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You’ve probably never heard of Q fever, but the bacterial disease may be sickening — and killing — more Americans than once believed, a new study suggests. Caused by a bacteria carried by livestock, Query (Q) fever is a rare disease first discovered in 1947 and is found mostly in dry, dusty areas of California and the Southwest. “Q fever is underdiagnosed in the United States,” said lead researcher Dr. Christine Akamine, assistant professor of medicine at Loma Linda University in California. “We suspect this is because most patients have only mild symptoms and do not present for medical evaluation.” But her research revealed that more patients than expected had severe cases of Q fever — and diagnosis was often delayed. Akamine said increasing awareness of the disease could change that. People can get Q fever either by direct contact with livestock that carry the bacteria, called Coxiella burnetii, or by inhaling the spores carried by dust and wind. For the study, Akamine and colleagues collected data on patients hospitalized for Q fever between 2000 and 2016. Patients lived in a dusty, dry, windy area of Southern California ideal for spread of the disease. Of the 20 patients who were diagnosed with Q fever, three developed chronic cases of the disease and two died, the study found. Most cases of Q fever are mild and… read on >

Taking aspirin or anti-clotting medicines like Plavix won’t boost the risk of another stroke if you’ve already survived a bleeding stroke, a new study suggests. In fact, they might even help guard against a second brain bleed, the researchers noted. The findings “are reassuring for survivors of brain hemorrhage who need to take antiplatelet [anti-clotting] medicines to prevent heart attacks and strokes. I am keen to [further] investigate the possibility that these medicines might halve the risk of brain hemorrhage happening again,” said study author Rustam Salman, from the Center for Clinical Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, in Scotland. Anti-clotting medicines are often prescribed to older people to reduce their risk of heart attack and another type of stroke caused by a blood clot (ischemic stroke). But there have been concerns that these drugs might increase the risk of another bleeding stroke in people who’d already had one. In this study, the researchers followed 537 bleeding stroke survivors for up to five years. During that time, half took anti-clotting medicines while half did not. A second brain bleed occurred in 12 of those who took anti-clotting medicines and in 23 people who did not take the drugs, the investigators found. This suggests that anti-clotting drugs reduce, rather than increase as feared, the chances of more bleeding in the brain, though further studies are… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Relationships are a necessary part of healthy living. Though no relationship is perfect, an unhealthy relationship can cause discomfort and harm, says the University of Washington. The school mentions signs of an unhealthy relationship: Neglecting yourself or your partner. Feeling pressure to change who you are or quit activities you enjoy. Frequently feeling the need to justify your actions. Feeling obligated to have sex. Feeling a lack of fairness and equality. If a partner tries to harm you physically or sexually, get help without delay.

(HealthDay News) — Most beach rescues performed by lifeguards are caused by rip currents — strong currents that can pull swimmers under, says the American Red Cross. Rip currents can form in any large open area and can be dangerous. To escape a rip current, the Red Cross offers advice: Stay calm and don’t fight it. Either float or swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current. Turn and swim to shore. If you can’t make it to shore, draw attention to yourself by waving and calling for help. If someone else is caught in a rip current, get help from a lifeguard or call 911 immediately.

If you’re looking for a tasty way to hydrate in warm weather, a juicy melon is the ticket. Melons are low-calorie, high-water content foods that also provide high doses of certain vitamins, minerals and important phyto-nutrients. Nutrients in Powerhouse Melons Cantaloupe: vitamins A and C, carotenoids, folate and potassium Honeydew: vitamins B and C, potassium and copper Watermelon: lycopene, vitamins A and C, and potassium To pick the perfect melon, gently rap it with your knuckles. If it makes a dull thud, it’s full of juice, and ripe for consumption. As refreshing as it is to bite into a melon, don’t limit yourself to snacking on chunks or wedges. Melons make great ingredients for salads, like the popular combination of watermelon and feta over arugula. Honeydew pairs well with cilantro and lime for a twist on salsa. And there are few easier appetizer recipes than melon and prosciutto, a centuries-old Italian antipasto that’s ideal for entertaining. Here’s a crunchy take on this tasty dish to serve at your next cookout or dinner get-together. The ingredients can be multiplied as needed. Melon and Prosciutto 4 slices prosciutto 1 small ripe cantaloupe, seeded and thinly sliced 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, torn into small pieces Preheat your oven… read on >

With childhood obesity rates high, many studies have investigated lifestyle factors that can make a difference — which ones increase the risk and which ones reduce it. Beyond diet, a lack of sleep has been linked to weight gain both in adults and children, so it’s important that kids get enough shuteye, even with their — and your — busy schedules. Since a child’s wake-up time is usually determined by when school or day care starts and can’t be easily altered, an earlier bedtime is needed to ensure kids get the sleep they need, according to research published in The Journal of Pediatrics. After following nearly 1,000 kids from birth to age 15, researchers found that attention to sleep needs to start in the preschool years. For instance, 4-year-olds who went to sleep before 8 p.m. cut their obesity risk in half compared to those who went to sleep after 9 p.m. This simple lifestyle modification can make a lifelong health difference. Understandably, this is easier said than done when one or both parents work late, which can delay dinner and evening activities. So parents might need to make compromises or adjustments at least on weeknights when there’s less opportunity for family time. Given the link between sleep and a healthy weight, plus its many other benefits for kids’ well-being, setting that 8 p.m. bedtime… read on >

