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The article focuses on the increase in cases of early-onset Alzheimer's disease, once thought to afflict only the elderly. The article discusses the effects of the disease on people in their fifties, forties, and, increasing, in their thirties. Particular focus is given to the lack of treatment options for younger victims, as the United States' Alzheimer's Association only recently acknowledged early-onset demenia. INSET: There's Hope in the Drug Pipeline.

The article reports on community hospitals, which are increasingly offering the complex medical procedures that used to drive people to seek out care in the nation's best hospitals. Researching your community hospital, their volume and quality of surgeries, their experience level and their expertise in your medical procedure can help you chose a good center close to home.

The article reports that doctors have found a new vaccine to treat cervical cancer. They are also focusing their research to eliminate the more destructive types, such as prostate and pancreatic cancer. The common element to all of these new treatments is the renewal of the immune system. Injections of the vaccine stimulates the body's production of antibodies, catching the virus before it infects any basal cell. The new vaccines will provide virus prevention and long term protection. INSET: Shots, Sex, and Safety.

The article reports on the use of electrical implants to mend brains damaged by Parkinson's, stroke and depression. About 70 percent of patients who receive deep brain stimulation get some benefit. Deep brain stimulation is being used for a movement disorder known as dystonia, which contorts the entire body. Not everyone returns to normal following this treatment, however. Those with severe paralysis may be aided by implant technology. It is also being used for treatment-resistant depression. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is another experimental technique for serious depression. INSET: 5 WAYS TO REPAIR A BROKEN BRAIN.

Offers a look at the use of high technology in hospitals and its impact on death rates. Use of technology in hospital intensive care units; Use of information technology to improve the quality and safety of hospital care; Reference to a survey of hospitals conducted by "Hospitals & Health Networks" that showed that the "100 Most Wired" had a lower patient mortality rate; Reference to a study in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" regarding computerized physician medication-ordering for the reduction of medical errors; Use of electronic health records. INSETS: HIGH-TECH SERVICES;THE GOOD AND THE WIRED.

Offers nine key ways to beat the pain of arthritis. How joint problems are hurting and crippling millions of Americans; Ways that rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis affect joints; Topical treatment; Supplements; Technique of strengthening the muscles and tendons that support the joint; Strength and flexibility exercises; Anti-inflammatory drugs; Disease-modifying drugs; Opioid analgesics; Joint lubrication; Surgery and replacement; Rehabilitation; Outlook for new treatments.

Discusses ways in which to get cheaper medications from Canada without risking one's life in order to get them. Efforts of several states to set up programs for importing medications from Canada; Possible dangers of ordering drugs online through web sites that are not approved; Steps consumers can take to safeguard their money and health in importing drugs; Attractiveness of Canadian drugs; Analysis of the programs that were created in Wisconsin and Minnesota; Problems with the programs; Possibility that the drugs from Canada may not be supplied from legitimate sources.

Examines how new research is helping Alzheimer's patients cope. The painful realities of Alzheimer's disease for patients and their families; How Alzheimer's specialist Pierre Tariot and other researchers are combining new and existing therapies to stave off brain failure; Role of drugs in slowing deterioration and reducing agitation and irritability; How new brain scans are making earlier, clearer diagnoses possible; Task-training; Increase in the rate of Medicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer's; Questions regarding Aricept, the most frequently prescribed Alzheimer drug; Approval of memantine for people in later stages of Alzheimer's; Treatment of agitation, depression and other symptoms in people with dementia; Hopes for the new approaches.

Discusses St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Story of one child treated at the hospital named Sydney Distefano, who had a rare cancer; Focus on certain catastrophic diseases at St. Jude, such as cancer, and AIDS; Five-year survival rates for cancers; New treatment methods being developed at St. Jude, such as new radiation methods for children with brain tumors; Possible reasons why treatments, such as the new brain tumor treatment, works on some children and not on other.

Discusses the truth behind the myth about the city of Troy in northwestern Turkey. Description of Troy and its desolate nature; Comparison of Troy to the place described by Homer in "The Iliad"; Recent excavations of Troy; Discovery of pottery, swords, and other relics during the excavation; Analysis of the story told in "The Iliad" and the truth behind it; Belief that King Agamemnon is a fictional character, as no relics have ever been found as proof of his existence; Conflict between the Mycenaeans and the residents of Troy.

