Health/Fitness « Weekly Gravy

Screening tests routinely catch cases of breast and colon cancer early, but a screening test for lung cancer is sorely underused in high-risk people and that needs to change, more than 50 cancer organizations said in a joint statement issued Tuesday. What prompted the move? Low-dose CT screening is recommended for people who are more likely to develop lung cancer, yet only 5.7% of people who are eligible get screened, the groups noted in a call to action for more screening. “It definitely catches cancer early,” said statement co-author Mary Reid, chief of cancer screening and survivorship at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, N.Y. That’s exactly what it did for New York resident Colleen Medvin. “I’m here because last year, a low-dose CT scan for lung cancer saved my life,” she testified during a congressional hearing in September. Medvin was diagnosed with both lung cancer and breast cancer following lung screening at Roswell Park. “Because each cancer was detected early-stage, surgery was the best option,” Medvin noted in her testimony. “I can’t believe how lucky I got.” About 46% of lung cancer patients are not so fortunate, and are diagnosed after their lung cancer has spread, Reid noted. “I’d really like to see a change and I think as a society we know what needs to be done, and we need to do… read on > read on >

Poor sleep may be linked to glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness, new research suggests. The study drew on a database of more than 400,000 people to explore links between sleep and vision loss. Glaucoma is marked by progressive loss of light-sensitive cells in the eye and optic nerve damage. Left untreated, it can cause irreversible blindness. As many as 112 million people worldwide could be affected by 2040. For the new study, the researchers considered a variety of sleep behaviors. These included too much sleep as well as too little, insomnia and daytime sleepiness, being a “night owl” or a “morning lark,” as well as snoring. The investigators used data from more than 409,000 participants in the UK Biobank (average age: 57). The study defined normal sleep duration as seven to nine hours. The researchers used medical records and death data to track the health and lifespan of all participants until a first diagnosis of glaucoma, death, emigration or end of monitoring in 2021. During an average 10.5-year monitoring period, the researchers identified 8,690 cases of glaucoma. Frequent daytime sleepiness was associated with a 20% higher risk for the disease. The risk rose 12% with insomnia and 8% with short or long sleep duration. Snoring was associated with a 4% higher risk. Compared to folks who had a healthy sleep pattern, people who snored… read on > read on >

Don’t let foot problems hobble your autumn activities, a foot surgeon says. “Foot health contributes to your overall health. From beginners to advanced athletes, proper foot care is important to keep your body healthy,” said Dr. John Giurini, chief of podiatric surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in Boston. One of the most common foot problems among active people is plantar fasciitis, inflammation of the thick band of tissue in the arch of the foot. “Under normal circumstances, your plantar fascia helps absorb the shock of pounding on pavement,” Giurini said in a medical center news release. “But repetitive stretching can lead to inflammation and irritation, and even small tears.” Along with overuse, other risk factors for plantar fasciitis include being flat-footed or having a high arch, being overweight, or doing activities in worn-out or inappropriate footwear. “When caught early, mild cases can be treated conservatively with rest, ice and stretching to give the inflammation time to heal,” Giurini said. “In some cases, physical therapy and orthotic devices can be helpful. In more severe or resistant cases, steroid injections and surgical procedures may be necessary to alleviate this pain.” Blisters are another common foot problem and develop due to constant friction and moisture. Blisters can be painful and, if they break open, can become infected. “This is where proper shoe fit is important —… read on >

If you own or use trampolines, you need to take steps to prevent injuries, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) says. While trampolines are fun and can help improve coordination and strengthen the musculoskeletal system, serious injuries can occur without proper safety measures. In 2018, nearly 314,000 trampoline-related injuries were treated in U.S. emergency departments, doctors’ offices and clinics, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. A recent article in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons noted that a higher percentage of fractures have been linked to trampoline and jump parks than home trampolines. “Many injuries come from multiple people jumping at once,” AAOS spokesman and pediatric orthopedic surgeon Dr. L. Reid Nichols said in an academy news release. “To limit injuries, ensure only one participant on a trampoline at a time. … Ensure rules are implemented and followed. Check also with your insurance rider before purchasing a home trampoline.” The AAOS offered the following trampoline safety tips: Don’t let children younger than 6 years old use trampolines and remove trampoline ladders after use to prevent unsupervised jumping. Regularly check equipment and discard worn or damaged equipment if replacement parts aren’t available. Make sure that supporting bars, strings and surrounding landing surfaces have adequate protective padding. See that the padding is in good condition and properly positioned. Don’t depend only on… read on >

(HealthDay News) — From skin conditions like eczema to contagious diseases like ringworm, there are many reasons for itchy skin. Regardless of the cause, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says it’s important to avoid scratching, which will irritate the skin further. To soothe itchy skin, the academy suggests: Apply a cold, wet cloth or ice pack to the area. Take an oatmeal bath. Moisturize the skin with a fragrance-free product. Apply topical anesthetics that contain pramoxine. Apply agents like menthol or calamine. If the itch does not go away, the AAD suggests visiting a dermatologist.

