Category: Blood

COURIER STAFF LifeServe Blood Center needs both new and regular blood donors to roll up a sleeve this summer. The Cedar Falls Community Blood Drive is scheduled from 12:30 to 6 p.m. Aug. 28 at First United Methodist Church, 718 Clay St. Heart disease is the primary cause of death in men and women in the UK and the US. Yet the indicators of heart problems often go unnoticed, and prolonged waits for tests affect a significant portion of individuals. unbranded – Lifestyle Local lifesaving organizations like LifeServe Blood Center often see dips in blood donations due to blood donors’ busy summer schedules. From outdoor fun to weddings and vacations, people are busy. However, hospital patients are unable to reschedule their need for transfusions. So, this summer, the center is asking donors to spare just one hour and ensure blood is on the shelf when someone needs it. The entire whole blood donation process is typically one hour or less. And 60 minutes of one’s time could positively impact three families. Schedule a blood donation appointment online at lifeservebloodcenter.org or call 800-287-4903. People are also reading… LifeServe Blood Center is a non-profit, community based blood center that has served the needs of local hospitals and patients in our regions since 1947. As one of the 15 largest blood centers in the country, LifeServe provides blood products to 158 hospitals primarily in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. LifeServe is committed to saving lives by providing premier service to volunteer blood donors and access to a safe, quality blood supply for hospitals and patients. Your donation with LifeServe will help save your neighbor, a friend or family member or a stranger on the street. YOU make a difference in YOUR community. Afghan women fight for survival after two years of Taliban rule, and more of today’s top videos Afghanistan’s Taliban has marked the second anniversary of their return to power, hope is fading for the hundreds still missing after the Maui wildfires, and more of today’s top videos. Afghanistan’s Taliban marked the second anniversary of their return to power, which means Afghan women have been fighting for survival for two… Relief workers in Lahaina continue the slow and meticulous work of searching for wildfire victims as Hawaii’s governor warns up to 20 bodies c… The recent wildfire which left Hawaii’s second largest island of Maui in ruin is now the 5th deadliest wildland fire in US history. The United States Army is facing a recruitment crisis. University of Chicago agreed to pay $13.5 Million as part of settling claims it engaged in a scheme to keep financial aid packages low. Veuer’… In what could be a landmark case, a Montana state court has ruled in favour of 16 youths who sued the state, claiming its use of fossil fuels … A new COVI-19 vaccine is set to be released next month amidst rising cases of the “Eris” variant, a form of the Omicron variant. 0 Comments #lee-rev-content { margin:0 -5px; } #lee-rev-content h3 { font-family: inherit!important; font-weight: 700!important; border-left: 8px solid var(–lee-blox-link-color); text-indent: 7px; font-size: 24px!important; line-height: 24px; } #lee-rev-content .rc-provider { font-family: inherit!important; } #lee-rev-content h4 { line-height: 24px!important; font-family: “serif-ds”,Times,”Times New Roman”,serif!important; margin-top: 10px!important; } @media (max-width: 991px) { #lee-rev-content h3 { font-size: 18px!important; line-height: 18px; } } #pu-email-form-daily-email-article { clear: both; background-color: #fff; color: #222; background-position: bottom; background-repeat: no-repeat; padding: 15px 0 20px; margin-bottom: 40px; border-top: 4px solid rgba(0,0,0,.8); border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0,0,0,.2); display: none; } #pu-email-form-daily-email-article, #pu-email-form-daily-email-article p { font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, “Apple Color Emoji”, “Segoe UI Emoji”, “Segoe UI Symbol”; } #pu-email-form-daily-email-article h2 { font-size: 24px; margin: 15px 0 5px 0; font-family: “serif-ds”, Times, “Times New Roman”, serif; } #pu-email-form-daily-email-article .lead { margin-bottom: 5px; } #pu-email-form-daily-email-article .email-desc { font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 5px; opacity: 0.7; } #pu-email-form-daily-email-article form { padding: 10px 30px 5px 30px; } #pu-email-form-daily-email-article .disclaimer { opacity: 0.5; margin-bottom: 0; line-height: 100%; } #pu-email-form-daily-email-article .disclaimer a { color: #222; text-decoration: underline; } #pu-email-form-daily-email-article .email-hammer { border-bottom: 3px solid #222; opacity: .5; display: inline-block; padding: 0 10px 5px 10px; margin-bottom: -5px; font-size: 16px; } @media (max-width: 991px) { #pu-email-form-daily-email-article form { padding: 10px 0 5px 0; } } .grecaptcha-badge { visibility: hidden; } Get local news delivered to your inbox! 