Health Newsletters at the Patient Health Library, January 2013

Here are highlights from recent health and wellness newsletters at the UCSF Patient Health Library.  To see the entire articles, visit the Patient Health Library!

Not all information is free and not all of it is online!

Consumer Reports on Health

December 2012
-40 tips to get you through the holiday season, pp.1-5
-A guide to shopping for meat, pp.6-7
-How to hire a home-care aide, p.8

Harvard Health Letter

November 2012
-Choosing good carbs, pp.1-7
-Reduce your pain with mental distractions, p.3
-Alternative treatments for knee pain, p.4

Johns Hopkins Medical Letter: Health After 50

August 2012
-Arthritis, anxiety and depression: frequent companions, pp.1-2
-Do you really need that test? pp.4-5
-Shingles, p.7


Mayo Clinic Health Letter

December 2012
-Rheumatoid arthritis, pp.1-3

NIH News in Health

December 2012
-Understanding glycemic index and glycemic load, p.3
http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Dec2012/Feature2 (this one IS free online!)


Nutrition Action Newsletter

October 2012
-Going organic: what's the payoff? pp.1-6
-Meaning of "organic" and other food labels, p.7
-Scoring the nutrients in vegetables, pp.13-15
(for more nutrient data in foods, see: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/)

December 2012
-Exercising: no more excuses, pp.1-6
-Caffeine, pp.7-9
-The best soups, pp.11-13

Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter

November 2012
-Compare cooking-oil choices, p.4-5

Supplement to November 2012
-Can supplement pills deliver on their promises?

December 2012
-Watch your weight and help protect your brain, pp.1-3
-Staying active prolongs life, p.3
-Does it pay to pick organic? pp.4-5
-Fish oil pills, p.7

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NCI Cancer Bulletin's 2012 Favorite Feature Stories

"As we do every year, we have compiled a list of feature stories published over the past year that we think are worth another look. We chose these in-depth articles not only because of their popularity with readers, but also for their potential impact on clinical practice and/or their value as important but under-reported topics."  - From the NCI Cancer Bulletin subscription email (subscribe to the NCI Cancer Bulletin).

• Studies Raise Concerns about Partial-Breast Radiation Therapy (January 10)
• Staying Alive: New Technique Grows Normal and Cancer Cells Rapidly (January 24)
• Connecting the Dots: Network Analysis Helps Public Health Researchers Get the Big Picture (February 7)
• Leading Health Organizations Revise Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines (March 20)
• A Conversation with Dr. Bert Vogelstein about Whole-Genome Sequencing to Predict Cancer Risk (April 3)
• A Transfer of Power: Harnessing Patients’ Immune Cells to Treat Their Cancer (May 1)
• Many Survivors of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancers Have Chronic Health Problems, Unhealthy Behaviors (June 26)
• A Tough Transition: Cancer Survivorship Plans Slow to Take Hold (June 26)
• To Eat or Not to Eat: With Cancer Therapies, That Is the Question (July 10)
• As Patient Navigation Expands and Evolves, Nurses Assume Many Roles  (July 24)
• Using New Approach, Scientists Find Evidence for Cancer Stem Cells (August 7)
• Singled Out: Researchers Look to Single Cells for Cancer Insights (September 18)
• Study Urges Caution on Source of Unrelated Donor Stem Cell Transplants (October 30)
• Dietary Intervention for Patients Receiving Chemoradiotherapy for Lung Cancer (November 13)
• Crunching Numbers: What Cancer Screening Statistics Really Tell Us  (November 27)
• All That Glitters: A Glimpse into the Future of Cancer Screening (November 27)
• Dr. Titia de Lange: Telomere Function and Cancer (December 11)

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Seasonal Influenza (Flu)

Influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Every flu season is different, and influenza infection can affect people differently. Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others.

The “seasonal flu season” in the United States can begin as early as October and last as late as May. During this time, flu viruses are circulating in the population.

