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
While the brightest spring vegetables are not yet on offer, Martha notes that dark green collards, light green fennel, pale green dried flageolet beans and bright jalapeño are all available at the market. She offers a new collard greens stew, and we’ve dug up more of our favorite recipes for collard greens.
~ Tara Parker Pope ~
Farro with anything is comfort food, and the combination of farro and collard greens is particularly hearty and nutritious.
Breakfast Tacos With Eggs, Onions and Collard Greens
These comforting, easy tacos don’t have to be relegated to the breakfast table.
Steer Clear of Raw Milk, Researchers Warn
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Risk of foodborne illness is much greater without pasteurization
March 31, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Raw milk causes more than half of all milk-related foodborne illnesses in the United States, even though only about 3.5 percent of Americans drink raw milk, according to a new report.
The researchers warned that people are nearly 100 times more likely to get a foodborne illness from raw (unpasteurized) milk than from pasteurized milk.
While some claim that raw milk is healthier and tastes better than pasteurized milk, the report authors said their findings show that raw milk carries significant health risks. People should not drink it, they said.
Travelers Bringing Drug-Resistant Bacteria to U.S.
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Strain of Shigella is easily transmitted and causes tough-to-treat diarrhea, CDC says
April 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A drug-resistant strain of bacteria that causes diarrhea is spreading in the United States, federal health officials warned Thursday.
Travelers are bringing a drug-resistant strain of the Shigella sonnei bacteria to the United States and spreading it to other people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“These outbreaks show a troubling trend in Shigella infections in the United States,” Dr. Tom Frieden, CDC director, said in an agency news release.
More TV Time May Mean Higher Diabetes Risk
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
People with prediabetes were 3.4 percent more prone to get full-blown disease for every hour watched daily
April 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — If you’re on the verge of developing diabetes, parking yourself in front of the TV might be one of the worst things you could do for your health, a new study suggests.
Every extra hour a person with prediabetes spends watching TV each day raises their risk of developing full-blown type 2 diabetes by 3.4 percent, according to research published April 1 in the journal Diabetologia.
Could Fish Oil Interfere With Chemotherapy?
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Answer isn’t clear, but research suggests supplements, and certain fish, might reduce effect of chemotherapy
April 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Fish oil supplements, and even certain fish, may hinder the effectiveness of cancer-fighting chemotherapy, a new study suggests.
Dutch researchers found herring, mackerel and three other fish oils increased blood levels of the fatty acid called 16:4(n-3) in cancer patients. Experiments in mice have suggested this fatty acid makes cancer cells resistant to chemotherapy, the researchers said. But, it’s not certain that what was found to happen in mice would happen with human cancer patients.
Chemicals From Clothes, Beauty Products on Skin
By Alan Mozes, HealthDay
Whether or not those residues are harmful is still not known, experts say
April 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Scientists who’ve created the first 3-D map of a person’s skin say people are covered with the chemical residues from shampoos, beauty products and even clothing.
“Our daily routines — what we eat, what we put on our skin — also become a part of our skin,” said study co-author Pieter Dorrestein, of the University of California, San Diego.
Very few of us think about this, but all of this stuff can now be seen with the mapping technology we’ve now developed,” said Dorrestein, who directs UCSD’s Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center.
Digital Compass Helps Blind Rats ‘See’
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Findings suggest putting similar device in canes that blind people use might improve mobility
April 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — New research in rats suggests a special compass might one day help blind people navigate their physical environments.
Using a head-mounted device, Japanese scientists attached a microstimulator and a digital compass to the brains of blind rats, and those rats were then able to move through mazes nearly as well as rats with normal vision.
One-Quarter of Narcotic Painkillers Misused
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
And about 10 percent of patients with prescriptions for these powerful drugs become addicted
April 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Almost a quarter of powerful narcotic painkillers that are prescribed for chronic pain are misused, and the rate of addiction among patients hovers near 10 percent, a new review shows.
The findings raise questions about the benefits of widespread use of these painkillers to treat chronic pain, the researchers said.
