FOXNews.com: 5 reasons to toast your health

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5 reasons to toast your health Mar 31st 2012, 11:00 Kicking back with a glass of vino is a well-deserved treat at the end of a busy day. Even our founding father Benjamin Franklin agreed: "Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance," he wrote.  But wine brings more than pleasure to the table. Since ancient times, physicians have proclaimed wine's health benefits, and now a slew of recent studies show it's good for your brain, heart, and more. Naturally, moderation is key. The USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends no more than one glass a day for a woman and two glasses a day for a man, and none at all for pregnant women, individuals susceptible to alcoholism, and those on medication or with medical conditions that can interact with alcohol. But if you're one of the 55 percent of Americans who likes to raise a glass now and then, here are five reasons to toast your health with the fruit of the vine. 1. Wine is good for your heart. Remember the "French Paradox"? In 1992, researchers discovered that the French had a 36 percent lower mortality rate from heart disease, despite all the croissants and foie gras. Now scientists believe the powerful antioxidants in red wine and wine's ability to boost omega-3 fatty acids are factors. In another study, wine drinkers had a 34 percent lower chance of stroke. 2. Wine keeps your brain cells healthy. Two recent studies in Denmark and Sweden showed that moderate consumption of wine helped reduce the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. ______________________________________________ More From MyRecipes.com: Wine Pairings for Fruits and Vegetables Choosing Good Wine on a Budget Drink Your Way to Health _______________________________________________ 3. Wine can protect against a host of age-related diseases. You've probably heard about that magical compound in red wine, resveratrol. Studies have shown that resveratrol can protect against diabetes, inflammation, and cardiovascular diseases. 4. Wine can help prevent cancer. A glass of red wine each day can cut a man's risk for prostate cancer in half, and lowers the risk of Barrett's Esophagus, the precursor to esophageal cancer, by 56 percent. Plus, resveratrol in red wine has been shown to zap pancreatic cancer cells. 5. Wine drinkers tend to eat healthier foods and have healthier lifestyles. It sounds like a stereotype – beer drinkers gorge on fried foods and chips while wine drinkers favor salads and lean protein – but studies show that wine drinkers tend to eat the most heart-healthy diets. In one survey, wine drinkers ate more olives, fruit and vegetables, poultry, olive oil, and low-fat cheese, milk, and meat, while beer drinkers chose ready-cooked meals, refined sugar, cold cuts, chips, pork, sausages, and soft drinks. Even better? Contrary to popular belief, researchers found no evidence that a glass or two of wine makes you gain weight. Wine sounds like a miracle tonic, but it's not a cure-all for every disease. The jury is still out on many of its health benefits: while drinking moderate amounts wine can help prevent some types of cancer, alcohol consumption can activate cellular changes that help some cancer cells spread, and three or more alcoholic drinks a day significantly increases the risk of breast cancer. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about wine and your health.

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FOXNews.com: Home remedies doctors swear by

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Home remedies doctors swear by Mar 31st 2012, 10:30 Whether you have a head cold, an upset stomach, or an itchy rash, fast (cheap!) relief may be sitting on your kitchen shelf.  True, some home remedies are simply old wives' tales, but others have stuck around for generations because they actually work, says Dr. Philip Hagen, preventive medicine specialist at the Mayo Clinic. Try grabbing one of these healing ingredients to ease that minor ailment. Honey Use it for: Minor cuts and burns, cough or sore throat How it works: Most of us have tried honey in tea to soothe a scratchy throat, but it's also been used to treat wounds for thousands of years. Last year, a review of research found that honey helps heal minor to moderate burns, and a recent Dutch study identified a protein called defensin-1 that gives the goo its antibacterial action. Try this: Apply warm honey to a minor cut or mild burn, then put a gauze bandage on top; change the dressing daily. However, if you have a burn or wound accompanied by swelling, fever, or pain, check with a doctor instead; it may require oral antibiotics. _____________________________________________________ More From Health.com: Want to Skip the Doctor? Try This What Belongs in Your Medicine Cabinet? Top 7 Natural Cold Remedies: Do They Work? _____________________________________________________ Salt Use it for: Sinus congestion, sore throat How it works: "When you mix salt into water at a stronger concentration than the salt water in our bodies, it helps draw fluids out of tissues," explains Dr. Hagen. Try this: For a sore throat, dissolve half a teaspoon of non-iodized salt in an 8-ounce glass of water, and simply gargle the water. To flush out your sinuses, fill a clean squeeze bottle or neti pot with the solution, lean over a sink, and squeeze or pour it into your nostril. Use only sterile bottled or tap water that has been boiled and then cooled, in your nose. (Reportedly at least two people died last year after clearing their sinuses using unfiltered tap water that contained a dangerous microbe.) Peppermint tea Use it for: Indigestion, stomachache How it works: The oil found in the peppermint leaf and its stems calms the muscles of the digestive tract, allowing gas to pass more easily and relieving indigestion, Dr. Hagen says. Steer clear of peppermint tea, though, if your pain is caused by reflux—you'll know from the acidic, burning feeling in your chest. (It can actually aggravate this problem by relaxing the lower esophageal sphincter, which lets stomach acids flow back into the esophagus.) Try this: Brew a cup of peppermint-leaf tea and drink up. Meat tenderizer Use it for: Bee stings, nonpoisonous spider bites How it works: Meat tenderizer contains papain, an enzyme that breaks down proteins (like the ones in your T-bone steak). But papain can also break down toxins from bug bites and cut back on itching, Dr. Schaffran says. Note: Use tenderizer only on mosquito bites, bee stings, and nonpoisonous spider bites. If you experience symptoms such as nausea, difficulty breathing, or cramping in your abs or lower back, seek medical help immediately. Try this: Mix a small amount of meat tenderizer with water to make a paste and apply to the bite. Leave on for 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse with warm water. Oatmeal Use it for: Eczema, sunburn, hives How it works: Oats pack phytochemicals with anti-inflammatory properties that soothe itchy and inflamed skin, a study in the Archives of Dermatological Research shows. Most MDs recommend using the finely ground colloidal type sold in drugstores, but any unflavored oatmeal will help. Try this: If you're using regular oatmeal, grind it into a fine powder, Dr. Schaffran says. Put a cup of oats through a food processor until they dissolve easily into a glass of water. Pour the solution into a bathtub full of warm water and soak for 15 minutes. Using colloidal oats? Just sprinkle them into the tub and say ahhh.

