Depression, Antidepressants Tied to Heart Disease, Diabetes Risk in Older Women

Older women who have depression or take antidepressants may be at increased risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, a new study finds. Researchers looked at about eight years of data from a few thousand postmenopausal women in the United States. Those who had depression or were using antidepressants were more likely to have a higher body-mass index (BMI), a measurement of body fat based on height and weight; larger waist size and signs of inflammation than those who did not have depression and were not taking antidepressants. These measurements are all associated with increased risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, noted the authors of the study in the June 13 issue of the American Journal of Public Health. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_138053.html

Rapid cooling does little for strained muscles- study

Blasts of super cold air may feel good on overworked muscles, but the increasingly popular form of cryotherapy does not stop muscle soreness or declines in muscle strength, according to a new study. Though other measures of muscle injury, such as swelling and muscle-cell electrical activity, were slightly improved after the rapid cooling, "overall, it's ineffective," said Gaël Guilhem, the lead author of the study and a researcher at the National Institute for Sports in Paris, France. What athletes are interested in, Guilhem said, is, "'am I (in less pain), am I stronger?' And the answer was, 'no.'" Ice has long been used as a therapy for muscle injury. "It's been the standard treatment for acute injury and chronic injury since the 70s," said Ty Hopkins, a professor at Brigham Young University, who was not part of the study. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_138077.html

Vitamin D Levels Vary by Season

Americans' vitamin D levels vary throughout the year, peaking in August and bottoming out in February, a new study shows. The findings will contribute to understanding the vitamin's role in seasonal illnesses, according to the researchers from the University of California, Irvine, and the Mayo Clinic. Vitamin D, which is produced by the skin when exposed to sunlight, helps bones absorb calcium and can protect against osteoporosis. It's also believed to play a role in seasonal illnesses such as the flu. For this study, the researchers measured vitamin D levels in 3.4 million blood samples collected weekly in the United States between July 2006 and December 2011. The results appear in the journal PLoS One. "Even with food fortification, vitamin D levels in the population show a high level of seasonality due to the influence of sunlight," study first author Amy Kasahara, a UC Irvine graduate student in public health, said in a university news release. "In this study, we have shown that vitamin D levels lag the solar cycle, peaking in August and troughing in February," she said. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_138061.html

Dunkin' Donuts to sell gluten-free doughnuts, muffins by end of 2013

Dunkin’ Donuts is expected to offer two gluten-free pastries, cinnamon-sugar doughnuts and blueberry muffins, by the end of the year. "At Dunkin' Donuts, we recognize the importance of providing our guests with many options, including alternative choices for people with food and dietary restrictions,” said Michelle King, spokeswoman for Dunkin’ Brands. “We understand that sensitivities to food ingredients such as gluten are a serious concern for certain guests.” http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-dunkin-donuts-gluten-free-2013-20130620,0,2000330.story

House defeats farm bill in surprise move

A broad five-year farm bill went down to a surprise defeat in the House on Thursday when Republican conservatives revolted against the legislation, arguing that it would cost too much, while Democrats defected, saying it would not spend enough on their priorities. The agriculture sector stands to suffer the most from the bill’s failure. Without action later this year, American farmers will fall back to a 1949 law governing the industry, which could lead to steep price increases on items such as milk. http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2013/06/20/8d04ba3a-d9de-11e2-a9f2-42ee3912ae0e_story.html?hpid=z2

People want schools to help prevent childhood obesity, survey says

Ninety percent of Americans said schools should take a role in combating obesity -- a surprising cut away from the idea that being overweight is a personal choice. That doesn’t meant people don’t see that they need to take action as well for themselves and their families, according to the results of a Field Research poll released Wednesday. “It really indicates a sea change in how people view the problem,” Loel Solomon, vice president for community health at Kaiser Permanente, said in an interview. “People are ready to act for themselves, their families and their loved ones, but they know they can’t do it alone.” Only 19% of those surveyed said that obesity was only a personal issue. http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/la-sn-school-childhood-obesity-20130618,0,2236373.story

