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Got Knee Pain? What You Need to Know About Alternatives to Surgery

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Arthritis in the knees can strike people as young as 45, with symptoms severe enough to limit activities and harm quality of life. What can be done about it? First, know that inactivity isn’t the answer. You need to move, so try low-impact exercises like walking and swimming. Researchers are also looking at possible benefits from interval training rather than continuous workouts. If you’re overweight, research has shown that diet, along with exercise, can reduce pain and improve function. Studies on the popular supplement glucosamine have yielded conflicting results over the years, but one explanation for the mixed findings has to do with the different formulas that were used. Success in Europe and other parts of the world was found with a daily 1,500-milligram dose of patented crystalline glucosamine, according to the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases. Acupuncture helps some people find relief, as does daily do-it-yourself acupressure — using just your fingertips on the painful areas. More invasive procedures, like injections of corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid, have limited benefits and possible side effects. And knee surgery, often suggested to “wash out” debris inside the joint, does not seem to result in significant pain relief, better function or greater benefits than conservative strategies like exercise therapy. One helpful suggestion came from an analysis of studies involving exercise among people with knee and other joint pain…  read on >

Roundup Linked to Human Liver Damage: Study

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The popular weed killer Roundup might be linked to liver disease, a new study suggests. A group of patients suffering from liver disease had elevated urine levels of glyphosate, the primary weed-killing ingredient in Roundup, according to researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). “We found those patients who had more severe disease had higher levels of [glyphosate] excretion, which means they had higher levels of exposure, presumably through their diet,” said lead researcher Paul Mills. He is director of UCSD’s Center of Excellence for Research and Training in Integrative Health. Until now, debate regarding the health effects of glyphosate has largely centered on fears that the chemical causes cancer. Earlier this month, a California jury awarded $2 million to a couple who said long-term exposure to Roundup caused them to develop the same type of cancer — non-Hodgkin lymphoma — four years apart. That happened days after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a draft conclusion that glyphosate poses “no risks to public health” and “is not likely to be carcinogenic for humans.” Dr. Kenneth Spaeth is chief of occupational and environmental medicine at Northwell Health in Great Neck, N.Y. He said that the UCSD study findings regarding liver disease raise “a whole other area of potential reason to have concern about this product and its widespread use globally.” Glyphosate is…  read on >

Open Communication Helps Teens Manage Type 1 Diabetes

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It’s a simple concept, but new research reinforces the idea: Teens with type 1 diabetes benefit when they feel their concerns have been heard. Teens with type 1 diabetes may experience anger, frustration and anxiety if they haven’t met their treatment goals. Their parents and health care providers may also feel frustrated and may blame the teen. But the new study suggests that interventions designed to improve diabetes-related care and communication could improve a teen’s diabetes self-management. “The biggest thing people don’t understand about living with type 1 diabetes is that patients become physicians essentially, and doctors and staff become consultants,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Harold Starkman. He’s the director of pediatric endocrinology at the BD Diabetes Center at Atlantic Health System’s Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, N.J. “Families and teens who have type 1 diabetes have the responsibility of caring for diabetes all the time. They have to figure out how much insulin they need, what to eat, count the carbohydrates in the food, consider the impact of diabetes,” he explained. Most teens are trying to do the best they can, but it’s a lot of responsibility, he said. And, it’s frustrating to ask for help when you’re a teenager. “Normally, teens need to separate from their parents and move on, but for teens with type 1 diabetes, diabetes is a tether,”…  read on >

Poor Diet Might Raise Your Cancer Risk

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Your unhealthy eating habits could increase your risk of cancer as much as drinking alcohol can, new research reports. The Tufts University study found that poor diets cause about the same number of cancer cases as alcohol consumption does in the United States. The researchers said their modeling study estimated that dietary factors may have accounted for over 80,000 of the new invasive cancer cases reported in 2015, or about 5% of that year’s total among U.S. adults. Alcohol was associated with 4% to 6% of cases, overweight and obesity with 7% to 8% of cases, and physical inactivity with 2% to 3%, the study authors noted. The study also found that poor diet was linked with 38% of colorectal cancer cases, and with nearly 26% of mouth, pharynx and larynx cancers reported in 2015 in the United States. In actual numbers, in 2015, poor diet was associated with over 52,200 colorectal cancer cases; over 14,400 mouth, pharynx and larynx cancers; nearly 3,200 uterine cancers; just over 3,000 cases of breast cancer in postmenopausal women; 2,000 kidney cancers; nearly 1,600 stomach cancers; and 1,000 liver cancers. The investigators also looked at specific eating habits linked with cancer risk. Low intake of whole grains was associated with the largest number and proportion of diet-related cancer cases, followed by low levels of dairy products, eating lots of…  read on >

