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.
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Green garlic has a window of about a month at farmers’ markets in Los Angeles, where I live, and I cannot resist buying it every time I go. At the beginning of the season the bulbs look more like leeks or spring onions than garlic, as they have not yet set cloves. To prepare them I just cut away the stalks as I would a spring onion, cut them in half and remove any tough stalk that might be running down the middle, remove the papery outer layers and chop like a scallion or leek.
By now the green garlic I’m buying – actually, the bulbs are pink, but the stalks are green – has set cloves. The long green stalk must be cut away and the papery shells and the middle stalk removed. The cloves are juicy and mild, and I am using them in everything from stir-fries to omelets. Some farmers sell garlic scapes, the curly, green flowering end of the garlic plant. I have yet to find them at my market, but you can find recipes at several Web sites, including this one. They can be used in the same way you might use the green parts of scallions – in salads, omelets and pasta dishes, for example. Next year, when I’m ready to write my now-annual green garlic column, I’ll look hard for scapes so I can include some recipes.
~Martha Rose Schulman~
If you can’t find soba (buckwheat noodles), you can serve the stir-fry with brown rice or other grains.
Green Garlic, Chive and Red Pepper Frittata
This frittata has a fluffy texture and can be eaten cold or hot, and it’s easy to pack for lunch.
Pan-Cooked Brussels Sprouts With Green Garlic
Can be served as part of a rice bowl with brown rice, but they also make a nice side dish with just about anything.
Quinoa Pilaf With Sweet Peas and Green Garlic
Quinoa’s grassy flavor is beautifully complemented here by the sweet vegetables that are appearing in farmers’ markets.
Turkey Burgers With Green Garlic and Parsley
The grated onion and abundance of green garlic add moisture as well as flavor to these burgers.
Study: Trash Old, Unused Drugs
by Salynn Boyles
Medication ‘Take-Back’ Programs Ill Conceived, Researchers Say
May 18, 2012 — Prescription medication “take-back” programs are increasingly promoted as a way to safely dispose of unused drugs, but they are no better for the environment than simply throwing old drugs in the trash, a new study suggests.
When researchers used a complicated methodology called “comparative life cycle assessment” to estimate the environmental impact of flushing, incinerating, and trashing old medications, they found little difference between burning the drugs — which is what most take-back programs do — and having them end up in the landfill.
Close to 200 million pounds of drugs go unused in the U.S. each year.
Chinese Herb Kudzu May Help Drinkers Cut Down
by Kathleen Doheny
In Small Study, Harvard Researchers Find Kudzu Extract Reduces Drinking
May 17, 2012 — An extract from the Chinese herb kudzu may help drinkers cut down on drinking, according to a new pilot study.
“It didn’t stop the drinking,” says researcher David M. Penetar, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School. “They still drank, but they drank less.”
He studied the extract puerarin. It is one of the substances known as isoflavones found in kudzu.
The study is published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
More People — Even Kids — Need to Wear Sunglasses
by Kathleen Doheny
More Than a Quarter of Adults Don’t Wear Sunglasses; Many Parents Don’t Have Their Kids Wear Shades
May 17, 2012 — With summer nearly upon us, our sunglass habits could use improvement, according to a new report issued today by The Vision Council, an industry group.
While 73% of adults do wear sunglasses, only 58% of them make their children wear shades, too, the report found.
More than half of us lose or break our sunglasses every year. More than a quarter of us never bother to wear them, despite benefits to eye health.
Raising HDL Levels May Not Lower Heart Attack Risk
by Salynn Boyles
Gene Study Questions Impact of Increasing ‘Good’ Cholesterol Levels
May 16, 2012 — It is widely believed that raising “good” cholesterol levels lowers heart attack risk, but surprising new research finds evidence that this may not be the case.
Genetic studies failed to show a link between higher concentrations of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and lower heart attack risk.
Millions of people take statin drugs like Crestor, Lipitor, Pravachol, and Zocor to lower their low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol. Studies have shown that high LDL levels are linked to an increase in heart attack risk.
But the benefits of increasing HDL are less clear, and studies of HDL-raising drugs have been largely disappointing.
For Some Athletes, Head Blows May Hamper Learning
by Matt McMillen
Force and Frequency of Hits Likely a Factor, but Genetics, Even Diet, May Play Roles, Too
May 16, 2012 — College football and hockey players sustain numerous blows to the head every season. Those hits, according to a new study published in the online edition of the journal Neurology, may add up to brain injuries that impact learning for some players.
The authors of the study followed football players at three schools: Dartmouth College, Brown University, and Virginia Tech. They also tracked ice hockey players — both male and female — at two of those schools. Altogether, they studied 214 athletes over the course of a season, comparing them to 45 players in non-contact sports such as track, crew, and Nordic skiing.
