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.
Drink Your Greens
I've never been one to eat or drink a particular food just because it's good for you. So for years I've been rolling my eyes whenever anyone starts talking about green smoothies or green drinks. I love greens, but not in my morning smoothie. [..]
The drinks are loaded with phytonutrients, and they're filling. They are definitely meals in a glass. When I was testing the recipes I enjoyed every sip and felt very energetic for hours afterward. So, no more rolling my eyes: I'm a green smoothie convert.
~Martha Rose Shulman~
Pineapple-Basil Smoothie
This may sound strange, but pineapple marries well with peppery basil.
Pear Smoothie With Spinach, Celery and Ginger
Ginger adds zest and banana contributes substance to this kefir- or yogurt-based drink.
Blueberry Kefir Smoothie With Greens
A green drink, rich in anthocyanins, that doesn't look green, thanks to blueberries.
Green Smoothie With Pineapple, Arugula, Greens and Cashews
The pineapple stands up well to the arugula and greens, and ginger pumps up the flavor.
Green Smoothie With Cucumber and Cumin
This savory smoothie resembles an Indian lassi with added spice.
Warnings/Alerts/Guidelines
Drug-Resistant Bacteria Found Worldwide: WHO
By WebMD News from HealthDay
May 1, 2014 -- Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are now found worldwide, a situation that could have serious public health consequences, the World Health Organization warns in a new report.
Without urgent action to counter the threat, "the world is headed for a post-antibiotic era in which common infections and minor injuries which have been treatable for decades can once again kill," Dr. Keiji Fukuda, one of the agency's assistant director-generals, said in a news release, the Associated Press reported.
Female Incontinence Device Gets 'High Risk' Status
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Vaginal mesh devices have been linked to pain, infection, other problems, agency says
April 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Vaginal mesh devices that support the pelvic organs and help ease incontinence in women will get stricter oversight in the future due to safety concerns, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday.
"The FDA has identified clear risks associated with surgical mesh for the transvaginal repair of pelvic organ prolapse and is now proposing to address those risks for more safe and effective products," Dr. William Maisel, deputy director of science and chief scientist at the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in an agency news release.
General Medicine/Family Medical
Students Admit Using ADHD Drugs for Better Grades
By Randy Dotinga, HealthDay
18 percent surveyed said they've used meds like Adderall to stay alert when cramming
May 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Almost one in five Ivy League college students acknowledge they've used stimulants to perform better in school even though they haven't been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a new study shows.
Varsity athletes and students in fraternities and sororities were more likely to report using the medications. However, about half of those who'd used the drugs said they'd done so fewer than four times, suggesting that regular use of the drugs is limited to a small number of students overall.
Possible Clues to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
By Alan Mozes, HealthDay
Inflammation may play a role, small study suggests
May 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Seeking better insight into chronic fatigue syndrome, a new brain scan investigation has pinpointed what could be the first evidence of a connection between nerve cell inflammation and the onset of this debilitating and somewhat mysterious illness, researchers say.
The finding stems from a small PET scan study, led by Yasuhito Nakatomi of the RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies in Hyogo, Japan. The study involved just nine patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and 10 healthy participants.
States With Highest Rates of Preventable Deaths
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Modifiable risk factors could help combat scourges like heart disease, cancer, CDC says
May 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- People in the southeastern United States have a much greater risk of dying early from any of the nation's five leading causes of death, federal health officials reported Thursday.
Those living in eight southern states -- Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee -- endure 28 percent to 33 percent of all potentially preventable deaths from heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, stroke and unintentional injury, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates.
Complications Common, Costly With Some Kidney Stone Treatments
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Study found 1 in 7 patients has problems after certain procedures
April 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Kidney stone treatments cause complications in about 14 percent of patients and can be costly, according to a large new study.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 93,000 privately insured patients in the United States who were treated for kidney stones.
One in seven of the patients experienced complications that required hospitalization or emergency care within 30 days of treatment the study found. The average cost of treating complications was $30,000 per patient.
