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Briefs

	Search for 'Fountain of Youth' takes time
	Study focuses on acupuncture treatment for knee pain
	Fast food: It's not always what you eat, but how much

Search for 'Fountain of Youth' takes time

Aging without looking or feeling old means working on it while you're young.

According to Robert E. Roush, MD, associate professor of medicine — geriatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, all health professionals should be able to distinguish between normal aging and disease and help patients follow preventative guidelines.

You cannot stop your hair from turning gray or a need for reading glasses, but you can stop age-related muscle loss by exercising or prevent heart disease with diet and other lifestyle changes, says Roush.

One lifestyle change is staying out of the sun as much as possible, applying sunscreen with SPF of at least 15, wearing protective hats and clothing in the sun and avoiding tanning booths, said Roush.

Study focuses on acupuncture treatment for knee pain

The Houston Center for Quality of Care and Utilization Studies at Baylor College of Medicine is looking for Houston area residents to participate in a study that uses acupuncture to manage the pain of knee osteoarthritis.

The study, administered by BCM and the National Institutes of Health, involves six weeks of acupuncture, two sessions per week, and patients are required to complete a six-week and three-month follow-up interview.

Participants are randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: traditional or non-traditional. Regardless of the group assignment, patients will receive electroacupuncture treatment free of charge.

Acupuncture is done by inserting thin needles into the skin at certain points on the body to stimulate energy flow along the body's energy pathways. Electroacupuncture sends pulses of electric current through the needles to stimulate the acupuncture points.

"Our study is different than most, because not only do we use electroacupuncture, but we are also looking at the way the patient interacts with the acupuncturist to see if this has any impact on the outcome," said Maria Suarez-Almazor, MD, professor of medicine at BCM and principal investigator of the study.

Licensed acupuncturists and doctors at the American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine perform all acupuncture sessions.

To be eligible for the study, a patient must be 50 or older, live in the Houston area, have transportation to and from the acupuncture clinic, have current knee pain, have osteoarthritis of the knee diagnosed by a physician and not had a knee replacement. For more information, contact Carol Looney, research coordinator, at 713-794-8563.

Fast food: It's not always what you eat, but how much

Eating on the run can be disastrous to your health, but by making healthier fast food choices you won't have to give up your cravings completely.

"There is no such thing as a 'bad food,' which would include fast foods," said Mark Gilger, MD, an associate professor of gastroenterology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and a pediatric gastroenterologist at Texas Children's Hospital. "Eating too much of a fast food, for example French fries, is certainly not recommended. It's the quantity consumed, not the food itself."

Fast food meals tend to be high in fat, salt and calories and low in dietary fiber. These dietary factors may lead to health problems if you eat fast foods too often, he said.

"The obesity epidemic is serious business, as we are now seeing the complications of obesity in increasing numbers in children," Gilger said. "The risks of obesity are becoming clearer. There's diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease and the list goes on and on."

In recent years, fast food restaurants have responded to the growing number of obese children and adults by providing healthier food choices on their menus. To help select healthier fast food options, ask for a nutrition fact sheet from the restaurant. Grilled chicken sandwiches are one of the healthiest options if you skip the mayonnaise, special sauce and cheese.

Also, ask if a wheat bun can be substituted for white bread and a fruit cup instead of fries. A baked potato can also be a healthier alternative to French fries if you go easy on high fat toppings like sour cream, butter, bacon bits and cheese.

The key, though, is portion control, which means sticking to the 'kid's meal' and not choosing meals with the words "double," "ultimate" or "monster." Eating too much of any food is where the problem lies, Gilger said.

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