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FOXNews.com: Too much sitting linked to shortened lives

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Too much sitting linked to shortened lives Mar 30th 2012, 11:23 Australians who spent a lot of time sitting at a desk or in front of a TV were more likely to die of any cause during a three-year period than those who were only sedentary a few hours a day, according to a new study. Researchers found that the link between too much time sitting and shortened lives stuck when they accounted for how much moderate or vigorous exercise people got as well as their weight and other measures of health. That suggests shifting some time from sitting to light physical activity -- such as slow walking and active chores -- might have important long-term benefits, researchers said. "When we give people messages about how much physical activity they should be doing, we also need to talk to them about reducing the amount of hours they spend sitting each day," Hidde van der Ploeg, the new study's lead author from the University of Sydney, told Reuters Health in an email. Of more than 200,000 adults age 45 and older, van der Ploeg and her colleagues found that people who reported sitting for at least 11 hours a day were 40 percent more likely to die during the study than those who sat less than four hours daily. That doesn't prove sitting, itself, cuts people's lives short, she pointed out. Although the researchers also asked participants about a variety of lifestyle habits, there could be other unmeasured differences between people who spend a lot or a little time sitting each day. Still, the findings are consistent with other recent studies suggesting health consequences from too much sitting, said Mark Tremblay, an obesity and activity researcher at Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa. "Sitting or reclining, especially in front of screens, is bad for you regardless of your age," said Tremblay, who wasn't involved in the new research. People tend to think they're okay as long as they get their "dose" of working out each day, he told Reuters Health. But, "Getting your 30 minutes of physical activity five times a week is not insurance against chronic disease," Tremblay added. Instead, time spent doing moderate or vigorous exercise and time being totally sedentary may each affect long-term disease risks separately, he said. Effects on cholesterol? For the new study, van der Ploeg and her colleagues surveyed about 220,000 people from New South Wales, Australia between 2006 and 2008. The surveys included questions about participants' general health and any medical conditions they had, whether they smoked and how much time they spent both exercising and sitting each day. Then the research team tracked responders using Australian mortality records for an average of almost three years, during which 5,400 -- between two and three percent --died. They found that the extra risk tied to sitting held up regardless of whether people were normal weight or overweight, how much time they spent working out and whether they were healthy or had pre-existing medical conditions, van der Ploeg's team reported this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine. She said too much sitting may affect blood vessels and metabolism by increasing fats in the blood and lowering "good" cholesterol levels. "When you are standing or walking your leg muscles are constantly working, which helps to clear blood glucose and blood fats from the blood stream," she said. "If you are sitting this is not happening because the muscles are not active." Even for people who have jobs that involve a lot of desk work, there are ways to train yourself to regularly interrupt sedentary behavior, Tremblay said. "Makes sure the fax machine is four steps away from you, not within reaching distance," he advised. "Drink enough water that you have to pee four times a day. Stand up, stretch, walk around a little bit, say hi to your friend in the cubicle next door." "Try standing up while on the phone or have a stand up meeting," van der Ploeg suggested. When it comes to life outside of work, "You don't have to stand or walk for 100 percent of your leisure time of course, as sitting is very comfortable," she said. "But try to find a healthy balance between sitting, standing and walking or other physical activities."

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FOXNews.com: Electronic health records mean fewer tests, study finds

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Electronic health records mean fewer tests, study finds Mar 30th 2012, 11:51 Doctors order fewer lab tests when they have access to a patient's electronic medical records, according to a new study, but the efficiency may be confined to state-of-the-art records exchanges for now. The new study is based on the experience of two hospitals -- Brigham and Women's and Massachusetts General -- that form Partners HealthCare, a not-for-profit healthcare system in Boston. The findings are at odds with another recent study. In the year 2000, the two hospitals established a health information exchange to access each others' electronic medical records. "We found that the number of lab tests went down after the introduction if there were recent lab tests available," said Dr. Alexander Turchin, one of the study's authors and an assistant professor of medicine at the Harvard Medical School in Boston. Turchin and his colleagues looked at 117,606 people who were outpatients at one of the hospitals between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2004. Of those, 346 had recent tests done at the other hospital -- 44 patients had them done before the information exchange was rolled out. As for those who did not have recent test results available, 21,968 were at one of the hospitals before the exchange. Turchin told Reuters Health that the number of lab tests ordered for each patient before the exchange in 1999 was about seven. That number fell to about four in 2004. For patients without prior tests, the amount slightly increased to roughly six tests per patient from about five. Compared to the slight increase for patients without tests, the number of tests ordered for those with previous results decreased by 49 percent after the exchange was established. After accounting for confounders -- such as age, sex, the year and number of the tests -- the number of tests ordered fell by about 53 percent. The new study's results don't jibe with some past research, however. Contradicting another study Findings published earlier this month in the journal Health Affairs suggested office-based physicians with electronic access to imaging and lab results do not decrease the number of tests ordered. In fact, they may increase it. "We studied a different population. The question is the same, the population is very different," said Dr. Danny McCormick, the author of the Health Affairs study and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. He told Reuters Health that the new study is consistent with other past research and looks at the Partners' exchange system -- which he called cutting-edge -- whereas his study looked at what is currently happening in doctors' offices across the U.S. The studies were carried out differently too. And as Turchin pointed out, his study did not include imaging results like McCormick's. According to Turchin, imaging results may be more susceptible to being reordered by doctors, because the pictures need to be read by a human. "People may think my radiologists are better than the radiologists next door. So they may repeat the tests," he said. Also, the doctors may misunderstand the results and want to talk to the radiologist. The team's next step is to look at the potential savings from ordering fewer tests. But Turchin said that the benefits go beyond money. "In a broader sense there is comfort for the patient," he said, adding that fewer tests mean fewer blood draws and injections. McCormick said he believes it's possible to decrease the number of tests nationwide if these kinds of results are extended to every practice. But, he warns, "It's potentially a big stretch to think you can get this optimization adopted nationwide."

