Welcome to the Stars Hollow Health and Fitness 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.
A great way to work more beans into your diet, this week’s pâtés work as spreads on whole-grain bread or crackers. They slice up nicely, too, so you can serve them alongside a salad or vegetable dish. Unmold them from the tureens, if you wish, and reshape them on plates or in bowls with garnishes.
This vegetarian pate has been a Martha Rose Shulman signature dish for decades.
This tastes like a very light version of refried beans.
Spiced with paprika and cayenne and added red peppers for a Cajun twist.
Lentils and curry flavors go together beautifully.
The addition of Marmite or Savorex, yeast extracts with an intense taste, give this vegetarian pâté a meaty flavor.
Synthetic Pot a Growing Danger, CDC Report Finds
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Calls to poison control centers jumped more than 300 percent from January to April
June 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Calls to poison centers for problems caused by synthetic marijuana spiked more than 220 percent since last year, according to a new U.S. government report.
That includes a 330 percent increase in calls from January 2015 to April 2015, the report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
World’s Population Is Getting Sicker, Study Shows
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
People lose more ‘years of healthy life’ to illness now than they did in the 1990s, global survey reports
June 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A new global tally of health finds that only about 4 percent of people worldwide had no health problems in 2013, while a third — about 2.3 billion people — had more than five health problems.
And the situation is getting worse, not better: Worldwide, the proportion of years of healthy life people lost because of illness (rather than simply dying earlier) rose from 21 percent in 1990 to 31 percent in 2013, according to the Global Burden of Disease study.
Popular Heartburn Meds Tied to Heart Attack Risk
By Amy Norton, HealthDay
But don’t stop taking proton pump inhibitors based on this study, expert says
June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — People who use certain heartburn drugs for a long period of time may have a slightly heightened risk of suffering a heart attack, a new study suggests.
Using medical records from nearly 300,000 U.S. adults with acid reflux disease (commonly called heartburn), researchers found that the risk of heart attack was slightly elevated among those using proton pump inhibitors.
Some Diabetes Drugs May Aid Weight Loss
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Medications called GLP-1 receptors appear to change brain’s response to food, researchers say
June 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A class of drugs used to treat diabetes also appears to help patients lose weight by changing how the brain responds to food, a new study suggests.
Researchers have been trying to learn how gut-hormone based medications called GLP-1 receptor agonists also help people with type 2 diabetes shed excess pounds.
Stroke Ages Brain by 8 Years, Study Finds
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Memory impaired, thinking speed slowed in those who suffered brain attack
June 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A stroke robs the brain of nearly eight years, impairing memory and slowing thinking speed, a new study says.
University of Michigan researchers analyzed national data from more than 4,900 black and white Americans aged 65 and older who underwent tests of memory and thinking speed between 1998 and 2012.
Study Hints at Why Obesity May Run in Families
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Cells might be programmed in the womb to accumulate extra fat, researchers suggest
June 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — New research offers potential clues as to why children of obese mothers are at increased risk for obesity.
While previous studies have provided clear evidence that children of obese parents are more likely to be obese, the reasons why were unclear.
But the new study found that while in the womb, the cells of children of obese mothers may be programmed to accumulate extra fat, or develop differences in metabolism that could lead to insulin resistance — a condition that increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Trial Tests Whether TB Shot Fights Type 1 Diabetes
By Serena Gordon, HealthDay
Researchers will look at effects in people with longstanding disease
June 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Researchers are launching a clinical trial to see if a vaccine approved long ago to prevent tuberculosis may also hold promise as a treatment for type 1 diabetes.
The proposed five-year study is designed to investigate whether repeated injections of the tuberculosis vaccine bacille Calmette-Guerin (or BCG vaccine) can quiet the immune system attack that causes type 1 diabetes and improve blood sugar levels in people with long-standing diabetes.
Foodborne Illness Germs and Antibiotic Resistance
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Rate more than doubled in two years for one strain of salmonella
June 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Antibiotic resistance in foodborne germs remains a public health threat despite attempts to combat the problem, according to new U.S. government data.
Antibiotic-resistant infections from foodborne germs still cause about 440,000 illnesses in the United States each year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported online Tuesday.
Do Statins Pose a Threat to Your Memory?
