Day: July 4, 2024

Jul 04

Bronny James had cardiac arrest. Here’s what to know about the condition.

Suffering a sudden cardiac arrest can be fatal, especially without receiving immediate medical treatment, experts say. Bronny James, the 18-year-old son of NBA star LeBron James, was in stable condition Tuesday after becoming the latest elite athlete to experience the medical emergency, this time during a basketball practice at the University of Southern California. Still, cardiac arrests in young athletes are relatively rare. One of the most high-profile cases came in January, when the Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin suddenly collapsed on the football field. The NFL player returned to practice five months after the near-death experience. Cardiac arrest can lead to injuries in the brain and internal organs, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder. It is different from a heart attack. Here’s what to know: What to know

Jul 04

Blood-stained Fiji PM cancels China trip after head injury: ‘I tripped’

“I tripped and hurt my head,” he said with a smile. “I do not know whether my head is hurt more than the door, or the door is hurt more than my head.” He explained that a medical appointment had been scheduled for Friday to review the injury and change the dressing, so the trip to coincide with the opening ceremony of the FISU World University Games was off. Xi had also been expected to attend the International University Sports Federation Game’s opening ceremony, according to the Chinese embassy in Suva, raising the prospect of a meeting between the two leaders. Advertisement “I have had to inform China that I will not be able to undertake the trip that was coming up tomorrow night,” Rabuka said. Rabuka indicated his injury was “nothing to worry about”. He acknowledged there may be some speculation about the incident but added that he looked forward to taking up an invitation from Beijing at another time. <!–> 01:59 China’s proposed security deal with Pacific islands falls short as Wang Yi tours region Rabuka has shown more scepticism than his predecessor about close ties with Beijing since being voted into power in late 2022. In particular, he has scotched talk of continuing a police agreement with China and moved to sign agreements with US-aligned allies. Advertisement Both Beijing and Washington are vying for influence in the South Pacific as they compete to be the Asia-Pacific’s pre-eminent economic, military and diplomatic power. –>

Jul 04

Avid Nags Head waterman dies after contracting bacterial infection in sound

By Corinne Saunders | Outer Banks Voice on July 25, 2023 Mike Gard. Nags Head resident Michael “Mike” Gard, 71, a fondly remembered local business owner and avid waterman, died unexpectedly on July 21, following infection of a cut he got while handling a crab pot in the sound five days earlier. While Dare County Health and Human Services (DHHS) Director Sheila Davies said she could not confirm that the deceased individual was Gard for privacy reasons, the DHHS said it was made aware of a confirmed Vibrio bacteria case on July 20 and was notified of that person’s death on July 24—something that tracks with the Gard death and timeline. The DHHS confirmed that another Vibrio case was reported July 25, although at this time, there is no fatality involved. As a result of these cases, Davies said her department was issuing a media release “on recreational water illnesses and preventative measures individuals can take to help prevent illness.” (How to Enjoy Water Activities Safely to Prevent Illness) Gard’s family and friends discussed the tragedy with the Voice. “The outcome they gave us was he had a very weak heart and it wasn’t able to compete with the infection,” said Kenny Gard, Mike Gard’s younger brother. “He’d had a stent in his heart since 2019.” “If he was young and had a strong heart, I think he would have made it,” said Gard’s girlfriend Elaine Piddington. “It’s like a bad dream, it truly is, the worst dream I’ve had.” “It made all his friends just stunned,” added Ronny Bennett. He’d regularly hunted and fished with Mike Gard, owner of Honey-Do Handyman Services, whom he called “a jack of all trades.” Bennett and Mike Gard’s close friend Ted Moseley reported that the doctors said Gard had necrotizing fasciitis. That is “a severe infection in which the flesh around an open wound dies,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website. Gard’s friends and family said they were not sure of the name of the bacteria that caused his infection. Several bacteria species can cause necrotizing fasciitis, including Vibrio. Over the past six years, only seven other Vibrio cases have been confirmed in Dare County, with another three “probable” cases. Monday’s reported case is the only fatality, according to Davies. Vibrio is common in seawater, especially in warm, brackish waters, and Vibrio cases are expected every summer, Davies added. “The majority of Vibrio infections occur from eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters,” she said. “Certain Vibrio species can also cause a skin infection when an open wound is exposed to salt water or brackish water.” Vibrio is a required reportable disease in North Carolina, meaning it is tracked statewide, but community notification is not required nor common practice, Davies said in an email. Following Gard’s death, Moseley posted a notice on Facebook about the bacteria from the sound causing his death “because I thought people ought to know about it.” Several other friends and family members had also posted on social media, first asking for prayers for his recovery and then announcing his death. According to Piddington, she and Gard were moving her five crab pots from one location to another in Buzzard Bay—part of the Albemarle Sound—south of Colington Island, on Sunday, July 16. Gard scratched himself with a crab pot while putting it in the boat. About an hour later, well after the cut stopped bleeding, the two swam for a few minutes in the sound. They went home, showered and went to bed. Piddington recounted that on Monday, Gard went to work, but didn’t feel well. He opted to wait to see a doctor, but when Piddington saw him that evening, she said he was “shaking like a leaf” and “from the ankle to the knee, it was red.” She sent a photo to his heart doctor and to his niece, who is an EMT. The niece asked when his last tetanus shot was, and he didn’t know, so she told him to go get one. Piddington took him to Outer Banks Health around 11:30 p.m., where he received a tetanus shot and antibiotics. Tuesday morning, Piddington woke up around 6 a.m. and Gard was not doing well. Following an ambulance ride to Outer Banks Health, he was flown to the hospital in Greenville around 8:45 a.m. “I got a call from the doctor saying, ‘Come on up,’” Kenny Gard recalled, and he went to Greenville on Tuesday afternoon. The chaplain told him that his brother was coherent when he first arrived, but within 30 minutes, “he went into septic shock…and never came out of it.” Following an unsuccessful surgery, Mike Gard was taken off life support on Friday morning, July 21, and passed away just hours later, around noon. Kenny Gard said that 20-some years ago, he’d contracted two bacterial infections within a six month-period from being in the sound with scratches on his legs, with a very different outcome from his brother’s. “Certainly we all miss him, and it’s hard to grasp how quickly it went and happened,” he noted. As a child, Moseley vacationed in his aunt’s beach house on Soundside Road in Nags Head, which was the street where Gard grew up. They played together in the sound, and after high school, Moseley moved to the Outer Banks. “We did everything together, fished and hunted…we’ve taken some camping trips down to Cape Lookout,” he said. Piddington said that her husband died of cancer eight years ago, and “I’d finally found love” with Gard. “We had only been together 10 weeks, but…it was like I knew him all my life kind of thing. It was the best 10 weeks of my life.”

