defeat it.
Years of efforts to eliminate another disease, polio, have largely succeeded. Now, the World
Health Organization says a new vaccine combination will help in the fight to end polio in
countries where it is still found.
That report, based on a study from India, also appears in the Lancet.
There are three kinds of polio virus. Vaccination campaigns normally use vaccines designed to
protect against all three types.

But cases of the type two virus have not been seen in years. And the new study confirmed that
the type two vaccine reduces the effectiveness of the other vaccines when given together.
To avoid that problem, the new combination contains vaccine only for the type one and type
three polio viruses.
And that's the VOA Special English Health Report. For more health news, go to
voaspecialenglish.com. You can also find captioned videos of our reports on the VOA Learning
English channel on YouTube. I'm Steve Ember.
___
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Scientists Search for New Clues About Parkinsons Disease

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This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. Im Bob Doughty.

And Im Faith Lapidus. Today we tell about the latest research and treatments for Parkinsons
disease.
Parkinsons is a disease of the central nervous system. It is a progressive disorder, meaning it
gets worse over time. The disease affects a small area of cells in the middle of the brain. This
area is called the substantia nigra. The cells slowly lose their ability to produce a chemical called
dopamine.
The decrease in the amount of dopamine can result in one or more general signs of Parkinsons
disease. These include shaking of the hands, arms and legs. They also include difficulty moving
or keeping balanced while walking or standing. Also, there may be emotional changes, like
feeling depressed or worried. The symptoms of Parkinson's differ from person to person. They
also differ in their intensity.
The disease is named after James Parkinson. He was a British doctor who first described this
condition in eighteen seventeen.
During the nineteen sixties, researchers discovered changes in the brains of people with the
disease. These discoveries led to medicines to treat the effects of the disease. There is no cure for
Parkinson's and no way to prevent it. And doctors still are not sure about the cause.
Americas National Institutes of Health says at least five hundred thousand people in the United
States are believed to have Parkinsons disease. About fifty thousand new cases are reported each
year. That number is expected to grow as the average age of the population increases.
Parkinsons appears most often in people over the age of fifty. Some researchers believe that
almost everyone would develop Parkinsons eventually if they lived long enough.
Most patients have what is called idiopathic Parkinsons disease. Idiopathic means the cause is
unknown. People who develop the disease often want to link it to something they can identify.
This might be a medical operation or extreme emotional tension.
Yet many doctors reject this idea of a direct link to Parkinsons. They point to people who have
similar experiences and do not develop the disease.
There are several theories about the cause of Parkinsons, but none has ever been confirmed.
Studies have shown a link between the disease and some chemical products. Two years ago, an
American study found a link between Parkinsons and pesticides, like those used for killing
insects. The study compared three hundred nineteen Parkinsons patients to more than two
hundred family members.

In two thousand seven, a European study also showed a link between pesticide use and
Parkinson's. This study found that serious head injuries also increased a person's risk.
Scientists at Aberdeen University in Scotland collected information about more than nine
hundred people with Parkinson's or similar conditions. They compared this group to almost two
thousand people without the disorder. All the people were asked about their use of pesticides,
chemical fluids and metals like iron. The researchers also collected information about family
history of the disease and head injuries.
Farm workers and people who said they often used pesticides had a forty-one percent greater risk
of Parkinson's than others. The disease was also two and one-half times more common among
people who had been knocked unconscious more than once in their lives. These people
temporarily lost consciousness after suffering a blow to the head.
Another area of study is family genetics. There are examples of members of a family having the
disease. The National Institutes of Health says about fifteen percent of people with Parkinsons
have a family history of the disease. However, most cases involve people with no such family
history.
A few years ago, researchers completed what they called the first large map to show genetic links
with Parkinson's disease. The map identifies changes in genes that may increase the risk in some
people.
Recently, a gene-testing company announced plans for a large genetic study of Parkinsons
patients. The company, 23andme, was the idea of Ann Wojcicki. She is the wife of Sergey Brin,
who helped create the Internet search engine Google.
Mister Brin has a gene that increases his risk of developing Parkinsons. His mother has the
disease. The company is working with two not-for-profit groups. They hope to collect DNA from
ten thousand Parkinsons patients. The goal is to search for common genes that may cause the
disease.
There is no cure for Parkinsons disease. But improved treatments to ease the effects of the
disease make it possible for many patients to live almost normal lives. People who have lost their
ability to do many things are sometimes able to regain some of these abilities with treatment.
The most commonly used drug is levodopa combined with carbidopa. The National Institutes of
Health says levodopa is a chemical found naturally in plants and animals. When it reaches the
brain, levodopa is changed into dopamine, the chemical that is lacking in people with the disease.
Carbidopa delays the change in levodopa until after it reaches the brain.