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Review of more than a million patients finds the drugs are no worse for recall than other cholesterol fighters
June 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Even though some early research suggested that people who take statin drugs might experience short-term memory loss, a large new study finds they are no worse for recall than other cholesterol-lowering medications.
According to researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey and the University of Pennsylvania, prior, limited research and anecdotal information from patients had hinted that statins might cause memory problems — leading some patients to stop taking the drugs.
Another Tick-Borne Illness Documented in Northeast
By Steven Reinberg HealthDay
Recurring fever is hallmark for this little-known infection, study says
June 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The same ticks that spread Lyme disease may also carry a rarer bacteria that’s causing serious illness in the northeastern United States.
Like Lyme disease, Borrelia miyamotoi disease causes flu-like symptoms such as headache, fever, chills and muscle pain. But at its most severe, it can lead to a serious brain infection — meningoencephalitis, researchers say.
And nearly one-quarter of patients treated for the disease require hospitalization, a new study suggests.
IUD for New Mothers Reduces Unintended Pregnancies
WebMD News from HealthDay
June 9, 2015 — Giving new mothers an intrauterine device (IUD) at childbirth can help reduce unintended pregnancies, a new study says.
Typically, new mothers are told to wait six weeks before they see their doctor about birth control, but half have resumed having sex by then, according to The New York Times.
Anti-Rape Program Halved Number of Campus Assaults
By Tara Haelle, HealthDay
It teaches women self-defense strategies, other coping mechanisms
June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A program aimed at teaching women how to recognize dangerous situations and resist sexual coercion almost halved the risk of rape on three college campuses, a new study shows.
“We expected that providing women with knowledge and tools could increase their ability to defend themselves and reduce the severity of the sexual violence they experience,” said study author Charlene Senn, a professor of psychology at the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada. “We didn’t expect the reductions to be as dramatic as they were. Only 22 young women need to receive the program for one completed rape to be averted.”
The findings were published in the June 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Poor Sleep, Snoring and Breast Cancer Survival
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
But whether lack of sleep — or the causes of sleeplessness — to blame is unclear, experts say
June 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Breast cancer patients who had poor sleep and frequent snoring before their cancer diagnosis appear to have lower survival rates, a new study finds.
The study, which was not designed to prove cause-and-effect, included more than 18,000 cancer patients whose progress was tracked in the Women’s Health Initiative study.
Could ADHD Drug Find New Role in Menopause?
By Tara Haelle, HealthDay
Small study suggests Vyvanse might help with concentration, thought organization
June 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A drug marketed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder might improve memory and concentration problems associated with menopause, a new, small study suggests.
Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine), a stimulant, is usually prescribed to children and adults with ADHD. But researchers found it also may help to improve menopausal women’s “executive function” — brain activities such as memory, reasoning, multitasking, planning and problem-solving.
Obese Postmenopausal Women and Breast Cancer Risk
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Researchers report the increased risk was as high as 58 percent
June 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A study of more than 67,000 women suggests that those who are obese and postmenopausal may face significantly higher odds for breast cancer compared with slimmer women.
The risk for breast cancer among the most obese women in the study was up to 58 percent higher than for normal-weight women.
Woman Has Baby; Ovary Tissue Frozen in Childhood
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Transplant led to functioning ovary and then normal pregnancy, researchers say
June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — In what researchers are hailing as a medical breakthrough, a 27-year-old woman gave birth to a healthy baby conceived from ovarian tissue that had been surgically removed and frozen when she was a child.
Although this procedure has been used in adults, it wasn’t clear if freezing immature ovarian tissue would be able to successfully restore fertility later.
Many Men With Depression, Anxiety Not Treated
By Alan Mozes, HealthDay
Young minority males less likely than whites to access mental health care
June 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Close to one in 10 American men suffers from depression or anxiety, but fewer than half get treatment, a new survey reveals.
The nationwide poll of more than 21,000 men also found that among younger males, blacks and Hispanics are less likely than whites to report mental health symptoms. And when they do acknowledge psychiatric troubles, they are less likely to seek professional help than whites, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.
Widespread Vaccination and Kids’ Stomach Infection
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Rates of hospitalization with gastroenteritis have tumbled since rotavirus shot launched in 2006
June 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The widespread use of a vaccine against a germ that causes gastrointestinal infections in infants and young children has been a resounding success in the United States, a new study suggests.
