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.
Summer is long gone, but my basil doesn’t know that. When tomatoes are around I have no trouble staying on top of my crop, as rare is the tomato salad on my table that isn’t showered with slivered basil leaves. Now I’m making big batches of puréed basil with olive oil to freeze and use later for pesto and pistou (the Provençal version of pesto, minus the pine nuts).
Pesto is a nutritionally dense condiment; basil is a great source of flavonoids that are believed to have antioxidant and antibacterial properties. It’s also an excellent source of vitamin K, and a very good source of iron, calcium and vitamin A.
You can freeze pesto or pistou for several months, and it will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. If you are making this for the freezer, you’ll get the best results if you purée the basil with the olive oil and salt only. When ready to use, mash the garlic and pine nuts, blend in the thawed basil purée, and add the cheese.
You can assemble this several hours before baking.
You can use this bright mixture as a dip, a spread or a sauce with pasta.
Although these are best when served right away, I didn’t get complaints when I reheated these several hours after making them.
This combination of sweet vegetables with pungent pesto is great for a simple grain and vegetable bowl.
This is a big, simple soup made with winter vegetables – all diced small and thrown into a big pot with water and simmered for an hour. It’s garnished with the Provençal version of pesto, which does not contain any pine nuts. It makes a hearty meal.
Men, Women May Experience Acid Reflux Differently
Y Brenda Goodman, MA
Study Shows Men Report Fewer Symptoms but Appear to Have More Severe Reflux Disease
Oct. 18, 2011 — Men and women experience symptoms of heartburn and acid reflux differently, a new study shows.
The study is published in the Archives of Surgery.
Researchers surveyed nearly 3,000 Australian adults living in the community and more than 2,000 men and women who were having surgery to correct their gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Hairdressers May Help Spot Skin Cancer
by Jennifer Warner
Study Shows Many Hairdressers Check Scalp and Neck for Signs of Skin Cancer
Oct. 17, 2011 — Your hairdresser may be a valuable ally in the battle against skin cancer.
A new study shows many hairdressers already check their client’s scalp, neck, and face for signs of skin cancer, and more than half have recommended that a client see a health care professional about an abnormal mole.
Melanomas of the scalp and neck account for 6% of all melanomas and about 10% of melanoma deaths in the U.S.
Kids and Grown-ups Can Mistake Candy for Medicine
by Cari Nierenberg
Study Conducted by Schoolchildren Shows Pills Can Easily Be Mistaken for Candy
Oct. 17, 2011 — Adults may not be much smarter than 5-year-olds at telling some medications apart from candy.
One in five teachers and more than one in four kindergarteners had a hard time figuring out which pills were over-the-counter medicines and which ones were sweets, a study shows.
New Guidelines for Treating Essential Tremor
by Cari Nierenberg
American Neurological Association Recommends Best Treatments for the Movement Disorder
Oct. 19, 2011 — New treatment recommendations for a movement disorder called essential tremor were introduced this week by the American Neurological Association. The latest advice describes the most effective drugs and surgeries to help ease the trembling hands, head, or voice seen in this condition.
A panel of nine experts reviewed more than 250 recent studies in revising the treatment guidelines. They were published online in the journal Neurology and were last updated in 2005.
Cancer Drug May Also Treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
by Brenda Goodman, MA
Rituximab Reduced Fatigue in 67% of Patients in Study
Oct. 19, 2011 — Researchers in Norway say they’ve been able to treat symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome by giving patients a biologic drug that affects the immune system.
The drug, rituximab (Rituxan), works by depleting immune cells called B-cells. It is FDA approved to treat non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, and two kinds of vasculitis
Study: No Link Between Cell Phone Use and Cancer
by Brenda Goodman, MA
Danish Study Is One of the Largest to Look for a Link Between Mobile Phone Use and Brain Tumors
Oct. 20, 2011 — In recent years, people have been whipsawed by conflicting studies about the risks posed by low levels of radiation given off by cell phones.
Now, one of the largest and longest-running studies ever to look for a link between mobile phone use and brain tumors shows that cell phone use doesn’t increase the risk of brain cancer and other kinds of central nervous system cancers.
The study was conducted in Denmark, a country that’s unique because it keeps extraordinary health records on its residents. It’s published in the journal BMJ.
Dirty Equipment Likely Led to Listeria Outbreak
by Brenda Goodman, MA
Investigators Say Unsafe Food Handling Also Had Role in Cantaloupe Contamination
Oct. 19, 2011 — Results of an investigation by state and federal health officials have shed light on how cantaloupes grown by a Colorado farm became contaminated with deadly listeria bacteria.
