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Tummy Tucks, Liposuctions Are Killing Americans Visiting Dominican Republic
- Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
- January 26, 2024
- Full Page
Too many American tourists looking for cheap cosmetic surgeries alongside their beach time are winding up dead in the Dominican Republic, a new report finds.
Between 2009 and 2022, 93 people -- almost all young or middle-aged women -- have died after undergoing tummy tuc...
FDA Approves Landmark Sickle Cell Gene Therapies
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- December 8, 2023
- Full Page
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved two milestone gene therapies for sickle cell disease, including the first treatment ever approved that uses gene-editing technology.
Casgevy, developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals of Boston and CRISPR Therapeutics of...
In Rare Cases, Blood Transfusion Might Cause Brain Hemorrhage
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- September 12, 2023
- Full Page
It's possible that the cause of spontaneous, recurring brain hemorrhages can be passed through blood transfusion, researchers say.
The likelihood of this happening is very slim, however.
Still, “blood transfusions are relatively common, which makes possible nega...
Space Travel Takes Toll on Astronauts' Blood, Bone
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- August 23, 2023
- Full Page
When astronauts travel to space, the experience depletes their red blood cells and bone, according to a new study.
Fortunately, it appears their bodies can eventually replenish them after they've returned to Earth, thanks to fat stored in the bone marrow.
“We fo...
Did Vlad the Impaler, Inspiration for Dracula, Shed Tears of Blood?
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- August 18, 2023
- Full Page
The 15th century prince who inspired the literary vampire Dracula may have had medical issues that caused him to cry tears of blood, according to researchers unearthing this ancient mystery.
The prince, who was also a military leader, was known as Vlad III, Voivode of Wa...
Blood Donors' Gender Doesn't Affect Outcomes for Recipients
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- April 13, 2023
- Full Page
Whether the gender of a blood donor could affect the recipient's survival was an unanswered question in medicine. Until now.
“Some observational studies had suggested female donor blood might be linked with a higher risk of death among recipients compared to male donor...
Monthly Injections Might Lower Bleeding in People With Hemophilia
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- March 31, 2023
- Full Page
An experimental injectable drug appears effective in reducing bleeds in patients with hemophilia A and B, according to a pair of new clinical trials.
Two-thirds of people with treatment-resistant hemophilia who were treated with the drug fitusiran had no bleeds at all af...
FDA Moves to Ease Restrictions on Gay Men Giving Blood
- Cara Murez and Robin Foster HealthDay Reporters
- December 1, 2022
- Full Page
U.S. Food & Drug Administration policies that have limited blood donations from men who have sex with men may soon ease.
At the moment, FDA policy does not allow blood donation from men who have had sex with other men in the past three months. That's already a shorter ti...
Blood Test Shows Promise at Catching Cancers Early
- Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
- September 12, 2022
- Full Page
A single blood test that can screen for more than 50 cancers seems to work fairly well in the real world, a preliminary study reveals.
Researchers found that of over 6,600 apparently healthy people aged 50 and older, the blood test detected a possible cancer "signal" in ...
More Diverse Pool of Blood Donors Needed to Help Sickle Cell Patients
- By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- September 6, 2022
- Full Page
A network that receives and supplies blood for transfusions nationwide is calling for more diverse blood donors.
Less than 20% of blood donations are from people of color, but those donations are essential. Frequently transfused patients often require blood from donors w...
Could Your Blood Type Raise Your Odds for Stroke?
- Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
- September 1, 2022
- Full Page
The risk of suffering a stroke at an early age may depend partly on a person's blood type, a large study suggests.
Blood Thickness May Play Role in Risk of COVID Death
- By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- July 19, 2022
- Full Page
The thickness of a person's blood can be a matter of life or death if they contract COVID-19, a new study suggests.
Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who have higher blood viscosity are at greater risk of dying from COVID-related complications, the researchers found.
Cats Injured in Wildfires at High Risk for Blood Clots
- By Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling HealthDay Reporter
- July 18, 2022
- Full Page
While California works to restore its landscape after years of historic wildfires, new research could transform the way in which veterinarians treat animals recovered from damaged forests.