Fewer U.S. Teens and Young Adults Smoke
by Cari Nierenberg
Despite Downward Trends, 1 in 12 Teens and 1 in 3 Young Adults Report Cigarette Use
May 17, 2012 — Fewer American teens and young adults are smoking cigarettes, a new government report shows.
The report, done by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), revealed that the percentage of adolescents aged 12 to 17 who said they smoked cigarettes during the survey month has steadily declined from a high of almost 12% in 2004 to a low of 8.3% in 2010.
A reduction in cigarette use was also seen in young adults aged 18 to 25 during the same time period. The number of young people who reported smoking during the survey month fell from nearly 40% in 2004 to about 34% in 2010.
Paralyzed Man’s Hand Movement Partially Restored
by Matt McMillen
Surgical Procedure May Benefit Some Spinal Cord Injury Patients
May 15, 2012 — Surgeons in St. Louis have restored partial function to a 71-year-old man’s hands, which had been paralyzed following a spinal cord injury sustained in a car accident two years before the surgery.
The man, who remains paralyzed from the waist down, can now write and feed himself. A case report published today in the online edition of the Journal of Neurosurgery describes the procedure.
The Laxative-Free ‘Virtual Colonoscopy’
by Rita Ruben
Eliminating the Need for Bowel Prep Could Spur More People to Get Screened for Colon Cancer
May 14, 2012– For many people, preparing for a colonoscopy is sometimes more daunting than the procedure itself.
You typically stop eating solid food for at least a day, and then drink what seems like gallons of liquid to clean out your bowel. You need to stay close to a bathroom, because you will be going and going and going.
Dread of the prep might be one reason why, according to government estimates, about 4 out of 10 Americans ages 50-75 don’t meet recommendations for colorectal cancer screening. One common screening option is a colonoscopy every 10 years for those at average risk for colorectal cancer.
Acupuncture May Be Worth a Shot for COPD
by Denise Mann
Small Study Shows Acupuncture May Help People With COPD Breathe Easier
May 14, 2012 — Acupuncture may allow people with the lung disease COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) to breathe a bit easier.
COPD is the umbrella term for chronic lung diseases, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It is often marked by a chronic cough and shortness of breath. Treatment typically involves the use of inhaled steroids and bronchodilators to open airways and make breathing easier.
In a new study of 68 people with COPD, some got acupuncture, along with their daily medication, for three months. Others got a sham acupuncture treatment, in which the needles did not enter their skin. Those who received acupuncture along with their daily medication for three months were able to walk longer without becoming breathless, compared to those who got the sham acupuncture treatment.
Flesh-Eating Bacteria and Lupus
by Daniel J. DeNoon
Necrotizing Fasciitis: Infection Risk From Lupus Itself, Lupus Treatment
May 14, 2012 — Infection with flesh-eating bacteria, a condition called called necrotizing fasciitis, has struck Aimee Copeland, a 24-year-old Georgia student who reportedly also has lupus.
It’s estimated that 5 million people worldwide, including 1.5 million Americans, have lupus. Are they at risk of the same life-threatening infection?
WebMD asked Chaim Putterman, MD, chief of rheumatology at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, N.Y. With colleagues Mohammad Kamran, MD, and Jane Wachs, MD, Putterman recently reported necrotizing fasciitis in eight of the 449 lupus patients treated at their hospital from 1996 through 2007.
Sleepwalking May Be More Common Than You Think
by Kathleen Doheny
Researcher Finds 30% of People Polled Have Sleepwalked; Certain Medicines, Disorders Make It More Likely
May 14, 2012 — Do you remember exactly where you were last night? If you are a sleepwalker, maybe not.
Sleepwalking may be more common than experts have estimated, says a California psychiatrist.
“The numbers are very big,” says researcher Maurice Ohayon, MD, PhD, DSc, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of the Stanford University Sleep Epidemiology Research Center.
In his poll of nearly 16,000 adults, he found nearly 30% reported a history of sleepwalking. That included episodes in childhood and adolescence.
Group Flags Questionable Ingredients in Sunscreens; Manufacturers Say Report Is Flawed
by Brenda Goodman, MA
May 16, 2012 — With warmer weather on the way, the Environmental Working Group has just released a new edition of their popular sunscreen guide.
In the sixth annual guide, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) recommends just 25% of 1,800 sunscreens they reviewed for the guide, though that number is up from 20% last year.
Some dermatologists take issue with the EWG’s approach. But they and the EWG agree on this much: It’s not about whether you should wear sunscreen.
Z-Pak Heart Attack?
by Daniel J. DeNoon
Common Antibiotic Azithromycin Linked to Rare Cases of Heart Death
May 16, 2012 — Sudden heart death may be a new risk from the commonly prescribed antibiotic azithromycin — better known as Zithromax or the Z-Pak.
The finding comes from a study of Medicaid patients who received some 348,000 Z-Pak prescriptions from 1992 to 2006.
