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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Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
If you haven’t started thinking about vegetarian main dishes for Thanksgiving, now is the time. This year I am focusing on beans from North America. I have been enjoying a number of heirloom beans native to the Southwest and Mexico, and they were the inspiration for these dishes, most of which also incorporate other foods native to the Americas – squash, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes. [..]
Although I’m loving the heirloom beans I’ve discovered, they are not a requirement for any of this week’s recipes. The pintos, black beans, white beans and red beans in your local supermarket will be fine. But it does pay to use dried beans rather than canned, so that you get the delicious savory broth along with the perfectly seasoned beans.
A vegan dish that is slightly sweet and spicy. This new world bean dish will satisfy the vegetarians and vegans at the Thanksgiving table.
Refried Black or Pinto Bean, Zucchini and Corn Gratin
An interpretation of a traditional Southwestern dish with three distinct layers.
A substantial vegetarian Thanksgiving main dish.
Thanksgiving Mixed Bean Chile With Corn and Pumpkin
A straightforward vegetarian chili that is a favorite throughout the year.
White Tepary Bean and Potato Purée
A side dish that can be a comforting, high-protein substitute for mashed potatoes.
Laundry Detergent Pods Pose Poisoning Risk to Kids
By Randy Dotinga, HealthDay
One death, more than 700 illnesses among young U.S. children
Nov. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Laundry detergent “pods” seriously sickened more than 700 U.S. children and killed at least one in a recent two-year period, a new report reveals.
Poison control centers across the country logged more than 17,000 calls about children exposed to the convenient laundry aids during that same period, researchers also found.
“Something about these pods makes them highly toxic. They pose a very serious poisoning threat to kids,” said report co-author Dr. Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
Most in U.S. Aren’t Suitable Kidney Donors: Study
By Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay
Health or financial reasons disqualify more than 75 percent, researchers report
Nov. 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Even if they were willing, most people in the United States aren’t qualified to be kidney donors because of health or financial reasons, a new study has found.
More than 75 percent of the population could not donate, said Dr. Anthony Bleyer, a nephrologist at Wake Forest School of Medicine, who led the study. It is to be presented Friday at the American Society of Nephrology meeting in Philadelphia.
Sleep Apnea and Kidney Disease in Diabetics
By Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay
Screening for sleep disorder could spot those at risk for more rapid loss of renal function, researchers say
Nov. 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Kidney disease may progress faster for diabetics who have kidney disease and also suffer from sleep apnea, according to a new study.
Screening for the sleep disorder, the researchers said, could help identify those at risk for accelerated loss of kidney function.
Obstructive sleep apnea is common among people with type 2 diabetes, according to the researchers. The disorder causes the upper airway to become blocked by soft tissue in the back of the throat during sleep. This causes pauses in breathing and other symptoms, such as gasping and snoring.Nov. 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Kidney disease may progress faster for diabetics who have kidney disease and also suffer from sleep apnea, according to a new study.
Screening for the sleep disorder, the researchers said, could help identify those at risk for accelerated loss of kidney function.
Obstructive sleep apnea is common among people with type 2 diabetes, according to the researchers. The disorder causes the upper airway to become blocked by soft tissue in the back of the throat during sleep. This causes pauses in breathing and other symptoms, such as gasping and snoring.
Smokers in Cars Pose Risk to Passengers: Study
By Randy Dotinga, HealthDay
Urine of those who didn’t light up had evidence of toxic cigarette chemicals
New research suggests that non-smoking people who sit in cars with smokers inhale some of the same cancer-causing substances and other toxins.
But, it’s not clear what this means for the health of non-smokers, the researchers said.
This “is the first study to measure exposure to these particular chemicals in people exposed to secondhand smoke,” study senior investigator Dr. Neal Benowitz, professor of medicine and bioengineering and therapeutic sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, said in a university news release.
Drugs Cure Hep C in Most Liver Transplant Patients
By Randy Dotinga, HealthDay
Researchers say treatment has fewer side effects and less risk of rejection, too
Nov. 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) — A new drug regimen is producing high cure rates in small groups of liver transplant patients with hepatitis C, researchers report.
The study’s results are a “landmark achievement,” said study first author Dr. Paul Kwo, professor of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine, in a university news release.
ADHD Stimulant Abuse Common Among Young Adults
By Tara Haelle, HealthDay
Reasons for misuse include pressure to succeed at school or work
Nov. 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Nearly one in every five college students abuses prescription stimulants, according to a new survey sponsored by the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. The survey also found that one in seven non-students of similar age also report abusing stimulant medications.
Young adults aged 18 to 25 report using the drugs to help them stay awake, study or improve their work or school performance. The most commonly abused stimulants are those typically prescribed for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), such as Adderall, Ritalin and Vyvanse, the survey found.
