Welcome to the Stars Hollow Health and Fitness 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.
Survey Suggests Many People Call an Ambulance for Minor Medical Emergencies
Feb. 22, 2011 — One in three people don’t understand when an ambulance is not necessary to deal with common medical situations, a survey indicates.
The survey shows most people know when to call an ambulance for life-threatening medical emergencies like a heart attack, but many don’t understand when an ambulance is not needed for less urgent situations like a woman going into the early stages of labor.
Here’s a quick look at this week’s selection of grains:
LUNDBERG WEHANI This reddish-brown whole-grain rice has a slightly chewy texture and a nutty, savory flavor. To cook, combine 1 part rice with 2 parts water and salt to taste ( ½ to ¾ teaspoon per cup of rice). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 50 to 60 minutes until the rice has absorbed all the water. Turn off the heat, remove the lid, place a towel over the pot and return the lid to the pot. Let sit 10 minutes, and then serve.
For a nuttier taste, before adding the water sauté the rice in 1 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil until the rice smells toasty. A cup of raw rice yields about 3 1/3 cups of cooked rice.
LUNDBERG BLACK JAPONICA RICE A combination of medium-grain mahogany rice and short-grain black rice. Cook it like Wehani rice, above. A cup of raw rice yields about 3 ¾ cups cooked rice.
RUBY RED JASMINE RICE This red long-grain rice is distributed by a company that specializes in fair-trade products. The package says to cook 1 part rice in 2 ½ parts water, but I found a ratio of 1 to 2 worked better. Cook like the Wehani rice, above. A cup of raw rice yields about 3 cups of cooked rice.
PURPLE PRAIRIE BARLEY This hearty dark purple barley originated in Tibet. It takes 1 ½ hours to cook – 1 hour if you soak it overnight, which I recommend. Cook 1 part grain in 2 ½ parts water with salt to taste. Place a strainer over a bowl, and drain the soaked rice. Combine the soaking water (you don’t want to lose the pigment in it) with more water to make 2 ½ parts. Add salt to taste ( ½ to ¾ teaspoon per cup of grain), and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 1 hour or until the barley is tender and beginning to splay. A cup of cup raw rice yields just under 4 cups of cooked rice.
AMARANTH Amaranth is the tiny seed of a green native to the Americas. In Mexico, both the seeds and the greens are eaten. It’s very nutritious: high in protein, and very rich in the amino acid lysine, which most grains lack. Cook 1 part amaranth in 3 parts water, and stir often.
Fatty Liver May Be Linked to Diabetes Risk
Study Shows People With Fatty Liver Disease Have Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Feb. 25, 2011 — Having an accumulation of fat in your liver cells may raise your risk of developing type 2 diabetes regardless of the fat in other places of your body.
A new study suggests that fatty liver disease, also known as fatty liver, may be an independent risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Researchers found people with fatty liver disease were significantly more likely to develop the disease within five years than those with healthy livers.
COPD Patients May Have Risk of Shingles
Researchers Suggest People With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Get Shingles Vaccine
Feb. 24, 2011 — People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be at increased risk for developing shingles, a new study shows.
Shingles occurs when the varicella zoster virus, which causes chickenpox, is reactivated. COPD is the umbrella term for a group of progressive, debilitating lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the American Lung Association.
Who’s at Risk for Hearing Loss?
Study Shows Factors Include Heredity and Noisy Workplaces
Feb. 23, 2011 — Certain heart disease risk factors, heredity, and having a noisy job are associated with hearing loss in middle-aged adults, a new study shows.
Researchers analyzed information on 3,285 people ranging in age from 21 to 84, evaluating hearing loss as a pure-tone average greater than 25 decibels in either ear.
Also measured was participant word recognition at different sound levels with male and female voices. Those in the study provided details of their medical history, behaviors, and environmental factors.
Moderate Alcohol Drinking May Boost Heart Health
Researchers Say Benefits May Be Related to Effect of Moderate Drinking on HDL Levels
Feb. 24, 2011 — New research shows that moderate alcohol consumption can reduce heart disease risk by up to 25%, and this is likely due, at least in part, to alcohol’s positive effects on HDL “good” cholesterol levels.
The findings from two studies, which appear in the journal BMJ, dovetail with the newly released 2010 dietary guidelines that state if alcohol is drunk, it should be drunk in moderation: one alcoholic drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men.
Bunions Can Affect Quality of Life
Study Shows People With Bunions Report Poorer Mental and Physical Functioning
Feb. 24, 2011 — Bunions — deformities at the base of the big toe that can cause pain and disability — are common and can really slow a person down, a new study shows.
The study, which is published in Arthritis Care & Research, found that more than one in three older adults has at least one bunion, a hard bony bump that forms at the base of the big toe.
