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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Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
This week I slowed down and made pies: savory ones filled with vegetables … I used a number of different crusts for my winter pies. My favorite remains the whole wheat yeasted olive oil crust that I have used before in this column, but I also worked with a simple Mediterranean crust made with a mix of whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and olive oil. And for those of you who are gluten-free, I made another foray into gluten-free pastry and produced one I liked a lot, which was a mix of buckwheat flour, millet flour and potato starch. It had a strong nutty flavor that worked well with a very savory, very vegan, tofu and mushroom “quiche.” They are all simple to mix together and easy to roll or press out. And if you don’t feel like dealing with a crust, just use Greek phyllo. The important things, after all, are the savory vegetables inside.
!Martha Rose Shulman~
A simple Mediterranean crust made with a mix of whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and olive oil.
Mixed Greens Galette With Onions and Chickpeas
A tasty way to use bagged greens in a dish with Middle Eastern overtones.
Goat Cheese, Chard and Herb Pie in a Phyllo Crust
A garlicky mix of greens and your choice of herbs inside a crispy phyllo crust.
A vegan dish with a deep, rich flavor.
Canned tomatoes can be used in the off season for a delicious dinner
Gene Therapy Shows Early Promise for Heart Failure
by Amy Norton, HealthDay Reporter
Feb. 21 (HealthDay News) — When it comes to treating heart failure, the ultimate hope is to develop a therapy that repairs the damaged heart muscle.
Now, an early study hints at a way to do that by harnessing the body’s natural capacity for repair.
Medical Groups Warn About Unnecessary Tests
by WebMD News from HealthDay
Dozens of types of tests and treatments are too often recommended by doctors when patients don’t need them, according to a warning issued Thursday by a coalition of leading medical groups in the United States.
This unnecessary care wastes time and money and sometimes causes harm to patients, according to the organizations that represent more than 350,000 doctors, the Associated Press reported.
Dialysis Catheters Tied to Higher Infection Risk
by Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay Reporter
Feb. 21 (HealthDay News) — Dialysis patients using catheters have a higher risk for death, infection and heart problems than patients using other procedures to access the blood, according to a new analysis.
Researchers examined 67 studies involving nearly 600,000 dialysis patients to compare the risks associated with three procedures used to access the blood: arteriovenous fistula, arteriovenous graft and central venous catheter.
Medical Marijuana: Legitimate Therapeutic Choice?
by Barbara Bronson Gray, HealthDay Reporter
Feb. 20 (HealthDay News) — Imagine a 68-year-old woman with advanced breast cancer, looking for a better way to ease her chronic pain, low appetite, fatigue and nausea. Should she or shouldn’t she be prescribed marijuana?
That’s the question physicians debate in the “Clinical Decisions” section of the New England Journal of Medicine released online Feb. 20.
Magnetic Implant May Ease Chronic Acid Reflux
by Amy Norton, HealthDay Reporter
Feb. 20 (HealthDay News) — An implanted magnetic device could offer a new treatment option for people with chronic heartburn that is not controlled with medication, a small study suggests.
The study, reported in the Feb. 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, tested a newer approach to taming stubborn cases of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) — one of the most common health conditions diagnosed in the United States.
1 in 8 Americans Diagnosed With Type 2 Diabetes
by By Amanda Gardner, HealthDay Reporter
Feb. 20 (HealthDay News) — A staggering one in eight Americans has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, a new Harris Interactive/HealthDay poll suggests.
And more than one third of those polled have been diagnosed with diabetes or have a parent, sibling, spouse or child with the condition.
New Blood Thinner Beats Older Drug for Vein Clots
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay Reporter
Feb. 20 (HealthDay News) — People who need to take a blood thinner because they’ve had a clot in the deep veins of their legs appear to do better with the new drug Pradaxa (dibigatran) than with the older drug warfarin, researchers report.
Long-term treatment of these blood clots is safer and more convenient with Pradaxa than warfarin, the new study found.
Diabetes Control Improving, but Far From Ideal
by Miriam E. Tucker, Medscape Medical News
Feb. 19, 2013 — People with diabetes are more often hitting recommended targets for blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol, but fewer than 20% are meeting all three, according to new data from an ongoing national health survey.
Doctors treating people with diabetes look at three different goals called the ABCs: A1c level, blood pressure, and cholesterol. People with diabetes who achieve these goals lower their risk of health complications and death.
Acupuncture May Help Ease Hay Fever
by Amy Norton, HealthDay Reporter
Feb. 18 (HealthDay News) — Hay fever sufferers may find some relief with acupuncture, a new study suggests, though the therapy’s appeal in the “real world” is yet to be seen.