Improper Contact Lens Use and Eye Infections
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Proper lens hygiene can prevent most cases of keratitis, experts say
Nov. 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Millions of Americans misuse contact lenses — wearing them too long, not cleaning them properly — and that causes almost a million cases of eye infection in the United States annually, a new report finds.
These infections are clinically known as keratitis, an infection of the cornea, the clear dome that covers the colored part of the eye.
Keratitis can cause pain and inflammation and, in severe cases, even blindness, according to experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who authored the new report released Thursday.
Signs of Toxic Flame Retardants Found in Americans
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
One type has never been detected before, the other is a surprise because it was phased out of kids’ pajamas
Nov. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Scientists report that they found evidence of six kinds of toxic flame retardants in Americans.
The researchers tested urine samples from California residents and found detectable levels of a rarely studied group of flame retardants known as phosphates, and one — tris-(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) — has never been seen in Americans before.
TCEP, a known carcinogen that can also damage people’s nervous and reproductive systems, was detected in 75 percent of the people tested, the scientists said. This flame retardant is used in polyurethane foam, plastics, polyester resins and textiles.
Prices Soaring for Some Generic Drugs: Experts
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Supply and manufacturing problems, plus fewer companies in the market among causes
Nov. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Market forces are dramatically driving up the cost of some generic drugs, prompting U.S. investigations into the pricing of what should be cheap alternatives to brand-name medications.
Generics that should cost pennies per dose have undergone radical increases in price in recent years, said Dr. Aaron Kesselheim, author of a new commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine, and director of the Program on Regulation, Therapeutics and Law at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
B Vitamins May Not Boost Memory or Thinking: Study
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Folic acid and vitamin B12 reduce harmful substance, but don’t improve recall
Nov. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Taking vitamin B12 or folic acid supplements may not reduce seniors’ risk of memory loss, according to a new study.
Past research hinted that taking vitamin B12 and folic acid might help protect memory and thinking skills, according to background information from the study. But follow-up trials have yielded less convincing findings.
The current study included nearly 3,000 people. Their average age was 74 years. Half took a tablet daily with 500 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin B12 and 400 mcg of folic acid, and the rest took a placebo every day for two years. All of the participants had high levels of an amino acid called homocysteine, which has been linked to memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease, according to the study.
Smokers Quick to Accept Plain-Packaged Cigarettes
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Research in Australia — where such packaging is mandated — shows about half of smokers support it
Nov. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) — In an attempt to make smoking less attractive, Australia recently mandated that cigarette packs there be sold in plain wrappers with large, graphic health warnings.
Some anti-smoking advocates have pushed for similar packaging changes in the United States.
Now, a new study published online recently in the journal Tobacco Control finds that many Australian smokers have quickly accepted and supported the new packaging.
Medicare to Cover Lung Cancer Screening for Some
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Experts applaud decision, saying it will save thousands of lives
Nov. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Annual lung cancer screenings for long-term smokers may soon be covered by Medicare, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Monday.
The reimbursement proposal would cover annual CT scans for people aged 55 to 74 with a smoking history of 30 pack-years who still smoke or who quit within the last 15 years. Pack years are determined by multiplying the number of packs smoked daily by the number of years a person has smoked.
Common BP Drug May Lower Lou Gehrig’s Disease Risk
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
But new finding needs additional research to confirm the link, experts caution
Nov. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Medications commonly used to lower blood pressure might also lower the risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, researchers suggest.
In fact, those who took particular doses of the medications known as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) for more than four years appeared to reduce their risk of ALS by 57 percent, the researchers found.
Chronic Pot Smoking May Alter Brain, Study Suggests
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
But shrinkage seen in brain scans doesn’t show impact on functioning, pro-pot experts say
Nov. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Long-term marijuana use appears to alter a person’s brain, causing one region associated with addiction to shrink and forcing the rest of the brain to work overtime to compensate, a new study reports.
MRI scans revealed that people who use pot for years have a smaller-than-usual orbitofrontal cortex, a region in the frontal lobes of the brain that is involved in decision-making and assessing the expected rewards or punishments of an action, said study author Francesca Filbey, from the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas.
Deaths From Heart Disease Drop Quickly After This
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
But experts say treatment should also focus on possible noncardiac causes of death
Nov. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Heart attack survivors who receive prompt treatment to unclog blocked arteries and keep them open have a lower long-term risk of dying from heart disease, a new study finds.
However, they still have an increased risk of death from noncardiac causes, such as cancer and lung problems.
The study included more than 2,800 heart attack patients in Denmark who were treated quickly with angioplasty to clear arteries and stents to keep them open on a procedure known as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and then followed for a median of almost five years.
