Health Tip: Lift Weights to Boost Your Health

(HealthDay News) -- Lifting weights is a great way to build up or tone your muscles. But if you're not careful, you can cause permanent injury.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions for safe weight lifting:

• Remember to always wear sturdy shoes that provide traction when lifting weights. Also make sure that any weight machines are in good working order.
• Keep your back straight when lifting. Also remember to be careful when carrying weights around the weight room.
• Always ask someone to spot you when lifting very heavy weights.
• Always exhale while you lift the weights upward.
• Limit each set of muscles to only three workouts each week.
• If your muscles start to hurt, stop lifting.

Gene Variant Tied to Severity of Drinking

(HealthDay News) -- A variation in one gene may explain why some people are more heavily dependent on alcohol than are others.

University of Virginia Health System researchers linked the DNA sequencing of the SLC6A4 serotonin transporter gene to how many drinks a day people receiving help for alcohol dependency used to have. Serotonin, a brain chemical, previously had been found to help foster the pleasant feelings people get from drinking as well as personal preference and consumption of the beverage.

"Of the six variants examined in the study, we found that one variant at the 3' end of the gene showed a significant association with drinking intensity," study co-author Ming D. Li, professor of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences at UVA's School of Medicine, said in a news release from the university's health system. "Specifically, we found that individuals with the 'G' allele of this variant drink less than individuals with the 'T allele.' "

The findings, published in the February issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, could help in tailoring treatment of alcoholism, study co-author Dr. Bankole Johnson, chairman of UVA's department of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences, said in the news release.

"A known genetic marker could be used to sub-type alcoholics and better determine treatment methods that can target specific underlying molecular mechanisms," Johnson said. "We hope to determine whether this particular genetic variant can be used as a marker to predict treatment outcomes for different serotonin agents."

More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about alcohol use and health.

Doctors' Guide to Cancer Drugs May Need Revising

(HealthDay News) -- Doctors may not always have complete or clear information when they prescribe cancer medications for uses beyond what the drugs have been approved for, a new study finds.

According to the report, published in the Feb. 17 online issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, the online and hard-copy resource used by oncologists and pharmacists, known as the compendia, does not always contain clear or updated information on using medications for "off-label" purposes, such as treating diseases other than those approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Doctors and pharmacists often rely on the compendia for off-label dosage information, making it an authoritative source, in some instances, when a question arises about whether insurance will cover a drug for off-label use.

But the researchers found a lack of systematic methods to ensure the compendia information is regularly reviewed or updated.

"Oncologists and pharmacists use the compendia to guide choice of drugs for cancer patients that are not FDA-approved for use in that patient's disease -- an example would be bevacizumab, or Avastin, for brain cancer," the study's lead investigator, Dr. Amy Abernethy, an oncologist at Duke University, said in a news release issued by the school. "Bevacizumab is approved for use in diseases such as colorectal and lung cancer; it is not FDA-approved for brain tumors. But we have evidence that suggests it could be effective in this population, including peer-reviewed studies."

Abernethy's team, from the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center, also found inconsistencies and confusion in how some commonly used compendia presented information and updated it. Some entries, for example, were more detailed than others, and information was presented in different ways for different drugs.

"Our study found that there are some limitations in the way the compendia are currently presented, and there are opportunities to improve the system," Abernethy said. "Determining how to improve it will be the next step for policymakers."

More information
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more about prescription drugs.

Health Tip: Spotting Between Menstrual Periods

(HealthDay News) -- A regular menstrual cycle comes about every 28 days. Some women experience spotting between menstrual cycles.

Because spotting can be a sign of a serious problem, you should see your doctor if you have it. The U.S. National Library of Medicine lists these common causes of spotting between menstrual cycles:

• Cancer of the cervix, uterus or sometimes fallopian tubes.
• Side effect certain procedures, including a biopsy of the cervix or endometrial lining.
• A miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, or other complication of pregnancy.
• Fibroids or polyps in the uterus.
• Fluctuating hormone levels.
• Use of an IUD.
• A vaginal injury.
• Starting or stopping birth control pills or other hormones, or using blood thinners.
• Stress, underactive thyroid, or postmenopausal vaginal dryness.

Healthy Heart Tips for a Bad Economy

(HealthDay News) -- The economic news is enough to weaken anyone's heart, and it sometimes does with people feeling stressed, eating poorly and cutting out workouts while trying to make ends meet.

"We've seen an increase in patients complaining about heart palpitations, anxiety and stress over the past months," Karol Watson, an associate professor of cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, said in a news release issued by the school. "Much of heart disease can be prevented. That's why it is so important to follow a healthy lifestyle and to control your cardiovascular risk factors."

UCLA cardiologists offer these tips for adults and children in these tough economic times:

• Eat better; exercise more. Eat a healthy diet, including five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. By cooking simple fresh foods at home, rather than indulging in restaurant fare or fast foods, you can save money and your health. Maintaining a good diet and exercise program -- even if it's just 30 minutes of walking around the neighborhood -- helps you prevent obesity, which adds to the risk of heart attacks, heart failure and diabetes.
• Don't skimp on health care. Putting off doctor visits, especially when you have symptoms, hurts your health more in the long run, as does skipping medications or splitting pills to cut costs. Maintain regular checkups. Look at pharmaceutical company prescription programs if medication costs are a concern for you.
• Stop smoking and avoid secondhand smoke. Smoking is an expensive habit that greatly increases your risk of cardiovascular problems. Quitting smoking quickly reduces the risk to your heart.
• Reduce stress. Find a positive outlet -- such as exercise, meditation or the company of others -- to ease stress and improve your health.
• Maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Get your levels checked and talk to your physician about the best plan of action to keep your LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels low and your HDL ("good") cholesterol levels high.
• Check your blood pressure. Hypertension is called the "silent killer," because it exhibits few warning signs. Today, several effective treatments are available for high blood pressure. If your blood pressure is normal, maintain it with a healthy lifestyle.

More information
The American Heart Association has more about maintaining a heart healthy lifestyle.

Ridiculous Pregnancy Advice Examined

By Erica Kain

Does anyone receive more unsolicited advice than a pregnant woman? Now that my pregnancy is obvious to any passer-by, I’m getting it from all sides.
Although it may be well-intentioned, most of the advice I receive from anyone but my doctor sounds like bunk.
Here are five of the more bothersome bits of “wisdom” I have been told—and the truth behind them. View the slideshow.

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