Leonard Nimoy and COPD
Leonard Nimoy won three Emmy awards for starring in “Star Trek” ((1966-1969) as Spock, a 23rd-century space voyager from the planet Vulcan. He was known for his pointed ears and constant use of the word “fascinating.” Nimoy was also an actor in many other film and TV roles, a director of films, a mediocre singer, a published poet and an accomplished photographer. He gave up smoking two packs of cigarettes a day more than 30 years before his death from COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).
Gut Bacteria Associated with Colon Cancer
A study from Harvard Medical School found that a typical Western diet increases growth of specific bacteria in the gut called “polyketide synthase (pks+) E. Coli” that produce a chemical called colibactin, which causes DNA mutations that can turn normal colon cells into cancer cells.
Long COVID Syndrome
The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 13.3 percent of patients who develop COVID-19 will suffer from Long COVID syndrome, which can last for two months or more and cannot be explained by a different diagnosis. More than 30 percent of hospitalized patients still have symptoms at six months.
Bill Russell, the Ultimate Team Player
Bill Russell, ranked by many as the greatest basketball player of all time, died in his sleep at age 88 on July 31, 2022. No cause of death was given, but a clue may come from his heart valve surgery more than ten years ago. When Russell played on a team, the team almost always won.
Mediterranean Diets are Safer than Keto Diets for Controlling Blood Sugar
A 36-week study from Stanford University compared the benefits of two diets — a Mediterranean diet and a ketogenic diet — for treating 33 individuals with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Both diets were based on eating lots of non-starchy foods that do not cause a high rise in blood sugar, and avoiding foods that cause a high rise in blood sugar such as sugar-added foods or drinks and foods made from flour (ground-up whole grains).
You Need Both a Healthful Diet and a Regular Exercise Program
A study of 360,600 British adults found that high levels of exercise will not protect you from the life-shortening effects of an unhealthful diet. People who ate an unhealthful diet and exercised vigorously every day still were at increased risk for dying from heart disease, cancer, or any cause.
Tom Simpson, Death from Heat Stroke
This year’s Tour de France has seen the worst heat wave ever, with several of the racers dropping out due to heat stroke.. Everybody should know the signs and symptoms of heat stroke.
All Exercise is Good, and Vigorous Exercise is Better
An analysis of more than 36,861 deaths in a study of 403,681 participants found that the greater proportion of vigorous exercise to total exercise, the less likely a person was to die, die from a heart attack, or die from cancer during the 10 study years. The U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend trying to exercise for 150 minutes a week for optimal health, and this study showed that compared to people who do not exercise that much, people who exercise 150 minutes or more each week are 15 percent less likely to die, 23 percent less likely to suffer heart disease and 12 percent less likely to develop a cancer.
Avocados Linked to Reduced Heart Attack Risk
Whenever you read about a study on health benefits from a specific food or food group, you can bet that there is a food industry organization or lobbying group involved in funding the study, and in promoting favorable results. The avocado is a perfect example. When popular weight loss diets were focusing on cutting back on fats, avocados got a bad reputation because they are a concentrated source of fat and are high in calories compared to most other vegetables and fruits.
The Latest on Monkeypox
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that monkypox is spreading faster than early reports stated. The increased spread is due to the virus’s 50 DNA mutations from 2018 to 2022, or up to 12 times the expected number of mutations. This could lead to 100,000 cases worldwide by August, 2022 and 500,000 to one million cases by the end of September.