Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Health news

■ First up, great news if you like Dom Perignon:

"[N]ew research  suggests three glasses of bubbly a week can improve your memory ... a regular tipple of champagne can help  prevent brain disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease."

Apparently, a compound found in certain grapes used in producing champagne - phenolic acid - can act as a memory aid.

Cheers!

In somewhat of a medical miracle, an Aussie who had been declared clinically dead for over half an hour was "brought back to life by a brand new resuscitation technique ... testing a mechanical CPR machine, which performs constant chest compressions, and a portable heart-lung machine -- normally used in theatre -- to keep oxygen and blood flowing to the patient's brain and vital organs."

And he wasn't the only one - there've been half a dozen others, as well.

■ Several months ago, Bob blogged on the intersection of ObamaCare and groceries. Fast forward a bit, and:

"Another group is objecting to another part of [the ObamaTax]: Grocers ... a U.S. health law provision that mandates the companies display the calorie content of all their foods."

The problem is that this adds huge costs to food production and distribution, threatening "a logistical nightmare."

Yeah, well, welcome to the club, laddies.

FoIB Holly R tips us to this story about cutting edge tech and a little girl:

"[D]octors at Children’s National Medical Center are making hearts. Not actual hearts, but three-dimensional synthetic models churned out by what looks like an ordinary printer."

While 3D guns are currently sucking up the media oxygen, these little wonders could save lives. Each organ is individually designed based on a patient's "particular intricacies and deformities" and then printed out and "installed."

Brave new world, indeed.

And finally, the story of Angelina Jolie's recent surgery is making the news, and it reminds me of a post we did at the beginning of the year:

"The 24-year-old Miss DC plans to undergo a double mastectomy ... removing both breasts as a preventative measure to reduce her chances of developing the disease that killed her mother, grandmother and great aunt."

Ms Jolie apparently shares some of the same concerns:

"[S]she underwent a preventive double mastectomy earlier this year after learning she carries a gene that increases her risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer."

One presumes that, at some point, she'll deal with the potential of ovarian cancer in a similar way. I'm still somewhat conflicted about this kind of pre-emptive surgery, but have to admire the bravery of the women who face the decision, and for speaking out about it.
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