Health and Fitness News

Welcome to the Health and Fitness NewsWelcome 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

Savory quick breads go well with meals and they are also great for snacks. You can stir all sorts of healthy ingredients into a quick bread batter or dough – nuts of all kinds and dried fruit, and different grains like oatmeal and rye. I like to serve some savory quick breads, like the olive oil bread with figs and hazelnuts that I made this week, as hors d’oeuvres with drinks.

~Martha Ros Shulman~

Sleep Apnea Treatment May Help Patients Look Better

by Robert Preidt, HealthDay

Small study rated facial appearance before and after CPAP

Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) — Treatment for sleep apnea may do more than improve your sleep and health: It could help you look better, according to a small new study.

Sleep apnea affects millions of American adults. The condition, which often goes undiagnosed, is marked by snoring and breathing interruptions during sleep. People with sleep apnea are at increased risk for heart problems and daytime accidents.

Treatment Options Expand for Psoriasis Patients

by  Serena Gordon, HealthDay

There’s no cure, but experts cite reasons for hope for 7.5 million Americans with the disease

Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) — For the legions of Americans living with the red, scaly patches of psoriasis, doctors have good news.

“We are at a point where we can help almost anyone, and we can do it fairly safely,” said Dr. Mark Lebwohl, who chairs the National Psoriasis Foundation’s medical board. “If you have psoriasis, there’s usually a treatment out there that will make you better.”

Some 7.5 million people in the United States have the autoimmune disease, yet it’s unknown to millions of others.

Informed Patients Can Help Stem Antibiotic Overuse

by Robert Preidt, HealthDay

Italian campaign targeted general public, not just health professionals

Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) — A local, low-cost information campaign that was primarily aimed at patients — although involving doctors and pharmacists as well — helped reduce antibiotic prescribing, according to a new study from Italy.

Overuse of antibiotics is considered a major global public health concern because it can lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Unnecessary and inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics is common.

Diabetes Remission After Weight-Loss Surgery

by Robert Preidt, HealthDay

Scoring system could help determine if weight-loss procedure will help control disease in obese patients

Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) — A simple scoring system can predict whether an obese patient might achieve diabetes remission within five years after weight-loss surgery, according to researchers.

The scoring system — called DiaRem — is based on four readily available pre-surgery patient characteristics: insulin use, age, hemoglobin A1c concentration (a measure of blood sugar) and type of diabetes drugs.

Righty or Lefty? It’s Largely Genetic, Study Suggests

by Robert Preidt, HealthDay

Work with developing embryos provides new information

Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) — Scientists have identified a network of genes that influences whether you are right-handed or left-handed.

The researchers did so by looking at developing embryos.

“The genes are involved in the biological process through which an early embryo moves on from being a round ball of cells and becomes a growing organism with an established left and right side,” study first author William Brandler, a doctoral student in the functional genomics unit at Oxford University in England, said in a university news release.

Cavities Tied to Lower Risk of Head, Neck Cancer

by Steven Reinberg, HealthDay

Bacteria involved in cavity formation may have some cancer-protective effect, researcher says, but skeptics aren’t sure

Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) — People with more cavities in their teeth may have a reduced risk for some head and neck cancers, a new study suggests.

That’s because lactic acid bacteria produced by cavities may be protective against cancer cells, the study authors said.

Obesity May Increase Migraine Odds

by Marijke Vroomen Durning, HealthDay

Study found risk of painful headaches rose with body weight, especially in younger women and whites

Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) — Obese people may be at higher risk for episodic migraines, a new study suggests.

Episodic migraines — the more common type of migraine — occur 14 days or fewer per month, while chronic migraines occur at least 15 days per month.

Migraines involve intense pulsing or throbbing pain in one area of the head, according to the American Academy of Neurology. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound. Migraines affect more than 10 percent of the population.

Futile Care in ICU a Common Occurrence, Doctors Say

by Dennis Thompson, HealthDay

Costly treatments are not always in line with patient’s prognosis, researcher contends

Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) — Critical care doctors at a major teaching hospital believe they provided futile treatment to about one in five intensive care unit patients, needlessly prolonging their lives.

