Health and Fitness for Friday July 30, 2010

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Swimmers at warm beaches can risk illness MIAMI (UPI) -- People who swim in warm sub-tropical waters such as those found in South Florida face an increased risk of illness, University of Miami researchers suggest. The Beach Environmental Assessment and Characterization Human Exposure Study involved 1,300 volunteers, local residents who use South Florida beaches,divided into two groups. Members of one group were asked to dunk themselves completely in the water three times during a 15-minute period and the other group stayed out of the water. A few days later, both groups were telephoned to check on their health. "We found that when swimming in sub-tropical beach areas with no known pollution or contamination from sewage or runoff, you still have a chance of being exposed to the kind of microbes that can make you sick," study leader Dr. Lora Fleming, co-director of the Center for Oceans and Human Health at the University of Miami, says in a statement. "This information is especially important to take into account for children and the elderly, or if you have a compromised immune system and are planning a beach outing." The study, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, swimmers were 1.76 times more likely to report a gastrointestinal illness, 4.46 times more likely to report a fever or respiratory illness and six more times more likely to report a skin illness. Copyright 2010 by United Press International
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Not having friends as bad as smoking PROVO, Utah (UPI) -- Not having adequate social relationships can be as bad for health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, being an alcoholic or not exercising, U.S. researchers say. Julianne Holt-Lunstad of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and colleagues analyzed data from 148 studies involving 308,849 individuals who were tracked for an average of 7.5 years. The study, published in the journal PLoS Medicine, finds lack of social connections -- friends, family, neighbors or colleagues -- can be as harmful as not exercising and twice as harmful as obesity. "When someone is connected to a group and feels responsibility for other people, that sense of purpose and meaning translates to taking better care of themselves and taking fewer risks," Holt-Lunstad says in a statement. "This effect is not isolated to older adults -- relationships provide a level of protection across all ages." Copyright 2010 by United Press International
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Back-pain guidelines may delay treatment BALTIMORE (UPI) -- Skipping long-held diagnostic guidelines may speed up pain relief for some with back pain, U.S. researchers say. Study leader Dr. Steven Cohen of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine suggests slavishly following guidelines for diagnosing arthritis-related back pain may also result in wasteful spending. Diagnostic nerve block tests have been used to prove the arthritis connection before recommending radiofrequency denervation treatment, which non-invasively interrupts nerve-pain signals, Cohen says. Cohen led a randomized study of 151 patients with back pain and found more than 30 percent of the one-third of patients receiving radiofrequency denervation treatment without doing any nerve block tests had pain relief lasting at least three months. In another one-third of study patients receiving one positive nerve block test before treatment 16 percent improved. In the last one-third of patients who underwent two nerve block tests 22 percent improved. Cost per successful treatment was $6,286 in the group without tests: $17,142 for the one-test group and $15,241 for the two-test group. "The whole way we're doing this is wrong," Cohen says in a statement. "If we just do the radiofrequency procedure first, we're going to help more people and we're going to save a lot of money." The study is published in Anesthesiology. Copyright 2010 by United Press International
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Heeding the lessons of Hurricane Katrina WASHINGTON (UPI) -- Insurance experts at a U.S. non-profit group advise homeowners to heed the lessons of the Gulf Coast encounter with Hurricane Katrina five years ago. The experts at the Insurance Information Institute in Washington say those who heed the lessons of the storm stand the best chance of getting their lives back after a disaster. The lessons include: -- Checking out flood insurance, usually not covered under a standard homeowners policy, at www.floodsmart.gov. -- Creating a home inventory to determine how much insurance to purchase and, if there are losses, to speed up claims processing and possibly provide documentation for tax purposes. The Institute offers free Web-based software at www.knowyourstuff.org. -- Keeping wind and water out. Investing in storm shutters, reinforced garage doors and secure roof shingles. Seal any openings. Attach, brace gable end walls and roof sheathing. -- Having an evacuation plan ready. Keep maps, phone numbers and addresses handy and think about what else to take, such as medicines, documents, clothing and food. -- Take the 10-Minute Challenge, that is, pack and get out of the house in just 10 minutes. Copyright 2010 by United Press International
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Free Recipes from the Culinary World Get free modern and classic recipes, food trivia, and more from the Culinary World ezine. Every Sunday, Chef James brings you great dishes to try from the past and present, quizzes to test your food knowledge, and funny and insightful quotes from famous writers about the joys of cooking. For more free recipes every day of the week, including healthy eating alternatives and gourmet meals from Wolfgang Puck, sign up for the free ArcaMax Recipes bundle. Subscribe to the ArcaMax Recipes bundle instantly. Find out more before subscribing. -- From the ArcaMax editors
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