Posted Sept 4, 2012
–Health and fitness news this week ranges from the risks of teen-age pot smoking to diet and exercise advice for middle-aged and older women:
MIND MATTERS: Hey, kids, before you inhale you might want to consider research out of New Zealand showing that those who persistently use marijuana before they’re 18 suffer lasting harm, including, on average, an eight-point decline in IQ levels.
FRESHEN UP: Older women who bumped up the amount fruits and vegetables they ate and cut back on dessert, sugar-sweetened beverages, meat and cheese were the most likely to control their weight over time, according to a study by researchers at University of Pittsburgh School of Education and the Graduate School of Public Health.
DICKERING FOR HEALTH: Interesting story from sfgate.com about a new breed of health-care consumers — people who have started bypassing health insurance companies and negotiating for care with cash after realizing that premiums and deductibles cost thousands before insurers pay a dime.
FAT AND BREAST CANCER: Extra body fat might cause hormonal changes and inflammation that drive some breast cancers to spread and recur despite treatment, a study in the journal Cancer shows.
FITNESS AND MIDDLE AGE: Staying in shape during your middle years might stave off chronic disease later on, according to a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
CHILDREN AND SLEEP: The American Academy of Pediatrics is revising its recommendations for diagnosis and management of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in children and adolescents, according to a clinical practice guideline published online Aug. 27 in Pediatrics.
– Katy Muldoon; twitter.com/katymuldoon
©2012 The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.)
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