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Colosseum, the new BBC series on the ancient amphitheatre, really should have an exclamation mark after it. It’s just so – exclamationy! A rollicking journey through 300 years of Roman history, via the construction of the enormous monument and the bloody games within, it could not be a more appealing introduction to the subject. Ideally, you will be new not just to the Romans, but also to Ridley Scott’s Gladiator aesthetic of the Roman empire that has dominated since Russell “Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the armies of the north, general of the Felix legions and loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius, father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife” Crowe stepped forward and asked if we were not entertained. Hopefully, too, you will not flinch at, but instead embrace with wide-eyed innocence, actors recreating pivotal tableaux when every penny has gone on CGI recreations of the architecture and not on the scripts. There are many enthusiastic talking heads – mostly from the US, which one suspects is the intended market for this prestigious primer. However, we are fielding Prof Bettany Hughes and Simon Sebag Montefiore on the home team. Stiffen the sinews and take your tablets and you can still enjoy the eight-episode round. We start in AD80 with – but of course! – the gladiators. The eight years of building work are complete and Rome’s new emperor, Titus, who has inherited the throne from his father, Vespasian (inaugurator of the Flavian dynasty), but still counts as an upstart and needs to secure his popular and political position as soon as possible, is about to open the venue for 100 days of sanguinary games. From mortal combat to executions of criminals in brutally innovative ways and animal hunts (venationes, coming to you in detail in episode three), the wobbly second rung of the Flavian dynasty was keen to see you got your lead token’s worth. And so is BBC Four, which follows the template laid down by the Starz network’s series Spartacus: Blood and Sand. If arterial spray is not your thing, please avert your eyes whenever someone starts swinging his gladius. Central to the grand opening of the Colosseum was the fight, recorded by the poet Martial, between the gladiators Verus and Priscus. According to the re-enactment casting, at least, Priscus was a lad who had been swept up in a raid and enslaved during a gap year in Germania. Titus had promised the heaving, volatile crowd an opening fight to the death, but Verus and Priscus were so well matched that each fought to exhaustion and surrendered, leaving the crowd agape and Titus in something of a cleft stick. I hope everyone who has seen the programme enjoys what an excellent, excellent joke I’ve just made. I will give you a moment to marvel at it. Thank you. The second episode concentrates on the building of the Colosseum – a subject that, perhaps more than any other, could have been, and hopefully will be, the focus of a series of its own. The scale of it, with only manual labour available, is mindboggling: 220,000 tonnes of dirt dug out for nine-metre-deep foundations; 99,000 cubic metres of travertine stone removed and transported from nine miles away; 300 tonnes of iron clamps; 1m bricks. All to the glory of Rome (the Flavians, more specifically). In AD81, the tyrannical Domitian became emperor after his brother died – of absolutely and completely natural causes, as emperors with tyrannical brothers waiting in the wings always did, so don’t look at me like that. He immediately ordered the master builder Haterius to build a hypogeum (a network of tunnels) and lifts beneath the amphitheatre to enable warriors, animals and scenery to emerge from the ground and blow the common people’s tiny minds. He gave him 18 months to do it. The year AD81 was the first and last time anyone felt sorry for a builder. Although the episodes feel remarkably effortless, they manage to impart the darnedest amount of information. The series comprises instalments about a female gladiator, a beast master, the martyred bishop Ignatius of Antioch, the gladiators’ doctor Galen (yes, that Galen) and the Colosseum’s final games, as the empire began to decline. By the time you reach the end of it, you will have learned a lot (if young) or remembered a surprising amount of what you had forgotten (if not) about the politics and sociology of the time, the advent of Christianity, the state of ancient medicine and the tentacular reach of Rome, plus its brutalities, its civilities and its influence over just about every field of human endeavour. Maximus Decimus Meridius, I was entertained. And more than a little educated, too.

