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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This week I cooked up two simple pots of beans using two varieties: a somewhat large, roundish dark reddish-brown mottled bean called Good Mother Stallard, and a gorgeous black and white mottled bean, a little larger than standard black beans, called vaqueros. All I did was add a quartered onion, a few minced cloves of garlic, and plenty of salt to the soaked beans; I didn’t even sauté the onion and garlic first.
I cooked the beans in their soaking water, simmering them for about one and a half to two hours, and ended up with deeply flavored, plush beans that really could have stood alone. In fact, the following day – and beans are always better on the following day – I just snipped a little bit of cilantro into the broth and enjoyed them just so; they were even good cold.
Martha Rise Shulman
This is the most amazing version of tuna and bean salad I’ve ever tasted, thanks to Good Mother Stallard beans.
Big Bowl With Spicy Brown Bean, Squash and Corn Succotash
This version of succotash is lima-bean-free, with a kick that is a lively contrast to the sweet corn.
Tostadas With Smashed Black Beans or Vaqueros, Salsa Fresca and Avocado
Refried heirloom vaquero beans add a special touch to these tostadas, but black beans work, too.
Arugula and Corn Salad With Roasted Red Peppers and White Bean
Canned beans can also be used in this composed salad with a base of sweet corn and pungent arugula.
Orecchiette With Fresh and Dried Beans and Tomatoes
Once the beans are done, this pasta dish takes only 15 minutes.
Change Bad Habits Early, Save Your Heart Later
By Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay
Young adults who adopt healthier lifestyle can cut their heart disease risk, researchers say
July 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Young adults who drop their bad health habits can reduce their risk of heart disease as they age, new research suggests.
“Even after people have hit adulthood with some unhealthy behaviors, it’s not too late to produce a benefit for their heart if they change those behaviors,” said study author Bonnie Spring, a health psychologist and professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.July 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Young adults who drop their bad health habits can reduce their risk of heart disease as they age, new research suggests.
“Even after people have hit adulthood with some unhealthy behaviors, it’s not too late to produce a benefit for their heart if they change those behaviors,” said study author Bonnie Spring, a health psychologist and professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Insulin Pumps vs. Daily Injections for Type 2
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
6-month blood sugar control was better with the devices compared to needles, researchers say
July 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Insulin pumps provide better blood sugar control for adults with diabetes than multiple daily insulin injections, a new study says.
Insulin pumps are small devices that are worn by patients and deliver constant amounts of insulin to the body through a catheter placed under the skin.
Steroid Shots May Not Help Back Pain
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Exercise or surgery might be better options for narrowing of the spinal canal, researchers report
July 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) — People who have lower back pain caused by spinal stenosis — a condition that narrows the open space in the spinal canal — are unlikely to get relief from steroid shots, a new study finds.
“Steroid injections are a common treatment for spinal stenosis, and we were surprised by the finding,” said lead author Dr. Janna Friedly, an assistant professor of rehabilitation medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle.
New Inhaled Drug Could Treat Asthma, Allergies
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Quilizumab quells production of protein that triggers reaction to allergens, researchers report
July 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) — A new inhaled medication has the potential to treat mild asthma and allergies by interrupting the production of an immune system protein that triggers allergic reactions, a new study reports.
The drug, quilizumab, targets the blood cells that produce a protein called immunoglobulin type E (IgE), that serves a key role in allergies.
Quilizumab lowered total levels of IgE in the blood of people with allergies and mild asthma, and kept them low for a month, researchers report in the July 2 issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine.
HIV Patients Less Likely to Get Cancer Treatment
By Randy Dotinga, HealthDay
Challenges in managing side effects may prompt some doctors to treat tumors less aggressively, researchers suggest
July 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) — While medications are helping HIV-positive people avoid developing full-blown AIDS indefinitely, a new study finds that cancer patients with HIV are up to four times less likely to be treated for their tumors.
The research comes with caveats. It looked at just three states from 1996, when powerful HIV drugs first began changing the face of the disease, to 2010, when patients routinely took the medications. And the study doesn’t explain why HIV-positive people with cancer receive less treatment or how this affected their lifespans.
Painkiller Prescriptions Vary Widely Among States
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Death toll can be reduced with better oversight, agency says, citing success in Florida
July 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Doctors in some states seem to wield a freer hand issuing prescriptions for powerful narcotic medications, leading to wide variations in narcotic drug use among states, U.S. health officials reported Tuesday.
