PULSE POINTS
Anti-wrinkle gel OK'd
12/23/2003
Add another layer of treatment in the fight against one of the most visible signs of aging. The Food and Drug Administration this month approved Restylane, produced by Q-Med AB of Uppsala, Sweden, which has been shown to be just as effective on smoothing out skin wrinkles or folds as collagen and botulinum toxin (Botox). The injectable gel, which has been available in Europe and other countries since 1996, is made with synthetic hyaluronic acid, an acid also found in the umbilical cord and in tissue underneath the skin. A study commissioned by the manufacturer found that, after six months, there were "comparable" effects on most of the 138 patients who were injected with collagen on one side of the face and Restylane on the other. While the approval gives a green light for the drug, it also means that the company must study the gel's effectiveness on non-white patients, since the initial study looked at the drug's effects mainly on Caucasian women who were nonsmokers and had little exposure to the sun. Once the company trains doctors how to properly use the gel, Restylane should be available to patients in the next few months, according to a company press release.
DAVID L. HARRIS
Better skin careneeded in winter
With the arrival of winter comes snow, ice scrapers, antifreeze -- and itchy skin. Colder outside temperatures coupled with indoor heating, hot showers, and heavier clothing strip moisture and can leave "red, scaly, itchy skin, usually on the lower extremities," according to Dr. Stanley Hill, a Denver dermatologist and member of the American Academy of Dermatology. Scratching can cause irritation and produce areas of inflammation as well as thickened, rough patches of skin. Simple daily changes in skin care during the winter can help offset this problem, according to Hill. "Make sure you are using mild soaps, preferably not deodorant soaps, as those can wash off the natural emollients on your skin," he said. He also advises taking shorter showers or baths with tepid water, and "don't rub your skin when drying [yourself]." For best results, Dr. Hill recommends applying moisturizer "before your skin has a chance to air dry."
MEGAN OGILVIE
Obesity is growing
Some facts and figures about obesity in the United States from recent health studies: The number of obese adults is soaring, up to nearly 59 million people, or almost a third of all adults -- and doubling over the past two decades. Fifteen percent of youths ages 6 to 19 were seriously overweight, the term experts use as a rough equivalent to obesity in children. That is nearly 9 million youths and triple the number in a similar assessment in 1980. Obesity can sharply reduce life expectancy. Studies released this year showed that being obese at age 20 can take 20 years off a person's life; being obese at age 40 can reduce life expectancy by seven years. The percentage of extremely obese people -- at least 100 pounds overweight -- is growing even faster, one study found. From the 1980s to 2000, extremely obese adults quadrupled to about 4 million, or about 1 in every 50 adults. (AP)
© Copyright 2003 Globe Newspaper Company.
