Just in

        Old drug, new use: A medication used to treat gout could relieve the intense pain of sickle cell disease, according to researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

        Researchers led by Dr. Bruce Freeman, a professor of anesthesiology, found that an enzyme called xanthine oxidase contributes to the circulatory disorders common to sickle cell patients.

        The drug allopurinol, which inhibits xanthine oxidase, is already used to treat gout.

        “If it works as we anticipate, it may lessen the painful episodes and other symptoms of sickle-cell disease,” Dr. Freeman says. He plans to begin human trials testing allopurinol in sickle-cell patients soon.

        The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Siting

        Senior savvy: Check out www.healthandage.com for a wide range of information on health concerns for older folks. The site includes a drug database, health news, information about specific conditions and diseases and an “ask the doctor” feature.

Research

        Long-term: The negative psychological impact of caring for a spouse with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia continues for years after the spouse dies, new research suggests.

        Researchers at Ohio State University and the Houston Veterans Administration Medical Center found that, even three years after their spouse had died, former caregivers showed levels of depression and loneliness similar to those demonstrated by current caregivers.

        The study found that 41 percent of former caregivers showed mild to severe depression two to three years after their spouses' deaths, compared to the 43 percent depression rate among current caregivers.

        That finding was the most striking in the study, said lead researcher Dr. Susan Robinson-Whelan, a psychiatric researcher at the Center of Excellence on Healthy Aging with Disabilities at the Houston VA Medical Center.

        Researchers followed 49 former caregivers, 42 current caregivers and 52 non-caregivers. All were assessed over a period of four years. The depression rate among subjects who had never been caregivers was only 15 percent.

        The study shows former caregivers may continue to need psychological help and support even years after their spouse dies.

Shelf help

        New guide: Check out The Hypertension Sourcebook (Contemporary Books; $17.95) by Dr. Mary P. McGowan, president of the Northeast Cholesterol Foundation, for a comprehensive guide to lifestyle changes, medications, supplements and home monitors for treating high blood pressure.

Resource

        How to: The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disorders is offering the free booklet, “How to Find Medical Information,” a guide to using federal, local and online resources for researching diseases and disorders. To order, call (888) 878-3256, or log on to www.pueblo.gsa.gov.

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

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