U.S. Doctors' Group Labels Obesity a Disease

In an effort to focus greater attention on the weight-gain epidemic plaguing the United States, the American Medical Association has now classified obesity as a disease. The decision will hopefully pave the way for more attention by doctors on obesity and its dangerous complications, and may even increase insurance coverage for treatments, experts said. "Recognizing obesity as a disease will help change the way the medical community tackles this complex issue that affects approximately one in three Americans," AMA board member Dr. Patrice Harris said in a statement Tuesday. "The AMA is committed to improving health outcomes and is working to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, which are often linked to obesity." One expert thinks the AMA's decision, approved Tuesday at the group's annual meeting, could lead to greater coverage by insurance companies of treatments for obesity. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137956.html

Metabolic syndrome has declined, some risks persist

Compared to a decade ago, fewer Americans have a cluster of risk factors that together can signal heart troubles and diabetes down the line, according to a new study. But while so-called metabolic syndrome is declining, some of its components - including large waistlines and poor blood sugar control, which carry their own risks - are becoming more common, researchers found. "I don't think we're out of the woods yet," said Gary Liguori, who has studied metabolic syndrome at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga but wasn't involved in the new research. "It may be the incidence of diabetes is going to continue to go up," he told Reuters Health. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137983.html

TV Commercials May Spur Junk Food Habit in Kids, Study Finds

The types of TV shows that families watch influences the amount of junk food that preschool children eat, a new study suggests. Researchers found that children in homes where parents watch regular TV with commercials had higher levels of junk food consumption and were more likely to have distorted views about healthy eating than children in homes where parents watched commercial-free digitally recorded TV or other types of media without food advertising. The link between TV viewing and junk food consumption was much stronger in "food-secure" homes than in those that were "food-insecure." A family is considered food-secure if they have ready access to food. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137786.html

Short Strolls After Meals May Lower Diabetes Risk

Older adults at risk for getting diabetes who took a 15-minute walk after every meal improved their blood sugar levels, a new study shows. Three short walks after eating worked better to control blood sugar levels than one 45-minute walk in the morning or evening, said lead researcher Loretta DiPietro, chairwoman of the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services in Washington, D.C. "More importantly, the post-meal walking was significantly better than the other two exercise prescriptions at lowering the post-dinner glucose level," DiPietro added. The after-dinner period is an especially vulnerable time for older people at risk of diabetes, DiPietro said. Insulin production decreases, and they may go to bed with extremely high blood glucose levels, increasing their chances of diabetes. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137746.html

At-home weight loss programs for kids lack evidence

Programs designed to prevent childhood obesity in the home don't affect kids' weight a year or more down the line, according to a review of the evidence. But that conclusion comes from only a small number of available studies on the programs, and doesn't prove that such studies can't work, according to lead author Dr. Nakiya Showell. "We need additional studies to answer this question, especially studies with greater number of participants, greater program exposure among participants and longer participant followup," said Showell, of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. Other studies have shown that family influence and home environment play an important role in preventing childhood obesity, which affects about 17 percent of American children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137766.html

Vegetable fats tied to less prostate cancer spread

After being diagnosed with prostate cancer, men who eat a diet high in vegetable fats, such as those in nuts and olive oil, may be less likely to have their disease spread, a new study suggests. Researchers found that replacing some carbohydrates with those healthy fats was also tied to a lower risk of dying from any cause during the study. But the opposite was true for saturated and trans fats often found in meat and processed foods. "A lot of doctors will simply say, ‘Cut out fat,'" after a prostate cancer diagnosis, said Dr. Stephen Freedland, a urologist at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. But this study challenges that advice, said Freedland, who wrote a commentary on the findings. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137680.html

