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
As long as there are still peaches, plums, apricots, berries and nectarines to be had, I’m buying them up and making pies and galettes. A galette is a free-form pie, more rustic than a tart. Although they’re usually made with classic buttery pie dough or puff pastry, I’ve been working at developing a dough recipe that is delicate and tasty but not too rich. I decided that a yeasted dough could work, and came up with a formula that yields enough for two galettes but has only 60 grams of butter (about 4 tablespoons). The flavor is nutty and rich because of the whole-wheat flour, but the dough isn’t heavy. The trick is to roll it very thin, then freeze it right away so that it doesn’t continue to rise and become too bready, and also so that it’s easy to work with when you are ready to assemble the tart. The dough works beautifully for these free-form galettes.
~Martha Rose Shulman~
This yeasted dough is a cross between a pizza dough and pie crust dough.
Nectarine or Peach and Blackberry Galette
Almond flour spread over the crust before baking adds flavor and absorbs juice to keep the crust from getting soggy.
Apricot, Cherry and Almond Galette
Baking deepens the flavor of even less than perfectly ripe apricots.
Plum, Almond and Orange Galette
The plums’ deep color and the perfume of orange zest give this tart extra appeal.
Mixed Red Fruit, Apricot and Hazelnut Galette
Use whatever stone fruits and berries you like for this delicious odds-and-ends pie.
New Test Helps Decide if Heart Patient Needs Stent
by Charlene Laino
Technique That Measures Blood Flow Aids Stent Placement
Aug. 28, 2012 (Munich, Germany) — A technique that measures blood flow through clogged arteries can better tell which heart patients need angioplasty and stenting to open clogged heart arteries, researchers say.
The technique is called fractional flow reserve, or FFR. It involves inserting a wire into the artery to measure blood flow. In a large study, patients for whom FFR revealed restricted blood flow through clogged heart arteries fared better if they had angioplasty plus stenting than patients who took medication.
For people with clogged heart arteries whose blood flow was not restricted on FFR, however, medication was just as effective as stenting, says researcher Bernard De Bruyne, MD, PhD, of the Cardiovascular Center Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Kliniek in Aalst, Belgium.
Psoriasis Linked to Diabetes by Charlene Laino
People With Severe Psoriasis at Twice the Risk of New-Onset Diabetes
Aug. 29, 2012 (Munich, Germany) — The chronic skin disorder psoriasis may raise the risk of diabetes, a large study shows.
The risk is highest — about two-fold higher — in patients with the most severe psoriasis, says researcher Ole Ahlehoff, MD, PhD, a post-doctoral fellow in cardiology at Copenhagen University Hospital Gentofte, in Denmark.
“Our results underline the importance of considering patients with psoriasis as a high-risk population in terms of diabetes and [heart disease and stroke] risk. Screening for diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk factors in these patients is warranted,” he says.
Stress Linked to Stroke
by Salynn Boyles
Type A Personality Traits Boost Stroke Risk in Study
Aug. 30. 2012 — Need another reason to take life in stride and heed the advice, “Don’t sweat the small stuff”?
New research shows that people who are quick-tempered, impatient, aggressive, or naturally hostile may be more likely to have a stroke, compared to their more laid-back counterparts.
Having these type A personality traits was associated with a two-fold increase in stroke risk in the Spanish study, published this week in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
Living with chronic stress increased stroke risk almost four-fold.
Can’t Sleep? It Could Be Your iPad
by Denice Mann
Glow From Tablets at Bedtime May Make It Tougher to Sleep
Aug. 31, 2012 — Is setting down your iPad the last thing you do before bed? New research shows that all of those nighttime hours spent with your tablet can wreak havoc on your sleep.
The bright light emitted from these tablets can suppress melatonin. That’s a hormone that helps control sleep and wake cycles, called circadian rhythms.
The researchers only looked at the iPad, iPad 2, and a tablet known as the Asus. Using these tablets for two hours on their brightest settings suppressed melatonin by about 22%. The findings appear in the journal Applied Ergonomics.
E-Cigarettes Don’t Harm Heart, Study Shows
by Charlene Laino
Electronic Cigarettes Useful as Smoking Cessation Aid, Researcher Says
Aug. 28, 2012 (Munich, Germany) — Electronic cigarettes do not appear to be bad for your heart, according to the first study to look at the effects of smoking e-cigarettes on heart function.
The devices — battery-powered metal cartridges that simulate the effect of smoking by heating nicotine-containing liquid into vapor — can be helpful to smokers trying to kick the habit, says researcher Konstantinos Farsalinos, MD, of the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center in Athens, Greece.
“Considering the hazards associated with cigarette smoking, currently available data suggest that electronic cigarettes are far less harmful, and substituting tobacco with electronic cigarettes may be beneficial to health,” he says.
Epilepsy Drug Gabapentin Calms Chronic Cough
by Salynn Boyles
Nearly 3 in 4 Users Had Improved Quality-of-Life Scores
Aug. 27, 2012 — A drug used to treat epilepsy and chronic pain after shingles also appears to be effective for another persistent condition: chronic cough.
