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.
Throughout the Mediterranean, springtime is the season for spinach and other greens, artichokes and fava beans, and these vegetables make delicious appearances at Passover meals. There’s much in the way of healthy produce to choose from, and olive oil is the only fat you’ll find.
Endive, romaine and chicory are present on many Sephardic ritual platters, but here these pungent greens form the basis for a salad with a garlicky dressing.
Moroccan Fava Bean and Vegetable Soup
The springtime bounty of the Mediterranean – greens, artichokes, fava beans – plays a starring role in these tradition-rich dishes.
No schmaltz is needed for this comforting Greek-style soup – the matzos are crumbled right into the broth.
Turkish Spinach With Tomatoes and Rice
Not every tradition allows rice during Passover; in this fragrant dish there’s just enough of it to add substance to the vegetables.
Braised Greek Artichoke Bottoms With Lemon and Olive Oil
These brightly flavored artichokes, served cold or at room temperature, can be made a day ahead of time.
Many Medical Tests, Procedures Not Always Needed
by Denise Mann
New Public Service Campaign Questions Overuse of Commonly Ordered Tests
April 5, 2012 — Major medical and consumer groups are coming together to question the carte blanche use of many commonly ordered tests and procedures, including MRI for low back pain and exercise EKG tests in people with no symptoms and low risk for heart disease.
Sometimes these tests can be lifesavers. Other times they are unlikely to do anything except increase costs and anxiety and expose people to unnecessary risks.
So how do you know the difference?
Antibiotics for Appendicitis an Option for Some
by Kathleen Doheny
Antibiotics Instead of Surgery Safe for Some, Experts Say; Others Say More Research Needed
April 5, 2012 — Giving some appendicitis patients antibiotics instead of having them undergo surgery can be safe and effective, according to a new analysis.
Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix. This tiny pouch attaches to the beginning of the large intestine.
”We conclude that antibiotic therapy is a safe initial therapy for patients with uncomplicated acute appendicitis,” says study researcher Dileep N. Lobo, DM, professor of gastrointestinal surgery at the University of Nottingham in the U.K. Patients who have complications, such as perforation, still need surgical removal of the appendix, Lobo stresses.
Cancer Diagnosis Linked to Suicide, Heart Attack
by Salynn Boyles
Newly Diagnosed Patients Need Help to Maintain Mental as Well as Physical Health
April 5, 2012 — Newly diagnosed cancer patients have an increased risk of suicide and death from heart attack and stroke, according to a new study.
Research published this week in The New England Journal of Medicine finds that the risk is present even before treatment begins, and the risk was greatest among people with the most deadly cancers.
The findings confirm that a cancer diagnosis may have an immediate affect on physical and emotional health that can lead to death, say researcher Unnur Valdimarsdottir, PhD, of the University of Iceland in Reykjavik.
Half of Cancer Survivors Die From Other Conditions
by Charlene Laino
Heart Disease Leading Cause of Noncancer Deaths Among Survivors
April 3, 2012 (Chicago) — Many people fear that a cancer diagnosis carries an almost certain death sentence. But a new national study shows nearly half of cancer survivors die from other conditions.
There are now nearly 12 million cancer survivors in the U.S., according to the National Cancer Institute. That’s up from 3 million in 1971 and 9.8 million in 2001.
Two-thirds of them have survived cancer for at least five years, says researcher Yi Ning, MD, ScD, of the Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center in Richmond.
Common Diabetes Drug May Fight Cancer
by Charlene Laino
Metformin Shows Preliminary Promise Against Prostate, Pancreatic Tumors
April 3, 2012 (Chicago) — The diabetes drug metformin — commonly a first choice for controlling blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes — is sparking new interest as a cancer fighter.
A new study presented here at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting shows that metformin (Fortamet, Glucophage, Glumetza, Riomet) may put the brakes on the growth of tumor cells in men with prostate cancer. Another study released in one of the association’s journals suggests that it may extend the lives of people with pancreatic cancer.
Gene Mapping for Healthy People No ‘Crystal Ball’
by Charlene Laino
Mapping Fails to Predict Most Diseases: Study
April 2, 2012 (Chicago) — Mapping a person’s whole genome cannot, for the most part, accurately predict the medical problems in a healthy person’s future, a new study suggests.
As the price of full-genome mapping comes down, many healthy people are wondering if it’s worth their while to see if they can find any future health problems tucked away in their DNA. According to this study, they may want to save their money.
Do False-Positive Mammograms Predict Cancer Risk?
by Salynn Boyles
Study: False-Positive Mammograms May Indicate Increased Breast Cancer Risk
April 5, 2012 — More than half of women in the U.S. who get annual mammograms will have at least one false-positive reading after 10 years of screening, and now new research suggests that these women may be at increased risk for breast cancer.
Women in a Danish study who had at least one false-positive mammogram were more likely to eventually be diagnosed with breast cancer than women with no such history.
Can Being Tall Raise Your Risk of Ovarian Cancer?
by Denise Mann
Study Links Increasing Height and Weight to Ovarian Cancer Risk
April 3, 2012 — Taller women may be more likely to develop ovarian cancer, a new study suggests.
