Month: August 2012
What Should Your LDL Cholesterol Be?
Phytonutrients for Fall
Get Your Body Back, Mommy
Fitness in the Sun
Lung nodules
If a 40-year-old former smoker has been told she has pulmonary (lung) nodules, does this mean lung cancer?
Inability to Urinate in Public Restrooms
I can’t urinate in a public restroom. I’ve heard of a condition called “bashful” or “shy” bladder. What is that and can it be treated?
Study: Fitter People Less Sick as they Age
People who are fit at midlife not only live longer, but live better, with less illness, a new study suggests. The research included more than 18,600 men and women. They were all part of another long-term health study. When the study began, their median age was 49. Fitness levels were measured using a type of treadmill test. Researchers kept track of people for about 26 years. Once people reached age 65, researchers tracked their health with Medicare claims information. People who were most fit at midlife not only lived longer, but spent less time being sick. The fittest group had slightly over half the rate of chronic (long-lasting) diseases as people who were least fit. Diseases included coronary artery disease, Alzheimer’s, heart failure, diabetes and others. About 2,400 people died during the study.
Doctor Group Lists Benefits of Circumcision
The benefits of circumcising baby boys outweigh the small risks, the largest group of U.S. children’s doctors says. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published the new policy statement in its journal, Pediatrics. The statement does not urge circumcision for all newborn boys. It says the decision is up to parents and doctors. The old statement said risks and benefits were equal. The new one cites recent evidence that circumcision reduces the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. It also reduces the risk of urinary tract infections in babies. Risks include bleeding and infection, but these are rare. Circumcision does cause pain. The AAP says baby boys should get medicine for pain before the procedure. The AAP report comes amid efforts to ban infant circumcision in some places. Opponents say it violates a boy’s rights because he is unable to consent.
Savor the flavor of locally grown food
Local produce has a shorter distance to travel from the farm to your kitchen table. So when it is picked at its peak, it's fresher and has much more flavor than produce picked before it's ripe and then shipped across the country or around the world to grocery stores.