Ginger Empey has battled breast cancer that spread to her liver, while Gloria Caruso fought lung cancer that spawned tumors in her neck and back. But the two also share some good fortune, including joy in their grandchildren. Empey is taking Herceptin, a drug that homes in on tumor cell proteins that flourish only in patients who have her specific subtype of breast cancer. Gene tests can now reveal whether an organ transplant patient is likely to have a bad reaction to a particular transplant drug, forewarning doctors about the risk. And tests under development can pick out people who have both good and poor responses to drugs for high blood pressure, which should allow doctors to match patients to the most suitable drugs in advance.

Focuses on how to deal with health insurance mistakes. How writing off insurance mistakes is something people can no longer afford; Problems which include paperwork errors; How to spot errors and take steps to prevent them; Importance of presenting a case effectively to an insurance company; Example of Leonard and Linda Larson, who hired a patient advocate to recover thousands of dollars.

Focuses on the efforts of New York City firefighters and others to find survivors of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Number of firefighters who have died in the building's collapse; How the firefighters have become heroes; Courage of those helping others to escape from the building; Loss of Reverend Mychal Judge, a fire department chaplain; Details of acts of bravery at the Pentagon in Washington D.C., which was also hit by a hijacked airplane. INSET: A grim search for the lost, by Stacey Schultz and Nancy Shute.

Focuses on an epidemic of diabetes in the United States, and provides information about the disease. Changes in diet and lifestyle which can help control the disease; Incidence of diabetes among young people; Drugs which may help control blood sugar, or glucose; View that obesity is a leading cause of the disease among adults.

Reviews several Web sites related to audio and video as of December 4, 2000. Details of adcritic.com which features television advertisements; Details of memory.loc.gov; Downloadable music at napster.com; Others.

Reports on archaeological discoveries. Effect of rising water on discovery sites; Submersion of the ruins of Zeugma, due to the damming of the Euphrates river; Theories on the development of civilization based on findings at the sites; Signs of the domestication of animals at ancient sites; Discovery of the lost city of Herakleion submerged in the Mediterranean Sea; Discovery of a city in Peru which could be El Dorado; Threats posed to city ruins. INSET: A long-lost center of Mayan culture.

Examines the treatment of chronic pain with relaxation techniques, physical therapy, psychotherapy and drugs. Evidence which suggests the effectiveness of such programs; Costs of the treatment; Comparison of chronic pain to temporary pain; Importance of relaxation in the alleviation of chronic pain; Occupational therapy for the patients; Controversy regarding which drugs to use to treat chronic pain. INSET: Picking the right pain doctor.

Examines treatment options for prostate cancer detected at an early stage. Details on the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, a blood test that can find cancer at earlier stages than was previously possible; Methods used to fight prostate cancer, including the removal of the prostate, standard radiation and implantation of radioactive material into the prostate; Likelihood of men to have prostate cancer. INSETS: Milken accelerates cancer research, by Katy Kelly;Greens (and reds) may cut your risk, by Rachel K. Sobel.

Discusses the basic principles of biology and genetics that govern who people pick for a mate and reasons why they fall in love. Physical characteristics people unconsciously look for when choosing a mate; The evolutionary connection between body type and fertility; How people are automatically attracted to mates with genetic diversity; Cultural differences in the ways people choose a mate. INSET: A fight over the evolution of rape, by Josh Fischman.

Discusses body weight and obesity research in the United States. Obesity as a public health problem; How gender and age affect body weight; Reference to a special fall 1999 issue of the `Journal of the American Medical Association' devoted to obesity; States with high percentages of overweight people; The danger zone of midlife.

Discusses the growing trend of home health tests. Variety of different tests available; Comments on the trend by physicians; Fears of physicians that patients will use the tests instead of proper medical care. INSET: The future of home tests.

The article reports on new developments that are making surgical procedures safer, more accurate and more successful. Due to real time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography, doctors and surgeons are able to pinpoint certain cancerous areas and operate with a clearer view. The MRIs map blood flow and can protect vision and speech for neurosurgery. INSET: Then There Were Two.

