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.
This week’s hearty one-dish vegetarian meals are meant to appeal to families that include a mix of meat-eaters and vegetarians.
A great pot of beans or lentils, even when you add to it a bunch of chard from the farmers’ market, costs no more than $4 to make, and it feeds four to six people.
This comforting kale and bulgur casserole is modeled on the casserole with eggplant and bulgur.
This lasagna tastes very rich, even though it really isn’t. It combines an olive oil béchamel with a simple mushroom ragout and Parmesan cheese.
Hungarian gulyas (goulash) is the inspiration here, but this one is a vegetable dish. It has a deep, rich flavor redolent of paprika, garlic, lots of sweet peppers and onions.
The fresh or frozen limas add a pale green, fresh bean to the mix.
Coronary Heart Disease Rates Are Dropping in the U.S.
by Bill Hendrick
But CDC Report Shows Wide Variation in State-by-State Rates of Coronary Heart Disease
Oct. 13, 2011 — The CDC says that the overall rate of coronary heart disease in the U.S. is on the decline, dropping from 6.7% in 2006 to 6% in 2010.
But the rates of coronary heart disease vary widely by state of residence, sex, race, and educational levels, the CDC says in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Nasty Bugs Lurking on Your Cell Phone
by Tim Locke
Study: E. coli Found on Cell Phones the Result of Poor Hand Washing
Oct. 14, 2011 — The next time you reach for your cell phone, consider this: A new study found that 92% of cell phones in the U.K. have bacteria on them – including E. coli — because people aren’t washing their hands after going to the bathroom.
The E. coli came from fecal bacteria, which can survive on hands and surfaces for hours.
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Queen Mary, University of London looked at cell phones in 12 cities in the U.K.
Surgery Keeps Many Epilepsy Patients Seizure-Free
by Salynn Boyles
Study Shows About Half of Epilepsy Patients Are Free of Seizures 10 Years After Surgery
Oct. 13, 2011 — About half of surgically treated adults with epilepsy remain seizure-free a decade later, a large follow-up study of epilepsy surgery shows.
Researchers followed more than 600 patients for as long as 19 years after seizure-control surgery. They found that 52% were not having seizures (except for simple partial seizures) after five years; 47% remained seizure free after 10 years. Simple partial seizures are a type of seizure confined to a limited area of the brain, not associated with loss of consciousness.
Barrett’s Esophagus May Be Less Risky Than Thought
by Brenda Goodman. MA
Study Questions Need for Invasive Screening in Patients With Barrett’s Esophagus
Oct. 12, 2011 — People with Barrett’s esophagus, a complication of heartburn and acid reflux disease, are at risk of developing a deadly kind of cancer at much lower rates than doctors previously believed, a new study shows.
The study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Can a Saliva Test Spot Early Pancreatic Cancer?
by Denise Mann
Early Research Suggests Bacteria in the Mouth May One Day Help Diagnose Pancreatic Cancer
Oct. 12, 2011 — A simple saliva test may one day help doctors diagnose people with pancreatic cancer before it has spread.
As of now, there is no early screening test for pancreatic cancer. There often are no symptoms until the cancer has begun to spread, which accounts for its poor survival rate.
New research in the journal Gut suggests that saliva — and the bacteria it contains — may hold the key to an earlier diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
Two-Drug Combo May Help Hard-to-Treat Leukemia
by Denise Mann
Fludara Plus Campath May Have Advantages Over Standard CLL Treatment
Oct. 10, 2011 — A combination of two drugs — the chemotherapy drug Fludara and the biologic drug Campath — may allow people with hard-to-treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) to live longer.
One of the most common blood cancers affecting adults in the U.S., CLL is considered incurable. In CLL, there are too many abnormal white blood cells in the blood and bone marrow. About 14,570 new cases of CLL will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year, according to the American Cancer Society. And about 4,380 people will die from the disease.
Crossing Legs May Be Sign of Stroke Recovery
by Jennifer Warner
Study Shows Patients Who Cross Their Legs Soon After a Stroke Have Better Chance of Recovery
Oct. 10, 2011 — People who can cross their legs soon after a major stroke may have much better odds of a good recovery than those who cannot.
A new study shows people who crossed their legs within 15 days of a severe stroke were less likely to die and more likely to be walking and independent compared to those who did not.
2 More Deaths in Listeria/Cantaloupe Outbreak
by Daniel J. DeNoon
Second Largest U.S. Listeria Outbreak Spreads to 116 Cases, 25 States
Oct. 12, 2011 — Two more deaths have been reported in the ongoing outbreak of listeria food poisoning from Colorado cantaloupes.
As of Oct. 11, the CDC received reports of 23 deaths among 116 people infected with one of the four outbreak-related strains of Listeria monocytogenes. The bacteria can cause a deadly disease known as listeriosis.
Listeria Outbreak Now 2nd Largest in U.S. History
by Daniel J. DeNoon
21 Deaths, 1 Miscarriage as Toll From Listeria Linked to Cantaloupes Rises
Oct. 10, 2011 — The current listeria outbreak from cantaloupes is now the second largest in U.S. history.
The toll now stands at 109 cases and 21 deaths. A pregnant Iowa woman miscarried due to cantaloupe-linked listeria infection.
A person infected with listeria may take up to two months to develop the serious illness known as listeriosis. It may be several weeks before an illness is reported to the CDC, so cases that began after Sept. 11 may not yet be counted.
Muted Contact Lens Recall Irks FDA
by Daniel J.DeNoon
‘Continued’ Recall of 600,000 Avaira Contact Lenses; Severe Pain Reported
Oct. 13, 2011 — Amid reports of severe eye pain and hazy vision, CooperVision “continues” its recall of 600,000 Avaira Toric contact lenses.
