Doctor's Orders: May 23, 2005

TYPE 2 DIABETES AND 1% MILK

In a 12-year study of 41,000 men published in Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers found that the risk that a man would develop Type 2 diabetes fell as his dairy intake rose. But don't drink just any milk; the benefit was linked to low- and nonfat dairy foods only.

CAN EXERCISE SLOW CANCER?

Maybe. A study that followed nearly 50,000 men for 15 years concluded that guys age 65 and older who engaged in vigorous physical activity had the same incidence of prostate cancer as inactive men but 70% less risk that their cancer would kill them.

46.1%

In a study of 3,682 Medicaid-enrolled kids with high levels of lead in their blood, nearly half did not get the follow-up care they needed.

WATCH WHERE YOU POINT THAT!

A green laser pointer may be great for punctuating presentations, but mind the eyes. A Mayo Clinic study found that retinas can be harmed by exposures as brief as 60 seconds.

DO I REALLY HAVE TO SAY AH?

Alas, yes. The standard test for strep may make your child gag, but after experimenting with less invasive tests, doctors concluded that they still need to swab kids' tonsils. Just tell 'em about the ice cream.

THE SWEET, BUBBLY TASTE OF OBESITY

Soft drinks alone don't make Americans fat, says the Journal of Pediatrics, but it doesn't help that the two cans of soda a typical teen drinks daily contain 20 teaspoons of sugar.