Welcome to the Health and Fitness News, a weekly diary which is cross-posted from The Stars Hollow Gazette. It is 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.
How Do You Like These Apples?
Many nutritional studies of apples report findings of high antioxidant activity from the phenolic compounds found in and near the skin. Studies suggest that these compounds, as well as the dietary fiber in apples, also play a role in the fruit's role in lowering cholesterol. In a recent U.S.D.A.-funded study, postmenopausal women who ate dried apples every day for a year showed a 23 percent reduction in LDL ("bad") cholesterol and a 4 percent increase in HDL ("good") cholesterol within the first six months. British researchers predict in an article published in the December 2013 issue of BMJ that prescribing an apple a day to all adults age 50 and over could prevent or delay around 8,500 heart attacks and strokes a year in Britain.
~Martha Rose Shulman~
Apple, Lime and Chia Smoothie
A pale green smoothie with a kick.
Apple Compote
Freshly made applesauce is several cuts above the store bought variety.
Apple and Bitter Lettuces Salad
A salad with many contrasts: sweet and bitter, crunchy and juicy.
Buckwheat Crêpes With Caramelized Apples
Flavorful crêpes that can handle both sweet and savory toppings.
Country Bread With Apples
A moist, rustic country bread with a sweet touch.
Warnings/Alerts/Guidelines
Hot Pockets Pastries Recalled
Feb. 19, 2014 -- About 238,000 cases of Hot Pockets pastries are being recalled because the products may contain recalled meat, Nestle USA says.
The voluntary recall by Nestle includes three different sizes of Philly Steak and Cheese Hot Pockets and Hot Pockets Croissant Crust Philly Steak and Cheese products in the two-pack box, NBC News reported.
The products may contain beef produced in 2013 and recalled last week by Rancho Feeding Corp. The meat produced at its Petaluma, Calif. plant was recalled because it came from "diseased and unsound animals" that were processed without full inspection, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Nestle discovered that a company in its supply chain bought meat from Rancho, NBC News reported.
General Medicine/Family Medical
Blood Sample Might Predict MS Long Before Symptoms Start
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Preliminary research suggests potential for earlier diagnosis
Feb. 21, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- An antibody linked with multiple sclerosis (MS) might be detectable in the blood of people with the disease before symptoms appear, a new study indicates.
The findings could lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment of the central nervous system disorder, the researchers said.
"If our results can be replicated in larger populations, our findings may help to detect MS earlier in a subgroup of patients," said study author Dr. Viola Biberacher, with Technical University in Munich, Germany. "Finding the disease before symptoms appear means we can better prepare to treat and possibly even prevent those symptoms."
Do You Often Recall Dreams? Read This
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
In French brain-scan study, 'high recallers' remembered dreams five mornings per week
Feb. 21, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- People who often remember their dreams have high levels of activity in certain areas of the brain, a new study says.
Researchers led by Perrine Ruby, of the Lyon Neuroscience Research Center in France, conducted brain scans on 41 people while they were awake and while they slept. Of the participants, 21 remembered dreams an average of about five mornings per week ("high dream recallers") and 20 remembered dreams only two mornings per month ("low dream recallers").
'Fat Hormone' Tied to Higher Colon Cancer Risk
By Alan Mozes, HealthDay
More precancerous polyps seen in small study as body fat increased
Feb. 20, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Obesity seems to increase the likelihood for developing precancerous growths called colorectal polyps, according to new research that offers fresh insight into colon cancer risk.
Specifically, the study links polyp risk to several key characteristics of obesity, including having elevated levels of the fat hormone leptin, having a higher body mass index (BMI) and having a larger waistline. BMI is a measurement of body fat taking height and weight into account.
However, investigators stressed that the current findings are not, as yet, definitive, and should not lead to any immediate revisions of current colorectal screening recommendations.
Surge in Thyroid Cancer Cases May Be Due to This
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Many might be getting unnecessary treatment for slow-growing disease, some experts say
Feb. 20, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A surge in the number of thyroid cancer cases in recent decades suggests the disease is being overdiagnosed and overtreated, a new study contends.
Although the number of thyroid cancer diagnoses has almost tripled since 1975, most are the more common and less aggressive form of the disease known as papillary thyroid cancer, the study authors said.
"The incidence of thyroid cancer is at epidemic proportions, but it doesn't look like an epidemic of disease, it looks like an epidemic of diagnosis," said lead researcher Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, a professor of medicine at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice.
Iron Deficiency May Raise Stroke Risk
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Study found lack of key mineral can make blood 'stickier' and more likely to clot
Feb. 20, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Low iron levels can raise your risk of stroke by making your blood more sticky, a new study indicates.
