Health and Fitness News

Welcome to the Stars Hollow Health and Fitness News weekly diary. It will publish on Saturday afternoon and be open for discussion about health related issues including diet, exercise, health and health care issues, as well as, tips on what you can do when there is a medical emergency. Also an opportunity to share and exchange your favorite healthy recipes.

Questions are encouraged and I will answer to the best of my ability. If I can’t, I will try to steer you in the right direction. Naturally, I cannot give individual medical advice for personal health issues. I can give you information about medical conditions and the current treatments available.

You can now find past Health and Fitness News diaries here and on the right hand side of the Front Page.

Follow us on Twitter @StarsHollowGzt

Quick One-Dish Meals, Some Cooking Required

Mushroom and Spinach Frittata

This week, in response to readers’ requests on the Recipes for Health Facebook page, I focused on quick one-dish dinners. You may have a different opinion than I do about what constitutes a quick meal. There are quick meals that involve little or no cooking – paninis and sandwiches, uncomplicated omelets, scrambled eggs, and meals that combine prepared items with foods that you cook — but I chose to focus on dishes that are made from scratch. I bought a cabbage and a generous bunch of kale at the farmers’ market, some sliced mushrooms and bagged baby spinach at Trader Joe’s, and used them in conjunction with items I had on hand in the pantry and refrigerator.

~Martha Rose Shulman~

Mushroom and Spinach Frittata

A hearty frittata that is good for any meal of the day.

Soft Black Bean Tacos With Salsa and Cabbage

Canned black beans and lots of cabbage combine in a quick, utterly satisfying one-dish taco dinner.

Couscous With Tomatoes, Kale and Chickpeas

A comforting topping that is both a stew and a sauce.

Quick Tomato, White Bean and Kale Soup

A hearty minestrone that can be made in under an hour, start to finish.

Stir-Fried Cabbage, Tofu and Red Pepper

The chopping is the most time-consuming part of this recipe, but you can still be eating within 35 minutes.

General Medicine/Family Medical

Cancer as a Death Sentence & Other Myths Dispelled

by Zosia Chustecka, Medscape Medical News

Feb. 4, 2013 — Today, on World Cancer Day, the organization behind this annual event is aiming to dispel several myths about cancer.

The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) is trying to counteract the myths that cancer is a death sentence and a disease of the wealthy, the elderly, and developed countries.

In fact, more than half of the deaths from cancer (55%) happen in the less-developed regions of the world. By 2030, it is expected that around 60% to 70% of all new cancer cases will happen in developing countries, the UICC notes.

Baby Boomers’ Health Worse Than Their Parents’

by Steven Fox, Medscape Medical News

Feb. 5, 2012 — Today’s baby boomers may live longer than their parents, but they are less healthy overall, a new study finds.

“U.S. baby boomers have higher rates of chronic disease, more disability, and lower self-rated health than members of the previous generation at the same age,” write the authors of the study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Sunshine Linked to Lower Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk

by Robert Preidt, HealthDay Reporter

Feb. 5 (HealthDay News) — Older women who’ve had regular exposure to sunlight may be less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis, new findings indicate.

This beneficial effect — which is believed to be due to ultraviolet B (UV-B) in sunlight — was only evident in older women. This may be because younger women are more aware of the skin-related hazards of sunlight and take more steps to limit their exposure, the researchers said.

For the study, the investigators looked at about 235,000 participants who took part in two phases of the U.S. Nurses’ Health Study. The first phase began in 1976 with nurses aged 30 to 55 and continued until 2008. The second phase began in 1989 with nurses aged 25 to 42 and continued until 2009.

By the end of the two phases, 1,314 of the women had developed rheumatoid arthritis, according to the study published in the current online edition of the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

Study: Shift to Hospice Care Often Comes Too Late

by Serena Gordon, HealthDay Reporter

Feb. 5 (HealthDay News) — Although most people would prefer to die peacefully in a comfortable setting, a new study shows that almost one in three spend some time in the intensive-care unit of a hospital in their last month of life while a similar number only get hospice care a few days before dying.

And 40 percent of those late hospice care referrals come right after an ICU stay, the researchers noted.

