Category: Blood

WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — While Friday the 13th is a day of spooky superstitions for some, Our Blood Institute is embracing the ominous day with life-saving measures. Don’t fear Friday the 13th — show you’ve got guts with the First National Bank Blood Drive today from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. WF mosquitoes test positive for SLE virus For your chance to claim free entry to the Oklahoma City Zoo and a limited edition ‘Got Guts’ t-shirt, donate today at 3801 Fairway Boulevard. All you need to do is call Kerry Sheppard at (940) 687-3107 to schedule your donation appointment. Then, look for the Bloodmobile at First National Bank on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. Turn your fears into cheers by saving lives this freaky Friday. Thanks to the generosity of blood donors, regular donors help keep our local blood supplies from falling short, a press release from OBI stated. Remember: when you give, others live. To learn more about how Our Blood Institute directly benefits Texomans in need, visit their website.

Since announcing a national blood and platelet shortage a month ago, thousands of donors across the country have rolled up a sleeve to help rebuild the American Red Cross blood and platelet supply. As that generosity continues, the Red Cross must collect 10,000 additional blood and platelet donations – over and above expectations – each week over the next month to sufficiently meet hospital needs. Donors of all blood types are urged to book a time to give now, especially those with type O blood or those giving platelets. To encourage more blood and platelet donations, the Red Cross is offering new incentives to donors over the next month. All who come to give Oct. 21-Nov. 9 will receive a $10 gift card by email to a restaurant merchant of their choice to enjoy lunch on the Red Cross. They’ll also be automatically entered to win a $5,000 gift card. There will be three winners – one chosen at random each week. Details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/Lunch. As cold and flu season approaches, the Red Cross is reminding donors that they can still give blood or platelets after receiving a flu vaccine, so long as they are feeling healthy and well on the day of their donation. Likewise, there is no deferral or wait time for those receiving the updated COVID-19 vaccine. Upcoming blood donation opportunities Oct. 21-Nov. 9 Lanark: Noon to 6 p.m. Oct. 25; Eastland High School, 500 S. School Drive. Milledgeville: 1-6 p.m. Oct. 26; Milledgeville Men’s Club, 204 Main Ave. Tampico: 1-6 p.m. Nov. 8; Reagan Community Center, 202 W. Second St. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements. To make an appointment, use the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-733-2767.

Blood drives planned in area SIDNEY — Solvita, formerly Community Blood Center, will be hosting several blood drives in the Sidney area. Blood drives are scheduled for • Tuesday, Oct. 17, St. Michael’s Hall, 33 Elm St., Fort Loramie, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. • Wednesday, Oct. 25, Sidney-Shelby County Senior Center, 304 S. West St., Sidney, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. • Friday, Oct. 27, Family Resource Center, 1101 N. Vandemark Road, Sidney, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. • Friday, Oct. 27, Sidney Peerless Food Equipment, 500 S. Vandemark Road, Sidney, 8 a.m.-noon. • Saturday, Oct. 28, Sidney Masonic Temple Association, 303 E.Poplar St., Sidney, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Make an appointment to donate with Solvita (formerly Community Blood Center) on the Donor Time app, by calling 937-461-3220, or at www.donortime.com. Everyone who registers to donate will receive the “Count on Me to Help Fight Cancer” T-shirt honoring October Breast Cancer Awareness Month and will be entered in the drawing to win Rose Bowl tickets. Cancer and its treatment can damage blood cells causing many cancer patients to rely on regular blood and platelet transfusions to help them survive. One fourth of all blood donations in the U.S. goes to help cancer patients. Everyone who registers to donate Oct. 2 through Dec. 2 at any Solvita blood drive, or the Dayton Solvita Donation Center is automatically entered in the drawing to win two tickets to the New Year’s Day Rose Bowl game in Pasadena, California, plus a $1,000 Expedia gift card for travel expenses. The Rose Bowl is a College Football Playoff semifinal. You can save time while helping save lives by using “DonorXPress” to complete the donor questionnaire before arriving at a blood drive. Find DonorXPress on the Donor Time App or at www.givingblood.org/donorxpress.

