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
There’s a lot you can do with asparagus besides just eating it unadorned, steamed for five minutes or – if you’ve got nice, fat stalks – roasted. Delicate, thin stalks go wonderfully with eggs, either stirred into scrambled eggs or tossed with a vinaigrette and finely chopped hard-boiled eggs. I love to toss asparagus with pasta, and I often use it in soups. Children seem to like it, too. If the family table has seen too much broccoli, asparagus makes a fine alternative. [..]
When cooking asparagus, you must first break off the tough stem ends by bending the stalk. [..]
The tender, edible part of this lovely plant is an excellent source of vitamin K, folate, vitamin C and vitamin A, as well as a very good source of a number of other nutrients, including tryptophan, B vitamins, manganese, dietary fiber, phosphorus and potassium. All this comes in a very low-calorie package: there are about 40 calories in a cup of cooked asparagus.
~ Martha Rose Shulman ~
Roast asparagus this way and it becomes positively juicy.
Pasta With Asparagus, Arugula and Ricotta
This recipe works best if you use thin asparagus and peppery wild arugula, available at some farmers’ markets.
Both thick and thin stems will work.
When you sauté or roast asparagus in hot olive oil, the asparagus will have a much more concentrated flavor than it would if steamed or blanched.
Asparagus Salad With Hard-Boiled Eggs
A classic Italian salad, there are many versions of this dish.
Recalls of Ice Cream, Hummus Spur Listeria Warnings
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
CDC recommends safe handling, storage of foods
April 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — As U.S. health officials deal with nationwide recalls of Blue Bell ice cream and Sabra Dipping Co. hummus, consumers are getting up to speed on a little known but potentially fatal bacteria, listeria.
Listeria-tainted ice cream is linked to a total of five illnesses and three deaths in Texas and Kansas, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. Also this week, Sabra recalled 30,000 cases of classic hummus, because of listeria-contamination concerns.
“Listeria causes about 1,600 infections a year and about three to four outbreaks a year in the United States,” said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
Blue Bell Expands Ice Cream Recall
April 8, 2015 — A recall of ice cream products made at Blue Bell Creameries’ plant in Broken Arrow, Okla. is being expanded after pints of banana pudding ice cream tested positive for listeria contamination, the Texas-based company says.
No illnesses linked to the banana pudding ice cream have been confirmed, according to Blue Bell, the Associated Press reported.
Antidepressants Linked to First-Time Seizures
By Daniel M. Keller, PhD, Medscape Medical News
April 8, 2015 — A new study ties antidepressants to a higher risk for first-time seizures in people being treated for depression.
Older antidepressants called tricyclics were the only type not linked to the raised risk, say researchers from the University of Basel in Switzerland.
The kinds connected to the worse odds of having a first seizure were:
SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
SNRIs, or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
Other antidepressants, including bupropion, mirtazapine, reboxetine, and trazodone
Untested Stimulant Still in Dietary Supplements
By Brenda Goodman, MA, WebMD Health News
April 7, 2015 — Researchers are warning consumers to avoid dietary supplements labeled as having the active ingredient Acacia rigidula.
The supplements claim to aid weight loss, boost energy, and sharpen attention. But about half of the 21 “natural” acacia products tested by researchers contained a lab-made stimulant called BMPEA, which stands for beta-methylphenylethylamine.
“Whenever you buy a weight loss product, the best you can hope for is that it doesn’t work. But why I would strongly caution against it is that the risk of getting a drug, and maybe even a drug that’s never been tested in humans, is real,” says Pieter Cohen, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard University.
The test results are published in the journal Drug Testing and Analysis.
Breast Milk Bought Online Might Contain Cow’s Milk
By Tara Haelle, HealthDay
Untested samples may also harbor bacteria, viruses, experts say
April 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Parents who buy breast milk online may not always get 100 percent human milk. A new study found about 10 percent of samples tested were contaminated with cow’s milk.
“Human milk may be purposely ‘topped off’ with cow’s milk or infant formula, and this could be harmful to babies receiving the purchased milk if they have cow’s milk allergy or intolerance,” said lead author Sarah Keim, a researcher at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
Guidelines Would Boost Number of Youth on Statins
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Analysis finds 483,500 people aged 17 to 21 would get a cholesterol drug, based on NIH advisory
April 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) — If all doctors followed new cholesterol guidelines aimed at children, almost half a million Americans aged 17 to 21 would be prescribed a cholesterol-lowering statin drug, a new study predicts.