Levodopa helps ease the symptoms of Parkinson's. But it does not prevent more changes in the
brain that are caused by the disease.
Other drugs used to treat Parkinsons disease act like dopamine. They produce reactions in the
nerve cells in the brain. They can be given alone or in combination with levodopa. Many of the
possible side effects are similar to those linked with the use of levodopa. They include
sleepiness, feeling sick or having bad dreams.
A surgical operation called deep-brain stimulation also is used to treat Parkinsons disease.
Doctors use this treatment to shock the brain in areas that help send messages to the body. These
areas can become blocked in Parkinsons patients. When this happens, the messages give
misinformation to the body.
In deep brain stimulation, doctors make two small holes in the patients head. Two thin, electrical
wires are then placed in the brain. They are connected under the skin to another wire that leads to
a small battery placed in the chest. The device supplies electricity.
Doctors do not know exactly how the brain stimulation works to help Parkinsons patients. But
experts believe the electrical current might help activate nerve cells that are not working
correctly.
Deep brain stimulation can reduce the need for levodopa and other drugs. It also helps to reduce
symptoms such as shaking and slowness of movement.
Last year, researchers in the United States published a study that examined the effectiveness of
deep brain stimulation. They found that the physical condition of Parkinsons patients often
improves after they receive deep brain stimulation.
In fact, the patients who were treated reported an average gain of nearly five hours each day of
good control of their symptoms. But brain stimulation was also shown to have more side effects
than drug treatments.
Deep brain stimulation is not the answer for all Parkinson's patients. Doctors say it is best for
patients whose medicines cause side effects or are not working. The treatment is not new. It was
first approved for use in the United States in nineteen ninety-seven.
Deep brain stimulation has been performed about forty thousand times throughout the world. In
the United States, about three hundred medical centers offer the treatment to Parkinsons
patients.
Scientists are also exploring other experimental treatments. Last year, President Obama ended
restrictions on the use of federal money for studies of human embryonic stem cells.

Stem cells from very early embryos are able to grow into any tissue in the body. Scientists say
such cells might be able to cure or treat diseases like Parkinsons. But opponents say stem cell
experiments are wrong because human embryos are destroyed. They say this is just like
destroying a human life.
This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by George Grow and Brianna Blake. Our producer
was June Simms. Im Faith Lapidus.
And I'm Bob Doughty. Listen again next week for more news about science, in Special English,
on the Voice of America.
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Cause of Epilepsy Is Often Unknown, but Many Treatments Exist

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This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Shirley Griffith.
And I'm Bob Doughty. This week, we will examine the brain disorder known as epilepsy. Many
people do not understand epilepsy. Medical experts are working to understand the disorder and
improve the lives of those who suffer from it.
The sixteen-year-old son of actor John Travolta died suddenly during a family vacation early last
year in the Bahamas. Jett Travolta reportedly suffered a seizure before dying.
A seizure is a sudden attack that may affect a person's mind or body for a short period. People
who suffer from repeated seizures are said to have epilepsy. Whether Jett Travolta had epilepsy is
not clear. But just what is epilepsy and how is it treated?
Epilepsy is a medical condition that produces seizures. A seizure happens when a sudden
increase of electrical activity interferes with normal operations in the brain.
Nerve cells use electrical particles to communicate with each other. Millions of electrical
particles pass between nerve cells in the brain. When the brain has a sudden burst of electricity,
the body experiences physical changes called epileptic seizures. Victims can shake
uncontrollably for brief periods. They also can temporarily lose the ability to communicate or
think clearly.
New research is helping to explain how cells communicate to cause conditions like epilepsy.
Researcher Doug Fields works at America's National Institutes of Health. He showed that a
chemical called ATP could have links to brain disorders like epilepsy and chronic pain.
Most seizures can last anywhere between thirty seconds and two minutes. These seizures do not
cause permanent damage. However, a seizure is considered a medical emergency if it lasts more
than five minutes. One in ten adults will have a seizure during their life.
Different kinds of seizures result when different parts of the brain are affected. If electrical
activity increases in only one area of the brain, the person will have what doctors call a partial
seizure. Many times, people may suffer a partial seizure and not know it. They might note
strange feelings in an arm or leg. They also might hear noises or look straight ahead for a few
minutes.

Sometimes the individual will have an uncontrolled movement, like turning the head to one side.
Most partial seizures last less than ninety seconds. So it is not always possible for others to
recognize them as signs of a disorder.
When people hear the word seizure, they often think of what doctors call a grand mal seizure. A
person experiencing this kind of seizure will fall to the ground. His or her body will become firm
and start to shake. After a few minutes, the individual will stop moving, appear awake and know
what has happened. He or she may move slowly for about thirty minutes. Some grand mal
seizures start with partial seizures and become worse.
Experts have reported different reasons why an individual may suffer epileptic seizures. For
example, head injuries or a lack of oxygen at birth may damage the electrical system in the brain.
Other causes are poisoning and high body temperatures.
Older adults may develop epilepsy because of an infection, stroke or Alzheimer's disease. Yet
experts say the cause of the disorder is unknown in more than half of all cases.
The World Health Organization estimates that fifty million people around the world have
epilepsy. Nearly ninety percent of cases are in developing areas. The WHO says many people in
developing countries suffer from epilepsy because of local conditions. In those areas, people
have a greater chance of experiencing a medical condition or disease that can lead to permanent
brain damage.
The WHO says misunderstandings about epilepsy have resulted in laws against people with the
disorder. For years, it was not illegal for American businesses to discriminate against individuals
who suffered seizures. Now, a law called the Americans with Disabilities Act of nineteen ninety
protects the civil rights of people with disabilities in the United States.
The World Health Organization says many people with epilepsy receive no treatment. However,
many treatments for the disorder are available.
Generally, the first treatment choice for epilepsy is medicine. The Epilepsy Foundation says
different kinds of medicines can stop or control different kinds of seizures. There are now more
than fifteen kinds of drugs on the market. These drugs work best only after they reach what
experts call a desired level in the body.
It might take months to identify the right drug to control the disorder because each one may
cause problems. These include weight gain or loss, eye or stomach problems, sleepiness and loss
of balance. Some people may suffer depression, or have problems thinking or talking after taking
some drugs.

