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
Whether big minestrones, noodle bowls with broth and vegetables, or less hearty soups like purées, all of this week’s potages make fine, easy winter meals and great vehicles for whatever vegetables you can get your hands on. I froze what we didn’t eat, and I am reassured knowing there are good soups on hand in the freezer.
~ Martha Rose Shulman ~
A light soup that is still incredibly satisfying.
Minestrone With Giant White Beans and Winter Squash
A substantial minestrone, even without pasta.
Noodle Bowl With Soba, Enoki Mushrooms, Sugar Snap Peas and Tofu
A noodle bowl makes for a comforting, filling winter meal and is easily put together.
Orange-Scented Winter Squash and Carrot Soup
Winter squash with the essence of orange makes for a delicious soup.
Tortilla Soup With Roasted Cauliflower “Rice”
A new twist on a Mexican classic makes a delicious dinner in a bowl.
Over 1 in 10 Use Daily Aspirin Inappropriately
By Amy Norton, HealthDay
For many users, the odds of heart attack, stroke are lower than the risk of serious bleeding, study says
an. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Many Americans are likely using daily low-dose aspirin inappropriately in the hopes of preventing a first-time heart attack or stroke, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that of nearly 69,000 U.S. adults prescribed aspirin long-term, about 12 percent probably should not have been.
That’s because their odds of suffering a heart attack or stroke were not high enough to outweigh the risks of daily aspirin use, said Dr. Ravi Hira, the lead researcher on the study and a cardiologist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
Many Who Drink Also Take Prescription Meds: Study
By Amy Norton, HealthDay
But researchers couldn’t determine if people surveyed were using both simultaneously
Jan. 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A substantial number of Americans who drink also take medications that should not be mixed with alcohol, new government research suggests.
The study, of nearly 27,000 U.S. adults, found that among current drinkers, about 43 percent were on prescription medications that interact with alcohol. Depending on the medication, that mix can cause side effects ranging from drowsiness and dehydration to depressed breathing and lowered heart rate.
It’s not clear how many people were drinking and taking their medications around the same time — or even on the same day, the researchers stressed.
Vitamin D Linked to Lower Colorectal Cancer Risk
By Peter Russell, WebMD Health News
Jan. 16, 2015 — Researchers say they can now show how vitamin D has the power to protect some people from getting colorectal cancer, otherwise known as bowel cancer.
A study found that vitamin D boosts the immune system’s defenses against tumor cells.
Survey: More Americans Getting Needed Health Care
By Karen Pallarito, HealthDay
As coverage expands under ‘Obamacare,’ fewer report problems getting care, paying medical bills
Jan. 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Although problems persist, more Americans had significantly less trouble getting and paying for needed medical care in 2014, as the health insurance expansions of the Affordable Care Act kicked in, a new survey suggests.
The number of working-age adults who said they didn’t get the care they needed because of the cost dropped to 66 million in 2014 from 80 million in 2012 — the first decline since 2003, according to The Commonwealth Fund’s latest Biennial Health Insurance Survey.
At the same time, fewer adults — 64 million in 2014 versus 75 million in 2012 — reported medical bill problems, and that’s the first decrease since 2005.
U.S. Birth Rate Continues Decline, CDC Reports
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
But experts expect economic recovery will lead to turnaround
Jan. 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. birth rate remained at an all-time low in 2013, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.
But as the economy continues to improve, births are likely to pick up, experts say.
“By 2016 and 2017, I think we’ll start seeing a real comeback,” said Dr. Aaron Caughey, chair of obstetrics and gynecology for Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. “While the economy is doing better, you’re still going to see a lag effect of about a year, and 2014 is the first year our economy really started to feel like it’s getting back to normal.”
1 in 5 Adults With Epilepsy Also Has ADHD Symptoms
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Experts say that controlling seizures may help alleviate other psychiatric symptoms
Jan. 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Nearly one in five adults with epilepsy also has symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a new study finds.