In 2011, the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) issued new guidelines on reducing heart disease in adolescents and young adults. Those guidelines recommended that all people aged 17 to 21 get their blood levels of cholesterol checked, and statin treatment be initiated if cholesterol was at a certain level.
In contrast, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) are sticking by adult-focused guidelines that more tightly restrict the use of statins for those under 40 years age.
Stem Cells, Fecal Transplants for Crohn’s Disease
By Amy Norton, HealthDay
But both trials were small and more research is needed
April 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Two experimental therapies might help manage the inflammatory bowel disorder Crohn’s disease, if this early research pans out.
In one study, researchers found that a fecal transplant — stool samples taken from a healthy donor — seemed to send Crohn’s symptoms into remission in seven of nine children treated.
In another, a separate research team showed that stem cells can have lasting benefits for a serious Crohn’s complication called fistula.
MS, Psoriasis Drugs and Deadly Brain Infections
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
But experts say complication is rare, and no reason to stop medication
April 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An active ingredient in some psoriasis and multiple sclerosis medications has been linked to two cases of a rare and sometimes lethal brain infection.
The ingredient, dimethyl fumarate, appears to have contributed to the deaths of two European women. The women contracted progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML, according to two letters published in the April 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Genes May Mean Short People Prone to Heart Disease
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Researchers suggest a link between stature and cardiovascular risk
pril 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Short people may be more likely to have heart disease, and that increased risk could be linked to the genetics that also determine height, a British-led research team suggests.
A person’s risk of heart disease increases about 13.5 percent for every 2.5 inches of difference in height, the scientists said. That means a 5-foot-tall person has an average 32 percent higher risk of heart disease than a person who’s 5-foot 6-inches tall, according to the researchers.
Stroke Patients May Face Increased Risk of Suicide
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Danger is greatest in first two years after the brain attack, Swedish researchers say
April 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Stroke patients are at significantly increased risk of suicide, especially during the first two years following the brain attack, a new Swedish study shows.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 220,000 people in Sweden who suffered a stroke between 2001 and 2012. They found that stroke patients were up to twice as likely to commit suicide as people in the general population, and the risk of attempted suicide was highest in the first two years after a stroke.
Antibody Holds Promise as Weapon Against HIV
By Randy Dotinga, HealthDay
Treatment would complement existing medications, researchers say
April 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Therapy with a human antibody appears to reduce levels of the HIV virus in the blood for at least a month, preliminary research suggests.
Antibodies are the part of the immune system that develop to fight infections. Use of these antibodies as a treatment is called immunotherapy.
Allergy Drug May Have Potential Against Hep C
By Randy Dotinga, HealthDay
Lab tests suggest over-the-counter antihistamine could offer alternative to pricey new drugs
April 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Preliminary lab research suggests a hay fever drug that costs about 50 cents a pill has the potential to treat hepatitis C, a stubborn disease that has spawned drugs that sell for $1,000 a dose.
It’s too early to know if the antihistamine chlorcyclizine HCI will work in people as a treatment for hepatitis C. Still, the new research suggests that “the drug blocks the virus getting into cells and is different from the current hepatitis C drugs, which block viral replication,” said study co-author Dr. T. Jake Liang, a senior investigator with the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Does This Common Pesticide Cause Cancer?
By Bara Vaida, WebMD Health News
April 7, 2015 — An international group of health experts is questioning the safety of a widely used pesticide that had long been considered not harmful by U.S. regulators.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a research arm of the World Health Organization, in March said that glyphosate is a “probable” cancer-causing substance, or carcinogen. It’s a key ingredient in hundreds of crop-control agents and weed killers, such as Bronco, Glifonox, KleenUp, Ranger Pro, Rodeo, Roundup, and Weedoff.
Pouch in Heart May Trigger Unexplained Strokes
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Researchers suspect it may allow clots to form, then travel to the brain
April 7, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A pouch-like structure in the heart may be the source of some strokes that have no other known cause, a new study suggests.
This pouch in the heart’s left atrial chamber — called a left atrial septal pouch — was first discovered in 2010 by cardiologists at the University of California, Irvine.