The study, of 422 people with grass and pollen allergies, found that those randomly assigned to a dozen acupuncture sessions fared better than patients who did not receive the procedure.
Best Glaucoma Treatments Still a Puzzle
by Maureen Salamon, HealthDay Reporter
Feb. 18 (HealthDay News) — Drugs and surgery can lower the hallmark inner-eye pressure characteristic of glaucoma — the second-leading cause of blindness in the United States. But research still hasn’t identified the best ways to prevent significant vision loss and improve patient satisfaction, according to a prominent government medical group.
Special K Cereal Recalled Due to Glass Fragments
by Lisa Habib, WebMD Health News
Feb. 21, 2013 — Kellogg’s is voluntarily recalling several sizes of its Special K Red Berries cereal because the cereal might contain glass fragments.
Kellogg’s says it does not know of any injuries. It doesn’t say how the glass might have gotten in the cereal.
The cereal was distributed nationwide. Kellogg’s says only the 11.2-ounce, 22.4-ounce, and 37-ounce packages are affected. See if your box has this information: [..]
Codeine in Children Linked to Serious Side Effects
by Zosia Chustecka, Medscape Medical News
Feb. 20, 2013 — The FDA is again warning of the risk for fatal and life-threatening side effects from codeine in young children who take the drug for pain relief after having their tonsils or adenoids removed for obstructive sleep apnea.
The FDA cites reports of three children who died and one who developed life-threatening breathing problems. The agency had previously highlighted these cases and now says it is conducting a review to see whether other cases occurred in children who took codeine after other types of surgery.
Spinach Recalled in 39 States
by Lisa Habib, WebMD Health News
Feb. 19, 2013 — Spinach that might have E. coli bacteria contamination is being recalled in 39 states.
Taylor Farms Retail Inc., says it is voluntarily withdrawing organic baby spinach sold in 5-ounce or 16-ounce salad trays under five brand names that have a “best by” date of Feb. 24, 2013:
Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Foster Farms Chicken
by Valarie Basheda, WebMD Health News
Feb. 15, 2013 — The CDC is investigating an outbreak of salmonella linked to raw Foster Farms chicken that has sickened 124 people in 12 states.
No deaths have been reported.
Most of the people infected with the illness, salmonella Heidelberg, live in Washington state and Oregon. The illnesses were reported from June 4, 2012, to Jan. 6 of this year. More than half of those who came down with the food-borne illness were female, and 31 were hospitalized.
Mosquitoes Can Become Desensitized to DEET
by Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay Reporter
Feb. 20 (HealthDay News) — Mosquitoes can become desensitized to the insect repellent DEET, according to a new study.
Although most bugs are strongly deterred by DEET, the researchers had previously found that some mosquitoes and flies carry a genetic change in the odor receptors on their antennae that allows them to ignore the smell.
Flu Vaccine Fell Short for Seniors This Season
by Steven Reinberg, HealthDay Reporter
Feb. 21 (HealthDay News) — The flu vaccine has fallen markedly short of expectations for older Americans this winter, offering this vulnerable population protection against the most virulent strain of flu virus just 9 percent of the time, U.S. health officials reported Thursday.
Even among the general population, the vaccine’s effectiveness was just 56 percent, which is considered slightly below average, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Children’s Tamiflu Still in Short Supply
by Kathleen Doheny, WebMD Health News
Feb. 21, 2013 — With flu season dragging on, supplies of the children’s version of the flu drug Tamiflu continue to dwindle nationwide, according to the drug’s maker.
The liquid medicine, called Tamiflu OS (for oral suspension), is approved for children 2 weeks old and older.
New SARS-Like Virus Well-Suited to Attack Humans
by Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay Reporter
Feb. 19 (HealthDay News) — The new SARS-like “coronavirus” that first emerged in the Middle East can invade the lungs and immune system as easily as the common cold, according to a new study.
But in the event of a large-scale outbreak, researchers in Switzerland found the virus — known as HCoV-EMC — may be treatable with components of the immune system, known as interferons. This immunotherapy has shown promise in the treatment of the respiratory disease SARS and hepatitis C, the study authors said.
British Man Dies From SARS
by Tim Locke, WebMD Health New
Feb. 19, 2013 — A British man being treated for a new virus, called a novel coronavirus, has died.
The man died from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in the critical care unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham on Sunday morning, the hospital announced.
The patient was already an outpatient at the hospital for a long-term, unrelated health condition that had affected his immune system.
