Health/Fitness « Weekly Gravy

Infants and young children with vitamin D deficiency may have a heightened risk for elevated blood pressure later in childhood and in their teens, a new study finds. Researchers followed 775 children in Boston from birth to age 18. Most were from low-income families in urban neighborhoods. Compared to children born with normal vitamin D levels, those born with low levels — less than 11 nanograms per millimeter (ng/ml) in cord blood — had a 60% higher risk of elevated systolic blood pressure (upper number in a reading) between ages 6 and 18. Systolic pressure, the upper number in a reading, is the force of your blood pushing against your arteries when your heart beats. Diastolic pressure measures force between beats. High systolic pressure increases heart disease risk even when diastolic pressure is controlled, the researchers noted. Kids with consistently low levels of vitamin D (less than 25 ng/ml) through early childhood had twice the risk of elevated systolic blood pressure between ages 3 and 18, the study found. However, the findings only reflect an association rather than a cause-and-effect link. The study was published July 1 in the journal Hypertension. “Currently, there are no recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics to screen all pregnant women and young children for vitamin D levels,” lead author Dr. Guoying Wang said in a journal news release.… read on >

With school, sports and assorted activities, many kids have little or no free time. That fast-paced lifestyle can actually stifle their development, making them less likely to be self-starters. It could also limit their imagination, an important ingredient in creativity and problem-solving. University of Colorado-Boulder researchers found that kids who spend more time in less-structured activities have better self-directed control and thinking skills than those who spend more time in structured activities. Think of less-structured activities as free play — alone or with friends — reading, drawing and casual social outings. Other research has found value in some completely unstructured time to daydream and let the mind wander. Give your children time, space and some simple tools, like paper and colored pencils, to start their creative juices flowing. Free time allows kids to come up with imaginative ideas and find creative solutions to problems. It encourages qualities such as independent thinking, self-reliance and perseverance — the drive to keep trying if something doesn’t work the first time. So when you’re looking ahead at the weekly calendar, be sure to leave some blocks of time empty. Not sure if your child is overscheduled? The American Academy of Family Physicians lists these common warning signs: Your child is constantly tired. Your child is often grumpy. Your child has developed physical problems like headaches or belly aches. Your… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun can damage your eyes, says Mayo Clinic. Sunglasses can help protect your eyes from UV-related problems, such as cataracts and macular degeneration. Mayo Clinic recommends looking for sunglasses that: Block 99 percent to 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays. Screen out 75 percent to 90 percent of visible light. Have lenses that are perfectly matched in color. Do not have distortions or imperfections in the lenses.

Every college student misplaces keys or forgets an appointment from time to time. Usually it’s no big deal. But a new study warns that when young people with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease have memory lapses, it could be an early sign of something serious. That’s the concern raised by a new memory test taken by nearly 60,000 men and women between the ages of 18 and 85. The results revealed that participants between 18 and 65 who had family members with Alzheimer’s scored lower than those who did not. That included even young adults in their 20s. But, “no one should feel doomed to experience Alzheimer’s, certainly not simply because your parents or grandparents were diagnosed with the disease,” stressed study author Matt Huentelman. He is a professor of neurogenomics with TGen, a genetics research institute based in Phoenix. Lots of non-inherited factors play a role in Alzheimer’s risk, he explained. And, “there are many cases of people with family history and/or high genetic risk for Alzheimer’s who live long lives without memory problems.” But there’s no getting around the fact that roughly 75% of Alzheimer’s risk is thought to be driven by genetics, said Huentelman. And the test does suggest that a young person’s memory may be impacted by genetic risk “as many as four decades before the typical onset of Alzheimer’s… read on >

It’s great to challenge yourself to keep workouts interesting, but you need to take steps to avoid injury whether you’re new to exercise or a seasoned veteran. This often means adapting exercise to your current fitness level and abilities. For instance, if you’re experiencing a problem with balance, swimming will be safer than running. If you develop joint pain from a condition like arthritis, avoid high-impact activities to avoid stressing those joints. If you take fitness class and are having trouble with certain movements, don’t hesitate to ask the teacher to help you modify exercises. If you have a medical condition and are new to exercise, talk to your doctor about the safest options for you. Get instruction before you go it alone. Always warm up first. Walking in place gets your circulation going and delivers blood to your muscles, prepping them for more intense exercise of almost every type. Afterward, cool down the same way. To avoid overuse injuries, vary your exercise choices from one day to another. For instance, alternate between brisk walking and cycling. When you’re ready to challenge yourself, gradually increase intensity and length of workouts. A 5% increase is safe as you progress. Don’t forget to make sure your equipment and any safety gear are in good working order. Ease up or skip a workout when you’re not feeling well… read on >

