Cold and Flu Sufferers Should Ease Back Into Fitness Routine

TUESDAY, Feb. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Although physical activity can help boost your immune system, people who are sick should tone down their workout or skip it altogether, experts advise.

"Regular exercise is a great way to reduce stress and sleep better at night. This helps boost your immune system. However, vigorous exercise and extreme conditioning can have a negative impact on your health if you're sick," Joe Berg, a personal trainer and fitness specialist at Loyola Center for Health, said in a Loyola University news release.

"When fighting a viral illness, it's best to keep your exercise session short and not as intense. If you have a fever or stomach bug it might be best to hold off," Berg added.

For those recovering from an illness, it's best to ease back into a workout routine slowly. Berg recommends starting small with some light aerobics, such as walking and cycling at an easy pace as well as body weight squats, push-ups and planks. In the plank exercise, you rest your weight on your forearms with your elbows directly beneath your shoulders, keeping your body in a straight line from your head to your feet.

"These exercises cover the major muscles of the body and when performed in moderation, can help boost your immune system," explained Berg.

For people worried about being exposed to germs at the gym, Valerie Walkowiak, medical integration coordinator at the Loyola Center for Fitness, pointed out that heading outside or working out at home may be a good way to stay healthy and fit during the cold and flu season.

"Weather permitting, it's always great to just get out of the house and walk or run to get in some cardio exercise. Just make sure you wear the proper clothes to keep warm. This includes layers of clothing, a hat, scarf, gloves and appropriate shoes," said Walkowiak.

When the weather makes exercising outdoors impossible, there are ways people can work out at home -- even if they don't have special equipment. Walkowiak said you can get your heart rate up without leaving the house by climbing the stairs, jogging in place or doing jumping jacks. She added that a home-based circuit training routine can be created by alternating two to three minutes of these cardio exercises with 30 to 60 seconds of strength-training moves, such as push-ups, squats, seated rows or heel raises.

"You don't have to have dumbbells, bands or tubing to get in some strength training at home. Try using household items to add resistance such as soup cans, gallon jugs of water or your own body weight," Walkowiak noted.

In order to target all the muscle groups, Walkowiak recommended doing the following exercises:

Chest, shoulder and triceps: do push-ups on the floor or against a wallBack, rear shoulders and biceps: try seated or standing row exercises using soup cans Legs, glutes and core: perform squats, sit-to-chair stands or lunges Calfs: do heel raises on the edge of a step Core: do planks, abdominal crunches, abdominal twists and leg raises Biceps: do bicep curls using soup cansTriceps: using a soup can or weighted object do kickbacks or over presses

Anyone who does go to the gym should remember to wipe down machines and wash their hands often, the experts advised.

-- Mary Elizabeth Dallas
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCE: Loyola University Health System, news release, Feb. 14, 2013

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1 in 8 Americans Diagnosed With Type 2 Diabetes: Poll

By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20 (HealthDay News) -- A staggering one in eight Americans has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, a new Harris Interactive/HealthDay poll suggests.

And more than one third of those polled have been diagnosed with diabetes or have a parent, sibling, spouse or child with the condition.

"Type 2 diabetes has become one of the most common and fastest growing diseases. Fully one in eight adults -- approximately 29 million people -- now report that they have been diagnosed with this dangerous condition," said Harris Poll Chairman Humphrey Taylor.

Added Dr. Ronald Tamler, clinical director of the Mount Sinai Diabetes Center in New York City: "Diabetes is very insidious. You don't know you're in trouble until the complications hit or until it's so out of control you have uncontrolled urination and thirst" -- two of the common symptoms of diabetes.

While type 2 diabetes is occurring in epic proportions, the new poll also found that awareness of the disease is still surprisingly low, with only 21 percent of those surveyed considering themselves well-versed on the disease. That means the remaining 79 percent may not know they're at risk or may already have the disease, which is known as the "silent" killer.

But people already diagnosed with diabetes tend to be much more aware of the health risks, with slightly more than two-thirds considering themselves either "extremely" or "very" knowledgeable about the disease, the poll found.

