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(NAPSA)—Taking a few sim-ple steps can help you managegout, a painful and potentiallydebilitating form of arthritis thataffects 5 million Americansannually. What You May Need To DoHere are hints on how to re -

duce your risk of a gout attack:1. Eat a healthy, balanced diet

including low-fat or nonfat dairyproducts, nuts and vegetables.2. Drink plenty of water. 3. Don’t consume a lot of red

meat, shellfish and alcohol—espe-cially beer—as these are foodshigh in purine, a chemical thatcan contribute to an elevated uricacid level and set the stage for agout attack. 4. Avoid foods with high sugar

content, including white andbrown sugar and high-fructosecorn syrup found in such productsas soft drinks, fruit juices andprepackaged baked goods—thereis a growing body of evidenceassociating a diet high in fructosecontent with gout.5. Follow “doctor ’s orders”

regarding medication and lifestylemodifications.“Advanced gout can lead to the

same level of work loss, physicaldisability and diminished qualityof life seen in advanced rheuma-toid arthritis,” said N. LawrenceEdwards, M.D., chairman of theGout & Uric Acid Education Society, a specialist in rheuma -tology and professor of medicineat the University of Florida,Gainesville.He suggests you talk to your

doctor about dietary and lifestylemodifications and what types offoods may trigger a gout flare.He also sees a need for moreknowledge about the serious

health conditions associated withgout.

What You May Not KnowAccording to a recent Harris

Interactive survey:• Only one in five Americans

exercise regularly and eat rightand drink alcohol in moderationor don’t drink at all. • Only 28 percent of Ameri-

cans believe that gout can have amajor negative impact on healthand well-being. • Less than half of Americans

have had their uric acid levelchecked within the past five years.An elevated uric acid level is anexcellent marker for diabetes andprediabetes and can lead to othermedical problems as well as gout.“Through compliance with doc-

tor ’s orders, most patients cangain control of symptoms and con-tinue to lead an active life,”Edwards said.

Learn MoreThe Gout & Uric Acid Educa-

tion Society has a free educationalbrochure as well as a user-friendlywebsite for pa tients, caregivers,family members and health careproviders. For more information,visit www.gouteducation.org.

How To Avoid A Bout Of Gout

Managing gout focuses on gaining control of symptoms.

(NAPSA)—While prescriptiondrugs can improve and prolong life,too many people fail to take theirmedicines as prescribed. Accordingto the National Institutes of Health,such noncompliance is an importantpredictor of emergency room visitsand hospital admissions, yet mil-lions of people with chronic condi-tions are not getting the medicationthey need because they do not havehealth insurance coverage or arestruggling financially. Fortunately, America’s pharma-

ceutical research and biotechnologycompanies lend a helping hand. ThePartnership for Prescription Assis-tance (PPA) is a nationwide effort tohelp uninsured and financiallystruggling Americans connect withpatient assistance programs thatprovide medicines at low or even nocost. PPA—which just celebrated itsfifth anniversary—recently passeda major milestone, assisting morethan 6.5 million people. Making things even easier, said

Billy Tauzin, president and CEO ofthe Pharmaceutical Research andManufacturers of America(PhRMA), is PPA’s effort to “use thelatest technology available toensure those who need help can getit.” PPA now has a text hotline andsmart phone application to ensure24/7 access to information about themore than 475 participating pro-grams. These new features givehealth care providers, patient advo-cates and patients even betteraccess to information about partici-pating patient assistance programs. People who qualify may have

access to more than 2,500 brand-name and generic prescription med-icines. In addition, the PPA providesinformation on over 10,000 freeclinics. It has connected more than300,000 people with clinics andhealth care providers.

