April 2005 Newsletter from Valley: Healthy Bytes...

Some teenagers spend more than 90 minutes every day instant messaging and e-mailing their friends and downloading music online, researchers said Wednesday. The most frequently cited reasons for instant messaging are to "hang out" with friends and relieve boredom, Children's Digital Media researchers said. The most common topics are friends and gossip. "The Internet appears to serve social functions similar to the telephones," researcher Elisheva Gross said. The study examined the online habits of 200 12- to 15-year-old suburban California students. It found students spend an average 40 minutes a day instant messaging friends, 31.4 minutes downloading music and 22 minutes sending and reading e-mail. The study, reported in a special issue of the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, was funded by the National Science Foundation. Copyright 2005 - UPI All rights reserved   Leave Ear Wax Alone Dallas researchers advise people to think twice about using a cotton swab to clean ears, because ears are self cleaning.  "Wax is protective to the ear. It has antibiotic properties and keeps the ear moist," says Dr. Ravi N. Samy at Univ of Texas SW Medical Center in Dallas. "No swabs should be used because they increase the risk of eardrum perforation and infection." For relief of severe wax buildup, Samy recommends using a few drops of hydrogen peroxide to loosen the wax so that it comes out easily and can be wiped away. However, avoid placing anything, including hydrogen peroxide, in the ear of patients with either eardrum perforations or ear infections, Samy says. Copyright 2005 – eContent Matters All rights reserved Report Says "Laughter Helps Blood Vessels" University of Maryland researchers say laughter is linked to healthy functioning of blood vessels. The researchers relied on laughter-provoking movies to gauge the effect of emotions on cardiovascular health. They said laughter appears to cause the tissue that forms the inner lining of blood vessels, the endothelium, to dilate or expand in order to increase blood flow. When the same group of study volunteers was shown a movie that produced mental stress, their blood vessel lining developed a potentially unhealthy response called vasoconstriction, reducing blood flow. The results of the study were presented Monday at the Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology in Orlando, Florida. "The endothelium is the first line in the development of atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries, so, given the results of our study, it is conceivable that laughing may be important to maintain a healthy endothelium, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease," said principal investigator Michael Miller. Copyright 2005 - UPI All rights reserved   Your Pool as Fountain of Youth The fountain of youth may be found in a pool near you, says an exercise physiologist. Joel Stager, professor of kinesiology at Indiana University, Bloomington, says his study shows regular, intensive swimming can delay the decline of such age markers as blood pressure, muscle mass, blood chemistry and pulmonary function. "We're starting to find out that a lot of the decline is probably related to a decline in activity rather than aging per se," Stager says. "The hypothesis is that activity preserves physiological function." The researchers found swimmers who swam 3,500 yards to 5,000 yards (some 2 miles to 3 miles) three to five times a week postponed the aging process for decades, many until the age of 70. For recreational swimmers, any amount of swimming is beneficial, Stager says. Copyright 2005 - Article City All rights reserved Seatbelt Use Down   A survey shows eroding use of proper safety restraints of child car passengers ages 4 to 7. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration survey found 73 percent in this age group was restrained in 2004, down from 83 percent two years ago. On a positive note, the survey found 98 percent of infants and 93 percent of tots 1 to 3 are strapped into a rear or front facing safety seat, booster seat or safety belt. It also found 86 percent of children under 8 driven by belted drivers are restrained, compared to 50 percent for those with unbelted drivers. Improvement was noted in placing child passengers in the rear seat, away from the possible harm of a front seat air bag. However, 14 percent of children 4 to 7 continue to be in the front seat. The survey found fewer infants are prematurely graduated to front facing safety seats and fewer children ages 1 to 3 to booster seats, but more infants are restrained in safety belts and backless booster seats. Copyright 2005 - UPI All rights reserved  School Anti-Smoking Efforts Ineffective  Smoking prevention programs in junior high or high school appear to have little influence on whether teens light up or not. That was the conclusion drawn in a study published in the March issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health. "Our study shows little evidence that school-based smoking prevention programs produce long-term reductions in smoking prevalence among youth," says Dr. Sarah Wiehe of the Indiana University School of Medicine. Researchers reviewed 8 randomized, controlled smoking prevention trials with follow-up smoking data through at least 12th grade or age 18. Seven of the studies showed no statistically significant difference in smoking prevalence between students in smoking prevention programs vs. students not enrolled in this type of program. Copyright 2005 - UPI All rights reserved In Soccer, Do Not Grin and Bear It U.S. podiatric experts warn parents and coaches against coaxing injured soccer players to play with foot and ankle pain. Memphis podiatric surgeon Christopher Hendrix says he has had to actually show some parents X-rays of stress fractures before they would allow their child to be pulled out of the game. Stress fractures do not always show up on initial X-rays, he points out. Symptoms include pain during normal activity and when touching the area, and swelling without bruising. Treatment is rest and, at times, casting. Some stress fractures may require surgery, such as a break in the elongated bone near the little toe, known as a Jones fracture. If a sore ankle stays swollen for days, it could be a fracture, Hendrix says. Copyright 2005 - UPI All rights reserved     Child Motorbike Injuries Rising  A Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center study said Monday the use of motorbikes among children and adolescents is dangerous and on the rise. The study, published in the March issue of Pediatrics, found minors ride motorbikes most often without helmets, leading to significantly increased chances of severe brain injury. The study's authors said children should not operate motorbikes until they are old enough to obtain a driver's license and helmets should be worn at all times. The researchers examined pediatric trauma data from six Ohio hospitals. In all, 182 children under the age of 16 were hospitalized between 1995 and 2001 with motorbike-related injuries. Copyright 2005 - UPI All rights reserved