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FOXNews.com: Postpartum depression tied to domestic violence

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Postpartum depression tied to domestic violence Mar 30th 2012, 11:31 Mothers with postpartum depression are more likely to be in a violent relationship than moms without depression, and new mothers in abusive relationships are more likely to suffer postpartum depression, according to a new survey of women with infants. "I think intuitively and clinically it's not surprising that there would be an overlap between depression and intimate partner violence," said Dr. Linda Chaudron, a psychiatry professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center, who was not involved in this study. The results provide clinicians with some guidance for screening women who show signs of postpartum depression or a violent relationship. "That is a big message that we want to send, that if pediatricians have started screening for maybe one of these two and they detect one, they should be screening for the other," said Dr. Barry Solomon, a pediatrics professor at John's Hopkins Children's Center, and the lead author of the study. Previous research on the overlap between postpartum depression and domestic violence has typically come from researchers that focus on the mothers' health. But in recent years, pediatricians have increasingly adopted the practice of screening mothers for postpartum depression and domestic violence. "It's come from growing evidence that mothers who are depressed or are in a relationship with violence, there are negative effects on children," Solomon told Reuters Health. 1 in 14 in violent relationship Solomon and his colleagues took advantage of the frequent visits to the pediatrician that new moms make with their babies to explore how often violence in the home and depression co-occur. In February, 2008 they started screening mothers with children under six months old who came to their clinic for healthy baby checkups. Most of the women were African American and about one third of them were teenagers. From the surveys that the moms filled out, the research team found that one out of four of the mothers appeared to have postpartum depression and one out of 14 was in a violent relationship. The moms who screened positive for domestic violence were twice as likely to have postpartum depression. More than 50 percent of women in violent relationships also screened positive for depression, compared to 22 percent of mothers who were not in violent relationships. Similarly, women with postpartum depression were four times as likely to also screen positive for violence at home. Four percent of women without depression and 16 percent of women with depression were in violent relationships. Two-way street? The study did not determine whether one causes the other. Chaudron said it might go both ways. "If you're depressed you can't as easily get out of a violent situation, and if you're in a violent relationship you're walking on eggshells and can become depressed," she told Reuters Health. The study, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, also found that mothers with postpartum depression were more likely to bring their children to the emergency department more frequently. It's not clear why, but Chaudron speculated that perhaps depressed mothers have more anxiety, which could bring them to the emergency department. Chaudron said she is pleased to know the pediatric community is making an effort to study and be proactive about issues centered on the mother. "I think that the focus is still on the health and development and well being of the child, but now we know that moms who are going through serious emotional difficulties and violence in the home affect the children. It affects the care we can give to them and their own emotional development," Solomon said. The challenge to getting more pediatricians to screen for postpartum depression and domestic violence is what to do if a mom needs help. Solomon said pediatricians need support from the adult psychiatric and social services communities so that they can offer resources if they suspect mothers are in need. His clinic has brought on full time social work staff to work with mothers on the spot, for instance. In practices that don't have such resources, they "have to reach out to their maternal health partners," he said. "We can't expect pediatricians to screen for intimate partner violence or postpartum depression without providing them resources and connections."

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FOXNews.com: Hormones in cows and what it means for your health