ICU doctors in the UCLA Health System said they were certain they provided futile care for 11 percent of the critically ill patients they saw over a recent three-month period, and they strongly suspected that they had provided futile treatment for another 8.6 percent of patients.

Black Americans at Raised Risk of Insufficient Sleep

by Robert Preidt, HealthDay

Racial disparity greatest among those in professional, management positions, researchers say

Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) — Black Americans are more likely than whites to get too little sleep and this disparity is greatest among people in professional occupations, a new study shows.

Lack of sleep has been linked with increased risk of health problems, such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and even death.

Bedbugs’ Genes May Protect Them From Insecticides

by Brenda Goodman, HealthDay

Study helps explain why the bloodsucking parasites are so hard to kill

Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) — Bedbugs — tiny, flat parasites that hide where people sleep — are notoriously tough to kill, but scientists say they think they’ve uncovered new clues about why these bloodsuckers are so hardy.

It seems that bedbugs have genes that disarm pesticides. Most of the genes are active in the bugs’ outer shells, or cuticles. Some work to pump poisons away, before they can enter the insect’s bodies. Others genes break the chemicals’ molecular bonds, rendering them harmless.

Motrin Infants Formula Recalled

Sept. 9, 2013 — About 200,000 bottles of Motrin Infants formula, which is used to treat fever and aches and pains in children 2 years old and younger, are being recalled because they may contain tiny plastic particles, Johnson & Johnson says.

The recall covers three lots of Motrin Infants’ Drops Original Berry Flavor. The lot numbers of the recalled half-ounce bottles are DCB3T01, DDB4R01 and DDB4S01, the Associated Press reported.

Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls With Icing Recalled

Sept. 9, 2013 — General Mills has voluntarily recalled a limited quantity of Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls with Icing because the dough may contain pieces of plastic.

The affected products include single packages of Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls with Icing with “Better if Used” dates  of 30OCT2013 and 31OCT2013, and 2-pack Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls with Icing with dates 18OCT2013, 26OCT2013, and 30OCT20132013.

FDA Announces New Safety Measures for Narcotic Painkillers

by Steven Reinberg, HealthDay

Label warnings designed to limit use of extended-release, long-acting drugs like Oxycontin

Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is requiring all extended-release, long-acting narcotic painkillers to carry revised warning labeling, the agency said Tuesday.

One warning restricts the use of these painkillers to those who need daily, around-the-clock, long-term pain management and for whom non-narcotic drugs haven’t worked. A second warning alerts pregnant women to the danger of narcotic withdrawal syndrome in their newborns.

Vaccine Coverage High in U.S., But…

by Steven Reinberg, HealthDay

159 cases reported so far this year in unvaccinated people

Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) — Vaccination rates among America’s children remain high, despite a serious resurgence of measles among unvaccinated children and adults, health officials reported Thursday.

According to the 2012 National Immunization Survey, vaccination for many diseases remains at or above 90 percent among children aged 19 months to 35 months, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

For Uninfected Partner, Antiretroviral Drugs May Shield Against HIV

by Robert Preidt, HealthDay

Study of heterosexual couples in Uganda suggests strict adherence to meds is key

Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) — Antiretroviral drugs can provide a high level of protection against HIV for uninfected people in heterosexual couples in which the other partner has HIV, according to a new study.

The study included more than 1,100 HIV-uninfected people in Uganda who had a partner with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The participants were given antiretroviral drugs and received counseling support throughout the study to help them adhere to their drug regimen.

Whooping Cough Risk & Kids Who Miss Vaccinations

by Steven Reinberg, HealthDay

It’s important to get all doses without delay, researchers say

Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) — Young children aged 3 months to 36 months who don’t get all their doses of the diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine on schedule appear to be at increased risk for pertussis — also known as whooping cough — according to a new study.

