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.
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Roasted vegetables can go much farther than their usual position of side dish with meat. I served them with polenta and with grains (quinoa was popular), I blended them up with stock for a comforting soup, and I made roasted vegetable omelets. They are also welcome in a salad or in a risotto. Roast more than you think you will need; you will end up using them.
~Martha Rose Shulman~
With roasted vegetables on hand, this satisfying meal comes together in minutes.
Roasted Winter Vegetable Medley
A sweet mixture of winter vegetables that works on its own as a side or as part of a few different kinds of main dishes.
Roasted Root Vegetables With Polenta
A comforting main dish that combines savory oven-baked polenta with sweet oven-roasted root vegetables.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms With Gremolata and Quinoa
Two roasted vegetables that are delicious with a variety of grains.
Roasted Carrot, Parsnip and Potato Soup
A creamy, comforting winter soup that is simple to make.
Pfizer Recalls Effexor Antidepressant]
By Caroline Cassels, Medscape Medical News
March 7, 2014 — Pfizer Inc. has issued a recall for the antidepressant Effexor (venlafaxine HCI), because it may have been contaminated with a heart drug.
Interaction between the two could be fatal.
The recall affects one lot of 30-count Effexor XR (venlafaxine HCI) 150-mg extended-release capsules, one lot of 90-count Effexor XR (venlafaxine HCl) 150-mg extended-release capsules, and one lot of 90-count Greenstone LLC-branded venlafaxine HCl 150-mg extended-release capsules.
Pfizer says one bottle of Effexor XR contained a single capsule of Tikosyn (dofetilide), a medication used to treat atrial fibrillation.
Pfizer says it is not likely other bottles are contaminated. It issued the recall as a precaution.
Baby ‘Sleep Machines’ Could Damage Hearing: Study
By Amy Norton, HealthDay
Keep volume low and place device well away from crib, expert says
March 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Some of the “sleep machines” marketed to soothe infants seem capable of generating enough noise to potentially damage a baby’s hearing, a new study suggests.
The popular devices promise to help infants fall asleep and stay asleep by lulling them with constant sound — such as a babbling brook, a heartbeat or simply “white noise.”
But in tests of 14 sleep machines, researchers found some were capable of decibel levels that surpass the limit recommended for workplace noise. All were capable of breaking the noise limit recommended for hospital nurseries.
The findings, reported online March 3 and in the April print issue of Pediatrics, may not sound sweet to parents’ ears.
Daylight Saving Time May Disrupt Your Sleep
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
It’s harder to ‘spring forward’ than to ‘fall back,’ doctor says
March 7, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Sleep problems may surface for some after clocks move forward an hour Sunday morning for Daylight Saving Time because many people have difficulty changing their body clocks, a sleep expert says.
People’s internal clocks tend to be programmed for longer than a 24-hour day and run a bit behind the time shown on clocks, said Dr. Steven Feinsilver, director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.
Younger Skin Cancer Survivors May Be at Risk
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Large study followed patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer for 6 years
March 7, 2014 (HealthDay News) — People who’ve had nonmelanoma skin cancer are at increased risk for melanoma and other types of cancers, and this link is especially strong among young people, a large, new study contends.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 500,000 people with a history of nonmelanoma skin cancer who were followed for five to six years, and compared them to a group of nearly 8.7 million people without nonmelanoma skin cancer.
Rare Mutation Protects Against Type 2 Diabetes
March 5, 2014 — Scientitsts who identified a rare mutation that protects people from developing type 2 diabetes say the finding may lead to the development of new drugs that can prevent the disease.
The mutation — which shields even overweight people from diabetes — was pinpointed by the researchers after they conducted genetic tests on 150,000 people, The New York Times reported.
The mutation wipes out a gene used by cells in the pancreas, where insulin is produced. People with the mutation appear to make a bit more insulin and have somewhat lower blood sugar levels than others.
The findings from the study, which began four years ago, were published in the journal Nature Genetics.
Heart Attack Risk Rises in Hours After Angry Outburst: Study
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Absolute risk from any one episode remains very small, but the danger is there, experts say
March 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — A new study might supply another reason to keep your cool under stress. Researchers say angry outbursts may raise your odds for a heart attack or stroke in the hours after the incident.
The investigators were quick to point out that the absolute risk to any one person of a having heart trouble after an outburst remains very low. However, the review of multiple studies found that the risk did rise considerably compared to periods of calm.
Nearly 3 Million Americans Living With Hepatitis C
By Mary Elizabeth Dallas. HealthDay
Many aren’t aware they carry the liver-destroying virus, experts say
March 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — More than 2.7 million Americans are currently infected with liver-damaging hepatitis C, federal officials say, and one expert believes that number could be even higher.
These individuals are at much higher risk for liver disease, liver cancer and other chronic health issues, experts note. And although there are treatments available that can rid the body of the virus, many Americans remain unaware that they are even infected, according to researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
1 in 3 Tennesseans Uses Narcotic Painkillers
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
And national research shows majority of prescription drug abusers supplied through family, friends
March 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — One of every three Tennesseans fills a prescription for narcotic painkillers at least once a year, creating a free-floating pool of available medication that helps feed the state’s growing problem with prescription drug abuse, a new study has found.
