Welcome to the Stars Hollow Health and Fitness News 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.
It was just a coincidence that I had decided to broaden my repertory of vegetarian burgers for this week’s column and was busily testing recipes on the same day that a new Harvard School of Public Health study linking red meat consumption and early death was released. Then there was the news about pink slime in ground beef used in school lunches. The timing couldn’t have been better.
Martha Rose Shulman
These can be put together and shaped up to 3 days before browning. They can also be cooked ahead and reheated in a low oven or in a pan on the stove. Keep them well wrapped in the refrigerator.
Beet, Rice and Goat Cheese Burgers
You can make these up to 3 days ahead, either through Step 3 or 4, and keep in the refrigerator. They can also be cooked ahead and reheated in a low oven or in a pan on top of the stove.
Quinoa and Vegetable Burgers With Asian Flavors
This vibrant burger is made with both cooked and uncooked vegetables. The egg is optional; if you don’t use it, be careful when flipping the patty so that it doesn’t fall apart.
Curried Lentil, Rice and Carrot Burgers
The turmeric offers bonus antioxidant health benefits, but even without it, they’re in abundance in this recipe, with all the carrots and ginger.
Mushroom and Grain Cheeseburgers
Barley is a traditional hearty partner for mushrooms, but brown rice is just as tasty in this burger.
Weight Loss Surgery Puts Diabetes Into Remission
by Charlene Laino
Bariatric Procedures Beat Out Medication at Controlling Blood Sugar
March 26, 2012 (Chicago) — Weight loss surgery beat out the best available medications at controlling blood sugar in overweight and moderately obese people with type 2 diabetes, researchers report.
People who underwent one of two stomach-reducing procedures were three to four times more likely to have their blood sugar drop to normal levels after one year of treatment compared with people who received intensive medical therapy alone.
Some people who had surgery got better so quickly that they were able to stop taking their diabetes medication before even leaving the hospital, says study head Philip Schauer, MD, director of the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic.
Too Little Sleep Bad for Heart
by Charlene Laino
Sleeping Less Than 6 Hours Linked to Heart Attacks, Strokes
March 27, 2012 (Chicago) — Sleeping less than six hours a night may make you more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure.
A new study puts numbers on that risk. The study, based on more than 3,000 people older than 45, shows that people who sleep less than six hours per night are about twice as likely to have a stroke or heart attack as people who get six to eight hours of sleep. And they are about 70% more likely to have congestive heart failure.
Sitting Too Much May Boost Odds of Dying
by Denise Mann
People Who Spend a Lot of Time Sitting May Be Up to 40% More Likely to Die From Any Cause, Study Finds
March 26, 2012 — Don’t take this sitting down, but spending too much time in a chair is bad for your health — really, really bad.
New research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that people who spend a lot of time sitting may be up to 40% more likely to die from any cause, compared to people who don’t sit as long.
The study tracked nearly 222,500 Australian adults for about three years. During that time, people’s odds of dying dovetailed with how much time they spent sitting.
Biologic Drug Lowers LDL Cholesterol
by Charlene Laino
Experimental Drug Lowers LDL on Top of Traditional Statin
March 26, 2012 (Chicago) — An experimental biologic drug called REGN727 may help lower levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol when a statin drug isn’t enough, researchers report.
In a new study, REGN727 (which does not have a brand name yet) cut LDL cholesterol by up to 72% when given in addition to the statin Lipitor.
That study, presented at the American College of Cardiology’s annual meeting, included about 180 people with LDL cholesterol levels of at least 100 mg/dL. For 12 weeks, they took Lipitor and got injections of REGN727 or a placebo.
Moderate Drinking Helps Men After Heart Attack?
by Denise Mann
Study: 1 or 2 Alcoholic Drinks a Day Boosts Longevity Among Some Men After Heart Attack
March 27, 2012 — After a heart attack, men who continue to drink one or two alcoholic beverages a day may live longer than heavy drinkers or non-drinkers.
Those findings appear in the European Heart Journal.
“For many men after experiencing a heart attack, major diet and lifestyle changes are recommended by their physicians, [but] our study indicates that for men already consuming moderate amounts of alcohol, continuing to consume moderate amounts may be beneficial for long-term survival after a heart attack,” researcher Jennifer K. Pai, ScD, tells WebMD in an email. She is an assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston.
Autism Hits 1 in 88 U.S. Kids, 1 in 54 Boys
by Daniel J. DeNoon
CDC: Autism Up 23% From 2006 to 2008 as Rates Continue to Rise
March 29, 2012 — One in every 88 U.S. children — and one in 54 boys — has autism, the CDC now estimates.
The latest analysis, from a 2008 survey, shows autism is up 23% since 2006 and 78% since 2002.