Investigators looked at data from nearly 500 people with a rare hereditary disease that causes them to have enlarged blood vessels in the lungs. Typically, blood vessels in the lungs don't allow clots to enter the arteries. But in these patients, clots can escape the lungs, travel to the brain and cause a stroke.
Those who had an iron deficiency had stickier platelets -- which are small blood cells that trigger clotting when they stick together -- and were more likely to suffer a stroke, according to the researchers at Imperial College London in the U.K.
Avastin: Mixed Results Against Different Cancers
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay]
Drug improved survival by 4 months with cervical cancer, but no such benefit seen with brain tumors
Feb. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Clinical trials investigating new uses for the anti-cancer drug Avastin have produced mixed results.
When combined with standard chemotherapy, Avastin extended the survival of patients with advanced cervical cancer by nearly four months, doctors reported in one trial.
However, two other trials found the drug proved of little use in treating newly diagnosed glioblastoma brain tumors.
All three studies appear in the Feb. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
More Stress, More Headaches, Study Says
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Tension-headache sufferers in particular may benefit from relaxation techniques, experts suggest
Feb. 19 (HealthDay News) -- German researchers have confirmed what many people have suspected all along -- that stress can lead to headaches.
Their study found that people who reported headaches had more stress compared to those who never reported headaches.
Increasing stress resulted in more headaches of all types, but that effect was particularly pronounced in people with tension headaches.
"Our findings are important to support the tailoring of stress management in patients with different types of headaches," said lead researcher Dr. Sara Schramm, at the University Hospital of University Duisburg-Essen.
Mesh for Hernia Repair Reduces Recurrence: Study
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
But the open surgery technique increases odds of complications, researchers find
Feb. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Using surgical mesh instead of stitches alone when repairing abdominal hernias appears to reduce the chances the problem will return, a new study suggests.
But mesh use is linked to other surgical risks, including infection, the researchers said.
"When repairing primary abdominal hernias, mesh reinforcement has the best long-term outcomes in most situations," said the study's lead researcher, Dr. Mike Liang, an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston.
'Talking' Medical Devices, Apps Continue to Evolve
By Mary Brophy Marcus, HealthDay
Innovations can help people manage their conditions, function in emergencies, keep doctors informed
Feb. 18, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- They remind you when it's time to take your medicine, coach you through emergency medical procedures and text you their approval when you eat your veggies.
No, they're not mothers or nurses or family doctors -- they're "talking" medical devices and apps, among other techy health-focused inventions, that help people manage everyday wellness routines, such as taking pills and checking blood sugar levels, as well as dire medical circumstances.
Training Videos Seem to Boost Brain Activity
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Stroke patients, others who must relearn motor skills might benefit from findings, researchers say
Feb. 18, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- People learning a new skill might pick it up more quickly by watching videos of other people performing the same task, a small new study suggests.
People who viewed training videos experienced 11 times greater improvement in their motor skills than people not provided the videos, the Italian research team reported.
Further, MRI scans revealed that the training videos appeared to boost the brain structure of the people who watched them, increasing the size of portions of the brain related to motor control and visual processing.
Surgery vs. Drugs for Irregular Heartbeat
By Brenda Goodman, HealthDay
But safety issues may still make medications better choice for many patients, experts say
Feb. 18, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Surgery works better, but has more serious side effects, than the standard drugs used to treat occasional bouts of atrial fibrillation, a new study reveals.
Atrial fibrillation is a condition where the heart's normally precise electrical system goes out of whack, causing the upper chambers to beat rapidly and erratically. These fluttering heartbeats allow blood to pool inside the heart, increasing the risk for clots that may travel to the brain and cause a stroke.
The condition currently affects nearly 3 million Americans and is on the rise as the population ages, according to the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
More Patients Are Checking Doctor-Rating Web Sites
By Amy Norton, HealthDay
But just how trustworthy these reviews are isn't clear
Feb. 18, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- More Americans are choosing their doctor the same way they settle on a car or TV: with the help of online ratings, a new study suggests.
Websites such as Healthgrades.com and RateMDs.com offer people a way to look up local doctors and see patient reviews. And based on the new findings, many patients are putting that information to use.
In a survey of more than 2,100 Americans, researchers found that two-thirds knew that doctor-rating sites exist. And of those surveyed, one-quarter had used the sites in the past year.
Radiation-Free Cancer Scans: Coming Soon?