Physicians in Alabama — the state with the highest number of narcotic painkiller prescriptions — issued nearly three times as many of those prescriptions as doctors in Hawaii — the lowest prescribing state, according to researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Less Toxic Transplant Treatment for Sickle Cell
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Technique avoids ill effects related to long-term use of anti-rejection drugs, study says
July 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) — A new bone marrow transplant technique for adults with sickle cell disease may “cure” many patients. And it avoids the toxic effects associated with long-term use of anti-rejection drugs, a new study suggests.
This experimental technique mixes stem cells from a sibling with the patient’s own cells. Of 30 patients treated this way, many stopped using anti-rejection drugs within a year, and avoided serious side effects of transplants — rejection and graft-versus-host disease, in which donor cells attack the recipient cells, the researchers said.
Drug Resistance Among Food-borne Germs a Mixed Bag
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Report found reduced resistance to treatments with some bugs, more resistance among others
July 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) — There’s good news and bad news about antibiotic resistance among the germs that cause foodborne illnesses, a new U.S. government report released Tuesday shows.
“Our latest data show some progress in reducing resistance among some germs that make people sick, but unfortunately we’re also seeing greater resistance in some pathogens, like certain types of salmonella,” Dr. Robert Tauxe, deputy director of the division of foodborne, waterborne and environmental diseases at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in an agency news release.
Gut Cells May Be Coaxed to Make Insulin for People With Type 1 Diabetes
By Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay
Early study in mouse and human cells shows promise, but more research is needed
June 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Scientists are hopeful that cells inside the human gut might someday be retrained to produce insulin, the metabolic hormone that’s lacking in people with type 1 diabetes.
The team from Columbia University Medical Center in New York City said their findings hold promise for the development of a new treatment for type 1 diabetes that does not involve stem cells.
HIV Prevention Drug May Lower Genital Herpes Risk
By Randy Dotinga, HealthDay
But effect isn’t strong enough to make it a stand-alone preventive treatment for herpes, expert says
June 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) — A combination drug used to treat and prevent HIV — Truvada — may have an additional benefit: lowering the risk of a genital herpes infection, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that African heterosexuals who were at risk of getting HIV from their partners were about 30 percent less likely to get infected with genital herpes if they took the drug tenofovir alone or with emtricitabine. Truvada is made from the combination of these two drugs.
[West Africa Ebola Death Toll Reaches 467: WHO www.webmd.com/news/20140701/west-africa-ebola]
July 2, 2014 — The Ebola outbreak in West Africa has killed 467 people so far as the death toll continues to climb, the World Health Organization said Tuesday.
It also said that there have been 759 suspected, probable and confirmed cases in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the Associated Press reported.
‘Generally Reassuring’ Findings on Fertility Drugs
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
But researchers still urge long-term monitoring
July 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Use of fertility drugs doesn’t appear to increase a woman’s long-term risk of breast, ovarian and uterine cancers, new research indicates.
The findings are “generally reassuring,” said study co-author Dr. Humberto Scoccia, of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Still, he urged that women who use fertility drugs be closely monitored as they age.
High Blood Pressure May Up Psoriasis Risk for Women
By Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay
Long-term use of certain medications also linked to higher risk, study found
July 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Women with high blood pressure may have an increased risk of developing the skin disease psoriasis, new research suggests.
Taking blood pressure medications called beta-blockers also raises the risk for psoriasis, according to the study that followed nearly 78,000 women for more than a decade.
Psoriasis, which affects about 3 percent of the U.S. population, is a chronic immune system disorder that causes red, raised patches on the skin. Previous research has linked psoriasis with diabetes, heart disease and depression.
C-Section May Raise Odds of Failed Pregnancy Later
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Slightly higher rate of stillbirths, ectopic pregnancies seen after cesarean delivery, researchers say
July 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) — A cesarean delivery might put women at a slightly increased risk for ectopic pregnancy and stillbirth in future pregnancies, a new study finds.
However, the risk for either complication is still very low, researchers said.
The researchers analyzed data from nearly 833,000 first-time mothers in Denmark. Those whose baby was delivered by cesarean section had a 14 percent higher rate of stillbirth in their next pregnancy than those who had a vaginal delivery. A stillbirth is described as the death of a fetus at more than 20 weeks of gestation.
Sperm Donor Age and Infertility Treatment Success
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Sperm quality and woman’s age are more important factors in fertility success, researchers say
June 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) — A sperm donor’s age doesn’t affect the chances of a live birth resulting from fertility treatments using donor sperm, a new study says.
