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Health Briefs
By The Editors of Prevention
(Distributed by New York Times Syndicate)
SLEEPLESS IN NEW ORLEANS?
It's not that Minneapolis lacks a pub scene or San Diegans can't
be the life of the party. But these cities are among the best
places to slumber, while the homes of Motown and Mardi Gras rank
among the worst, according to a survey from the makers of the
sleep drug Ambien.
Best Cities for Sleep
1. Minneapolis. Minn.
2. Anaheim, Calif.
3. San Diego, Calif.
4. Raleigh-Durham, NC
5. Washington, D.C.
Worst Cities for Sleep
1. Detroit, Mich.
2. Cleveland, Ohio
3. Nashville, Tenn.
4. Cincinnati, Ohio
5. New Orleans, La.
DANGER IN THE GYM
Working out in someone else's sweat can be worse than icky. The
St. Louis Rams and other teams have reported outbreaks of a potentially
deadly, antibiotic-resistant bug called MRSA (methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus) in their training facilities. Health experts
worry that more gyms are at risk.
Charles Gerba, Ph.D., a professor of microbiology and immunology
at the University of Arizona, gives these tips for germ-proofing
at the gym.
Cover up. The less skin-to-equipment contact you have, the better.
And keep cuts clean and bandaged.
Carry two towels -- one for yourself and one to wipe down the
machines and mats before you use them.
Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer such as Purell before and
after your workout.
Launder workout clothes after every use.
TAKE A LOAD OFF YOUR HEART
Being big hearted can be a good thing -- unless excess pounds
are the cause. Risk of a ballooning heart wall and related irregular
beats was 50 percent higher in obese people compared with those
at a normal, healthy weight in a 14-year study of 5,300 by Harvard
researchers. Obesity may cause the heart's upper left chamber,
the atrium, to stretch out and develop a too-rapid beat that's
out of sync with the rest of the heart, the scientists say. The
condition, called atrial fibrillation (AF), raises stroke risk
by four times and doubles the risk of death. Best way to prevent
an enlarged atrium: Maintain a normal weight throughout life.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
Ask a woman what makes her happy, and spending time with kids
and friends generally tops the list. But when Princeton University
researchers asked 900 working women to jot down everything they
did one day and how it made them feel at that moment, their most
-- and least -- favorite activities turned up some surprises.
Enjoyed most
Having sex
Socializing
Relaxing
Praying/meditating
Eating
Enjoyed least
Caring for kids
Using the computer
Doing housework
Working
Commuting
HEARTBURN: THE SALTY TRUTH
The trick for the 21 million Americans with heartburn has been
figuring out which foods to avoid. Finally, a new Swedish study
offers some answers -- and they're not what you may have expected.
When researchers studied the habits of 3,153 acid reflux patients
and more than 40,000 healthy people, they found that longtime
smokers and those who used extra table salt daily were 70 percent
more likely to have developed the chronic form of heartburn, gastroesophageal
reflux disease (GERD).
But usual suspects such as coffee, alcohol, and tea didn't boost
risk of the disease.
The researchers also discovered that 30 minutes of exercise at
least once a week and a high-fiber diet slashed the risk of GERD
in half.
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