Study Supports Laparoscopy for Rectal Cancer
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Less-invasive procedure had survival rates similar to open surgery, with less pain and shorter hospital stays
April 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Patients with localized rectal cancer may achieve similar survival rates by having minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery, instead of more invasive open surgery, a European study finds.
According to the American Cancer Society, close to 40,000 new cases of rectal cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States.
Night Owls Run Higher Risk of Health Problems
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Even with the same amount of sleep as early risers, they were more prone to diabetes, muscle loss
April 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Night owls are more likely than early risers to develop diabetes and other health problems, even if they get the same amount of sleep.
That’s the conclusion of a new study that included more than 1,600 people in South Korea, aged 47 to 59, who provided information about their sleep habits and underwent tests to assess their health.
Acetaminophen and Low Back Pain, Arthritis
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Review of 13 trials finds little effect for drug best recognized as Tylenol
March 31, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Acetaminophen — best known as Tylenol in the United States — does not appear to help ease lower back pain and offers little relief for the most common form of arthritis, according to a new report.
The review of data from 13 studies could challenge existing recommendations on pain relief, experts say.
“These results support the reconsideration of recommendations to use [acetaminophen] for patients” with these conditions, concluded a team led by Gustavo Machado of The George Institute for Global Health at the University of Sydney in Australia.
Chronic Fatigue ‘Brain Fog’ Clues in Spinal Fluid
By Amy Norton, HealthDay
Study reveals evidence that it’s ‘not made up,’ researcher says
March 31, 2015 (HealthDay News) — People with chronic fatigue syndrome show a distinct pattern of immune system proteins in their spinal fluid — a finding that could shed light on the “brain fog” that marks the condition, researchers say.
The new study found that, compared with healthy people, those with chronic fatigue syndrome had lower levels of certain immune-system proteins called cytokines in the fluid that bathes the spinal cord and brain.
Fecal Transplant and Serious Intestinal Infection
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Experimental procedure helps people with C. difficile, small study shows
March 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Fecal transplants, using stool from a donor, have been successful at treating a serious gut infection, researchers report.
The infection is called Clostridium difficile. It causes diarrhea and severe abdominal pain and kills thousands of people worldwide each year, the authors of the small study explained. It’s believed that the infection overwhelms the good bacteria required to maintain a healthy intestine.
Synthetic Pot Linked to Kidney Injury
By Randy Dotinga, HealthDay
Researchers report on two studies that showed kidney damage in those who used the drug
March 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — New research suggests that synthetic marijuana, also known as K2 or Spice, might harm the kidneys.
“Use and abuse of these products have been tied to acute kidney injury in patients across the country,” Kerry Willis, chief scientific officer of the National Kidney Foundation, said in a news release from the foundation. “Despite being legal and marketed as safe, it appears these products are far from it.”
Migraine, Carpal Tunnel May Be Linked
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Patients with one are more than twice as likely to have the other, study says
March 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Carpal tunnel syndrome appears to increase risk for migraine headaches, and migraines may make it more likely that you’ll also have carpal tunnel syndrome, new research suggests.
The study is the first to find a link between carpal tunnel syndrome and migraine, but the connection is unclear, said Dr. Huay-Zong Law and colleagues of University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. The two conditions may share some “common systemic or neurologic risk factor,” they wrote.
Report Shows Progress in America’s War on Cancer
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Small, but steady declines in deaths seen over past decade
March 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — America is making slow but steady progress against cancer, with a continuing decline in cancer deaths, according to a new report.
The overall cancer death rate fell an average 1.5 percent per year between 2002 and 2011, representing improved survival for men, women and children, the report found.
The rate of new cancer cases also declined an average 0.5 percent a year during that period.
Tests of Experimental Ebola Vaccine Show Promise
By Alan Mozes, HealthDay
Immune response seen in all study volunteers, side effects were manageable
April 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Researchers say preliminary tests show that people given a single shot of an experimental Ebola vaccine mounted an immune response to the vaccine.
Two separate teams of investigators concluded the vaccine is safe, with side effects confined to fever, fatigue, injection-site pain and/or joint pain.