Share on PinterestFG Trade Latin/Getty Images Amlodipine, a treatment for high blood pressure, is safe and effective, new research shows. Earlier research raised concerns about an increased risk of heart failure from taking amlodipine and similar calcium channel blockers. The new study refuted these earlier results and found that amlodipine may decrease the risk of heart failure and and other cardiovascular outcomes. One of the most common drugs for treating high blood pressure (hypertension), amlodipine, is safe and effective, according to new research. Amlodipine, sold under the brand name Norvasc among others, is a calcium channel blocker used to treat high blood pressure, angina, and coronary artery disease. In 2020, it was the fifth most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 69 million prescriptions, according to data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The new research follows an earlier study which raised concerns that taking amlodipine could lead to changes in the blood vessels that increase the risk of heart failure. Experts interviewed by Healthline say the new research refutes those earlier concerns, and reaffirms that amlodipine is a safe and effective treatment for high blood pressure. Why earlier study questioned the safety of amlodipine Approximately 700,000 Americans die each year from high blood pressure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, only about one in four Americans with high blood pressure have it under control, reports the agency. Left untreated, high blood pressure increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and eye damage. Amlodipine has been prescribed to treat high blood pressure for more than 30 years. It is also included on the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines. This medication works by blocking a certain type of calcium channel known as a voltage-dependent channel, which prevents the influx of calcium into cells with this type of channel. Blocking the influx of calcium causes the muscles of the blood vessels to relax, which leads to a widening of the blood vessels and reduced blood pressure. In an earlier study, researchers reported that amlodipine and similar calcium channel blockers activated a different type of channel, known as a store-operated calcium channel. This results in vascular remodeling — changes in the blood vessels — that often occurs in people with high blood pressure, they reported. That study also included an analysis of patient records, which found that patients treated exclusively with amlodipine or similar calcium-channel blockers had a higher risk of heart failure compared to those who did not receive one of these medications. New study finds drug is safe In the new research, published Oct. 12 in the journal Function, researchers noted that the concentration of amlodipine needed to activate store-operated calcium channels in the earlier laboratory study is much higher than the dose people would get by taking the drug as prescribed. The authors of the new study also carried out a meta-analysis of previous clinical trials, along with a real-world analysis of over 63,000 people with high blood pressure. They found that amlodipine and similar calcium channel blockers were associated with a lower risk of heart failure and other cardiovascular outcomes during a one-year follow-up, compared to other blood pressure medications. Dr. Daniel Kiss, interventional cardiologist at Jersey Shore University Medical Center and Hackensack Meridian Health AngioScreen medical director in New Jersey, said the earlier research is an example of an observational study, which may suggest a link between two factors but can’t prove that one causes the other. “When further study is pursued, as in the case of the new research, it refutes the concern raised by the original study,” he told Healthline. So “the new study confirms the safety and efficacy of amlodipine as a first line therapy for hypertension.” Dr. Guy L. Mintz, director of Cardiovascular Health & Lipidology at Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York, said the earlier study also did not differentiate between the various calcium channel blocker medications, which may have led to the study’s negative findings. In addition, “some calcium channel blockers — such as verapamil or diltiazem, which decrease heart function — should not be given in [people with] heart failure,” he told Healthline. Use of amlodipine as high blood pressure treatment Kiss said the new study reinforces amlodipine’s role as a first-line medication for treating high blood pressure, especially with other research showing that it lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke. “It is very effective, well-tolerated and has minimal side effects,” he said. “The biggest concern when using this medicine is swelling of the lower extremities, so I try avoiding it in patients prone to such swelling.” Mintz agreed that amlodipine is a safe and effective therapy for high blood pressure, pointing out that it may even have a protective effect against heart failure. “I have personally prescribed amlodipine to thousands of patients without any developing heart failure from this medication,” he said. He also said that Black people with high blood pressure may especially benefit from the use of calcium channel blockers. Clinical practice guidelines recommend the use of a calcium channel blocker along with a thiazide diuretic or other medication in this group, which has a higher risk of kidney disease, stroke, heart failure and death. Given the new study and other research, “people taking amlodipine should not be concerned about heart failure risk,” said Mintz. “They are being treated with an effective and safe anti-hypertensive agent.” He also emphasized that “patients should never stop [taking] hypertensive therapy without talking to their physician about their concerns.” Kiss agreed, pointing to “the importance of trust in a healthy doctor-patient relationship, and [making sure] that the prescriber is up to date on current literature and guidelines.” Takeaway A new study found that the calcium channel blocker amlodipine is a safe and effective treatment for high blood pressure, refuting an earlier study that found a higher risk of heart failure due to changes in the blood vessels.