Although vaccination rates in the United States are still high, a growing number of parents are concerned about vaccines and choosing to skip or delay them. These decisions, however, do have consequences, the researchers said.

Drinking During Early Pregnancy and Birth Woes

by Alan Mozes, HealthDay

The research didn’t examine long-term health threats; March of Dimes critical of the findings

Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) — Drinking alcohol during and even beyond the first trimester of pregnancy doesn’t seem to raise the risk of premature delivery, low birth weight or size, or high blood pressure complications for the mother, a new study claims.

The study, however, drew sharp criticism from the chief medical officer of the March of Dimes, which recommends against drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

The new study was led by Dr. Fergus McCarthy of the Irish Centre for Fetal and Neonatal Translational Research (INFANT), at Cork University Maternity Hospital in Ireland. McCarthy and his colleagues presented their findings in the October issue of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Younger Women With Diabetes: Odds of Heart Disease

by Robert Preidt, HealthDay

Finding was independent of women’s other risk factors in early study

Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) — Type 2 diabetes in itself — regardless of other risk factors — increases the risk of heart disease in women, a new study finds.

The study included nearly 1,300 Argentine women, aged 19 to 84, with and without type 2 diabetes. They underwent ultrasound imaging to measure plaque in their carotid arteries — large arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain.

Nearly 60% of Uterine Cancer Cases Preventable: Report

by Dennis Thompson, HealthDay

Women who exercise, maintain healthy weight and drink coffee daily may cut their risk

Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) — Regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight can prevent three of every five new cases of endometrial cancer in the United States, according to a new review of scientific evidence.

Researchers estimate that 59 percent of endometrial cancer cases — about 29,500 every year in the United States — could be prevented if women exercised at least 30 minutes a day and avoided excess body fat.

Some Painkillers Tied to Certain Birth Defects in Study

by  Maureen Salamon, HealthDay

Overall risk of problems like spina bifida called low, but experts advise women to discuss prescription opioid use with doctor

Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) — Women taking prescription painkillers such as Oxycontin, Vicodin and Percocet early in pregnancy are twice as likely to give birth to babies with devastating neural tube defects such as spina bifida, a new study suggests.

Despite the doubled risk, researchers described the escalation as “modest” since neural tube defects — which include those of the brain and spine — seldom occur. With study participants’ use of prescription opioids, the risk of these birth defects translated to a prevalence of nearly six per 10,000 live births.

Breast Cancer Deaths in Younger, Unscreened Women

by Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay

Mammograms should begin at age 40, researcher says

Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) — New breast cancer research reveals a significant death rate among women under 50 who forgo regular mammograms and casts doubt on recent screening guidelines from a U.S. panel of experts.

The findings support the merit of regular mammograms, especially for younger women, said study researcher Dr. Blake Cady, professor emeritus of surgery at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Testosterone Not the Whole Story in ‘Male Menopause’

by Amy Norton, HealthDay

Estrogen also involved, researchers say, and ‘low-T’ diagnosis isn’t clear-cut

Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) — Symptoms of so-called “andropause” — the male equivalent of menopause — may be triggered not only by declines in testosterone, but in the “female” hormone estrogen as well, a new study suggests.

Experts said the study, published in the Sept. 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, deepens researchers’ understanding of the hormonal shifts that occur as men age.

Test Helps Predict Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness?

by Robert Preidt, HealthDay

Finding might one day improve rates of overtreatment, undertreatment in men, study says

Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) — A new gene test may help identify slow-growing prostate cancers that will require treatment, a new study suggests.

The test revealed the levels of “expression” of three aging-related genes and could be used to predict whether seemingly slow-growing prostate cancer will remain slow-growing, according to Columbia University Medical Center researchers.

Smaller Testicles, Bigger Parenting Role, Study Suggests

by Mary Brophy Marcus, HealthDay

Researchers explore why some dads are more nurturing

Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) — Are men with smaller testicles more involved dads? Could be, say the authors of a new study.