Study: Low Blood Pressure May Weaken Brains of Some Heart Patients

People suffering from cardiovascular disease who have lower-than-normal blood pressure may face a higher risk of brain atrophy -- the death of brain cells or connections between brain cells, Dutch researchers report. Such brain atrophy can lead to Alzheimer's disease or dementia in these patients. In contrast, similar patients with high blood pressure can slow brain atrophy by lowering their blood pressure, the researchers added. Blood pressure is measured using two readings. The top number, called systolic pressure, gauges the pressure of blood moving through arteries. The bottom number, called diastolic pressure, measures the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats. Normal blood pressure for adults is less than 120/80, according to the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137670.html

Low Blood Sugar May Raise Dementia Risk in Diabetics: Study

Low blood sugar in older adults with type 2 diabetes may increase their risk of dementia, a new study suggests. While it's important for diabetics to control blood sugar levels, that control "shouldn't be so aggressive that you get hypoglycemia," said study author Dr. Kristine Yaffe, a professor of psychiatry, neurology and epidemiology at the University of California, San Francisco. The study of nearly 800 people, published online June 10 in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that people with episodes of significant hypoglycemia -- low blood sugar -- had twice the chance of developing dementia, Yaffe said. Conversely, "if you had dementia you were also at a greater risk of getting hypoglycemic, compared with people with diabetes who didn't have dementia," she said. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137671.html

Heavier Pregnant Women Tend to Deliver Prematurely

Overweight or obese women who are pregnant are more likely to give birth prematurely, and the risk of preterm delivery increases with their amount of excess weight, according to a study of more than 1.5 million deliveries in Sweden. Researchers speculate that the health problems associated with overweight and obesity -- high blood pressure, insulin resistance, high cholesterol, increased chance of infection -- have a direct impact on a woman's ability to carry their child to term, according to the study, which was published in the June 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137709.html

Healing meals

Since she was diagnosed with heart failure earlier this year, Betty Winstead, 84, has become a familiar face at Carney Hospital. Her medical team has taken all the conventional steps to keep her from returning, but nothing has broken the distressing and costly cycle of home to hospital and back. Last Monday, Steward Health Care launched a new approach for Winstead and patients like her. The hospital company hired City Fresh Foods to deliver three low-sodium meals and two snacks to Winstead’s Mattapan home each day, free to Winstead. Doctors hope healthy food such as berry granola, bean and kale burritos and sweet and sour tofu will ease her symptoms — and cut down her trips to Carney. “We really want to make a lifestyle change for the patient,’’ said Dr. Lana Tsao, director of advanced heart failure and the coronary care unit at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, which, like Carney, is owned by Steward. “Patients will say “I don’t want to change my diet. I have been eating this way my whole life.’ The problem is they have been eating that way their whole life.’’ http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2013/06/09/hospitals-reach-into-patients-homes-deliver-healthy-smoked-tofu-but-also-bbq-shrimp-scampi/QSqNQiycZUNxa9qbRWzs8I/story.html

Heavy Patients Trust Diet Advice From Overweight Docs Most: Study

Overweight and obese patients prefer getting advice on weight loss from doctors who are also overweight or obese, a new study shows. "In general, heavier patients trust their doctors, but they more strongly trust dietary advice from overweight doctors," said study leader Sara Bleich, an associate professor of health policy and management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in Baltimore. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137623.html

Windows Add to Office Workers' Well-Being, Study Finds

Paid vacation and health benefits are coveted job perks. Perhaps windows also belong on that list, new research suggests. Workers in offices with windows get more and better sleep at night, are more physically active and have a higher quality of life than those in windowless offices, a new study finds. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137578.html

Pedometers Can Keep You Moving

Wearing a pedometer that tracks daily physical activity can motivate you to sit less, move more and perhaps shed unwanted pounds, a new study suggests. Researchers from Indiana University found this type of intervention was particularly helpful for workers who had desk jobs. And, they noted, pedometers are also an inexpensive way to target a large number of people. "Even if somebody works out 30 minutes a day, the fact that they're sitting and not moving for long periods of time for the rest of the day is, in and of itself, detrimental to their health and well-being, physiologically," said one of the study's researchers, Saurabh Thosar, an associate instructor at the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, in a university news release. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137576.html