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Hormones in cows and what it means for your health Mar 30th 2012, 14:36 As a mother and RD, I have been curious about hormones in foods and whether or not they are a cause for concern.  Hormones are in many foods – including plants.  Instead of covering all foods, I am going to focus on cows.   There is a lot of marketing that goes into "organic" products – especially milk and beef, which creates fear among consumers about the safety of our food supply. The "BS" T Bovine somatotropin (bST) is a naturally occurring protein in the milk of cows which helps to increase milk production and helps calves grow.  Recombinant bST (RbST) is a synthetic form of bST that has been used by some dairy farmers to increase milk production.  However, RbST is not cheap to use, therefore many dairy farmers do not actually use it.  BST is specific to cows.  Humans have human growth hormones (HGH) that help us to grow. Mastitis Anyone? Some have proposed that increased milk production leads to increased mastitis – infection of the breast tissue.  Interestingly enough, mastitis tends to occur in the first 30 to 60 days of milk production – when RbST would NOT be used. If there were an infection, the cow would be given full clinical doses of antibiotics – and just like humans – it's pump and dump.  Therefore any antibiotics would not be making their way into our milk.  As a safety measure, all milk is tested to prevent contamination, before being put into the tankers that transport it from the farm to the processor. According to Dr. Richard Raymond (MD), former Under Secretary for Food Safety at the USDA, mastitis in cows is dependent on factors like the age of the cow, weather, gestation number and more.  "There is no difference in the taste or texture in milk from cows that have had RbST," Dr. Raymand said.  However, its use has declined. Where's the Beef? Dr. D. Dee Griffin, the Feedlot Production Management Veterinarian and Professor at the University of Nebraska, Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center, explained there are naturally occurring hormones in the grain fed to cows.  It is a very sensitive science to make sure hormone levels in cows are "just right."  Dr. Griffin explained that cows are super sensitive to heat.  When outside temperatures exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit, cows will stop eating.  Compare this to the dangers of the human body, where proteins denature at high temperatures causing systemic failure. Estrogen Levels Estrogens are in many foods - specifically phyto or plant estrogens.  Soy flower has 755,000,000 (ng/500g), Tofu 113,500,000 (ng/500g), Milk 32 (ng/500g) and Beef from implanted steer 7 versus non implanted steer 5 (ng/500g).  A pregnant woman produces 19,600,000 ng/day, non-pregnant woman 513,000 ng/day, adult man 136,000 ng/day, pre-puberal children 41,000 ng/day and 500 g of beef from implanted cattle 7ng. Why give cows hormones at all?  To redistribute muscle versus fat.  We like lean beef right?    Dr. Griffin said that the hormones impact metabolism.  There needs to be enough available food for the cow to consume or else the cow will become catabolic and breakdown lean muscle mass.  Heffers are given progesterone to keep them from going into heat, and it can become a stressor on the cow and the herd. Antibiotics Some people fear that antibiotics used in animals is contributing to antibiotic-resistance in humans.  However, the science has not shown a link at this time.  Rumensin is one antibiotic used in cattle to prevent coccidiosis, a parasitic infection which can be highly contagious and potentially deadly.  The debate over whether to treat cattle with antibiotics is interesting – considering many of us would treat our pets with antibiotics if needed – why not livestock? Your Health The American Cancer Society has no concern about dairy consumption increasing cancer risk or speeding up puberty.   The CDC data looking at early puberty is not about "hormones" in foods.  It is tied into improved health and nutrition – which also includes over nutrition and excess body fat causing hormonal issues for children. Felicia D. Stoler, DCN, MS, RD, FACSM is a doctorally trained registered dietitian, exercise physiologist, TV personality and expert consultant in disease prevention, wellness and healthy living. She is the author of "Living Skinny in Fat Genes: The Healthy Way to Lose Weight and Feel Great." She hosted TLC's ground-breaking series "Honey We're Killing the Kids!" Become a fan of Felicia on Facebook, follow her on Twitter or visit her website FeliciaStoler.com.

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FOXNews.com: Depression linked with sleep breathing problems, study finds

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Depression linked with sleep breathing problems, study finds Mar 30th 2012, 15:21 Experiencing breathing problems during sleep may raise your risk of depression, a new study suggests. Women with sleep apnea, in which breathing becomes shallow or pauses briefly during sleep, were 5.2 times as likely to have depression compared with women without the condition. Men with sleep apnea were 2.4 times as likely to have depression as men without the condition, according to the study from researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Participants in the study who had other breathing problems during sleep also had an increased risk of depression. However, the researchers found no increased likelihood of depression among people who snore. "Snorting, gasping or stopping breathing while asleep was associated with nearly all depression symptoms, including feeling hopeless and feeling like a failure," said study researcher Anne Wheaton, an epidemiologist with the CDC. "We expected persons with sleep-disordered breathing to report trouble sleeping or sleeping too much, or feeling tired and having little energy, but not the other symptoms." Both depression and breathing problems during sleep are common, and both are underdiagnosed, the researchers wrote. Screening people who have for one disorder for the other could lead to better diagnosis and treatments, they said. The researchers took into account other factors that might influence the results, such as age, sex and weight. The results are in line with those of the other studies, the researchers said. The study found an association, not a cause-and-effect link. However, the researchers wrote that evidence from other research suggests that breathing problems during sleep may contribute to the development of depression. For example, one previous study found a link between the severity of breathing problems during sleep and the odds of later developing depression. And other studies have shown that people who received treatment for sleep apnea showed improvement in their depression. "Mental health professionals often ask about certain sleep problems, such as unrefreshing sleep and insomnia, but likely do not realize that [breathing problems during sleep] may have an impact on their patients' mental health," the researchers wrote in their conclusion. Although exactly how the link might work is unclear, it could partly be explained by the fact that people with breathing problems experience sleep that is fragmented, or may have low levels of oxygen in the blood during sleep. The researchers used data collected from 9,714 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which is an ongoing study conducted by the CDC. Participants were considered to have depression based on their answers to a questionnaire asking about how often they experienced symptoms of depression. Six percent of men and 3 percent of women in the study reported having physician-diagnosed sleep apnea. The study was limited in that participants' depression and sleep problems were measured at only one point in time, and in that it relied on self-reported symptoms. People may not be aware they have breathing problems during sleep, and there was no information about whether participants were being treated for depression. The study is published in the April issue of the journal Sleep. 7 Tips to Sleep Soundly Tonight Top 10 Spooky Sleep Disorders 5 Experts Answer: Is Lack of Sleep Bad Really for Health?

