Welcome to the Stars Hollow Gazette‘s 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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I took advantage of my garden’s tomato bounty and made a pasta-like dish with sautéed cherry tomatoes and a sort of eggplant Parmesan casserole with a layer of Israeli couscous at the bottom. The couscous absorbs the wonderful flavors of the tomato sauce and eggplant. I also pulled some leftover cooked beans from my freezer and tossed them with the couscous, a tomato concassé and lots of basil for a wonderful main dish salad. [..]
I’m still focused on salads as the warm weather continues. So with the half-cup of brown rice, two tablespoons of red lentils and third of a cup of barley that were lingering in the pantry, I made a main-dish mixed-grains salad with a creamy curry dressing. It’s amazing how you can make grains and legumes stretch to make a filling meal.
An eggplant Parmesan of sorts on a bed of Israeli couscous is a good way to use the fresh tomato sauce you’ve made over the summer, though canned tomatoes will work, too.
Israeli Couscous with Sautéed Cherry Tomatoes and Basil
A simple, quick dish with few ingredients and lots of flavors.
Israeli Couscous, Bean and Tomato Salad
Finely chopped tomatoes seasoned with garlic, balsamic vinegar and basil serve as dressing and vegetale in this main dish salad.
Romaine Salad with Couscous Confetti
A lemony, colorful mix of chopped peppers and couscous adds substance to this romaine salad.
Brown Rice and Barley Salad with Sprouted Red Lentils and Green Beans
This hearty salad, with a creamy, spicy dressing, can be made with a number of different grains.
Better Sepsis Survival in High-Volume Hospitals
By Robert, HealthDay
Improved outcomes seen in medical centers with 500 or more cases a year, study finds
Sept. 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Patients with sepsis are more likely to survive this life-threatening bloodstream infection if they’re treated in a hospital that handles a large number of sepsis cases, a new study shows.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 914,000 patients hospitalized with severe sepsis in the United States between 2004 and 2010.
The overall death rate was 28 percent. However, patients treated at hospitals that treated 500 or more sepsis cases a year were 36 percent more likely to survive than those treated at hospitals that treated fewer than 50 sepsis cases a year.
Family Troubles Tied to Poorer Dental HealthBy Maureen Salamon, HealthDay
The more physical, verbal aggression there was in the home, the more cavities parents and children had
Sept. 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Parents and children in troubled families, where violence and verbal aggression are a common part of the daily landscape, tend to have more cavities and missing teeth, a new study suggests.
New York University researchers found that parents with worse oral health often had partners who were more verbally or physically hostile to them. And children whose mothers were emotionally aggressive to their fathers also had more decayed, missing or filled teeth.
E-Cig Vapor May Be Less Toxic Than Tobacco Smoke
By Randy Dotinga, HealthDay
But researcher says the devices should still be regulated
Sept. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Secondhand vapor created by one brand of electronic cigarette harbors fewer hazardous chemicals than regular cigarette smoke, although the researchers report the finding doesn’t leave e-cigarettes in the clear.
The study has caveats. For one, it doesn’t examine which hazardous chemicals in e-cig vapor actually make it into the lungs of people nearby. And the scientists only looked at indoor smoking, which is often banned in the United States.
Many RA Patients May Skip Meds: Study
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
This could lead to worsening of symptoms, researchers say
Sept. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Many patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis don’t take their expensive medications as prescribed, a new British study finds.
Failure to take the drugs correctly reduces their effectiveness and may lead to a worsening of symptoms, warned researchers from the University of Manchester.
Rheumatoid arthritis develops when your immune system begins to attack itself, and symptoms include inflammation, pain and swelling in the joints and internal organs.
Farm Antibiotics May Be Linked to Food Allergies
By Randy Dotinga HealthDay
Girl’s severe reaction traced to streptomycin-treated blueberries
Sept. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Allergic reactions to food are a concern for millions of Americans, and now a study suggests there’s a potential new player on the immunology front: Some people may be allergic to the antibiotics used to keep pests away from fruits and vegetables.
The study profiles the case of a 10-year-old girl who had a severe allergic reaction after eating blueberry pie. She suffered from asthma, seasonal allergies and allergies to milk and penicillin, but nothing in the pie seemed like a likely culprit.
The researchers determined that the problem was a blueberry that had been treated with streptomycin, an antibiotic that’s used in people to fight off germs and in plants to keep bacteria, fungi and algae at bay.
Poor-Quality Sleep May Be Linked to Shrinking Brain
By Tara Haelle, HealthDay
Study finds long-term losses in gray matter
Sept. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Not getting a good night’s sleep might be linked to shrinkage of the brain’s gray matter over time, new research suggests.