The study found that...
Blood Type May Predict Which Cancer Patients Are Prone to Clots
- By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter
- April 15, 2022
- Full Page
Cancer patients' blood type may play a role in their risk for dangerous blood clots, researchers say.
Cancer and its treatments increase the risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). That includes
Post-COVID Risk for Blood Clot Lasts at Least 6 Months
- By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter
- April 7, 2022
- Full Page
COVID-19 increases people's risk of dangerous blood clots and bleeding for months after infection, researchers say.
The new findings suggest that COVID-19 is an independent risk factor for deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and bleeding.
"Our findings arguabl...
Astronauts at Risk of 'Space Anemia'
- Robert Preidt
- January 17, 2022
- Full Page
Astronauts can develop a condition called space anemia because their bodies destroy more red blood cells than normal when in space, a groundbreaking study shows.
Assessments of 14 astronauts over six months between space missions found that 54% more blood cells were dest...
Amid U.S. Blood Shortage, New Pressure to Ease Donor Rules for Gay Men
- Robert Preidt
- January 14, 2022
- Full Page
A three-month sexual abstinence rule for blood donations from sexually active gay and bisexual men should be dropped by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, critics urge as the country struggles with a blood shortage.
Right now, based on the slight chance of infection ...
Red Cross Says U.S. Blood Supply at Dangerously Low Level
- Robert Preidt and Robin Foster HealthDay Reporters
- January 11, 2022
- Full Page
There's an urgent need for blood donations as the United States' blood supply drops to one of its lowest levels in over a decade, the America Red Cross said Tuesday.
In the past few weeks, blood centers nationwide have reported "a dangerously low level" of less than a on...
Could Gene Therapy Help Cure Sickle Cell Disease?
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- December 13, 2021
- Full Page
A gene therapy that could provide a permanent cure for sickle cell disease continues to show success through a third wave of patients, researchers report.
The therapy, LentiGlobin, restored normal blood function in 35 sickle cell patients who had the one-time procedure, ...
Gene Therapy Could Be Big Advance Against Hemophilia
- Robert Preidt
- November 18, 2021
- Full Page
Gene therapy shows promise in reducing, and even halting, potentially life-threatening bleeding events in people with hemophilia, researchers report.
Hemophilia A is the most common inherited bleeding disorder, affecting one in 5,000 males worldwide. It's caused by a mis...
Study Suggests a Better Blood Thinner Could Be Near
- Ernie Mundell and Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporters
- November 16, 2021
- Full Page
For decades, doctors have struggled with the fact that the benefit of any blood-thinning pill came with the added risk of excess bleeding.
Now, an experimental anti-clotting pill called milvexian has been found to be effective in patients who had knee replacement surgery...
U.S. Sees Decline in Sepsis Deaths, But Some Americans More Vulnerable
- Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
- November 10, 2021
- Full Page
While deaths from sepsis have dropped in the United States since 2000, older Americans remain particularly susceptible to the life-threatening bacterial infection, new government data shows.
Sepsis strikes roughly 2 million people each year and is the cause of one in thr...
Drug Might Stop Heart Trouble Linked to Sickle Cell Anemia
- Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
- September 17, 2021
- Full Page
Treating sickle cell anemia with the drug hydroxyurea may also reverse related heart abnormalities, a new study suggests.
Heart issues are common among people with sickle cell disease. Among them are enlargement of the heart and an impaired ability to relax heart muscles...
Barnacles Inspire a Better Way to Seal Off Wounds
- Robert Preidt
- August 11, 2021
- Full Page
Barnacles may be the bane of ships, but they could point to new ways to quickly halt severe bleeding, researchers report.
Barnacles are small crustaceans that attach to rocks, ship hulls and even other animals, such as whales. Their ability to cling to surfaces that are ...
Red Cross Warns of Severe Blood Shortage
- Robert Preidt
- June 17, 2021
- Full Page
There's a severe blood shortage in the United States due to a recent surge in trauma cases, organ transplants and elective surgeries, the American Red Cross says.
The Red Cross is appealing to Americans to roll up their sleeves and donate blood immediately.
"Our te...