Cooling After Cardiac Arrest and Brain Function
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Study finds reducing body temperature slightly tied to good mental outcomes
April 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Cooling the body might help prevent or lessen brain damage caused by cardiac arrest, a new study suggests.
People who received what is called targeted body temperature management after cardiac arrest — when the heart stops beating — had good outcomes in terms of quality of life and mental function, researchers said. Body temperatures were lowered between 2 and 7 degrees Fahrenheit.
Do Harsh Winters Mean Worse Allergies?
By Matt McMillen, WebMD Health News
April 9, 2015 — Spring is finally here, and with it comes tree pollen. For people with allergies, that could spell misery. But despite the harsh winter in some parts of the country, the sniffly, sneezy grief may not be any worse than usual.
“I would say it will be an average allergy season, based on what we can predict,” says Kraig Jacobson, MD, who chairs the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology’s Aerobiology Committee.
But pollen predictions are a guessing game, Jacobson and other allergists say.
Costlier Breast Cancer Treatments and Survival
By Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay
Study shows recent advances help improve odds, but medical bills are rising
April 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) — More expensive breast cancer treatments are linked to a greater chance of survival, new research suggests.
“Our findings indicate that in some instances, newer and costlier approaches may be leading to improved outcomes in breast cancer patients,” study senior author Dr. Cary Gross, director of Yale University’s Cancer Outcomes Public Policy and Effectiveness Research Center, said in a university news release.
Women Born Early at Higher Risk of Having Preemies
By Maureen Salamon, HealthDay
But most of these women still have their babies at-term, researcher notes
April 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Women who were born prematurely may be more likely to deliver their own babies early, a new study suggests.
Canadian researchers found that the odds of delivering a preterm infant — born before 37 weeks of pregnancy — rose more than 40 percent for women who were born between 32 and 36 weeks themselves, regardless of other risk factors.
What’s more, the earlier in pregnancy a woman had been born, the higher the risk of a similar fate for her offspring.
BRCA Gene Mutations Act Differently in Each Woman
By Amy Norton, HealthDay
Angelina Jolie’s decision for surgery might not be right for everyone carrying BRCA mutations
April 7, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Women who carry mutations in certain genes face a much higher risk of breast and ovarian cancers, but the impact varies depending on the type and location of the mutation, new research finds.
Film star Angelina Jolie, who carries a BRCA1 mutation, weighed that risk last month when she announced that she’d had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed, almost two years after undergoing a double mastectomy.
Teen Long-Term Contraception Use Up, Remains Low
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
U.S. government report says implants and IUDs are effective and safe options
April 7, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The use of long-acting, reversible forms of contraception remains low among sexually active teen girls, though that trend seems to be changing, according to a U.S. government report released Tuesday.
Among teens aged 15 to 19, the use of long-acting reversible contraception rose from less than 1 percent in 2005 to about 7 percent in 2013, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Brain Scans and Language in Kids With Autism
By Tara Haelle, HealthDay
But research is still preliminary, expert says
April 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Sophisticated imaging tests could provide clues to how well a child with an autism spectrum disorder may develop language skills, possibly as early as when the child is just a year old, a new study suggests.
“We discovered that at the very first signs of autism in infants and toddlers, language-important brain regions already displayed striking differences between those who later had good versus poor language outcomes,” said study co-author Eric Courchesne, a professor of neurosciences and co-director of the Autism Center of Excellence at the University of California, San Diego.
Fewer U.S. Children Getting Melanoma: Study
By Robert Preidt. HealthDay
Researchers credit better education on risk of UV rays, changes in children’s play
April 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The incidence of deadly melanoma skin cancer is falling among American children, a new study finds.
Researchers led by Dr. Lisa Campbell, of Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center in Cleveland, looked at national cancer registry data from 2000 to 2010.
They found that the overall number of new melanoma cases among children fell 12 percent each year from 2004 to 2010.
Kids Can Get Food Allergies From Donated Blood
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
But these ‘transferred’ reactions clear up within a few months, experts say
April 7, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The case of an 8-year-old Canadian boy suggests that it’s possible, but still rare, for children to get food allergies from blood transfusions.
