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.
I wanted each of these stews to feature a nutritious vegetable along with the chicken and aromatics. In this way they are truly one-dish, nutrient-dense meals. Though I suggest serving them with rice, other grains or pasta, if carbs are an issue, know that these stews are very satisfying on their own.
Martha Rose Shulman
This version of the classic Italian dish includes lots of mushrooms, both dried and fresh; you can add kale if you want to work in some leafy greens.
Cinnamon adds a subtle sweetness to this stew. If salt is an issue, omit the olives; the stew will still be delicious.
Loosely based on an Algerian recipe from “Real Stew” by Clifford A. Wright, this sweetly spiced dish, with beta-carotene-rich apricots and sweet potatoes, is also evocative of recipes from the Middle East and Iran.
This is an adaptation of a classic French bistro dish, poulet Basquaise.
This dish is loosely based on a chicken stew from the Mexican state of Veracruz, where Spanish influences still remain strong.
Scarred Hearts Healed After Heart Attack
by Daniel J.DeNoon
Heart-Attack Damage Heals After Stem Cell Treatment
Feb. 13, 2012 — A new stem cell treatment resurrects dead, scarred heart muscle damaged by a recent heart attack.
The finding, just in time for Valentine’s Day, is the clearest evidence yet that literally broken hearts can heal. All that’s needed is a little help from one’s own heart stem cells.
“We have been trying as doctors for centuries to find a treatment that actually reverses heart injury,” Eduardo Marban, MD, PhD, tells WebMD. “That is what we seem to have been able to achieve in this small number of patients. If so, this could change the nature of medicine. We could go to the root of disease and cure it instead of just work around it.”
Drug-Delivery Microchip Could Replace Daily Injections
by Salynn Boyles
In a Small Study, Patients Preferred Microchip Over Daily Injections, and Most Had No Unwanted Side Effects
Feb. 16, 2012 — An experimental, implanted drug-delivery microchip that releases medication on command from an external wireless control could one day free patients from daily injections and improve treatment compliance.
Results from the first human study of the programmable microchip were reported Thursday in Vancouver at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science — 15 years after researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) first came up with the idea for the device.
Quit-Smoking Drug May Also Curb Drinking
by Brenda Goodman, MA
Study Finds Chantix Makes Drinking Alcohol Less Enjoyable
Feb. 15, 2012 — A drug that helps people stop smoking may also cut alcohol cravings, a new study shows.
The drug Chantix works by blocking nicotine receptors in the brain. Many people who have taken the drug to quit smoking have reported to their doctors that they were drinking less, too.
Intrigued by those reports, researchers have been trying to figure out exactly why Chantix may curb alcohol cravings, and whether it could work as a new treatment for alcohol addiction.
Is That ‘New Car Smell’ Toxic?
by Jennifer Warner
New Rankings Uncover Toxic Chemicals in Top 10 Unhealthy Car Interiors
Feb. 15, 2012 — That “new car smell” may come from toxic chemicals, according to new research.
A new study suggests that new car smell comes from toxic chemicals off-gassing in a car’s interior, like brominated flame retardants (BFRs), chromium, and lead. In all, researchers identified more than 275 different chemicals in vehicle interiors, including those associated with birth defects, impaired learning, liver problems, and cancer.
Even a Little Air Pollution Raises Heart Attack Risk
by Jennifer Warner
A Week Spent in Polluted Air Can Increase Risk; Potentially Large Impact on Public Health
Feb. 14, 2012 — A new study shows that as little as a week in a place with high levels of air pollution raises the risk of heart attack.
The additional risk is slight compared with classic heart attack risk factors like high blood pressure, smoking, or diabetes. But researchers say it’s significant because many people are exposed to air pollution, and heart disease is the leading cause of death in industrialized countries.
“Thus, an improvement in air quality could have a significant effect on public health,” researcher Hazrije Mustafic, MD, MPH, of the University of Paris Descartes, and colleagues write in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Ice Baths for Sore Muscles Can Work
by Kathleen Doheny
Review Finds Method Effective, but Safety Evidence Lacking
Feb. 14, 2012 — Can an ice bath really ward off the muscle soreness that can kick in a day or so after an intense workout?
According to a new review, it is better than doing nothing and equal to other remedies such as compression stockings or stretching.
Ice baths are favored by some elite athletes and have become a habit of other exercisers as well.
“We only found an effect in favor of cold water immersion when it was compared to doing nothing — that is, passive rest after exercise,” says Chris Bleakley, PhD, a researcher at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland.
