By Dr. CHRIS MAGRYTA

I remember lecturing to my fellow residents back in 1997 about the timing of post-exercise nutrition and the need for sports drinks. In those days we knew little about optimal nutrition, but we knew that sports beverages were not necessary for most athletes.

High-endurance athletes – marathoners, triathletes and cyclists – can make a case for needing some electrolytes during intense training (greater than 3 hours). Johnny in Little League or Susie in gymnastics have no case for a sugar-laden beverage and should avoid them. Read the full story

Neti pots have become a popular remedy for colds and sinus congestion, but health officials are warning people to use them properly in the wake of recent deaths.  For some, the thought of rinsing one’s nose is enough of a deterrent from using a neti pot. But the problem is not the idea of washing your nose – it’s what kind of water you use. In two widely reported cases  last year people used tap water, instead of distilled or sterilized water and wound dying of of water-borne brain-eating amoeba. Read the full story

Beginning this month,  Kannapolis Fire Department is shifting its CPR classes from those focused on healthcare providers a series called Family & Friends CPR. The Department hopes to reach those individuals in the community who would not normally have the opportunity to learn CPR through these monthly classes. Read the full story

MOORESVILLE – Lake Norman Regional Medical Center hosts a Diabetes Support Group that meets on the fourth Monday of every month from noon to 1 p.m., in the Burlington Room at the Charles Mack Citizens Center in Mooresville. The next Diabetes Support Group will meet Monday, Jan. 23. Read the full story

Scientists are debating the newsworthiness of a recent discovery that has the potential not to help, but to hurt. Researchers last July in the Netherlands created an airborne version of a dangerous flu virus- in essence “tweaking it genetically to make it more contagious,” according to the New York Times. Now, U.S. government advisers are urging that scientists keep the research private – so it can’t be used by terrorists or other bad guys.

LINK: Dec. 27, 2011, New York Times, “Science debate persists on deadly flu made airborne.”

KANNAPOLIS - Ada Jenkins Center on Davidson’s West Side has become a community partner of the the MURDOCK Study, a major effort at the N.C. Research Institute in Kannapolis to collect data and better understand diseases. Meanwhile, Duke University researchers leading one of those studies are recruiting people with multiple sclerosis from across the region. Read the full story

It’s exam time at many area college campuses, so this item caught our eye: Federal officials and academic leaders are continuing to look for ways to reduce college students’ illegal use of prescription drugs to help studying.

Students have long used prescription drugs such as Ritalin and Adderall in hopes of staying alert and focused. Read the full story

Lake Norman Regional Medical Center is offering free diabetes education classes in November and December. Meanwhile, the hospital, off I-77 Exit 33 in Mooresville, also is offering free public seminars in December about a new technology for repairing osteoarthritis of the knee. Read the full story

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration on Friday announced it was revoking its approval of the breast-cancer treatment Avastin (bevacizumab). The FDA said the drug has not been shown to delay tumor growth and brings potentially life-threatening risks.

“Nor is there evidence that use of Avastin will either help women with breast cancer live longer or improve their quality of life,” the FDA said in a statement. Read the full story

By JULIE ROSE
WFAE

State health officials have determined an outbreak of E. coli that sickened at least 27 and caused several hospitalizations did in fact start at the North Carolina State Fair. It wasn’t a food vendor, but rather a livestock exhibit that led to the outbreak.
Read the full story