CLARKSTON, Mich. – A Clarkston family is expressing gratitude for the many people who have rolled up their sleeves this summer to donate blood. Matt and Emily Buchanan’s 4 year-old son Jackson is fighting leukemia. He has needed multiple transfusions of blood and platelets throughout his treatment. The Buchanans want to raise awareness of how much each of those donations is needed and appreciated. “It’s not really on your radar. I mean, for most people, it’s like, ‘OK, we know that there’s blood drives, people benefit from it,’ but until you are directly affected, somehow you really see that tangible effect, and for Jack especially, it’s so literally a lifesaver,” said Matt Buchanan. “People have come up to us and said, ‘You know, I’ve always been too afraid’ or you know, ‘I just didn’t think that I’d be able to, but now that I know that your son benefits from that, I’m gonna go. I’m gonna go for my first time’ and those are the ones that are really cool to hear about the first-time donors,” said Emily Buchanan. Jackson has more treatment ahead, but he has made it through a particularly difficult phase. “He’s gone through it. He’s gone through the thick of it. And he’s come out the other side, just like he was when he started, but better,” said Matt Buchanan. As they work to support Jackson, the Buchanans are grateful for the people lifting them up. “Friends, family, the whole community has been above and beyond when it comes to support,” said Matt Buchanan. “Couldn’t have done it without them.” The family is also grateful to long-time blood drive sponsor Gardner-White. After seeing the rough condition of their old couch, the company gifted them a brand new one. “It’s amazing. We certainly appreciate it and with everything that we’ve gone through, you know, buying a couch wasn’t really in the cards for us for a little bit,” said Emily Buchanan. The Buchanans hope everyone who can will continue to donate blood, for Jackson and so many others who need it. “For something that will take maybe half hour, 45 minutes out of your day, it’s going to help somebody in dire need,” said Matt Buchanan. You can donate blood on Thursday, August 17 at Gardner White stores in Auburn Hills, Canton, Howell, Shelby Township, Warren, and Waterford. —> Gardner-White partners with American Red Cross to host blood drives in Metro Detroit: What to know You can also schedule a blood or platelet donation appointment by using the Red Cross Blood Donor app, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767), sponsor code: gardnerwhite.

Having just one alcoholic beverage per day could cause a spike in blood pressure, new research has revealed. The study, which was published in the American Heart Association (AHA) journal Hypertension, found that regardless of the amount of alcohol consumed, blood pressure levels are likely to increase. These findings came from an analysis of seven studies, which surveyed more than 19,000 adults in the U.S., Korea and Japan, according to an AHA press release. BAD BUNNY’S HIT SONG HAS ‘RIGHT TEMPO’ FOR LIFE-SAVING CPR, AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION SAYS The association with systolic blood pressure — which is the first read on blood pressure levels — and the number of alcoholic drinks occurred even in adults without previous hypertension. This analysis is the first to suggest that even low alcohol consumption can lead to a higher risk of cardiovascular events, according to the AHA. Just one alcoholic beverage a day could spike blood pressure, an American Heart Association study has revealed. (iStock) Following the study, the AHA reiterated its advice to limit alcohol intake. Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel of NYU Langone Medical Center weighed in on the study in an interview with Fox News Digital, explaining how alcohol impacts blood pressure. CAN HEART FAILURE RISK SHOW UP ON A SMARTWATCH? IT’S POSSIBLE, STUDY SAYS “Alcohol initially may lower blood pressure by dilating vessels, but over several hours it increases the hormone renin, which constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure,” he said. “This is true for any amount of alcohol.” The analysis is the first to suggest that even low alcohol consumption can lead to a higher risk of cardiovascular events, according to the AHA. (iStock) “On top of this, alcohol use is associated with other factors including sedentary lifestyle, stress and obesity, which also raise blood pressure and put a strain on the heart,” said Siegel. Dr. Shana Johnson, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician in Scottsdale, Arizona, gave her reaction in an email exchange with Fox News Digital, noting her skepticism about the study. MEDICAL RESEARCH ON CELLPHONE USE SAYS CHATTING FOR THIS AMOUNT OF TIME PER WEEK CAN RAISE BLOOD PRESSURE RISK “The study’s findings suggest there is no safe amount of alcohol consumption as far as heart health goes,” she said. “Alcohol intake had an effect on blood pressure from the lowest levels of intake to the highest in this study.” She added, “These findings are in contrast to other studies that show moderate alcohol intake may lower the risk of heart disease.” There