In Monkeys, Therapy Flushes HIV-Like Virus From Its Hiding Places

FRIDAY, Feb. 26, 2016 (HealthDay News) — One of the key roadblocks to a cure for HIV infection and AIDS is the fact that the virus can “hide out” in a dormant state in immune system cells, evading treatment.

However, research in monkeys suggests that a new approach might push these hidden cells out of hiding, to where they can be destroyed by conventional antiretroviral drug therapy [ART].

The finding would need to be replicated in people, and many animal studies don’t pan out in humans.

Still, the research team from Emory University in Atlanta believes the therapy might some day “effectively diminish [the] HIV reservoir under ART as a means to establish a functional cure.”

The findings were presented Thursday at the annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston. Experts note that research presented at medical meetings is typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

As the Emory team explained, conventional HIV treatment can greatly diminish the number of infected cells, but not eliminate all of them. That means there is still no cure for HIV infection, since the virus can make a comeback once therapy is stopped.

Finding hidden HIV-infected cells is key to eliminating the virus. The new strategy uses a specially developed antibody to block a molecule called PD-1.

According to the Emory researchers, PD-1 works naturally in the body to curb the immune system’s otherwise powerful response to chronic infections. That activity can be counterproductive, of course, when it comes to efforts to attack HIV.

Researchers led by Rama Rao Amara, a professor of microbiology, tested the approach in monkeys infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), the primate equivalent of HIV.

Some of the monkeys received the anti-PD-21 treatment two weeks before they were given traditional antiretroviral medicines. In that trial, levels of SIV began to rapidly fall in just 42 days, compared to 140 days in the monkeys who didn’t get the new treatment.

Other monkeys got the anti-PD-1 therapy in three infusions, with a month between each infusion. That approach brought SIV levels to very low levels, and any reappearance of the virus was short-lived, Amara’s team said.

The Emory group believes the therapy helps minimize hidden reservoirs of SIV, and might potentially do the same for HIV in humans — “destabilizing the viral reservoir” that persists despite traditional treatments.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about HIV/AIDS.

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Urinary Incontinence Risk Rises Slightly After Vaginal Birth, Study Finds

FRIDAY, Feb. 26, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Women who give birth vaginally are slightly more likely to develop urinary incontinence afterward compared to women who have cesarean sections, according to Finnish researchers.

However, experts in the United States stressed that C-section deliveries come with their own risks, so the choice of how to deliver a child must be made between a woman and her doctor.

Urinary incontinence is a common problem among women, affecting hundreds of millions worldwide. It’s known that aging, obesity and childbirth increase the risk, but the long-term effects of the type of childbirth have been unclear.

In its review, the Finnish team looked at data from 16 studies. The investigators found that vaginal delivery was associated with an 8 percent increased risk that the woman would later develop stress urinary incontinence, which was nearly two times higher than with cesarean delivery.

Stress incontinence involves involuntary leakage that occurs when a woman stresses her abdomen, such as in jumping, sneezing or coughing.

The link between vaginal delivery and stress incontinence was strongest in younger women and decreased the longer the time from childbirth, the research team found.

Vaginal delivery was also associated with a 3 percent increased risk of urge incontinence compared with C-section delivery, the Finnish researchers found. Urge incontinence involves a strong, sudden need to urinate.

The review “provides important information about the causes of urgency and stress urinary incontinence in women … and [will] help women and their physicians make decisions regarding mode of delivery,” said study co-authors Riikka Tahtinen, an obstetrics and gynecology consultant at Kuopio University Hospital, and Kari Tikkinen, adjunct professor at Helsinki University Hospital.

However, the authors also pointed out that the comparatively lower risk for incontinence seen after C-section may not outweigh other dangers linked to the surgical procedure.

“When choosing the mode of delivery, a variety of factors must be considered,” Tahtinen said in a Helsinki University news release.

“A planned cesarean section increases the baby’s risk of needing emergency care and the mother’s risk of developing blood clot, bleeding as well as uterine rupture and placental adhesion disorders in subsequent pregnancies,” Tahtinen explained.

The researchers noted that cesarean section rates in many countries have increased substantially since the 1970s and now account for 33 percent of births in the United States.

Two experts in the United States said that while the study findings were useful, C-section carries its own risks.

Dr. Jill Rabin is co-chief of ambulatory care for Women’s Health Programs at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, N.Y. She said the Finnish review had several limitations, and the “risks to both the mother and baby associated with delivery, while usually low, are nevertheless significantly higher for cesarean section.”

