Sun Changed Vibration Rate

The sun literally changed its tune during the latest solar cycle, say astrophysicists at the California Institute of Technology. Measurements confirmed a theoretical prediction that the sun changes the rate at which it vibrates during its 11-year cycle.

Earlier studies done over short periods were controversial. But Kenneth Libbrecht and Martin Woodard, who observed the sun for four months in the spring of 1986 during minimum solar activity and again in the summer of 1988 as the sun approached maximum activity, produced measurements they consider highly reliable.

Frequencies of the sound waves resonating throughout the sun's interior are 4,000 times lower than the deepest tones detectable by the human ear. And the changes in frequency are tiny. The greatest increase was the equivalent of one part in 10,000. By comparison, the frequency difference between the musical tones A and A-sharp is about 600 parts in 10,000.

Libbrecht and Woodard published their results in the journal Nature.

Smoking and diabetes

University of Pittsburgh researchers have an urgent message for insulin-taking diabetics: Quit smoking now.

A study of 500 patients was the first to quantify the ill effects of smoking on diabetics taking insulin. The risk seemed particularly high among women.

Claudia Moy, an epidemiologist, found that the risk of death for insulin-dependent women who smoke heavily was more than twice that

of diabetic females who did not smoke. The risk of death among diabetic men who smoke heavily also increased, but to a lesser degree. Moy defined heavy smoking as a pack or more a day for at least five years.

``Until now, we didn't have any scientific data to show whether diabetics are increasing their risk if they smoke,'' Moy said. But this study ``revealed a striking pattern of excess mortality for women who smoked heavily, particularly coronary-heart-disease mortality.''

Pets and happiness

A University of California study has confirmed anecdotal evidence that elderly people who own pets generally are happier and healthier than those who don't. And dog owners seem to be even happier and healthier than those who own cats, birds or fish.

Judith Siegel, a psychologist, studied 1,000 Medicare enrollees in a health-maintenance organization for a year. She found that those who owned pets reported fewer visits to their doctors during the year.

``Furthermore, pets seemed to help their owners in times of stress,'' Siegel said, a finding she attributed to pets providing the companionship and comfort the elderly might otherwise seek from their physicians.

Compared with those who had other kinds of animals, dog owners spent more time outdoors with their pets, spent more time talking to them and felt more attached to them. They also had fewer physician contacts.

Siegel's report appeared in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Collecting on insurance

Insurance that pays for long-term health care at home or at a nursing home, virtually nonexistent seven years ago, now is becoming easily available for the elderly. But a University of Michigan expert cautions that collecting on the policy is another matter.

In a study including the Washington, D.C., area, North Carolina and Michigan in the past year, William Weissert found that ``very few of the long-term care policies offered were likely to produce a better than a 50-50 chance of a benefit payout. Given those odds, savvy consumers should look long and hard before they settle on a policy.''

False alarms

As many as 30 percent of patients admitted to hospitals complaining of chest pains have no heart disorder, says Philip Katz, a professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Katz worries that some of those who wrongly think they have heart disease may be using unnecessary medications. Most of the ``false alarms'' are caused by pain in the esophagus, a burning sensation caused by stomach acid, or a painful problem with swallowing.

-- Compiled by Times science reporter Hill Williams.