About ten years ago, a device called the Vagus Nerve Stimulator was developed. It is used to
treat adults and young people who have partial seizures that are not controlled in other ways.
In this treatment, electrical energy enters the brain through the vagus nerve in the neck. The
electricity comes from a small power supply placed under the skin in the chest. Medical experts
set the device to provide a small amount of energy every few minutes. The patient can also send
a few seconds of energy through the nerve if he or she feels that a seizure is near. This has been
known to stop a seizure.
The Epilepsy Foundation says people using Vagus Nerve Stimulation still must take anti-seizure
medicines. But the amount may decrease as the treatment continues.
Another treatment for epilepsy is an operation to remove the part of the brain suspected of
causing the seizures. This is done only when medicines fail to control the disorder. One
requirement for the operation is that doctors be able to remove the suspected area without
damaging speech, memory or other abilities.
Other kinds of operations can block the spread of electrical activity in the brain. The Epilepsy
Foundation says doctors are performing more operations now because new information has
increased their safety. Still, some people get no help from operations and others continue to need
medication for their seizures.
Some people with epilepsy may be able to control their seizures by controlling what they eat.
The ketogenic diet was developed about eighty years ago. It is very high in fats and low in
carbohydrates. It makes the body burn fat for energy instead of sugar.
This diet requires family cooperation if the patient is a child. It also requires trained medical
supervision. The patient must be in a hospital for the first part of the treatment. The amount of
food and liquid the patient can have at each meal must be carefully weighed for each individual.
The patient should obey the dietary restrictions for at least one month before experts know if the
treatment is successful.
The Epilepsy Foundation says about one third of children on the ketogenic diet become seizurefree or almost seizure-free. Another third improve but still experience some seizures. The others
cannot continue with the diet or it has no effect on their seizures.
Possible effects of the diet include digestive problems, loss of fluids in the body, and
development of kidney stones or gall stones. Another danger of the diet is that high levels of fat
could develop in the blood.

People being treated for epilepsy in one of these ways can still suffer an unexpected seizure. So
what can you do if you see someone in this situation? Experts say the most important thing is to
keep the individual safe until the seizure stops.
Stay with the person. Clear the area of anything that could cause harm. If you can, turn the body
on one side. Do not force the mouth open or hold the person down. The seizure will stop on its
own. Then speak to the person calmly and offer help to get home.
This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Brianna Blake. Our producer was June Simms.
Im Shirley Griffith.
And Im Bob Doughty. Read and listen to our programs at voaspecialenglish.com. Listen again
next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

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What People With Asthma Can Do to Keep It Under Control

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This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Faith Lapidus.
And I'm Bob Doughty. We recently told you about health problems linked to extreme heat. This
week, we talk about the lung disease asthma. For people with asthma, extreme heat can be
especially troublesome, as can extreme cold.
Asthma is a serious disorder that makes breathing difficult. The World Health Organization says
asthma affects about three hundred million people worldwide. An estimated two hundred fifty
thousand people die from the disease every year. And more than five hundred thousand others are
treated in hospitals.
Asthma happens when tissue that lines the airways to the lungs begins to expand or swell. This
swelling makes the airways smaller. The muscles in the airways tighten.
Cells in the airways begin to produce a lot of mucous. This thick, sticky substance causes the
airways to close even more.
This makes it difficult for air to flow in and out of the lungs.
This series of events is called an asthma attack. As asthma sufferers struggle to get air into their
lungs, they may begin to cough a lot. They may also make a whistling or breathy sound called
wheezing.
Some asthma sufferers have tightness or pain in the chest. They say it feels as if someone is
sitting on them.

When asthma is most severe, the person may have extreme difficulty breathing. The disease can
severely limit a person's activity, and even lead to death.
Doctors do not know what causes asthma. Researchers believe a combination of environmental
and genetic conditions may be responsible.
Forty percent of children who have parents with asthma will develop the disease. Seventy
percent of people with asthma also have allergies. Allergies are unusual reactions of the body's
immune system to otherwise harmless substances or conditions.
Doctors have identified many of the things that may trigger, or start, an asthma attack. Triggers
are things that cause the asthma sufferer's airways to swell.
Different asthma patients usually have different triggers. Allergens are one of the most common
triggers. These impurities in the air cause allergic reactions.
Some of the more common allergens include animal hair, dust, mold and pollen.
Pollen is a fine dust that comes from grass, trees and flowers. Mold is a kind of fungus. It can
grow on the walls or floors of homes. It is often in wet or damp areas like bathrooms, kitchens
and basements. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that twenty-one percent of
asthma cases in the United States have links to mold and dampness in homes.
Air pollution can also trigger asthma. Cigarette smoke is a major problem for asthma sufferers.
So is air pollution from motor vehicles. Chemical sprays like air fresheners, hair spray, cleaning
products and even strong beauty aids can trigger an asthma attack.
Some people cough, wheeze or feel out of breath during or after exercise. They are said to suffer
from exercise-induced asthma. During the winter, breathing in cold air can trigger an asthma
attack. So can colds and other respiratory infections.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than twenty-three million people in
the United States have asthma. Among adults, more women have the disease than men.
Asthma affects more than seven million children each year. It is more common among boys than
girls.
The National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases says the disease affects AfricanAmericans more than whites. African-American children die from asthma at five times the rate
of white children.