Any decision over elective C-section “should therefore be based on a full understanding of the maternal and fetal issues, and a decision made in conjunction with a woman and with her physician,” Rabin said.

Another medical expert agreed.

“It is important that women have all of the potential risks and complications of vaginal delivery versus C-section available, so that they and their physician can make the best decision for the mother and the baby,” said Dr. Elizabeth Kavaler, a urology specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

The study results were published online recently in the journal European Urology.

More information

The U.S. Office on Women’s Health has more on urinary incontinence.

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Surgeons Perform First U.S. Uterus Transplant

FRIDAY, Feb. 26, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Cleveland Clinic surgeons this week performed the nation’s first uterus transplant, an experimental procedure offering women without a womb the possibility of pregnancy.

The transplanted uterus came from a deceased donor, and the 26-year-old recipient was in stable condition following the nine-hour procedure, her doctors said Thursday.

“Cleveland Clinic began screening candidates for uterus transplants late last year,” according to a hospital news release.

Women who might be candidates for such a transplant have ovaries but were either born without a uterus, have lost it or have suffered irreversible uterine damage, the hospital explained. The condition, called uterine factor infertility, affects 3 percent to 5 percent of women worldwide.

One expert not involved in the procedure said it was a real advance for these patients.

“The procedure is groundbreaking for the United States,” said Dr. Anthony Vintzileos, head of obstetrics and gynecology at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y. “In Europe, the procedure has not only been technically successful, but has also enabled women to complete successful pregnancies,” he said.

“This is real progress and great news for women with no uterus who desire to carry their own children,” Vintzileos added.

Sweden, the world leader in uterus transplants, reported the first successful birth via womb transplant in 2014. As of last September, nine transplants had been performed in that country, resulting in five pregnancies and four births. In Sweden, however, live donors are used.

The current patient, who was not identified, must wait a year before attempting pregnancy, according to published reports. That should give doctors time to adjust medication needed to prevent organ rejection. Previously, doctors removed her eggs, fertilized them with her husband’s sperm and froze them for future use.

The hospital said it plans to provide more details next week.

Unlike many organ transplants, which are life-saving, a womb transplant is considered “life-enhancing,” Cleveland Clinic doctors explained.

Also, womb transplants are not intended to be permanent. After one or two babies are born, anti-rejection drugs taken by the mother can be discontinued. Then, the womb can be removed or allowed to disintegrate, the hospital explained.

When he learned of the ground-breaking program last year, Dr. Tomer Singer, a reproductive endocrinologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said this new procedure would allow “women to carry their own genetic child without the use of a gestational carrier (surrogate), which can be financially and emotionally taxing.”

This transplant trial “opens the door to an innovative and promising advancement within reproductive medicine,” he added. “We believe that tens of thousands of women will benefit from this advancement in the future, while realizing that there are still challenges to overcome before we offer this procedure routinely.”

Singer said the most significant hurdles include “side effects to both the mom and the fetus from required anti-rejection medication, as well as maintaining a normal blood supply during the procedure and for nine months after to allow for healthy growth of the fetus.”

More information

Find out more about uterine health issues at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

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Fuel Up With These Fiber-Rich, Healthy Homemade Energy Bars

Energy bars can be sneaky: Many are loaded with so much fat and added sugar, you might as well have a candy bar instead. But luckily, making your own healthy grab-and-go snack doesn’t have to be hard. We asked Michelle Rivera, a pastry chef at the El Conquistador Resort, a Waldorf Astoria Resort and Spa in Puerto Rico, to share her recipe for homemade energy bars. Rivera’s secret ingredient: Figs. They’re packed with fiber to fuel you through a workout (or a marathon of errands), and also provide a dose of sweetness. Each bar contains just 115 calories. Whip up a batch over the weekend and enjoy all week long.

RELATED: 17 High-Protein Snacks You Can Eat on the Go

Homemade Fig Energy Bars

Photo MaryAnn Barone

Dough
2 cups almond meal
¼ cup almond butter
¼ cup almond milk
¼ cup maple syrup or blue agave
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
1 ¼ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. sea salt

Filling
1 ½ cup dried figs
1 ½ tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

1. Place the figs in hot water and set aside until needed.
2. For the dough, combine all ingredients in a food processor and run the machine until a sticky dough forms.
3. Put the dough between two pieces of wax paper and roll out with a rolling pin until it’s ¼-inch thick to form a square. Let this rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
4. For the filling, drain the figs and place them in a food processor with the lemon juice and the vanilla extract. Process until the mixture is smooth.
5. Spread the filling into an even layer covering half of the dough. Fold the other half of the dough over the filling and press the edges together. Refrigerate for 1 hour, then cut into 8 even logs, and then 16 bars.