Anthropologists from Emory University in Atlanta wanted to try to better understand why some men are more actively engaged in child rearing than others, said study lead author James Rilling.

Childhood Obesity and Risk of Adult Hypertension

by Dennis Thompson HealthDay

Even being overweight when young was found to double high blood pressure risk in long-term study

Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) — Obese children have a four times greater risk of having high blood pressure when they reach adulthood compared to normal weight kids, new research shows.

The study authors also found that overweight children had double the risk of high blood pressure, or hypertension, later in life.

Commercial Baby Foods Fall Short for Nutrition: Study

by Robert Preidt, HealthDay

Most are too sweet and are advertised for infants who’d be better off with breast milk, experts say

Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) — Commercial baby foods don’t meet infants’ dietary needs when they are weaning, according to a new study.

That’s because commercial foods are predominately sweet foods that provide little extra nutritional benefit over breast or formula milk, the researchers said. They also said commercial baby foods are marketed for use in infants beginning at the age of 4 months, an age when they should still be breast-fed only.

Obese Kids, Weight Loss, and Eating Disorders

by Steven Reinberg, HealthDay

Problems like anorexia may go undiagnosed or be disregarded, case studies show

Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) — Obese children and teens who lose weight are in danger of developing eating disorders — including anorexia and bulimia — and a new study highlights how this can happen.

These problems may not be diagnosed quickly, because parents and doctors “think it’s a good thing that these teens have lost so much weight,” said lead researcher Leslie Sim, an assistant professor of psychology and an eating disorders expert at the Mayo Clinic Children’s Center in Rochester, Minn.

5% of U.S. Kids ‘Severely Obese,’ Experts Warn

by Steven Reinberg, HealthDay

New and better treatments needed for this newly defined disease, researchers say

Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) — While the rate of obesity among U.S. children seems to have leveled off, the number who are “severely obese” continues to rise, according to the American Heart Association.

Some 5 percent of children and teens now fall into this category, putting them at high risk for premature heart disease and type 2 diabetes, the researchers report in an American Heart Association scientific statement published in the Sept. 9 online edition of Circulation.

Alzheimer’s May Vary, Brain to Brain

by Barbara Bronson Gray, HealthDay

Differences in signs, symptoms could be related to ‘beta-amyloid fibrils’ responsible for plaque, study hints

Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) — Differences in plaque-forming structures in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients may offer clues to why the disease can progress more rapidly or be less severe in some people, a new study suggests.

The research could spur the development of new imaging agents that highlight specific structures in the brain — called beta-amyloid fibrils — improving the reliability and specificity of diagnosis, according to Robert Tycko, lead author of the paper published Sept. 12 in the journal Cell.

Older Age May Mean Fewer Hangovers

by Randy Dotinga, HealthDay

But study doesn’t show why seniors suffer less headache, nausea than younger people after heavy drinking

Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) — Here’s some good news for anyone who’s ever woken up fuzzy-headed and bleary-eyed after a night of heavy boozing: New research suggests that hangovers fade with age.

A large study of Danish people finds that hangover symptoms are much less likely to strike people aged 60 and older compared to their younger counterparts.

Depression May Be Worse When Accompanied by Anger

by Robert Preidt, HealthDay

Study followed patients for three decades

Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) — Irritability and anger in people with major depression are associated with greater severity of depression and other problems, a long-term study suggests.

Researchers looked at data from more than 500 people who were followed for up to 31 years as part of a U.S. National Institute of Mental Health study on depression. The participants had major depression when they entered the study between 1978 and 1981.

The new findings were published online Sept. 11 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry

‘Exposure Therapy’ for OCD

by Randy Dotinga HealthDay

SSRI drugs found effective, but study raps risperidone

Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) — New research suggests that patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder do better when they combine intensive “exposure therapy” with an antidepressant rather than taking a common two-drug combination.

There are caveats, however: The kind of exposure therapy used in the study required patients to see therapists twice a week, which can be expensive; some obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients simply refuse to engage in this kind of therapy; and it’s not clear what happens to patients in the long term.