Nearly 5.2 million Tennessee residents received painkillers — 37 million total prescriptions — between 2007 and 2011, which works out to about 1.4 prescriptions per resident, according to a report published online March 3 in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
Sleep Apnea Might Raise Pneumonia Risk: Study
By Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay
Disrupted nighttime breathing makes getting fluid into the lungs more likely, researchers explain
March 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — People with sleep apnea may be at greater risk for developing pneumonia, according to a new study. And the more severe the sleep apnea, the greater the risk, the research suggests.
“This study showed that sleep apnea is an independent risk factor for incident pneumonia,” wrote Dr. Vincent Yi-Fong Su and Dr. Kun-Ta Chou of the department of chest medicine at Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan. “Our results also demonstrated an exposure-response relation in that patients with more severe sleep apnea may have a higher risk of pneumonia than patients with sleep apnea of milder severity.”
Experimental Drug Helps Body Fight Melanoma
By Brenda Goodman, HealthDay
Some patients kept disease at bay for more than a year after last dose of nivolumab
March 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — An experimental drug that harnesses the power of the body’s immune system to fight cancer has helped some patients with advanced melanoma keep their disease in check for several years, a new study indicates.
Researchers think the drug, which is called nivolumab, may help reset the immune system so that as a tumor adds new cells, the immune system is able to clear them away.
State’s Flu Shot Rule for Preschoolers Helped
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
When vaccination rates rose in Connecticut, serious complications dropped, report finds
March 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) — A Connecticut law requiring flu shots for children entering preschool or daycare has reduced flu-related hospitalizations of young children by 12 percent, according to a new study.
In the United States, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York City are the three places that require a yearly flu shot to stay in daycare or preschool. The Connecticut law took effect in 2010.
Gene Therapy for Controlling HIV Shows Early Promise
By Amy Norton, HealthDay
Small study hints treatment could someday help patients fight AIDS virus without drugs
March 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) — In an early step toward drug-free HIV therapy, researchers are reporting the first success in genetically “editing” T-cells in patients’ immune systems to become resistant to the virus.
The findings, published in the March 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, are based on only 12 patients. But experts were cautiously optimistic about what the study accomplished.
Long-Acting HIV Drug
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
In monkey studies, shots guarded against disease for human equivalent of up to three months
March 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) — A long-acting, injectable HIV drug could potentially protect people from infection with the AIDS virus for up to three months, new animal studies suggest.
The experimental drug, called GSK744, protected macaque monkeys from repeated attempts to infect the animals with a hybrid simian/human AIDS virus called SHIV, scientists said.
U.S. Home Births Continued Steady Increase in 2012
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Report cites improving safety profile
March 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) — The percentage of U.S. women choosing to give birth at home or in a birthing center rather than a hospital has grown by 56 percent in less than a decade, according to a new government report.
Although hardly the norm, out-of-hospital births accounted for 1.36 percent of U.S. births in 2012, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A year earlier, 1.26 percent of births occurred away from a hospital, while just 0.87 percent of such deliveries took place in 2004.
Balanced Diet During Pregnancy May Lower Risk of Preterm Delivery
By Robert Preidtm HealthDay
Increasing intake of healthy foods more important than eliminating unhealthy foods, study finds
March 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Expectant mothers are often told to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and a new study adds to evidence that a healthy diet is linked to a reduced risk of premature birth.
Researchers analyzed data gathered from more than 66,000 pregnant women in Norway between 2002 and 2008. Premature birth (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) occurred in slightly more than 5 percent of the pregnancies.
Women who ate a “prudent” diet that included plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and water had a much lower risk of preterm delivery, as did those with a traditional Norwegian diet of boiled potatoes, fish and cooked vegetables, the investigators found.
Study Adds to Evidence That HPV Vaccine Helps Guard Against Cervical Cancer
By Mary Brophy Marcus, HealthDay
Large population of Australian women were protected to some degree after vaccination, researchers report
March 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) — A new study offers more evidence that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is a powerful weapon in the fight against cervical cancer.
In a study that examined the vaccine’s effectiveness in a large population of Australian women, the University of Queensland researchers claim their finding suggests HPV vaccination is effective when given to a broad swath of individuals.
Yoga May Help Breast Cancer Patients
By Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay
Study found it lowered levels of stress hormones, reduced fatigue, improved quality of life
March 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Women with breast cancer who practiced yoga had lower levels of stress hormones and reported less fatigue and better quality of life, new research shows.
“Yoga is having an impact on subjective well-being, as well as better regulation of cortisol, a stress hormone,” said study co-author Lorenzo Cohen, director of the integrative medicine program at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston. “Better regulation of stress hormones has been linked with better survival and longer survival.”
Cautious Optimism About ‘Cure’ for Babies With HIV
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Report on second child raises hope that early, aggressive treatment may be game changer for these infants
March 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) — The hope that newborns can be “cured” of HIV — the virus that causes AIDS — with early, aggressive drug treatment was bolstered this week with the announcement that a second baby appears to be free of the virus following therapy that began just four hours after her birth.
