Test Yourself; Are You Young At Heart?

The August Health Report detailed the online scoring tool of the American Heart Association Hear (AHA) that calculates a simple yet evidence-based score to determine heart health focusing on risk factors which users can control while including some they cannot.

Lettuce get into food hazards and allegations

Several serious public health outbreaks occurred this summer and continue with headlines announcing the alarming rates of Cyclosporiasis, sharply rising rates of Measles cases and and one new worry — the New World Screwworm (NWS) outbreak.

The human microbiome, part II

Last month the Health Report reviewed the role of microbes and bacteria as part of the human microbiome which scientists are discovering performs complex and vitally important functions that keep us alive.

This is especially true in the human gastrointestinal tract where a vast community of trillions of bacteria and fungi inhabit every nook and cranny. These microbes mostly live in your lower intestine (the colon) and outnumber all the other cells in your body put together. They manage to live in partnership with us, surviving a hostile environment of darkness, high acidity and low oxygen while an ever-changing of liquid chemicals flow through them. These microbes mostly live in your lower intestine (the colon) and outnumber all the cells in your body put together.

The human microbiome – those bacteria we depend on

In the latest issue of My Sunday News, T.R. Kerth’s column “All roads lead to bugtown,” cited recent research on the importance of our “friendly microscopic buddies.” Mr. Kerth accurately and rather imaginatively described bacteria that reside in our body’s cells as “taking over,” making you more “bugs than body.”

While that thought might make some readers squeamish, looking at these microscopic bacteria from a medical perspective might prove reassuring. As Cleveland Clinic has reported, “The gut microbiome is a hot topic these days in medical and wellness communities, and it’s easy to see why. These critters seem to have so many tentacles in so many different body systems that it’s possible to imagine they might hold the key to understanding and treating a wide range of intractable diseases.”

The new research focused on walking and cognition and has been heralded as groundbreaking. As Kirk Erickson, chair of neuroscience at the Adventist Health Research Institute, explained, this new study “is really quite important and quite unique,” identifying how walking might be influencing some of the proteins implicated in Alzheimer’s.

New food guidelines upend food pyramid, part 2

Last month the February Health Report focused on the new 2025-2030 Food Guidelines. Both positives and negatives were reviewed, with the biggest concern voiced by nutritional experts that the new Dietary Food Guidelines for Americans (DGA) were being shaped by agricultural and food industry ties. Potential bias, resulting in overemphasis on meat and animal protein and new recommendations for increased meat, protein, and saturated fat intake.

New food pyramid fuels debate

On January 7, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)released the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) with its revised visual model. This visual model upends the Food Pyramid in favor of meat and dairy. This has drawn strong criticism from experts and physician groups, saying the guidelines reflect agricultural and food industry lobbies rather than science. (Source: The 17,000 physician members of the Physician’ Committee for Responsible Medicine.)

Wearable healthtrackers: Are they in your future?

A recent issue of AARP magazine included an article asking if you can improve your wellbeing by wearing “Your Heart on Your Sleeve.” Noting that the digital revolution has “now reached our bodies,” this article and many others in the news recently, focused on wearable health and fitness devices.

Wellness is the word

This is the time of year when headlines, whether online or in print, appear recommending “Best Holiday Gifts for 2025” (Amazon) or “The 44 Most Popular Gifts of 2025 Right Now” (Good Housekeeping). Besides these commercial sites, many health-related sites, such as Prevention magazine or Prevention.com publish holiday gift recommendations featuring popular products with a wellness focus. Even stores and websites, from Barnes and Noble to Best Buy, offer gift lists featuring products to inspire healthy habits.

COVID vaccine update part II

As last month’s Health News report revealed, on Sept 18 the new Sec of Health and Human Services’ Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (APIC) issued new rules on COVID vaccination. The APIC left stand, at least for this year, the previous Federal Department of Food and Drug’s (FDA)’s approval for COVID vaccine for those 65 and over and those with at least one health condition making them more at risk for COVID complications. These will be covered by Medicare.

COVID Vaccine update

A once-straightforward seasonal vaccine process has become puzzling this year because of changes in new federal guidance. Understanding what has changed with this year’s COVID vaccine recommendations requires a brief review of the usual way vaccines are adopted each year in the US. Two federal agencies are involved. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)oversees review of the safety and efficacy of candidate vaccines and is authorized to determine whether or not to approve vaccines for use. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)is responsible for providing recommendations on how to use approved vaccines. This includes issuing annual U.S. adult and childhood immunization recommendations (referred to as “immunization schedules.”)