HPV-Linked Oral Cancers May Not Be 'Contagious'
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Kissing doesn't seem to raise rate of viral infection between committed partners, study finds
April 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Romantic intimacy in long-term relationships often suffers when one partner gets a diagnosis of mouth or throat cancer caused by HPV, the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus. But new research suggests these couples can kiss as much and as deeply as they ever have, without worry.
Spouses and long-term partners of patients with HPV-related oral cancers appear to have no increased risk of oral HPV infections, according to the results of a new study led by Johns Hopkins investigators.
Saliva samples taken from the partners of oral cancer patients did not contain elevated levels of HPV DNA, the researchers reported online April 28 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Type 2 Diabetes May Shrink the Brain
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Loss of gray matter can lead to dementia, experts say
April 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- People with type 2 diabetes may lose more brain volume than is expected as they age, new research indicates.
Surprisingly, this shrinkage doesn't appear to be linked to the damaging effect of diabetes on tiny blood vessels in the brain, but instead by how the brain handles excess sugar, the researchers noted.
"We have known for a long time that diabetes is not good for the brain," said lead researcher Dr. R. Nick Bryan, a professor of radiology at the University of Pennsylvania's Perleman School of Medicine in Philadelphia.
Medical Marijuana May Ease Some MS Symptoms
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Finding applies only to pot in pill or spray form, neurologists say
April 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Medical marijuana can help relieve some symptoms of multiple sclerosis, but whether it can benefit patients with other neurological disorders is still unclear, according to a new review by top neurologists.
Doctors with the American Academy of Neurology reviewed current research and found certain forms of marijuana -- but not smoked marijuana -- can help treat MS symptoms such as muscle stiffness, certain types of pain and muscle spasms, and overactive bladder.
Seasonal Flu/Other Epidemics/Disasters
1st MERS Case Reported in U.S.
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Patient had recently been in Saudi Arabia, epicenter of outbreak that has sickened 400 people and killed 93, CDC says
May 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The first case of a deadly respiratory virus that initially surfaced in the Middle East two years ago has been diagnosed in the United States, federal health officials announced Friday.
The unidentified patient, a health care professional who had been working in Saudi Arabia, is being treated at a hospital in Indiana. Saudi Arabia is the epicenter of the viral outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), officials said.
Women's Health
Women: 'In Sickness & In Health' Not in the Cards?
By Maureen Salamon, HealthDay
When wife is seriously ill, half of marriages end in divorce, study finds
May 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The marital vows to stay true "in sickness and in health" seem to apply more to wives than husbands when one of the spouses becomes seriously ill, according to novel new research.
Social scientists found that the risk of divorce among older married heterosexual couples rises when the wife, but not the husband, experiences a health crisis such as cancer, heart problems, lung disease or stroke.
Too Much or Too Little Sleep Tied to Memory Problems in Older Women
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Those who slept either 5 hours or less, 9 hours or more daily showed effect in study
May 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Seniors who slept too little or too much during midlife or after are at increased risk for memory problems, as are those whose sleep habits changed over time, a new study suggests.
Researchers looked at more than 15,000 women, 70 and older, who took part in a large study of health professionals. The women were depression- and stroke-free when they underwent their initial assessment.
Participants who slept five hours or less, or nine hours or more a day -- either in midlife or later life -- had worse memory than those who slept seven hours a day. The difference in memory was equivalent to nearly two extra years of age, the researchers said.
Pregnancy Ultrasound Bonding Moment for Dads-to-Be
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Fetal image helps men take in reality of pending birth, study suggests
April 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Seeing the first ultrasound images of their unborn babies helps fathers bond with their children, according to a new small study.
Researchers interviewed 22 expectant fathers, aged 23 to 41, in Michigan after they viewed a routine ultrasound of their unborn child taken at weeks 16 to 20 of pregnancy. Half of the men were first-time fathers.