Eating to Reach Health Goals

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What and when you eat certain foods can boost how you feel at different times during the day. When it comes to meal planning, timing is everything. Important for anyone trying to lose weight, research shows that having a high-protein breakfast — that means 35 grams’ worth — can keep your appetite in check for the entire day. It may even help you avoid evening snacking. Options with that amount of protein include a very generous cup-and-a-half of Greek yogurt; an omelet prepared with one egg and three egg whites and filled with ricotta or cottage cheese; or a less conventional breakfast of four ounces of chicken breast or six ounces of canned salmon. A lot has been written about what to eat before and after workouts. Choosing the right foods at the appropriate times can boost your stamina and quicken recovery time. Current thinking is to have a small meal with carbs and protein one to three hours before you exercise, and then a snack 15 to 20 minutes afterward to replenish energy stores and help muscles grow. Pre-Exercise Fuel Choices Peanut butter and banana or PBJ sandwich Fruit slices with nut butter Greek yogurt or oatmeal and berries Handful of raisins and nuts Post-Exercise Fuel Choices Whole-grain wrap with turkey Low-fat chocolate milk Low-fat milk and fruit smoothie One study found that having…  read on >

Try This Whole-Grain Lemony Quick Bread

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If you love quick breads but crave a healthier treat, this lighter take on Grandma’s traditional recipe serves up a lemony lift. And because it calls for whole grains, dried fruit and nuts, it’s packed with goodness. Quick breads are great because they’re fast to put together, no kneading necessary. The lemon in this recipe not only flavors the bread, but also tenderizes the whole-grain flours. Using a mix of whole-grain flours — whole wheat and oat — gives a broader range of nutrients. Lemony Quick Bread Non-stick cooking spray 3/4 cup oat flour 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup coconut oil 1/2 cup honey 2 eggs 1 lemon, zested and juiced 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or pecans 1/2 cup raisins or dried cherries Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 1-pound loaf pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir the flours, baking soda and salt. In another large bowl, combine the oil and the honey, then stir in the egg, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla. Add in the flour mixture in two batches, mixing just until incorporated. Don’t overmix — there will be some dry spots. Add the nuts and dried fruit. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and transfer the batter to the loaf pan. Smooth the top…  read on >

Many ‘Dehumanize’ People with Obesity

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Many people — including those who are overweight themselves — view people with obesity as less human or less evolved, new research reveals. In four online studies questioning more than 1,500 participants from the United States, the United Kingdom and India, researchers also found that dehumanization of those with obesity predicted support for policies that discriminate against this group. “We’ve obviously heard the way that people speak about people with obesity,” said study author Inge Kersbergen. She’s a research fellow at the University of Sheffield in England. “In that sense, we’d be surprised if we didn’t find anything,” Kersbergen said. “But I don’t think we were prepared for the magnitude of our findings.” In the first report believed to indicate that people with obesity are blatantly dehumanized, Kersbergen and her colleagues pooled data examining whether dehumanization depended on participants’ body weight and if those with obesity were dehumanized more than other social groups different from the norm. These other social groups included those based on appearance, such as underweight Americans, or illness, such as Americans with cancer. Different measures of attitudes toward people with obesity were used in the four separate studies. For example, participants indicated how evolved they considered various groups of people to be, including Americans, obese Americans, Americans addicted to heroin, Arabs, homeless Americans, and employed Americans. The research also included measures…  read on >

Health Tip: Avoid Distracted Driving

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(HealthDay News) — Focus is extremely important while driving. Distractions can cause drivers of any skill level to make mistakes, says the American Association of Retired Persons. To avoid distractions behind the wheel, AARP suggests: Secure your cargo. Restrain your pet. Never use your cell phone. Pre-set your favorite radio stations. Refrain from eating, drinking or smoking. Concentrating on anything other than driving raises your risk of an accident.

Fewer Deaths Tied to Dirty Air, But Threats Persist: Report

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Significant but uneven improvements in air quality have greatly reduced U.S. deaths related to air pollution over the past decade, a new study shows. But researchers are concerned that climate change and regulatory rollbacks under the Trump administration will wipe out those advances and put thousands more lives at risk from bad air every year. “If you look at the trend, it’s already been slowing down in recent years,” said lead researcher Kevin Cromar. He is an associate professor of population health and environmental medicine at New York University in New York City. “If we want to continue these improvements, these rollbacks are pushing us in the wrong direction.” Overall, deaths tied to air pollution have decreased by about 43% — from about 12,600 deaths in 2010 to 7,140 in 2017, Cromar and his colleagues reported. But the story gets more complicated when you zero in on the two main causes of air pollution: soot and ozone. Deaths due to airborne soot, or fine particle pollution, declined by more than half between 2010 and 2017 — from 8,330 down to 3,260, the findings showed. “We really have seen some great improvement in terms of the health impacts of particle pollution,” Cromar said. “That’s real progress.” But deaths due to smog — also known as ozone pollution — have remained relatively level over the years. There…  read on >

Health Tip: Living With Leg Swelling

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(HealthDay News) — Leg swelling typically occurs from fluid buildup or inflammation, says Mayo Clinic. It can affect any part of the leg, including the foot, ankle, calf or thigh. Even for non-emergency problems, prompt care is still recommended. To minimize leg swelling, consider: Restricting the amount of salt in your diet. Putting a pillow under your legs when lying down. Wearing elastic compression stockings. Giving yourself breaks, especially if you need to sit or stand for long periods. Seek emergency medical care if you are also having chest pain, difficulty breathing, feeling faint or coughing blood.