Previous Medical News
2009/06/27
1. Michael Jackson Dies of Reported Cardiac Arrest (6/25/09)
Michael Jackson, 50, died on 6/25/09 after suffering cardiac arrest at his Los Angeles home. Jackson suffered from vitiligo, a skin disorder in which the pigment cells in the skin are destroyed, leaving white patches and he also admitted to painkiller addiction in 1993. The results of his autopsy are pending.
2. 'Tonight’ sidekick Ed McMahon dies in LA at 86 (6/22/09)
Ed McMahon had been hospitalized in February with bone cancer, and had also suffered a broken neck in a fall in 2007.
3. Farrah Fawcett Dies of Anal Cancer (6/25/09)
Former "Charlie's Angel" Farrah Fawcett died 6/25/09 at age 62 after a long struggle with anal cancer. Anal infection with human papillomavirus ( HPV) is a major risk factor for the cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, 85% of anal cancers are associated with persistent infection with the sexually transmitted virus.
4. Steve Jobs' Tumor is Rare Reason for Liver Transplant: Neuroendocrine tumor (Various, 6/22/09)
The CEO of a public company cannot have the luxury of privacy about significant medical matters. Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer, had a liver transplant about two months ago as a result of complications following his 2004 surgery to remove an islet cell neuroendocrine tumor from his pancreas. These tumors often metastasize just to the liver. Most liver transplants are done to replace organs scarred by cirrhosis. Cirrhosis can be the result of drinking too much alcohol, which damages the liver, or viral liver infections. Other reasons for liver transplants include disease of the bile ducts, hereditary liver disease, and cancers that begin in the liver and haven’t spread beyond the organ.
5. VA Hospital Botched Cancer Treatments (AP, 6/21/09)
Ninety-two veterans were given incorrect radiation doses in a common surgical procedure to treat prostate cancer during a six-year period at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia. The cases involved brachytherapy, in which implanted radioactive seeds are used to kill cancer cells. Most veterans got significantly less than the prescribed dose while others received excessive radiation to nearby tissue and organs.
6. Help for High-Risk Heart Attacks (The New England Journal of Medicine, 6/25/09)
Patients who have a heart attack and receive clot-busting drugs do better if they are transferred as soon as possible to a hospital that can perform angioplasty, a procedure to open blocked arteries. That treatment approach works better than giving clot-busting drugs and then waiting to see if the medications work, transferring them only if the clot-busting drugs fails.
7. Bad test results often not reported U.S. patients (Archives of Internal Medicine, 6/09)
Doctors in the United States fail to tell patients about abnormal test results 7 percent of the time, or a rate of about 1 out of every 14 tests. Electronic medical records did not reduce and, in some cases, slightly increased the chances for these kinds of mistakes. Physician offices that used a combination of paper and electronic records -- a so-called partial electronic medical record -- had the highest failure rates, while there was no significant difference between practices that only used electronic medical records or paper records.
8. Electrocardiogram Blip Signals Heart Trouble: Prolongation of PR interval (Journal of the American Medical Association, 6/24/09)
A slight abnormality in an electrocardiogram (EKG), until now thought to be insignificant, can be a warning sign of future cardiac problems and an increased risk of early death. Lengthening of what is called the PR interval, the right-hand portion of the jagged blip that records electrical activity as the heart contracts and expands, was associated with a doubled risk of developing the abnormal heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, three times the risk of needing a pacemaker, and one-and-a-half times the risk of early death.
9. Specific allergies might be inherited (Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 6/09)
Older teens are more likely to be allergic to the same things as one or both of their parents. It is well accepted that a family history of allergy is a risk factor for allergy in children. However, prior to this study it was unclear whether children will be allergic to the same things as their parents or whether they will just be more prone to allergies in general.