are multiple factors that can cause high blood pressure in addition to alcohol consumption, said Dr. Johnson of Scottsdale, Arizona. (iStock) Johnson called the results “intriguing” and said her “confidence in the results being true is lowered by methodological issues that introduce bias, which reduces the accuracy of the findings.” CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER She said, “As the authors pointed out, five of the included seven studies have moderate or greater bias. If most of the studies included in the meta-analysis are of low quality, the results will also be low quality (likely to be inaccurate).” Dr. Johnson of Arizona defined moderate drinking as one drink per day for women and one or two for men. (iStock) The doctor added that the risk of developing high blood pressure is based on “multiple factors, not just alcohol consumption.” She said, “Blood pressure is influenced by genetics, diet, weight and activity level. This study suggests alcohol is another risk factor for high blood pressure.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Patients should discuss their individual risk factors for heart disease with their health care providers, Johnson said. Fox News Digital reached out to the study authors for comment. Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle writer for Fox News Digital.

Jakob Guziak’s wish for his fourth birthday this month: 50 people donating blood and plasma at the Canadian Blood Services location in Edmonton. He originally wasn’t expected to live past the age of two as he has an inherited disorder called adenosine deaminase deficiency, which basically means the active little boy has no immune system. The Edmonton child relies on blood plasma donations to keep him alive. Once a month, Guziak gets an infusion that contains the antibodies he needs to help ward off infections. On Tuesday, Guziak realized his goal of recruiting 50 donors and was on hand this week at Canadian Blood Services to not only brighten people’s day by playing ‘Doctor’ while they donated but to also say ‘Thank you.’ “It was important for us to let donors understand that their donation makes an impact in the lives of these children (like Jakob),” Andrea Fernandez, his mother, told CTV News Edmonton on Thursday. “Without their donation, my son would be missing a very important part of his artificial immune system. I think donors don’t understand the impact of their donation until they see it, so we wanted to come and say ‘Thank you’ so they understand, here’s where it goes.” Doctors diagnosed Guziak when he was eight days old. He relies on a regular regime of injections, which include his monthly dose of donated plasma. Fernandez said her son is on a waiting list for gene therapy, a stem-cell transplant procedure that isn’t available in Canada. The family will likely travel to California in the U.S. or to London, England, for it if and when it becomes available. In the meantime, Guziak must live a somewhat isolated life away from most people to help prevent him from catching a virus, an infection, a fungus or something else his body can’t handle. “I feel that sometimes we don’t know about the importance of donations until we have a friend or a family member that is going through something like this,” Fernandez said. “I feel it is important to encourage people to come and donate. Plasma and blood are two products you cannot make. It’s impossible to make them, so you are expecting a lifesaving product from the kindness of someone.” Jasmine Vallarta, the territory manager for Canadian Blood Services’ Edmonton operation, said her office is constantly seeking donors and is currently hoping for 1,000 donations by the September long weekend. “The need for blood is constant,” Vallarta said. “What’s happening during the summer months is it’s not at the top of mind (for people) to come and donate. We’re asking everyone, if they have an hour of time, to come out and donate on our behalf and Jakob’s behalf.” With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Jessica Robb

CHESTERTOWN — The Blood Bank of Delmarva has declared a severe blood shortage and is asking people across the region to donate blood to help replenish blood supplies. The UM Chester River Health Foundation, a Kent County-based affiliate of University of Maryland Shore Regional Health, is answering the call by holding a blood drive from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25, at UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown Conference Center. Donors should use the hospital’s main entrance and request directions to the Conference Center at the front desk; the blood draws will take place in the blood bank’s mobile van in the parking lot. Featured Local Savings