Blacks With Certain Gene Need Lower Doses of Warfarin: Study

The discovery of a genetic variation that affects how some black patients respond to the blood thinner warfarin could improve the safety and effectiveness of the drug, researchers report. Blacks with this common genetic variation need a significantly lower dose of warfarin than those without the variation, the researchers report online June 4 in The Lancet. "Adding this genetic marker -- found in more than 40 percent of African-American patients in the study -- to standard dosing algorithms improved the predictability of warfarin dosing by 21 percent in these individuals, which has the potential to increase the safety and effectiveness of this notoriously hard-to- dose drug," study leader Julie Johnson, of the University of Florida, said in a journal news release. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137524.html

Foodborne Illness: Especially Dangerous for the Vulnerable

If you've ever become sick after eating a food contaminated with disease-causing bacteria, it's not an experience you want to repeat. But if you're part of what is called an "at-risk" or "vulnerable" population, a foodborne illness can be extremely dangerous. Symptoms—such as vomiting, diarrhea and fever—can intensify and the illness can become life-threatening. Which populations are most at risk? According to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) epidemiologist Karl Klontz, M.D., M.P.H., they are the very young (under 1 year); older adults; the immune-compromised (those whose immune systems are less able to fight off harmful bacteria); and women who are pregnant. http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm354783.htm

Minorities Harmed Most By Fast-Food Outlets Near School: Study

Black and Hispanic teens who go to school near fast-food restaurants are more likely to be overweight and to not benefit as much from exercise as white or Asian students, researchers have found. Because teens often make independent food choices before, during and after school when they are away from their parents, the investigators suggested that a better understanding of the local fast-food marketing strategies and their outcomes based on income, ethnicity and location is needed. "Our study demonstrates that fast food near schools is an environmental influence that has magnified effects on some minority children at lower-income urban schools," study co-author Brennan Davis, an assistant professor of marketing at Baylor University, said in a university news release. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137489.html

Weight-Loss Surgery May Help Moderately Obese, Too

For the extremely obese, the benefits of weight-loss surgery generally outweigh the risks of the procedure. Now, new research suggests that the same might be true for less-obese people as well. For those who are mildly or moderately obese, weight-loss surgery can improve type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol more effectively than conventional diabetes management and lifestyle changes, new research suggests. "We're seeing a pattern in these studies. There's a definite impact on the diabetes after surgery. Some people don't respond so well, but most do," said Dr. Bruce Wolfe, a professor of surgery and co-director of bariatric surgery at Oregon Health & Science University, in Portland. But, he added, "We need longer-term studies to identify who's the right candidate for surgery, and we need a number of years of follow-up and a fairly large study population to see if the diabetes improvements after surgery prevent the heart disease, blindness and kidney disease associated with type 2 diabetes." http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137492.html

Obese Patients May Be More Prone to 'Doctor Shopping'

A new study finds that people who are overweight or obese are more likely to engage in "doctor shopping" -- repeatedly changing their primary care physician. Recurrent bad experiences with doctors -- being made to feel uncomfortable during office visits -- may be to blame for the trend, the researchers said. "There's something going wrong in these doctor-patient relationships that make these switches so frequent for this group of people," study author Dr. Kimberly Gudzune, an assistant professor in the division of general internal medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said in a university news release. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137379.html

bento box lunch

Vegetarian diet tied to fewer deaths over time

People who limit how much meat they eat and stick to mostly fruits and vegetables are less likely to die over any particular period of time, according to a new study. "I think this adds to the evidence showing the possible beneficial effect of vegetarian diets in the prevention of chronic diseases and the improvement of longevity," said Dr. Michael Orlich, the study's lead author from Loma Linda University in California. In 2012, a Gallup poll found about 5 percent of Americans reported to be vegetarians. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137459.html

Don't just sit there. Really.