PER SERVING: 115 calories

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Many Parents Downplay Value of Flu Shot, Poll Finds

FRIDAY, Feb. 26, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Only about half of American parents took their kids to get flu shots this season, with many believing it is less important or less effective than other vaccines, a new poll found.

“In exploring why some parents do not have their child get the flu vaccine, we found that many parents do not believe that flu vaccine is as safe, effective or important as the other vaccines their children receive,” said Sarah Clark, associate director of the poll.

Annual flu shots are recommended for children aged 6 months to 18 years. But only 52 percent of the parents polled said their child received a flu shot this season, according to the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.

Fifty-nine percent of parents whose child did not receive the flu vaccine said the shot is less important than other childhood vaccines, compared with 14 percent of parents whose child got a flu shot, the findings showed.

Among parents whose child did not receive a flu shot this season, 48 percent said the flu vaccine is not as effective as other vaccines. Many also had concerns about its safety — 21 percent thought it underwent less testing and 23 percent believed it had more side effects than other vaccines, according to the poll.

“Despite substantial public health efforts, flu vaccine rates for U.S. children are well below national targets,” Clark, an associate research scientist at the University of Michigan, said in a university news release.

“The flu vaccine is unlike other recommended childhood vaccines in ways that can be confusing to parents,” she explained.

“For example, parents generally expect that vaccines will prevent their child from getting a disease. But getting a flu shot for your child does not guarantee he or she won’t get the flu, though generally, vaccinated children will have a less severe case,” Clark said.

“This is a complicated concept that is different than the way we explain the effectiveness of other childhood vaccines,” she added. “This may lead parents to wrongly believe that the flu vaccine doesn’t work.”

Each year, about 20,000 children under the age of 5 years are hospitalized in the United States due to flu complications that can cause death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The poll also found that 32 percent of parents who did not have their child vaccinated against the flu this season said their child’s doctor does not recommend flu vaccination as strongly as other vaccines, compared with 9 percent of parents whose children did get flu shots.

“Health care providers can play an important role in addressing parents’ negative beliefs about flu vaccine. To do so, they should fully explain and strongly recommend an annual flu vaccine for all children,” Clark said.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about children and flu shots.

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Paid Family Leave Tied to Decline in Child Abuse

FRIDAY, Feb. 26, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Paid family leave might lead to reduced risk of abuse-related head injuries in young children, according to a new study.

Researchers compared data from 1995 through 2011 in California — which introduced paid family leave in 2004 — with seven states without such a policy: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts and Wisconsin.

After California introduced paid family leave, there was a decline in rates of hospital admissions for abuse-related head injuries in children younger than 2 years old, the investigators found.

After accounting for factors such as adults’ job status and education level, the researchers concluded that paid family leave was associated with a drop of 5.1 admissions per 100,000 among children younger than 1 year, and a decrease of 2.8 per 100,000 among children younger than 2 years.

In states without paid family leave, these hospital admission rates rose between 2007 and 2009 — the so-called Great Recession — while remaining stable in California, according to the study.

The findings were published Feb. 25 in the journal Injury Prevention.

The drop-off in California occurred despite low use of paid family leave, said study author Dr. Joanne Klevens, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. She and her colleagues noted that only 38 percent of parents eligible took advantage of the policy in 2014.

The study authors said the policy’s impact could be even greater if more at-risk parents knew about it, could afford to use it, and used the full 12-weeks available to them.

While the study findings don’t prove a cause-and-effect relationship, the results do provide “positive evidence” that paid family leave affects rates of abuse-related head injuries in young children, the researchers said in a journal news release.

The California law provides partial wage-replacement so parents can bond with a new baby.

Head injuries are the leading cause of child abuse-related deaths in the United States, the researchers said. Most victims are between 9 weeks and 20 weeks old, a period when infants tend to have long bouts of crying.

Prevention efforts focus on educating parents about infant crying and the dangers of shaking infants, but this approach has had little effect, according to the study authors.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more about shaken baby syndrome.

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For Transgender Kids, Support Is Key to Emotional Well-Being

By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Feb. 26, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Transgender children who feel supported seem to have no greater risk of depression and anxiety than other kids do, a new study suggests.

Experts said the findings are welcome news — especially in light of past studies finding high rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts among transgender children and adults.

