Health and Fitness News

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.

There are plenty of whole-grain crackers on store shelves, but none taste as good to me as those made at home. You can use a mix of grains and flours to make them, including gluten-free varieties like millet, buckwheat and rice flours, and top them with any number of seeds, herbs or spices. They’re quick to mix together and very easy to roll out.

Crackers are a great destination for sesame seeds, an excellent source of copper and manganese, and high in lignans, a type of fiber that may help lower cholesterol.

Asthma Rates on the Rise in U.S.

BY Bill Hendrick

CDC Study Shows 24.6 Million Americans Have Asthma

May 3, 2011 — The number of people with asthma has been rising in recent years, but CDC researchers say in a new report that they aren’t sure why.

The CDC says that the number of people diagnosed with asthma grew by 4.3 million between 2001 and 2009, when one in 12 Americans were told they had the lung disease. The proportion of people of all ages with asthma in the U.S. increased from 7.3% (20.3 million people) in 2001 to 8.2% (24.6 million people) in 2009.

Study: Pills as Effective as Inhalers for Asthma

By Salynn Boyles

Researchers Say Singulair and Accolate Work as Well as Steroid Inhalers

May 4, 2011 — The drugs Singulair and Accolate proved to be just as effective as steroid inhalers for the prevention of asthma symptoms with better patient compliance in two new studies published in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine.

Belly Fat in Heart Patients Raises Death Risk

By Brenda Goodman

Study Points Out Dangers of Having Fat Around the Waist

Belly Fat in Heart Patients Raises Death Risk

Study Points Out Dangers of Having Fat Around the Waist

Study Links Osteoporosis Drugs With Fractures

By Kathleen Doheny

But Risk of Thigh Bone Fracture From Taking Bisphosphonates Is Small

May 4, 2011 — The osteoporosis drugs known as bisphosphonates increase the risk of getting unusual thigh bone fractures, as experts have suspected, according to a new Swedish study.

Atrial Fibrillation Treatment Costs, Hospitalizations Mount

By Bill Hendrick

Treating the Heart Condition Costs $26 Billion Annually in the U.S., and Patients Have a High Rate of Hospitalizations

May 3, 2011 — People with atrial fibrillation, a common type of abnormal heart rhythm, are hospitalized twice as often as people without the condition, and costs of treatment are high, a new study suggests.

Not only are people with atrial fibrillation hospitalized more often, they have three times the rate of multiple hospitalizations compared to people without the disorder, and four times as many cardiovascular admissions, according to the study.

Blacks still lag in heart transplant survival

By Amy Norton

(Reuters Health) – While heart transplant patients are living longer now than in years past, African Americans are still faring worse than patients of other races, a new study finds.

Researchers found that of just over 39,000 Americans who had a heart transplant between 1987 and 2009, the percentage of recipients who died within one to five years gradually dipped over time.

Tailored medicine could prevent more heart attacks BY Amy Norton

(Reuters Health) – National guidelines help doctors decide how to treat high blood pressure. But tailoring those guidelines to better fit individuals could prevent many more heart attacks and strokes, say developers of a computer model that makes those calculations.

Their study, published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, estimated the effects of using “individualized guidelines” to make decisions on treating high blood pressure.

Study: Fat May Return After Liposuction

By Kathleen Doheny

Researchers Say Fat May Come Back 1 Year After Having the Cosmetic Procedure

May 3, 2011 — Liposuction, the popular fat-sucking procedure, can trim problem areas of the body. However, the fat removed returns in a relatively short time, according to a new study.

”All the fat is back by one year,” says researcher Robert H. Eckel, MD, professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. However, it does not return to the spot that has been operated on. “The fat comes back in different places,” Eckel tells WebMD. In his study, the women had liposuction of the lower abdomen, hips, or thighs and were followed for a year. “The reaccumulation of fat was in the upper abdomen and triceps.”

Heart Bypass Surgery Rate Is Declining

By Salynn Boyles

Study Shows Drop in the Number of Heart Bypass Surgeries Performed in the U.S.

May 3, 2011 — There has been a dramatic drop in the rate of heart bypass procedures performed in the U.S. over the last decade, even though more hospitals are offering the open-heart surgery.

