ADDED CONTROL

Two contraceptives are making a splash in drugstores, adding to the ever-expanding array of options. After being absent for over a decade, the Today Sponge - made famous by Elaine in the TV show Seinfeld - is widely available again, retailing over the counter for $8 to $10 for a pack of three. And Lybrel, the oral contraceptive that stops periods, is now stocked behind the counter, available by prescription. A four- week supply of 28 tablets costs about $57 at Wal-Mart, similar to the cost of other brands that allow monthly periods.

Source: U.S. News and World Report

CHATTER

"This is probably the biggest moral nightmare facing patients, doctors, payers and employees today. What's the cap on the extent to which I am my brother's keeper?"

Art Caplan, University of Pennsylvania bioethicist, on whether society can afford to pay for ultra-expensive "specialty drugs" to treat any rare or complex illness that afflicts fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. Specialty pharmaceuticals accounted for 24 percent of total drug spending in 2005.

DIABETES AND DIET

Doctors say maintaining a proper diet is a key to controlling diabetes, which afflicts an estimated 7 percent of the U.S. population. The following are sugar- busting alternatives to prescription drugs:

• Tea: Chemicals known as polyphenols found in black, green and oolong teas boost insulin activity.

• Cinnamon: Less than half a teaspoon a day increases sugar metabolism in fat cells.

• Buckwheat: Traditionally used to make soba noodles, buckwheat contains chemical compounds that reduce blood-sugar levels.

• Cherries: They contain chemicals called anthocyanins that increase insulin production.

• Guava: Extracts from apple guavas lower blood-sugar levels.

• Cocoa: It decreases insulin resistance.

Psychology Today

DIABETES: A GRIM PROGNOSIS

21 million Americans have diabetes.

7 million don't know they have it.

40% The increase in diabetes prevalence in the '90s.

8% The increase in 2000 alone.

Source: Harvard Health Letters