Month: February 2011
Swine Flu and Bird Flu: Questions and Answers from Harvard Medical School
Britons Advised To Eat Less Red Meat
British health authorities are telling people to eat less red meat. That advice is part of the United Kingdom’s first new nutrition guidelines since 1998. Eating fewer hamburgers, pork chops and sausages should reduce the risk of bowel cancer, officials said. The guidelines say people should eat no more than about 500 grams of red meat per week. That’s equal to just over 1 pound. It averages out to 2 ½ ounces (70 grams) of red meat per day. A large study released in 2005 found a higher bowel cancer risk among people who ate about twice that much red meat. Their risk was one-third higher than for people who ate the least red meat. Red meat includes beef, pork, lamb and some game. An expert told the Associated Press (AP) that people should substitute lean protein such as fish. AP wrote about the guidelines February 25.
Dark Circles Under The Eyes
I am of Italian descent with light olive skin. I have always had dark circles around my eyes. They seem to be getting darker. What causes these? Is there anything other than makeup that can be done for them?
Study: Proteins Tell 2 Conditions Apart
New research offers a possible way to tell apart two conditions with similar symptoms. One disorder is chronic fatigue syndrome. The other is neurologic post-treatment Lyme disease. This is a set of symptoms that linger after the infection that caused Lyme disease is treated. People with both conditions feel fatigue. Many also say they have problems with thinking. The new study included 43 people with chronic fatigue and 25 with lingering Lyme disease. They were compared with 11 healthy people. Researchers looked at spinal fluid from everyone. In people with chronic fatigue, they found 738 proteins in spinal fluid that were not found in the other groups. People with lingering Lyme disease had 692 proteins not found in the other groups. This is the first time that body substances have been found to distinguish between the two conditions.
Taking Your Thyroid Medication Properly
In addition to calcium supplements, can foods that contain calcium lower the effectiveness of thyroid prescription medication?
Study: Spinal Fusion Results Worse
In a new study, people who got spinal fusion surgery had much poorer health results than those who got other treatments for back pain. The study looked at workers’ compensation records. Everyone had back pain as a result of on-the-job injuries. Researchers randomly selected 725 people who had spinal fusion surgery. They compared this group with 725 people who had treatments such as exercise and physical therapy. Two years after treatment, the spinal fusion group had worse results in every way. About one-quarter had returned to work, compared with two-thirds of the other group. Disability was permanent for 11%, compared with 2% of the non-surgery group. Nearly 85% of those who got surgery were still taking narcotic pain relievers. The rate was 49% for the other group. The surgery group also had far more related medical problems and lost work days.
The respiratory tract and its infections
Respiratory tract infections include the common cold, sinusitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Hand washing is the most effective action people can take to prevent getting one of these infections.
Update from the cold front
There is still no cure for a cold, but you may be able to prevent one, or at least cut down on its duration.
Chest Pain Drug May Build Up Bones
A drug for chest pain may also help osteoporosis, new research suggests. The study included 243 women. All of them had passed menopause. They were andomly assigned to use either nitroglycerin ointment or a placebo (fake). They spread the ointment on part of the upper arm each night. The study lasted 2 years. By the end, women who used the nitroglycerin had increases in bone density compared with those who got the placebo. The increases were 6.7% in the spine, 6.2% in the hip and 7% at the top of the thigh bone. The Journal of the American Medical Association published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it February 22.