AstraZeneca COVID Vaccine Tied to Rare Cases of Low Blood Platelets
- Robert Preidt
- June 9, 2021
- Full Page
The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine may be linked with rare cases of low blood platelet levels, a new study suggests.
Platelets are blood cells that help prevent blood loss when vessels are damaged. Low platelet levels may cause no symptoms, but they can lead to an increase...
U.S. Blood Supply Is Safe From Coronavirus, Study Finds
- Robert Preidt
- June 1, 2021
- Full Page
COVID-19 does not pose a threat to the safety of the United States' blood supply under existing donor screening guidelines, researchers report.
For the study, the investigators reviewed the results of tests for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in nearly 18,000 pools of donated...
Your Blood Type Might Raise Odds for Certain Health Conditions
- Robert Preidt
- April 30, 2021
- Full Page
Certain blood types may increase a person's risk of different health problems, a new study suggests.
The research confirms some previous findings and reveals new links between blood types and diseases, according to the authors of the study published April 27 in the journ...
COVID Survivors' Plasma Might Prevent Worsening Illness in Older Patients: Study
- Ernie Mundell and Steven Reinberg
- January 7, 2021
- Full Page
Blood plasma from people recovering from COVID-19 could help prevent severe illness in older patients newly infected with the virus, a small new Argentinian study finds.
The findings give new hope to the notion that so-called "convalescent plasma" might have a role to pl...
Red Cross Issues Call for More Blood Plasma to Treat COVID Patients
- Steven Reinberg
- January 6, 2021
- Full Page
The American Red Cross is urging COVID-19 survivors to donate blood plasma for hospital patients who need it to recover.
As an incentive to help boost the national convalescent plasma shortage, the Red Cross has teamed up with the National Football League and is offering...
Sickle Cell Puts Black Patients at Higher Risk for Severe COVID
- Dennis Thompson
- December 15, 2020
- Full Page
Sickle cell disease increases the risk of death or serious complications from COVID-19 infection, a pair of new studies suggests.
People with sickle cell disease -- a genetic blood disorder predominantly found in Black people -- are 6.2 times more likely to die from COVI...
Why Do Black Patients Fare Worse With Blood Cancer Than Whites?
- Serena McNiff
- December 11, 2020
- Full Page
A pair of studies shed new light on why a relatively rare blood cancer -- acute myeloid leukemia (AML) -- is more deadly among Black patients.
The takeaways: Where patients live and their access to quality health care matter. And even when Black people with AML have the ...
Could Gene Therapy Cure Sickle Cell Disease? Two New Studies Raise Hopes
- Ernie Mundell
- December 5, 2020
- Full Page
A pair of new gene therapies promise a potentially lasting cure for sickle cell disease by subtly altering the genetic information in patients' bone marrow cells, researchers report.
Both therapies work by switching on a gene that promotes production of fetal hemogl...
What to Know About Pulse Oximeters
- Robert Preidt
- November 6, 2020
- Full Page
If you use an oxygen concentrator and a pulse oximeter at home, proper use is crucial, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says.
Conditions such as asthma, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the flu and COVID-19 can all cause oxygen levels in the ...
Your Blood Type May Predict Your Risk For Severe COVID-19
- Robert Preidt
- October 14, 2020
- Full Page
There's more evidence that blood type may affect a person's risk for COVID-19 and severe illness from the disease.
The findings are reported in a pair of studies published Oct. 14 in the journal Blood Advances.
In one, researchers compared more than ...
COVID-19 ICU Patients Have High Risk of Clots, Research Shows
- Alan Mozes
- October 6, 2020
- Full Page
Hospitalized COVID-19 patients face an increased risk of developing dangerous blood clots, a new review indicates.
The odds of a clot are highest for the most critically ill patients. Analysis of 66 studies found that 23% of COVID-19 patients in an intensive car...
COVID-19 Antibodies Decline Quickly in Donated Plasma: Study
- Robert Preidt
- October 2, 2020
- Full Page
Antibodies against COVID-19 in people who've recovered from the disease begin to vanish about three months after they develop symptoms, researchers say.
This suggests that sooner is better for recovered COVID-19 patients to donate antibody-containing blood plasma for...