The child, born at Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach, Calif., is now 9 months old and is considered HIV-negative, researchers reported Wednesday at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston.
E-Cigarette Use Tied to More Smoking in Teens
By Mary Brophy Marcus, HealthDay
Devices may serve as gateway to tobacco use, study author says
March 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Teens who have tried electronic cigarettes may be more likely to smoke regular cigarettes, according to the authors of a new study.
“We found that e-cigarette use was actually associated with increased cigarette smoking among adolescents, contradicting the idea that e-cigarettes are effective smoking-cessation aids,” study co-author Lauren Dutra said.
Cautious Optimism About ‘Cure’ for Babies With HIV
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Report on second child raises hope that early, aggressive treatment may be game changer for these infants
March 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) — The hope that newborns can be “cured” of HIV — the virus that causes AIDS — with early, aggressive drug treatment was bolstered this week with the announcement that a second baby appears to be free of the virus following therapy that began just four hours after her birth.
The child, born at Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach, Calif., is now 9 months old and is considered HIV-negative, researchers reported Wednesday at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston.
Secondhand Smoke in Childhood Thickens Arteries
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Measurements suggest raised risk for later heart attack, stroke, researchers say
March 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Secondhand smoke causes irreversible damage to children’s arteries and puts them at increased risk for heart attack and stroke later in life, a new study says.
Researchers looked at more than 3,700 adults in Australia and Finland, and found that those exposed to secondhand smoke when they were children had thicker artery walls.
TV in Child’s Bedroom Tied to Weight Gain
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
But ‘active’ video games might help youngsters stay slim, researchers stay
March 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Children who have a TV in their bedroom are likely to gain weight. But kids who play active video games might lose unwanted pounds, according to two new studies.
“In an age of widespread childhood and adolescent obesity, technology is clearly the proverbial double-edged sword,” said Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center.
Food Allergies Have Doubled Among Black Children
By Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay
Unclear if it’s due to better detection or environmental triggers, researchers say
March 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Over the past two decades, reports of food allergies have nearly doubled among black children, a new study reveals.
Although childhood food allergies are on the rise overall, the spike in these allergies among black children is alarming, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. It remains unclear if this sharp increase is the result of better detection or some trigger in the environment.
Alzheimer’s Kills Many More Than Expected
March 5, 2014 — The number of people who die from Alzheimer’s disease may be five times higher than previously thought, researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago say.
The study’s numbers would make Alzheimer’s the third leading cause of death in the U.S., right behind heart disease and cancer. The CDC lists Alzheimer’s as the sixth leading cause of death.
Hearing Loss Tied to Depression in Study
By Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay
Women, non-seniors more likely to be affected this way, researchers say
March 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Hearing loss is associated with depression among American adults, especially women and those younger than age 70, according to new research.
While other studies previously have found the same link, many of them looked only at older adults or at specific regions or ethnicities, and results have been mixed, the researchers pointed out.
In the new study, as hearing declined, the percentage of depressed adults increased — from about 5 percent in those who had no hearing problems to more than 11 percent in those who did.
Hangovers Don’t Delay the Next Drink, Study Finds
By Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay
The painful after-effects of too much booze may be seen as just a temporary nuisance, researchers say
March 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Hangovers don’t influence when people will have their next drink, according to a new study that challenges some common beliefs.
Although many people say having another drink will help cure a hangover, others think a hangover will delay further drinking. In this study of nearly 400 frequent drinkers, researchers found the unpleasant after-effects of overindulgence have little effect on the timing of the next alcoholic drink.
Cut Daily Sugar to 5% of Calories: Health Agency
March 7, 2014 — People should halve the amount of sugar in their diet, the World Health Organization says.
Recommended levels of sugar will remain at less than 10 percent of total calorie intake per day, but people should try for less than five percent, according to a new draft guidance issued by the WHO, BBC News reported.
Along with all sugars added to foods, the suggested limits also apply to sugars that occur naturally in syrups, honey, fruit juices and fruit concentrates, according to the guidance, which will be open for public input. Final recommendations are expected to be release this summer.
2-Mile Daily Walk Might Help Fight COPD
By Maureen Salamon, HealthDay
Study found patients who were more active had fewer hospitalizations from lung condition
March 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Taking daily walks of at least two miles can reduce hospitalizations from severe episodes of a life-threatening breathing disorder, new research suggests.
Scientists found that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients without regular walking regimens had about twice the rate of hospitalizations triggered by the condition compared to those who maintained the highest levels of physical activity. This was defined as walking between roughly two and four miles each day.
High-Protein Diets in Middle Age Might Shorten Life Span
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
But same study found the reverse was true when people reached old age
March 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Millions of middle-aged Americans chow down each day on steaks, cheeseburgers and other protein-rich fare.
Now two studies find that diets high in meat and cheese, when eaten in middle age, might shorten people’s life spans.
However, in a surprise twist, the same research team found that eating lots of animal-based protein in old age might actually do the opposite.
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