Lifestyle « Weekly Gravy

Could quitting tobacco involve something as simple as a pleasant scent? New research suggests it’s possible. U.S. smoking rates have fallen over the past 50 years, but about 40 million Americans still smoke, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At least half of adult smokers report trying to quit in the past year, but half of those who try to quit relapse within two weeks. “Even with nicotine replacement, relapse is common,” said the study’s lead author, Michael Sayette, of the University of Pittsburgh. “New interventions are urgently needed to help the millions who wish to quit but are unable.” The study included 232 smokers, aged 18 to 55, who were not trying to quit and were not using any nicotine replacement, such as gum or vaping. In a series of experiments, the researchers found that the smokers’ cigarette cravings declined after they smelled pleasant aromas, such as chocolate, apple, peppermint, lemon or vanilla. “Despite disappointing relapse rates, there have been few new approaches to smoking cessation, in general, and to craving relief in particular,” Sayette said in a news release from the American Psychological Association. “Using pleasant odors to disrupt smoking routines would offer a distinct and novel method for reducing cravings, and our results to this end are promising,” he added. Pleasant aromas may work by distracting smokers from… read on >

Have you started feeling like your allergies are acting up earlier every year, or maybe they’re lasting longer? New research suggests it’s not just your imagination — climate change appears to be disrupting nature’s usual calendar. Areas with an earlier spring had a 14% higher rate of seasonal allergies (hay fever), the researchers found. “Climate change is real. It’s impacting our ecosystem now, and that, in turn, is impacting our health,” said study author Amir Sapkota. He’s an associate professor at the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health in College Park, Md. For the study, the investigators used high-resolution satellite data provided by NASA to identify the start of spring throughout the United States. They linked this information to data from a nationally representative sample of Americans collected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sapkota said the researchers looked at what happened if spring began earlier or later than normal. “When spring starts early, the burden of allergic disease — or hay fever — goes up. But we also saw high hay fever prevalence when spring was late, too. It’s like mortality with extreme temperatures. Temperatures that are very hot or very cold can kill us. There’s a sweet spot that’s OK,” Sapkota explained. If the season starts early, trees bloom and release pollen earlier than usual and may release pollen for… read on >

Traffic pollution causes about 4 million new asthma cases in children worldwide each year, new research shows. Two-thirds of these kids live in urban areas, according to the study by researchers at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. “Our findings suggest that millions of new cases of pediatric asthma could be prevented in cities around the world by reducing air pollution,” said senior study author Susan Anenberg. She is an associate professor of environmental and occupational health at the university’s Milken Institute School of Public Health. Between 2010 and 2015, about 4 million children in 194 countries developed asthma each year due to exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) air pollution, the researchers said. NO2 mainly comes from vehicle exhaust. “Improving access to cleaner forms of transportation, like electrified public transport and active commuting by cycling and walking, would not only bring down NO2 levels, but would also reduce asthma, enhance physical fitness, and cut greenhouse gas emissions,” Anenberg said in a university news release. About 13% of asthma incidence in children is linked with NO2 pollution, the study authors noted. But among 92 of 125 major cities included in the new study, NO2 pollution accounted for more than 20% of childhood asthma cases, the findings showed. The 10 cities with the highest rates included eight in China (with rates reaching 37% to 48%), as well… read on >

Almost one in five multiple sclerosis patients may be misdiagnosed with the autoimmune disease, according to a new study. Of 241 previously diagnosed multiple sclerosis (MS) patients referred to two major Los Angeles medical centers for treatment, nearly 18% did not actually have the autoimmune disease, the researchers found. Those patients spent an average of nearly four years being treated for MS before receiving a correct diagnosis, the study authors said. “I’ve seen patients suffering side effects from the medication they were taking for a disease they didn’t have,” said study leader Dr. Marwa Kaisey, from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. “Meanwhile, they weren’t getting treatment for what they did have. The cost to the patient is huge — medically, psychologically, financially,” Kaisey said in a Cedars-Sinai news release. The most common correct diagnosis among the patients misdiagnosed with MS was migraine (16%), followed by radiologically isolated syndrome, a condition in which patients do not experience symptoms of MS even though their imaging tests look similar to those of MS patients. Other diagnoses included nerve damage and a disorder of the vertebrae called spondylopathy, the findings showed. Among the patients misdiagnosed with MS, 72% had been prescribed MS treatments. Of those, 48% received therapies that can carry the risk of a viral infection-caused disease in the white matter of the brain (progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy).… read on >