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FOXNews.com: Ban placed on sale of 'synthetic marijuana' in New York

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Ban placed on sale of 'synthetic marijuana' in New York Mar 30th 2012, 13:35 An immediate ban has been ordered on the sale of "synthetic marijuana" in New York, My Fox NY reported.   According to the station, the drug comes in packets called "Mr. Nice Guy," "K2," "Spice" and more, and it is often marketed as incense or potpourri.  But synthetic marijuana is actually much more powerful drug and can cause high blood pressure, hallucinations and seizures. "Because [these drugs] are sold in stores, people may believe they are safe, and use of these drugs is increasing rapidly in New York City," said Dr. Thomas Farley, the New York City health commissioner. The ban prohibits retailers from selling synthetic marijuana, and if a store is caught, it will face fines and other penalties, officials said. Click here to read more from My Fox New York.

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FOXNews.com: Too little calcium, water linked to kidney stones

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Too little calcium, water linked to kidney stones Mar 30th 2012, 12:33 Older women whose diet include too little calcium or water -- or too much salt -- have an increased risk of developing kidney stones, a study confirms. Researchers found that among more than 78,000 U.S. women in their 50s and 70s, the risk of developing first-time kidney stones declined as calcium or fluid intake climbed. On the other hand, the odds went up with a higher sodium intake. Kidney stones develop when the urine contains more crystal-forming substances -- like calcium, uric acid and a compound called oxalate -- than can be diluted by the available fluid. People prone to developing kidney stones have long been told to boost their fluid intake; that helps dilute the substances that can lead to stones. Cutting down on salt can help because too much sodium boosts calcium levels in the urine. Since most kidney stones contain calcium, it was once thought that cutting down on calcium could help. But studies in recent years have suggested that dairy foods may actually be protective -- though calcium supplements may not be wise for "stone formers." Older women a concern These latest findings, reported in the Journal of Urology, confirm the conventional wisdom. Doctors have been particularly concerned about the calcium question in older women, since they are at increased risk of thinning bones and fractures, said Dr. Mathew Sorensen, a urologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle who led the study. So it's good to know that a higher calcium intake from food is linked to a lower risk of kidney stones in older women, Sorensen told Reuters Health. "When people form stones," he said, "many naturally think they should reduce their calcium intake." But it's "good general advice" to stick with your usual dairy intake, according to Sorensen. And if you take calcium supplements, ask your doctor about whether you should stop. The findings are based on 78,293 U.S. women who were followed for an average of eight years. During that time, 2.5 percent -- one in 40 -- were diagnosed with kidney stones for the first time. Among the 20 percent of women who ate the most calcium at the outset, the odds of developing kidney stones was 28 percent lower, versus the 20 percent of women who got the least calcium. On average, women were eating about 800 milligrams of calcium per day, according to surveys. Similarly, the group who drank the most fluid had a 20-percent lower risk of kidney stones than women with lowest intakes. Average water intake was about one and a half liters per day. More sodium, meanwhile, meant a higher risk. The one-fifth of women with the saltiest diets were 61 percent more likely to develop stones than the fifth with the lowest sodium intake. "It's really important to reduce your salt intake," Sorensen said. "And the American diet is filled to the brim with salt." Some of the biggest sources of sodium, he noted, include fast food, processed meats and canned foods. So people prone to kidney stones need to become good label-readers and be careful when eating out. Less dairy, more stones? As for calcium, Sorensen said it's important for everyone -- but particularly older women -- to be aware that cutting out dairy foods may actually contribute to kidney stones. Calcium supplements are different, and it may be because they provide a large, isolated dose of the mineral. People prone to stones should be "cautious" about calcium supplements, Sorensen said. But if a woman is on calcium to protect her bones, she should talk to her doctor about whether she can stick with it. "For any woman who needs to take a calcium supplement," Sorensen said, "I would recommend taking it with a meal." That may help mitigate any effect of the calcium on stone formation. In general, experts recommend that women older than 50 get 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day. In reality, few do. Of women in this study, for instance, 80 percent got less than the recommended amount of calcium. When it comes to fluids, Sorensen said it's hard to make a specific recommendation. "I usually tell patients, if you're a stone-former, whatever you've been getting is not enough," Sorensen said. If you're not sure if you're getting enough, he noted, check the color of your urine. "If it's dark, that means you need fluids." And "fluids," Sorensen said, can be any beverage, not just water, although for overall health -- and waistline -- filling up on sugary drinks is never a good idea.

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FOXNews.com: Mega Millions fever: Why we go nuts over lotto

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Mega Millions fever: Why we go nuts over lotto Mar 30th 2012, 13:05 Most of the country has Mega Millions fever – and for good reason: The winning ticket is worth $540 million. But why do we get so excited about playing the lottery? One psychologist weighs in. Mike McKee, a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic, says as long as you can afford a ticket – the unpredictability of it all is considered healthy fun. "Everybody I know has fun talking about what would you do with it? What would you do with the money? Would you stay in the job? Would you bail out right away? Where would you go? What would you buy? What do you do with everybody knocking on the door?" McKee said. "It creates conversation above the weather, above the ballgames, and it does have a rush because there is a chance. It may be a very small chance, but you could win." McKee said we like playing the lottery for the same reasons we like to play sports or video games – the rewards are unpredictable. And – when we hear stories of people who won big – we like to think, "That could be me." Some people like to think, "My numbers haven't turned up in a long time, so I'm due," but McKee said that's not the healthiest approach. He advises lotto players to keep things in perspective, while having fun. "It's going to be hard for people to resist. So, keep it small," McKee said. "I mean, your odds don't go up a whole lot if you spend $20 compared to a buck. If you don't have much money, buy a ticket and let it go at that. It's a long-shot you're buying." And your best bet? Don't plan your retirement around winning.