Antibiotics Do Not Reduce Symptoms of Sinus Infection
by Joanna Broder
Medications Don’t Speed Recovery, but May Increase Antibiotic Resistance
Feb. 14, 2012 — Patients may want to pause before asking for antibiotics to treat a sinus infection.
A new study involving more than 150 patients ages 18 to 70 suggests that the antibiotic amoxicillin may be no better than a placebo in improving symptoms for those with sinusitis — a common inflammation of the nasal passages and sinuses.
Findings from the trial — published in the Journal of the American Medical Association — show that when adults with a standard case of sinusitis were treated with either a 10-day course of amoxicillin or a placebo, by the third day both groups fared about the same in terms of recovery.
Infant Tylenol Recalled
by Daniel J. DeNoon
Faulty Cover Could Lead to Wrong Dose
Feb. 17, 2012 — 574,000 bottles of infant Tylenol have been recalled by Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare division.
A faulty part of the dosing system — an interior cap called a “flow restrictor” — can get pushed down into the bottle. This interferes with the syringe used to measure each dose. It could result in kids getting too much or too little acetaminophen, the painkiller/fever-reducer that is Tylenol’s active ingredient.
FDA Warning on 39 Million Electric Toothbrushes
by Daniel J. DeNoon
Serious Face, Mouth Injuries From Arm & Hammer, Crest ‘Spinbrush’
Feb. 17, 2012 — The Spinbrush electric toothbrush — heavily marketed to children — can cause serious face and mouth injuries, the FDA warns.
More than 39 million of the toothbrushes have been sold under various brand names. But all are called “Spinbrush.” Those currently on sale carry the Arm & Hammer brand. Those made until 2009 carried the Crest brand.
A Common Organic Sweetener May Boost Arsenic Levels in Foods
by Brenda Goodman, MA
Study Shows Brown Rice Syrup Adds Arsenic to Many Natural, Organic Products
Feb. 16, 2012 — Organic brown rice syrup, a popular sweetener in organic and gluten-free foods — including some formulas made for toddlers — is a source of the toxin arsenic, a new study shows.
Experts say regularly eating foods that use organic brown rice syrup as a main ingredient could expose a person to more arsenic than the government allows in drinking water, raising the risks for cancer and heart disease. In young children, chronic arsenic exposure has been linked to lower IQs and poorer intellectual function.
“This seems to be quite strong evidence,” says Ana Navas-Acien, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of environmental health sciences and epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Md.
Young Adults on Parents’ Health Insurance Have More Access to Care
by Cari Nierenberg
More Young People Get Physicals and Have Doctors When Laws Expand Parents’ Insurance to Older Children
Feb. 14, 2012 — Allowing children to stay on their parents’ health insurance past the age of 18 increased young adults’ chances of having a physical exam and made them less likely to go without care due to cost, according to a new study.
To understand how the new Affordable Care Act may influence young adults’ use of health services, researchers compared health data from states that had laws enacted in 2005 or 2006, allowing young people to join their parents’ policies, to states without them.
In the study, young adults had improved access to medical care in states with laws that let parents put them on their health policies compared to states where young people were not eligible for this extended coverage.
Brain Development Harmed in Mistreated Kids
by Brenda Goodman, MA
Study May Help Explain Why Child Abuse Often Leads to Mental Problems Like Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress
Feb. 13, 2012 — A new study shows that the stress of child abuse appears to shrink a key region of the brain that regulates emotion, memory, and learning.
The finding may help explain why mistreated kids often experience lasting mental problems like depression and other psychiatric disorders.
The study is a counterpoint to recent research that found that children who were nurtured early in life were more likely to have larger brain centers for memory and emotion.
“Stress has a negative impact on brain development; support has a positive impact,” says Joan Luby, MD, a child psychiatrist at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. Luby studies early emotional development, but she was not involved in the research.
Spring Allergies Strike Early This Year
by Brenda Goodman, MA
Experts Say Tree Pollen Season May Be Long and Painful
Feb. 17, 2012 — Got a stuffy nose, sore throat, watery eyes, or throbbing head? In February, those symptoms are usually caused by a cold or the flu, but this year, the culprit could be allergies.
Thanks to a mild winter, spring allergy season got started nearly a month early in many parts of the U.S., and experts say that could mean prolonged misery for people who are sensitive to tree pollen.
“It’s very unusual because it’s so early,” says Stanley M. Fineman, MD, who is president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.
Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis Affect Birth Rates
by Salynn Boyles
Women With the Autoimmune Diseases Often Have Fewer Children Than Desired, Study Finds
Feb. 16, 2012 — More than half of women diagnosed with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis prior to completing their families end up having fewer children than they had planned for, new research suggests.