Jul 04

Best way to lower blood pressure . . . don’t move

Exercises such as the plank, the bridge and the “wall sit”could help millions of people who need to lower their blood pressure. Actions that engage muscles without movement — “static isometric” exercises — are best for the purpose, a study suggests. Researchers drew on 270 clinical trials, involving almost 16,000 people. Changes in blood flow prompted by the exercises were likely to be behind the improvements, they concluded. Persistent high blood pressure can lead to serious health problems including heart attacks, strokes and vascular dementia. The condition affects one in four adults in Britain. The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that other exercises, including squats, press-ups, high intensity interval training (HIIT), and cardiovascular exercise, also resulted in falls in blood Related articles

Jul 04

Spike in conjunctivitis, fungal infections, Delhi hospitals on alert

The city is seeing a spike in cases of conjunctivitis, fungal infections and vector-borne diseases, Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said on Tuesday, adding that hospitals in Delhi have been alerted about the same. He attributed the rise in the cases to the high humidity levels. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Tuesday issued guidelines asking teachers to be vigilant in recognising symptoms of conjunctivitis after some teachers reported a spike in such cases in the municipal-run schools. The symptoms may include redness in the eyes, excessive tearing, itchiness, and eye. Teachers have also been asked to encourage students to practice good hygiene habits, and refrain students from touching eyes, face, or common surfaces with unwashed hands. According to an MCD report, over 180 cases of dengue were reported in the city as of Tuesday, exceeding an all-time high in five years from January 1 to July 22. The report also recorded 61 cases of malaria and 14 of chikungunya. COMMents SHARE Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Related Topics Delhi / health / malaria / disease / school

Jul 04

DHS: 40 cases of parasitic infection linked to produce confirmed in Wisconsin this summer