Faster deterioration of three parts of the brain was seen in mostly older adults who had poor sleep quality, though not necessarily too little sleep. Sleep difficulties included having trouble falling asleep, waking up during the night or waking up too early.
However, it isn’t clear whether poor sleep causes the changes in the brain, whether a shrinking brain causes poor sleep, or whether a bit of both is occurring.
Pilots May Face Higher Risk of Skin Cancer
By Randy Dotinga, HealthDay
But, it’s not clear whether flying is to blame
Sept. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Airline pilots and flight crews may face as much as twice the risk of the type of skin cancer known as melanoma compared with the general population, according to a new analysis of existing research.
However, it’s not clear whether exposure to the sun during flight time is responsible for the increased risk.
Nerve Blocking Falls Short in Weight Loss Study
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Modest reduction not significantly better than diet drugs or other surgeries
Sept. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) — A device intended to help with weight loss by blocking a certain nerve linked to appetite and metabolism failed to meet expectations in a trial among obese patients.
Using electric impulses to block the vagus nerve, which runs between the brain and stomach, researchers hoped to suppress feelings of hunger. And, they did, just not to the extent they anticipated.
‘Pot Addiction’ May Be Real, Study Suggests
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Many teen marijuana users exhibited withdrawal symptoms when they tried to quit, researchers say
Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) — Many people believe that marijuana is not addictive, but a new study challenges that theory.
“As more people are able to obtain and consume cannabis legally for medical and, in some states, recreational use, people are less likely to perceive it as addictive or harmful,” study co-author John Kelly, a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Addiction Medicine, said in a hospital news release.
“But research shows that cannabis use can have significant consequences, and we know that among adolescents it is second only to alcohol in rates of misuse,” he added.
U.S. Launches Ebola Vaccine Trial
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
2 women got the inoculation, which is only being tested for safety at this point
Sept. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Two women have been given an experimental Ebola vaccine as the U.S. National Institutes of Health launches a much-anticipated trial to combat the often-lethal virus that has plagued four West African nations.
The women, ages 39 and 27, are the first people to receive the vaccine, which had previously been tested only in monkeys, ABC News reported.
The fast-tracked clinical trial will test the safety of the vaccine and will include 20 men and women ages 18 to 50. No one will be infected with the disease. The vaccine was developed by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and drug maker GlaxoSmithKline.
CDC Director: More Resources Needed to Quell Ebola
By Brenda Goodman, MA, WebMD Health News
Sept. 2, 2014 — The director of the CDC, just back from a week-long tour of three countries hard-hit by Ebola, painted a dire picture of the epidemic and called for more help to stop it.
“Bad as the situation is now, everything I’ve seen suggests that over the next few weeks it’s likely to get worse. We’re likely to see significant increases in cases,” Tom Frieden, MD, told reporters in a press briefing.
“For every day that this continues to spread in West Africa, the likelihood of someone getting infected and getting sick elsewhere increases,” he said, noting the virus recently spread to Senegal.
Potassium Linked to Fewer Strokes in Older Women
By Randy, HealthDay
Sept. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Could eating foods rich in potassium, such as bananas and potatoes, help lower the risk of stroke and an earlier death for older women?
Possibly, suggest the findings from a new study. But the research is too preliminary to confirm that potassium alone — and not a better overall diet — actually plays a major role in helping women avoid strokes and live longer.
However, the study’s findings were significant enough for one of the study’s co-authors to make this recommendation: “Postmenopausal women should eat more potassium-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, milk and unprocessed meats in order to lower their risk of stroke and death,” said Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, professor emerita with the department of epidemiology & population health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.
Bras Blameless for Breast Cancer Risk: Study
By Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay
Contrary to media reports, researchers found no evidence wearing them boosted chances of disease
Sept. 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) — When it comes to breast cancer risk, women’s bras are off the hook, a new study says.
To determine if concerns that have surfaced in the past over whether wearing bras might increase the chances of tumors, the researchers looked at types of bras women wore, when they began wearing them and how long they wore them each day.
“We found no evidence that wearing a bra is associated with breast cancer,” said study author Lu Chen, a researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. She’s also a doctoral student in epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health.
‘Angelina Jolie Effect’ On Cancer Gene Testing
By Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay
Women at greatest risk were the ones who sought genetic counseling, researcher said
Sept. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — In the months after actress and activist Angelina Jolie revealed last year that she had undergone a preventive double mastectomy because of an increased risk for breast cancer, the number of women referred for genetic counseling went up dramatically, a new Canadian study shows.