These latest results suggest that when transgender kids feel supported in their “social transition,” their mental well-being is on par with their peers, the researchers said.

Social transitioning is considered an option for children who consistently identify as transgender. It means that the children take on a name, clothing, hairstyle and other characteristics typical of the gender they identify with, rather than the gender they were born with.

No one is suggesting that social transition is the answer for all — or even most — children who are gender nonconforming, said Kristina Olson, the lead researcher on the study.

“Gender nonconforming” means a child prefers the games, toys, clothes and other behaviors often associated with the opposite sex — but he or she doesn’t necessarily identify as a member of that gender.

“Most clinicians who support social transitions believe they are only helpful for a very small subset of gender nonconforming children — the subset who are truly identifying as the ‘other’ gender regularly and for an extended period,” said Olson, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Washington, in Seattle.

And it’s not clear that social transitioning, by itself, had mental health benefits for children in this study, according to Olson.

That’s partly because kids who are able to make the transition likely have families, friends or even whole communities generally supportive of them, she explained.

“Without further study it’s difficult to know exactly what feature of these children’s lives is causing their good overall mental health,” Olson said.

But at the very least, she said, the findings challenge the notion that transgender children are destined for poorer mental health.

The study findings were published online Feb. 25 in the journal Pediatrics.

Dr. Ilana Sherer is a pediatrician at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, in Dublin, Calif., who often works with transgender children. She agreed that the findings offer a much needed positive view.

“For parents who have nonconforming children, I hope this study shows that their child can still have a happy and productive childhood,” said Sherer, who wrote an editorial published with the study.

“The news tends to cover the tragic side of being transgender — suicides and violence,” Sherer said. “But in my professional life, I see so many great kids who are living their lives with supportive families and really thriving.”

For the study, Olson’s team had parents complete standard surveys about their kids’ depression and anxiety levels. The group included 73 children between the ages of 3 and 12 who had socially transitioned, their siblings, and a comparison group of 73 children who weren’t transgender.

On average, all three groups of children showed a similar level of depression symptoms.

Transgender children did have slightly higher than average anxiety scores. But, Olson said, their scores were still within range of what’s expected for most children — and well below the cutoff for a full-blown anxiety disorder.

Plus, she said, the socially transitioned children had substantially lower anxiety and depression scores when compared with gender nonconforming kids in two previous studies.

There are still plenty of questions to be answered, Olson said. Her team plans to study these same transgender children, and others, as they grow older, to see how their mental health evolves.

But that’s only the beginning, according to Olson.

“Much more research is needed to figure out exactly when and for whom social transitions are helpful,” she said. “The current findings really just suggest that there is a subset of children for whom social transitions are associated with good mental health outcomes. It’s the only study to even test that question.”

Sherer made the same point. “This is just the tip of the iceberg,” she said. “I’d like studies to look at the many factors that touch kids’ lives — school, home, medical team, activities, community, religion, as well as specific medical interventions.”

More information

The American Academy of Pediatrics has more on transgender and gender nonconforming children.

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Pot Habit Early in Life May Alter Brain, Study Suggests

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Feb. 26, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Young teens who smoke pot may wind up with brains that look strikingly different from those who start using marijuana later in their lives, a new study reports.

Early pot use may alter the physical development of a young teen’s brain. It seems to obstruct the natural process by which the body eliminates unneeded neurons and synaptic connections, the researchers reported.

As a result, the brains of people who started smoking pot younger than age 16 tend to have fewer surface wrinkles and folds in the outer layer of the brain, also known as the cerebral cortex, said study lead author Francesca Filbey. She is chair of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas’ Center for BrainHealth.

The cortex also tended to be thicker in these early use teens, again suggesting that less development had occurred, the researchers said.

However, the study cannot definitively prove a cause-and-effect relationship. Filbey said the researchers couldn’t rule out that the differences in brain development might drive early marijuana use, rather than vice versa.

“It could be that perhaps having these altered brain patterns is what led to the greater marijuana use,” she said.

Still, the difference in brain development might be due to marijuana’s influence on dopamine levels in the brain, which could influence how the cortex develops, Filbey added.

The research team analyzed MRI scans of 42 heavy marijuana users, including 20 considered “early onset” users because they started before age 16. All of the study volunteers began using marijuana during their teens, and continued throughout adulthood. They all reported using pot at least once a week, the researchers said.

The researchers explained that typical brain development for teens includes a process called “synaptic pruning.” During this process, the brain sharpens itself by removing unneeded synapses and neurons. The process results in a thinner cortex that contains more wrinkles and folds on its surface, as well as greater contrast between the brain’s gray and white matter.

