Grief Is a Real Heartbreaker, Study Finds
Stress, anxiety may increase heart attack risk in the weeks after a loved one’s death.
By Steven ReinbergHealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Jan. 9 (HealthDay News) — There really is such a thing as heartbreaking grief, suggests new research that finds losing a loved one can increase the risk of heart attack.
Within a day of a significant other’s death, heart attack risk was 21 times higher than normal, said researchers who looked at data on nearly 2,000 heart attack patients. And within the first week after death, the heart attack risk for the bereaved was still six times greater than usual.
“Extreme grief can trigger heart attacks,” said lead researcher Dr.
Dabigatran Associated with Higher MI and ACS Risks
Dabigatran users face increased risks for myocardial infarction and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) relative to those on control medications or placebo, according to a meta-analysis in the .
Researchers examined outcomes in some 30,000 patients from seven randomized trials of dabigatran use in various settings (e.g., stroke prophylaxis, postsurgical prophylaxis of deep venous thrombosis). Overall, dabigatran was associated with significantly higher risks than control treatment; the risks remained elevated even when short-term studies were excluded. The increase in relative risk for MI or ACS was 33%, but the authors point out that the increase in absolute risk was modest, at 0.27%.
Commentators call the results “robust” and “alarming.” A separate editorial note says the findings “deserve serious consideration” when deciding whether to use dabigatran.
Gene Mutations Linked to Thyroid Cancer Risk: Study
FRIDAY, Dec. 30 (HealthDay News) — Researchers have identified three gene abnormalities that appear to raise the likelihood for developing the thyroid cancer, with one in particular — the PTEN gene — implicated in children’s risk for the disease.
Dr. Charis Eng, founding director of the Genomic Medicine Institute of Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute, said in a news release that her team’s “investigation into the genetics behind thyroid disease raises important details relevant to diagnosis and treatment. We hope to promote the earliest diagnosis and most targeted treatment possible.”
The researchers unearthed the gene-cancer risk link by examining and tracking roughly 3,000 patients, many of whom had already been diagnosed with a different disease called Cowden syndrome.
New technique makes it easier to etch semiconductors
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Creating semiconductor structures for high-end optoelectronic devices just got easier, thanks to University of Illinois researchers.
A scanning electron microscope image of “nanopillars” etched in gallium arsenide. | Image by Xiuling Li
The team developed a method to chemically etch patterned arrays in the semiconductor gallium arsenide, used in solar cells, lasers, light emitting diodes (LEDs), field effect transistors (FETs), capacitors and sensors. Led b
7 Baby Food Brands Put to the Test By Moms’ Tastebuds
It’s obviously important for your baby to like and eat those mushy and colorful solid foods you feed her for the first time. But it’s even more important that YOU like them. Your baby has never tasted food before. Only you know if a baby food fruit or vegetable actually tastes like a real peach or carrot and not some artificial representation with an icky aftertaste. Trust us, a lot of the baby food on the shelves tastes this way — and that’s no way to set the stage for a lifetime of healthy eating habits. The moms at The Stir felt a baby food taste test done by grown-ups was long overdue and we recently took the gastric plunge.
The Right Approach to Plastic Surgery Clinic
The plastic surgery deals with repairing of deformities and correction of functional defects. Plastic surgery clinic individually informs you about the complete process of treatment. This surgery is one of the best solutions for most of the problems with regard to our appearance. There is large number of plastic surgeons offering their services in these days. For occurrence, such operations took place after a car accident or in other cases of a serious trauma. Experience means nothing if the plastic surgeon doesn’t have what to show for this and that is the next thing you must look up. Read more…
Male Circumcision a Forgotten Key in AIDS Prevention
Leaders of the global fight against AIDS say male circumcision is among the most overlooked keys to reducing the incidence of sexually transmitted infections. At the international conference on AIDS in Africa, major funders are urging nations to take greater responsibility for education, treatment and prevention campaigns. The United Nations AIDS organization and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) announced a five-year campaign to persuade men in 14 African countries to voluntarily submit to circumcision. Recent studies suggest that circumcision reduces the risk of female-to-male sexual transmission of HIV infections by roughly 60 percent. Read more…