10. Obesity Greatly Raises Endometrial Cancer Risk (Obstetrics & Gynecology, 7/09)
Obesity is already linked to heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, but new research finds those extra pounds can also significantly increase a woman's risk of developing endometrial cancer, especially if she experiences early menopause. Women with a body-mass index (BMI) greater than 35 who were under 45 at the time of their last menstrual period had a 22 times higher risk of developing endometrial cancers than their normal-weight peers.
11. Obesity While Young Boosts Pancreatic Cancer Risk (Journal of the American Medical Association, 6/24/09)
Being overweight or obese as a young adult increases the risk for pancreatic cancer, and obesity in middle age is linked with poorer survival from the disease.
12. Green tea could delay prostate cancer (Cancer Prevention Research, 6/09)
Active compounds in green tea may slow down the progression of prostate cancer. Capsules made using green tea extracts called polyphenols lowered levels of proteins that tumors use to grow. Made by Polyphenon Pharma, the capsules called Polyphenon E contain epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG, a green tea extract that has antioxidant properties. Each took four Polyphenon E capsules a day -- equivalent to drinking 12 cups of green tea -- for about a month before they had their prostates removed. Blood tests showed levels of three proteins associated with the growth and spread of prostate cancer fell.
13. Vinegar May Aid in Fat Loss (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 7/8/09)
Ordinary household vinegar -- used to make oil-and-vinegar salad dressings or pickles -- appears to turn on genes that help fight fat.
14. Music Can Make the Heart Beat Faster (Circulation, 6/22/09)
Loud music made hearts beat faster and blood pressure go up, while softer passages lowered both heart rates and blood pressure.
15. Mediterranean Diet May Boost Longevity (BMJ Online First, 6/09)
Past research already has linked the so-called Mediterranean diet with longevity. A new study finds that certain aspects of the diet -- such as high consumption of vegetables and olive oil, low consumption of meat, and moderate consumption of alcohol -- may be more strongly linked to longevity.
16. Omega-3 Fatty Acids Might Curb Depression in Heart Patients (Journal of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 6/09)
There’s a relationship between low levels of omega-3 fatty acids and an increased risk of depression in heart patients.
17. Migraines linked to stroke-like brain lesions (Journal of the American Medical Association, 6/24/09)
Migraine headaches in middle age may give rise to permanent brain damage later in life. This association is only apparent in women and only for migraines with aura, a common type in which sensations, such as the perception of flickering lights, occur in addition to the headache itself.
18. First-trimester job strain tied to low birthweight (American Journal of Public Health, 8/09)
Women with high levels of job strain early in pregnancy may be more likely than other women to have an underweight baby.
19. Family Pets May Harbor MRSA, Other Nasties (Lancet Infectious Diseases, 7/09)
The nasty, drug-resistant bacteria known as MRSA may have a new carrier: The scourge of hospital wards and locker rooms, MRSA often begins with small red bumps that can turn into painful abscesses requiring surgery to drain them. If not detected and treated, they can find their way into the body, causing infections in heart valves, lungs, joints, bones and the bloodstream. Cats and dogs can be colonized by MRSA -- germs that are probably acquired from their owners. Fortunately, spreading the germ in this way is relatively rare. Petting or handling pets will not result in infection very easily. Keeping pets clean, maintaining immunizations and controlling parasites will go a long ways to keeping pet and owner healthy.
20. Schizophrenia Linked to Early Death (Cancer, 8/1/09)
The mortality rate among schizophrenics is four times higher than in the general population, with suicide being the No. 1 cause of death, followed by cancer.
21. Marijuana Smoke Linked to Cancer (Chemical Research in Toxicology, 6/09)
Smoking pot causes cell damage that could make a person more likely to develop cancer. Marijuana (cannabis) smoke alters DNA, the genetic material located in cells of the human body. Some forms of DNA damage can lead to cancer.
22. Recall: JBS Swift Beef Recalled Due to E. coli Risk (USDA, 6/25/09)
23. FDA warns of salmonella risk in pistachio brands (FDA, 6/23/09)
Avoid two brands of pistachios tied to a salmonella-related recall: California Prime Produce and Orange County Orchards.