In this study, the MRIs revealed that early onset users had thicker cortexes, fewer wrinkles and less gray and white matter contrast, compared to people who picked up their marijuana habit at 16 or older.

“The difference in association with marijuana use was striking between the two groups,” Filbey said.

It also appeared that the more marijuana the person used, the more their brain development had been affected, the researchers said.

The study was published in the journal Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.

Dr. Gayatri Devi, a neurologist with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, pointed out that “these children seem to have less sculpting of the brain.”

Such alterations to normal brain structure could impact the teens’ ability to think and reason in later life, said Devi, who was not involved with the study. For example, the frontal lobe of the cortex often deals with attention, judgment and other higher level brain function.

“If you don’t have the normal sculpting that’s seen during this age period, then one could speculate those are the areas that would be affected,” Devi said.

But not everyone is convinced that early marijuana use is responsible for these changes.

Mitch Earleywine, a professor of psychology at the State University of New York at Albany, also sits on the advisory board of NORML, an advocacy group for marijuana legalization. He agreed with Filbey that it’s not clear if early pot use caused these changes, or that people with these brain changes are more likely to start using pot earlier.

“None of these people were randomly assigned to use the plant, so we have no way of knowing if the effects actually preceded use or stemmed from it,” said Earleywine. “I would add that these results don’t hold a candle to the brain structure changes we see with binge drinking.”

Dr. Andrew Adesman is chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y. He said the study results are further warning for parents to keep their kids from experimenting with pot at a young age.

“With marijuana being legalized in more states, teens will likely perceive it as less risky,” Adesman said. “They will also likely have greater access to pot in a multitude of forms, including appealing foods for consumption. Given these realities, we need to make sure that teens also get the message that using pot is not without consequences and it is still not recommended for use by teens.”

More information

For more on marijuana, visit the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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Here’s How to Get the Most Health Perks Possible from Olive Oil

Photo: Getty Images

When you think about olive oil, one adjective probably comes to mind: healthy. And you’re not wrong, there are plenty of studies supporting that thought. Research suggests that specifically extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) may help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis. But in the midst of all the positive press, there are also some controversies and concerns surrounding olive oil. Here’s my take on three buzzy topics, plus some advice for reaping the benefits of EVOO while avoiding the risks.

RELATED: 13 Healthy High-Fat Foods You Should Eat More

Olive oil fraud is common

You may have seen a recent 60 Minutes report that exposed rampant fraud in the olive oil industry, due to Mafia corruption. Investigators concluded that as much as 80% of the olive oil sold as EVOO in the U.S. is not truly extra-virgin. Instead, some are mixed or lower-quality olive oils. Others may not be olive oil at all, but rather another type (like sunflower, canola, or soybean) with added coloring and flavoring so it mimics the real thing. Buying fake EVOO is like purchasing a fancy bottle of wine that turns out to be “Two-Buck Chuck,” or just grape juice!

What do to: This doesn’t mean you should give up on EVOO completely, just do a little sleuthing before you buy. For starters: high-quality EVOO isn’t cheap. So if a bottle is a bargain, you should probably be suspicious. Next look at where the oil was produced. One UC Davis report randomly tested bottles from retail stores and found nearly 70% of imported EVOO didn’t pass their purity test, while only 10% of California-produced oil failed. (Keep an eye out for the California Olive Oil Council seal, which requires olive oil to meet stricter standards than those set by the USDA.) If you’re interested, check out the full report, which includes a list of popular brands the university tested.

RELATED: 3 Alternatives to Olive Oil

How you cook with EVOO can impact your health

A brand new study published in the journal Food Chemistry revealed that cooking veggies in olive oil improves their nutritional value. Researchers found that the effect is two-fold: EVOO contains its own antioxidants and thereby increases overall antioxidant levels; and cooking with the oil increases your body’s ability to absorb antioxidants from the veggies. 

However, there’s debate among health professionals about whether EVOO should be heated at all. Many believe EVOO can’t be used in cooking because it has a low smoke point—the temperature at which heated oil begins to smoke continuously, triggering the production of harmful by-products. But since EVOO’s smoke point is close to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, it can safely be used in sautéing and even oven roasting without smoking.

But even if it is safe, some research shows that heating olive oil below the smoke point, especially for longer lengths of time, may diminish some of its natural anti-inflammatory powers. But the effect may be minimal. One study found that when EVOO samples were heated at 180 degrees for 36 hours (yup 36, not 3-6), they still retained most of their nutritional benefits.