Carbs Fuel Overeating Pennsylvania researchers say the pounds melt so quickly on low-carbohydrate diets because overeating is fueled by carbohydrates. "When carbohydrates were restricted, study subjects spontaneously reduced their caloric intake to a level appropriate for their height, did not compensate by eating more protein or fat, and lost weight," said lead researcher Dr. Guenther Boden. "We concluded that excessive overeating had been fueled by carbohydrates." Boden wanted to examine how low-carbohydrate diets, which have been shown to produce rapid weight loss, affected weight, appetite and blood sugar in obese diabetics. He discovered that study subjects did not eat less because they were bored with the food selection, and their weight loss was not attributable to water loss -- two common speculations about low-carb diets, nor was it explained by a change in metabolism. The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found 10 obese patients with type 2 diabetes limited to 20 grams carbohydrates per day spontaneously reduced their daily energy consumption by 1,000 calories a day. Boden warns that the long term effects of low-carbohydrate diets are not known. Copyright 2005 - Article City All rights reserved Warning About Energy Drinks Energy drinks can be a health risk when mixed with alcohol, used before exercise or served up to children. Highly caffeinated drinks, such as Red Bull, Go-Fast and Monster, carry no warnings in the United States, but some of the drinks, advertised to increase energy and concentration, have been banned or restricted in Europe, says Dr. Maher Karam-Hage, addiction specialist at the University of Michigan Health System. He says unlike sports drinks, the energy drinks typically contain sugar, caffeine (often 80 milligrams per can, about the same as in a cup of coffee) and taurine, a sulfur-containing amino acid. Some countries have raised concerns about the amount of caffeine used and the uncertain health effects of taurine. Karam-Hage warns against mixing energy drinks with alcohol, noting intoxicated people who try to sober up by drinking coffee are still drunk. The caffeine-laden drinks can cause dehydration or collapse if drunk before intense exercise, especially if more than one is consumed, and can cause children to be hyperactive, fidgety or even enraged, he says.   Copyright 2005 – eContent Matters All rights reserved   Folic Acid Essential for Moms-to-Be Taking folic acid a month before conception and during the first trimester of pregnancy can reduce some birth defects by up to 70 percent, scientists say. Between days 17 and 30, four to six weeks after the first days of a woman's last menstrual cycle, the neural tube -- which becomes the spinal cord, brain and surrounding bone -- forms and closes. Inadequate nutrition during this stage may result in such neural tube defects as spina bifida and anencephaly. Symptoms of spina bifida include paralysis of the infant's legs, loss of bowel and bladder control, water on the brain and learning disabilities. Anencephaly is a fatal condition in which the upper end of the neural tube fails to close, preventing the brain from developing. To help prevent the birth defects, the Public Health Service recommends women of childbearing age consume at least 400 micrograms of folic acid a day.   Copyright 2005 - UPI All rights reserved Chiropractors Set Up Shop in State Capitol This session, Oregon legislators suffering from sore shoulders, necks and backs don't even have to leave the state Capitol. In a true-example of "hands-on" lobbying, the Chiropractic Association of Oregon has set up a free clinic at the Capitol for lawmakers. It will be staffed by a different volunteer chiropractor for every day of the current legislative session. The chiropractors are hoping that their efforts will pay off when it comes time to vote on issues important to the association. For example, they are hoping for the recognition of a five-year Oregon Health and Sciences University study. It compares the cost of traditional physician care with the cost of chiropractic care for related treatments. Legislators, meanwhile, say it is unlikely that they could be swayed by the presence of an on-site chiropractor. Copyright 2005 - Article City All rights reserved  Be Active, Lower Heart Disease  Middle-aged women who take an active role in their healthcare may be less likely to develop cardiovascular disease during menopause, scientists say. The University of Pittsburgh scientists say their results, presented at the American Psychosomatic Society Annual Meeting, suggest women who take charge of their health have fewer signs of pre-clinical atherosclerosis. "Our findings provide evidence that women who believe they should be engaged in the maintenance of their health, rather than women who would rather put the responsibility for their health into someone else's hands, somehow translate those attitudes into better health through behavioral and psychological mechanisms," said lead study author Wendy Troxel.   Copyright 2005 – eContent Matters All rights reserved Sleep Deficit May Cause Learning, Behavior Problems   A study finds most fifth graders fail to get enough sleep, a deficit that can lead to learning and behavior problems. The survey of 199 students, conducted by researchers at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., and published in the Journal of School Health, shows most experience sleep loss and feel sleepy during the day at least two to four times a week. Nearly half have trouble waking up on school days. "Sleep affects the health and well-being of children and plays a key role in preventing disease and injury, stability of mood and the ability to learn," says Denise Amschler, professor of physiology and health science. She says elementary school children require an average of 10 hours to 11 hours of sleep a night, and few get it. "Parents need to monitor their children's sleep behaviors, including talking with their youngsters about their sleep attitude and experiences," Amschler advises. Copyright 2005 – eContent Matters All rights reserved  Green Veggies May Keep Cataracts Away   An Ohio State University study shows antioxidants found in dark leafy green vegetables can help prevent cataracts. Vitamin manufacturers often add the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, but until now there has been no biochemical evidence the substances help protect the eyes, says Joshua Bomser, study co-author and assistant professor of nutrition. Laboratory experiments on human lens cells show lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants found in plants such as kale, spinach and collard greens, may help protect the cells from exposure to ultraviolet light -- a leading cause of cataract formation. Lutein and zeaxanthin were nearly 10 times more powerful than vitamin E in protecting the cells from UV-induced damage, the authors say. Nearly 20 million Americans have cataracts, a clouding of the eye's lens.   Copyright 2005 - Article City All rights reserved