| Heartburn causing uneasiness?
According to the British medical journal The Lancet, heartburn is pretty common. In fact, 25 percent of Americans report experiencing heartburn at least once a month, 12 percent at least once per week and 5 percent daily. So what is heartburn? And what about gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)? Well, here's a guide to provide a bit more understanding of that burning sensation in your chest. Q. Why is it called heartburn? A. "Heartburn is often sensed as a burning feeling behind the middle of the lower to middle of the chest, giving the sense that it may be coming from the heart," says Dr. Philip Jaffe, an associate professor of medicine at Yale University School of Medicine. Q. What is happening, biologically speaking? A. According to Dr.
AstraZeneca 4Q Profit Rises 17 Percent
AstraZeneca PLC said Thursday its fourth-quarter profit rose 17 percent, boosted by strong sales of its top five products and cost cutting. But the company said its focus remained on strengthening its weak pipeline of future drugs. The company, which is facing patent challenges and escalating generic competition, also said that it plans to cut 3,000 jobs over the next three years despite predicting continued sales momentum this year. Net profit for the three months to Dec. 31 was $1.4 billion, up from $1.2 billion a year earlier, AstraZeneca said. Revenue rose 14 percent to $7.2 billion. For the full year, profit rose 28.5 percent to $6.04 billion, while sales lifted 11 percent to $26.8 billion. The 2006 results were driven by a 23 percent increase in combined sales of its five key products -- heartburn drug Nexium, schizophrenia treatment Seroquel, cholesterol-lowering treatment Crestor, asthma drug Symbicort and breast cancer treatment Arimidex -- to $13.3 billion.
Unbearable champs
With all the certainty of heartburn from a Polish sausage with extra onions, these Chicago Bears are going to get clobbered. Not by the Indianapolis Colts, necessarily, in Super Bowl XLI on Feb. 4 in Miami. Peyton Manning and his multiple receiving weapons might be formidable opponents, but at least the Bears have a chance. No, where these modern-day Bears are guaranteed to fall short is when they are measured against the iconoclastic 1985 Bears. Brian Urlacher might have better luck trying to tackle a tall, wide shadow. "Will they take over the world the way we did? I don't think so," said Richard Dent, the unstoppable 1985 defensive end who is the only Bear to have a Super Bowl MVP trophy. "But you .
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