Health News: No Ebola virus threat from legally imported African Foods ♦ Association between migraine & carpal tunnel ♦ Genetic attack against schistosomiasis + More

E.F.S.A.: No Ebola virus threat from legally imported African Foods  Raw foods that legally reach Europe, including plants, fruits, and vegetables, pose no risk of Ebola virus transmission, No human has ever been known to become infected with the Ebola virus from consumption of legally important foods into the European Continue Reading

Association between migraine, carpal tunnel syndrome found  Patients with carpal tunnel syndrome are more than twice as likely to have migraine headaches, reports a new study. Patients with carpal tunnel syndrome have symptoms such as hand numbness and weakness, resulting from pressure on the median nerve in the wrist Continue reading

Profound, debilitating fatigue found to be a major issue for autoimmune disease patients in new national survey  Fatigue is a major component of autoimmune disease research found. Fatigue described as "profound," "debilitating," and "preventing them from doing the simplest everyday tasks," is a major issue for autoimmune disease patients, impacting nearly every aspect of their lives Continue Reading

Genetic discovery may offer new avenue of attack against schistosomiasis  Researchers have discovered a group of genes in one species of snail that provide a natural resistance to the flatworm parasite that causes schistosomiasis, and opens the door to possible new drugs or ways to break the transmission cycle of this debilitating disease. It's been called a neglected global pandemic Continue Reading

Rapid testing for gene variants in kidney donors may optimize transplant outcomes

Kidney transplantation outcomes from deceased African-American donors may improve through rapid testing for apolipoprotein L1 gene renal risk variants at the time of organ recovery, according to a new study Continue Reading

10/29/14 Transplants first circulatory death human heart ♦ Health News:Hand blenders can emit persistent chemicals ♦ Growing a blood vessel in a week

Hand blenders used for cooking can emit persistent chemicals

Eight out of twelve tested models of hand blenders are leaking chlorinated paraffins when used according to the suppliers’ instructions. Chlorinated paraffins are included in the subject group of persistent organic pollutants which humans and animals should be protected from Continue Reading

Australian doctors transplants first circulatory death human heart The St Vincent's Hospital Heart Lung Transplant Unit has carried out the world's first distant procurement of hearts donated after circulatory death (DCD). These hearts were subsequently resuscitated and then successfully transplanted into patients with end-stage heart failure. Continue Reading

Growing a blood vessel in a week The technology for creating new tissues from stem cells has taken a giant leap forward. Three tablespoons of blood are all that is needed to grow a brand new blood vessel in just seven days.Continue Reading

11/26/13 Health News: Monsanto Signs Pesticide Deal, Biggest Mistake Doctors Make, Vitamin D Helps Kidney Transplants, Childrens Wound Healing Geans

Maui signs pesticide disclosure deal with Monsanto

WAILUKU, Hawaii -- Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa has signed a pesticide disclosure agreement with agricultural giant Monsanto. The county said Wednesday the deal requires Monsanto to disclose what types of restricted-use pesticides it's using and how much.continue reading

Two Genes May Accelerate Wound Healing in the Young

The mystery of why wounds heal more quickly in the young compared to the elderly may soon be solved following the discovery of two of the genes involved in tissue regeneration. The scientists believe that the genes, called Lin28a and IMP1, are designed to be especially active during the foetal stages of development and are gradually turned off as an animal ages - which could explain why wounds take longer to heal in the elderly and how ageing occurs.continue reading

Vitamin D for Healthy Kidney Transplants

A new study suggests that getting enough of a crucial vitamin may be essential for maintaining kidney health after a transplant. The study showed that vitamin D levels were directly related to how well patients' kidneys filtered waste out of the blood in the years after transplant surgery. Patients with lower levels of vitamin D were more likely to have an organ rejection.continue reading

The Biggest Mistake Doctors Make

Misdiagnoses are harmful and costly. But they're often preventable.

A patient with abdominal pain dies from a ruptured appendix after a doctor fails to do a complete physical exam. A biopsy comes back positive for prostate cancer, but no one follows up when the lab result gets misplaced. A child's fever and rash are diagnosed as a viral illness, but they turn out to be a much more serious case of bacterial meningitis. Such devastating errors lead to permanent damage or death for as many as 160,000 patients each year, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Not only are diagnostic problems more common than other medical mistakes—and more likely to harm patients—but they're also the leading cause of malpractice claims, accounting for 35% of nearly $39 billion in payouts in the U.S. from 1986 to 2010, measured in 2011 dollars, according to Johns Hopkins. The good news is that diagnostic errors are more likely to be preventable continue reading