Secondhand Smoke Derails Quit-Smoking Efforts

By Jennifer Warner

Study Shows Secondhand Smoke Can Increase Cravings for Nicotine

May 2, 2011 — Secondhand smoke may trigger nicotine cravings and make it harder for cigarette smokers to quit.

A new study shows secondhand smoke exposure delivers a “priming” dose of nicotine to the brain that increases nicotine craving in smokers.

Young in U.S. Pay No Attention to Stroke Risk

By Bill Hendrick

Survey Shows Most Young Americans Mistakenly Think They Have Healthy Lifestyles

May 2, 2011 — According to the American Heart Association, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds in the U.S.  Yet most Americans between 18 and 24 are dangerously naive about their health and assume they are healthy even though they eat too much fast food, drink too many sugary and alcoholic beverages, and engage in other behaviors that put them on the road to stroke.

8 Stroke Triggers for Those With Untreated Aneurysm

By Kathleen Doheny

Study: Sex and Coffee Drinking Among Stroke Triggers for People With Untreated Brain Aneurysm

May 5, 2011 — For those at risk, common activities such as drinking coffee, having sex, or blowing the nose could trigger a stroke, according to new research from the Netherlands.

“For the general population our findings do not apply,” says researcher Monique H.M. Vlak, MD, a neurologist at the University Medical Center in Utrecht, Netherlands.

Many Unaware of OTC Pain Relievers’ Ingredients, Risks

By Bill Hendrick

Poll Shows Many Americans Don’t Know the Active Ingredients, Side Effects of Popular Pain Medicines

May 2, 2011 — Many Americans may be unaware of the active ingredients and potential side effects of popular over-the-counter pain relievers, according to a new study.

Tylenol contains acetaminophen, Bayer contains aspirin, Advil and Motrin contain ibuprofen, and Aleve contains naproxen sodium. But many people know little about the ingredients in their pain relievers, the study suggests.

Coumadin Recalled Over Potency Concern

By Daniel J. DeNoon

1.85 Million Coumadin Tablets Recalled in U.S.

May 3, 2011 — Bristol-Myers Squibb has recalled 1.85 million 5-milligram Coumadin tablets in the U.S.

The recalled lot of Coumadin (number 9H49374A, expiration date Sept. 30, 2012) was sold to pharmacies in 1,000-tablet bottles and repackaged for individual prescriptions. Patients taking 5-milligram Coumadin tablets should contact their pharmacies to see if their prescription is included in the recall.

Recalled Grape Tomatoes in Ready-to-Eat Salads

By Daniel J. de Noon

Salmonella Fears Spur Recall of Popular Garden, Seafood, Chicken Salads

May 3, 2011 – Grape tomatoes possibly contaminated with salmonella have found their way into ready-to-eat salads sold by Albertsons, Raley’s, Safeway, Savemart, Sam’s Club, and Walmart stores.

The grape tomatoes had been recalled on April 29 by Six L’s of Immokalee, Fla. The recalled lot of grape tomatoes were sold under the brand name Cherry Berry and marked with the lot code DW-H. They were sold in clamshell packages as well as in 20-pound cardboard containers.

Chemicals May Be Risky to Nail Salon Workers

By Matt McMillen

Study: Workers Are Exposed to Unsafe Levels of the Chemical Toluene

May 5, 2011 — Harmful chemicals may be endangering the health of Vietnamese nail salon workers, according to a new study.

Researchers at the Cancer Prevention Institute of California and Asian Health Services report finding unsafe levels of toluene, a solvent linked to neurological, reproductive, and endocrine damage, and other chemicals, including one that has been banned by the FDA since 1974.

The study is published in the American Journal of Public Health.

FDA Warns About Teething Medication

By Bill Hendrick

Main Ingredient Benzocaine Linked to Rare, Serious Disease

May 5, 2011 — The FDA has issued a warning to consumers about the use of benzocaine, the main ingredient in over-the-counter liquids and gels used to reduce teething pain in very young children.

Benzocaine is associated with a rare but serious condition called methemoglobinemia, which greatly reduces the amount of oxygen carried through the bloodstream. In the most severe cases, the condition can be life-threatening.