The ultrasound helped the men truly understand that they were going to have a child and reassured them that all was well with the pregnancy, the researchers said.
Older Mothers at Higher Risk of Child With Autism?
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Researchers compared thousands of children born in Sweden over two decades
April 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The risk of having a child with autism rises rapidly after women pass age 30, a large new study suggests.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 417,000 children born in Sweden between 1984 and 2003. They found that women who gave birth before they were 30 years old had no age-related increased chance of having a child with an autism spectrum disorder.
Joblessness a Side Effect of Breast Cancer Chemo
By Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay
Survey found over one-third who had the drug therapy were unemployed four years later
April 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Women with breast cancer who undergo chemotherapy are more likely to end up unemployed than patients who get other treatments, a new study reports.
The study of women younger than 65 found that four years after treatment for early stage breast cancer, more than one-third who had chemotherapy were out of work compared to just over one-quarter of women who had other treatments.
More STD Screening on Horizon for Women?
By Randy Dotinga, HealthDay
Influential U.S. panel has also drafted guidelines on counseling to prevent chlamydia, gonorrhea
April 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A federal task force is poised to advise doctors to regularly screen all sexually active American women and girls up to age 24 for the sexually transmitted diseases chlamydia and gonorrhea, which often don't have outward symptoms.
The influential group of experts also appears ready to recommend screening for older women at risk of the diseases and provide intensive counseling to people of all ages at extra risk of STDs.
Men's Health
Low Vitamin D Might Be Linked to Prostate Cancer
By Brenda Goodman, HealthDay
Adequate levels may help keep cell growth in check, but researchers say more study needed
May 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Low blood levels of vitamin D may be linked to more aggressive and advanced cases of prostate cancer in men, a new study suggests.
And black men with low vitamin D levels were more likely than those with normal levels to test positive for cancer after a prostate biopsy.
The study, published May 1 in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, suggests that vitamin D may play an important role in how prostate cancer starts and spreads, although it does not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. Researchers aren't yet sure exactly how it comes into play or even if taking extra vitamin D might keep prostate cancer in check.
Pediatric Health
Helmets Not Helpful for Babies With 'Flat Head' Syndrome: Study
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Dutch researchers found similar improvement in infants who received no treatment
May 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Some babies develop a flat area on their head from lying in the same position for long periods of time, but special helmets are ineffective in treating the condition, a new study finds.
About one in five babies aged younger than 6 months has this problem, experts say. It has become more common in the wake of campaigns urging parents to place babies on their backs when they sleep, to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Spanking May Be More Common Than Parents Admit
By Barbara Bronson Gray, HealthDay
Small study 'eavesdropped' on family interactions with preschoolers
April 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Ask any busy parent of preschool children: Early evening can be a stressful time. Now a small new study that audiotaped families soon after they returned home from work and day care suggests that spanking is surprisingly common.
Among 33 families, the researchers discovered 41 incidents of spanking or hitting children in 15 different families over a six-night period. What's more, the spanking didn't seem to resolve problems. After being hit, children were misbehaving again within 10 minutes in about 75 percent of the incidents.
'Breast Milk Banks' Gain in Popularity
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Experts say they're safer than online milk-sharing sources
April 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A wave of new nonprofit breast milk banks are opening across North America, driven by research that has promoted the use of donated mother's milk for healthy babies.
Five new milk banks are expected to open this year in the United States and Canada, joining four that opened in 2013 and bringing the total number of nonprofit milk banks up to 22, said Kim Updegrove, president of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America.
Autism Affects Motor Skills, Too
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
As condition's severity rises, so do difficulties in movement, dexterity, study finds
April 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Autism affects the development of motor skills in infants and toddlers, and the more severe their disorder, the slower their progress in being able to do things such as grasp objects and move around.
That's the finding of a study that assessed more than 150 children between the ages of 12 and 33 months. One hundred and ten youngsters in the study had autism, and 49 children didn't have the disorder. The children with autism were nearly a year behind typical children in fine motor skills, such as holding a spoon or a small toy.