A new, more toxic strain of strep A bacteria is causing an outbreak of scarlet fever among British children, researchers report. The upswing in scarlet fever is the biggest seen since the 1960s. Between 2014 and 2016, the number of cases went from 15,000 to more than 19,000. The infection tends to peak between March and May, the study found. “The new lineage [of strep A] seems to be outcompeting its predecessor within the population,” said lead researcher Dr. Shiranee Sriskandan, a professor of infectious diseases at Imperial College London. This new strain also appears to produce more toxin than the previous strain, she said. Scarlet fever is easily cured with antibiotics, especially penicillin, according to Dr. Marc Siegel, a professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. If strep infections are not treated, however, they can spread throughout the body and become fatal, he said. “There are 11,000 to 15,000 cases of invasive strep among kids each year in the United States, which result in up to 1,500 deaths,” Siegel said. He fully expects this more aggressive strain of strep A to show up in the United States. Sriskandan added that “this strain type is fully sensitive to commonly used antibiotics, so resistance has not played a part in its emergence.” Strep A causes infections other than scarlet fever, and… read on >

If you’re looking for incentives to hit the gym, new research suggests that staying in good shape may help preserve brain structure, boost memory, and improve the ability to think clearly and quickly. The finding follows an analysis of fitness and brain health among more than 1,200 young adults, average age 30. All underwent brain scans; tests to measure memory, sharpness, judgment and reasoning; and a speed-walking trial to assess cardiovascular fitness. (Muscle strength was not assessed.) The investigators found that study participants who moved faster and farther over the two-minute walking test performed better on thinking tests than their less-fit peers. Fitter men and women were also found to have healthier nerve fibers across the white matter portion of the brain. White matter is critical for high-quality neural communication, the researchers noted. Study lead author Dr. Jonathan Repple offered several theories as to what might explain a strong body/strong brain connection. For one, “exercise decreases inflammation, which then, in turn, is beneficial for brain cells,” said Repple, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist with the University of Muenster, in Germany. Being fit may also promote better nerve-fiber insulation, and greater growth across nerve cells and nerve connections, he explained. It may also be that fitter men and women simply have a “better blood supply to the brain,” Repple added. Dr. David Knopman, a professor of neurology… read on >

Could your genes be keeping you from losing weight? While you shouldn’t use a family tendency toward wide hips or an apple shape as an excuse to stray from a healthy diet, acceptance can help you reassess your personal ideal and make you happier with your body. Hundreds of genes have been linked to weight. Some affect where fat is distributed on your body while others impact metabolism, cravings and even whether you reach for food to cope with stress. Their influence on overweight can be as little as 25% or as much as 80%. Signs that genes could be connected to your innate weight include having one or both parents who are overweight, and having a hard time losing weight even with strict dieting and exercise. But the answer isn’t to starve yourself. That can backfire, putting your body into starvation mode and slowing metabolism and weight loss even more. It can also leave you feeling fatigued and cranky from a lack of food — on top of frustration about your physical appearance. You can’t change your genes but you can improve variables, like getting enough sleep and easing stress. Also, focus on achieving better health rather than a perfect shape. That means taking steps to increase the amount of exercise you do and boosting the nutrition quality of the foods you eat. Rather… read on >

Most people expect some risk in activities like mountain biking or rollerblading, but few would expect to end up in the emergency room with a broken thigh bone from doing a squat. That’s exactly what happened to Rachel Jones, 39, who was just trying to stay in shape, despite having a lifelong genetic illness. The broken femur wasn’t her first broken bone — and it may not be her last. Jones has a disease called XLH, short for X-linked hypophosphatemia. It causes rickets (a low vitamin D condition) and low phosphorus levels in the body, which affects bone strength and causes a number of other problems, too. Jones, who lives in Colorado Springs, Colo., was diagnosed with XLH when she was 6 months old. Her mother and brother also have the disease, as do her daughter, Brooke and son, Benjamin. “On a day-to-day basis, I deal with chronic pain in some parts of my body — sometimes the pain lasts from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed,” Jones said, adding that it’s not something she thinks about all the time because she’s used to it. “I also have limited mobility and muscle weakness, and there’s always the fear of breaking a bone. It seems like every time I try to get back into shape, something happens. My knees need… read on >

Stricter U.S. government standards for drinking water have reduced arsenic violations by public water systems, proving such safety regulations work, researchers say. Public water systems provide more than 80% of the nation’s drinking water. The new standard was introduced in 2001. Since then, the percentage of public water systems in violation fell from 1.3% in 2008 to 0.55% in 2017, researchers found. A few counties in California and Texas accounted for most of the violations. With fewer violations, the number of people drinking water with higher-than-allowed levels of arsenic fell by more than 1 million, to about 450,000, according to the study published Sept. 10 in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. “This reinforces the point that safety regulations do work, especially when they come with a carrot-and-stick approach, like increasing resources for systems to comply and giving them flexibility to choose what works best for their community,” said corresponding author Molly Kile. She is an associate professor at the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at Oregon State University in Corvallis. Arsenic is categorized by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a Group 1 human carcinogen. That’s the most dangerous category and also includes asbestos, formaldehyde and mustard gas. In water, arsenic is tasteless, odorless and colorless. Long-term ingestion increases the risk of lung, bladder, liver, kidney and skin cancer. Arsenic… read on >