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FOXNews.com: Electronic health records mean fewer tests, study finds

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Electronic health records mean fewer tests, study finds Mar 30th 2012, 11:51 Doctors order fewer lab tests when they have access to a patient's electronic medical records, according to a new study, but the efficiency may be confined to state-of-the-art records exchanges for now. The new study is based on the experience of two hospitals -- Brigham and Women's and Massachusetts General -- that form Partners HealthCare, a not-for-profit healthcare system in Boston. The findings are at odds with another recent study. In the year 2000, the two hospitals established a health information exchange to access each others' electronic medical records. "We found that the number of lab tests went down after the introduction if there were recent lab tests available," said Dr. Alexander Turchin, one of the study's authors and an assistant professor of medicine at the Harvard Medical School in Boston. Turchin and his colleagues looked at 117,606 people who were outpatients at one of the hospitals between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2004. Of those, 346 had recent tests done at the other hospital -- 44 patients had them done before the information exchange was rolled out. As for those who did not have recent test results available, 21,968 were at one of the hospitals before the exchange. Turchin told Reuters Health that the number of lab tests ordered for each patient before the exchange in 1999 was about seven. That number fell to about four in 2004. For patients without prior tests, the amount slightly increased to roughly six tests per patient from about five. Compared to the slight increase for patients without tests, the number of tests ordered for those with previous results decreased by 49 percent after the exchange was established. After accounting for confounders -- such as age, sex, the year and number of the tests -- the number of tests ordered fell by about 53 percent. The new study's results don't jibe with some past research, however. Contradicting another study Findings published earlier this month in the journal Health Affairs suggested office-based physicians with electronic access to imaging and lab results do not decrease the number of tests ordered. In fact, they may increase it. "We studied a different population. The question is the same, the population is very different," said Dr. Danny McCormick, the author of the Health Affairs study and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. He told Reuters Health that the new study is consistent with other past research and looks at the Partners' exchange system -- which he called cutting-edge -- whereas his study looked at what is currently happening in doctors' offices across the U.S. The studies were carried out differently too. And as Turchin pointed out, his study did not include imaging results like McCormick's. According to Turchin, imaging results may be more susceptible to being reordered by doctors, because the pictures need to be read by a human. "People may think my radiologists are better than the radiologists next door. So they may repeat the tests," he said. Also, the doctors may misunderstand the results and want to talk to the radiologist. The team's next step is to look at the potential savings from ordering fewer tests. But Turchin said that the benefits go beyond money. "In a broader sense there is comfort for the patient," he said, adding that fewer tests mean fewer blood draws and injections. McCormick said he believes it's possible to decrease the number of tests nationwide if these kinds of results are extended to every practice. But, he warns, "It's potentially a big stretch to think you can get this optimization adopted nationwide."

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FOXNews.com: Ibuprofen may help ward off altitude sickness

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Ibuprofen may help ward off altitude sickness Mar 30th 2012, 12:14 A new study suggests that taking ibuprofen before a trip to the mountains may help some people avoid the headaches and nausea that come with altitude sickness. Still, both a study author and one altitude expert not involved in the research said the approach won't help all travelers and climbers -- and isn't necessarily any better than taking prescription altitude-sickness drugs. Even with ibuprofen, "there are still a lot of people who do have symptoms," said Robert Roach, head of the Altitude Research Center at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. Because the body's response to high altitudes varies person-by-person, there may be some people who do better with ibuprofen than with prescription drugs, including acetazolamide -- which increases the amount of oxygen in the blood -- and the steroid dexamethasone, he said. But the opposite is also true. "There are for sure going to be some people where ibuprofen doesn't do much," Roach told Reuters Health. Research has suggested ibuprofen, marketed as Advil, among other brand names, helps relieve symptoms in people who already have altitude sickness -- which typically feels like a hangover, according to Roach, who wasn't part of the study team. Researchers wanted to see if the over-the-counter drug could prevent those symptoms before they started. For the study, volunteers were driven and hiked a few miles from an altitude of about 4,000 feet to over 12,000 feet in the White Mountains of California during the summer of 2010. Half of them were given 600 milligrams of ibuprofen three times during the day, starting six hours before the ascent. The other half took a drug-free placebo pill. Researchers asked the participants about their altitude-related symptoms, including headaches, dizziness and nausea after they finished their trip and again in the morning after a night spent at altitude. Out of the 86 participants in the study, 43 percent of those given ibuprofen reported symptoms of altitude sickness, compared to 69 percent of those on the placebo pills instead. Eight of the volunteers had symptoms serious enough to warrant treatment -- six who had taken ibuprofen and two in the comparison group, the research team reported in the Annals of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Jeffrey Gertsch from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and his colleagues calculated that four people would need to take ibuprofen before and during their high-altitude trip to prevent one from getting sick. False sense of security? Gertsch said one big question his team's study can't answer is whether ibuprofen is just easing altitude symptoms by providing pain relief or if it's really getting at the underlying causes of those symptoms, including inflammation and changes in blood vessels. If it's only easing pain, he said, that could actually be worrisome for climbers. "You could have a false sense of security… and get yourself into real trouble" at higher altitudes with low oxygen, Gertsch told Reuters Health. Researchers will need to find objective ways to measure altitude sickness, besides patients' perceived pain and nausea, to try to answer that question, he added. The researchers agreed that ibuprofen is an option for people who'd rather not take prescription drugs, which may cause side effects. Acetazolamide comes with a risk of nausea and fatigue -- symptoms of altitude sickness itself -- and dexamethasone may raise blood sugar levels and disturb sleep. And ibuprofen costs pennies per pill. "People would be welcome to try it… and see how it works for them," Roach said -- assuming they realize ibuprofen can also come with side effects, including stomach problems. "If people want to use this to prevent altitude sickness, I'm not going to say that's bad, they just need to be very careful," Gertsch added. When it comes to high-altitude climbing, he said, "there is no substitute for careful planning, which is staged ascent, just going slow."