Drug Combo Helps Lupus-Related Kidney Condition
By Amy Norton, HealthDay
Half of those taking three medications achieved full remission, study reports
Nov. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) — A combination of drugs may offer a better way to combat a serious kidney complication that commonly affects people with lupus, a new study from China suggests.
In a trial of more than 300 Chinese patients with the condition, known as lupus nephritis, those who were given a trio of powerful drugs were more likely to see a complete remission. After six months, 46 percent were in full remission, versus 26 percent of patients given an intravenous drug called cyclophosphamide.
Doctor With Ebola Coming to U.S. for Treatment
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
He became infected in West Africa; to arrive at specialized Nebraska hospital on Saturday
Nov. 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) — A doctor from Sierra Leone who lives in the United States and became infected with Ebola in his native country will be flown Saturday to a specialized hospital in Nebraska for treatment, according to published reports.
Dr. Martin Salia is to be transported to Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. He is a general surgeon who had been working at a hospital in Sierra Leone’s capital city of Freetown, the Associated Press reported.
Semen Boosts HIV’s Ability to Infect Cells: Study
Nov. 13, 2014 — Semen increases HIV’s ability to infect cells, which may explain why it’s so difficult to develop genital creams or gels to protect against the AIDS-causing virus, a new study says.
“We think this may be one of the factors explaining why so many drugs that efficiently blocked HIV infection in laboratory experiments did not work in a real world setting,” Nadia Roan of the University of California, San Francisco and the Gladstone Institutes, told NBC News.
The researchers tested different microbicides on HIV and found that including semen in the mix made it 10 times easier for HIV to infect cells, and made the microbicides 20 times less effective.
Trials of Experimental Ebola Therapies to Begin
By HealthDay staff, HealthDay
They include antiviral drugs and blood plasma transfusions, health officials say
Nov. 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Trials of therapies that might prove effective against Ebola will begin in December in West Africa, the epicenter of the worst Ebola outbreak ever, health officials said Thursday.
The therapies will include two antiviral drugs — one from the United States and one from Japan. They have been approved for certain uses — the Japanese drug is given to treat influenza, for instance — but they haven’t been tested as therapies for Ebola.
The researchers hope to have trial results back by February 2015. The World Health Organization and the humanitarian medical group Doctors Without Borders will be involved with some of the trials.
Last U.S. Ebola Patient Leaves NYC Hospital
By E.J. Mundell, HealthDay
Dr. Craig Spencer spent 19 days under treatment after contracting illness in Guinea
Nov. 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Dr. Craig Spencer, the last patient hospitalized for Ebola in the United States, left Bellevue Hospital in New York City Tuesday and is now free of the virus, his doctors say.
“Today I am healthy and no longer infectious,” Spencer said at a morning news conference. “My early detection, reporting and now recovery from Ebola speaks to the effectiveness of protocols that are in place for health staff returning from West Africa.”
RA in Moms-to-Be Tied to Premature Births
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Low birth weight also more likely, researchers found
Nov. 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Pregnant women with rheumatoid arthritis are at increased risk for giving birth prematurely, a new study suggests.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic joint inflammation.
For the study, researchers looked at data from almost 2 million single-baby births in Denmark between 1977 and 2008. They found that more than 13,500 of the mothers had rheumatoid arthritis or were diagnosed with the disease after giving birth (“preclinical” rheumatoid arthritis).
Acupuncture, Exercise May Ease Breast Cancer Pain
By Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay
Treatment-related discomfort, swelling helped by the approaches, studies find
Nov. 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Breast cancer patients who experience pain and swelling related to their treatment may find relief in acupuncture and exercise, new research suggests.
In one study, acupuncture helped reduce joint pain by up to 40 percent, said study author Dr. Jun Mao, director of the integrative oncology program at the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia.
And it didn’t matter if people thought it would work or not, he found.
2nd Surgeries After Breast Cancer Lumpectomy
By Steven, HealthDay
Currently, 1 in 4 women who undergo lump removal require a follow-up surgery, study finds
Nov. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) — In a study of more than 240,000 women who had breast conservation surgery for breast cancer, nearly 25 percent needed a second operation, a new study finds.
“There are very few operations where you would expect to have a second surgery,” said lead researcher Dr. Lee Wilke, director of the section of surgical oncology at the Breast Cancer Center at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison. “This is traumatic for women from a psychological standpoint and can result in poorer cosmetic outcomes.”
States’ HPV Vaccination and Cervical Cancer Rates
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Vaccination could prevent most cervical cancers, researcher notes
Nov. 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) — The states with the lowest rates for teen vaccinations against the virus believed to cause most cervical cancers are also the states where cervical cancer rates are the highest, a new study finds.
For example, in Massachusetts, where 69 percent of teen girls have been vaccinated, about six in 100,000 women develop cervical cancer each year, the researchers said. But in Arkansas, where only 41 percent of teens have received the HPV vaccine, the rate of cervical cancer is 10 in 100,000 women, they said.
