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ATKINS DIET
This was the year the naysayers in the medical establishment got high-cholesterol egg on their faces. For three decades, the experts railed against Dr. Robert Atkins and his popular steak-heavy, high-fat, low-carb nutrition plan. Then came surprising new studies showing that the diet not only works (pound for pound, up to 100% better than low-fat diets) but also appears to be good for the heart, lowering triglycerides and raising HDL, the "good" cholesterol. Studies were small, however, and the results preliminary. The last word will probably have to wait for the big five-year, $2.5 million clinical trial, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), that is tracking the health effects of the Atkins diet on 360 obese Americans. Meanwhile, the bottom line hasn't changed: you lose weight only when you burn more calories than you eat. (See E for Exercise.)
Related Sources:
American Journal of Medicine (July 2002)
Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine (Nov. 2002)
Atkins Nutritionals, Inc.
AIDS
It was another bleak year for AIDS, as a U.N. report on the global AIDS epidemic made painfully clear. Among its findings: 40 million people are infected with HIV, 3 million of them children. All told, more than 20 million have died of AIDS since 1981. Progress in the research labs has been slow and not that steady, but it has produced some results. Scientists discovered three proteins—alpha-
defensins 1, 2 and 3—that may account for the so-called non-progressors, the 1% or 2% of people who contract HIV but never develop aids. Also, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new rapid HIV test called OraQuick, which reliably detects HIV antibodies in a blood sample in less than 30 minutes.
Related Sources:
Science (Sept. 26, 2002)
Food and Drug Administration (Nov. 2002)
Joint U.N. Programme on HIV/AIDS
ASPIRIN
For a little white pill that costs pennies, aspirin may be the closest thing we will ever find to a wonder drug. Not only does it relieve headaches, ease the pain of arthritis and thin the blood to ward off strokes and heart attacks, but as we learned last year, it may also protect against cancers of the pancreas, colon and prostate and even forestall Alzheimer's disease. Unfortunately, we also learned that aspirin isn't a wonder drug for everyone: some 30% of Americans are aspirin resistant and may need either higher doses or a different drug altogether.
Related Sources:
American Association for
Cancer Research annual meeting (Apr. 7, 2002)
Journal of the National Cancer Institute (Aug. 7, 2002)
Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Mar. 2002)
Neurology (Sept. 24, 2002)
Circulation (Mar. 22, 2002)
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NATION
 Can This War Be Avoided?
Many push for alternatives. But those who know Bush say, Don't bet on it
NATION
Get Ready for Class Warfare
Critics say Bush's plan outrageously favors the rich. The President says nonsense, everyone gets a break. But here's the question worth exploring:
Does the economy win or lose in all this
arm wrestling?
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BUSINESS
Tight Skivvies
They're what everyone's wearing this season. Here's why
ARTS
What They Really Want Is to Direct
Big-name stars like George Clooney, Nicolas Cage and Denzel Washington are using their box-office clout to get their shot behind the camera
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