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Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft

Three of a kind: Though drug manufacturers like to advertise that their antidepressant is best, an Indiana University study has found that the three most popular — Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft — are similarly effective.

Randomly assigning the three drugs to 573 patients, Dr. Kurt Froenke reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association that after nine months they had similar effects on social interactions, ability to work, sexual functioning and sleep.

Aye to eyedrops: Eyedrops that lower pressure inside the eye can delay the onset of glaucoma, the second-leading cause of blindness, according to new research.

So-called open-angle glaucoma, the most common form of the disease, develops slowly, often without symptoms. By the time it's detected, the field of vision may have narrowed. But by intervening with medication in patients with elevated eye-pressure readings, doctors reduced by more than 50 percent the number of cases that developed into open-angle glaucoma after five years. The study, led by Washington University ophthalmologist Dr. Michael Kass, was reported in the June issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

Waaaaa: Babies needn't cry as much as they do, says a UCLA professor and long-time pediatrician, Dr. Harvey Karp. In his new book, "The Happiest Baby on the Block," Karp details five techniques for calming colicky babies. These mimic the womb experience:

Wrap him tightly in a square blanket, pinning the baby's arms against his sides. Position him in your arms on his side or stomach. Make a "shhhh" sound loudly in his ear to imitate the sounds in the uterus. Swing the baby, and, finally, give him something to suck on. Read more on Karp's Web site.

Inhale this: New national guidelines for asthma management recommend inhaled corticosteroids as the preferred treatment for children, as well as for adults seeking long-term symptom control. The updated guidelines also specify combination therapy with long-acting inhaled beta2-agonists for both children and adults with moderate persistent asthma.

In 1998 concern that inhaled steroids, which reduce inflammation, might delay growth in children led the FDA to require a warning label for pediatric use of the drugs. But research suggests that any growth delay is temporary and possibly reversible. Read the new guidelines to find out more.

Cholesterol: Having a higher level of "good" (HDL) cholesterol may increase mental ability in the elderly. A new study of more than 500 people age 85 and older showed those with low levels of HDL were more than twice as likely to have dementia than those with the highest levels — and four times as likely when only those with no signs of heart disease or stroke were analyzed.

Ways to up HDL include: exercising, losing excess weight, quitting smoking. More: June issue of the Annals of Neurology.