Whooping Cough Shot Seems Safe in Pregnancy: Study
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Shot helps protect newborns against potentially deadly bacteria, experts say
Nov. 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Getting a tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap) vaccine during the last trimester of pregnancy is safe for the fetus, a new study has found.
The Tdap vaccine doesn’t increase an expecting mothers’ risk of preterm delivery, low birth weight newborns, or the serious pregnancy complication known as preeclampsia, said lead author Dr. Elyse Kharbanda of the HealthPartners Institute for Education and Research in Minneapolis, Minn.
“The vaccine is the best option we have right now to prevent pertussis in newborns, and our study supports vaccinating women during pregnancy,” Kharbanda said.
Study: Men Can Get Oral HPV Infection From Women
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Virus could put them at raised risk for throat cancers, researchers say
Nov. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Men are at increased risk for oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection if their female sex partners have oral and/or genital HPV infections, a new study shows.
The findings suggest that HPV transmission occurs through both oral-oral and oral-genital routes, according to the authors of the study.
Two Generic ADHD Drugs Not as Effective: FDA
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
In some patients, the medications were released more slowly than extended-release Concerta
Nov. 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Two generic versions of the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder drug Concerta may not work as effectively as the brand-name product does, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday.
The agency analyzed available data and conducted laboratory tests on the two generic versions of Concerta (methylphenidate hydrochloride extended-release tablets) made by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals and Kudco Ireland Ltd.
More Than One-Fifth of High School Students Smoke
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Experts say more regulation could stop young Americans from picking up the deadly habit
n some way, which means that millions of them are putting themselves at risk for early death, a federal government study warns.
Nearly 23 percent of high school students use tobacco products, and more than 90 percent of those teens smoke cigarettes, cigars, hookahs or pipes, according to the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Nine out of ten smokers tried their first cigarette by age 18,” Dr. Tim McAfee, director of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, said in an agency news release. “We must do more to prevent our youth from using tobacco products, or we will see millions of them suffer and die prematurely as adults.”
Falls Leading Cause of Serious Head Trauma for Kids
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Seatbelts and bike helmets can help prevent severe head injuries, experts say
Nov. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) — A new study of more than 43,000 children finds that falls are the most common cause of head injuries among younger kids.
For children under the age of 2, falls accounted for 77 percent of head injuries. For kids aged 2 to 12, falls caused 38 percent of head injuries, the researchers said.
Many of these serious brain injuries result from car and bicycle accidents, said lead researcher Dr. Nathan Kuppermann, a professor in the departments of emergency medicine and pediatrics at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine.
Kids Obese at Young Age Often Stay That Way: Study
Weight at 11 a good indicator of weight at 16, researchers found
Nov. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) — The vast majority of children who are obese at age 11 are still far too heavy at age 16, new research suggests.
Tracking nearly 4,000 children in three U.S. metropolitan areas over five years, researchers found that 83 percent of obese 10th graders had also been obese in fifth grade. Only 12 percent of kids who were obese in fifth grade transitioned to a normal weight over the following half-decade, according to the study.
Alzheimer’s Cases Expected to Double by 2050
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Costs for care may go up as much as fivefold if disease isn’t delayed, prevented
Nov. 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) — The number of people with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States will more than double by 2050 — a trend driven by the aging baby boomer population, a new study predicts.
The cost of caring for these Alzheimer’s patients will climb from $307 billion to $1.5 trillion a year by 2050, the researchers estimated. They believe that, 35 years from now, the average annual per-patient cost of the disease will be double that of the $71,000-a-year cost in 2010.
Genes of Oldest People: No Insights to Long Life
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
No differences seen in genomes of those older than 110, researchers rep
Nov. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) — The genes of the world’s oldest people have been sequenced, but the decoding effort did not reveal any genes strongly linked with an exceptionally long lifespan, scientists report.
Researchers performed whole-genome sequencing on 17 people older than 110 years of age — so-called supercentenarians — to learn more about genes that might play a role in extreme longevity.
Currently, there are 74 supercentenarians in the world, including 22 in the United States.
Big-Name Diets All Work for a While, Review Finds
By Amy Norton, HealthDay
No eating plan stood out in terms of lasting weight loss, researchers noted
Nov. 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) — There are plenty of famous-name diets for weight loss, but none stands out from the pack when it comes to lasting results, a new review suggests.
Looking at a dozen clinical trials, researchers found that three big-name diets — Atkins, Weight Watchers and the Zone — were all “modestly” effective over the course of a year. In studies that compared the plans head-to-head, people lost anywhere from 4 to 10 pounds, on average.
Meanwhile, a fourth commercial diet — South Beach — was no better than traditional advice to eat a low-fat diet, the study authors said.
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