“When we compared six months before the [Jolie] story to six months after, we found the number of referrals doubled,” said study author Dr. Jacques Raphael, a medical oncology fellow at Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre in Toronto. He is scheduled to present his findings Friday at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Breast Cancer Symposium in San Francisco. Sept. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — In the months after actress and activist Angelina Jolie revealed last year that she had undergone a preventive double mastectomy because of an increased risk for breast cancer, the number of women referred for genetic counseling went up dramatically, a new Canadian study shows.
“When we compared six months before the [Jolie] story to six months after, we found the number of referrals doubled,” said study author Dr. Jacques Raphael, a medical oncology fellow at Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre in Toronto. He is scheduled to present his findings Friday at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Breast Cancer Symposium in San Francisco.
Double Mastectomy Doesn’t Improve Survival: Study
By Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay
But many more women in U.S. are choosing the radical procedure
Sept. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) — More U.S. women with early stage breast cancer are choosing to have both breasts removed as a precautionary step, although the double mastectomy provides no apparent survival advantage, researchers say.
Death rates are similar for women who have both breasts taken off and those who opt for breast-conserving surgery known as lumpectomy, according to their new study.
Methadone Lowers Testosterone in Men Only
By Deborah Brauser, Medscape Medical News
Sept. 5, 2014 — Treating addiction to heroin and other opioid drugs with methadone can dramatically lower testosterone levels, but only in men, new research suggests.
A study of more than 1,000 adults showed the men who were treated with methadone had roughly one-quarter of the testosterone found in men who did not use opioid drugs.
But there were no significant changes in testosterone in the women in the study.
Testosterone and Heart Attacks: Q&A
By Kathleen Doheny, WebMD Health News
Sept. 4, 2014 — Testosterone replacement therapy has tripled in the past decade. Nearly 3% of U.S. men 40 and over use it, and that percentage rises with age. Sales now top $2 billion annually.
But is it safe for your heart? Opinions differ.
Researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch reported on July 2 that they found no link between testosterone therapy and heart attack risk.
Their findings are directly opposite those from a study in January. Researchers from the University of California Los Angeles and other institutions said the therapy can double the risk of heart attack in men with existing heart disease.
Skin Cells Used to Create Heart Valve for Kids
By Robert Preidt HealthDay
It’s the first time an artificial cardiac valve has been made that grows over time, scientists say
Sept. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — While artificial heart valves have long been available to adults, making permanent valves for children has been challenging because kids’ bodies keep growing.
But researchers say they’ve found a way around that, using a child’s skin cells to make a new pulmonary valve for the youngster’s heart to replace a faulty one.
Using a child’s own skin cells to create the new valve reduces the risk of rejection, the researchers explained, and means the valve can grow with the patient — reducing the need for future valve replacements.
The findings appear in the September issue of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
Music Lessons May Help Bridge ‘Achievement Gap’
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Two years of instruction was followed by brain changes in children, study found
Sept. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — A community music program for disadvantaged children boosted an important part of their brain development and function, according to a new study.
The benefits were seen in the youngsters’ ability to distinguish similar speech sounds, a process associated with language and reading skills, the researchers said.
The researchers also found that it took two years of music instruction for this enhancement to occur. One year of music training wasn’t enough to trigger changes in the brain, according to the study published Sept. 2 in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Breast-Feeding Lowers Kids’ Allergy, Infection Risk
By EJ Mundell, HealthDay
Human milk contains important immunological protection for children, study authors say
Sept. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Two new studies further confirm the health benefits of breast-feeding.
One suggests that 6-year-olds who were breast-fed have a lower risk of ear, throat and sinus infections compared to bottle-fed infants, while the other finds a similar trend when it comes to allergies.
The research upholds the “many benefits of breast-feeding in the immediate newborn period,” said Dr. Jennifer Wu, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. She was not involved in the new studies.
The studies were published online Sept. 1 in the journal Pediatrics.
ADHD Medications Won’t Stunt Kids’ Growth: Study
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Research suggests that stimulant drugs don’t affect adult height
Sept. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Stimulant medications — such as Adderall, Ritalin and Concerta — used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, won’t stunt their growth, a new study suggests.
“Stimulant medication did not affect children’s final height as adults,” said study researcher Dr. Slavica Katusic, an associate professor of pediatrics at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Preterm, Small Birth Tied to Heart, Brain Risks
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
But researchers say exercise, education may help overcome deficiencies
, Sept. 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Babies born early or at low birth weight are at risk later in life of having smaller, less efficient brains or health problems that increase their risk for heart disease, according to a pair of new studies.