Special English reporter June Simms has a fourteen-year old son with asthma. Arick first showed
signs of the disease when he was about two years old.
The doctor gave Arick a medicine called albuterol. Albuterol helps to increase air flow and
reduce tension in the airways. The doctor also gave Arick a machine called a nebulizer. It
connects to a mask that he placed over his mouth and nose.
The nebulizer turns the liquid albuterol into a fog-like mist. Arick inhaled the mist through the
mask. The treatments made it easier for him to breathe.
During times when Arick's asthma was really severe, he was also given steroids to help reduce
swelling in his airways.
As Arick grew older, the doctor replaced his nebulizer with a small medical device called an
inhaler. He also began seeing a doctor who specializes in treating patients with asthma.
The doctor discovered that Arick also suffers from allergies. He now takes medicines every day
to help keep his asthma and allergies under control.
Asthma has become a major health issue around the world, and a problem for many individuals,
families and economies. The yearly economic cost of asthma is close to twenty billion dollars.
The World Health Organization says asthma rates are increasing worldwide by an average of
fifty percent every ten years. The largest increase has been among children.
The Global Initiative for Asthma, GINA, was formed in nineteen ninety-three to raise attention
about asthma. It also seeks to improve asthma care around the world.
GINA is a joint effort of the World Health Organization and the National Heart, Lung and Blood
Institute of America's National Institutes of Health.
In two thousand four, GINA released a report called "The Global Burden of Asthma." The report
said asthma is a growing problem in both industrial and developing countries.
The report suggests that asthma rates in developing countries increase as they become more
westernized. It estimates that there may be an additional one hundred million people with asthma
by the year twenty twenty-five.
While asthma cannot be cured, it can be successfully controlled. This year, GINA's World
Asthma Day campaign was called "You Can Control Your Asthma." The organization launched
the campaign in two thousand seven. Its aim is to show that a large majority of asthma patients
can control the disease with correct treatment.

GINA says several simple steps can help people control their asthma. People should take their
asthma medicines as directed by their doctor.
Most people need two kinds of medicines. One is a quick-acting rescue medicine taken when
needed to stop the signs of asthma. The other is a controller medicine taken every day to prevent
these symptoms.
People should know the causes of their asthma symptoms and try to avoid these triggers. For
example, seek to avoid animal hair, dust, pollen from trees and flowers or cigarette smoke. Some
people may need to take medicines before they work hard or exercise.
Patients should work with their doctors to control the disease. They should go to the doctor for
medical examinations even if they are feeling fine. They should make sure they understand how
and when to take their medicines. They also should act quickly to treat asthma attacks and know
when to seek medical help.
This year, GINA launched a campaign to urge governments and health officials to do more to
improve asthma control. The campaign seeks to reduce asthma hospitalization by fifty percent in
five years.
Earlier this year, researchers identified what they hope will be a new tool in the fight against
asthma. They said a new, non-steroidal treatment made from a human protein has proven
successful in greatly decreasing the signs of asthma in mice.
The researchers said the protein, called IGFBP3, prevented the development of some
physiological conditions linked to asthma. This includes inflammation and over activity of the
lungs.
The researchers say the protein attacks an important cellular pathway called nuclear factor kappa
B. NFkB is responsible for the lung inflammation linked to asthma. The discovery could have a
major effect on asthma, as well as other respiratory problems related to inflammation, like
rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis.
The results of the study were made public earlier this year at the Endocrine Society's ninetysecond annual meeting in San Diego, California.
This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by June Simms, who was also our producer. I'm
Faith Lapidus.
And I'm Bob Doughty. Archives of our programs are at voaspecialenglish.com. Join us again
next week for SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

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Osteoporosis Increases Danger of Broken Bones

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This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English. Im Faith Lapidus.

And Im Bob Doughty. Today we tell about osteoporosis, a disease that can make bones weak so
they break easily.
A new study shows that binge drinking by teenagers may increase the possibility of osteoporosis
in later life. Researchers in the United States say drinking a lot of alcohol over a short period
may influence genes involved in bone formation.
Bone biologist John Callaci led a team studying the effects of alcohol on young rats. He teaches
and leads a research laboratory at Loyola Universitys medical school in the state of Illinois. His
teams findings appear in Alcohol and Alcoholism, a publication of Oxford University Press.
Binge drinkers swallow large amounts of alcohol over a short period. One definition says binge
drinking happens when a woman has at least four alcoholic drinks in a hurry. For men, binge
drinking can mean five drinks in a short time.

Americas Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration says binge drinking can
begin when a person is about thirteen years old. It says binge drinking generally worsens in
young adulthood, and slowly decreases after that.
Professor Callacis team studied adolescent laboratory rats to learn the effects of binge drinking
on their genes. The team injected alcohol into the animals. The injections resulted in a blood
alcohol level of zero-point-two-eight. In many American states, a person is legally drunk when
the level of alcohol in the blood reaches zero-point-zero-eight.
Some rats received a daily injection of alcohol for three days. The researchers say the alcohol
affected about three hundred bone-related genes in those rats. The other rats received alcohol
over a similar three-day period, but the injections continued for four consecutive weeks. In these
rats, one hundred eighty genes were affected.
The injections added ribonucleic acid, also known as RNA, to the genes of some rats. In the
other rats, the RNA in the genes decreased. Ribonucleic acid tells the gene how to make proteins,
the substances necessary for bones and other tissues. These changes interfered with the pathway
of molecules responsible for building bones and keeping them strong.
Professor Callaci says one of the most worrying findings came thirty days after the injections
stopped. At that time, the animals still showed differences in the way their genes were expressed.
Thirty days of a rats life are about the same as three human years.
Professor Callaci says it is not necessarily true that what happens to rats genes will happen to
human genes. But he says the findings suggest that young peoples binge drinking could signal
problems in their future.
Bones are living tissue. Tissues continually break down and then replace themselves. However,
as people get older, more bone breaks down, than gets replaced. The result is that small spaces
inside the bone get larger. The shell of the bones also gets thinner.
The word osteoporosis means porous bones, or bones that are not solid enough. The disease
harms bones by removing calcium and other minerals from tissue. The National Osteoporosis
Foundation says eight of every ten osteoporosis patients are women. It says the disease is most
common in Caucasian women over age fifty.
Two years ago, the National Osteoporosis Foundation suggested that doctors extend their list of
persons to watch for osteoporosis. The additions included Latina, African-American, Asian and
other women. The group also called attention to the fact that men can also suffer from
osteoporosis.