What to do: I advise my clients to eat lots of raw veggies, dressed with unheated EVOO-based vinaigrettes, or combined with other healthy plant-based fats like avocado and almonds. However, I don’t think it’s necessary to refrain from using EVOO in cooking completely, as long as it’s used at lower temperatures and for a short durations of time, in order to best preserve its beneficial properties.

RELATED: 6 Ways You’re Using Olive Oil Wrong

The age and treatment of EVOO affect its benefits

Recently, while looking through a client’s pantry, I asked her how long she’d had a bottle of EVOO. She replied: “Mmmm, I don’t know, maybe six months?” She had no idea at the time, but that’s too long to keep an opened bottle. When it comes to EVOO, freshness matters, a lot. EVOO can start to break down due to air, light, or heat exposure (including sitting on the countertop near a range). When this occurs, it produces unhealthy substances that can trigger artery hardening and cell damage in your body. This kind of breakdown also lowers the smoke point of the oil, which means it’s more likely to produce harmful substances.

What to do: First, look for the date of the harvest (any quality brand will include this on the label), and buy the freshest bottle possible (within one year, ideally less). Also, be sure to buy an EVOO bottled with tinted glass, since light can trigger oxidation. Then, whenever you use your oil, pour a little out and give it a sniff. A quality oil should smell fruity, while one that’s going bad may smell stale, or have an aroma of crayons or glue. Finally, be sure to store your EVOO in a cool, dark space; use it up within six weeks; and never reuse it after it’s been heated. These rules may seem overly-cautious, but trust me, they’re well worth the effort to maximize the health perks of your oil.

Meet Cynthia Sass at the Health Total Wellness Weekend at Canyon Ranch April 22-24! For details, go to http://ift.tt/1AYb7dA.

Do you have a question about EVOO? Chat with us on Twitter by mentioning @goodhealth and @CynthiaSass. 
Cynthia Sass is a nutritionist and registered dietitian with master’s degrees in both nutrition science and public health. Frequently seen on national TV, she’s Health’s contributing nutrition editor, and privately counsels clients in New York, Los Angeles, and long distance. Cynthia is currently the sports nutrition consultant to the New York Yankees, previously consulted for three other professional sports teams, and is board certified as a specialist in sports dietetics. Sass is a three-time New York Times best-selling author, and her newest book is Slim Down Now: Shed Pounds and Inches with Real Food, Real Fast. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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Feeling Old? Your Risk for Hospitalization May Rise

THURSDAY, Feb. 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — New research suggests that there may be some truth to the old adage, “You’re only as old as you feel.”

Researchers report that people who feel older than their actual age are more likely to be hospitalized.

“How old you feel matters,” said study author Yannick Stephan, from the University of Montpellier in France.

“Previous research has shown it can affect your well-being and other health-related factors and, now we know it can predict your likelihood of ending up in the hospital,” Stephan said in a news release from the American Psychological Association.

The study, however, doesn’t prove a definitive cause-and-effect relationship; it was only designed to find an association between how old people feel (subjective age) and their health risks.

The research team reviewed data from three previous studies. The research was conducted from 1995 to 2013, and included more than 10,000 U.S. adults.

The participants ranged in age from 24 to 102, and they were asked how old they felt when the study began. The volunteers also completed a questionnaire designed to reveal if they experienced any symptoms of depression.

In addition, the participants reported if they had been previously diagnosed with any health issues, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, lung disease, heart condition, stroke, osteoporosis or arthritis.

The researchers followed up with the participants to find out if they had been recently hospitalized for any reason.

The investigators took the participants’ age, gender, race, education and other such factors into account. They found that people who said they felt older than their actual age were 10 to 25 percent more likely to be admitted to a hospital within two to 10 years after entering the study.

Study co-author Antonio Terracciano, from Florida State University, said in the news release that “individuals with an older subjective age are more likely to be sedentary and to experience faster cognitive [mental] decline, all of which may precipitate a hospital stay.”

Symptoms of depression and worse health helped explain this link between feeling old and being hospitalized, the study authors said.

How old people say they feel “could be a valuable tool to help identify individuals at risk of future hospitalization,” said Stephan.

“People who feel older may benefit from standard health treatments — for example through physical activity and exercise programs, which may reduce their risk of depression and chronic disease, and ultimately their hospitalization risk,” he added.

The study was published online recently in the journal Health Psychology.

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Aging has more about getting older and depression.

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