More Women Aware of Their Risk for Heart Disease
by Shelley Wood, Medscape Medical News
Feb. 20, 2013 — More American women are aware of their risk for heart disease than ever before, but huge gaps in knowledge still remain.
A new survey shows that the number of women who know that heart disease is their leading cause of death has nearly doubled since 1997: from 30% in 1997 to 56% today.
Awareness has roughly doubled since 1997 among all of the racial groups, but remains far lower overall among African-American and Hispanic women.
Caffeine Linked to Low-Birth-Weight Babies
by Tim Locke, WebMD Health News
Feb. 19, 2013 — New research suggests that caffeine is linked to low-birth-weight babies and that drinking coffee is linked to a longer pregnancy.
The report suggests that drinking 200-300 milligrams of caffeine per day raised the risk of a baby being born small by between 27% and 62%.
Women May Have Higher Risk for Hip Implant Failure
by Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay Reporter
Feb. 18 (HealthDay News) — Overall, the vast majority of total hip replacement surgeries are successful, but according to the results of a new study, women are at greater risk than men for implant failure after this procedure.
Researchers noted this was true even after taking other individual risk factors into account. They said their findings could help doctors better manage the anatomical differences between men and women.
Does Feeding Baby Gluten Early On Cut Celiac Risk?
by Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay Reporter
Feb. 19 (HealthDay News) — Modifying an infant’s diet to include the protein gluten while the mother is still breast-feeding could lower the risk of celiac disease, a common intestinal disorder, according to a new Swedish study.
That finding may sound counterintuitive, because celiac disease is a condition in which the lining of the small intestine is damaged by gluten-containing foods.
Drug Abuse More Likely Among High School Dropouts
by Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay Reporter
Feb. 19 (HealthDay News) — The link between poor academic performance and substance abuse just got stronger, with a new U.S. government report showing ties between the two.
High school seniors who dropped out of school before graduating were more likely to drink, smoke cigarettes and use marijuana and other illegal drugs, according to a new report from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Alzheimer’s Caregivers: Patience, Sympathy Are Key
by Serena Gordon, HealthDay Reporter
Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) — The picture isn’t necessarily pretty when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease.
More than 5 million Americans currently have the degenerative brain condition, there’s no sure way to prevent it and current treatment options don’t work for everyone. Even more millions are tasked with the sometimes difficult and frustrating daily care of those stricken with the memory-robbing disease, often with little experience or training.
Relationship Worries Can Make You Sick
by Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay Reporter
Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) — Feeling insecure and frequently anxious about your romantic relationship can actually harm your health, new research contends.
The feelings may boost levels of a stress hormone and lower your immune system, according to Ohio State researchers.
Too Much Sitting Linked to Chronic Health Problems
by Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay Reporter
Feb. 21 (HealthDay News) — People who spend hours each day without getting up and moving around should take heed: A new study suggests that the more people sit each day, the greater their risk for chronic health problems, such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
‘Smarter Lunchroom’ May Lead to Healthier Choices
by Robert Preidt, HealthDay Reporter
Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) — A few simple and inexpensive changes to school cafeterias can help encourage children to eat healthier foods at lunch, a new study finds.
The changes included improving the convenience and attractiveness of fruits and vegetables (such as placing fresh fruit in nice bowls or tiered stands next to the cash register) and having cafeteria staff prompt children to choose fruits and vegetables by asking them questions such as, “Would you like to try an apple?”
The “smarter lunchroom” makeover took no more than three hours in one afternoon and cost less than $50, according to the researchers at the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs, in Ithaca, N.Y.
U.S. Children Eating Fewer Calories
by Marlene Busko, Medscape Medical News
Feb. 22, 2013 — Here’s a flash of hope for the obesity crisis: Surprising new numbers show that, contrary to common assumptions, U.S. children are not eating more calories.
The type of food they are eating, however, has changed in recent years.
According to the report from the National Center for Health Statistics, between 1999-2010, the average daily calorie intake dropped among American children and teens. At the same time, their diets shifted to contain slightly more protein and slightly fewer carbohydrates, while total fat remained the same.
Antioxidant Diet May Not Prevent Stroke, Dementia
by By Carina Storrs, HealthDay Reporter
Feb. 20 (HealthDay News) — Antioxidants are celebrated as “brain foods” and “super foods,” but a new study suggests that not all diets high in antioxidants reduce the risk of dementia and stroke.
The study involved more than 5,000 people in the Netherlands who were 55 years and older. Researchers determined each participant’s antioxidant score, based on questionnaires about the foods they typically ate, and kept track of whether they developed dementia or had a stroke over the next 14 years.
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