From California - Sleep is essential to rejuvinating brain cells, and new research also shows that sleep may be important to preventing emotional problems. A study evaluating functional MRIs in sleep deprived subjects has show increased activity in the amygdala, one of the brain's stuctures that is important in emotions. The findings may link a lack of sleep to increased emotional problems.

From Baltimore - Research is adding skin cancer prevention to the benefits of broccoli. A Johns Hopkins study involving 6 subjects showed that when applied to the skin prior to UV exposure, an extract from broccoli reduced the degree of redness and swelling by 37%. The extract didn't block the UV rays, but instead altered the production of enzymes that protected the skin from UV damage. The effect lasted for days after the initial application.

From New York - Formal education can delay dementia -- but those who are well-educated have a quicker mental decline when dementia does develop when compared to those who are less educated. Research evaluating 117 people who developed dementia over nearly 30 years showed that those with 16 years of education had a 50% faster decline in mental fucntion compared to those with only 4 years of schooling.

And finally, from Washington - Just as stents have transformed how we treat coronary artery disease, stents may do the same for carotid artery diseases. An analysis of data on over 8000 patients has shown that stents are associated with a very low 30 day risk for stroke and death when used in those with severe narrowing of the carotid artery.