Gov’t: Some Products Falsely Claim to Treat STDs

By Bill Hnendrick

Agencies Warn Makers of Unproven Treatments for Sexually Transmitted Diseases

May 4, 2011 — Two federal agencies are cracking down on bogus claims made by companies that tout their products as treatments, cures, or preventive medications for sexually transmitted diseases such as herpes, genital warts, and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

The FDA and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a joint effort to remove “dangerous” products that make such claims, specifically, Medavir, Herpaflor, Viruxo, C-Cure, and Never An Outbreak.

U.N. Haiti cholera panel avoids blaming peacekeepers

(Reuters) – Experts charged by the United Nations with probing the cause of a deadly cholera epidemic in Haiti pointed on Wednesday to fecal contamination by a riverside U.N. peacekeepers’ camp as a likely cause, but a U.N. spokesman said that could not be seen as conclusive.

The four-member U.N.-appointed panel, named by U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon in January, carefully avoided apportioning any direct blame or responsibility to U.N. peacekeepers, citing “a confluence of circumstances” behind the epidemic.

Researchers Question Mammogram Guidelines

By Kathleen Doheny

Study Suggests Negative Impact From Guidelines That Dropped Routine Mammograms for Women in 40s

May 2, 2011 — The recent guidelines issued by a government task force that do not recommend routine annual mammograms in women 40-49 may be having a negative impact, according to new research.

If screening mammograms are not done routinely in women in this age group, says researcher Lara Hardesty, MD, chief of breast imaging at the University of Colorado Hospital, Denver, “I am concerned the only way the breast cancer in these women will be detected will be when they are large enough to be felt by either the women or their health care provider.”

Prostate Cancer: Early Surgery or Watchful Waiting?

By Daniel J. DeNoon

Study Shows Early Surgery Cuts Deaths From Low-Risk Prostate Cancer

May 4, 2011 — Fifteen-year results from a Swedish study show that early prostate surgery cuts deaths in under-65 men with “low-risk” prostate tumors — but for today’s men, the definition of “low risk” has changed.

The study of 695 men with early prostate cancer assigned half the men to immediate surgery — prostatectomy — and half to watchful waiting. The first results, reported in 2002, showed that early surgery improved survival.

Supplements don’t prevent prostate cancer: study

By Kerry Grens

(Reuters Health) – A new study deflates hopes that certain nutritional supplements could stave off prostate cancer, the second most common cancer in men.

Canadian researchers found that vitamin E, selenium and soy, taken daily for three years, provided no benefit to men who were at a higher risk of developing the disease.

Overdose Risk for Young Children on Prescription Pain Drugs

By Denise Man

Study: About 15% of Narcotic Pain Prescriptions for Children Under Age 3 Contain Too Much Medication

May 2, 2011 — Infants and young children who require prescription pain medications may be at risk for overdose because of dosing errors.

About 4% of children under age 3 who are taking prescription painkillers may be getting too much, according to new research slated to be presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Denver.

The risk of overdose was highest among children aged 2 months or younger and tended to decrease with age.

Early solid foods tied to lower peanut allergy risk

By Amy Norton

(Reuters Health) – Infants with a family history of allergies might be less likely to develop a peanut allergy if they start solid foods before the age of four months, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that among 2- and 3-year-olds whose parents suffered from allergies, those who were started early on solid foods or cow’s milk were about five times less likely to be sensitized to peanuts.

Infant Growth Spurts Tied to More Sleep

By Denise Mann

Study Shows Link Between Amount of Sleep and Growth in Babies

May 2, 2011 — It has often been thought that an infant’s sleeping patterns are related to his or her growth, but this theory was never documented until now.

New research in the May 1 issue of Sleep shows that an increase in the number of sessions of sleep, as well as an increase in total daily hours of sleep, likely means that an infant is experiencing a growth spurt.

Infant Acetaminophen Drops to Be Discontinued

By Bill Hendrick

Changes Are Voluntary to Prevent Confusion and Overdosing of Acetaminophen in Children

May 6, 2011 — The Consumer Healthcare Products Association says makers of over-the-counter, single-ingredient liquid pediatric acetaminophen medicines will discontinue current infant drops and make pediatric products just one concentration.

The transition will start in mid-2011, and the CHPA says parents can keep using their current infant products with confidence, as long as they are careful to read dosing instructions and make sure that acetaminophen is safe and appropriate for their kids.