Researchers surveyed almost 1,400 adult epilepsy patients across the United States. They found that more than 18 percent had significant ADHD symptoms. In comparison, about 4 percent of American adults in the general population have been diagnosed with ADHD, the researchers noted.
Lupus Death Rates Vary by Race, Ethnicity: Study
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Asians, Hispanics most likely to survive the autoimmune disease
Jan. 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Asian and Hispanic lupus patients in the United States have lower death rates than whites, blacks or Native Americans with the disease, a new study reveals.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes joint and organ damage. Autoimmune disorders mean the body’s immune system attacks healthy body tissue by mistake, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Saliva Test Shows Promise in Lung Cancer Detection
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
It was more than 80 percent correct in spotting cancerous nodules, but accuracy still needs improving
Jan. 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Medicare indicated recently that it might soon cover CT scans to check longtime smokers for early lung cancer, and these types of scans are becoming more common.
Now, an experimental test may help determine whether lung nodules detected by those scans are malignant or not, researchers say.
The test, which checks sputum (respiratory mucus) for chemical signals of lung cancer, was able to distinguish early stage lung cancer from noncancerous nodules most of the time, according to findings published Jan. 15 in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.
As Altitude Rises, Lung Cancer Rates Seem to Fall
By Amy Norton, HealthDay
Lower oxygen levels may play a role in study findings
Jan. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Americans who live in the mountains seem to have lower rates of lung cancer than those closer to the beach — a pattern that suggests a role for oxygen intake, researchers speculate.
Their study of counties across the Western United States found that as elevation increased, lung cancer rates declined.
For every 3,300-foot rise in elevation, lung cancer incidence fell by more than seven cases per 100,000 people, researchers reported Jan. 13 in the online journal PeerJ.
U.S. Painkiller Abuse ‘Epidemic’ May Be Declining
By Amy Norton, HealthDay
But some people have switched to heroin
Jan. 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. “epidemic” of prescription-painkiller abuse may be starting to reverse course, a new study suggests.
Experts said the findings, published Jan. 15 in the New England Journal of Medicine, are welcome news. The decline suggests that recent laws and prescribing guidelines aimed at preventing painkiller abuse are working to some degree.
But researchers also found a disturbing trend: Heroin abuse and overdoses are on the rise, and that may be one reason prescription-drug abuse is down.
Gene Mutations and Colon Cancer in Black Patients
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Finding might lead to better treatment of the disease, researchers say
Jan. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Researchers who discovered new gene mutations linked to colon cancer in black Americans say their findings could lead to improved diagnosis and treatment.
In the United States, blacks are significantly more likely to develop colon cancer and to die from the disease than other racial groups.
Work Hard, Party Harder?
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Study finds link between long hours on the job and excess alcohol consumption
Jan. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Working long hours may raise the risk for alcohol abuse, according to a new study of more than 300,000 people from 14 countries.
Researchers found that employees who worked more than 48 hours a week were almost 13 percent more likely to drink to excess than those who worked 48 hours or less.
Vitamin D May Boost Colon Cancer Survival: Study
By Alan Mozes, HealthDay
But experts aren’t suggesting patients strive for higher-than-normal levels
Jan. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Higher vitamin D levels in patients with advanced colon cancer appear to improve response to chemotherapy and targeted anti-cancer drugs, researchers say.
“We found that patients who had vitamin D levels at the highest category had improved survival and improved progression-free survival, compared with patients in the lowest category,” said lead author Dr. Kimmie Ng, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
Skipping This May Work for Some With Rectal Cancer
By Alan Mozes, HealthDay
Researchers found just chemo/radiation was as effective in half of those with earliest stage of disease
Jan. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For many rectal cancer patients, the prospect of surgery is a worrisome reality, given that the operation can significantly impair both bowel and sexual function.
However, a new study reveals that some cancer patients may fare just as well by forgoing surgery in favor of chemotherapy/radiation and “watchful waiting.”