Before people develop osteoporosis, they have a condition called osteopenia. Treatment can
prevent this condition from becoming osteoporosis. Doctors can identify osteoporosis and
osteopenia by measuring the mineral density of a persons bones. In this case, density means the
strength of the bones.
Bone mineral density can be measured in a number of ways. Doctors use the tests to examine the
hip and spine, or backbone. The National Osteoporosis Foundation says a test called Dual-energy
X-ray absorptiometry, or DXA, is the best test for osteoporosis. DXA uses radiation from x-rays.
The patient does not get much radiation from the process, which lasts only a few minutes.
Another way to measure bone-density is called peripheral bone mineral density testing. It is often
used in the United States to show people if they are in danger of osteoporosis. A moveable
machine does the test.
Medical testing companies sometimes perform the exam at an office or other place of business.
The exam costs less than the DXA. Peripheral testing measures only one part of the body.
Usually that place is the wrist, the heel, or the bones between finger joints.
If the testing device is in good condition, it probably will give satisfactory results. But what if the
patient has normal bones in the tested areas, but not in others? A person could appear normal on
the test. But she still might have osteoporosis in her backbone or hips.
Bone mineral density in the spine decreases first. A womans bone mineral density becomes
about the same in all parts of her body after she is seventy years old. The lower-cost test may not
give complete answers. But it can warn that osteoporosis threatens or has started.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation has advised several steps toward the goal of healthy
bones. Its experts say get enough calcium and vitamin D. They say do not smoke or drink too
much alcohol. Talk to your doctor about bone health and a possible bone mineral density test.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation says people over fifty should get one thousand two
hundred milligrams of calcium every day. It also says this age group should get eight hundred to
one thousand International Units of Vitamin D. It says Vitamin D-Two and Vitamin D-Three are
both good for bones.
Milk and milk products contain calcium. So do fish with soft bones, like salmon, and dark green
leafy vegetables. Some orange juice, bread and cereals may have calcium added.
Some people take pills containing calcium. However, be careful about how much calcium you
take. You should not have more than two thousand five hundred milligrams a day. That total
includes calcium from food and all other sources. Too much calcium can cause problems like
kidney stones.

Vitamin D absorbs, or takes up, calcium. Fish, cereal and milk are rich in Vitamin D. If you
spend at least fifteen minutes a day in the sun without a product to block the suns radiation, you
probably get enough Vitamin D.
Several kinds of drugs treat osteoporosis. Americas Mayo Clinic medical centers say
bisphosphonates are the most popular. Fosamax, Actonel and Boniva are products of this family
of drugs.
Doctors who treat osteoporosis patients say physical exercise can help the bones. For active
people, lifting weights or playing tennis, slow running and dancing can be helpful.
Some people who have not exercised worry about the effect of exercise on their joints, especially
the knees. They are afraid exercise might cause osteoarthritis. In that condition, connective tissue
around the bones wears down. One study in The Netherlands shows that might be possible. The
results linked knee osteoarthritis to high mechanical strain -- activities that are hard on joints.
Another study found that regular physical exercise does not harm joints. Scientists from
Germany and the United States considered earlier research on the effect of exercise on joints.
They did not find a link between normal exercise and knee osteoarthritis.
If you are still worried about exercise for osteoporosis, try taking a walk. The Mayo Clinic says
walking helps your bones. However, you have to do it correctly. The Mayo Clinic says hold your
head high. Straighten your back and neck as much as possible. Tighten the chest muscles. As you
move along, let your shoulders and arms move freely and naturally.
Walking raises the levels of chemicals in the brain known as endorphins. They reduce pain and
make you feel happier.
This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Jerilyn Watson. Our producer was June Simms.
I'm Bob Doughty.
And Im Faith Lapidus. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English
on the Voice of America.

VOA Special English - Text & MP3

www.manythings.org/voa/medicalOsteoporosis Increases Danger of Broken Bones
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This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English. Im Faith Lapidus.

And Im Bob Doughty. Today we tell about osteoporosis, a disease that can make bones weak so
they break easily.
A new study shows that binge drinking by teenagers may increase the possibility of osteoporosis
in later life. Researchers in the United States say drinking a lot of alcohol over a short period
may influence genes involved in bone formation.
Bone biologist John Callaci led a team studying the effects of alcohol on young rats. He teaches
and leads a research laboratory at Loyola Universitys medical school in the state of Illinois. His
teams findings appear in Alcohol and Alcoholism, a publication of Oxford University Press.
Binge drinkers swallow large amounts of alcohol over a short period. One definition says binge
drinking happens when a woman has at least four alcoholic drinks in a hurry. For men, binge
drinking can mean five drinks in a short time.
Americas Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration says binge drinking can
begin when a person is about thirteen years old. It says binge drinking generally worsens in
young adulthood, and slowly decreases after that.
Professor Callacis team studied adolescent laboratory rats to learn the effects of binge drinking
on their genes. The team injected alcohol into the animals. The injections resulted in a blood
alcohol level of zero-point-two-eight. In many American states, a person is legally drunk when
the level of alcohol in the blood reaches zero-point-zero-eight.
Some rats received a daily injection of alcohol for three days. The researchers say the alcohol
affected about three hundred bone-related genes in those rats. The other rats received alcohol
over a similar three-day period, but the injections continued for four consecutive weeks. In these
rats, one hundred eighty genes were affected.
The injections added ribonucleic acid, also known as RNA, to the genes of some rats. In the
other rats, the RNA in the genes decreased. Ribonucleic acid tells the gene how to make proteins,
the substances necessary for bones and other tissues. These changes interfered with the pathway
of molecules responsible for building bones and keeping them strong.
Professor Callaci says one of the most worrying findings came thirty days after the injections
stopped. At that time, the animals still showed differences in the way their genes were expressed.
Thirty days of a rats life are about the same as three human years.
Professor Callaci says it is not necessarily true that what happens to rats genes will happen to
human genes. But he says the findings suggest that young peoples binge drinking could signal
problems in their future.

