Mayo Clinic Health Letter - Tip of the Month - October

Tuesday, October 22, 2002

Avoid Vision Loss from Retinal Detachment with Prompt Treatment

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — If your vision suddenly is affected by little spots, specks, hair-like shadows, the sensation of flashing lights or blurred peripheral vision, see your ophthalmologist immediately.

The symptoms don't cause pain, but may signal the beginning of retinal detachment — a serious eye condition that almost always leads to vision loss unless treated promptly, according to the October issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

You are likely to retain much of your vision if tears or holes in the retina are treated before a retinal detachment, which occurs when the retina separates from the thin layer of blood vessels beneath it that supply oxygen and nutrients. Surgery is the only effective treatment.

Soy Many Ways

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Soy is an inexpensive way to add protein to your diet, and it may help reduce calories, saturated fat and cholesterol when substituted for meat. The October issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter offers these ways to include soy in your diet:

Tofu: Use this spongy soy product in stir-fry dishes or scramble it like an egg. You can crumble partially thawed tofu into recipes that call for meat. It absorbs the flavors of the foods with which it is cooked.

Soy burger: It looks and tastes similar to ground beef.

Roasted soy nuts: These are available in a variety of flavors and taste similar to peanuts.

Soy milk: Use it with cereal or in coffee or a smoothie. Check that it's fortified with calcium and B vitamins.

Soy flour: Substitute this for up to 20 percent of the total flour in baked goods.

There are some concerns about the use of soy supplements or foods highly fortified with soy due to conflicting studies about soy isoflavones and breast cancer. However, including soy foods as part of a diet low in fat and cholesterol seems to pose no health risk.

Are COX-2 Drugs For You?

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Millions of people with arthritis pain find relief from COX-2 inhibitors, drugs introduced in 1999, which offer pain relief and anti-inflammatory properties. Some COX-2 inhibitors have been shown to have less potential for causing harm to the stomach and digestive system than other pain-relief medications.

Ask your doctor if COX-2 drugs are a good choice for your pain relief needs. One recent study found that COX-2 drugs, which cost considerably more than most generic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), are over-prescribed. Other research has raised questions about increased cardiovascular risks for those taking these drugs.

The October issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter notes that COX-2 inhibitors might offer benefits for:

• People at increased risk of bleeding, including those taking blood-thinning medications.
• People who have a history of previous gastrointestinal bleeding or peptic ulcer disease.
• Some people over age 65 because the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding generally increases with age.
• People who have had significant stomach complications or are NSAID-intolerant.
• People who have taken several conventional NSAIDs without adequate pain relief.

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