Gastro Woes More Common in Kids With Autism: Review
By Brenda Goodman, HealthDay
Their risk for digestive problems is 4 times higher than in typically developing peers, researchers found
April 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- What many parents of children with autism have long suspected -- that autism and gastrointestinal complaints often go together -- is now supported by a new study.
The study, a review of medical research, found that children with autism are more than four times as likely as their typically developing peers to have digestive difficulties such as abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation.
Aging
Those With Arthritis Face Higher Risk of Falls
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Exercise, physical therapy may help by improving balance, strength and gait, researchers say
May 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Americans with arthritis are at higher risk for falls and fall-related injuries than those without the condition, a new study reveals.
Rates of falls and fall-related injuries over the study's 12-month period were higher among middle-aged and older adults with arthritis in every state and the District of Columbia, researcher Kamil Barbour, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and colleagues found.
Alzheimer's Variation May Often Go Unrecognized
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
'Hippocampal sparing' disease tends to affect men more, at younger ages
May 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Many patients with a newly identified subtype of Alzheimer's disease are misdiagnosed and don't receive proper treatment, researchers report.
They analyzed the brains of more than 1,800 Alzheimer's patients and found that 11 percent of them had this subtype, called "hippocampal sparing Alzheimer's disease."
About 5.2 million Americans have Alzheimer's, which means that nearly 600,000 of them could have this variant of the disease, according to the research team at the Mayo Clinic in Florida.
Mental Health
Laughter May Work Like Meditation in the Brain
Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Study monitored brain waves of people watching different types of videos
April 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Laughter triggers brain waves similar to those associated with meditation, according to a small new study.
It also found that other forms of stimulation produce different types of brain waves.
The study included 31 people whose brain waves were monitored while they watched humorous, spiritual or distressing video clips. While watching the humorous videos, the volunteers' brains had high levels of gamma waves, which are the same ones produced during meditation, researchers found
Higher Doses of Antidepressants & Suicidal Behavior
By Brenda Goodman, HealthDay
They were twice as likely to try to hurt themselves if they were prescribed more than recommended dose
April 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- When prescribing antidepressants for teens and young adults, doctors should not start with high doses of the drugs because it might raise the risk of suicidal behavior, new research suggests.
The study, which was published online April 28 in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, found that younger patients who began treatment with higher-than-recommended doses of antidepressants were more than twice as likely to try to harm themselves as those who were initially treated with the same drugs at lower, recommended doses
Nutrition/Diet/Fitness
Routine Housework May Help Stave Off Disability
By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay
Study finds benefit in light activity such as housecleaning or a slow stroll
April 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Daily physical activity as light as pushing a shopping cart, vacuuming the house or strolling through a museum can dramatically reduce a person's risk of disability, a new study reports.
People who spent more than four hours a day doing light physical activity had more than a 30 percent reduction in their risk for developing a disability, compared to those spending only three hours a day in light activity, researchers found.
Is Healthy Obesity a Myth?
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Study found even with normal blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, the obese had more artery plaque
April 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Can someone be obese and healthy? A new study and several experts say no.
An obese person who has normal blood pressure, normal cholesterol and normal blood sugar levels is still at risk for heart disease, Korean researchers report in the April 30 online edition of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
In the study of more than 14,000 men and women, aged 30 to 59, those who were obese had more plaque buildup in their arteries, putting them at greater risk for heart disease and stroke than people of normal weight, the researchers found.
Poor Fitness in Middle Age, Early Death Risk?
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Grip strength, ability to rise from chair and standing balance measured
April 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Middle-aged people who do poorly on simple tests of physical ability may be at increased risk of early death, according to a new study.
Another study found that light-intensity physical activity every day may reduce the chance of disability in adults with -- or at risk of developing -- knee arthritis.
Both studies were published online April 29 in the journal bmj.com.