Health Report: Dec. 13, 1993

THE GOOD NEWS

— Scientists have identified the defective gene that causes Wilson’s disease, a disorder that destroys the liver and brain. The gene prevents the liver from removing the excess copper that enters the body in food; eventually, the metal hurts the liver and leaks into the brain. The finding could lead to a screening test and more effective treatment.

— Researchers have also discovered the faulty gene responsible for a rare disorder (hyperekplexia) that causes sufferers to become stiff as a board when startled. Afflicted infants can choke or suffocate, and adults can break bones when they topple over. The gene affects sites in the brain and spinal cord that help control muscle reflex.

THE BAD NEWS

— Diets high in fat not only promote heart disease, they also, surprisingly, raise the risk of lung cancer. A study of non-smoking women found that those who got 15% or more of their calories from saturated fats were six times more likely to develop lung cancer than those for whom fat made up 10% or less of their diet.

— Though the number of adults who are taking up smoking has dropped to almost zero, the number of teenagers who have begun to smoke has been rising steadily over the past five years, according to a researcher at the University of California at San Diego. In California, for example, 8% of 16-to-18-year-olds are smokers, whereas only 6% of that age group smoked in 1988.

Sources — GOOD: Nature Genetics. BAD: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, AP.