An annual seasonal flu vaccine (either the flu shot or the nasal-spray flu vaccine) is the best way to reduce the chances that you will get seasonal flu and lessen the chance that you will spread it to others. When more people get vaccinated against the flu, less flu can spread through that community.

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Almost everyone who is at least 6 months of age should get a flu vaccine this season. It’s especially important for some people to get vaccinated. Those people include the following:

People who are at high risk of developing serious complications like pneumonia if they get sick with the flu. This includes:

• People who have certain medical conditions including asthma, diabetes, and chronic lung disease.
• Pregnant women.
• People 65 years and older

People who live with or care for others who are high risk of developing serious complications. This includes:

• household contacts and caregivers of people with certain medical conditions including asthma, diabetes, and chronic lung disease.

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Who Should Not Be Vaccinated
There are some people who should not get a flu vaccine without first consulting a physician. These include:

• People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs.
• People who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination.
• People who developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine.
• Children less than 6 months of age (influenza vaccine is not approved for this age group), and
• People who have a moderate-to-severe illness with a fever (they should wait until they recover to get vaccinated.)

[Source for all of the above: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine]

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Where can you get a flu shot?

Contact your primary care doctor's office or your local pharmacist to see if they offer flu shots.

Adult Immunization & Travel Clinic: AITC is a non-profit, fee-for-service clinic that is part of the San Francisco Department of Public Health. AITC is committed to providing convenient, knowledgeable, personalized, and cost-effective immunization services for travelers, students, new employees, immigrants, and other members of the community. Information is available at http://www.sfcdcp.org/aitc.html

HealthMap Vaccine Finder

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Cold or Flu?
[From UCSF Medical Center Patient Education]

Treatment for the Flu
[From UCSF Medical Center Patient Education]

When to Call Your Doctor About the Flu
[From UCSF Medical Center Patient Education]

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Health Newsletters at the Patient Health Library, November 2012

Not all information is free and not all of it is online!

The UCSF Patient Health Library subscribes to a number of health and wellness newsletters that are not otherwise free to the public. Here are some highlights from recent newsletters. To see the entire articles, visit the Patient Health Library!

DukeMedicine HealthNews

Oct 2012
-Maintain muscle mass with age and retain your independence, pp.1-2

Harvard Health Letter

Oct 2012
-Parkinson's symptoms reduced by deep brain stimulation, p.3
-T-DMi for HER2-positive breast cancer, p.5
-What you should know about statin drugs, p.7

Harvard Men's Health Watch

Nov 2012
-Zinc and echinacea for cold relief, p.2
-Healthy brain aging: take on new challenges, p.3
-Breathe away stress in 8 steps, p.5

Harvard Women's Health Watch

Nov 2012
-Beating belly fat, p.3
-The challenges of living alone, pp.4-5
-Cardiac screening tests, p.6

Mayo Clinic Health Letter

Nov 2012
-Denture care, p.6
-Osteoporosis drugs, p.7

Nutrition Action Newsletter

Nov 2012
-Strike against stroke: how to keep your brain in working order, pp.1-7
-Seeing through sketchy claims, pp.9-11

Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter

Oct 2012
-Rethinking fish oil pills, pp.1-3

UC Berkeley Wellness Letter

Summer 2012 (special issue)
-15 keys to a healthy diet

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Holiday Food: Nutrition and Safety

• How can I limit calories and still enjoy the holidays?
• How long do I need to cook a 20-pound turkey?
• What should I know to safely cook for a large group?
• How long will my leftovers still be good?
• Are there any tips for making a "turducken"?

If you are asking questions like these, take a look at the following sites to help keep everyone safe, healthy and happy this holiday season:

Holiday Nutrition
[Source: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics]

Healthy Holiday Recipes from the AICR
[Source: American Institute for Cancer Research]


Are You Storing Food Safely?
[Source: US Food and Drug Administration]

Food Safety During Cancer Therapy
[Source: UCSF Ida & Joseph Friend Cancer Resource Center]

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