BOISE, Idaho — 6.8 million people in America donate blood. However, one man has taken a different approach to donating. It’s six in the morning. Most are just waking up or are already getting ready for their day, but Pennsylvania man Vinton Smith is getting ready to donate blood. “When I think about donating blood, I think about the people who will be benefiting from receiving that blood. that motivates me more than anything else,” explained Smith. Smith has taken it upon himself to donate blood in all 50 states. This week’s trip to Idaho marked his 47th state. Smith said the remaining three on his checklist are Nevada, Alaska, and Hawaii. Idaho News 6 spoke with the American Red Cross Idaho District Manager for Donor Services, Stephen Dalmas about his thoughts on Smith’s journey. Dalmas said, “It’s the dedication. It’s the personal mission he has to help other people.” That is what is amazing,” said Dalmas. For the last 35 years, Smith has been donating blood. His first time was his senior year of high school. Smith says that his passion for giving back starts with his parents. Smith explained, “I grew up watching my dad donate blood every two months. I also saw my mother working in the community helping others. I think that idea of helping others was instilled in me as a young boy.” Both men explained that having the ability to donate in today’s world is so important. Smith said, “We may not know what tomorrow may bring. We may not know when we may be the ones who may need to receive blood or platelets. We don’t know when a family member is the one that needs it.” “It is just doing good for someone you might never meet,” said Dalmas Speaking with Dalmas, he said that there is a national blood and platelet shortage here in America and that it is more important than ever to go and donate. You can go to redcrossblood.org to find a blood donation center in your community.

WASHINGTON—Pushing back a black hood to reveal reddened, glowing eyes, Sen. Ron Darkness appeared on CNN Friday to try to garner support for a 1,000-year reign of blood. “In times of great tragedy, we as Americans must do all we can to enact many millennia of death and suffering,” the independent lawmaker from Hades said in an address delivered through all languages at once, reading off a teleprompter operated by Samael, Ruler of Hell, who reportedly left the studio floor peppered with unconscious and bleeding CNN crew members. “The harrowing images and rising death tolls coming out of the Middle East are, frankly, child’s play. Viscera must flow down every street. The oceans must blacken with blood and terror. We must crucify ourselves at the altar of death. That is why I am announcing my run for president.” Sen. Darkness went on to plead for all belligerents in the world’s conflicts to not relent until a 100% global casualty rate had been reached. This Week’s Most Viral News: October 13, 2023 Off English

Oct. 13, 2023 6:00 am ET Listen (2 min) More period-care brands are slowly replacing the blue liquid that has long been ubiquitous in the category’s advertising with more realistic red alternatives, despite pushback from some consumers and media companies. Copyright ©2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