This article discusses the practice of kidney transplant exchanges between strangers. Kidney swaps like this, called paired exchanges, are a new and growing trend. Instead of waiting years on the United Network for Organ Sharing list for a compatible kidney, someone with kidney failure and a willing but incompatible donor can ask a hospital to find them a pair in similar straits, and the hospital can mix and match. Surgeon Mark Aeder, director of kidney transplants at University Hospitals-Case Medical Center in Cleveland, has done 12 swaps.

The article reports that St. Vincent's Hospital in New York City has a wing dedicated to its Chinese patients, part of a nation-wide movement to provide health services to non-English-speaking patients. Informal and untrained interpreters can cause potentially dangerous miscommunications. Medical staff dedicated to working with non-English-speaking patients can make patients more comfortable and offer better care.

The article focuses on animal-assisted therapy. The unconditional support shown by a pet inspires physical benefits. Pet owners are more likely to survive a heart attack than non-pet owners. Caring for animals reduces antisocial behavior in troubled children and teenagers. These discoveries have inspired a boom in animal-assisted therapy, in which animals work to help patients achieve rehabilitation goals. Pet benefits may begin with changes in body chemistry. The calming effect of having a dog may translate into major health improvements. Health-care facilities are trying to take advantage of these mind-and-body responses.

Looks at the problems encountered by hospitals affected by the destruction of Hurricane Katrina and the heroic efforts of their staffs. Conditions at hospitals in New Orleans, Gulfport, and Biloxi, and other areas; Comments from Mona Khanna, a Federal Emergency Management Agency doctor, and Ron Seal of the Wesley Medical Center; How people with chronic health problems have suffered; Efforts to provide medical treatment, food, and necessary supplies; Planning for future medical problems such as West Nile virus, snake bites and more.

Observes that a growing gap is separating doctors and patients. How the relationship between doctors and patients is changing; The expanded agendas of both doctors and patients; Psychosocial aspects of the visit; The rising importance of nurse practitioners.

Discusses preparations for a biological, chemical, or radiological attack in the United States. Guidelines that were issued by Department of Homeland Security; Distribution of the funding for preparedness training and equipment; Evaluation of the preparedness of Americans for bioterrorism; Evaluation of schools and hospitals.

Examines the increasing cost of health care in the United States. Factors which are driving health care inflation higher, including political interference and efforts of insurers to earn steady profits; Plans by employers to cut benefits or restrict physician choice; Companies like Medtronic that are creating health care accounts for workers; Possibility of millions of Americans being priced out of health insurance; Issue of health care reform.

Introduces a special section on rising health care costs in the United States. Predictions of increased premiums; How employers are passing on the costs to workers; View that the trend threatens people's money and their life; Ways patients are trying to win better coverage.

Discusses computer-based reading programs for children in the United States. Features of Fast ForWord, which uses video-game formats and artificially emphasized speech to help children recognize sounds and connect them to letters; Statement that the Waterford Early Reading Program focuses on fluency; How the Earobics program uses graphics and voice prompting to show sound blends; Success of the programs; Cost.

Presents information concerning Web sites related to medicine. Health site of the United States government; Catalogs of Web sites related to specific illnesses; Sites which offer information regarding drugs; Web sites devoted to parenting; Fitness and nutrition Web sites; Others.

Reports on the listing of physicians by Web sites. Finding that the licenses of some doctors listed in good standing by Web sites had been revoked; Problems with doctor rating by Web sites, including questionable rating methods and limited doctor choices; Use of school records and malpractice files to determine the quality of doctors; Issue of a patient's comfort with a doctor.

Offers advice to patients on how to get better care from their physicians. The growing problem that patients have in communicating with their physicians; Preparations individuals should make before seeing a doctor; Suggestions from doctors on research patients can perform before an appointment; The importance of follow-up. INSET: What to ask, and tell, your doctor.