More than 133 million Americanssuffer from at least one chronic dis-ease, which cause seven out of 10deaths in the U.S., according to theCenters for Disease Control andPrevention. “Too many are strug-gling financially and the numbers ofthose losing health care benefitsmay continue to rise,” Tauzin said.“This can be a scary time, especiallyconsidering the prevalence ofchronic diseases such as cancer,heart disease, diabetes and asthma.’’Helping spread the word is for-

mer “Leave it to Beaver” star andPPA spokesman Jerry Mathers.“I’ve been urging people to pick upthe phone, log on to the website tosee if they qualify for assistance,”he said. “As a patient who mustcope with diabetes, I understandonly too well the importance ofaccess to the medicine you need.”Anyone needing help with

medicines can call (888) 4-PPA-NOW to talk to a trained opera-tor or go to www.pparx.org. Ittakes only 10 to 15 minutes tofind out if you qualify for free ornearly free medications.

Get Help Getting Your Prescription Medications

Pharmaceutical research compa-nies have new, high-tech ways tohelp people who can’t affordneeded medicine get informationabout programs that provide medi-cines free or nearly free.

Nursery Heritage(NAPSA)—Decorating a baby

nursery is all about new begin-nings but also provides a beautifulopportunity to celebrate heritage:• Family Photos—Delve into

family scrapbooks to uncover losttreasures. A homemade collage ofblack-and-white photos, stamps,flags, pages from passports andeven copies of antique marriagecertificates can pay homage toyour heritage.

• Textiles—Whether it is arug with Mexican flair, woven bas-kets inspired by Africa or silklinens from India, subtle touchescan help make your nursery one ofa kind. • Color—Paint colors can

transform a space. Consider sun -ny earth tones and sky blues toconjure the warmth of the Medi -terranean, vibrant colors of theCaribbean or even a mural toreflect family history. • Invest in the Future—

Choose a nursery set that willgrow with your baby. Nursery 101,available in a variety of finishesat www.nursery101.com, includesall the basic necessities and con-verts from infant to toddler, day-bed and even full-sized bed. Formore decorating ideas, visitwww.lajobi.com.

Let your nursery reflect yourbaby’s heritage. Start with a mis-sion-style crib and add somecolor.

(NAPSA)—New Core i5 proces-sors use Intel Turbo Boost Technol-ogy, so they automatically adapt toyour computer ’s performanceneeds, providing a boost when youneed to speed and conservingpower when you don’t—nearlyeliminating the wait for someusers. Get more information atwww.intel.com or (408) 765-8080.

** ** **To combat financial illiteracy

among teens, Junior Achievementand The Allstate Foundation havepartnered to create JuniorAchievement, $ave USA, a finan-cial literacy initiative comprisedof free, money-management exer-cises for parents and their chil-dren to do together. Learn more atwww.ja.org.

** ** **The moment seed is planted,

growers should make plans toconduct crop tissue sampling,says Winfield Solutions agrono-mist Robert Beck. Growers cancontact an AgriSolutions™ agrono-

mist to learn more about theircrops’ nutrient needs or visitagrisolutionsinfo.com.

** ** **Rebekah George, former

beauty editor at Prevention maga-zine, recommends Vaseline SheerInfusion body lotion with Stratys-3, a superior moisturizing tech-nology that gives you incrediblysilky skin that lasts all day long.It provides twice the moisturewhen compared to other leadingeveryday body lotions.

***We set sail on this new sea because there is knowledge to be gained.

—John F. Kennedy***

***Never discourage anyone... who continually makes progress, nomatter how slow.

—Plato***

***I have yet to hear a man ask foradvice on how to combine mar-riage and a career.

—Gloria Steinem ***

***Bigamy is having one wife toomany. Monogamy is the same.

—Oscar Wilde ***

Before he abandoned the ring for an acting career, Tony Danza’srecord as a middleweight boxer was 12 wins, 3 losses.

Badlands are regions that have been worn into steep hills anddeep gullies by the action of wind, rain and floods. Badlands are com-mon in semidesert regions of the western U.S.

Frederick A. Cook discover-ered the geographical NorthPole in 1908.