A team led by Dr. Eyal Leshem of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports a big drop in the number of young children hospitalized with gastroenteritis since routine immunization against rotavirus was launched in 2006.
General Anesthesia May Affect Young Brains
By Tara Haelle, HealthDay
Anesthesia and surgery still safest for necessary procedures, experts say
June 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Having general anesthesia during surgery at a very young age may be linked to poorer brain development, new research suggests.
Children who had received general anesthesia during surgery before they turned 4 years of age later scored slightly lower on listening comprehension and parts of an IQ test, compared to children who had never had general anesthesia, the researchers found. The children’s overall IQ scores, however, remained within the normal range.
Superior Visual Ability Seen in Kids With Autism
By Tara Haelle, HealthDay
Researchers suggest above-average perception at 9 months might be a clue to the disorder
June 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Exceptional visual perception might be an early hallmark of autism, which could help predict a child will be diagnosed with the developmental disability, a new British study suggests.
Infants who more quickly perceived a mismatched symbol on a screen when they were 9 months old were more likely to receive an autism diagnosis by age 2, the researchers found.
1 Dose of HPV Vaccine May Offer Protection: Study
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Two large international trials suggest single immunization may be as good as two or three
June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — One dose of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Cervarix could prevent as many cases of cervical cancer as the current two- and three-dose schedules, a new study contends.
The vaccine protects against HPV types 16 and 18, which are believed to cause about 70 percent of cervical cancers. The vaccine was originally approved to be given in three doses over six months, but many countries are switching to a two-dose schedule in teenagers. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends three doses for young Americans.
Babies Who ‘Resettle’ on Their Own Sleep Better
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
And that could be a blessing to sleep-starved parents of infants, research suggests
June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Infants who “resettle” after waking up are more likely to sleep through the night, a new study suggests.
British researchers made overnight infrared video recordings of just over 100 infants when they were 5 weeks and 3 months old. This is the time when parents begin to hope their baby will sleep more and cry less at night, the researchers noted.
More Young Children Exposed to Marijuana
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Kids younger than 3 may eat the drug when it’s baked into brownies and cookies
June 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — There’s been a sharp increase in marijuana exposure among young children in the United States in recent years, a new study finds.
The increases in exposure come as more states have legalized the drug for medical or recreational use, the researchers noted. Marijuana exposure in young children generally comes from breathing or swallowing the drug.
Blood Proteins May Provide Early Alzheimer’s Clue
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Findings could offer possible ways to diagnose, treat the disease sooner, researchers say
June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Certain brain proteins can be detected in the blood of people long before they develop Alzheimer’s disease and may offer a way to diagnose and treat the disease earlier, a new study suggests.
The proteins — called lysosomal proteins — play a role in the removal of damaged nerve cell material. The researchers discovered that blood levels of these proteins were higher in people with normal memory and thinking abilities up to 10 years before they developed Alzheimer’s disease.
The findings were published online June 10 in the journal Neurology.
U.S. Kids Not Drinking Enough Water Each Day
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Under-hydration can pose real health risks for children, study authors say
June 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Many American children and teens aren’t consuming enough liquids — especially water — and that lack of hydration could affect their physical and mental health, a new study suggests.
The findings “highlight a potential health issue that has not been given a whole lot of attention in the past,” study author Erica Kenney, a postdoctoral research fellow in social and behavioral sciences at the Harvard School of Public Health, said in a Harvard news release.
Older Americans Need Protein to Keep Muscles Strong, Study Says
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Both animal and plant sources are important
June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Older adults need a protein-rich diet to maintain muscle mass and strength, a new study suggests.
Protein should come from animal and plant sources, since each type of protein appears to play different roles in maintaining lean muscle mass and leg strength. Plant protein helps preserve muscle strength, while animal protein is linked to muscle mass, the researchers said.
Poor Sleep? Eating Less at Night May Help
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Study found insomniacs who didn’t eat after 10 p.m. were more alert
June 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Concentration and attention problems caused by sleep deprivation might be eased by eating less late at night, according to a new study.
The research included 44 volunteers, aged 21 to 50. For three days, they were given unlimited access to food and drink during the day. But they were only allowed to sleep four hours a night.
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