Still, 35 percent of respondents with diabetes said their diabetes was only "somewhat" controlled and 5 percent said it was "not at all" well controlled.

"Because diabetes is a chronic condition, the treatment of which is critically dependent on patient behavior and self-care, this may be the most alarming finding," Taylor said.

On a more encouraging note, many people polled do understand that a number of factors can contribute to type 2 diabetes, including being overweight (79 percent of respondents realize this is a risk factor), diet (74 percent) and physical inactivity (62 percent).

These numbers were greater among people who had been diagnosed with diabetes.

Interestingly, 60 percent of respondents know that genetics can be a component of type 2 diabetes.

"We have a public perception that type 2 diabetes is entirely a disease of lifestyle and that is not true," said Dr. Robert Ratner, chief scientific and medical officer of the American Diabetes Association. "There is no question that lifestyle contributes to it, but the problem is one of biology . . . Environment really does play a role but the biology sets them up."

Indeed, certain ethnic groups, including many Native American tribes, bear a disproportionate diabetes burden, Ratner added.

Most adults, whether they actually have diabetes or not, seem fairly knowledgeable about the long-term consequences of the disease, which can include amputation of limbs, blindness, kidney disease and heart disease, the poll found.

There was an exception. Only 39 percent of adults overall and 56 percent of those with type 2 diabetes knew that the disease can cause strokes.

"People need to be aware that this is another disease caused by diabetes that can be prevented," said Nancy Copperman, director of Public Health Initiatives at North Shore-LIJ Health System in Great Neck, N.Y. "The idea of having a stroke might motivate them to change their lifestyle."

The disease seems to be taking a toll on those polled, with 20 percent acknowledging it has been a "significant" burden and 43 percent saying it has been "somewhat" of a burden for themselves and their families. The burden comes in the form of dietary restrictions, medication costs, eye problems, cardiovascular problems and foot problems.

In addition, 9 percent of people with type 2 diabetes said the condition has rendered them unable to work.

Still, with awareness of genetic factors as well as lifestyle contributors, "you can live a very full and happy life and thrive with diabetes," said Mount Sinai's Tamler.

In people with type 2 diabetes, either the body doesn't produce enough of the hormone insulin or cells can't use the insulin properly. Insulin is necessary for the body to use glucose -- blood sugar -- for energy. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, it can lead to diabetes complications, according to the American Diabetes Association.

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes found in this new poll is higher than that reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, although the CDC data is more rigorous, Ratner said.

The poll was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive from Feb. 4 through 6, among 2,090 adults aged 18 and older. The survey was not based on a probability sample, so no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCES: Humphrey Taylor, chairman, The Harris Poll; Ronald Tamler, M.D., Ph.D., clinical director, Mount Sinai Diabetes Center, New York City; Nancy Copperman, R.D., director, Public Health Initiatives, North Shore-LIJ Health System, Great Neck, N.Y.; Robert Ratner, M.D., chief scientific and medical officer, American Diabetes Association

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Health Tip: Eating for Healthier Teeth

(HealthDay News) -- Most parents know the importance of brushing and flossing, but what you eat also is crucial to maintaining good dental health.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics offers this advice to help preserve a child's dental health:

Kids should eat foods rich in calcium, such as dairy foods, dark and leafy green vegetables, and almonds.They should also eat phosphorous-rich foods, such as eggs, fish and lean meats.And they should eat vitamin C-rich foods, such as citrus fruits, potatoes, tomatoes, spinach and broccoli.

-- Diana Kohnle
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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Spinach Recalled in 39 States

By Lisa Habib
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD

Feb. 19, 2013 -- Spinach that might have E. coli bacteria contamination is being recalled in 39 states.

Taylor Farms Retail Inc., says it is voluntarily withdrawing organic baby spinach sold in 5-ounce or 16-ounce salad trays under five brand names that have a "best by" date of Feb. 24, 2013:

Central Market OrganicsFull Circle OrganicsMarketside OrganicSimple Truth OrganicTaylor Farms Organic

The spinach may be contaminated with E. coli,but the company says it knows of no one who has gotten sick. If you have this spinach, Taylor Farms says you shouldn't eat it -- throw it away. The company does not say how E. coli might have contaminated the spinach.

