Research

Grape news: People who occasionally drink wine might have a lower risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study.

That doesn't mean adults should start drinking wine or drink more, cautions Dr. Thomas Truelsen, author of the study and neurologist at the Institute of Preventive Medicine at Kommunehospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Researchers found that people who drank wine weekly or monthly were two times less likely to develop dementia. The results could indicate that substances in wine reduce the occurrence of dementia, and identifying those substances could lead to treatments or preventive measures, Dr. Truelsen said.

Researchers theorize that flavonoids, naturally occurring antioxidants found in red wine, could be responsible for the beneficial effect. Other studies have suggested that flavonoids might reduce stroke and other cerebrovascular disease among wine drinkers.

Hot news

Pilot study: A common antidepressant could spell relief for patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), say researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

A pilot study found that paroxetine, marketed as Paxil, seems to be effective at treating the cramps, gassiness, bloating and bowel problems common to IBS patients. Researchers found that many psychiatric patients have IBS, and that many who received antidepressants found their IBS symptoms easing.

In the study, 65 percent of patients who received paroxetine got better and had no significant side effects, said Dr. Prakash Masand, a psychiatry professor at Duke.

Researchers are organizing a larger study.

Tips

Visionary: Vision loss is not a normal part of aging, say the experts at Lighthouse International.

See your doctor if you experience the following symptoms:

A need for more light and gradual, spotty loss of detail vision or a sudden and severe loss of central vision. Either could signal macular degeneration.

Hazy vision, difficulty distinguishing colors, increased sensitivity to glare or light that "scatters" or appears to be a halo. Any could signal cataracts.

Loss of contrast, difficulty driving at night or loss of peripheral vision. Symptoms could signal glaucoma.

For a copy of the brochure, "Vision Loss Is Not a Normal Part of Aging," call (800) 829-0500 or visit www.lighthouse.org.

Shelf help

Hormone help: The Phytogenic Hormone Solution (Villard; $12.95) by Saundra McKenna looks at the benefits of compounded, plant-based estrogen compounds as an alternative to synthetic hormone replacement therapy.

Contact Peggy O'Farrell by phone, 768-8510; fax, 768-8330, or e-mail pofarrell@enquirer.com