Air Pollution May Trigger Heart Attacks
Study Shows Pollution From Traffic and Power Plants Linked to Heart Attack Risk
Feb. 23, 2011 — If policy makers want to prevent heart attacks, they should focus on improving air quality, a new study suggests.
The study, which is published in TheLancet, is one of the first to rank the relative contributions of 14 triggers — including cocaine and alcohol use, anger, and physical exertion — to heart attacks in the general population.
Improved Detection, Obesity Epidemic May Play Role, Researchers Say
Feb. 23, 2011 (Orlando) — The number of people with kidney cancer in the U.S. has risen steadily since 1975 and, since 1991, the greatest increase has been among younger people, researchers report.
From 1975 to 1990, the number of new cases increased on average by 3.6% annually, says study leader Kenneth G. Nepple, MD, a fellow in urologic oncology at Washington University in St. Louis.
Middle-Aged Hearts Are in Poor Shape
Study Shows Many Middle-Aged Americans Don’t Follow Heart-Healthy Lifestyles
Feb. 23, 2011 — Most Americans have poor heart health by the time they’re middle aged, and that’s especially true for African-Americans, a new study suggests.
Only one out of 1,933 people evaluated in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County met the American Heart Association’s definition of having ideal cardiovascular health.
“This tells us that the current prevalence of heart health is extremely low,” Steven Reis, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh, says in a news release.
Gastric Bypass: Most Effective Weight Loss Surgery?
Study Shows Patients Lose More Weight With Gastric Bypass Surgery
Feb. 23, 2011 — Gastric bypass, the most commonly performed surgery for obesity in the U.S., appears to help patients lose more weight and may treat diabetes more effectively than newer techniques, two studies show.
The studies, which are published in the Archives of Surgery, compared traditional gastric bypass to two newer interventions — laparoscopic gastric banding (Lap-Band) and sleeve gastrectomy.
Dry Electric Current Stops Sweaty Palms
But Hyperhidrosis Returns When Current Stops
Feb. 23, 2011 — Electricity alone may be enough to zap sweaty palms and temporarily relieve excessive sweating caused by hyperhidrosis.
A new study shows that applying a small electric current to the wrists of people with the disorder kept their hands dry during treatment
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Raises Blood Clot Risk
IBD May Double Risk of Serious Blood Clots, Study Finds
Feb. 22, 2011 — Inflammatory bowel disease may more than double the risk of a serious blood clot in the legs or lungs, according to a new study.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an umbrella term that includes a variety of intestinal disorders, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Researchers found that children and adults with IBD were more than twice as likely to develop a dangerous type of blood clot that develops in the leg, known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or lung, called pulmonary embolism (PE).
Heart Disease Risk Factors May Hurt Memory
Elevated Heart Disease Risk Linked to Cognitive Problems in Study
Feb. 23, 2011 — Middle-aged men and women with heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol may also be at risk for memory problems as they age.
A new study to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology 63rd Annual Meeting in April shows that people with an elevated heart disease risk in middle age were more likely to have associated memory and other cognitive problems.
Antipsychotics in Pregnancy Risky for Newborns
FDA Updates Labeling on Antipsychotics Due to Risk of Abnormal Muscle Movements
Feb. 22, 2011 — The FDA has issued a safety announcement notifying health care professionals that it has updated the pregnancy section of drug labels for the entire class of antipsychotic medications.
Antipsychotic drugs are used to treat symptoms of psychiatric disorders, such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Colorado warns travelers over measles exposure
(Reuters) – Colorado health officials issued a warning on Friday to travelers and workers at Denver International Airport that they may have been exposed to measles earlier this week.
According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, a passenger who came through the airport’s “C” concourse on Tuesday night tested positive for the contagious viral disease.
Boston officials testing three more for measles
(Reuters) – Three cases of measles are now suspected in Boston among residents who may have crossed paths with a 24-year-old woman whose diagnosis was confirmed earlier this month, health officials said on Friday.
Do Hot Flashes Protect Women From Heart Disease?
New Study Suggests Hot Flashes May Decrease Some Women’s Risk for Heart Attacks and Stroke
Feb. 24, 2011 — Hot flashes during menopause may lower some women’s risk for developing heart disease, according to new research published online in the journal Menopause.
“Hot flashes are so, so common around the time of menopause and a lot of previous work has suggested that they increase certain markers of cardiovascular disease risk such as blood pressure or cholesterol levels,” says study researcher Emily Szmuilowicz, MD, an endocrinologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. But “there was no increase in risk seen among women who had hot flashes throughout menopause, and women with hot flashes at the beginning of menopause seemed to have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and death.”
New Debate on Link Between Stress, Infertility
Study Shows Stress Doesn’t Have Impact on a Single Cycle of a Woman’s Fertility Treatment
Feb. 24, 2011 — Stress and infertility have long been linked, with stress sometimes blamed when a woman can’t get pregnant naturally or with fertility treatments.