The recalled organic baby spinach was sold in these states:

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina Oklahoma OregonPennsylvania South Carolina Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia WashingtonWisconsin Wyoming

More information about the affected products is available on the Taylor Farms web site or by calling the company at 855-293-9811.

SOURCE: News release, Taylor Farms Retail Inc.

©2013 WebMD, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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Sharp Rise Seen in Robotically Assisted Hysterectomies

By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Feb. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly 10 percent of hysterectomies in the United States are performed robotically, say researchers who found the "robo" procedures jumped dramatically between 2007 and 2010.

But they question whether robotic surgery is preferable to another minimally invasive procedure, laparoscopic surgery, for women having their uterus removed for non-cancerous conditions. While the two procedures have similar complication rates, the robotically assisted hysterectomy costs roughly $2,200 more than the laparoscopic procedure, according to the new study.

"The robotically assisted procedure was substantially more expensive," said the study's lead author, Dr. Jason Wright, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, in New York City.

Wright said more work is needed to determine which women would benefit from robotic hysterectomy.

"This data also raises a lot of questions about surgical innovations and the need to find ways to better study them before they diffuse into practice," he added.

Results of the study are published in the Feb. 20 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Hysterectomy is a common treatment for non-cancerous gynecological conditions, such as fibroids, endometriosis and excessive bleeding. As many as one in nine U.S. women will undergo such a procedure, according to the study.

Different surgical techniques exist for performing a hysterectomy. One choice is traditional open surgery, where a surgeon removes the uterus through a 5- to 7-inch opening in the abdomen. Another is vaginal hysterectomy -- removal of the uterus through the vaginal opening. Laparoscopy is done with special tools that allow surgeons to perform the surgery using only small incisions. Robotically assisted surgery is similar to laparoscopic surgery, but the surgeon uses a robotic device instead of a laparoscope to do the procedure.

Dr. Michael Zinner, chief of surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, said there are advantages to robotically assisted surgery in certain situations.

"The robotic device is easy to learn," Zinner said. "The wrist on the machine gives you [greater flexibility] unlike a straight laparoscope that's more like a chopstick. If the surgeon has any slight tremor, the machine evens it out," he said. In cases such as prostate surgery, where the surgery must take place in a very confined space and there's a significant risk of nerve damage, the delicate, articulating robotic device can be ideal, he said.

But for larger areas of the body, a laparoscope generally works just as well. "Nobody talks about using robotic surgery for removing the gallbladder," noted Zinner, because it would be more expensive without providing an additional benefit. Zinner co-wrote an editorial in the same issue of the journal.

In the current study, Wright and his colleagues reviewed data from more than 264,000 women who had a hysterectomy for a non-cancerous condition.

Robotically assisted hysterectomies were performed 0.5 percent of the time in 2007. By 2010, that number had jumped to 9.5 percent. The rate of laparoscopic surgery also increased during this time period, from 24.3 percent to 30.5 percent, according to the study.

At hospitals that introduced robotically assisted hysterectomy, its use quickly rose, the study found. But at hospitals without the robotic option, use of laparoscopic hysterectomy increased during the same time period. Overall, abdominal and vaginal hysterectomies declined.

Robotically assisted hysterectomy was less likely to lead to a hospital stay of two days or more compared to laparoscopic surgery, but the two procedures were similar in all other measured complications.

Where the two procedures differed most significantly was in cost, with $6,679 the median fee for a laparoscopic hysterectomy versus $8,868 for the robotically assisted procedure.

Joel Weissman, deputy director and chief scientific officer at the Center for Surgery and Public Health at Brigham and Women's Hospital and co-author of the editorial, said the robotic machine costs about $1.5 million and requires extra personnel.

"It's a little bit unclear who's paying the extra cost," he said. "It seems like at this point in time, insurers are paying the same whether the surgery is robotically assisted or not. But hospitals have to somehow pay those extra costs."

If you're considering a robotically assisted procedure, Zinner and Weissman advised talking with your doctor about which procedure will deliver better results. If two procedures are similarly effective, they suggested comparing costs.