By Hope Kirwan | WPR A parasitic infection linked to imported produce is popping up in Wisconsin again this summer. @media ( min-width: 250px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 90px;}} There have been 40 cases of cyclosporiasis reported to the state Department of Health Services since June 1. Sign up for our free newsletters to receive morning and afternoon local news directly to your inbox. The intestinal illness is caused by a parasite that comes from people ingesting food or water contaminated with feces. The parasite is commonly found in tropical regions, and cases in the United States usually come from produce imported from affected countries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it takes about a week for symptoms to begin after being infected. These include watery diarrhea, cramping and fatigue, and can last for several weeks to more than a month. @media ( min-width: 250px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-2{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-2{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-2{min-height: 90px;}} Dr. Kim Zelton, foodborne illness epidemiologist for DHS, said this year’s numbers are typical for the state. “It really varies from year to year depending on if we have any kind of outbreaks associated with some produce imported to Wisconsin or not,” she said. “For years that we identify outbreaks, (the total) can get very high.” Wisconsin and Minnesota saw an outbreak of cyclosporiasis in 2018 linked to Del Monte vegetable trays sold at Kwik Trip stores. @media ( min-width: 250px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-3{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-3{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-3{min-height: 90px;}} Zelton said DHS does not know at this point whether this year’s infections came from one widely distributed food or if it’s from a variety of items. She said it’s also possible that residents consumed contaminated food in another state. The CDC has confirmed 581 cases of the illness since April across 31 states. The agency’s website said this year’s outbreak started slightly earlier than normal, but it’s too soon to tell whether that will be a lasting change. In May, federal agencies linked an outbreak of cyclosporiasis to raw broccoli in Georgia and Alabama. The CDC’s website said there is no indication that broccoli continues to be a source of illness. Zelton said cyclosporiasis tends to be a seasonal illness, with cases declining in late summer and early fall. She said it’s important for consumers to be aware that any fresh produce can carry different illnesses and that following food safety precautions is important when preparing and consuming these foods. “Things like washing their hands before and after handling raw produce, making sure to rinse that produce thoroughly under running water, using a clean produce brush on those firmer fruits and vegetables that can handle it, and then also storing your fresh produce in the refrigerator as quickly as possible and separate from things like raw meats,” she said. This story was produced by Wisconsin Public Radio and is being republished by permission. See the original story here. Support our work As an independent publication, we rely on donations to fund our journalism @media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.sidebar_article-2{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 320px ){.newspack_global_ad.sidebar_article-2{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.sidebar_article-2{min-height: 90px;}}

Jul 04

The Diabetes-Heart Arrhythmia Connection

The human heart beats roughly 3 billion times during the course of an average lifetime. Every single time it beats, blood is drawn into its two upper chambers, held there briefly by a network of valves, and then pumped out forcefully through its two lower chambers. This drawing-and-pumping action ensures that about six liters of freshly oxygenated blood leaves the heart and enters the bloodstream every minute—a volume that can rise to more than 35 liters per minute when someone is exercising. But none of that can happen unless the heart’s complicated machinery—its assorted valves and muscles and electrical circuitry—is working in harmony. When that harmony breaks down, the heart can pump too fast or too slow, or it can lose coordination among its various chambers. This breakdown is known as an arrhythmia, and it can lead to complications ranging from fatigue or shortness of breath to a heart attack or stroke. “When we say arrhythmia, we literally mean the heart is out of rhythm,” says Dr. Jonathan Piccini, a cardiologist and arrhythmia specialist at Duke University Medical Center. He compares the heart’s operation to a symphony orchestra. “If someone was playing off the wrong sheet of music or if their instrument were out of tune, that would not be subtle. It would be profoundly disruptive,” he says. “The same is true of a heart arrhythmia.” Heart arrhythmias are common; up to 5% of the general population has some form of the condition. The most common form, by far, is atrial fibrillation, or “Afib.” This is a type of arrhythmia that arises in the upper chambers of the heart. “Between 60 and 100 beats per minute is normal,” Piccini says. “In Afib, the top regions of the heart are in total chaos and could be beating on the order of 400 to 600 beats per minute.” According to figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one out of every seven strokes is caused by Afib. This and other life-threatening complications have led researchers to scrutinize the most common risk factors for Afib and other arrhythmias. “There’s a super long list of things that can promote or trigger or cause Afib, and one of the big ones is diabetes,” says Piccini, whose work in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology has examined the relationship between the two conditions. By some estimates, people who have Type 2 diabetes are 34% more likely to develop Afib than people without diabetes. Here, Piccini and other experts explain how diabetes and heart arrhythmias may be connected. They also discuss how both conditions are treated—either alone or in tandem—and how people with diabetes can protect themselves from serious heart complications. The diabetes-arrhythmia connection The Framingham Heart Study is one of the most famous and fruitful research efforts ever undertaken. It began in 1948 with 5,000-plus study participants—all from the town of Framingham in Massachusetts—and continues to this day. The purpose of the study is to track participants’ health and lifestyles over time in order to uncover potential risk factors for heart disease. Thanks in large part to the Framingham Heart Study, researchers recognized that smoking, high blood pressure, too little physical activity, and many other variables could raise a person’s risk for heart disease. Almost 30 years ago, data from the Framingham Heart Study helped reveal that people with diabetes are at increased risk for Afib. However, the connection between the two conditions has only recently garnered serious research attention. “This is an area of tremendous interest primarily because we have discovered newer classes of medications that, in addition to lowering glucose, can also reduce the risk of heart complications,” says Dr. Jennifer Green, a diabetes and metabolism specialist at Duke who, along with Piccini, has conducted research on diabetes and Afib. A lot more work is needed to determine exactly why people with diabetes are at increased risk for Afib. “But there does seem to be a cause-and-effect relationship between the two,” she says. One hypothesis is that elevated levels of blood sugar (or glucose), which is a hallmark of diabetes, causes damage to the heart that may result in arrhythmias. “There are things we call advanced glycation end products”—harmful compounds that arise when blood sugar combines with blood proteins or fats—“that we know can be responsible for organ damage,” she explains. Another hypothesis is that diabetes contributes to the development of high blood pressure (hypertension), which may cause damage to the heart in ways that result in an arrhythmia. “Diabetes affects the blood vessels in ways that make them stiffer and that makes blood pressure rise,” says Dr. Mattias Brunström, a hypertension specialist and physician researcher at Umeå University in Sweden. Roughly two-thirds of adults with diabetes also have hypertension, and people with hypertension are almost twice as likely to develop Afib as people who do not have hypertension. Yet another possibility is that diabetes-related inflammation may contribute to the development of an arrhythmia. “In people with diabetes, there are both systemic and localized increases in inflammation that, if severe enough and prolonged enough, could increase the risk of arrhythmia,” Green says. All of these hypotheses could turn out to be accurate. “It’s probably not just one mechanism or one explanation, but several,” she says. Read More: High Blood Pressure and Diabetes Are Linked. Here’s How to Reduce Your Risk for Both Prevention and treatment There is good evidence that people who have well-controlled diabetes are much less likely to develop Afib or other types of arrhythmias than people who have poorly controlled diabetes. “We’ve learned that the higher the glycemic load, the higher the likelihood a person will develop Afib,” Piccini says. Managing glycemic load (keeping blood sugar at a healthy level) is the main purpose of taking medication for diabetes. It’s possible that people who are undergoing treatment for diabetes don’t need to do anything different to lower their risk for an arrhythmia. “For anyone with diabetes, the goal is good glycemic control,” he