Investigators say dirty, corroded equipment, unsanitary conditions, and unsafe food handling practices at a packing facility used by Jensen Farms likely allowed listeria bacteria to grow and spread to melons that were washed and refrigerated there.
No listeria was found in the fields where the cantaloupes were grown.
What’s Behind the Latest Measles Outbreaks?
by Rita Rubin
Minnesota Measles Outbreak Likely Rooted in Autism Fears, Researchers Say
Oct. 20, 2011 — Safety concerns about the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine helped fuel a measles outbreak this year in Minnesota. It was the country’s largest measles outbreak since 1996.
Research on the outbreak is slated to be presented Saturday at an infectious diseases meeting.
From January to July, 174 cases of measles were reported in the U.S. In Minnesota, 26 people contracted measles from February through April, says Pam Gahr, MPH, an epidemiologist with the Minnesota Department of Health. Patients ranged in age from 4 months to 51 years, and all of the cases occurred in two counties in metropolitan Minneapolis-St. Paul.Radiation Plus Surgery Cuts Risk of Breast Cancer Return
Study Shows Benefits of Adding Radiation Therapy to Breast-Conserving Surgery
Vaccine Halves Malaria Infections in Young Children
by Brenda Goodman. MA
Study: Vaccine Prevents About Half of Severe Infections
Oct. 18, 2011 — An experimental vaccine cut malaria infections in infants and toddlers by about half, a new study shows.
“This is remarkable when you consider there has never been a successful vaccine against a human parasite nor obviously against malaria,” study researcher Tsiri Agbenyega, principal investigator of the study at Agogo Presbyterian Hospital in Agogo, Ghana, says in a news briefing.
The study is the largest test to date of the vaccine, called RTS,S, which has taken 20 years and more than $400 million to develop.
C. Diff Vaccine Shows Promise
by Charlene Laino
Vaccine to Prevent Infection With Diarrhea Bug Passes Early Hurdle
Oct. 21, 2011 — A new vaccine shows promise for preventing infection with the potentially dangerous diarrhea bug Clostridium difficile, or C. diff.
In two industry-funded studies of nearly 100 healthy people, the vaccine also proved safe. No serious side effects were associated with its use.
The vaccine targets two toxins, A and B, produced by C. diff that attack the lining of the gut and cause diarrhea, cramping, and other symptoms
Is High Blood Pressure Linked to Birth Defects?
by Denise Mann
Pregnant Women With High Blood Pressure May Be More Likely to Have Babies With Birth Defects
Oct. 18, 2011 — A new study may put hypertension during pregnancy under more scrutiny.
Women who take blood pressure drugs called ACE inhibitors during the first trimester of their pregnancy may be no more likely to have babies with birth defects than women with hypertension who take other types of high blood pressure medication or no blood pressure drugs at all, according to a new study.
Annual Mammograms May Have More False-Positives
by Rita Rubin
Screening Mammograms Every Two Years Cut the Chances of False Alarm, Study Shows
Oct. 17, 2011 — Getting screening mammograms every two years instead of annually reduces the chance of a false alarm, a new study shows.
The frequency of screening mammograms — and the appropriate age to begin them — has been debated since the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force in 2009 recommended that women routinely get screening mammograms every other year starting at age 50.
The task force says the decision to start regular, biennial mammograms before age 50 should be an individual choice based on each patient’s situation. Meanwhile, the American Cancer Society continues to recommend that women get mammograms every year beginning at age 40.
Study: Testosterone May Not Treat ED
by Denise Mann
Researchers Say Testosterone Replacement Therapy May Not Be Helpful for Erectile Dysfunction
Oct. 17, 2011 — Many men may be taking supplements of the male sex hormone testosterone to boost their sex drive, but it may not be that helpful after all.
A new study of men 60 and older who had low or borderline low levels of testosterone showed that testosterone replacement therapy did not improve erectile dysfunction (ED) or their ability to achieve and maintain an erection, compared to a placebo gel.
Guidelines Suggest Less Frequent Screening for Cervical Cancer
by Todd Zwillich
Draft Federal Guidelines Say Screening Every Three Years May Be All That Most Women Need
Oct. 19, 2011 — New federal guidelines are urging doctors to back off annual cervical cancer screening for most women. Instead the recommendations say most women between 21 and 65 years old should only be screened every three years, and that more frequent screening may do more harm than good.
The draft guidelines come from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). They’re the first new recommendations on cervical cancer screening to come from the agency since 2003.
Radiation Plus Surgery Cuts Risk of Breast Cancer Return
by Rita Rubin
Study Shows Benefits of Adding Radiation Therapy to Breast-Conserving Surgery
Oct. 20, 2011 — Women with early breast cancer often consider breast-conserving surgery in which a doctor removes the tumor but spares the rest of the breast. But they may worry that their cancer is more likely to come back if they don’t remove the entire breast.