What’s more, an increasing body mass index or BMI also raises the risk for ovarian cancer among women who have never taken hormones during menopause.
Exactly how increasing height is tied to ovarian cancer risk is unclear. Still, these findings are important, as the average height among people in wealthy countries has increased by about 1 cm (or 0.4 inches) per decade, and the average body mass index or BMI is also on the rise, study authors write. The findings are published in PLoS Medicine.
Mammograms Spot Cancers That May Not Be Dangerous
by Brenda Goodman, MA
As Many as 25% of Cancers Detected by Mammograms May Be Overdiagnosed, Study Finds
April 2, 2012 — A new study suggests that routine mammograms, long pitched to women as lifesaving tests, may also be causing substantial harm.
The study estimates that as many as 1 in 4 cancers detected over a decade by routine mammograms are cancers that won’t grow or spread, cause symptoms, or lead to death.
Instead, these “overdiagnosed” cancers are treated with surgery, powerful drugs, and radiation, all when the cancer wouldn’t have made a woman sick in the first place.
“We are curing people who don’t need to be cured,” says Otis W. Brawley, MD, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society.
Sex Ed Becoming Less Prevalent in Grades 6-12
by Denise Mann
Education on HIV, STD, and Pregnancy Prevention Varies by State
April 5, 2012 — New CDC data show a leveling off of the number of middle and high schools that are teaching their students about how to prevent HIV, other sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy.
Researchers analyzed data from 45 states in 2008 and again in 2010. They asked the principal and the head health teacher at each school how often they taught students about specific topics pertaining to the prevention of HIV, other STDs, and pregnancy.
Make Weight Loss a Family Affair
by Denise Mann
Study: Overweight Kids Lose Weight When Their Parents Do
April 6, 2012 — Want to get your overweight child to lose weight, but don’t know how?
Do the same thing yourself.
This is the main finding from a new study of 80 overweight or obese children and their parents. When parents lost weight, their kids did, too. For each one unit decrease in the parent’s body mass index or BMI, children lost one quarter of a BMI unit.
Eat Broccoli (or Bok Choy), Beat Breast Cancer?
by Charlene Laino
Study Suggests Breast Cancer Survivors Live Longer if They Eat Lots of Cruciferous Vegetables
April 3, 2012 (Chicago) — Here’s another reason to eat your broccoli and Brussels sprouts (and maybe some bok choy). Women with breast cancer who eat a lot of cruciferous vegetables may be more likely to live longer and less likely to have their cancer come back, a large study suggests.
“The more cruciferous vegetables you eat, the better off you are,” says researcher Sarah J. Nechuta, MPH, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.
Some Americans Not Getting Essential Nutrients
by Brenda Goodman, MA
CDC Study Shows Women, Blacks, and Hispanics Don’t Get Enough Iodine, Iron, or Vitamin DApril 2, 2012 — Most Americans are getting recommended amounts of vitamins, iron, and other essential elements in their diets, but women and some racial and ethnic groups may be low in certain key nutrients, a new government report shows.
The new report, from the CDC, measured 58 essential nutrients — including vitamins, iron, folate, and iodine — in the blood and urine of thousands of people who are participating in the ongoing National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) at two different time points, from 1999 to 2002 and from 2003 to 2006.
Berries May Contain Potent Weapon vs. Parkinson’s
by Denise Mann
Blueberries and Strawberries May Protect Against Parkinson’s Disease
April 5, 2012 — Can two or more servings of blueberries or strawberries a week help lower risk of Parkinson’s disease?
Maybe, according to a new study published in Neurology.
Men and women who ate berries two or more times a week were nearly 25% less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than their counterparts who had less than one serving per month.
Exactly how these fruits may help lower risk is not known, but berries are rich in powerful antioxidants — known as flavonoids — which may protect brain cells from damage. Flavonoids are found in fruits and vegetables.
Remember This: Exercise Boosts Your Brainpower
by Kathleen Doheny
Middle-Aged Adults Who Cycle or Stretch Improve Memory
April 6, 2012 — Your brain isn’t a muscle, but as you age exercise can improve your memory and other thinking skills, a new study shows.
And the exercise doesn’t have to be as rigorous as a marathon, the research suggests.
In the new study, middle-aged men and women who cycled or did a stretching and coordination routine for two hours weekly for six months had improvements in memory and other thinking skills.
Obesity Rate in U.S. Higher Than Thought?
by Salynn Boyles
Study: BMI + Hormone Test May Be More Accurate Measure of Obesity
April 2, 2012 — More than 1 in 3 Americans who are classified as slightly overweight based on their body mass index (BMI) scores may actually be obese, a new study suggests.
Researchers say adding a simple test that measures blood levels of the hormone leptin to BMI could better identify obese people who are at risk for diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions, but an expert who spoke to WebMD is skeptical.
The study was conducted by Eric R. Braverman, MD, of Weill-Cornell Medical College in New York and Nirav R. Shah, MD, MPH, who is now the New York State Commissioner of Health.
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