Jul 04

Vitalant, Red Cross seeking blood donations to avert shortage

SPOKANE, Wash. — Vitalant and Red Cross are seeking blood donations from the public to prevent a national blood shortage. Both Red Cross and Vitalant say they are especially in need of Type O negative, Type O positive, and Type B negative blood donors. ⚠️ BLOOD EMERGENCY ALERT ⚠️The blood supply is down 25%, reducing what’s available for patients. Donors of all blood types, especially type O, are needed to end the #BloodEmergency and ensure patients have what they need when they need it. #GiveBlood: https://t.co/qAUECyhfvR pic.twitter.com/OG3wxBFYGd — Vitalant – Northwest (@VitalantNW) July 17, 2023

Jul 04

Red Cross to host Northeast Ohio blood drives amid shortages

The American Red Cross has seen a decline in blood and platelet donations all summer, according to a news release Type O negative, type O positive and type B negative blood donors are especially needed. The Red Cross is teaming up with Warner Bros. for the theatrical release of “Meg 2: The Trench” to celebrate a summer of sharks and help spread the word that donors are needed, according to the release. All who come to give through Aug. 12 will be entered for a chance to win a three-night New York getaway for two with a private shark dive adventure at Long Island Aquarium, the release said. Those who come to give throughout the month of August, also will receive a $10 e-gift card to a movie merchant of their choice, the release said. Blood drives • Lorain County: From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Aug. 7, at Avon Lake Public Library, 32649 Electric Blvd.; from noon to 5 p.m., Aug. 8, at Willoway Nurseries, 4534 Center Road in Avon; and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Aug. 11, at Lorain Lighthouse United Methodist Church, 3015 Meister Road. • Cuyahoga County: From noon to 6 p.m., Aug. 2, at North Olmsted Community Cabin, 28114 Lorain Road; from noon to 6 p.m., Aug. 3, at Rocky River Civic Center, 21016 Hilliard Blvd.; from 1-7 p.m., Aug. 3, at Westlake Porter Public Library, 27333 Center Ridge Road; from 1-6 p.m., Aug. 10, at St. Mary of the Falls Church, 25615 Bagley Road in Olmsted Falls; and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Aug. 15, at The Community Room, Olmsted Township, 7900 Fitch Road. • Erie County: From 1-6 p.m., Aug. 1, at American Legion, 3615 Hayes Ave. in Sandusky; from 1-6 p.m., Aug. 8, at Holy Angels Catholic Church, 428 Tiffin Ave. in Sandusky; from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Aug. 11, at Firelands Health, 1912 Hayes Ave. in Sandusky; and from 1-6 p.m., Aug. 15, at American Legion in 3615 Hayes Ave. in Sandusky.

