2001: Your A To Z Guide To The Year In Medicine

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CORNEAS There aren't many treatments for a scarred cornea, the opaque outer layer of the eye, since corneal tissue can't be easily replaced. But it may be possible to grow a new one. Doctors have successfully transplanted tissue from other parts of the eye to reconstruct the cornea and restore sharper sight to a handful of patients.

CPR In case of a heart attack, standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) procedure calls for alternating mouth-to-mouth resuscitation with carefully counted chest compressions. A study of emergency medical technicians demonstrated, however, that chest compressions alone may be enough. Survival rates of heart-attack victims were the same whether they were given CPR or chest compressions alone.

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DEFIBRILLATORS Heart patients may rest easier knowing that the cardiac jump-start that might save their life is in the next room. Agilent Technologies, based in Palo Alto, Calif., and CVS.com last year launched Heartstream, the first defibrillator available directly to consumers with a doctor's prescription.

DIABETES It's getting easier for diabetics to keep tabs on the ups and downs of their glucose level. The first fully automated monitoring device--one press of a button pricks, analyzes blood and provides results--has been approved by the FDA. Still in the works is an infrared system that measures glucose levels by scanning the tongue.

DNA Want to join the genetic revolution? Fill out a questionnaire and provide a blood sample, and you can donate your DNA for genetic-disease research at www.dna.com Run by DNA Sciences, the site has drawn 4,500 volunteers so far, and is hoping for a total of 100,000 samples.

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ESTROGEN It still soothes hot flashes and protects your bones, but two major studies showed that taking estrogen long after menopause may not benefit the heart. In fact, the potent female hormone may slightly increase the risk of suffering a heart attack in some women. A long-term study is expected to produce a definitive answer some time during the next five years or so. Until then, women with high cholesterol levels should get plenty of exercise, limit the amount of saturated fat in their diet and listen carefully if their physician suggests taking a cholesterol-lowering drug.

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FASTPACK As if undergoing treatment for prostate cancer weren't bad enough, men usually have to wait up to a week for results of tests to determine whether or not their tumor has returned. In June the FDA approved FastPack, an automated blood analyzer designed by Qualigen of Carlsbad, Calif., that measures in as little as 15 minutes the level of prostate-specific antigen found in a blood sample. The FDA concluded, however, that there weren't enough data to approve FastPack as a screening tool for the general population.