Blood Test Could Spot Those at Highest Risk for Severe COVID-19
- E.J. Mundell
- September 23, 2020
- Full Page
If you're unfortunate enough to be admitted to the hospital with COVID-19, a common blood marker may predict how severe your illness might become, new research shows.
The blood marker is called "red cell distribution width" (RDW) -- basically, the greater the varianc...
Small Study Supports Donor Plasma Therapy for Severe COVID-19
- E.J. Mundell
- September 15, 2020
- Full Page
Using the donated blood plasma of COVID-19 survivors to treat patients in the throes of severe coronavirus illness has met with some controversy. But a small new study suggests it could have real merit.
The study of 39 patients with severe COVID-19 who were treated ...
Early Trial Offers New Hope for People With Hemophilia
- Amy Norton
- September 9, 2020
- Full Page
Researchers may have found a way for people with severe hemophilia to take their standard treatment less often, if the results of an early trial pan out.
In what experts called a feat of bioengineering, scientists were able to create a "fusion protein" that may exten...
Rare 'Brain Vein' Strokes Are on the Rise
- Serena McNiff
- August 26, 2020
- Full Page
Most strokes strike when an artery in the brain suddenly becomes blocked, but new research shows a rarer cause of strokes is becoming more common.
It's called cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), and it happens when a vein in the brain is clogged. While CVT is estimated...
Transfusions of COVID Survivor Blood a Safe Treatment for Patients
- Steven Reinberg
- June 24, 2020
- Full Page
Blood plasma transfusions from people who have developed antibodies to the new coronavirus appear to be safe for many COVID-19 patients, a large study suggests.
The experimental treatment -- called convalescent plasma therapy -- is popular because no drug has been a...
Researchers Latch Onto the Leech's Genome
- Robert Preidt
- June 19, 2020
- Full Page
A mainstay of 18th-century medicine -- the lowly leech -- has made something of a comeback in the 21st century. That's largely due to powerful blood thinners the parasitic worm secretes naturally.
Now, genetic research could give a major boost to the medical use of l...
Blood Donors Will Get Results of Coronavirus Antibody Test, Red Cross Says
- Robert Preidt
- June 15, 2020
- Full Page
The American Red Cross will test all blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies so donors can learn whether they've been exposed to the new coronavirus.
"We recognize that individuals and public health organizations desire more information about COV...
Teens Can Donate Blood, But May Need Iron Supplements After
- Alan Mozes
- June 5, 2020
- Full Page
Teens who donate blood are at significant risk for long-term iron deficiency, a new study warns.
The concern comes as 16- to 18-year-olds have emerged as one of the fastest-growing groups of blood donors nationwide. But this study of nearly 31,000 teens who gave blo...
Plasma Therapy Aids Recovery in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients
- Alan Mozes
- June 3, 2020
- Full Page
The blood plasma of people who have recovered from the new coronavirus infection may help critically ill COVID-19 patients recover, a new study finds.
Of 25 sick patients given plasma transfusions, 19 improved and 11 left the hospital, the researchers reported. None ...
Big Need for Blood Donations as Postponed Surgeries Resume
- Robert Preidt
- May 29, 2020
- Full Page
As U.S. hospitals resume procedures put on hold by the coronavirus outbreak, there's an urgent need for blood and platelet donations, the American Red Cross says.
Following a sharp decline in demand for blood products that began in early April, hospitals' needs have ...
Blood Test Might Predict Worsening MS
- Serena Gordon
- May 21, 2020
- Full Page
A new blood test might help doctors predict whether someone's multiple sclerosis may soon get worse.
The test looks for a substance called neurofilament light chain. It's a nerve protein that can be detected when nerve cells die. People with higher levels of it were...
Could Survivors' Blood Help Patients Battling COVID-19? Trials May Tell
- Alan Mozes
- May 13, 2020
- Full Page
Could blood plasma drawn from people who've recovered from COVID-19 help prevent new coronavirus infections or ease symptoms in those already infected?
Two groups of researchers aim to find out.
One clinical trial, from doctors at NYU Grossman School of Med...