Jul 04

Vegetarian Diets May Improve Cardiometabolic Outcomes in High-Risk Patients

Tian Wang, APD, RD Credit: ResearchGate Consumption of a vegetarian diet may have modest, but significant improvements in cardiometabolic outcomes beyond standard therapy in individuals with or at high risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), according to new research.1 The systematic review and meta-analysis of 20 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) suggested a vegetarian diet in these high-risk patients was associated with significant improvements in low-denisty lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and body weight. “Vegetarian diets were most effective in glycemic control among people with type 2 diabetes (T2D), and led to favorable changes in weight in people at high risk of CVD and in those with T2D, suggesting that vegetarian diets might have a synergistic (or at least nonantagonistic) use in potentiating the effects of optimal drug therapy in the prevention and treatment of a range of cardiometabolic diseases,” wrote the investigative team, led by Tian Wang, APD, RD, from the Charles Perkins Centre, faculty of medicine and health, at the University of Sydney. Poor diet has been linked to an elevated risk of CVD morbidity and mortality. Dietary guidelines released by the American Heart Association in 2021 indicated the importance of dietary patterns rich in minimally processed plant foods, fish, and seafood, and low-fat dairy products. On the other hand, diabetes organizations have recommended the consumption of a well-balanced vegetarian diet in line with evidence suggesting their effect at preventing T2D and its metabolic complications. There are accumulating data from meta-analyses of RCTs showing a role of vegetarian diet in the primary prevention of CVDs in the general population. However, little is known regarding their effectiveness on those with or at high of CVDs. The objective of the current meta-analysis was to assess the association of vegetarian diets with major cardiometabolic risk factors, with eligible RCTs measuring LDL-C, HbA1c, or systolic blood pressure (SBP). A systematic search was performed in Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and CENTRAL from inception until July 2021. Of 7871 records screened, 29 (0.4%; 20 studies) met inclusion criteria. In the investigative team, 2 reviewers independently extracted data including demographics, study design, sample size, and diet description, and performed risk of bias assessment. The analysis used a random-effects model to assess mean changes in LDL-C, HbA1c, SBP, and body weight between preintervention and postintervention for the primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes included change in body weight and energy intake. The 20 studies were conducted across the US, Asia, Europe, or New Zealand, involving 1878 participants, and the mean duration of intervention was 25.4 weeks. Of the included trials, 4 targeted people with CVDs, 7 focused on diabetes, and 9 included individiauls with ≥2 CVD risk factors. Upon analysis of 19 studies, the consumption of a vegetarian diet was found to be associated with a significantly decreased LDL-C by 6.6 mg/dL (95% CI, -10.1 to -3.1 mg/dL) over a mean of 6 months beyond that achieved with standard therapy. The most consistent reduction was observed among people at high risk of CVDs (-9.1 mg/dL; 95% CI, -12.7 to -5.5 mg/dL). An analysis of 10 studies investigating HbA1c found that consuming vegetarian diets was associated with decreased HbA1c by 0.24% (95% CI, -0.40 to -0.07) in a mean 6 months of intervention. Results from 16 trials included in a meta-analysis of body weight showed weight decreased by 3.4 kg in a mean 6 months of intervention in individuals randomized to vegetarian diets (95% CI, -4.9 to -2.0 kg). However, a meta-analysis of 14 studies revealed the pooled effect size of vegetarian diets on SBP was not statistically significant (-0.1 mmHg; 95% CI, -2.8 to 2.6 mmHg). In the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) assessment, investigators found the level of evidence was rated moderate for LDL-C and HbA1c reduction and low for SBP and weight reduction. “Well-designed nutrition clinical trials with comprehensive dietary information are warranted to investigate the full effect of high-quality vegetarian diets in combination with optimal pharmacological therapy in people with CVDs,” the team wrote. References Wang T, Kroeger CM, Cassidy S, et al. Vegetarian Dietary Patterns and Cardiometabolic Risk in People With or at High Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(7):e2325658. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.25658 Lichtenstein AH, Appel LJ, Vadiveloo M, etal. 2021 dietary guidance to improve cardiovascular health: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2021;144(23):e472-e487. doi:10.1161/CIR. 0000000000001031