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 negati...

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 foun...

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 b...

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.

When it comes to the risk of

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 ...