“People end up with these very short stays in hospice [care],” said study author Dr. Joan Teno, a professor of health services, policy and practice at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School, in Providence, R.I. “Those short stays are difficult on the patients and the families. They don’t benefit from hospice’s psychosocial support for patients and their families.”

Smoking Pot May Raise Stroke Risk in Young Adults

by Mary Brophy Marcus, HealthDay Reporter

Feb. 6 (HealthDay News) — Smoking pot may double a young adult’s risk for stroke, new research suggests, but experts point out the study is small and not conclusive.

Scientists from New Zealand presented their data Wednesday at the American Stroke Association annual meeting, in Honolulu.

“Sixteen percent of stroke patients had positive cannabis screens, compared with only 8 percent of control participants,” said study author Dr. Alan Barber, a stroke neurologist and professor of clinical neurology at the University of Auckland.

Nerve-Stimulating Device Might Ease Migraines

by Alan Mozes, HealthDay Reporter

Feb. 6 (HealthDay News) — Migraine sufferers in search of a non-medicinal alternative for relief may be encouraged by new Belgian research that suggests that 20 minutes a day of nerve stimulation might cut back on the frequency of attacks.

The finding stems from a small study involving 67 migraine patients. All participants were outfitted with a wearable device called a “supraorbital transcutaneous stimulator,” or STS, which was placed on the forehead and designed to deliver electrical stimulation to the patient’s supraorbital nerve.

Use of the stimulator device was found to be “effective and safe as a preventive therapy for migraine,” according to the study.

Job Stress Doesn’t Seem to Raise Risk for Cancer

by Roxanne Nelson, Medscape Medical News

Feb. 8, 2013 — Stress on the job may cause a lot of things, but at least you can rest safe knowing that cancer isn’t likely one of them.

A new study finds that overall, high job stress was unlikely to be an important risk factor for colorectal, lung, breast, or prostate cancers. It was also not associated with an overall risk of cancer.

Celiac Disease: New Hope for a Pill Treatment?

by Barbara Bronson Gray, HealthDay Reporter

Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) — For people with celiac disease, everyday foods such as bread, pizza crust and muffins are potential enemies. But scientists anticipate that some day a simple pill could help prevent the digestive upsets caused by ingesting the gluten in wheat, rye or barley products.

The only current treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet. A new study, however, offers some potential for hope. Researchers have re-engineered a naturally occurring enzyme, kumamolisin-As, to break down gluten in the stomach into much smaller protein pieces, called peptides. They say these are less likely to trigger the autoimmune response that can create a wide range of painful and irritating symptoms.

Women’s Health

Mammogram Every 2 Years May Be OK for Older Women

by Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay Reporter

Feb. 5 (HealthDay News) — For older women ages 66 to 74, getting a mammogram every two years appears as good as getting one every year, according to a new study.

“Your risk of having breast cancer detected at a later stage is no greater if you screen every two years compared to every year,” said Dejana Braithwaite, an assistant professor of cancer epidemiology at the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, San Francisco.

Men’s Health

Calcium Supplements Tied to Heart Risk in Men

by Steven Reinberg, HealthDay Reporter

Feb. 4 (HealthDay News) — Men taking calcium supplements may be running a nearly 20 percent increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, a new study suggests.

Both men and women take calcium supplements to prevent bone loss. In this study of calcium intake, the risk of dying from heart disease was higher for men but not for women.

“Increasing evidence indicates that too much supplemental calcium might increase the risk of cardiovascular disease,” said Susanna Larsson, an associate professor at the Institute of Environmental Medicine at the Karolinska Institute, in Stockholm.

TV Viewing Linked to Lower Sperm Count

by Nicky Broyd, WebMD Health News

Feb. 5, 2013 — Healthy young men who watch TV for more than 20 hours a week have almost half the sperm count of men who watch very little television. But men who do 15 or more hours of moderate to vigorous exercise every week have sperm counts that are 73% higher than those who exercise for less than five hours a week, according to a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Allan Pacey, PhD, British Fertility Society chairman and senior lecturer in andrology at the University of Sheffield, says the findings fit with what fertility experts already know.

