New Fact Sheet Available on Osteoporosis and Hormone Therapy
Institute: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

NIAMS recently created a fact sheet about osteoporosis and hormone therapy after menopause. The fact sheet was developed to answer questions about the use of hormone therapy for osteoporosis after a trial of estrogen and progestin, a component of the Women's Health Initiative, was halted by NIH in July. To order free copies of Questions and Answers on the Use of Hormones After Menopause for Osteoporosis and Recent Findings From the Women's Health Initiative, please call the NIAMS Clearinghouse toll-free number, (877) 22-NIAMS, or view the information on the Web at www.niams.nih.gov.

Fact Sheet Provides Findings on Black Cohosh, Symptoms of Menopause
Center/Office: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)

Following the release of findings earlier this year from a Women's Health Initiative study on hormone therapy, a number of women have been asking their health care providers about hormone therapy, including possible alternatives such as the herb black cohosh. NCCAM and the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) have created a new fact sheet for consumers, Questions and Answers About Black Cohosh and the Symptoms of Menopause. This fact sheet provides information on black cohosh and discusses findings from scientific research on its use for hot flashes, insomnia, depression, and other symptoms of menopause that women may experience. View the fact sheet at either www.nccam.nci.nih.gov/health/ or http://ods.od.nih.gov/index.aspx. In addition, an NCCAM consumer advisory on alternative therapies for managing menopausal symptoms is available at nccam.nci.gov/health/alerts/menopause.

Materials Available To Increase Public Awareness of Heart Attack Signs
Institute: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Now it is even easier to help the NHLBI increase public awareness of the need to act fast when someone may be having a heart attack. As part of the National Heart Attack Alert Program's "Act in Time to Heart Attack Signs" campaign, the NHLBI has produced a variety of educational materials to help volunteers plan and conduct compelling presentations on heart attack survival. The "Act in Time to Heart Attack Signs" Small Group Session Lesson Plan includes talking points, reproducible handouts, overhead masters, tips on how to organize and publicize, and more. It can be used for talks at senior centers, hospitals, churches, adult education classes, worksite health and safety meetings, or community groups. Lesson plan materials, brochures, wallet cards, and a 13-minute video may be ordered by visiting www.nhlbi.nih.gov/actintime.

Video, Speakers Kit Helps Spread "Heart Truth" to Women in Local Communities
Institute: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

The NHLBI recently unveiled The Heart Truth, a national campaign on women's heart health. Its goal is to increase awareness about heart disease as the number one killer of women and to motivate women to take heart health seriously, talk with their doctors about it, and take steps to reduce their risks. Complementing the public campaign is an initiative to alert health care providers about the effort and to encourage them to speak with their women patients about heart disease.

The Heart Truth campaign includes women-targeted television, radio, and print public service advertisements, which use hard-hitting visuals and testimonials to deliver a wake-up call and help women focus on both their "outer" and "inner" selves. Educational materials are available to help you spread the truth about heart disease to women in your community. They include a brochure, a comprehensive Healthy Heart Handbook for women, and a speaker's kit with a video. Visit the NHLBI's Web site at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth or call (301) 592-8573 to order materials or for more information.

The Heart Truth is sponsored by the NHLBI in partnership with the American Heart Association, the Office on Women's Health of HHS, and WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, and other organizations committed to the health and well-being of women.

Publications, Animated Video Present Findings on Alzheimer's Disease
Institute: National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Alzheimer's Disease: Unraveling the Mystery: This newly updated edition of one of NIA's most popular publications uses graphic illustration and non-technical language to present the latest research findings and basic science behind Alzheimer's disease (AD) to a wide audience. Each 60-page book comes with an animated video on CD-ROM showing the progression of AD in the brain.

Home Safety for the Person with Alzheimer's Disease: Also newly updated, this booklet provides room-by-room tips and guidelines for making the home safe for a person with AD.

Caregiver Guide: Tips for Caregivers of People With Alzheimer's Disease: This handy booklet offers practical tips for daily coping with bathing, dressing, eating, wandering, choosing a nursing home, and more.

New AD Publications in Spanish: Many of NIA's Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center's most popular publications are now available in Spanish, including the Caregiver Guide and Home Safety booklets, as well as the Alzheimer's Disease Fact Sheet and Forgetfulness Age Page.

All publications are available free from NIA's ADEAR Center. Call (800) 438-4380 or visit the Web site at www.alzheimers.org.

New Publication Explores Why We Age
Institute: National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Why do we age? Is there a maximum human lifespan beyond which we cannot live? Aging Under the Microscope is a new publication from the NIA that describes what we know so far about the answers to these and other fundamental questions about the science of aging. The booklet offers an overview of research on aging and longevity by showing the major puzzle pieces already in place and, to the extent possible, the shapes of those that are missing. Call (800) 222-2225 for a free copy of this booklet.

New Adult, Child Brochures on Healthy Eating, Physical Activity Across Lifespan
Institute: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Helping Your Child and Better Health and You are two new brochures available as part of the "Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Across the Lifespan" series of NIDDK's Weight-control Information Network (WIN). Helping Your Child offers tips for parents to introduce a balanced diet and regular physical activity to their young children. A tear-out tip sheet is included to promote eating breakfast, a diet with a wide variety of foods, and methods to help parents take an active role in helping children and the whole family learn healthy eating habits and physical activity habits. Tips for adults are included in Better Health and You with a similar tear-out sheet.

Both publications are available free to the public by contacting WIN through a toll-free number, (877) 946-4627 or WIN@info.niddk.nih.gov. The WIN Web site is www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/nutrit.htm.