Breast Cancer Is Not One Disease, Experts Say
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
New focus on tumor subtypes could help patients, according to medical groups
March 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Breast cancer isn’t the same for every woman, even at the cellular level, according to a new statement from four major medical groups focused on the disease.
The report was issued Monday by the American Cancer Society, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. National Cancer Institute, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. They say that classifying breast cancers according to tumor subtypes could help improve treatment of the disease.
Test for Down Syndrome Called ‘Major Advance’
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
But it won’t eliminate need for invasive diagnostics such as amniocentesis, doctors say
April 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A DNA-based blood test appears to be more effective in detecting possible Down syndrome in unborn children than other screening methods for the genetic disorder, researchers say.
The test exhibited perfect accuracy in a clinical trial, detecting Down syndrome in all 38 women whose children had inherited the disorder, the researchers report in the April 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
By comparison, standard screening methods only detected Down syndrome in 30 of the 38 expecting mothers, the study authors said.
Iron Supplements and Pregnant Women, Young Children
By Tara Haelle, HealthDay
Task force concludes there’s too little information to recommend screening for deficiencies
March 31, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Taking iron supplements during pregnancy doesn’t appear to significantly change any health outcomes for mom or baby, a new review shows.
A second review — this one on infants and toddlers — found no evidence that iron supplements improved growth or development.
Both conclusions come from a U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) review of the latest research on iron supplementation and screening for pregnant women, babies and young children.
Gestational Diabetes Drug and Complication Risk
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Study links glyburide to more infant intensive care and respiratory distress
March 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — When used to treat diabetes that develops during pregnancy (gestational diabetes), the drug glyburide has been linked to a number of complications in the baby, according to a new study.
In fact, infants born to mothers given glyburide (DiaBeta) during pregnancy had a higher risk of respiratory distress, needing intensive care, having low blood sugar, being too large at birth, and birth injury when compared to babies born to mothers treated with insulin.
There has been widespread and rapid uptake in the use of glyburide in mothers with gestational diabetes in the last 10 years, according to the report.
Midlife Fitness May Be Cancer Fighter for Men
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Study shows lower risk of lung, colon tumors at 65 and older
March 26, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Fit middle-aged men appear less likely to develop lung and colon cancer in later life than their out-of-shape peers. And if they do develop cancer, they are more likely to beat it, a new study suggests.
Nearly 14,000 men underwent treadmill tests at midlife and had their medical records reviewed at age 65 or older. Researchers found that the fitter guys had roughly half the risk for lung and colon cancer compared with unfit men. Their risk for death from these cancers was about one-third lower.
New Research on Child Paralysis, Enterovirus D68
By Randy Dotinga. HealthDay
Lab tests confirm half of cases in recent outbreak tied to specific virus strain
March 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — New research strengthens the suspected connection between a virus called enterovirus D68 and the sudden development of paralysis in children in California and Colorado between 2012 and 2014.
The researchers found the genetic signature of a specific type of enterovirus D68, called B1, in half of youngsters who developed acute flaccid myelitis. This complication causes sudden muscle weakness and paralysis. The researchers didn’t find any other infectious agent that was capable of causing the children’s symptoms.
More Survive Child Cancer; Health Problems Persist
WebMD News from HealthDay
Malignancies and treatments can take toll on quality of life in adulthood, study finds
April 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) — More Americans are surviving childhood cancers than ever before, but many suffer lingering health problems as adults, a new study finds.
About 70 percent of adults who survived cancer in childhood have a mild or moderate chronic condition. And nearly one-third have a severe, disabling or life-threatening condition, the researchers found.
Could Bleach Raise Kids’ Flu, Infection Risk?
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
European study shows ‘modest’ effect, but cause-and-effect not clear
April 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A ubiquitous cleaning agent in most American homes — bleach — might increase children’s risk for flu, tonsillitis and other infections, a European study suggests.
The effect was modest and the study couldn’t prove cause-and-effect. However, the researchers said that because millions of homes use bleach or products containing bleach every day, the effect on kids worldwide could be significant.