More risky foods and how you can protect yourself

Last month’s health new report focused on the recently published Consumer Report (CR) article “10 Really Risky Foods Right Now,” focusing on the top five foods that can cause food poisoning. This month the remaining five offenders will be reviewed with tips on how you can protect yourself and what to expect should you eat one of these ten risky foods and become sick.

Is the food you’re eating making you sick?

In the US confirmed cases of foodborne illness increased 20 percent in 2024 with 476 related hospitalizations and 16 deaths, double from 2023. Food recalls were up 41 percent due to unsafe foods contaminated with bacteria like salmonella, e coli, and listeria. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in every 6 Americans becomes ill every year from contaminated food or beverages.

Measle-ing back in

The mystery of why measles (and other childhood illnesses) is making an aggressive comeback is well-documented: lack of adequate immunization. As Dr. Paul Offit, Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, explained: “We had eliminated measles, by far and away the most contagious infectious disease from this country by the year 2000, but it’s come back because people have chosen not to vaccinate their children.”

Measles – what’s happening and why should we care

A recent case of measles reported in Cook County has officially made Illinois the 30th state to join the alarming new measles epidemic which began in late 2024 in California, followed by the outbreak in Texas early this year.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), in 2025 there have been 4 confirmed cases of measles to date in Illinois. Measles, declared eliminated due to effectiveness of the measles vaccine, in 2000, is now making an aggressive comeback nationally.

Supplements: How to wisely decide what’s right for you

As April’s health report concluded, while the benefits of supplements are often not proven or exaggerated, there are times when individuals may have medical conditions that increase their individual need for supplementation of specific vitamins.

Supplements: Don’t be fooled by common claims

April Fools’ Day may be over for this year, but there are still several opportunities to be fooled throughout the coming year. One common way Americans are being deceived lately is by the increasing fraudulent claims from the supplement world. Considering how common supplement use is, some experts are ringing alarm bells.

Luck of the Irish diet

Since this is indeed the month of St Patrick’s Day, it is perhaps fitting to consider some recent research about the health of Irish people, focusing on lifestyle, especially diet. Many Americans envision the Irish diet as unhealthy with an emphasis on fried, fatty snacks (think fish and chips), followed by meat-centric heavy meals, and washed down with a Guinness. The most recent survey of the state of Irish health seems to reflect that (Source: State of Health in the EU-Ireland). Ireland has the highest rate of obesity among European countries, with high rates of alcohol-related deaths, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

The biggest public health events of 2024, what’s next?

This month’s health report continues with the remaining seven Public Health Headlines of 2024 and concludes with some questions about future public health events in this country.

New awareness of deteriorating public health associated with public health policy; Gun Violence, Abortion Ban Consequences, and Lower U.S. Life Expectancy.

U.S. public health: A look back at 2024

An end-of-year comprehensive report by the John Hopkins School of Public Health reviewed 10 major public health news events of 2024 and concluded with this headline describing the past year: “A rollercoaster for public health, with historic firsts, unwelcome comebacks, and rays of hope.”

Don’t sleep on it

With the holidays here, many Americans experience escalating stress, crowded calendars, and increased demands–leading to decreased hours of sleep and less opportunity to get that coveted “long winter’s nap” mentioned in The Night Before Christmas. Is that a problem?

Sit tight

Really? Any activity is better for your heart than sitting — even sleeping.

The headline above was the title of a Nov. 2023 research study on the relationship between health and exercise which has since been collaborated by other studies this year. The study provided some surprising, but reassuring, news about heart health and exercise. It turns out that indeed replacing sitting with as little as a few minutes of moderate exercise can definitely improve heart health — and it doesn’t take much!

What’s New on the KNEE front?

Knee deep in treatments. But which ones work?

Nearly half of adults over the age of 50 report knee pain in a one-year period with osteoarthritis (OA) being the most common cause. OA happens when the cushioning (cartilage-lining of joints) breaks down faster than your body can build it back up. Outside of knee replacement, medical treatment has focused on methods to relieve pain and stimulate the cushioning that the body’s cartilage naturally provides.