Now, a new report finds that a woman’s stress levels don’t adversely affect her chances of getting pregnant in a single fertility treatment cycle.
Study Shows Heart Treatment May Have Benefit as Bone-Building Medicine
Feb. 22, 2011 — Women at risk of fractures who used the heart medicine nitroglycerin boosted their bone density modestly, according to a new study.
”We found nitroglycerin has a unique ability,” says researcher Sophie Jamal, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine at the University of Toronto. “What it does is both increase bone formation and decrease bone breakdown.”
No osteoporosis drug does both to her knowledge, Jamal tells WebMD.
New Evidence of Fracture Risk From Bone Drugs
Study Shows Rare Risk of Femur Fracture From Bisphosphonates
Feb. 22, 2011 — There is new evidence that long-term use of the most widely prescribed bone loss drugs may increase the risk for uncommon but serious femur (thigh bone) fractures.
In an analysis involving more than 200,000 postmenopausal women, those who took oral bisphosphonates for more than five years were more than twice as likely to experience the fractures as women who took the drugs only briefly.
But the fractures were still quite rare, occurring in about one in 1,000 women who took the drugs for five years or more, a study researcher tells WebMD.
Bacteria on Farms May Protect Against Asthma
Study Shows Children Exposed to Microbes on Farms Have Lower Asthma Risk Than Other Kids
Feb. 23, 2011 — New research lends support to the idea that exposure to a wide range of microbes explains why farm kids have lower asthma rates than city kids.
School-aged children in the studies who lived on farms were about 30% to 50% less likely to have asthma than non-farm children who lived nearby.
Farm-dwelling children were also exposed to more bacteria and fungi than the other children.
The studies, which appear in the Feb. 24 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, suggest a role for the so-called hygiene hypothesis in the development of childhood asthma.
Small Seizure Risk With Flu, Pneumococcal Vaccines
CDC Says Getting the Vaccines Together Raises Risk of Febrile Seizure in Kids
Feb. 23, 2011 — Combining the annual flu shot with other vaccines — particularly the pneumococcal PCV13 vaccine — may increase a child’s risk of a seizure associated with high fever.
It’s a small risk of a scary but not very dangerous seizure. About one in 25 kids under age 5 get a febrile seizure (seizure associated with high fever). Getting the two vaccines together increases this risk by about one case per 1,600 double vaccinations in children aged 12 to 23 months.
Low Vitamin D Linked to Allergy Risk in Kids
Study Shows Greater Risk of Allergies for Kids and Adolescents Who Don’t Get Enough Vitamin D
Feb. 25, 2011 — Children who don’t get enough vitamin D may be at increased risk of developing allergies, new research indicates.
Researchers in New York examined serum vitamin D levels in the blood of more than 3,100 children and adolescents and 3,400 adults.
No association was found between low vitamin D levels and allergies in adults, but the link was significant in children and adolescents.
Electrical Brain Activity May Spot Autism Risk
Study Shows Computer Analysis of Brain Activity Helps Predict Autism Risk for Infants
Feb. 22, 2011 — Combining a standard noninvasive test that measures electrical activity in the brain with a high-tech computer analysis may help determine the risk of autism spectrum disorder in infants, according to a new study.
In the study, a computer program that assists in evaluating brainwave data from an electroencephalogram (EEG) was used to determine the way nerve cells communicate with one another in infants. Using the data generated, researchers were able to predict which 9-month-old infants have a high risk of autism with 80% accuracy.
Alzheimer’s Disease May Be Misdiagnosed
Study Shows Some Patients Diagnosed With Alzheimer’s May Have Other Forms of Dementia
Feb. 23, 2011 — Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias that occur late in life are easily misdiagnosed, new research indicates.
Researchers autopsied the brains of 426 Japanese-American men who lived in Hawaii and died at an average age of 87.
Of those, 211 were diagnosed with dementia when they were alive, and the dementia was most commonly attributed to Alzheimer’s disease.
Being Multilingual Cuts Risk of Memory Problems
Study Shows Speaking More Than 2 Languages May Protect Against Age-Related Memory Loss
Feb. 23, 2011 — People who speak more than two languages during their lifetime may be at reduced risk of developing memory problems as they age, new research indicates.
Researchers studied 230 men and women with an average age of 73 who had spoken or currently spoke two to seven languages. Only 44 of the study participants (19%) had memory problems.
New Genetic Clues to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Findings May Help Point the Way to Tests and Treatment for PTSD
Feb. 23, 2011 — An international team of researchers says it has found a gene and its associated protein that appears to play a key role in how well women withstand stress and fear, which may influence the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a stressful event.
The protein, known as pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), appears to be controlled by estrogen, which may help explain why women have far higher rates of PTSD than men.
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