“This is a large number of children and families affected by autism,” study leader Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, MD, chief of the CDC’s developmental disabilities branch, tells WebMD.
“With nearly a doubling of prevalence since CDC started tracking in 1992, autism is officially becoming an epidemic in the U.S. We are dealing with a national emergency that is in need of a national plan,” Mark Roithmayr, president of the advocacy group Autism Speaks, said at a CDC teleconference held to announce the findings.
Safe Sleep Can Prevent SIDS Deaths
by Salynn Boyles
Most SIDS Infants Had Sleep-Related Risk Factors, Study Finds
March 26, 2012 — There’s more to cutting the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) than putting babies to sleep on their backs.
The public health campaign “Back to Sleep,” geared toward putting infants to sleep on their backs, helped reduce the rate of SIDS by more than 50%.
But now, a new study published in Pediatrics also shows that SIDS rates have stabilized in recent years, so there’s more work to be done. There are about 2,500 SIDS deaths per year in the U.S.
Depression After Stroke Too Often Goes Untreated
by Denise Mann
As Many as 70% of People Who Are Depressed After Stroke Don’t Get Adequate Treatment
March 29, 2012 — Many people who have a stroke or so-called mini-stroke become depressed afterward, yet up to two-thirds are not getting ample treatment for their depression.
Researchers report that news in the journal Stroke.
“A lot of people are not aware of this risk,” Duke University stroke researcher Nada El Husseini, MD, tells WebMD. “Even if they are feeling depressed, they don’t think it’s relevant.”
But it is. Depression can affect recovery and rehabilitation after a stroke.
Sleep Apnea Linked to Depression
by Rita Rubin
People With Certain Types of Sleep-Disordered Breathing More Likely to Be Depressed, CDC Study Finds
March 30, 2012 — Snorting, gasping, or short interruptions in breathing during sleep may be linked to depression symptoms, new research shows.
The more frequently people snort, gasp, or stop breathing for short periods of time while asleep, the more likely they are to have symptoms of depression, according to a government study of nearly 10,000 adults released today.
Snoring, however, was not linked to depression symptoms in the study, which appears in the April edition of the journal Sleep.
Soy Nutrient May Lower Blood Pressure
by Charlene Laino
Isoflavones May Relax Blood Vessels, Researchers Say
March 27, 2012 (Chicago) — Nutrients called isoflavones — found in soy, green tea, peanuts, and other plant foods — may help to lower blood pressure.
Researchers reported that news today at the American College of Cardiology’s annual meeting.
The researchers studied data from more than 5,000 Americans who were followed for 20 years, starting when they were 18-30 years old.
Health Benefits of Chocolate Growing
by Kathleen Doheny
Moderate Amounts May Help Heart Health and More, Researchers Find
March 29, 2012 (San Diego) — Chocolate is increasingly shedding its reputation as a sweet treat only. More research is uncovering health benefits when the dark stuff is eaten in moderation.
At the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society here, a three-hour symposium was devoted to cocoa science and technology. Cocoa researchers from around the world gathered to share their latest findings, passing chocolate bars around the audience as they talked science.
Green Coffee Beans May Aid Weight Loss
by Kathleen Doheny
Supplement Linked to Weight Loss in Small, Early Study
March 28, 2012 — Ground green coffee beans, taken daily, seem to spur steady weight loss, according to new research.
In a small, 22-week study, researchers found that 16 overweight men and women lost an average of 17 pounds. They took the green (unroasted) coffee beans in supplement form and, for comparison, took a placebo at a different point of the study.
They did not change their diet. They were physically active. They lost more while on the supplements than while on placebo. They lost the most when on the higher of two coffee bean doses.
Have Diabetes? Lifestyle Changes May Help Mobility
by Brenda Goodman, MA
Study Shows Modest Weight Loss and Exercise Can Cut Loss-of-Mobility Risk by About 50%
March 28, 2012 — Losing weight and exercising may help people with type 2 diabetes hold on to their mobility as they age, a new study shows.
The good news is that neither lifestyle change requires drastic measures.
The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that losing just a little bit of weight and adding 25 minutes of physical activity a day can help prevent worsening of mobility-related disabilities among people with type 2 diabetes.
‘Pink Slime’ Maker Cuts Down Production
by Richard Kearns
Major Producer of Ground Beef Additive Is Scaling Back Production of ‘Pink Slime’
March 27, 2012 — A maker of “lean, finely textured beef” — also called “pink slime” by opponents — says it is scaling back production of the beef product.
Beef Products Inc. said Monday that it will suspend production of the ground beef filler in three of its four plants, according to news reports.
This decision was made after several social media outlets were swarmed with concerns about the product when pictures surfaced in early March showing its appearance during production.
Recent Comments