There is emerging evidence that sperm quality declines as men age. However, the new study’s findings support previous research showing that a couple’s chances of having children are much more dependent on the age of the female than of the male, researchers said.
Most Women Don’t Need Regular Pelvic Exams: ACP
By Amy Norton, HealthDay
Review found no evidence they benefit many women, but cervical cancer screening still needed
June 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) — The annual pelvic exam has long been a routine part of women’s health care, but new guidelines say there’s no good reason for it.
The recommendations, laid out by the American College of Physicians (ACP), advise against pelvic exams for women who aren’t pregnant and have no symptoms of a potential problem.
Study: No Link Between Testosterone, Heart Attack
By Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay
Finding runs counter to some prior reports; much larger trials are needed, experts say
July 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Although recent research has linked testosterone therapy with a higher risk for heart attack and stroke, a new study involving more than 25,000 older men suggests otherwise.
The study, funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, may help ease some fears about testosterone therapy for patients and their families, the study authors said.
Glaucoma Can Affect Babies, Too
By Amy Norton, HealthDay
In U.S., one in 10,000 infants is born with the vision-robbing disease
July 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) — When Olivia Goree noticed something just “wasn’t right” about her 6-week-old son’s eyes, she trusted her instincts and took him to the doctor. What she never expected was the diagnosis: glaucoma.
“I was really surprised,” recalled Goree, who said she had only ever heard of the vision-robbing disease affecting older adults.
Childhood Vaccines Vindicated Once More
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
No link to autism found in large review of previous research on measles, mumps, rubella vaccine
July 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Parents worried about getting young children vaccinated against infectious diseases have fresh cause for reassurance, researchers say.
A new review of existing scientific evidence has concluded that childhood vaccines are safe and don’t cause serious health problems such as autism or leukemia.
“Our findings support that vaccines are very safe for children, and add to a substantial body of evidence that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the very low risks,” said senior author Dr. Courtney Gidengil, an associate physician scientist at RAND Corporation and an instructor at Harvard Medical School. “Hopefully, this will engage hesitant parents in discussions with their health care providers.”
iPads May Help Speaking Skills in Kids With Autism
By Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay
Combining use of device with therapy sessions helped minimally verbal children talk, interact
July 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Adding access to a computer tablet to traditional therapy may help children with autism talk and interact more, new research suggests.
The study compared language and social communication treatment — with or without access to an iPad computer tablet — in 61 young children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and found that the device helped boost the effect of the treatment.
Kids With ADHD More Likely to Abuse Drugs: Analysis
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
But researchers also found that medications used to treat disorder not part of increased risk
June 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Children suffering from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more than twice as likely to try and abuse drugs, a new analysis finds.
However, that does not mean that the medications that are prescribed to treat the most common childhood disorder in the United States play a part in that increased risk.
Nursing Home Care Out of Reach for Many ‘Boomers’?
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Price tag for 1 year of institutionalized care is now about $84,000, federal report says
June 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) — With higher rates of illness but fewer adult children to care for them, many of America’s baby boom generation may find themselves unable to pay for the nursing home care they need, a new study warns.
Already, a growing number of older Americans are developing chronic diseases but can’t cover the costs of long-term care in a nursing facility, the U.S. National Institute on Aging-funded report says.
Study: Common HIV Drug May Boost Suicide Risk
By Alan Mozes, HealthDay
Patients taking efavirenz should be assessed for depression, researchers say
June 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) — A medication commonly used to treat HIV appears to double the risk that patients will develop suicidal thoughts or take their lives, new research contends.
The finding concerns the anti-HIV drug efavirenz, which is marketed as Sustiva.
Aerobic & Strength Training Combo for Diabetes
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
In study, people with type 2 disease had better blood sugar control when both modes used
July 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) — A combination of aerobic and resistance training may work better than either type of exercise alone in helping people with diabetes control their blood sugar, a new review finds.
Researchers analyzed data from 14 studies that included more than 900 people with type 2 diabetes. The studies looked at the role of aerobic or resistance training (workouts such as weightlifting) in boosting the health of diabetics.
Could Dark Chocolate Ease Poor Leg Circulation?
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Perhaps, but experts say there are better ways to obtain beneficial polyphenols
July 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) — The antioxidants contained in dark chocolate might help people suffering from reduced blood flow to their legs, researchers from Italy report.
In a small study, people with artery problems in their legs walked a little longer and farther right after eating a bar of dark chocolate, the researchers said.
Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants called polyphenols. The researchers believe polyphenols improve blood flow to the legs by affecting biochemicals that prompt arteries to widen.
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