Violent Video Games Don’t Influence Kids’ Behavior
By Randy Dotinga, HealthDay
It’s the amount of time spent gaming that has a greater impact, researchers contend
April 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A small study offers a mixed view on whether video games may make kids more aggressive.
Those children who spend more time playing games might be slightly likelier to be hyperactive and to get into fights. But violent video games seem to have no effect on behavior, according to British researchers.
The researchers also said they discovered that kids who played video games for less than an hour a day were more likely to be less aggressive and rated as better-behaved by their teachers.
E-Cigs Tied to Drinking, Other Risky Teen Behavior
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Strong relationship to alcohol use, study finds
March 31, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Electronic cigarettes are used by both smoking and nonsmoking teens, and are associated with drinking and other risky behaviors, a new study finds.
“We found that e-cigarette access is strongly related to alcohol use in teenagers,” said study author Karen Hughes. She is a professor of behavioral epidemiology at Liverpool John Moores University in England.
Letting Kids Sip Alcohol May ‘Send Wrong Message’
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Study suggests it might make booze more appealing to children
March 31, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Children who are allowed occasional sips of alcohol are more likely to start drinking by the time they’re in high school, a new study suggests.
Researchers followed 561 middle school students in Rhode Island for about three years. At the start of sixth grade (about age 11), nearly 30 percent of the students said they’d had at least one sip of alcohol.
In most cases, those sips were provided by parents, often at parties or special occasions.
People May Grow More Trusting With Age: Study
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
And that could mean more happiness, too, researchers say
March 27, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Far from the “grumpy old men” stereotype, people may actually become more trusting — and happier — with age, a new study suggests.
“When we think of old age, we often think of decline and loss,” study co-author Claudia Haase, an assistant professor of human development and social policy at Northwestern University, said in a university news release.
Lots of Leafy Greens Might Shield Aging Brains
By Alan Mozes, HealthDay
Vitamin K thought to slow deterioration
March 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A single serving of leafy green vegetables each day may help keep dementia away, new research suggests.
Researchers evaluated the eating habits and mental ability of more than 950 older adults for an average of five years.
Those who consumed one or two servings of foods such as spinach, kale, mustard greens and/or collards daily experienced slower mental deterioration than those who ate no leafy greens at all, the study found.
Green Tea Linked to Lower Risk for Dementia
By Daniel M. Keller, PhD, Medscape Medical News
April 3, 2015 — A green tea habit is tied to a lower risk for dementia and mild declines in thinking and memory among older people, a new Japanese study shows. The piping-hot perk doesn’t seem to apply to black tea or coffee, though, the researchers say.
In the study, they looked at the tea- and coffee-drinking habits of people older than 60. The people were grouped by how often they drank green tea: not at all, 1 to 6 days a week, or every day.
Could a Diet Help Shield You From Alzheimer’s?
By Alan Mozes, HealthDay
Scientists say the MIND eating plan significantly reduces risk of the brain disorder
March 27, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Scientists say they’ve developed an anti-Alzheimer’s diet.
While it couldn’t prove cause-and-effect, the new study found that adults who rigorously followed the so-called MIND diet faced a 53 percent lower risk for Alzheimer’s, the most common type of dementia. Those sticking to the diet just “moderately well” saw their Alzheimer’s risk drop by roughly 35 percent.
Packaged Grocery Foods Often High in Salt
By Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay
Many cold cuts, pizza, packaged meals contain too much sodium to be labeled healthy
April 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — More than half of packaged grocery store foods included in a new study contained too much added salt, U.S. health officials reported Thursday.
That’s important because eating too much salt (sodium) is a risk factor for developing high blood pressure, according to the study authors. And high blood pressure can contribute to heart disease and strokes.
“We looked at packaged food sales in grocery stores,” said study researcher Linda Schieb, an epidemiologist in the division of heart disease and stroke prevention at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “What we found was more than 50 percent of those products exceeded the FDA healthy food label guidelines for sodium.”
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