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FOXNews.com: As more autism reported, doctors say check early

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As more autism reported, doctors say check early Mar 30th 2012, 12:21 At 18 months, Cristina Astacio spoke only a few words, wouldn't respond to her name and shunned other kids in her day care group. Last October, her worried parents found out why. She has a mild form of autism, a diagnosis being given to more U.S. children than ever before, largely because of more awareness and better diagnosis. According to new government statistics, the rate is about 1 in 88. That means autism is nearly twice as common as the government reported just five years ago. The largest increases are in Hispanic kids like Cristina. The definition of autism has changed over the years, and Cristina might not have been considered autistic two decades ago. But experts say kids like her are lucky in a way, because her parents recognized early that something was wrong. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report issued Thursday found that 40 percent of kids weren't diagnosed until after age 4. Evidence shows that children who are identified early and get help have the best chance for reaching their potential, said CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends autism screening for all children at age 18 months and 2 years. Diagnosing the developmental disorder relies on observing behavior. Autism can't be cured, but treatment including intensive behavior therapy can help many kids function better. The academy's Dr. Susan Hyman said many children who aren't making eye contact and aren't talking "may have autism, but they may have other things." She said it's important for parents to be persistent about their concerns with their doctor so their kids can be evaluated. Kristy Batesole, of Atascadero, Calif., says she suspected something was wrong with her son, Keegan, even when he was a hard-to-calm overly fussy baby. He learned words, but by age 2 stopped talking, would spend hours opening and closing doors and sometimes bang his head on the ground. Though he started getting special help in preschool in Nevada, he wasn't formally diagnosed with autism until last year, at age 6, after the family moved to California, where there are more autism specialists. Cristina Astacio gets two hours of behavior therapy six days a week. Her mom, Charisse, says the little girl now responds to commands and speaks about 50 words. The most special are two words Cristina never said before. "Now she says `mommy' and `daddy,'" Astacio said. "It's wonderful." Christina's dad, Christopher, is a special-education teacher in the New York City; most of the kids in his class are Hispanic and many have autism. "I remember back in the past, a few kids here and there had autism, not like the way it is now," Astacio said. "I'm really curious why so many kids are being diagnosed." Experts, including CDC researchers, think broader screening and better diagnosis have largely contributed to that. But autism's cause remains a mystery, and government researchers are seeking answers. The latest numbers are based on 2008 data from 14 states and suggest that autism rates have climbed 23 percent since 2006. Rates are highest in boys and white children. But the biggest rate increase was among Hispanics, from 1 in 270 in 2002 to about 1 in 125 in 2008. That rate increase also is likely due to better awareness. The CDC report says there's no strong evidence of any racial or ethnic difference in risk factors for autism and that it's likely the condition is underdiagnosed in blacks and Hispanics. Melissa Miller, a St. Petersburg, Fla., mom whose daughter, Chelsea, was diagnosed last year at age 2, said many people still misunderstand the disorder. "I think many people hear `autism' and think `Rain Man,'" she said, referring to the 1988 movie featuring Dustin Hoffman as the mathematically brilliant but socially impaired autistic savant. "The autism spectrum is so vast, and all of our children are different. Many of them don't rock back and forth or have savant skills. They are sweet, affectionate, intelligent, goofy - and exhausting - kids," Miller said. Proposed revisions in the manual that doctors use to diagnose mental illness would streamline autism criteria. Critics contend the suggested changes would be too narrow and exclude children who need educational and behavioral services. Hyman noted that since the manual's last revision, in 1994, much has been learned about autism. "There's a real possibility the new definition will be better for children," she said Thursday at a CDC news conference. CDC officials say research into causes of autism will help determine if there's been a true increase or just better diagnosis. Genetics is believed to play a role. Studies have found no connection with childhood vaccines, but other factors under investigation include mothers' illnesses or medication during pregnancy. First results from the CDC study are expected next year. Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer for the advocacy group Autism Speaks, said the new figures indicate "a public health emergency that demands immediate attention." Her group estimates that U.S. autism costs total $126 billion each year, including costs related to diagnosis and treatment. That estimate also includes treatment for severely affected adults and lost wages.