Bottle Feeding at Age 2 Raises Obesity Risk

By Brenda Goodman

Study Shows Link Between Childhood Obesity and Regular Bottle-Feeding by 2-Year-Olds

May 5, 2011 — Kids who regularly use a bottle at age 2 are more likely to be obese by the time they’re ready for kindergarten than those who switch to cups at younger ages, a study shows.

Current guidelines, which were written to help prevent tooth decay, recommend that babies stop bottle feeding around their first birthday.

But many parents don’t appear to be following that advice.

Brain Size of Children Yields Clues to Autism

By Salynn Boyles

Study Shows Kids With Autism Have Faster Brain Growth Around Age 1

May 2, 2011 — Children with autism tend to have larger brains than children without autism, a study suggests.

The study shows larger brains are the result of accelerated brain growth around the children’s first birthday.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina also report that the brain overgrowth in kids who develop autism occurs in the temporal lobe white matter of the brain.

Excess Weight in Middle Age Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease

By Cari Nierenberg

Being Overweight, Obese at Midlife Raises Dementia Risk, Study Suggests

May 2, 2011 — There’s a new reason to keep middle-age spread to a minimum: Being overweight or obese in your 40s or 50s may increase your odds of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia later in life, a study finds.

Soldiers with mental illness more often get PTSD

(Reuters Health) – Preexisting mental health problems could be setting soldiers up for posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, when they return from the battlefield, U.S. Navy researchers said Monday.

They found those with depression, panic disorder or another psychiatric illness were more than twice as likely to develop the condition as their mentally stable peers.

Study: Many With ADHD Can’t Control Emotions

By Brenda Goodman

Research Suggests Many People With ADHD Also Have Quick Bursts of Anger and Frustration

May 6, 2011 — More than half of people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) also have trouble regulating their emotions, and that difficulty may be passed through families, a new study shows.

Researchers are calling this cluster of symptoms deficient emotional self-regulation (DESR). It involves quick bursts of outsized anger, frustration, impatience, or excitability in response to everyday events.

New Clues on Caffeine’s Health Benefits

By Jennifer Warner

Study Suggests Antioxidants in Caffeine Play a Role in Coffee’s Impact on Health

May 6, 2011 — Caffeine’s jolt may do more than just keep you awake. A new study supports the health benefits of coffee by showing how the antioxidants in caffeine fight damage-causing free radicals.

Researchers say their experiments explain the chemistry of how the antioxidants in caffeine seek out and destroy free radicals associated with Alzheimer’s and heart disease.

Americans Walk and Bike More, but Just a Little

By Bill Hendrick

Study Shows Modest Increase in Walking and Cycling in the U.S

May 6, 2011 — Despite repeated calls over the years by public health officials for people to increase exercise and physical activity, Americans are walking and cycling only a little more now than they were a decade ago, a new study shows.

The average American made 17 more “walk trips” in 2009 than in 2001, covering just 9 more miles per year, the study says.

But that compares with only two more bike trips — and a total of five more annual miles of cycling, according to the research team from Rutgers University, Virginia Tech, and the University of Sydney.

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Many in U.S. No Longer Worry About Weight

By Brenda Goodman

Survey Shows Concern About Weight Loss Is at an All-Time Low

May 5, 2011 — Though researchers have repeatedly sounded the alarm about America’s bulging waistlines, a new survey shows that those warnings appear to be falling on deaf, or at least confused, ears when it’s time to eat.

The survey, which has been conducted since 2006 by the nonprofit International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation, finds that concern about weight and weight loss efforts are at an all-time low.

Much Exercise Helps Control Diabetes?

By Bill Hendrick

Study Shows Structured Programs Help Improve Blood Sugar Levels in Diabetes Patients

Much Exercise Helps Control Diabetes?

Study Shows Structured Programs Help Improve Blood Sugar Levels in Diabetes Patients

Family Meals Help Cut Risk of Childhood Obesity

By Jennifer Warner

Study Shows Family Mealtimes Have a Healthy Effect on Children’s Nutrition

May 2, 2011 — Regular family meals improve children’s nutrition, reduce the risk of childhood obesity, and encourage healthy eating habits, a study suggests.

The results show children and adolescents who share at least three family meals per week are more likely to be a healthy weight and less likely to have disordered eating (an early sign of potential eating disorders) than those who shared mealtimes less frequently.

The study is published in Pediatrics.