"Prolonged sitting is not what nature intended for us," says Dr. Camelia Davtyan, clinical professor of medicine and director of women's health at the UCLA Comprehensive Health Program. "The chair is out to kill us," says James Levine, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine. http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-dont-sit-20130525,0,3673157.story

Exclusive: 'Workplace wellness' fails bottom line, waistlines - RAND

According to a report by researchers at the RAND Corp, programs that try to get employees to become healthier and reduce medical costs have only a modest effect. Those findings run contrary to claims by the mostly small firms that sell workplace wellness to companies ranging from corporate titans to mom-and-pop operations. RAND delivered the congressionally mandated analysis to the U.S. Department of Labor and the Department of Health and Human Services last fall. The report found, for instance, that people who participate in such programs lose an average of only one pound a year for three years. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/24/us-wellness-idUSBRE94N0XX20130524

Health Tip: Eat Right for Healthier Sight

he right diet can help improve eye health and ward off eye problems. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics mentions these foods that can help promote healthier eyes: Nutrient-rich kale, which can help protect against sunlight damage, cataracts and macular degeneration. Sweet potatoes, which are rich in beta carotene and may help thwart macular degeneration. Strawberries, which are rich in vitamin C and may help reduce the risk of cataracts. Omega-3 fatty acid-rich salmon, which can help manage dry eyes and reduce the risk of macular degeneration. Green tea, which is loaded with antioxidants and may help protect against macular degeneration and cataracts. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137211.html

Many Medical Students Have Anti-Fat Bias, Study Finds

Two out of five medical students have an unconscious bias against obese people, a new study found. The study authors, from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, noted the anti-fat stigma is a significant barrier to the treatment of obesity. They concluded that teaching medical students to recognize this bias is necessary to improve care for the millions of Americans who are overweight or obese. "Bias can affect clinical care and the doctor-patient relationship, and even a patient's willingness or desire to go see their physician, so it is crucial that we try to deal with any bias during medical school," study lead author Dr. David Miller. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137176.html

C-sections tied to child obesity

More babies born via cesarean section grow up to be heavy kids and teens than those delivered vaginally, according to a new study of more than 10,000 UK infants. Eleven-year-olds delivered by C-section, for example, were 83 percent more likely to be overweight or obese than their vaginally-born peers once other related factors - such as their mother's weight and how long they were breastfed - were taken into account. The findings are in line with a recent review of nine earlier studies that also found a link between C-sections and childhood obesity (see Reuters Health story of December 12, 2012 here: http://reut.rs/TV6GwC). http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137192.html

almond crusted tilapia

Chronic Heartburn May Raise Odds for Throat Cancer: Study

People who suffer from frequent heartburn may be at increased risk for cancers of the throat and vocal cords even if they don't smoke or drink alcohol, a new study says. Interestingly, common over-the-counter antacids seemed to protect against these cancers while prescription medications such as Prilosec, Nexium and Prevacid didn't, the researchers said. "There has been a controversy about whether heartburn contributes to cancers of the larynx or pharynx," said lead researcher Scott Langevin, a postdoctoral research fellow at Brown University in Providence, R.I. "And we found out that it does elevate the risk of these cancers. There is about a 78 percent increase in the risk for cancer in people who experience heavy heartburn," he said. "This is important in figuring out who to monitor more closely." http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137128.html

U.S. School Kids Should Get Hour of Exercise Daily: Report

Schools should ensure that kids get at least one hour of physical activity each day to support their health and boost performance in school, according to a new report. Although previous studies show 60 minutes of vigorous to moderate-intensity exercise daily promotes health and development, it's estimated that only about 50 percent of school-aged kids are currently meeting this recommendation, according to the report from the Institute of Medicine. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is an independent, nonprofit organization that works outside of government to provide advice to decision-makers and the public. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137130.html