By Randy Dotinga, HealthDay
Children might benefit most from new way to detect tumors, but experts say more research is needed
Feb. 18, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A new way to scan children -- and potentially adults -- for signs of cancer's spread without exposing them to dangerous radiation has been developed, researchers say.
The approach, however, has been tested only in a few patients, and pediatric radiologists say it's not ready for prime time just yet.
Still, the study findings are encouraging and suggest that "we can solve the conundrum between the need for whole-body [scans] and the risk of potentially inducing cancer later in life," said lead author Dr. Heike Daldrup-Link, an associate professor in the department of radiology at the Stanford School of Medicine's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.
At issue is the radiation exposure kids and adults face when their bodies are scanned for signs of cancer. Although radiation can pose risks to adults, children and younger adults -- at least to the age of 40 -- face a higher level of danger, said Dr. Thomas Slovis, staff pediatric radiologist at Children's Hospital of Michigan. That has put children and young adults at the forefront of efforts to reduce radiation exposure from scans.
Women's Health
Guidelines to Lower C-Section Rates
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
The two organizations say first-time mothers should be allowed more time in labor
Feb. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Two major medical groups representing America's obstetricians/gynecologists issued joint guidelines on Wednesday aimed at curbing the overuse of cesarean sections in first-time mothers.
One major change: Extending the length of time a woman should be allowed to be in labor, to help lower the odds she will require a C-section.
"This is an extremely important initiative to prevent the first cesarean delivery," said one expert, Dr. Joanne Stone, director of maternal-fetal medicine at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
"Multiple cesarean sections put women at higher risks for complications, such as abnormal placental adherence, bleeding and even hysterectomy," she said. Also, "by preventing the first cesarean, we can prevent future cesareans."
More Breast Cancer Patients Choosing Reconstructive Surgery, Study Finds
By Mary Brophy Marcus, HealthDay
But rates vary widely from state to state, and doctors worry that not all women have equal access to procedures
Feb. 18, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- More breast cancer patients are choosing reconstructive breast surgery, although where women live might influence whether they opt for it, new research shows.
"These data suggest that while a hearteningly increasing proportion of women are receiving breast reconstruction, it's not uniformly the case all across the country," said study author Dr. Reshma Jagsi, associate chairwoman of the department of radiation oncology at the University of Michigan.
'Nerve Block' to Neck Might Help Ease Hot Flashes
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Women in small study suffered fewer moderate-to-severe episodes due to menopause
Feb. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Women suffering from hot flashes might get some relief through an injection of an anesthetic near a nerve bundle in the neck, a small new study finds.
This technique, called a stellate ganglion block, is a common treatment for pain and might be an alternative for women who can't take or are reluctant to take hormone replacement therapy, the researchers said.
"Women are looking for nonhormonal alternatives for hot flashes," said senior researcher Pauline Maki, an associate professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Men's Health
Vitamin E, Selenium Supplements Tied to Cancer Risk
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Risk was highest when men had high or low levels of selenium already in their body
Feb. 21, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Men taking selenium or vitamin E supplements might double their risk of prostate cancer, depending on the levels of selenium already in their bodies, a new study suggests.
Men who already have high concentrations of selenium in their bodies nearly double their risk of aggressive prostate cancer if they take selenium supplements, said lead author Dr. Alan Kristal, associate head of the Cancer Prevention Program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.
The new study, published Feb. 21 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, also found that vitamin E supplements can more than double a man's prostate cancer risk, but only if the man has low concentrations of selenium in his body.
The upshot, said Kristal, is simple: Don't take high-dose selenium or vitamin E supplements.
Video Improves Skin Cancer Diagnoses in Older Men?
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Whole-body exams more common among film viewers
Feb. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Giving older men an instructional video about skin awareness and self-examination might lead to increased detection of skin cancer, according to a new study.
Researchers divided more than 900 men, aged 50 and older, into two groups. In one group, men received a video and brochures about looking for possible skin cancers, while those in a control group received only brochures.
Pediatric Health
Rx Ear Drops for Kids With Recurrent Ear Infection
By Serena Gordon, HealthDay
Finds drops may be preferred remedy when special 'ear tubes' are needed
Feb. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- An eardrop that combines antibiotics and steroids might be the best ear infection treatment for children who already have ear tubes because of recurrent infections, a new study finds.
New research compared the eardrop treatment to oral antibiotics and to a wait-and-see approach. After two weeks, just 5 percent of children receiving the eardrops had continuing discharge from their ears. But 44 percent of those given oral antibiotics still had signs of infection, as did 55 percent of those managed with observation, according to the study.