The study is among the first to examine infertility, pregnancy loss, and family planning choices in women with the autoimmune diseases.
Millions of Women Unaware They Have Arterial Disease
by Salynn Boyles
Peripheral Artery Disease in Women Underdiagnosed and Understudied
Feb. 15, 2012 — Between 4 million and 5 million women in the United States have peripheral artery disease, or PAD, but few are diagnosed and even fewer receive adequate treatment.
In a special report released at the midpoint of American Heart Month, the American Heart Association is calling for greater efforts to identify and diagnose women at risk for the condition that commonly affects the leg arteries, and is also calling for more women to be involved in PAD studies.
Telltale Signs of Autism as Early as 6 Months
by Kathleen Doheny
Researchers Spot Differences in Brain Development in Infants Who Go on to Develop Autism
Feb. 17, 2012 — Differences in brain development may be evident as early as age 6 months in children who go on to develop autism, according to new research.
In the study, children later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) had abnormal development of the white matter in the brain, says researcher Joe Piven, MD, director of the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Study: Even Some Vigorous Activity Boosts Kids’ Heart Health
by Denise Mann
Adding 20 More Minutes of Exercise a Day Can Make Big Difference
Feb. 14, 2012 — Kids who exercise vigorously for more than 30 minutes a day may be at lower risk of heart disease than their peers who don’t break a sweat quite as often.
This is true regardless of how much time the kids spent sitting on the couch.
Kids who exercised at a moderate or vigorous pace for more than 35 minutes a day had lower levels of cholesterol, blood fats called triglycerides, blood sugar or glucose, blood pressure, and a smaller waist size than their counterparts who clocked about 18 minutes of vigorous physical activity each day.
Cancer Risk Higher for Kids With Arthritis
by Salynn Boyles
Study: Medications Used to Treat Condition Likely Not to Blame
Feb. 13, 2012 — Children with juvenile arthritis develop cancer four times more often than children without the disease, but the treatments they receive — including biologic treatments like Enbrel — may not explain their increased risk, according to a new study.
If confirmed, researchers say the findings should ease fears that biologic treatments known as TNF inhibitors cause cancer in children and young adults.
Kids’ Lack of Sleep: Nothing New About Blaming It on Modern Life
by Salynn Boyles
Sleep Recommendations Not Based on Science, Review Finds
Feb. 13, 2012 — It is a common complaint of our modern age that kids and teens don’t get enough sleep.
Video games, TV, social media, and other trappings of our increasingly tech-centric lives are often blamed, but a new study shows that long before Facebook or PlayStation 3, kids were sleeping less than experts said they should.
Weight Training Improves Parkinson’s Symptoms
by Denise Mann
Twice-Weekly Resistance Training Sessions Can Improve Tremors, Slowness, and Rigidity
Feb 16, 2012 — Weight training twice a week may reduce the stiffness, slowness, and tremors often seen in people with Parkinson’s disease, a new study shows.
A progressive neurologic disease, Parkinson’s affects up to 1 million people in the U.S. Symptoms include tremors and difficulty with movement and walking. The study shows that weight training for two years trumps stretching and balance exercises for these so-called motor symptoms.
The findings are to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in New Orleans.
Could Sleep Problems Predict Alzheimer’s?
by Kathleen Doheny
Frequent Night Awakenings Linked to Signs of Alzheimer’s, Researchers Find
Feb. 14, 2012 — The poorer your sleep, the more likely you may be to develop Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study.
“We found that if people had a lot of awakenings during the night, more than five awakenings in an hour, they are more likely to have preclinical Alzheimer’s disease,” says researcher Yo-El Ju, MD, assistant professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Preclinical Alzheimer’s disease is the term given to people who have normal mental skills but show brain changes associated with the degenerative disorder.
Want to Lose Weight? Try Teamwork
by Denise Mann
Weight Loss Influenced by Team Support, Researchers Say
Feb. 17, 2012 — Weight loss may be influenced by joining a team.
A new study shows that people who shed at least 5% of their initial body weight during a weight loss competition were likely to be on the same teams. Those who said their teammates played a large role in their weight loss were more likely to lose a significant amount of weight.
The findings appear in Obesity.
Faster Walkers Have Lower Odds of Memory Problems
by Cari Nierneberg
Walking Speed, Strength of Hand Grip May Help Predict Future Risk of Memory Loss and Stroke, Study Finds
Feb. 15, 2012 — How fast you can walk and the strength of your hand grip might shed light on your odds of having a stroke or memory problems as you get older, researchers report.
“These are basic office tests which can provide insight into risk of dementia and stroke,” study researcher Erica C. Camargo, MD, PhD, says in a news release.
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