Bibliography Summarizes Advances in Dietary Supplement Research
Office: Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)

The third issue of the Annual Bibliography of Significant Advances in Dietary Supplement Research is now available. Developed as a joint effort of ODS and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, this publication summarizes significant research in 2001 on dietary supplements as a resource for health professionals and members of the public with interest in the field. An international team of expert reviewers selected the top 25 research articles to highlight in the bibliography from more than 250 original research articles that were published in peer-reviewed journals in 2000. Copies of the publication may be downloaded from the ODS Web site at http://ods.od.nih.gov/index.aspx. Single copies may also be requested from ODS by phone at (301) 435-2920 or by e-mail at ods@nih.gov.

Garfield Star Sleeper Web Site Promotes Good Night's Sleep for Children
Institute: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Prevent aliens from depriving the Earth of restful sleep by joining the Star Sleeper squad. This is the challenge of Mission Z, an exciting section of the revamped Garfield Star Sleeper Web site (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/starslp/). The site educates children ages 7–11 and their parents, teachers, and health care providers about the importance of getting at least 9 hours of sleep each night as part of the "Star Sleeper Campaign," sponsored by NHLBI's National Center on Sleep Disorders Research.

The new Garfield Star Sleeper Web pages feature special sections for parents, educators, and health care professionals, as well as for young children. In addition to interactive games, the pages include Garfield Star Sleeper screen savers, tips for parents on how to help their children get a good night's sleep, materials for teachers to use in the classroom, and even handouts that pediatricians can give to their patients' parents.

New, Revised Oral Health Brochures Now Available
Institute: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

New and revised educational publications on oral health care developed by the NIDCR are now available to the public. A new patient booklet, Periodontal (Gum) Disease, discusses the causes, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment options for this oral condition. Revised publications provide updated information for the "Oral Health, Cancer Care, and You: Fitting the Pieces Together" campaign. First launched in 1999, the campaign targets oral health and oncology professionals and cancer patients about preventing and managing the oral complications of cancer treatment. A list of revised publications is available at www.nohic.nidcr.nih.gov/campaign/titlepg.htm.

NIDCR has also expanded the campaign to reach a broader range of people with cancer-Spanish-speakers and persons with very limited literacy skills. New publications include:

• Su Boca y el Tratamiento de Radiación en la Cabeza y el Cuello
  (Head and Neck Radiation Treatment and Your Mouth)
• Quimioterapia y la Boca
  (Chemotherapy and Your Mouth)
• Tres Buenas Razones Para Ver a un Dentista
  (Three Good Reasons to See A Dentist)
• Three Good Reasons to See A Dentist (English version)

Visit the NIDCR Web site at www.nidcr.nih.gov to view and order these publications. For more information, contact Patricia Sheridan, at (301) 594-7557 or via e-mail Patricia.Sheridan@nih.gov.

Print, Radio, Web Outreach in Spanish on Hearing Loss
Institute: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

To alert Hispanic, Latino, and Latina individuals to the risk of noise-induced hearing loss and the need to identify hearing loss early in children and the elderly, the NIDCD has made four Spanish-language public service announcements available to radio stations worldwide. Other outreach includes feature stories on the NIH Spanish-language Web site and a health column in Spanish-language newspapers.

NIDCD radio spots were produced in collaboration with the NIH Radio News Service and can be found on-line at www.RadioEspacio.net. Recent topics are:

• La perdida de la audicion in los ninos (Hearing loss in children)
• "Oidos Sabios"en el trabajo
  (Wise Ears: Avoiding noise-induced hearing loss at work)
• La perdida de la audicion y los adultos de edad avanzada
  (Hearing loss and the elderly)
• Audifonos (Hearing aids)

In addition, RadioUnica, the nation's leading Spanish-language broadcaster, aired the spot on hearing loss in children daily over its national network during the last three weeks of September.

Two NIDCD stories on hearing in children are currently featured on the NIH Spanish-language web site, at www.salud.nih.gov. One story alerts parents to the seriousness of childhood ear infections and urges prompt evaluation by an ear specialist. The other gives parents a list of milestones to help them assess the development of their baby's hearing.

New Curriculum Supplement Announced to Teachers: How Your Brain Understands What Your Ear Hears
Institute/Office: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD); NIH Office of Science Education (OSE)

The NIH Office of Science Education (OSE) has begun outreach to middle school teachers nationwide by announcing the availability of a new OSE/NIDCD science education curriculum supplement for teachers. The supplement is designed to help students understand scientific concepts and research in the context of hearing and communication. It was developed and evaluated with leading scientists, science curriculum experts, and middle school teachers and tested in the full complement of classroom settings. Students will investigate the multisensory process of human communication. For more information, send an e-mail to marin_allen@nih.gov.

Report Released on Minorities and Biomedical Research
Institute: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

A Partnership for Health: Minorities & Biomedical Research describes how the NIAID is addressing HIV/AIDS, asthma, sexually transmitted diseases, and kidney disease through basic, clinical, and epidemiological research; increased participation of minority researchers in research; and outreach activities designed to communicate research developments to these groups. You may view this report at
www.niaid.nih.gov/publications/minorityhealth.pdf or order on-line at
www.niaid.nih.gov/publications/orderforms/order.htm.

Magazine Developed for High School Students
Institute: National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

A new feature magazine designed to interest high school students in pursuing careers in biomedical research is now available. Findings is a lay-oriented publication that profiles the research careers of two NIGMS-funded scientists. The magazine also features brief digests of how basic research has matured to clinically relevant advances, as well as a crossword puzzle using words from the stories. For a free copy of Findings, contact the NIGMS Office of Communications and Public Liaison at (301) 496-7301, visit the NIGMS publication list on-line (www.nigms.nih.gov/news/publist.html), or e-mail your request with your postal address to pub_info@nigms.nih.gov.

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