Bones are living tissue. Tissues continually break down and then replace themselves. However,
as people get older, more bone breaks down, than gets replaced. The result is that small spaces
inside the bone get larger. The shell of the bones also gets thinner.
The word osteoporosis means porous bones, or bones that are not solid enough. The disease
harms bones by removing calcium and other minerals from tissue. The National Osteoporosis
Foundation says eight of every ten osteoporosis patients are women. It says the disease is most
common in Caucasian women over age fifty.
Two years ago, the National Osteoporosis Foundation suggested that doctors extend their list of
persons to watch for osteoporosis. The additions included Latina, African-American, Asian and
other women. The group also called attention to the fact that men can also suffer from
osteoporosis.
Before people develop osteoporosis, they have a condition called osteopenia. Treatment can
prevent this condition from becoming osteoporosis. Doctors can identify osteoporosis and
osteopenia by measuring the mineral density of a persons bones. In this case, density means the
strength of the bones.
Bone mineral density can be measured in a number of ways. Doctors use the tests to examine the
hip and spine, or backbone. The National Osteoporosis Foundation says a test called Dual-energy
X-ray absorptiometry, or DXA, is the best test for osteoporosis. DXA uses radiation from x-rays.
The patient does not get much radiation from the process, which lasts only a few minutes.
Another way to measure bone-density is called peripheral bone mineral density testing. It is often
used in the United States to show people if they are in danger of osteoporosis. A moveable
machine does the test.
Medical testing companies sometimes perform the exam at an office or other place of business.
The exam costs less than the DXA. Peripheral testing measures only one part of the body.
Usually that place is the wrist, the heel, or the bones between finger joints.
If the testing device is in good condition, it probably will give satisfactory results. But what if the
patient has normal bones in the tested areas, but not in others? A person could appear normal on
the test. But she still might have osteoporosis in her backbone or hips.
Bone mineral density in the spine decreases first. A womans bone mineral density becomes
about the same in all parts of her body after she is seventy years old. The lower-cost test may not
give complete answers. But it can warn that osteoporosis threatens or has started.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation has advised several steps toward the goal of healthy
bones. Its experts say get enough calcium and vitamin D. They say do not smoke or drink too
much alcohol. Talk to your doctor about bone health and a possible bone mineral density test.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation says people over fifty should get one thousand two
hundred milligrams of calcium every day. It also says this age group should get eight hundred to
one thousand International Units of Vitamin D. It says Vitamin D-Two and Vitamin D-Three are
both good for bones.
Milk and milk products contain calcium. So do fish with soft bones, like salmon, and dark green
leafy vegetables. Some orange juice, bread and cereals may have calcium added.
Some people take pills containing calcium. However, be careful about how much calcium you
take. You should not have more than two thousand five hundred milligrams a day. That total
includes calcium from food and all other sources. Too much calcium can cause problems like
kidney stones.
Vitamin D absorbs, or takes up, calcium. Fish, cereal and milk are rich in Vitamin D. If you
spend at least fifteen minutes a day in the sun without a product to block the suns radiation, you
probably get enough Vitamin D.
Several kinds of drugs treat osteoporosis. Americas Mayo Clinic medical centers say
bisphosphonates are the most popular. Fosamax, Actonel and Boniva are products of this family
of drugs.
Doctors who treat osteoporosis patients say physical exercise can help the bones. For active
people, lifting weights or playing tennis, slow running and dancing can be helpful.
Some people who have not exercised worry about the effect of exercise on their joints, especially
the knees. They are afraid exercise might cause osteoarthritis. In that condition, connective tissue
around the bones wears down. One study in The Netherlands shows that might be possible. The
results linked knee osteoarthritis to high mechanical strain -- activities that are hard on joints.
Another study found that regular physical exercise does not harm joints. Scientists from
Germany and the United States considered earlier research on the effect of exercise on joints.
They did not find a link between normal exercise and knee osteoarthritis.
If you are still worried about exercise for osteoporosis, try taking a walk. The Mayo Clinic says
walking helps your bones. However, you have to do it correctly. The Mayo Clinic says hold your
head high. Straighten your back and neck as much as possible. Tighten the chest muscles. As you
move along, let your shoulders and arms move freely and naturally.

Walking raises the levels of chemicals in the brain known as endorphins. They reduce pain and
make you feel happier.
This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Jerilyn Watson. Our producer was June Simms.
I'm Bob Doughty.
And Im Faith Lapidus. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English
on the Voice of America.

VOA Special English - Text & MP3

www.manythings.org/voa/medical

Autoimmune Diseases: When the Body Starts Attacking Itself

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This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English. Im Bob Doughty.

