 |
 |
 |
|
E-mail your letter to the editor
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
| ILLUSTRATION FOR TIME BY ALISON SEIFER |
|
MAMMOGRAPHY
For two years, a bitter argument has raged over medical advice that most women thought was unimpeachable: routine mammograms save lives. The contrarians insist that the statistics don't bear this out. They also argue that mammograms miss 10% to 15% of breast cancers and that the vast majority of the abnormalities mammograms do spot are benign, which results in millions of unnecessary biopsies and countless anxious women. In a sharp repudiation of the critics, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson declared that while mammograms are not perfect, they are "an important and effective tool that helps to save lives." The last word, for now.
Related Sources:
Lancet (Oct. 20, 2001)
Health and Human Services recommendation (Feb. 21, 2002)
National Cancer Institute
MERCURY
You may not be into heavy-metal music, but if you are a fish eater, heavy metals are inside you. The omega-3 fatty acids in big, deep-ocean fish are good for the heart, but the flesh of fish at the top of the pelagic food chain also tends to be laced with pollutants. Chief among them: mercury, which can increase the risk of heart disease. Should you fish or cut bait? So far it's a draw, with two major studies coming to opposite conclusions. Until more studies are completed, doctors believe that the benefits of fish outweigh the risks, except for pregnant women and nursing moms, who should avoid swordfish and shark to protect their babies from mercury exposure.
Related Sources:
New England Journal of Medicine (Nov. 28, 2002) (2)
 |
 |
|
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?
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