In the case of hysterectomy, because robotically assisted surgery and laparoscopic surgery have similar results but significantly different costs, Zinner said he'd like to see more surgeons training in the laparoscopic procedure.

Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCES: Jason Wright, M.D., Levine Family Assistant Professor of Women's Health, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York City; Joel Weissman, Ph.D., deputy director and chief scientific officer, Center for Surgery and Public Health, and associate professor of health policy, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston; Michael Zinner, M.D., chief of surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and clinical director, Dana Farber-Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, Boston; Feb. 20, 2013, Journal of the American Medical Association

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Tips to Avoid Return Trip to the Hospital

TUESDAY, Feb. 19 (HealthDay News) --More than 1 million Americans end up back in the hospital just weeks after they're discharged, and many of those readmissions are preventable, according to an expert from Columbia University School of Nursing in New York City.

Patients can do their part to avoid return trips to the hospital by simply paying attention and speaking up when it's time to go home, advised Mary Donovan-Johnson, program director of the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program.

"Discharges are often rushed and patients may be overwhelmed during this stressful time," Donovan-Johnson said in a Columbia news release. "If you don't understand something a medical provider said, don't be afraid to ask your doctor or nurse to repeat the instructions... Ask the person accompanying you home to listen and take notes when instructions are being explained by your medical team."

Other steps you can take to reduce the odds of readmission after discharge include:

Get all discharge instructions and information in writing, including directions for wound care, medications and food restrictions. Keep these instructions in a place where they are easily accessed. After discharge, follow through on your treatment by filling prescriptions and taking medications as directed. If you have questions about your medications or other instructions, call your doctor. Schedule follow-up visits with your doctor and blood tests or other procedures as directed, and keep those appointments.

"Ideally, the same team of doctors and nurses who worked with the patient would discharge them since they know the protocol in their medications, wound care, and how to set up the safest environment at home for them. But unfortunately, that doesn't always happen," Donovan-Johnson said. "So the patient needs to be vigilant about being an active participant in their recovery."

-- Mary Elizabeth Dallas
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCE: Columbia University School of Nursing, news release, Feb. 18, 2013

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Human Teeth Healthier in the Stone Age Than Today: Study

TUESDAY, Feb. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Something to think about next time you're in the dentist's chair: Ancient humans had healthier teeth than people do today, researchers say.

This decline in oral health over the past 7,500 years is the result of changes in oral bacteria due to human evolution and industrialization, the study authors said. These changes have led to chronic oral and other health problems, according to the report published Feb. 18 in Nature Genetics.

"The composition of oral bacteria changed markedly with the introduction of farming, and again around 150 years ago," explained study leader Alan Cooper, a professor and director of the University of Adelaide's Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, in a center news release. "With the introduction of processed sugar and flour in the Industrial Revolution, we can see a dramatically decreased diversity in our oral bacteria, allowing domination by caries [cavities]-causing strains. The modern mouth basically exists in a permanent disease state."

The international team of researchers examined DNA that had been preserved in tartar -- calcified dental plaque -- found on 34 prehistoric northern European human skeletons. They used these samples to analyze how oral bacteria changed from the Stone Age to the last hunter-gatherers, medieval times and later with the introduction of food manufacturing in the Industrial Revolution.

The evolution of human behavior and diet have had a negative impact on oral health, the investigators said.

"This is the first record of how our evolution over the last 7,500 years has impacted the bacteria we carry with us, and the important health consequences," Cooper said. "Oral bacteria in modern man are markedly less diverse than historic populations and this is thought to contribute to chronic oral and other disease in post-industrial lifestyles," he pointed out.

Study lead author Christina Adler, now at the University of Sydney, added that "dental plaque represents the only easily accessible source of preserved human bacteria." And, she said in the news release, "Genetic analysis of plaque can create a powerful new record of dietary impacts, health changes and oral pathogen genomic evolution, deep into the past."

The researchers said their research is being expanded to include other periods in time, other areas of the world and other species, such as Neanderthals.

-- Mary Elizabeth Dallas
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCE: Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, news release, Feb. 18, 2013

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