Blenders aren’t just for whipping up fruity drinks. You can also use them to make delicious savory recipes such as dressings, spreads and soups, all in seconds. For a tasty black bean dip that’s delicious hot or cold, blend a 15-ounce can of cooked black beans (perfect for helping reach daily fiber goals) with two cloves of peeled garlic and a cup of your favorite low-salt salsa. Watching calories? Use celery stalks and bell pepper quarters instead of chips to scoop it up. If you have two minutes, you can make a calorie-friendly cold avocado soup that’s sweet, tangy and high in nutrients. Blend a half-cup of green or red grapes with the flesh of a whole avocado, a handful of almonds and a splash of tangy vinegar. Olive tapenade is a chunky puree that can be used as a sauce for pasta or chicken, as a spread for sandwiches or wraps, and as a topping for a great tasting simple zucchini dish to enjoy as an appetizer or vegetarian meal. Zucchini Bites With Tapenade 1 cup olives 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil Juice and zest of 1 lemon 2 garlic cloves 2 medium zucchini, stems removed and cut in half lengthwise 1 cup whole-milk mozzarella, shredded Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Blend the olives, oil, lemon juice and zest, and the garlic until… read on >

You now have an excuse to skip cutting the grass every weekend — it’s beneficial for the bees. And mowing your lawn less often to provide native bees a better habitat won’t lead to an increase in disease-carrying ticks, experts say. When research ecologist Susannah Lerman began urging friends and colleagues to leave lawns a bit longer to help the bees, the “first thing people said was that letting the grass get longer would invite ticks,” she recalled. “It was clear that before we could make the case for promoting lawns as bee habitat, we had to understand the tick risk,” Lerman added. She and Vince D’Amico, a fellow USDA Forest Service research entomologist, studied whether less frequent mowing of 16 residential lawns in Springfield, Mass., over two summers could benefit native bees without increasing the risk of ticks. The researchers found 111 bee species on the lawns — about one-quarter of all known bee species in Massachusetts. They also dragged a cloth across the lawns in search of ticks. In 144 tick drags, done with grass at various heights and mowing frequencies, they failed to find a single blacklegged tick. Also called deer ticks, the insects can carry Lyme disease, a bacterial infection that can make people seriously ill. The study was published online April 3 in the journal PLoS One. The researchers said… read on >

Breast cancer survivor Jessica Sidener is adamant that her illness brought real benefits to her life. “I am incredibly grateful for all of the hardships I’ve gone through in my young life, including my cancer journey,” said Sidener, 39, of Parker, Colo. “It makes you appreciate that life is short.” But Nancy Stordahl is just as convinced that her bout with breast cancer shouldn’t be viewed as an opportunity for personal growth. In fact, her cancer memoir is titled Cancer Was Not a Gift & It Didn’t Make Me a Better Person. “Cancer is a horrible disease, not an enlightenment program,” said Stordahl, who lives in Wisconsin and maintains a popular blog about breast cancer called Nancy’s Point. Both women have a legitimate viewpoint, based on new data from a long-term clinical trial. In the trial, breast cancer patients who underwent an intensive psychological program to help them better deal with their disease came away more likely to view their post-cancer life as positive, researchers found. After the program, these survivors had four times more positive than negative thoughts about changes they experienced because of their illness, the study found. The women typically felt better about their close relationships, they traveled more and took part in more spiritual activities, and felt that they’d gained a new sense of altruism and balance in life. “It’s a… read on >

Vitamin D is the healthy “sunshine” vitamin, but it can have a dark side, one Canadian man discovered. A team of Toronto physicians reported on the case of a 54-year-old man who developed kidney damage after taking extremely high doses of vitamin D. It’s a cautionary tale for consumers, medical experts say. “Although vitamin D toxicity is rare owing to a large therapeutic range, its widespread availability in various over-the-counter formulations may pose a substantial risk to uninformed patients,” said study co-author Dr. Bourne Auguste. He’s a clinical fellow in home dialysis at Toronto General Hospital and the University of Toronto. As reported April 8 in the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), the man was seen by doctors after he returned from a holiday in Southeast Asia, where he spent much of his time sunbathing. Vitamin D is naturally synthesized by the skin upon contact with sunlight. Testing showed that the man had elevated blood levels of creatinine, a marker for kidney damage or malfunction. The patient was then referred to a kidney specialist and underwent further testing. Doctors learned that the man had been prescribed high doses of vitamin D by a naturopath — even though he did not have vitamin D deficiency and no history of bone loss. Over 30 months, the man had taken eight to 12 drops of vitamin D —… read on >

Richard McIntosh hadn’t had any pets since his childhood farm dogs, but then he started a relationship with a competitive dog trainer and found his life filled with Golden Retrievers. Now McIntosh, 59, of Cornelius, Ore., can’t imagine growing old without a dog or two by his side. “There was a little something missing from my life,” McIntosh said. “These dogs give me activity, they give me joy, companionship. When I’m not feeling good, they’re there for me. When I am feeling great, we’re playing and running. I get a lot out of it.” According to a new poll, McIntosh is one of many aging pet owners who swear that their animal buddies help them better cope with the physical and mental issues that come with age. About 55% of U.S. adults aged 50 to 80 have a pet, and an overwhelming majority of them say that their pets bring a host of positive benefits to their lives, the new National Poll on Healthy Aging found. “Most people who have pets perceive that they are beneficial to their physical and emotional health,” said Mary Janevic. She is an assistant research scientist with the University of Michigan School of Public Health, who helped design the poll. The benefits of pet ownership for older folks included: Helping them enjoy life (88%) Making them feel loved (86%) Reducing… read on >