The Graduate's Mr. McGuire would not be at all happy to hear the latest news out of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Plastics are indeed what everyone's talking about this week; just not in a "next big thing" kind of way.

People with higher urinary levels of bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical widely used in plastic products and in the linings of numerous food and beverage containers, including baby bottles, may have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and liver-enzyme abnormalities, according to a study in the September 16 edition of JAMA.

*What doctors are reading this week and why it matters*

Dr. Cindy Haines reviews the literature on prescription drug samples, the Mediterranean diet, the doctor-patient relationship and spiritual beliefs, elderly brain atrophy, and overcoming genetic predisposition toward obesity.

Suicide rates among 10- to 19-year-olds are on the rise in the United States, according to research published in the Sept. 3 Journal of the American Medical Association. The causes of suicidal thoughts and suicide are multi-faceted, making it difficult to identify causative factors and target interventions. The alarming trend may, in part, be due to fewer teenagers being prescribed antidepressants.

*What doctors are reading this week and why it matters*

Dr. Cindy Haines reviews the literature on issues parents of school-age children should be interested in: unhealthy snacks in schools, limiting the sale of sodas in schools, active video games, youth suicides trending back up and the use of ibuprofen and acetaminophen for fever.

Despite advances in organ donation for kidney and liver transplants, there are still not enough organs to meet the needs of the local waiting list. As the list grows and waiting time increases, many are suggest starting an opt-out program in which the medical community assumes the deceased’s consent to having organs harvested for transplantation or increasing support and financial assistance for living kidney and liver donors.

Sarah Palin is a name new to many of us this week, but the situation involving her infant son, Trig, is familiar to many. Trig has Down Syndrome, one of the chromosomal conditions that occur more frequently with a mother's advancing age. Palin, now the Republican candidate for vice-president, was 44 when she gave birth in April to Trig, her second son and fifth child.

*What doctors are reading this week and why it matters*

Dr. Cindy Haines reviews the literature on spanking children, burning incense, Indian medicine, diverticulosis and treadmill exercise for stroke victims.

It's back to school time. For many, this is an exciting time of selecting new lunchboxes, school supplies and that all-important first-day outfit. For others, it is a time of extreme anxiety and fear, knowing that the abuse is about to begin -- again.

*What doctors are reading this week and why it matters*

Dr. Cindy Haines reviews the literature on breast cancer, hormone therapy, air pollution, grapefruit and aging.

Christina Applegate, the Emmy Award winning actress who starred in Married ... with Children, was recently diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. She has since undergone a double mastectomy and is now reportedly cancer-free. She tested positive for one of the "breast cancer genes" and underwent an MRI, which is a test not commonly performed on women because of the cost and liklihood of detecting false abnormalities. Dr. Haines looks into her story.