Pediatric Health

Type 1 Diabetes Up 70% in Kids, Study Finds

by Serena Gordon, HealthDay Reporter

Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) — Researchers have documented a startling rise in the rate of type 1 diabetes in one city: Diagnoses in kids younger than 5 jumped by 70 percent between 1985 and 2004 in Philadelphia.

Overall, the rate of type 1 diabetes in children aged 14 and younger climbed by nearly 30 percent during that time period, according to the study.

“We have demonstrated a significant increase of type 1 diabetes over time, particularly in children under the age of 5 years old,” said study author Terri Lipman, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in Philadelphia.

Day Care May Not Raise Behavior Woes in Kids After All

by Amanda Gardner, HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) — Parents who send their children to day care may be able to breathe a sigh of relief. New research finds that children in child care do not have an increased risk of behavioral problems.

The catch? The new study was conducted in Norway, which has a vastly different child care system than the United States — where studies have been conducted that did find increased behavioral problems.

Aging

A Good Mood May Boost Seniors’ Brain Power

by Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay Reporter

Feb. 4 (HealthDay News) — When older people’s mood improves, so does their brain power, new research suggests.

Being in a good mood appears to enhance decision-making skills and working memory among older adults, according to the study published in the current issue of the journal Cognition and Emotion.

The study authors suggested that even something as simple as a small bag of candy can help older people perform better on so-called “cognitive” — or thinking skill — tests.

Midlife Fitness Linked to Lower Dementia Risk

by Sue Hughes, Medscape Medical News

Feb. 5, 2013 — Higher fitness levels in middle age are linked with a lower risk of dementia later in life, a new study suggests.

“We already know exercise has cardiovascular and many other benefits, but this may give people more incentive to get moving,” says researcher Laura F. DeFina, MD, from The Cooper Institute in Dallas, Texas. “Dementia is the second most feared disease after cancer, and our research suggests you can lower your risk by keeping fit.”  

The study is published in the Feb. 5 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Flu Shot May Not Work as Well for Seniors

by Amy Norton, HealthDay Reporter

Feb. 6 (HealthDay News) — Seniors seem to get a weaker boost to their immune system following a flu shot than young people do, a small study shows.

Experts say the findings essentially confirm what’s been believed: The flu shot just doesn’t work as well for older immune systems. But they also caution that the vaccine remains the best defense against flu misery.

Older people are among those at greatest risk for flu complications, like pneumonia. Americans older than 65 have been hard-hit during the current, rough flu season: Late last month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that 98 of every 100,000 seniors were hospitalized with the flu for the week ending Jan. 19.

Alzheimer’s Cases May Triple by 2050

by Sue Hughes, Medscape Medical News

Feb. 7, 2013 — The number of people with Alzheimer’s may triple by 2050, from 4.7 million in 2010 to 13.8 million by 2050, a new study shows.

“These are staggering numbers,” says researcher Jennifer Weuve, MPH, ScD, of the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging in Chicago.  “The ramifications for society and family caregivers in particular are huge.”

Mental Health

Brain Stimulation Plus Drug May Fight Depression

by Steven Reinberg, HealthDay Reporter

Feb. 6 (HealthDay News) — Treating major depression safely and affordably is a challenge. Now, Brazilian researchers have found that two techniques often used individually produce better results when used together.

The researchers paired the antidepressant Zoloft (sertraline) and a type of noninvasive brain stimulation called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to treat people with moderate to severe symptoms of major depression.

Transcranial direct current stimulation appears to be just as effective a treatment as Zoloft, but the two together are even more effective, said lead researcher Dr. Andre Russowsky Brunoni, from the Clinical Research Center at University Hospital of the University of Sao Paulo.

Parents’ Depression, Violence Tied to ADHD in Kids

by Denise Mann, HealthDay Reporter

Feb. 7 (HealthDay News) — Preschoolers whose parents report depression and intimate partner violence may be more likely to develop attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by the age of 6, new research suggests.

And young children with depressed moms may be more likely to receive prescription drugs to treat behavioral and mental health issues down the road.