New research shows that adding radiation therapy to breast-conserving surgery halves the chance that cancer will come back and reduces the risk of dying from breast cancer, when compared to the breast-conserving surgery alone.
The study is published in The Lancet.
New SIDS Guidelines Say Breastfeeding Lowers Risk
by Rita Rudin
Sleeping in the Same Room but Not in the Same Bed Also Recommended
Oct. 18, 2011 — Breastfeeding and up-to-date immunizations can lower infants’ risk of sudden, unexpected death during sleep, according to updated guidelines issued today by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Since 1992, the pediatricians group has been advising parents to place young infants on their backs to sleep to minimize the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS.
New Guidelines: Diagnose Kids for ADHD at Age 4
by Brenda Goodman, MA
American Academy of Pediatrics Expands Age Range for Diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Oct. 17, 2011 — Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) should be diagnosed and treated in children as young as age 4, according to new guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Previous guidelines for pediatricians, issued 10 years ago, had limited the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD to children aged 6 to 12. The new guidelines expand that age range to include preschoolers and teenagers.
The new guidelines were released at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics in Boston. They are also published in the November issue of Pediatrics.
Knee Injuries on the Rise in Young Athletes
by Cari Nierenberg
Study: More Children and Teens Being Treated for ACL, Meniscus Tears, Other Sports-Related Knee Injuries
Oct. 17, 2011 — Young athletes’ knees get plenty of wear and tear, and now new research is shedding light on how often this frequently used joint gets injured.
Researchers from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found a more than 400% jump in knee injuries in young people treated at this large urban medical center between 1999 and 2011. Their findings offer a glimpse at just how many kids’ legs might be getting hurt when playing sports.
The study was presented at the 2011 Meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics in Boston.
Autism Linked to Babies Born at Low Weight
by Jennifer Warner
Study Shows Higher Risk for Later Autism Diagnosis for Low-Birth-Weight Babies
Oct. 17, 2011 — Low-birth-weight babies may be five times more likely to be later diagnosed with autism than children born at a normal weight, according to a new study.
Researchers say it’s the first study that followed children over time to confirm the link between low birth weight and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a large group of infants followed for 21 years.
Girls More Likely to Get HPV Vaccine When Doctors Recommend It
by Rita Rubin
Study Shows Importance of Doctors’ Recommendation in Boosting HPV Vaccination Rates
Oct. 20, 2011 — Doctors need to recommend the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to help increase the number of girls getting immunized, according to CDC researchers.
Two vaccines against human papillomavirus, a common sexually transmitted infection, were licensed for use in the U.S. in 2006 and 2009. The vaccines target the main types of HPV that cause cervical cancer.
Are Too Many Babies Getting Acid Reflux Drugs?
by Cari Niernberg
Pediatrician Suggests Many Healthy Infants Are Prescribed GERD Drugs Unnecessarily
Oct. 20, 2011 — Babies may spit up and cry and fuss for seemingly no reason. But one children’s health expert has noticed an alarming increase in the number of infants being prescribed acid-suppressing drugs to reduce unexplained crying and spitting up.
In a commentary published in The Journal of Pediatrics, Eric Hassell, MD, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation in San Francisco, warns that the use of acid-suppressing medications to babies under 1 year old has skyrocketed. One large study in the U.S. found a 16-fold increase in the number of prescriptions for a kid-friendly liquid form of acid-suppressing drugs between 1999 and 2004.
Use of Antidepressants on the Rise in the U.S.
By Bill Hendrick
CDC Study Shows Rate of Antidepressant Use Has Increased Nearly 400% Since 1988
Oct. 19, 2011 — About 11% of Americans aged 12 or older take antidepressants, including many who have not seen a mental health professional in the past year, according to a new federal report.
The report by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics also says that the rate of antidepressant use in the U.S. has increased nearly 400% since 1988.
CDC: Most Americans Eat Too Much Salt
by Bill Hendrick
Study Shows Daily Salt Intake of Most Americans Is Greater Than Federal Guidelines
Oct. 20, 2011 — Most Americans eat more salt than federal guidelines call for, increasing their risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke, a new CDC report shows.
Eating too much sodium can’t be blamed on the salt shaker alone, because most salt intake comes from other sources.
Weight Loss Surgery May Have Healthy Effect on Family
by Jennifer Warner
Study Shows Family Members of People Who Have Gastric Bypass Adopt Healthier Lifestyle
Oct. 17, 2011 — Having weight loss surgery may have a healthy effect on the whole family.
In a study, family members of obese people who had a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery adopted healthier eating habits and were more active one year after the weight loss surgery.
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