Cancer Survivors May Face Mental, Physical Issues
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Survey finds financial health often suffers, too
an. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Many U.S. cancer survivors have unresolved physical and mental health issues long after being cured, a new study finds.
One expert wasn’t surprised. “Many oncologists intuit that their patients may have unmet needs, but believe that these will diminish with time — the current study challenges that notion,” said Dr. James Ferrara, chair of cancer medicine at Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai in New York City.
Asthma Tied to Higher Risk of Sleep Apnea
By Alan Mozes, HealthDay Reporter
The longer a person had asthma, the more likely they developed the breathing disorder, study found
Jan. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Two troublesome adult breathing issues — asthma and sleep apnea — may have a connection, a new study suggests.
Adults who struggle with asthma face an increased risk for also developing the nighttime breathing disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea, the new research reveals.
The finding stems from the long-term tracking of about 550 men and women, of whom a little over 15 percent had asthma.
Test May Take Guesswork Out of Quitting Smoking
By Alan Mozes, HealthDay
Determining how quickly or slowly you process nicotine might be an aid to quitting, study suggests
Jan. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Quitting smoking is notoriously tough, and some smokers may try different approaches for years before they succeed, if ever.
But new research suggests that someday, a simple test might point smokers toward the quitting strategy that’s best for them.
The Mind May Be a Muscle Booster
By Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay
Mental imagery reduces muscle loss associated with immobilization, study suggests
Jan. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The mind can play a key role in maintaining muscle strength in limbs that are placed in a cast for a prolonged period of time, a new study suggests.
The researchers said mental imagery might help reduce the muscle loss associated with this type of immobilization.
Although skeletal muscle is a well-known factor that controls strength, researchers at Ohio University’s Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute investigated how the brain affects strength development.
Many With Hep C Missing Out on Treatment
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Without proper care, infection can lead to liver failure
Jan. 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Many hepatitis C patients get “lost” in the U.S. health care system, a new study suggests.
Researchers looked at data from about 13,600 people in Philadelphia who tested positive for hepatitis C virus between January 2010 and December 2013. During that time, just 27 percent of the patients were in care and 15 percent had been treated or were receiving treatment, the study authors found.
The study was recently published in the journal Hepatology.
Flu Cases Down Slightly
By Brenda Goodman, MA, WebMD Health News
Jan. 16, 2015 — New flu cases were down slightly across the U.S. last week, but it’s still too early to know if the season has peaked, according to the CDC.
We’re 8 weeks into a particularly nasty flu season. People over 65 have been hardest hit. Seniors are being hospitalized for the flu at nearly twice the rate they were last year. And so far, 45 children have died as of the week ending Jan. 10, according to the agency.
The main strain that’s making people sick is different from the strains included in this year’s vaccine. As a result, many people are getting sick, even if they got their shots as recommended.
Study: Ebola Epidemic in Liberia Could End by June
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
But aggressive monitoring, adding more hospital beds must continue, researchers say
Jan. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — If the current high rates of monitoring and hospitalization continue, the Ebola epidemic in Liberia could be halted by the middle of this year, researchers report.
After including data collected as of Dec. 1, 2014, a computer model projected that the Ebola infections in Liberia could be largely contained by June, according to the study published Jan. 13 in the journal PLoS Biology.
Only 1 Child in Paralysis Outbreak Has Recovered
By Robert Lowes, Medscape Medical News
Jan. 12, 2015 — Just one child has fully recovered in 103 confirmed cases of children getting a sudden and mysterious type of acute limb weakness since last August, the CDC says.
The agency says it’s investigating whether the limb weakness, called acute flaccid myelitis, is linked to the recent outbreak of severe respiratory illness traced to enterovirus-D68 (EV-D68).
The CDC and state public health labs have confirmed 1,153 cases of EV-D68, almost all of them involving children, and 13 deaths dating from the middle of last August to Jan. 8. Millions of Americans likely have had mild EV-D68 infections that went untreated or untested.