Compared to patients who took no antibiotics, those taking the five-day course of azithromycin treatment had about a threefold higher risk of heart death. Compared to patients with infections treated with amoxicillin, another antibiotic, those taking azithromycin had twice the risk of heart death.
CDC: All Baby Boomers Should Get Tested for Hep C
by Jennifer Warner
1 in 30 Baby Boomers Infected With Hepatitis C, but Few Know It
May 18, 2012 — One in 30 baby boomers may be infected with the hepatitis C virus, but few know it until it’s too late for their livers.
In the wake of new statistics showing more than 2 million baby boomers in the U.S. are infected with hepatitis C, the CDC is proposing new guidelines calling for all adults of that generation to be tested for the virus.
First at-Home HIV Test Nears Approval
by Daniel J. DeNoon
OraQuick Mouth-Swab Test: Results in 20 Minutes; False Assurance an Issue
May 15, 2012 — The FDA should approve the first HIV test for at-home use and over-the-counter sale, the agency’s advisory committee said today in a unanimous 17-0 vote.
The test is OraQuick from OraSure. It’s a home version of a rapid HIV test already being used by health care professionals in community settings.
The committee’s opinion was summed up by panel member Steven W. Pipe, MD, of the University of Michigan.
Americans Living Longer but Obesity Rising
by Matt McMillen
CDC Report Tallies Spending, Health Care Access, and Disease Trends
May 16, 2012 — The CDC today released its annual state of the union’s health, and there’s good news and bad. We’re living longer. But we’re also gaining more weight. Teen pregnancies are at a record low. But fewer people can afford necessary prescription drugs and medical care.
The 583-page federally mandated report, titled “Health, United States 2011,” also compares how well — or how poorly — we fare today with how we were doing over the past decade or so.
Drowning Top Cause of Injury Deaths in Kids 1-4
by Cari Nierenberg
CDC: Men Four Times More Likely Than Women to Be Drowning Victims
May 17, 2012 — Although the death rate for drowning in the U.S. has gone down in the last decade, drowning leads to more deaths among young children aged 1 to 4 than any other cause except birth defects, a new report from the CDC reveals.
Between 2005 and 2009, the death rates from accidental drowning were higher among children under 4 years of age than for any other age group, the report shows. About half of these deadly incidents in young children took place at swimming pools.
Infant Head Lag May Signal Autism
by Salynn Boyles
Motor Development Delay at 6 Months a Red Flag, Study Suggests
May 16, 2012 — Infants who show developmental delays in head and neck muscle control may be at increased risk for autism, a new study suggests.
Though preliminary, the findings are among the first to suggest that delays in motor development during infancy may be an early warning sign of autism.
However, the findings are preliminary and aren’t ready for use in diagnosing autism spectrum disorders.
New Clues to Schizophrenia
by Kathleen Doheny
Researchers Identify Genes Linked With the Mental Illness, Create Risk Test
May 15, 2012 — Scientists have developed a test that may be able to predict who is at risk for schizophrenia, a complex mental illness that is thought to run in families. To develop the test, scientists used a new approach to identify a comprehensive group of genes most likely linked with the disease. [..]
The new model depicts schizophrenia as a disease that occurs from a mix of genetic variations affecting the brain’s development and connections, along with stress and other environmental factors.
The study is published in Molecular Psychiatry.
Fitness Fights High Blood Pressure Genes
by Jennifer Warner
Physical Fitness Lowers Risk of High Blood Pressure in People With Family History
May 14, 2012 — Does high blood pressure run in your family? Keeping physically fit may lower your odds of developing high blood pressure by a third.
A new study shows that physically fit people with a family history of high blood pressure were up to 34% less likely to develop high blood pressure than people who rarely exercised.
And it didn’t take hours of working out at the gym every day to get that benefit.
Coffee May Be Part of the Recipe for a Longer Life
by Rita Ruben
Study of More Than 400,000 Men and Women Links Coffee With a Lower Risk of Death
May 16, 2012 — Whatever you call it — joe, java, mud — it is likely a key way to jump-start your day, and now new research suggests it may also help you live longer.
The study, described as the largest of its kind, found that coffee drinkers had a lower risk of death from heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, accidents and injuries, diabetes, and infections, but not from cancer. Researchers observed these results after accounting for the effects of other risk factors for dying, such as smoking and drinking alcohol.
Athletes Better Equipped to Play Through the Pain
by Salynn Boyles
Pain Tolerance Higher in Athletes, May Help Unlock Clues to Fighting Pain
May 18, 2012 — Sprains, strains, and worse injuries are unavoidable in sports, and playing through the pain comes with the territory for most athletes.
So how do they continue to excel with pain that would leave others sidelined?
New research confirms that athletes have a higher tolerance for pain than couch potatoes or even weekend warriors, and the finding could help investigators discover better ways to manage pain.
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