“Our study indicates that preschoolers who are diagnosed with ADHD are more likely to have been exposed to both intimate partner violence and parental depression within the first three years of life than their peers not exposed to either risk factor,” said study author Dr. Nerissa Bauer, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine, in Indianapolis.

Young Adults Are Most Stressed Generation: Survey

by Steven Reinberg, HealthDay Reporter

Feb. 7 (HealthDay News) — Young Americans between 18 and 33 years old — the so-called millennials — are more stressed than the rest of the population, according to a new report from the American Psychological Association.

What’s stressing them out? Jobs and money mostly, said Norman Anderson, CEO of the American Psychological Association, during a Thursday morning press conference.

Mentally Ill Adults Have Very High Smoking Rates

by Caroline Cassels, Medscape Medical News

Feb. 8, 2013 — Adults with mental illness have a smoking rate 70% higher than adults with no mental illness, a new report suggests.

The report, from the CDC and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), showed that 36% of the 45.7 million Americans with some type of mental illness are cigarette smokers, compared with only 21% of adults who do not have a mental illness.

“Smokers with mental illness, like other smokers, want to quit and can quit,” CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, says in a prepared statement. “Stop-smoking treatments work — and it’s important to make them more available to all people who want to quit.”

Nutrition/Diet/Fitness

Why Do Millions of Americans Take Multivitamins?

by Steven Reinberg, HealthDay Reporter

Feb. 4 (HealthDay News) — Millions of Americans take multivitamins and other supplements, but convincing scientific evidence of any true health benefit is lacking, experts say. Now a new study explores why people continue to consume nutritional supplements.

“Most people were using supplements because they believe it will improve their health, but we really don’t know whether that’s true,” said study lead author Regan Bailey, a nutritional epidemiologist in the Office of Dietary Supplements at the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Diet Drinks as Mixers Make for Stronger Cocktails?

by Serena Gordon, HealthDay Reporter

Feb. 5 (HealthDay News) — Calorie counters, beware: Drinking diet “mixers” with alcohol intensifies the effects of the booze, according to the findings of breathalyzer tests.

Preliminary research on the use of different mixers, such as juice, soda or diet soda, suggests that diet soda might increase breath alcohol content more than higher calorie sugary beverages.

“The key thing is to be aware of this phenomenon,” said study author Cecile Marczinski, an assistant professor in the department of psychological science at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights.

Diet Guidelines Favoring Vegetable Fats Refuted

by Alan Mozes, HealthDay Reporter

Feb. 6 (HealthDay News) — Enduring dietary wisdom — that polyunsaturated vegetable fats are better for your heart than saturated animal fats — may be turned on its head by a fresh analysis of a nearly 50-year-old study.

The reasoning has been that a diet rich in omega-6 polyunsaturated fats lowers cholesterol, and is therefore good for heart health. But an updated look at the study indicates that heart disease patients who follow this advice may actually increase their risk for death.

The original “Sydney Diet Heart Study,” was initially conducted between 1966 and 1973, at a time when the cholesterol-lowering benefits of all polyunsaturated vegetable acids (PUFAs) were touted with a broad brush.

Which Fats Really Are Good for Your Heart?

by  Kathleen Doheny, WebMD Health News

Feb. 6, 2013 — The standard advice about which fats are best for heart health is under debate again.

Triggering it is new research, just published in BMJ, finding that a form of omega-6 fatty acid found in vegetable oils may actually boost heart disease risk. Omega-6 fatty acids are a type of polyunsatured fat, which has generally been considered heart healthy.

The new findings could significantly alter the advice about which type of fats to eat, some experts say. The new research warrants another look at the current recommendations, says a spokesperson for the American Heart Association.

Healthier Menus May Boost Restaurants’ Business

by Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay Reporter

Feb. 7 (HealthDay News) — A leaner menu may lead to a fatter wallet for those invested in the restaurant industry, research suggests.

According to a new analysis, business improved when restaurant chains offered more low-calorie fare.

After monitoring 21 of the largest restaurant chains in the United States for five years, researchers found that those that increased the amount of reduced-calorie options they served had better sales growth, greater increases in customer traffic and stronger gains in total servings than their competitors who offered fewer lower-calorie options.