Life Satisfaction and Bone Health in Older Women
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Good spirits may be as important as lifestyle habits, researchers say
Jan. 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Older women who are satisfied with their lives may have better bone health, a new Finnish study suggests.
Up to half of all women older than 50 will develop the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis, which can lead to serious bone fractures, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Major risk factors for osteoporosis include menopause, slight frame, smoking, low calcium intake, and certain medications and medical conditions, the study authors explained.
Unhealthy Insulin Levels May Up Breast Cancer Risk
By Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay
Study of postmenopausal women suggested hormone levels mattered more than excess weight
Jan. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) — After menopause, unhealthy insulin levels may predict breast cancer risk even more than excess weight, new research suggests.
The new findings suggest “that it is metabolic health, and not overweight per se, that is associated with increased risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women,” said study co-author Marc Gunter. He is an associate professor of cancer epidemiology and prevention at Imperial College London School of Public Health in England.
Fewer With Advanced Colon Cancer Getting Surgery
By Randy Dotinga, HealthDay
Chemotherapy is best treatment, especially for those whose cancer has spread, researcher says
Jan. 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Fewer U.S. colon cancer patients who are diagnosed in the final stages of their disease are having what can often be unnecessary surgery to have the primary tumor removed, researchers report.
These patients are also living longer even as the surgery becomes less common, although their general prognosis is not good.
Heart Risk Factors Tied to Uterine Cancer Risk
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Excess weight likely a big factor, but other conditions also appear to matter
Jan. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A collection of health risk factors known as the “metabolic syndrome” may boost older women’s risk of endometrial cancer, even if they’re not overweight or obese, a new study suggests.
Metabolic syndrome refers to a group of health conditions occurring together that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. These conditions include high blood pressure, low levels of “good” HDL cholesterol, high levels of triglyceride fats, overweight and obesity, and high fasting blood sugar.
Race, Ethnicity May Affect Breast Cancer Survival
By Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay
New research finds biological differences in tumor type, behavior
Jan. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Your chances of being diagnosed with early breast cancer, as well as surviving it, vary greatly depending on your race and ethnicity, a new study indicates.
“It had been assumed lately that we could explain the differences in outcome by access to care,” said lead researcher Dr. Steven Narod, Canada research chair in breast cancer and a professor of public health at the University of Toronto. In previous studies, experts have found that some ethnic groups have better access to care.
Night Shift May Boost Black Women’s Diabetes Risk
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Odds are highest for younger women and those doing shift work for many years
Jan. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) Night shift work significantly increases the risk of diabetes in black women, according to a new study.
“In view of the high prevalence of shift work among workers in the U.S.A. — 35 percent among non-Hispanic blacks and 28 percent in non-Hispanic whites — an increased diabetes risk among this group has important public health implications,” wrote the study authors from Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University.
Vaccine Can Cut Rates of Common Infant Infection
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Rotavirus triggers potentially dangerous diarrhea, vomiting, experts say
Jan. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Rotavirus is a relatively common infection of infants and — especially in poorer countries — can cause sometimes fatal diarrhea and vomiting.
However, a new U.S. study finds that widespread vaccination against rotavirus cuts children’s rates of infection.
Neural Tube Defects, Like Spina Bifida, Declining
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Experts cite mandatory fortification of grain products with folic acid, but not enough women get the B vitamin
Jan. 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Serious birth defects of the brain and spine called neural tube defects have fallen 35 percent in the United States since mandatory folic acid fortification of enriched grain products was introduced in 1998, federal officials reported Thursday.
That decrease means 1,300 fewer babies are born annually with neural tube defects such as spina bifida, the most common neural tube defect that, in severe cases, can cause partial or complete paralysis of the parts of the body below the waist.
However, even with folic acid fortification some women don’t get enough of the B vitamin, especially Hispanic women, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Study: Many Teens Think ‘Light Smoking’ Is Safe
By Alan Mozes, HealthDay
Experts stress need to snuff out misconceptions about occasional cigarette use
Jan. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — While the vast majority of American teens say heavy daily smoking is a major health hazard, many others mistakenly believe that “light” — or occasional — smoking isn’t harmful.