Describes innovations made in the design of the new Northwestern Memorial medical center in Chicago, Illinois. Focus on patient comfort and sense of well-being; Lack of an admitting department; Details about patient rooms, and their health benefits; Methods of controlling infections; Hospital decor; Financing for the hospital; Efficiencies in time and cost-cutting.

The article focuses on a new tool to alert women of the risk of heart disease. The Reynolds Risk Score, a seven item calculator incorporating new risk factors designed to give women the most accurate view of their heart risk to date, factors in two new elements-- family history and levels of C-reactive protein. Additional features of the calculator are discussed. INSET: TAKING A CALCULATED RISK.

The article reports that, according to a survey by the American College of Emergency Physicians, three quarters of the emergency departments in the United States are experiencing a shortage of specialists, such as neurosurgeons and orthopedists. Specialists are reluctant to cover emergency rooms due to the heavy workload, poor compensation, and fear of malpractice suits. The article presents details concerning the situation.

The article presents various news briefs concerning the United States. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced a statewide mandatory insurance program. United States President George W. Bush may have chosen Southern Methodist University to be the site of his presidential library. New Jersey officials are refuting the claims by the New York City environmental protection agency, which claims New Jersey was the source of noxious gases that were leaking over into New York City.

This article reports on current events across the world. Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted from power during a bloodless coup which took place while Shinawatra was at the United Nations. The coup was led by Gen. Sondhi Boonyaratkalin, the first Muslim to be Army chief in the majority Buddhist nation.

The article reports that there are three new vaccines for older children. A whooping cough booster is now required for older children and vaccines for meningitis and cervical cancer-causing human papilloma virus are offered. While some parents fear vaccination poses its own risks, most, along with physicians, welcome the added immunity they confer.

This article discusses the link between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. As diabetes control worsens, the risk for Alzheimer's greatly increases. The author advises diabetics to control their blood sugar to avoid risks of Alzheimer's disease. The findings also open possibilities for insulin treatment for Alzheimer's patients.

The article reports that nerve surgeon Susan Mackinnon has new ways to save body limbs. She has found out ways of not just transplanting nerves from a donor but also rerouting a patient's own healthy nerves into areas left paralyzed by damaged ones. A few facts about her education, family, her successes and goals are also provided.

This article offers world news briefs. Financial difficulties facing the Hamas-led Palestinian government are discussed. The U.S. announced that it will not become a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council. A fossilized fish with limbs, the possible evolutionary link between fish and mammals, was discovered at Ellesmere Island in Canada's arctic region. The African country Djibouti houses a U.S. military base which may contain secret prisons used to hold terrorist suspects.

Offers a look at the use of remote monitors for chronic disease patients. Use of the American TeleCare Monitoring Station to track a patient's vital signs; Claim that the monitors reduce hospital visits and readmissions; Impact of the remote monitors on patient health behavior; Report that monitors should not be used in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Focuses on the development of the polio vaccine, which was created by Jonas Salk and Julius Youngner 50 years ago. Success of the vaccine in preventing polio in children; Description of how the vaccine was created and tested; Tragedy that resulted from vaccine made at the Cutter Laboratories in California.

Discusses living-wills. Impact of the Terri Schiavo case on the advocacy group Aging With Dignity which offers living-will forms; Reasons for living-wills not having the desired effect; Ignorance of family members; Appeal of picking a healthcare agent legally empowered to make decisions about care in place of family members.

Discusses research being done by Paul Thompson at the University of California. His efforts to map brain diseases in large groups of people; Ability to trace the typical path of a disease and show how it ravages different parts of the brain over time; His images of Alzheimer's and schizophrenia which may lead to better treatments.

Examines the importance of receiving a second opinion on medical care matters and discusses the difficulty experienced by some patients in seeking one. Views of some patients that their physicians are God-like figures; Benefits that can be received from getting a second opinion; Methods of finding specialists to give second opinions.

Focuses on the story told in "The Iliad," by Homer and how it has been adapted several times, in motion picture, paintings and other media. Speculation that the story itself was adapted by Homer from previous myths, stories and historic events; Description of the poem "The Aeneid," by Virgil; Use of similar themes found in the story in the play "Troilus and Cressida," by William Shakespeare; Various films about Troy, including "The Trojan Women," and "Troy."