But even though these children face potential lifetime disadvantages, researchers in both studies — published online Sept. 1 in Pediatrics — found that these obstacles can be overcome.
Education appeared to negate the potential harmful effects of small birth size on a person’s brain performance, while high blood pressure and high cholesterol can be modified through diet and exercise, the researchers said.
Newer Drug Helps Older Myeloma Patients
By Amy Norton, HealthDay
Treatment may extend survival for patients over 65, researchers say
Sept. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — A cancer drug that targets the immune system may help improve the outlook for older adults with multiple myeloma, though a stem cell transplant remains the standard of care for relatively younger patients.
Those are some of the findings from two studies in the Sept. 4 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Sit Less, Protect Your DNA and Live Longer?
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Finding may help explain why sitting a lot has been linked to poor health
Sept. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Spending less time sitting might increase your lifespan by keeping your DNA young, Swedish researchers say.
More time spent on your feet appears to lengthen bits of DNA called telomeres. Telomeres, which protect the end of chromosomes (like the tips that keep shoelaces from fraying), tend to get shorter and shorter until they can’t shorten any more, causing cells to die.
“Our data indicate that lengthening of our telomeres may be one mechanism that induces health benefits after lowering sitting time in elderly people,” said lead researcher Per Sjogren, an associate professor in the department of public health and caring sciences at Uppsala University.
Eating More Fruit Cuts Heart Disease Risk: Study
By Peter Russell, WebMD Health News
Sept. 2, 2014 — Eating fruit every day lowers the risk of getting heart and stroke problems by up to 40%, researchers say.
Their new study also found that the more fruit people ate, the more their risk of getting cardiovascular disease declined, and their blood pressure was lowered.
The findings are based on a study of 451,682 people enrolled in a health study in China and were presented at the European Society of Cardiology congress in Barcelona, Spain.
The participants came from several different rural and urban areas, and none of them had a history of heart disease.
No Clear Winner Among Popular Diets: Analysis
By Amy Norton, HealthDay
Researchers saw little difference when it came to weight loss after one year
Sept. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Big dieting names like Atkins, Ornish and Weight Watchers have long competed in the battle of the bulge. But a new analysis concludes that whichever diet people choose, their chances of success are about the same.
For years, people seeking to shed weight have heard conflicting messages about the best route: Low fat? Low carb? Low glycemic index?
The analysis, published in the Sept. 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, suggests it doesn’t matter much. Across 48 clinical trials of more than 7,000 people on diets like Atkins, Zone, Ornish and South Beach, researchers found minimal differences in average weight loss.
Train Your Brain to Choose Fruit Vs. French Fries
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Study found program seemed to make low-cal fare an easy choice for a small group of overweight people
Sept. 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) — You may be able to convince your brain that healthy foods taste better than unhealthy ones, new research suggests.
The study included eight overweight and obese people who were enrolled in a newly designed weight-loss program meant to change how people react to different foods. These participants were compared to a control group of five overweight and obese people who weren’t in the program.
Both groups had MRI brain scans at the start of the study and again six months later. The scans revealed that the people in the weight-loss program had changes in areas of the brain reward center involved in learning and addiction.
Action-Packed TV a Threat to Your Waistline? http://www.webmd.com/diet/news…
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Viewers of fast-paced films filled up on more snacks, study found
Sept. 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Watching action shows on TV may be bad for your waistline, a new study contends.
People eat much more snack food while watching action films and programs than something less exciting, according to the Cornell University researchers.
“We find that if you’re watching an action movie while snacking your mouth will see more action too,” study author Aner Tal, of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, said in a university news release. “In other words, the more distracting the program is, the more you will eat.”
Low-Carb Beats Low-Fat for Weight Loss: Study
By Amy Norton, HealthDay
Still, experts agree there’s no one-size-fits-all diet
Sept. 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) — For people who want to lose weight and boost their heart health, cutting down on carbohydrates may work better than trimming dietary fat, a new study suggests.
In a small clinical trial of obese adults, researchers found that those assigned to follow a low-carbohydrate diet lost more weight over a year than those who followed a low-fat plan.
They also had bigger improvements in their cholesterol and triglyceride levels, the research team reports in the Sept. 2 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
“On average, they lost 8 pounds more, and lost more body fat mass,” said researcher Dr. Tian Hu, a doctoral fellow at Tulane University School of Public Health in New Orleans.
And while some experts have raised concerns that low-carbohydrate diets could be less than heart-healthy, these findings suggest otherwise, said Dr. Lydia Bazzano, who also worked on the study.
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