Health Report: May 30, 1994

THE GOOD NEWS

-- Regulating levels of chemotherapy to reflect the changes in body rhythms that occur during day and night can increase its effectiveness, researchers say. Tumors shrank significantly in half the patients treated this way, compared with 30% of those who received regular therapy. Doctors have discussed the strategy, known as chronotherapy, for at least two decades, but only recently found a practical way to deliver doses linked to body rhythms.

-- Muscular dystrophy researchers have for the first time identified a key molecule involved in forming connections between muscle cells and neurons, thereby affording new insights into why muscle cells die in muscular dystrophy patients. The discovery opens the way to fresh approaches in treating the disease.

THE BAD NEWS

-- Trans fatty acids, found in margarine and foods with partly hydrogenated oils, could be responsible for 30,000 deaths a year from heart disease, scientists say. The acids raise levels of "bad" cholesterol and lower levels of "good" cholesterol.

-- A new study says some 420,000 of the caesarean deliveries each year-10.5% of all births-are performed unnecessarily.

-- Women who gain weight during their 20s, even as little as 10 lbs., may be substantially increasing their risk of developing breast cancer later in life.

-- More than 80% of apple, peach and celery samples gathered for a recent study contained pesticide residues -- even after washing and peeling.

Sources-GOOD: American Society of Clinical Oncology; Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology.

BAD: The American Journal of Public Health; American Society of Clinical Oncology; Public Citizen Health Research Group; Environmental Working Group.