Your Health

By Desa Philadelphia

GOOD NEWS

CANCER TEST Colonoscopy--an examination of the entire colon--can cost upwards of $1,000 but is far superior at detecting colon cancer than less expensive methods. Researchers found that fecal tests combined with a partial examination of the colon--a procedure called sigmoidoscopy that costs only a few hundred dollars--missed 24% of cancers. Reluctant insurers may now be pressured to cover the more thorough method.

SAFE IUD? A study suggests that intrauterine devices (better known as IUDs) may be as safe as other forms of birth control after all. Women who participated in the study showed no risk of becoming infertile as a result of blocked fallopian tubes--the fear that caused IUDs to fall out of favor.

BAD NEWS

TOOTH BLEACHING If you have a cavity, using a do-it-yourself teeth-whitening kit could cause infection and nerve damage because the bleaching agent goes straight to the gums. Plus, oral surgeons say, the kits don't always do a great job. Best to avoid stains by brushing after every meal.

DIABETES DETECTION People at high risk for diabetes shouldn't wait until age 45 to be screened, as current guidelines suggest. About 50% of diabetics had already developed complications--for example, circulatory problems--by the time their condition was diagnosed, doctors say. Message: high-risk groups (like minorities) should begin testing at 30.

--By Desa Philadelphia

Sources: Good News--New England Journal of Medicine (8/23/01). Bad News--University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (8/20/01); American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (8/21/01)