Campaigners have called out ‘deep-seated stigma and miseducation’ as tampons and pads are tested with blood for the first time ever. (Getty Images) Campaigners have called out the need to tackle “deep-seated stigma and miseducation” around menstruation, as period products are tested using blood for the very first time. It found that most products are far less absorbent that claims made by manufacturers. A study published in the journal BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health on 7 August 2023 is the first ever to compare absorption levels of menstrual products, including tampons, pads, cups and menstrual discs, using human blood. Previous studies have traditionally used saltwater or water for testing, despite periods being more viscous, and containing blood cells and endometrial tissue, which affect absorption. The study found that menstrual discs may be more absorbent of heavy flows than pads or tampons. “The fact that period product absorbency has only just started to be tested with actual blood shows just how far we have to go when it comes to menstrual health, bodily education and period normalisation,” menstrual equity charity Bloody Good Period told PinkNews. “Period blood in adverts has long been shrouded in secrecy and shame, through the use of ‘blue blood’ – and the fact that this is reflected right back to the product testing phase highlights the deep-seated stigma and miseducation that exists around periods.” what do you mean the first study that tested period product absorption using actual blood and not water was only published A WEEK AGO — mia (@everhowell) August 15, 2023 Instead of actual menstrual blood, which is hard to obtain for scientific testing, researchers used packed red blood cells – blood after the plasma and platelets are removed – with the study’s authors adding “blood products are a closer approximation than water or saline”. The authors added: “No study exists comparing the capacity of currently available menstrual hygiene products using blood.” The testing measured the capacity of 21 period products for comparison, which included several different products claiming different levels of absorbency, from several brands. The team claimed there was a mismatch between reported absorbency and actual absorbency of the products, with most brands claiming they had a higher absorbency level than research found. Experts claim the findings could not only help doctors better assess whether heavy periods are a sign of underlying health problems – such as fibroids – but also help people who menstruate better choose suitable products for them. Sex educator Erica Smith told PinkNews that if the Pictorial Blood Loss Assessment chart – a tool for assessing how much blood loss is happening in a period – is updated in light of studies that use real blood, it could “affect how people are reporting the amount of blood they lose during menstruation”. “If we are accurately understanding how much blood our menstrual products capture, then health care providers will have a more accurate assessment if heavy bleeding is a concern,” Smith said. Smith added: “I was surprised to hear [about the study] but in a way not surprised, because menstrual health and things related to the sexual health of AFAB people has been historically understudied and underprioritized. “I think the study is great because it gives people a real practical sense of what period products will be most useful for their particular level of bleeding.” Bloody Good Period told PinkNews: “Testing period products with actual blood will not only help to create better products in the future, but it will also help to normalise and promote accurate conversations around menstruation. “When people are given good-quality products that are actually properly designed for the reality of menstruation – not saline – it gives us all the tools, education and information that we need in order to be better equipped to understand our bodies and menstruation.” Bloody Good Period added there is still a long way to go on this issue, with tackling stigma and period poverty part of its key campaigns for the UK government. The charity explained: “Menstrual stigma is still very much present in today’s society, and periods have become a penalty that we pay with our health, education and work. “Currently, 1 in 5 people struggle to afford period products, 89 per cent of people are stressed or anxious about having their period at work – with 14 per cent of people avoiding or missing work during their period, and 13 per cent of young people have missed school or university or college because of their period.” Trans and non-binary activists have also stressed that inclusivity is crucial for ending period poverty. Kenny Ethan Jones, who made history as the first trans man to front a period campaign, previously told PinkNews that “equal access to healthcare” and adequate menstrual care needs to include the voices of women, trans men, and non-binary people. “Even if all cis women were taken care of, there will still be period poverty because trans people are not taken care of,” Jones said. “Period equity means all of us have to have access to products, education, feel seen and are taken care of health-wise.” Bloody Good Period added: “Period poverty in the UK is becoming an increasingly bigger issue, year on year. “Period products should be freely available – and they should be accompanied by informative, shame-free, inclusive education, normalisation and practical support.” How did this story make you feel? 🔥 Fired up ❤️ Love 😊 Happy 😐 Meh 😡 Annoyed 😢 Sad Sending reaction… Thanks for your feedback!