And Im Barbara Klein. This week, we talk about a sickness called lupus and other autoimmune
diseases. Autoimmune diseases affect the immune system, the bodys natural defenses for
fighting disease.
The immune system normally protects the body against foreign materials, such as viruses and
bacteria. Autoimmune diseases result from a failure of the bodys own defenses against disease.
The immune system loses its ability to tell the difference between foreign materials and its own
cells. So the body starts attacking its own organs and tissues.
There are three kinds of lupus. Discoid lupus affects only the skin and can be identified by red
marks on the face or neck. These marks on the skin can also be a sign of another form of lupus
called systemic lupus. Systemic lupus can affect almost any organ or organ system in the body.
When people talk about lupus, they usually mean the systemic form of the disease.
Some medicines can cause what is called drug-induced lupus. This form of lupus usually goes
away when the patient stops using the medicines.
High body temperature and pain in the elbows or knees are often signs of lupus. Other signs are
red marks on the skin and lack of iron in the body. The person may also feel extremely tired.
At different times, the effects of lupus can be either mild or serious. The signs of the disease can
come and go. This makes identifying the disease difficult. There is no single test to tell if
someone has lupus. Many people with lupus also suffer from depression.
Lupus can lead to other health problems. Women with lupus are at greater risk of developing
heart disease. And, between thirty and fifty percent of lupus patients will develop lupus-related
kidney disease.
Lupus affects an estimated one million five hundred thousand people in the United States.
Experts are not sure what causes lupus. But the disease has been known to attack members of the
same family.
The singer Lady Gaga announced earlier this month that she was tested for lupus. She told CNN
television that the disease is genetic, and has affected members of her family. One of them is
thought to have died from lupus. The singer said the testing shows that she is, in her words,
borderline positive for the disease.
Scientists have identified genes they believe are linked to lupus. They hope studying these genes
more closely could help in development of new treatments for the disease, and possibly a cure.
Recent studies also support a theory that a combination of genes is linked to the development of
lupus.

Other suspected causes include antibiotic drugs, mental or physical tension, infections and
hormones. In fact, hormones might explain why lupus affects women more often than men. The
Lupus Foundation of America says more than ninety percent of the people with lupus are
women. Scientists do not know why women are more at risk. They think it might involve female
hormones, like estrogen. Another idea is that it could involve the foreign cells left in a womans
body after a pregnancy.
There is currently no cure for lupus. Yet doctors have developed ways of treating the disease.
Treatments are based on the condition and needs of each patient. No two individuals have the
exact same problems. A treatment could include a combination of stress-reduction methods and
drugs like painkillers and steroids. Anti-malaria drugs have been effective. Research has also
suggested that supervised exercise training can improve the quality of life for lupus patients.
It has been about forty years since the United States Food and Drug Administration approved a
drug especially for treating lupus. Several companies are working to make drugs that can help
lupus patients. Groups like the Lupus Foundation of America are working to increase public
understanding of the disease.
Lupus can be life-threatening if left untreated. Yet, many patients can lead a normal and healthy
life if they follow their doctors advice. Patients must take their medicines and keep looking for
side effects or new signs of the disease.
Lupus is not the only autoimmune disease. Doctors and scientists have identified at least eighty
other diseases in which the body attacks its own organs and cells. Some of the diseases attack
just one area of the body, like the skin, eyes or muscles. Others affect an organ system or even
the whole body.
Some of the diseases are well known, such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and typeone diabetes. Others are not as well known.
For example, celiac disease is difficult to identify because the signs of the disease are so
common. Patients may have low iron levels and experience stomach pain. The uncontrolled
release of bodily wastes is also a problem.
Doctors might treat those problems and not know they are caused by celiac disease. Some people
develop celiac disease after eating gluten, a protein found in wheat products. It is not always
clear that eating something as harmless as wheat can be bad for a persons health. For some
patients, it can be years before the problem is correctly identified.
The United States National Institutes of Health says autoimmune diseases affect an estimated
five to eight percent of the countrys population. Other groups disagree. For example, the

American Autoimmune Related Disease Association says autoimmune diseases affect about fifty
million Americans. That represents about one-sixth of the population.
The physical, emotional and financial cost of autoimmune diseases is huge. Most of those
affected are women. While people of all ages are affected, women who are old enough to have
children are especially at risk.
Some autoimmune diseases like lupus and scleroderma are more common among AfricanAmericans. Diseases like multiple sclerosis and type one diabetes are more common among
whites. Doctors do not yet know why this is true.
New drugs are being tested to help treat autoimmune diseases. Some drugs can be a problem
because they suppress the immune system. This means the body is less able to defend itself
against infections.
Newer drugs attempt to suppress only one small part of the immune system, not all of it. For
example, drugs like Enbrel and Remicade block tumor necrosis factor. This is a protein that
causes inflammation, a physical reaction to infection, injury or other causes. These drugs have
been useful in treating diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and Crohns disease. However,
the drugs are costly. And, some have been found to increase the risk of cancer.
Scientists continue searching for other methods of treatment. For example, some scientists hope
to use stem cells to replace tissues damaged by disease. Stem cells have the ability to grow other
cells, such as heart, nerve or brain cells.
Medical experts also are working together to improve the way autoimmune diseases are
identified and treated. Less than ten years ago, the Johns Hopkins Autoimmune Disease Research
Center was established in Maryland. The center seeks to bring together experts to improve the
study of autoimmune diseases.
Private groups show how important it is for scientists to share information about such diseases.
Because each disease often affects different organs, many experts might be needed to treat the
disorder. Experts need to know about the most recent research and technology. By sharing
information about their patients, doctors also can learn from other cases.
Government agencies are also working to increase knowledge about autoimmune diseases. In the
United States, the National Institutes of Health created an autoimmune disease research plan in
two thousand two. The plan urges agencies from different areas to work together.
Both private and government organizations are working to increase understanding of such
diseases. This can help individuals better understand what to do should they develop a health

problem. At the same time, researchers continue working to help patients have a better quality of
life.
This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS program written and produced by Brianna Blake. Im Bob
Doughty.
And Im Barbara Klein. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English
on the Voice of America.