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FOXNews.com: Too much sitting linked to shortened lives

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Too much sitting linked to shortened lives Mar 30th 2012, 11:23 Australians who spent a lot of time sitting at a desk or in front of a TV were more likely to die of any cause during a three-year period than those who were only sedentary a few hours a day, according to a new study. Researchers found that the link between too much time sitting and shortened lives stuck when they accounted for how much moderate or vigorous exercise people got as well as their weight and other measures of health. That suggests shifting some time from sitting to light physical activity -- such as slow walking and active chores -- might have important long-term benefits, researchers said. "When we give people messages about how much physical activity they should be doing, we also need to talk to them about reducing the amount of hours they spend sitting each day," Hidde van der Ploeg, the new study's lead author from the University of Sydney, told Reuters Health in an email. Of more than 200,000 adults age 45 and older, van der Ploeg and her colleagues found that people who reported sitting for at least 11 hours a day were 40 percent more likely to die during the study than those who sat less than four hours daily. That doesn't prove sitting, itself, cuts people's lives short, she pointed out. Although the researchers also asked participants about a variety of lifestyle habits, there could be other unmeasured differences between people who spend a lot or a little time sitting each day. Still, the findings are consistent with other recent studies suggesting health consequences from too much sitting, said Mark Tremblay, an obesity and activity researcher at Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa. "Sitting or reclining, especially in front of screens, is bad for you regardless of your age," said Tremblay, who wasn't involved in the new research. People tend to think they're okay as long as they get their "dose" of working out each day, he told Reuters Health. But, "Getting your 30 minutes of physical activity five times a week is not insurance against chronic disease," Tremblay added. Instead, time spent doing moderate or vigorous exercise and time being totally sedentary may each affect long-term disease risks separately, he said. Effects on cholesterol? For the new study, van der Ploeg and her colleagues surveyed about 220,000 people from New South Wales, Australia between 2006 and 2008. The surveys included questions about participants' general health and any medical conditions they had, whether they smoked and how much time they spent both exercising and sitting each day. Then the research team tracked responders using Australian mortality records for an average of almost three years, during which 5,400 -- between two and three percent --died. They found that the extra risk tied to sitting held up regardless of whether people were normal weight or overweight, how much time they spent working out and whether they were healthy or had pre-existing medical conditions, van der Ploeg's team reported this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine. She said too much sitting may affect blood vessels and metabolism by increasing fats in the blood and lowering "good" cholesterol levels. "When you are standing or walking your leg muscles are constantly working, which helps to clear blood glucose and blood fats from the blood stream," she said. "If you are sitting this is not happening because the muscles are not active." Even for people who have jobs that involve a lot of desk work, there are ways to train yourself to regularly interrupt sedentary behavior, Tremblay said. "Makes sure the fax machine is four steps away from you, not within reaching distance," he advised. "Drink enough water that you have to pee four times a day. Stand up, stretch, walk around a little bit, say hi to your friend in the cubicle next door." "Try standing up while on the phone or have a stand up meeting," van der Ploeg suggested. When it comes to life outside of work, "You don't have to stand or walk for 100 percent of your leisure time of course, as sitting is very comfortable," she said. "But try to find a healthy balance between sitting, standing and walking or other physical activities."

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FOXNews.com: Postpartum depression tied to domestic violence

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Postpartum depression tied to domestic violence Mar 30th 2012, 11:31 Mothers with postpartum depression are more likely to be in a violent relationship than moms without depression, and new mothers in abusive relationships are more likely to suffer postpartum depression, according to a new survey of women with infants. "I think intuitively and clinically it's not surprising that there would be an overlap between depression and intimate partner violence," said Dr. Linda Chaudron, a psychiatry professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center, who was not involved in this study. The results provide clinicians with some guidance for screening women who show signs of postpartum depression or a violent relationship. "That is a big message that we want to send, that if pediatricians have started screening for maybe one of these two and they detect one, they should be screening for the other," said Dr. Barry Solomon, a pediatrics professor at John's Hopkins Children's Center, and the lead author of the study. Previous research on the overlap between postpartum depression and domestic violence has typically come from researchers that focus on the mothers' health. But in recent years, pediatricians have increasingly adopted the practice of screening mothers for postpartum depression and domestic violence. "It's come from growing evidence that mothers who are depressed or are in a relationship with violence, there are negative effects on children," Solomon told Reuters Health. 1 in 14 in violent relationship Solomon and his colleagues took advantage of the frequent visits to the pediatrician that new moms make with their babies to explore how often violence in the home and depression co-occur. In February, 2008 they started screening mothers with children under six months old who came to their clinic for healthy baby checkups. Most of the women were African American and about one third of them were teenagers. From the surveys that the moms filled out, the research team found that one out of four of the mothers appeared to have postpartum depression and one out of 14 was in a violent relationship. The moms who screened positive for domestic violence were twice as likely to have postpartum depression. More than 50 percent of women in violent relationships also screened positive for depression, compared to 22 percent of mothers who were not in violent relationships. Similarly, women with postpartum depression were four times as likely to also screen positive for violence at home. Four percent of women without depression and 16 percent of women with depression were in violent relationships. Two-way street? The study did not determine whether one causes the other. Chaudron said it might go both ways. "If you're depressed you can't as easily get out of a violent situation, and if you're in a violent relationship you're walking on eggshells and can become depressed," she told Reuters Health. The study, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, also found that mothers with postpartum depression were more likely to bring their children to the emergency department more frequently. It's not clear why, but Chaudron speculated that perhaps depressed mothers have more anxiety, which could bring them to the emergency department. Chaudron said she is pleased to know the pediatric community is making an effort to study and be proactive about issues centered on the mother. "I think that the focus is still on the health and development and well being of the child, but now we know that moms who are going through serious emotional difficulties and violence in the home affect the children. It affects the care we can give to them and their own emotional development," Solomon said. The challenge to getting more pediatricians to screen for postpartum depression and domestic violence is what to do if a mom needs help. Solomon said pediatricians need support from the adult psychiatric and social services communities so that they can offer resources if they suspect mothers are in need. His clinic has brought on full time social work staff to work with mothers on the spot, for instance. In practices that don't have such resources, they "have to reach out to their maternal health partners," he said. "We can't expect pediatricians to screen for intimate partner violence or postpartum depression without providing them resources and connections."

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