<!– –> Nightingale Health stated that its kit is available immediately for remote blood collection for medical research and clinical trials. Credit: Nightingale Health. Preventive health company Nightingale Health has introduced a remote blood collection kit for its medical research and clinical trial customers. This comes after the company acquired the worldwide licence and rights to the Velvet self-collection device in January this year. The Nightingale kit and self-collection device enable trial participants to draw their own blood sample from a finger-prick. This approach provides substantial flexibility and enables study designs that were previously restricted by geographical and logistical limitations. Given that Nightingale Health offers both sample collection and sample analysis, it becomes possible for remote blood collection to be incorporated into studies in a seamless and cost-efficient manner. Nightingale Health stated that its kit is available immediately for remote blood collection for medical research and clinical trials. The biomarkers evaluated for research purposes from the dry blood sample taken with the Nightingale Kit cover a slate of biological functions. These biological functions include insulin sensitivity (amino acids); lipids (e.g., LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, ApoA1 and ApoB); dietary intake (e.g., omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids); kidney function (e.g., creatinine); chronic inflammation (GlycA) and fluid balance (e.g., albumin). Nightingale Health has customers in more than 25 countries, operating globally with a parent company based in Finland and seven subsidiaries in countries, including Japan, the US and the UK. Its technology is used by the healthcare and medical research sectors and several health initiatives, such as the UK Biobank. In June this year, Nightingale and Finnish health service company Suomen Terveystalo signed a letter of intent to expand their strategic partnership, originally signed in April 2021. The expansion of this collaboration increased the blood sample analysis volumes ordered by Terveystalo. <!– GPT AdSlot 3 for Ad unit 'Verdict/Verdict_In_Article' ### Size: [[670,220]] — googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8581390-1’); }); !– End AdSlot 3 –> Share this article

FRIDAY, Aug. 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) – 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 Wallachia and as Vlad the Impaler. He was also called Vlad Drăculea, translating to “the son of the dragon,” and may be the inspiration for the character Count Dracula.

Many childhood fevers are due to undiagnosed illnesses, but a blood test can identify potential causes Shutterstock/Aleksandra Suzi A blood test can determine whether a fever is caused by bacteria, viruses or an inflammatory disease using changes in gene activity. About two-thirds of children hospitalised for fever don’t receive a diagnosis. Current diagnostic tools, which look for pathogens, are slow and sometimes unreliable, says Myrsini Kaforou at Imperial College London. Genetic tests are a promising alternative as certain genes switch on or off in response to disease. Kaforou and her colleagues examined the genetic analysis of blood samples from 1212 children who were between a few weeks to 18 years old. All had been diagnosed with one of 18 infectious or inflammatory diseases that cause fever. Advertisement The researchers used a machine learning model to analyse this data, and identified 161 genes that correlate with diseases across six categories: bacterial infections, viral infections, inflammatory diseases, malaria, tuberculosis or Kawasaki disease. The researchers validated the model in a separate group of 411 children with fever, and assessed it using a statistical measure that estimates accuracy on a scale of 0 to 1. Across the disease categories, the team found that the model had a score of 0.89 to 1 – generally, a score of 0.8 or higher indicates excellent accuracy. The finding could speed up diagnoses, ensure appropriate treatment and reduce unnecessary antibiotic use, which contributes to antibiotic resistance, says Kaforou. “This is a meaningful step in the right direction for precision medicine in infectious and inflammatory diseases in children,” says Christopher Woods at Duke University in North Carolina. However, validation in larger datasets is necessary before it can be used in clinical settings, he says. “Obviously, this is not a full list of every single infectious and inflammatory disease out there,” says Kaforou. “At the moment, we are recruiting more patients and generating more data to identify a signature that covers even more infectious and inflammation conditions.” Topics: