Health Report

THE GOOD NEWS

Israeli scientists have found that giving elderly insomniacs melatonin -- a hormone produced in the human pineal gland, which regulates sleep cycles -- dramatically improves their chances of getting to sleep. It also seems to work for people whose insomnia is caused by Alzheimer's disease and other brain disorders.

Digitalis has been used for more than 200 years to treat chronic heart failure. But more powerful new medications made doctors wonder if the old standby had outlived its usefulness. A 12-week study of 178 patients with mild to moderate heart failure has laid those fears to rest. According to the report, combining digitalis with more modern drugs decreased by sixfold a patient's odds of getting sicker.

THE BAD NEWS

Despite EPA, rules limiting the use of dangerous pesticides, children are still at risk from pesticide residues in food. Environmental Protection Agency standards are based on estimates of how much residue is dangerous to adults, but children tend to be much more sensitive.

An advisory panel of the Food and Drug Administration has concluded that heavy drinkers should not take excessive amounts of acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol and similar painkillers. Acetaminophen is already known to cause liver damage in very large doses; since alcohol also puts a strain on the liver, the combination can be dangerous. The panel wants the FDA to put warning labels on the medicine bottles.

SOURCES: Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences; New England Journal of Medicine; news reports