For all of those men who view a mustache as a largely ornamental addition to their masculine appearance, a new study reveals it can also guard against lip cancer. “Mustaches seem to protect the lip the same way that hair protects the scalp,” explained study author Dr. Daniel Aires. He is director of dermatology with the University of Kansas Health System. “While this makes intuitive sense, it had not been tested before.” To do just that, Aires and his team examined 200 male patients who had already been diagnosed with a precancerous condition known as actinic keratosis on the head or face. “Actinic keratosis is a scaly spot on the skin that can develop into a dangerous cancer called squamous cell carcinoma,” Aires explained. “Since lip skin is so thin, lip actinic keratoses can invade and become deadly faster than actinic keratoses elsewhere on the skin.” Roughly 3 million Americans are diagnosed with actinic keratosis each year, he noted, accounting for one of every seven dermatology visits. But, “likely many more go undiagnosed and untreated, since studies estimate that more than 10% of adults have actinic keratosis,” he added. Nearly 60 of the men in the study had a long history of sporting substantial “sheltering” mustaches, meaning mustaches that are at least 9 millimeters thick (about a third of an inch). In the end, Aires… read on >

Cannabidiol (CBD) has been receiving a lot of attention lately as a potential treatment for everything from epilepsy to anxiety. Now, researchers report it might also help curb the cravings that come with opioid addiction. Like marijuana, CBD comes from the cannabis plant. Unlike pot, it does not produce a high. The study included 42 men and women with a history of heroin abuse who were not current users. Heroin is an illegal opioid. Other opioids include powerful prescription painkillers such as oxycodone (OxyContin). For the study, participants received either an oral CBD solution or an inactive placebo and then were shown videos that contained neutral and drug-related cues. Neutral cues included relaxing scenarios such as scenes of nature, while drug-related cues included scenes of IV drug use and heroin-related items such as syringes, rubber ties and packets of powder. The researchers found that, compared to a placebo, CBD reduced drug cue-induced craving and anxiety in the participants. “Our findings indicate that CBD holds significant promise for treating individuals with heroin use disorder,” said first author Yasmin Hurd. She is director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai in New York City. “A successful non-opioid medication would add significantly to the existing addiction medication toolbox to help reduce the growing death toll, enormous health care costs, and treatment limitations imposed by stringent government regulations amid… read on >

The guidelines to eat more vegetables are clear, and eating a rainbow of colors gets you the widest variety of nutrients and phyto-nutrients, those hard-to-duplicate compounds that go beyond vitamins and minerals. But whether you’re at the farmers’ market or choosing a side dish at a restaurant, are some vegetables better than others? A research study set out to rank the best “powerhouse” vegetables (and fruits) — those most strongly associated with reducing the risk for chronic diseases. Forty-seven vegetables were ranked based on percentages of 17 known nutrients in a 100-calorie serving. Nutrients included vitamins A, C, D, E, K and many of the B vitamins, along with the minerals calcium, potassium, iron and zinc, plus fiber and even protein. The Top 5 Vegetables Watercress Chinese cabbage Chard Beet greens Spinach You might be surprised to read that watercress, often used as a mere garnish, ranked No. 1. Think of this pleasantly peppery green as the perfect base for your salads or a great “bed” on which to serve a protein, like a broiled chicken breast. The cruciferous veggie Chinese cabbage (you might know it as Napa cabbage) took the second spot. It makes a great coleslaw or health salad and can also be made into fermented, probiotic-rich kimchi. The leafy greens chard, beet greens and spinach round out the top five, but there’s… read on >

There’s a lot you can learn from your elders, starting with the results of a multi-year study of exercise and brain health in seniors. Researchers from Columbia University and the University of Miami compared results of two sets of brain scans and tests measuring memory and thinking skills in 876 seniors. The tests were done five years apart. The investigators found a greater mental decline for those who reported low-activity exercises, such as light walking and yoga, compared to those with high-activity levels and exercises like running and cardio workouts. The difference was equal to 10 years of brain aging, and that was after taking into account other factors that can influence brain health, such as excess weight, high blood pressure, smoking and drinking, according to the findings published in the journal Neurology. Researchers are also learning about the brain benefits of cardio exercise from lab studies — those done on animals. One study found that sustained aerobic activity — such as daily jogging for several miles at a moderate pace — can encourage the growth of new brain cells, even later in life. Research into which specific cardio activities are best for each of the sexes is ongoing, so there’s still more to learn. In the future, the goal is to learn more about how to individualize exercise for brain health. This isn’t to… read on >

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Q Fever? A Bigger Threat to Humans Than Thought

Aspirin, Anti-Clotting Meds Safe After Bleeding Stroke: Study

Health Tip: Signs of an Unhealthy Relationship

Health Tip: Escaping Rip Currents

Melons Are Powerhouses in Taste, Nutrition

Earlier Bedtimes Help Kids Fight Obesity

Mustaches Are More Than Just Manly, They Guard Against Sun’s Rays

Could CBD Treat Opioid Addiction?

The Top 5 Veggies to Add to Your Diet

The Best Exercises for Brain Health