About 1 in 10 people suffers from chronic cough, and for many the cause is unknown.
Chronic cough is a cough that lasts for longer than eight weeks. Treatment tends to focus on the underlying cause of the cough, which may be due to conditions like asthma, acid reflux, or postnasal drip. The condition is increasingly common, poorly understood, and difficult to treat, experts tell WebMD.
Tiny Batteries a Rising Risk for Children
by Matt McMillen
CDC: Swallowed ‘Button’ Batteries Can Cause Harm, Even Death
Aug. 30, 2012 — Children and batteries are a dangerous and increasingly common combination, according to a new CDC report. In 1998, while battery-related injuries sent 1,900 children to the emergency room, 4,800 cases were reported in 2010.
Overall, more than 40,000 children were admitted to ERs nationwide between 1997 and 2010. Almost three quarters of them were 4 years old or younger. One in 10 children required hospitalization; 14 of them died.
The CDC singled out button batteries as the most potentially harmful type of battery for young children. These are the round, button-sized batteries often used to power watches, hearing aids, and other small devices. They are easy to swallow and can get stuck in the esophagus, leading to serious injury or death.
Salmonella Outbreak Traced to Mexican Mangoes
by Daniel J. DeNoon
Daniella Brand Mangoes Recalled in U.S.; 105 Sickened in 16 States
Aug. 31, 2012 — An ongoing salmonella outbreak traced to mangoes has sickened at least 105 people in 16 states across the U.S.
There have been 25 hospitalizations but no deaths. People who fell ill after Aug. 6 may not have been reported. In Canada, where health authorities first identified the outbreak, there have also been several cases.
Splendid Products has recalled the mangoes, sold under the Daniella brand name. The recall applies only to mangoes with stickers bearing PLU numbers 3114, 4051, 4311, 4584, or 4959. These mangoes, and mangoes without stickers, should be thrown out.
Hantavirus FAQ
by Daniel J. DeNoon
Yosemite Deaths Raise Questions About Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
Aug. 29, 2012 — Two of four people have died after getting hantavirus infection at Yosemite National Park.
About 1,700 people who visited the park from mid-June to mid-August 2012 received scary emails or letters from the National Park Service. The emails and letters warn park visitors they may have been exposed to mice carrying hantavirus — and to look out for signs that they might have deadly hantavirus disease.
That disease — hantavirus pulmonary syndrome or HPS — kills nearly 40% of people who get it.
New Tick-Borne Disease Found
by Daniel J. DeNoon
Heartland Virus May Cause Common, Unsuspected Illness
Aug. 29, 2012 — A new virus, dubbed “Heartland virus,” is being spread to people by ticks common in the Southeast, the CDC reports.
The only known cases are two northwestern Missouri men who fell ill in 2009. Ticks had bitten both men, but they did not get better after treatment with antibiotics. Tests later showed that the men did not have any tick-borne bacterial diseases.
But CDC researcher Laura K. McMullan, PhD, and colleagues did find something else: a previously unknown virus in the patients’ blood.
“This virus could be a more common cause of human illness than is currently recognized,” they suggest in the New England Journal of Medicine.
West Nile Virus Cases Continue to Climb
by Kathleen Doheny
CDC: Infections Up 40% in Past Week; Death Toll Rises
Aug. 29, 2012 — West Nile virus cases in the U.S. continue to climb, increasing 40% in just the past week, according to the CDC.
As of Aug. 28, 48 states have reported West Nile virus infections in people, mosquitoes, or birds (which carry the virus). A total of 1,590 cases in people have now been reported, up from 1,118 last week.
Sixty-six people have died this year from complications of the virus, Lyle R. Petersen, MD, MPH, director of the CDC’s division of vector-borne diseases, said today in a news teleconference. The death toll last week was 41.
Obesity May Affect Breast Cancer Recovery
by Brenda Goodman, MA
Study Ties Extra Pounds to a Higher Risk of Cancer Recurrence, Early Death
Aug. 27, 2012 — Extra pounds may raise the risk for recurrence among women with the most common kind of breast cancer, a new study shows.
Prior studies have found that being overweight or obese increases the risk of getting a number of cancers, including breast cancer. And smaller studies have noted that obese breast cancer patients tended to fare worse than those who are normal weight.
The new study takes a fresh look at data collected on more than 7,000 breast cancer patients who were enrolled in three government-sponsored clinical trials.
Keys to Weight Loss After Menopause
by Salynn Boyles
Fewer Desserts, Sugary Drinks Linked to Long-Term Weight Loss
Aug. 28, 2012 — As she approached her 50s, Susan Williams found it harder and harder to maintain her weight, let alone shed the extra pounds she had been working to lose for some time.
“I was working out as hard as I ever have, but I was gaining weight,” the Atlanta-based film production executive says. “It’s a constant struggle.”
Now 52, Williams says she has recently revamped her diet to include more fruits and vegetables and less sugar and white flour — and she’s managed to lose a few pounds.