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Finding New Ways to Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis

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This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a painful disease that can destroy joints. Women are three times more
likely to get it than men.
Rheumatoid arthritis is considered an autoimmune disease, a disease where the body attacks
healthy cells. The exact cause is unknown. But in a recent study, an experimental drug showed
signs of halting the disorder in laboratory mice.
Harris Perlman is a medical researcher at Northwestern University in Illinois. He says normally a
protein in healthy immune cells causes the cells to die after they attack an invading virus or
bacteria. But in rheumatoid arthritis, that protein is missing in some immune cells. Instead, the
protein builds up in the joints and attacks cartilage and bone.
Professor Perlman developed what he calls a suicide molecule. It acts like the protein that directs
cells to self-destruct. He says the suicide molecule halted and even reduced rheumatoid arthritis
in seventy-five percent of the mice in the study. He believes the treatment could also work in
people.
Current treatments for rheumatoid arthritis can reduce pain, but they do not work for everyone.
They also have side effects such as an increased risk of infection. Harris Perlman says the new
treatment produced no major side effects in the mice.
The study appeared earlier this year in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism.
Arthritis is not a single disease. The MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, a United States
government website, says there are more than one hundred different kinds.
Arthritis produces pain, swelling and limited movement in one or more joints. It involves the
breakdown of cartilage. Joints need cartilage for smooth movement and to absorb shock when
you put pressure on a joint.

Arthritis can be caused by injury, infection, an autoimmune disease or just long-term use. Some
forms are curable, others are not. Some autoimmune forms of arthritis, if not treated, may cause
joints to become deformed.
The most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis, is more likely to affect older people. It most
commonly affects the hips, knees or fingers. Overweight people have a higher risk of
osteoarthritis. Other risk factors are repeatedly putting stress on a joint or having an earlier
injury.
A physical therapist can design an individualized exercise program to reduce arthritis pain and
support healthy joints. Getting plenty of sleep, reducing stress and eating a diet high in vitamins
and minerals can also help.
And that's the VOA Special English Health Report. I'm Bob Doughty.

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Study Finds Drop in Deaths of Mothers in Developing World

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This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

A new study says fewer women in developing nations are dying of pregnancy-related causes.
Researchers estimated how many mothers died during or soon after childbirth in one hundred
eighty-one countries. They found a drop of more than thirty-five percent worldwide in the past
thirty years.
By their count, the number fell from more than a half-million in nineteen eighty to about three
hundred forty-three thousand in two thousand eight. That year, about two hundred fifty mothers
died for every one hundred thousand live births worldwide.
The researchers say the maternal death rate has been falling almost one and a half percent a year
since nineteen ninety. Earlier reports suggested little change between nineteen eighty and
nineteen ninety, but the new study disputes that.
The researchers used government records, medical records, surveys and other information. They
developed new methods to get what they say are the best estimates yet for almost every country.
They say the progress is a result of greater efforts to reduce maternal deaths.
Christopher Murray at the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
in Seattle led the study. He says more education of women in developing countries has helped
lower maternal death rates. More of them are giving birth in hospitals.
Doctor Murray says lower fertility rates around the world, combined with higher earnings, are
also reducing deaths.
The nations found to have the biggest reductions were Egypt, Ecuador and Bolivia. The
researchers say China also had a sharp drop.
But since nineteen ninety maternal death rates have risen in some countries. Zimbabwe, for
example, had a five and one-half percent increase per year. Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Nigeria,
the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia also had increases.

H.I.V. has slowed the progress in reducing maternal deaths. The study linked almost one in every
five such deaths in two thousand eight to the virus that causes AIDS.
The researchers say maternal deaths rates have also increased in some wealthy countries. They
found the number in the United States rose almost forty-two percent since nineteen ninety.
Countries such as Canada and Norway also had increases. Doctor Murray says at least part of the
increase is likely the result of better record keeping.
The study also included the University of Queensland in Australia. The report is in the Lancet.
And that's the VOA Special English Health Report. Im Steve Ember.

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The Argument Over Salt and Health

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This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

Last month we reported about a study that showed eating even a little less salt could greatly help
the heart. The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The scientists used
a computer model to predict how just three grams less salt a day would affect heart disease in the
United States.
The scientists said the results would be thirteen percent fewer heart attacks, eight percent fewer
strokes, four percent fewer deaths and eleven percent fewer new cases of heart disease. And two
hundred forty billion dollars in health care savings. Researchers said it could prevent one
hundred thousand heart attacks and ninety-two thousand deaths every year.
The researchers were from the University of California, San Francisco, Stanford University and
Columbia University.
They and public health professionals in the United States are interested in a national campaign to
persuade people to eat less salt. Such campaigns are already in place in Britain, Japan and
Finland.
However, some scientists say such a campaign is an experiment with the health of millions of
people.
Michael Alderman is among the critics. He is a high blood pressure expert and professor at
Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. Doctor Alderman says that eating less salt
results in lower blood pressure. But he says studies have not clearly shown that lowering salt
means fewer heart attacks or strokes.
And he says salt has other biological effects. He says calling for reductions in the national diet
could have good effects, but it could also have harmful results. He says there is not enough
evidence either way.
Another critic is David McCarron, a nutrition and kidney disease expert at the University of
California, Davis. He and his team looked at large studies of diets in thirty-three countries. They

found that most people around the world eat about the same amount of salt. Most of them eat
more salt than American health officials advise.
Doctor McCarron says the worldwide similarity suggests that a person's brain might decide how
much salt to eat.
Both Doctor McCarron and Doctor Alderman have connections to the Salt Institute, a trade
group for the salt industry. Doctor Alderman is a member of an advisory committee. But he says
he receives no money from the group. Doctor McCarron is paid for offering scientific advice to
the Salt Institute.
And that's the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver. I'm Shirley Griffith.

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