“All smoking counts,” said study lead author Stephen Amrock, a medical student in pediatrics at New York University School of Medicine in New York City. “Social smoking has a price and even the occasional cigarette truly is bad for you. Light and intermittent smokers face tremendous future health risks.”
Naps May Boost Your Baby’s Memory
By Randy Dotinga, HealthDay
Study found infants recalled tasks better if they slept within four hours of learning
Jan. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Babies process and preserve memories during those many naps they take during the day, a new study suggests.
“We discovered that sleeping shortly after learning helps infants to retain memories over extended periods of time,” said study author Sabine Seehagen, a child and adolescent psychology researcher with Ruhr University Bochum in Germany. “In both of our experiments, only those infants who took an extended nap for at least half an hour within four hours after learning remembered the informatio
Are Seniors With Diabetes Overtreated?
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Very tight blood sugar control can pose problems without benefits, study says
Jan. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Many older people with diabetes may be exposed to potential harm because doctors are trying to keep overly tight control of their blood sugar levels, a new study argues.
Researchers found that nearly two-thirds of older diabetics who are in poor health have been placed on a diabetes management regimen that strictly controls their blood sugar, aiming at a targeted hemoglobin A1C level of less than 7 percent.
Many Seniors Toast to Retirement Too Often
By Megan Brooks, Medscape Medical News
Jan. 14, 2015 — Many retirees drink too much. Retirement alone doesn’t lead to this unhealthy habit, though. Several things do, according to a new review of studies.
Certain aspects of not working anymore might fuel feelings of depression and purposelessness, as well as financial and marital strain — and that can all contribute to alcohol and substance abuse, according to researcher Peter Bamberger, PhD, of Cornell University’s Smithers Institute in Ithaca, N.Y.
Research shows that the conditions under which people retire — whether they’re pushed into it or they plan for it — have “great bearing on alcohol and drug habits,” he says in a statement.
Neck Artery Stents May Not Be Worthwhile
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Study found a third of older patients died within two years of procedure
Jan. 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Placing stents in the neck arteries, to prop them open and help prevent strokes, may be too risky for older, sicker patients, a new study suggests.
In fact, almost a third of Medicare patients who had stents placed in their neck (carotid) arteries died during an average of two years of follow-up.
“Death risks in older Medicare patients who underwent carotid artery stenting was very high,” said lead researcher Dr. Soko Setoguchi-Iwata, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
Depression Can Precede Memory Loss in Alzheimer’s
By Maureen Salamon, HealthDay
Those who developed dementia were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression earlier
Jan. 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Depression, sleep problems and behavioral changes can show up before signs of memory loss in people who go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease, a new study suggests.
“I wouldn’t worry at this point if you’re feeling anxious, depressed or tired that you have underlying Alzheimer’s, because in most cases it has nothing to do with an underlying Alzheimer’s process,” said study author Catherine Roe, an assistant professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Lack of Exercise More Deadly Than Obesity: Study
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Just a 20-minute brisk walk each day can lower odds of early death, researchers add
Jan. 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Being sedentary may be twice as deadly as being obese, a new study suggests.
However, even a little exercise — a brisk 20-minute walk each day, for example — is enough to reduce the risk of an early death by as much as 30 percent, the British researchers added.
“Efforts to encourage small increases in physical activity in inactive individuals likely have significant health benefits,” said lead author Ulf Ekelund, a senior investigator scientist in the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge.
ADHD Drug Might Help Treat Binge-Eating Disorder
By Alan Mozes, HealthDay
But therapy is preferable to medication, one expert says
Jan. 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A drug used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may also help treat binge-eating disorder, preliminary research suggests.
At higher doses tested, the prescription drug Vyvanse curtailed the excessive food consumption that characterizes binge-eating disorder, researchers said.
Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) is solely approved in the United States to treat ADHD, and no drug has been approved to curb binge-eating disorder.
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