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.
Follow us on Twitter @StarsHollowGzt
Quinoa makes great salads because it has such a vegetal flavor. It can be the main ingredient or a lesser element added for texture and variation. This week’s recipes have great staying power, so make some of these on a Sunday and take them to work during the week.
A lemony buttermilk dressing gives this salad a tangy richness.
Rainbow Quinoa Salad With Fava Beans and Herbs
Toasting the grains in a hot pan before cooking the quinoa gives this richly textured salad a deeper flavor.
Quinoa, Pea and Black Bean Salad With Cumin Vinaigrette
Fresh English peas, a springtime treat, are ideal for this salad, but in a pinch you can use frozen peas.
Red Quinoa, Cauliflower and Fava Bean Salad With Buttermilk Curry Dressing
This colorful and brightly flavored salad is packed with protein and other nutrients.
Quinoa, Spinach and Mushroom Salad
Quinoa lends bulk to the classic pairing of spinach and mushrooms, and walnuts add richness.
Progress Continues Toward Artificial Pancreas
by Charlene Laino
Goal Is Automated Monitoring of Blood Sugar, Delivery of Insulin
June 12, 2012 (Philadelphia) — Efforts to make an artificial pancreas for people with type 1 diabetes have taken another step forward, with two new studies showing progress toward that goal.
Both studies, presented here at the American Diabetes Association’s annual meeting, were small, and more work is needed before an artificial pancreas is ready. For more than three decades, researchers have been trying to develop an artificial pancreas.
CT Scans, Other Imaging Tests Becoming More Common
by Brenda Goodman, MA
CT Scan Rates Tripled at HMOs in the Last 15 Years, Doubling Radiation Exposure to Patients
June 12, 2012 — Another major study is pointing to significant increases in radiation exposure from the growing use of medical imaging tests such as CT scans.
For the latest study, which is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers combed through the medical records of millions of patients enrolled in six large HMOs around the U.S. They found that the percentages of patients who received high or very high doses of radiation from medical imaging tests roughly doubled over the last 15 years.
Study: Statins May Be Linked to Fatigue
by Denise Mann
Study Shows Statin Users More Likely to Report Low Energy or Fatigue During Exercise
June 11, 2012 — Some people who take cholesterol-lowering statins may feel zapped of energy and/or experience fatigue during exercise, a new study shows.
The reasons for that aren’t clear. But “if you are finding it more difficult to sustain exercise or feel more fatigued, and take statins, I think it is worthwhile to tell your doctor,” says researcher Beatrice Golomb, MD, PhD. She is an associate professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.
FDA Approves Horizant for Post-Shingles Pain
by Jennifer Warner
Drug Approved for Treatment of Postherpetic Neuralgia (PHN)
June 8, 2012 — The FDA has approved a drug currently used for restless leg syndrome to treat a common and painful complication of shingles, according to the medication’s manufacturers.
Horizant (gabapentin enacarbil) has been approved to treat postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) in adults.
PHN is a painful syndrome that can lead to disability in some people. It occurs after an outbreak of herpes zoster, more commonly known as shingles.
Heart, Stroke Risk Low With Birth Control Pills
by Salynn Boyles
No-Estrogen and Lowest-Estrogen Contraceptives Safest, Study Finds
June 13, 2012 — The risk of having a heart attack or stroke is very low for most women who take low-dose hormonal contraceptives, but that risk rises with age, new research confirms.
The study, published online in The New England Journal of Medicine, included more than 1.6 million Danish women. That makes it the largest study ever to examine the impact of different formulations of birth control pills and other forms of hormonal contraception on blood clots that can lead to heart attack and stroke.
How Housework Can Hurt a Relationship
by Matt McMillen
Study: For Women, More Housework Can Mean More Psychological Distress
June 13, 2012 — If a couple doesn’t split household chores fairly, it can add strain — especially for women, a Swedish study shows.
But the problem goes beyond the list of chores. It’s not so much about who does what, as it is about equality within the relationship.
The researchers, based at Sweden’s Umea University, studied questionnaires filled out by 723 residents of a mid-sized Swedish industrial town from 1981 to 2007. The questionnaires covered school, work, socioeconomic conditions, and health at ages 21 and 42.
Vitamin D, Calcium for Fracture Risk Questioned
by Denise Mann
Panel: Low-dose Vitamin D, Calcium Pills May Not Prevent Fractures in Older Women
June 12, 2012 — Vitamin D and calcium supplements may not stave off osteoporosis-related bone fractures in most older women, according to new recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
What’s more, there is not enough evidence to say whether supplements of vitamin D, with or without calcium, prevent osteoporotic fractures in men or younger women, or if they can help keep cancer at bay, according to the Task Force.
