Latest Health News

WEDNESDAY, March 23, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- For those waiting during the pandemic for a new kidney or liver, new research is reassuring: Organs from deceased donors who had COVID-19 did not cause infection in recipients and posed no risk to health care workers.In a study that began in September 2021, the Duke University School of Medicine team assessed transplants in which two livers and two kidney/pancreas combinations from four donors who tested positive for COVID-19 were given to four recipients.One donor died from complications of severe COVID-19 — including lung clots — and one died of a brain abscess likely triggered by COVID-19. The other two donors had mild or moderate COVID-19 disease and died from a stroke and a drug overdose.The donors were assessed by organ type, the...

WEDNESDAY, March 23, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The more blazes firefighters battle, the higher their risk for a heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation (a-fib), a new study shows."Clinicians who care for firefighters need to be aware of the increased cardiovascular risk, especially the increased risk of a-fib, among this unique group of individuals," said senior study author Dr. Paari Dominic. He is director of clinical cardiac electrophysiology and an associate professor at LSU Health Shreveport in Louisiana.A-fib is the most common type of irregular heartbeat — affecting at least 2.7 million Americans. It increases the risk of blood clots, heart failure, stroke and other heart complications, according to the American Heart Association.For the study, Dominic's team surveyed...

TUESDAY, March 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Unable to move a single muscle, even to open your eyes. Completely locked into your own body, yet fully conscious and aware.Lou Gehrig's disease — amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — is a nightmare in its advanced form, leaving patients without any means of communicating their needs and wishes.But a new brain implant has allowed a 34-year-old locked-in ALS patient to regain his ability to communicate with family and doctors, European researchers say.Two microchip implants inserted into the brain of the German patient allow him to form words and even full sentences, using nothing but mental impulses."It shows that you can write sentences with the brain even if you are completely paralyzed without any eye movement or other muscles to...

TUESDAY, March 22, 2022 (American Heart Association News) -- What do blueberries, spinach and dark chocolate have in common?They're all rich in flavonoids, the chemical compounds found in plants that give them color – and medicinal powers. Research shows flavonoids provide a wide range of health benefits, from fighting cancer and lowering the risk for heart disease to preserving brain function. They've even been used to fight wrinkles."The key reason flavonoids are good for us is they have anti-inflammatory effects and are antioxidants," said Kristina Petersen, an assistant professor in the department of nutritional sciences at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.Antioxidants help fight inflammation and aging. Flavonoids also have properties that could help prevent blood clots. And a...