The boy developed an allergy to fish and peanuts after receiving a transfusion from a donor with severe allergies to these foods, reports a team led by Dr. Julia Upton, of The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
He was treated promptly for the allergic reactions, and the allergies went away on their own within a few months, the researchers noted.
Young Parents, Doubled ADHD Risk for Child?
By Liam Davenport, Medscape Medical News
April 6, 2015 — Children born to teenage parents have a higher risk of getting ADHD, a large study suggests.
The researchers looked at info on more than 50,000 people in Finland. They found that having one parent younger than 20 raised the risk for childhood ADHD by about 50%. Children born to two parents younger than 20 had an even higher risk.
The study was published online by the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Fit at 50? Cardiac Arrest During Exercise Unlikely
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Only 5 percent of attacks occurred during activities such as jogging or bicycling
April 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Physically active middle-aged men and women have little chance of suffering cardiac arrest while playing sports, a new study suggests.
Researchers reviewed more than 1,200 cases of sudden cardiac arrest — abrupt loss of heart function — among adults aged 35 to 65. They found only 5 percent of attacks occurred during sports activity such as jogging or bicycling.
Physical Therapy Equals Surgery for Some Back Pain
By Alan Mozes, HealthDay
Less risky treatment viable for older patients with lumbar spinal stenosis
April 7, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Physical therapy may be just as good as surgery for older adults with a type of chronic lower back pain, new research suggests.
Standard treatments for lumbar spinal stenosis — a painful, often disabling narrowing of the spinal canal — are an operation known as surgical decompression or physical therapy.
But physical therapy is much less invasive and less risky than surgery.
Calcium Supplements Tied to Macular Degeneration
By Jenni Laidman, Medscape Medical News
April 10, 2015 — Older people who take more than 800 milligrams of calcium a day are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a condition that causes severe vision loss, according to a new study in JAMA Ophthalmology.
The link was found only in people 68 and older.
The research doesn’t prove cause and effect, says Rahul Khurana, MD, a spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He wasn’t involved in the study.
Arts, Crafts, Socializing May Buoy the Aging Brain
By Tara Haelle, HealthDay
Those participating in these activities or using computers half as likely to develop mild dementia, study found
April 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Adults who pursue artistic, craft and social activities may stay mentally sharp longer, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that older adults involved in these activities or those who used a computer later in life were about half as likely to experience mild dementia over the next four years.
Lonely Seniors Visit Doctors More Often
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Study findings suggest increasing social connections might reduce health costs
April 7, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Older adults who are chronically lonely visit the doctor more often than those who feel more socially connected, according to a new study.
The findings suggest that taking steps to reduce loneliness among older adults may lead to significantly fewer doctor visits and lower health care costs, the University of Georgia researchers said.
Could Obesity Help Protect Against Dementia?
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Large study suggests that possibility, but experts call for further research into surprising finding
April 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A new study of nearly 2 million people suggests that those who are overweight or obese in middle age may be less likely to develop dementia than their normal and underweight peers.
Overweight and obese people were about 30 percent less likely to develop dementia 15 years later than people of a healthy weight. Conversely, underweight people were 34 percent more likely to develop dementia than those whose weight was normal, according to the study authors.
Regular, Vigorous Exercise May Lengthen Your Life
By Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay
Intense workouts seem more beneficial than less-intense ones, researchers say
April 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Although any amount of exercise offers health benefits, a new study suggests that rigorous physical activity may be key to boosting longevity.
Australian researchers found that middle-aged or older people who get at least some high-intensity exercise that makes them sweaty and winded may reduce their chances of dying early by up to 13 percent.
The researchers concluded that doctors’ recommendations and public health guidelines should encourage participation in some vigorous types of exercise.
These Beat Other Commercial Diet Plans: Study
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
However, other programs haven’t done long-term, randomized trials
April 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Many people turn to commercial weight-loss programs to help them shed excess pounds, but there’s surprisingly little scientific evidence to show whether or not these plans can help keep weight off for the long-term, a new report reveals.
Only two out of 32 major commercial weight-loss programs marketed nationwide — Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig — can boast scientific evidence showing their clients maintain weight loss for at least a year, the researchers found.
Most programs haven’t received any study at all regarding their effectiveness, or have only been reviewed for short-term success, said lead author Dr. Kimberly Gudzune. She is an assistant professor of medicine and a weight-loss specialist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
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