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TUESDAY, March 16, 2021 (American Heart Association News) -- When she was 12, Jennifer Tripucka was so embarrassed by the scar that runs from the middle of her stomach to the top of her chest that she asked her mother to buy gel to help lighten it.The scar was a lingering reminder that she had open-heart surgery when she was 4 months old. Tripucka had been born with a congenital heart defect called transposition of the great arteries. The operation helped make sure blood flowed properly between her heart, lungs and the rest of her body.Growing up, Tripucka went to the doctor at least once a year for check-ups. She also recalls not being allowed to participate in sports that would tax her heart. An exception was karate and dance — and in karate, she earned a black belt."My parents...

TUESDAY, March 16, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Dutch scientists report they have grown miniature tear glands that actually cry. They say these organoids -- tiny 3D-structures that mimic the function of actual human organs -- could lead to new treatments for dry eye disease and other tear gland disorders."And hopefully in the future, this type of organoids may even be transplantable to patients with non-functioning tear glands," said researcher Marie Bannier-Hélaouët, a doctoral student in biology and stem cell research at Hubrecht Institute in Utrecht, Netherlands.Researchers said the organoids they created could be used to study how certain cells in the human tear gland produce tears or fail to do so. Eventually, it may even be possible to transplant such organoids into people whose...

TUESDAY, March 16, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Katie Rodgers was just 15 years old when she started smoking, and in her early 20s when it became a more significant habit.Rodgers found quitting tough, but she managed to kick the habit at age 33 during a global pandemic because she knew that smoking would increase her anxiety and put her at higher risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19.Her achievement was unusual at a time when cigarette purchases have risen slightly in the United States and requests for smoking cessation services have dramatically dropped."I have a strong aversion to the hospital and being really powerless because of a virus. And I knew that, especially because it affects the respiratory system, that if I continued to smoke, it would just increase my chances for –...

TUESDAY, March 16, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Millions of people take a beta blocker regularly, and a new study brings good news: The medications will not raise the risk of depression.Beta blockers are used to treat conditions such as heart failure, chest pains, high blood pressure and abnormal heart rhythm. But it's long been suspected that the drugs may be linked with depression, anxiety, drowsiness, insomnia, hallucinations and nightmares.The new German study involved more than 50,000 people. It found no connection between beta blockers and mental health issues, although there was a suggestion the meds could interfere with sleep."We found no indication of an association between beta blocker use and depression," said study supervising author Dr. Reinhold Kreutz. He's a professor at the...