As communities across America enjoy fireworks this July Fourth, folks should keep eye safety in mind. The number of eye injuries caused by fireworks nearly doubled from 2016 to 2017, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) is urging Americans to take proper safety precautions this holiday. Fireworks-related eye injuries rose from 700 in 2016 to 1,200 in 2017, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Those injuries included ruptured eyeballs and damaged corneas and retinas. “An average of 280 people a day will go to the emergency room with fireworks-related injuries during the two weeks before and after July Fourth,” said Dr. Dianna Seldomridge, clinical spokesperson for the AAO. “Don’t be a part of these alarming statistics. Learn how to protect yourself and your children,” she urged in an AAO news release. Most injuries are caused by legal fireworks that parents buy for their children, including sparklers, firecrackers, bottle rockets and Roman candles, according to the AAO. The academy offered the following fireworks safety tips. Keep a safe distance from fireworks: A recent study found that bystanders account for 65% of people injured by fireworks. Stacy Young was one of those. She was 100 yards away when shrapnel from an illegal firework penetrated her skull. Her eye couldn’t be saved and had to be removed. Don’t pick up duds and misfires: Ohio firefighter… read on >

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday gave its approval to Vyleesi, the second medication so far approved to help women with low sexual desire. In a news release, the FDA said that Vyleesi (bremelanotide) is a drug that would be administered by injection prior to having sex. It’s been specifically approved for premenopausal women with a condition known as acquired, generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). “There are women who, for no known reason, have reduced sexual desire that causes marked distress, and who can benefit from safe and effective pharmacologic treatment,” said Dr. Hylton Joffe, who directs the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research’s Division of Bone, Reproductive and Urologic Products. “Today’s approval provides women with another treatment option for this condition,” Hylton said in the news release. According to the agency, HSDD is not caused by any medical or psychiatric condition, relationship issues or drug side effects. Instead, women with HSDD have “previously experienced no problems with sexual desire,” the FDA said. “Generalized HSDD refers to HSDD that occurs regardless of the type of sexual activity, situation or partner.” The exact way in which Vyleesi helps stimulate sexual desire remains unclear, but it works on melanocortin receptors on cells, the FDA said. The drug is injected under the skin of the abdomen or thigh at least 45 minutes prior to… read on >

Green tea is a popular health trend, with many people sipping in hopes of deriving benefits from the brew. There’s nothing wrong with that, dietitians say — green tea is a healthy drink loaded with antioxidants. But the jury’s still out on many of its purported health benefits. “Clinical trials related to green tea are still in their early stages,” said Nancy Farrell Allen, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Fredericksburg, Va. “I say drink it, enjoy it. It’s not going to hurt, and it might have worthy benefits to it. But nutrition is a science, and it takes time for our understanding to evolve.” Green tea’s potential health benefits derive from catechins, which are powerful antioxidant compounds known as flavonoids, said Chelsey Schneider, clinical nutrition supervisor at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Cancer Center in New York City. One catechin in particular, known as EGCG, is found at higher levels in green tea than in either white or black tea, she said. “This compound can be even stronger than vitamin C and E, which are very, very strong antioxidants,” Schneider said. Antioxidants help prevent damage to cells. Green, black and white tea all come from the same plant, said Allen, who is a spokeswoman for the Academy of Dietetics and Nutrition. Green tea is made from the leaves of the mature plant, while white tea is… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Sun protection should not be limited to those with fair skin, says the Skin of Color Society. People with darker skin are still at risk of skin cancer triggered by the sun’s ultraviolet rays. The Skin of Color Society recommends using sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher that protects against UVA and UVB rays. Before starting outdoor activities, people with darker skin are encouraged to check the area’s UV index and plan accordingly.

A vape pen exploded in the face of 17-year-old Nevada boy, breaking his jaw and requiring multiple surgeries to repair the damage, according to a case report in the latest New England Journal of Medicine. The 2018 incident highlights a little-known danger of e-cigarettes — the devices can unexpectedly blow up, causing burns and severe facial damage. “He was [using] this vape pen, and it blew up in his face while he was [using] it,” said one of the doctors who treated him, Dr. Katie Russell, a pediatric surgeon at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. The e-cigarette blast was strong enough to break bones and blow out teeth. “He broke his lower jaw, which takes a large amount of force,” Russell said. Doctors had to insert a two-inch plate on his lower jaw to stabilize the fracture. “His jaw was wired shut for about six weeks,” she said. “He could only eat soft food for six weeks, until it healed, and then he had to come back and have another operation to get those wires removed.” Although the boy has fully recovered from his injuries, he still has three or four teeth missing, because he’s lacked the insurance coverage to afford to have them replaced, Russell said. “He’s still missing all those teeth, but he’s hoping to get them fixed this summer,”… read on >