New Policy Supports Choice for Male Circumcision
by Brenda Goodman, MA
Doctors Say New Studies Show Benefits of the Procedure Outweigh Risks
Aug. 27, 2012 — The nation’s pediatricians are changing their stance on male circumcision, again.
This time, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says they want parents to know that the benefits of the procedure outweigh its small risks. But they stop short of recommending the surgery, which removes the foreskin of the penis, for every newborn boy.
Instead, the updated policy statement advises parents to weigh the medical information along with ethical, cultural, and religious beliefs when making the decision. The statement is published in the journal Pediatrics.
“I think it’s a step in the right direction,” says Arleen A. Leibowitz, PhD, a research associate at the University of California, Los Angeles, who studies the public health impacts of circumcision. She was not involved in drafting the new policy.
Only Children More Likely to Be Overweight
by Denise Mann
Study Finds Only Children Are 50% More Likely to Be Overweight
Aug. 30, 2012 — Only children may be as much as 50% more likely to be overweight than kids who have siblings, a new study suggests.
Even if there is more than one child in the family, the longer the age gaps between siblings, the greater the risk that the first born will be overweight. These findings held even after researchers took into account other factors, including parents’ weight and the child’s birth weight.
It isn’t very clear why only children are more likely to be overweight. Yes, they may play outside less often and have televisions in their bedrooms. But there appears to be something about being an only child all on its own that makes a child more likely to be overweight. The findings appear in Nutrition and Diabetes.
Teen Smokers Show Early Signs of Heart Disease
by Charlene Laino
Arteries Show Signs of Damage Even After Short Duration of Smoking
Aug. 28, 2012 (Munich, Germany) — For teens who smoke, heart health troubles may start early.
Regular smokers ages 8 to 20 have substantial artery damage that can lead to heart disease, Swiss researchers report.
Julia Dratva, MD, MPH, of the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute in Basel, Switzerland, and colleagues measured the artery walls of 283 young people in that age group. About 11% said they smoked at least once a week, 15% reported smoking at least once a month, and the rest were nonsmokers.
Compared with the nonsmokers, both the weekly and monthly smokers had thicker artery walls. That’s indicative of early atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque in the artery walls that can restrict blood flow, Dratva says.
Pot Use in Teen Years May Lower IQ, Study Shows
by Salynn Boyles
Early, Long-Term Marijuana Use Linked to Drop in IQ
Aug. 27, 2012 — Heavy, long-term marijuana use beginning in the teens can possibly lead to lower IQ, a provocative new study shows.
Frequent, continued use of marijuana starting before age 18 was associated with an eight-point decline in IQ in the study. The decline was not seen in users who started smoking pot in early adulthood or later in life.
The findings suggest that long-term marijuana use can cause long-term harm to some thinking abilities, such as intelligence, memory, and attention span, and that teens are uniquely vulnerable, researchers say.
“Many people today, especially young people, believe that marijuana is risk free, but this research tells us that this is not the case,” says Temple University professor of psychology Laurence Steinberg, PhD, who was not involved with the study.
Healthy Living in Old Age Can Add Years to Life
by Salynn Boyles
Staying Physically Active, Socially Engaged Improves Longevity
Aug. 30, 2012 — Following a healthy lifestyle can lead to a longer life, even among people who are already well into their 70s, new research shows.
Getting regular exercise, staying engaged with friends and family, and abstaining from smoking were all associated with longer life in a study that followed people in their mid-70s and older for close to two decades.
These healthy traits apparently added, on average, five years to women’s lives and six years to men’s.
The study is among the first to identify specific lifestyle behaviors associated with longer life, even among people with chronic health problems and those over the age of 80, researchers say.
Can Chocolate Lower Your Risk for Stroke?
by Denise Mann
Swedish Study Suggests Milk Chocolate May Help Your Health
Aug. 29, 2012 — New research provides another helping of sweet news for chocolate lovers.
Men who eat a moderate amount of chocolate each week may be less likely to have a stroke, compared to men who don’t eat any chocolate.
Most studies suggest that health benefits come mainly from dark chocolate, but the new research seems to extend these perks to milk chocolate. The study took place in Sweden, where about 90% of the chocolate is milk chocolate.
Chocolate contains heart-healthy antioxidants called flavonoids, which may be responsible for some of its health benefits. Other studies have shown that eating a moderate amount of dark chocolate may protect against heart disease and also help with memory.
The new findings appear in Neurology.
Tiny Microgreens Packed With Nutrients
by Jennifer Warner
Microgreens Have Up to 40 Times More Vital Nutrients Than Mature Plants
Aug. 31, 2012 — They may be tiny, but a new study shows trendy microgreens punch well above their weight when it comes to nutrition.
Researchers found microgreens like red cabbage, cilantro, and radish contain up to 40 times higher levels of vital nutrients than their mature counterparts.
Microgreens are young seedlings of edible vegetables and herbs harvested less than 14 days after germination. They are usually about 1-3 inches long and come in a rainbow of colors, which has made them popular in recent years as garnishes with chefs.
Although nutritional claims about microgreens abound on the Internet, this study is the first scientific evaluation of their nutritional content. Researchers say they were astonished by the results.
Recent Comments