The original three-paragraph recall notice was issued on Aug. 19. It suggested that relatively few contact lenses were involved and offered no specific information to consumers or to retailers.
Can Supplements Increase a Woman’s Risk of Dying?
by Denise Mann
Study: Multivitamins, Iron, and Folic Acid Supplements May Increase Older Women’s Risk of DyingOct. 10, 2011 — Some of the supplements that older women take to improve their health may actually raise their risk of death.
In a new study, multivitamins, folic acid, iron, copper, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B6 supplements all increased an older woman’s risk of dying from any cause. The greatest risk was seen with iron supplements. Calcium supplements, however, seemed to reduce a woman’s risk of dying.
The study, which appears in the Archives of Internal Medicine, was an observational trial, not a cause-and-effect trial. So it can’t say how, or even if, these supplements actually increase a woman’s chance of dying.
Older Women Say They Want More Sex, Not Less
by Brenda Goodman, MA
Study Flouts Conventional Wisdom About Low Libido in Older Women
Oct. 14, 2011 — Many women continue to be sexually active after menopause and most say they are satisfied with their sex lives, particularly if they are married or have a regular partner, a large new study shows.
Among women who reported being dissatisfied with their sex lives, however, 57% said they wanted to have more sex, while only 8% said they would have preferred to have less.
Restless Legs Syndrome May Raise BP
by Salynn Boyles
Women With Severe RLS Had Highest Blood Pressures
Oct. 10, 2011 — Millions of Americans with restless legs syndrome (RLS) may have an increased risk for high blood pressure, one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease.
In a new study, middle-aged women with the most frequent RLS episodes were 41% more likely to have high blood pressure than women without the disorder, and the prevalence of high blood pressure increased with RLS symptom frequency.
Vitamin E Supplements May Raise Prostate Cancer Risk
by Salynn Boyles
Study Refutes Earlier Suggestion That Vitamin E Lowered Risk of Prostate Cancer
Oct. 11, 2011 — Just a decade ago, hopes were high that men could lower their risk for prostate cancer by taking daily supplements of the antioxidant vitamin E.
But now, follow-up findings from a study involving 35,000 men offer evidence that the opposite may be true.
Survey Finds Hindrances to Hand Washing in Schools
by Matt McMillen
Children Cite Busy School Schedules, Untidy Restrooms as Barriers to Washing Up
Oct. 12, 2011 — Children need to wash up more often at school, and parents need to set a better hand-washing example. That’s according to a new survey by the American Cleaning Institute, which represents the U.S. cleaning products industry.
For the online survey, 512 children (aged 8 to 17) and 521 parents answered questions about their hand-washing habits and beliefs. Although most children (89%) reported that they washed their hands after using the restroom at school, far fewer said that they wash their hands at other times during the school day. Nearly half said that the most common reason they failed to do so was because their school schedules did not allow them time.
Drug May Reduce Plaque in Brains of Alzheimer’s Patients
by Matt McMillen
Study Shows Gantenerumab Cuts Buildup of Plaque That’s Linked With Alzheimer’s Disease
Oct. 10, 2011 — A small study shows that a new drug being tested for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease reduces the buildup of plaques in the brain associated with the fatal disease.
The experimental compound, known as gantenerumab, is being developed by Roche, the Swiss pharmaceutical company.
“The results and especially the rapidity of the effects observed in the gantenerumab trial went beyond our expectations,” Luca Santarelli, MD, study co-author and Roche senior vice president of neuroscience, writes in an email.
The study is published in the online edition of Archives of Neurology.
Family History Has Complex Role in Alzheimer’s Risk
by Brenda Goodman, MA
Study Shows ApoE Genes Aren’t the Only Factors in the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
Oct. 10, 2011 — The role of family history on a person’s risk for Alzheimer’s disease appears to be more complex than previously recognized, a new study shows.
Scientists once thought that the bulk of genetic risk for late-onset Alzheimer’s lay in a set of genes, called ApoE genes, that make a protein that carries cholesterol around the body.
As Economy Goes Down, Drinking Goes Up
by Denise Mann
Study Shows an Increase in Alcohol Abuse During an Economic Recession
Oct. 13, 2011 — When the going gets tough, it seems that a lot of us may go drinking.
Along with higher unemployment and bankruptcy, an economic recession brings increased drinking of alcohol, a study suggests. The increased use of alcohol includes binge drinking, problem drinking, and driving under the influence.
The study is published in Health Economics.
Healthy Diet May Cut Heart Risk From ‘Bad’ Genes
by Kathleen Doheny
Study Shows Healthy Diet May Offset Bad Genes for Heart Disease
Oct. 11, 2011 — We know that eating a very healthy diet appears to make heart disease less likely, but now that even goes for people whose genes put them at a higher than normal risk of heart trouble.
“A diet high in fruits and vegetables appears to mitigate the genetic risk of a heart attack,” says researcher Sonia S. Anand, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and epidemiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Ginger May Have Cancer-Fighting Qualities
BY Brenda Goodman, MA
Study Suggests Supplement May Lower Inflammation in the Colon
Oct. 11, 2011 — Ginger supplements appear to lower some indicators of inflammation in the colon, a new study shows.
The study, published in Cancer Prevention Research, is an early step toward finding out whether compounds found in ginger root might prevent colon cancer.
Chocolate May Cut Women’s Stroke Risk
By Kathleen Doheny
Study Shows Just 2 Chocolate Bars a Week May Reduce the Risk of Stroke
Oct. 10, 2011 — A healthy chocolate habit — about two chocolate bars a week — appears to help women reduce their risk of stroke, according to new research.
The new Swedish study echoes previous research in men and women. It also adds new information.
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