Kids With ADHD and 'Brain Wave' Training in School
By Mary Brophy Marcus, HealthDay
But experts agree more research is needed to see if that translates into better classroom performance
Feb. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may benefit from getting a type of training during school hours that monitors their brain waves to help improve attention.
The study involved 104 elementary school children with ADHD who were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a brain-wave monitoring ("neurofeedback") group; a cognitive attention training group; and a "control" group.
Aging
Celexa May Help Ease Alzheimer's-Linked Agitation
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Study finds it might be safer alternative to standard antipsychotics
Feb. 18, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The antidepressant Celexa shows promise in easing the agitation people with Alzheimer's disease often suffer, and may offer a safer alternative to antipsychotic drugs, a new study finds.
"Agitation is one of the worst symptoms for patients and their families: it puts the Alzheimer's patient at risk for other system overloads (cardiac, infection), wears them out physically, and exhausts caregivers and families," noted one expert, Dr. Alan Manevitz, a clinical psychiatrist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
He said that while antipsychotic drugs are typically used to help ease the agitation, they are also associated with a higher risk of death for Alzheimer's patients, so safer alternatives would be welcome.
Mental Health
Saliva Test May Spot Depression Risk in Male Teens
Feb. 18, 2014 -- A simple saliva test might one day spot which teenaged boys are most likely to develop major depression later in life, British researchers report.
After testing both boys and girls who had been diagnosed with mild depression, the researchers found that boys with high levels of a stress hormone called cortisol were 14 times more likely to be diagnosed with clinical depression later, according to the Associated Press.
Girls with high cortisol levels were only four times more likely to receive such a diagnosis during the course of the study, the AP reported.
At this point in time, there is no biological way to measure depression risk, the news service reported.
Nutrition/Diet/Fitness
Too Much Sitting After 60 May Lead to Disability
By Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay
For each extra sedentary hour per day, researchers found a 50 percent increased risk
Feb. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Too much sitting has been linked to increased risk for health problems such as heart failure and earlier death. Now, a new study finds older adults who sit too much are more likely to be disabled -- regardless of their exercise habits.
"Sedentary behavior is its own separate risk factor [for disability]," said study researcher Dorothy Dunlop, a professor of medicine at the Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. She evaluated the exercise habits of more than 2,000 men and women, aged 60 and above, and their ability to perform normal everyday activities.
"Regardless of how much time they spent in moderate physical activity, the more time they spent being sedentary, the more likely they were to be disabled," Dunlop said.
However, another expert wonders if the relationship may occur in the opposite way -- that the more disabled people are, the more sedentary they are due to inability to exercise.
The study was supported in part by the U.S. National Institute for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases. It was published online Feb. 19 in the Journal of Physical Activity & Health.
Average Obese Woman Gets 1 Hour of Exercise a Year
By Randy Dotinga, HealthDay
Obese men don't do much better, breaking a sweat only 3.6 hours annually, researchers say
Feb. 20, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A new study suggests that obese women get just one hour of vigorous exercise a year, while obese men don't do much better at fewer than four hours.
The findings startled the researchers, whose main focus was finding better ways to measure how much exercise people get.
"They're living their lives from one chair to another," said Edward Archer, a research fellow with the Nutrition Obesity Research Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "We didn't realize we were that sedentary. There are some people who are vigorously active, but it's offset by the huge number of individuals who are inactive."
Gut Bacteria and Obesity
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Study of people from five continents found higher microbe levels in those living in colder northern regions
Feb. 20, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- People in cold, northern regions of the world have more gut bacteria linked with obesity than those in warm, southern areas, researchers report.
The findings are from an analysis of gut bacteria in more than 1,000 people in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America.
"People think obesity is a bad thing, but maybe in the past getting more fat and more energy from the diet might have been important to survival in cold places," study author Taichi Suzuki, a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, said in a university news release. "Our gut microbes today might be influenced by our ancestors."
The study appeared online this month in the journal Biology Letters.
Scientists Make Artificial Muscles
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
They're 100 times stronger than human muscles and could be used in robots, researchers say
Feb. 20, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Fishing line and sewing thread can create powerful artificial muscles that could be used to help disabled people or to build incredibly strong robots, a new study says.
Compared to human muscle of the same weight and length, the artificial muscles can lift 100 times more weight and make 100 times more mechanical power, the international team of researchers claimed.
The artificial muscles -- which are created by twisting and coiling high-strength polymer fishing line and thread -- generate 7.1 horsepower per kilogram. That's about the same mechanical power as a jet engine, according to the study published Feb. 21 in the journal Science.