Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Experts Release New HRT Guidelines

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has issued revised guidelines on the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in light of major government studies linking the treatment to an increased risk of cardiovascular problems and other health woes.

One ACOG official said the group was trying to strike "an appropriate balance," because HRT is still beneficial for many women even though it may pose a health hazard to others.

According to the guidelines, which were put together by an ACOG task force, hormone therapy should not be used to prevent cardiovascular disease. It is appropriate therapy, however, for some menopausal symptoms, though ACOG recommends "the smallest effective dose for the shortest possible time, and annually review the decision to take hormones."

Major studies from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) in 2002 and elsewhere found that the risk of HRT outweighed its benefits, and that it actually increased the risk of cardiovascular problems.

"Approximately 65 percent of women on HRT stopped therapy after the WHI," Dr. Isaac Schiff, chair of the task force, said in a statement. "Two years later, reports suggest that about one in four women who stopped HRT went back on it because it still offers the best relief for menopausal symptoms. So we're moving back to an appropriate balance -- accepting that HRT has risks, but recognizing that it can be appropriate for conditions like hot flashes so long as women are informed about the risks and weigh their decision with their doctor."

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Cattle Feed Treats Athlete's Foot

A cream consisting in part of an ingredient commonly found in cattle feed has been found to be an effective treatment for athlete's foot, researchers have found.

British and Polish researchers told a pharmaceutical conference that alfalfa plants contain compounds that fight fungal skin infections and could potentially be used as an herbal antifungal remedy, according to a BBC account.

The plant contains saponins, which are chemical compounds that have been shown to protect against fungal attack. In the laboratory, the saponins stopped the growth of several fungi known to cause skin diseases in humans, according to the network.

A spokesman for Britain's Institute of Chiropodists and Podiatrists told the BBC that the research was interesting, but that such a treatment was still "some way off."

"We will have to wait and see what the results of more research will be and whether it is any better than what we have to treat these infections already," the spokesman said.

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All General Mills Cereals To Be Whole-Grain

General Mills, the country's second-largest cereal maker, says its entire line of breakfast cereals, even its sweet ones, will be made of whole grains.

According to a company statement, the move will "single-handedly increase by more than 1.5 billion the number of whole grain servings per year for Americans -- without additional calories."

Several "Big G" cereals, including Cheerios, Total, and Wheaties, are already made of whole grains. The move will add its other ready-to-eat cereals, including kid favorites like Trix and Lucky Charms.

The company conducted taste tests, and found that people liked the flavor of the whole-grain cereals better. Leading health groups promote a diet high in whole grains to prevent disease.

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Emory Patients Warned of Brain Disease Exposure

More than 500 patients at Atlanta's Emory University Hospital are being warned that they may have been exposed to a fatal brain disease that resembles mad cow, the Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported Friday.

A brain surgery patient who underwent surgery Sept. 15 with neurological symptoms is now believed to have had the brain-wasting disease, although definitive tests could take weeks, the newspaper said. The hospital would not say if the patient is still alive.

Though hospital officials deem their chances of acquiring sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease "remote," 98 brain and spinal surgery patients and 418 others who had procedures on Sept. 10-27 are being notified. Those who didn't have brain or spinal surgery are said to be at lower risk, the newspaper reported.

Hospital officials told affected patients there was nothing they could do in response to being told. The concern involves sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which is different but similar to the human form of mad cow disease. Both forms are caused by prions, which are abnormal brain proteins that are difficult to remove through normal sterilization of surgical instruments. The Journal-Constitution said the hospital has now expanded its sterilization procedures.

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Tony Blair 'Fine' After Heart Treatment

For the second time in a year, British Prime Minister Tony Blair underwent treatment Friday for an irregular heartbeat.

Blair was released from London hospital soon after the procedure, and told reporters he was "absolutely fine."

Blair, 51, said he has been experiencing the flutter for the last two months, but told the BBC that it has "not impeded me doing my working," adding that he was "feeling fine."

Doctors at London's Hammersmith Hospital performed a procedure called a catheter ablation, in which they inserted a wire into Blair's heart to restore a normal heartbeat. The operation was performed under local anesthesia.

Blair has a condition called supraventricular tachycardia, in which electrical activity in the atria, the heart's upper chamber, disturbs and hastens the normal heartbeat. The condition is not life-threatening.

"It's not particularly alarming, but it's just something you should get fixed," Blair said in a BBC interview before entering the hospital.

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Arthritis Patients Have Vioxx Alternatives

Two million arthritis sufferers stunned by Thursday's withdrawal of the blockbuster drug Vioxx have a wide range of safe, effective alternatives that have the same effect, HealthDay reports.

However, experts warned that patients making a move from Vioxx to another treatment should consult with their doctor first.

On Thursday, New Jersey-based Merck & Co. said it was voluntarily removing Vioxx from markets worldwide after its own research found that long-term users faced increased risks for heart attack and stroke.

Until its removal, Vioxx was one of three U.S.-approved drugs from the cox-2 inhibitor family of compounds designed to fight osteoarthritis-related pain and inflammation.

It is also part of the larger family of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These pain-relieving compounds include over-the-counter medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin), or naproxen (Aleve).

At a U.S. Food and Drug Administration press conference Thursday, officials stressed that the other compounds appear to be safe.

Last Updated: Oct-02-2004