The panel’s one definitive recommendation is that after menopause, women should not take 400 international units (IU) or less of vitamin D and 1,000 milligrams of calcium to prevent bone fractures. There’s not enough evidence to show if larger doses of vitamin D might help.
Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Rising Among U.S. Youth
by Charlene Laino
Potential for Greater Risk of Heart Attacks, Strokes When This Generation Turns 30
June 14, 2012 (Philadelphia) — Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are rising among U.S. kids and teens, according to the first national snapshot of diabetes rates among American youths.
The new report, presented this weekend in Philadelphia at the American Diabetes Association’s annual meeting, shows a 23% rise in rates of type 1 diabetes and a 21% rise in type 2 diabetes rates from 2001 to 2009.
Both trends are sounding alarm bells for researchers.
Type 1 Diabetes Stem Cell Treatment Shows Promise
by Charlene Laino
In Early Study, Procedure Helps Teens Halt Insulin Injections
June 11, 2012 (Philadelphia) — In an early study, an experimental stem cell procedure helped 15 teens with type 1 diabetes stay off of insulin injections for about 1.5 years, on average.
The study was very small, and the procedure is not ready for widespread use. “We now have a unique approach with some positive findings, but it’s still early. We need to better understand the biology behind the treatment and follow patients for long-term side effects,” Robert E. Ratner, MD, chief scientific and medical officer of the American Diabetes Association, tells WebMD.
Study: Self-Injury Common in Grade School
by Salynn Boyles
Close to 8% of 3rd Graders Have Engaged in Self-Harm
June 11, 2012 — Self-injury is a common emotional disorder among teens and young adults, and now new research confirms that young children also injure themselves on purpose.
In one of the first studies ever to assess self-injury rates among children as young as age 7, close to 7% of 3rd grade girls and 8% of 3rd grade boys said they had self-injured at some point in their lives.
In past studies, self-injury rates have been reported to be as high as 20% among high-school-aged teens and almost 40% among college students.
Vitamin D With Calcium May Boost Survival
by Salynn Boyles
Findings Add to Confusion About Benefits of Supplementation
June 15, 2012 — Older people who take vitamin D with calcium may have lower death rates than those who don’t.
That finding comes from a new study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. It comes just days after an expert government panel reported that there is insufficient evidence to recommend calcium and vitamin D supplementation for older women.
Obesity, Depression Linked to Daytime Sleepiness
by Kathleen Doheny
Studies: Weight Gain Over Time Increases Risk, Weight Loss Decreases Risk
une 13, 2012 — Being obese or depressed may make you more likely to be sleepy during the day, new research shows. About 20% of American adults have excessive daytime sleepiness, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Although poor sleep is often blamed for excessive daytime sleepiness, ”we found that depression and obesity were the strongest risk factors for being tired and sleepy,” says Alexandros Vgontzas, MD, a professor of psychiatry at Penn State.
Eat Breakfast, Cut Diabetes Risk
by Charlene Laino
Making Breakfast a Habit May Cut the Odds of Diabetes, Obesity
June 14, 2012 (Philadelphia) — Your mom was right, again. Don’t skip breakfast!
A new study shows that people who eat breakfast every day are less likely to become obese, develop type 2 diabetes, or gain fat around their tummy.
Even having breakfast just four to six times a week may help, says researcher Andrew Odegaard, PhD, MPH, of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
That’s sensible advice, although it doesn’t prove that breakfast made the difference, says Robert E. Ratner, MD, chief scientific and medical officer of the American Diabetes Association.
Fruit May Protect Against Diabetes Eye Problems
by Charlene Laino
People With Diabetes Who Eat More Fruit Less Likely to Develop Diabetic Retinopathy
une 14, 2012 (Philadelphia) — Here’s another reason for people with diabetes to eat plenty of fruit: It may help prevent eye complications that can lead to vision loss.
Japanese researchers studied 978 people with diabetes who filled out detailed food questionnaires. They were followed for eight years, during which time they were given annual eye exams.
When the study started, they had no signs of eye problems. Over the next eight years, 258 of them developed diabetic retinopathy — the medical term for damage to the blood vessels in the retina, the lining of tissue at the back of the eye. Left untreated, it can lead to loss of sight.
Recent Comments