If you have ever gotten a vaccine or received an intravenous drug and did not come down with a potentially life-threatening fever, you can thank a horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus). How can animals that are often called living fossils, because they have barely changed over millions of years, be so important in modern medicine? Horseshoe crab blood is used to produce a substance called limulus amebocyte lysate, or LAL, which scientists use to test for toxic substances called endotoxins in intravenous drugs. These toxins, produced by bacteria, are ubiquitous in the environment and can’t be removed simply through sterilization. They can cause a reaction historically referred to as “injection fever.” A strong concentration can lead to shock and even death. Identifying LAL as a highly sensitive detector of endotoxins was a 20th-century medical safety breakthrough. Now, however, critics are raising questions about environmental impacts and the process for reviewing and approving synthetic alternatives to horseshoe crab blood. We study science, technology and public policy, and recently published a white paper examining social, political and economic issues associated with using horseshoe crabs to produce LAL. We see this issue as a test case for complicated problems that cut across multiple agencies and require attention to both nature and human health. An ocean solution Doctors began injecting patients with various solutions in the mid-1800s, but it was not until the 1920s that biochemist Florence Seibert discovered that febrile reactions were due to contaminated water in these solutions. She created a method for detecting and removing the substances that caused this reaction, and it became the medical standard in the 1940s. Known as the rabbit pyrogen test, it required scientists to inject intravenous drugs into rabbits, then monitor the animals. A feverish rabbit meant that a batch of drugs was contaminated. The LAL method was discovered by accident. Working with horseshoe crabs at the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, in the 1950s and ’60s, pathobiologist Frederik Bang and medical researcher Jack Levin noticed that the animals’ blue blood coagulated in a curious manner. Through a series of experiments, they isolated endotoxin as the coagulant and devised a method for extracting LAL from the blood. This compound would gel or clot nearly instantaneously in the presence of fever-inducing toxins. Academic researchers, biomedical companies and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration refined LAL production and measured it against the rabbit test. By the 1990s, LAL was the FDA-approved method for testing medicines for endotoxin, largely replacing rabbits. Producing LAL requires harvesting horseshoe crabs from oceans and beaches, draining up to 30% of their blood in a laboratory and returning the live crabs to the ocean. There’s dispute about how many crabs die in the process – estimates range from a few percent to 30% or more – and about possible harmful effects on survivors. Today there are five FDA-licensed LAL producers along the U.S. East Coast. The amount of LAL they produce, and its sales value, are proprietary. Bait versus biotech As biomedical LAL production ramped up in the 1990s, so did harvesting horseshoe crabs to use as bait for other species, particularly eel and whelk for foreign seafood markets. Over the past 25 years, hundreds of thousands – and in the early years, millions – of horseshoe crabs have been harvested each year for these purposes. Combined, the two fisheries kill over half a million horseshoe crabs every year. There’s no agreed total population estimate for Limulus, but the most recent federal assessment of horseshoe crab fisheries found the population was neither strongly growing nor declining. Conservationists are worried, and not just about the crabs. Millions of shorebirds migrate along the Atlantic coast, and many stop in spring, when horseshoe crabs spawn on mid-Atlantic beaches, to feed on the crabs’ eggs. Particularly for red knots – a species that can migrate up to 9,000 miles between the tip of South America and the Canadian Arctic – gorging on horseshoe crab eggs provides a critical energy-rich boost on their grueling journey. Red knots were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2015, largely because horseshoe crab fishing threatened this key food source. As biomedical crab harvests came to equal or surpass bait harvests, conservation groups began calling on the LAL industry to find new sources. Biomedical alternatives Many important medicines are derived from living organisms. Penicillin, the first important antibiotic, was originally produced from molds. Other medicines currently in use come from sources including cows, pigs, chickens and fish. The ocean is a promising source for such products. When possible, synthesizing these substances in laboratories – especially widely used medications like insulin – offers many benefits. It’s typically cheaper and more efficient, and it avoids putting species at risk, as well as addressing concerns some patients have about using animal-derived medical products. In the 1990s, researchers at the National University of Singapore invented and patented the first process for creating a synthetic, endotoxin-detecting compound using horseshoe crab DNA and recombinant DNA technology. The result, dubbed recombinant Factor C (rFC), mimicked the first step in the three-part cascade reaction that occurs when LAL is exposed to endotoxin. Later, several biomedical firms produced their own versions of rFC and compounds called recombinant cascade reagents (rCRs), which reproduce the entire LAL reaction without using horseshoe crab blood. Yet, today, LAL remains the dominant technology for detecting endotoxins in medicine. The main reason is that the U.S. Pharmacopeia, a quasi-regulatory organization that sets safety standards for medical products, considers rFC and rCR as “alternative” methods for detecting endotoxins, so they require case-by-case validation for use – a potentially lengthy and expensive process. The FDA generally defers to the U.S. Pharmacopeia. A few large pharmaceutical companies with deep pockets have committed to switching from LAL to rFC. But most drug producers are sticking with the tried-and-true method. Conservation groups want the U.S. Pharmacopeia to fully certify rFC for use in industry with no extra testing or validation. In their view, LAL producers are stalling rFC

A new blood test could help diagnose cancer cases earlier. Researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) developed a blood test to detect early onset ovarian cancer. The test, called OvaPrint, is described as a “cell-free DNA methylation liquid biopsy for the risk assessment of high-grade serous ovarian cancer,” according to the report published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research. SIMPLE EVERYDAY ACTIVITY COULD SLASH HEART DISEASE RISK BY 20%, STUDY FINDS The test is “highly sensitive and specific” for women experiencing symptoms, the results showed — with the potential for future use in asymptomatic cases. High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is often diagnosed at later stages, the research states. Researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) developed a blood test to detect early onset ovarian cancer. (iStock) It is the most common and lethal type of ovarian cancer, according to the National Institutes of Health. As of now, the most effective way to identify a pelvic mass is through surgery, followed by pathological testing. ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD CONSUMPTION LINKED TO HIGHER RISK OF DEATH FROM OVARIAN, BREAST CANCERS: NEW STUDY There are still no effective screening tools in women who are asymptomatic, the report stated. The researchers were able to develop OvaPrint by testing samples to distinguish ovarian cancers from benign masses. High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is often diagnosed at later stages, the research states — and is the most common and lethal type of ovarian cancer, according to the National Institutes of Health. (iStock) OvaPrint achieved a “positive predictive value of 95% and a negative predictive value of 88% for discriminating HGSOC from benign masses, surpassing other commercial tests,” the researchers reported. The test proved to be less sensitive for non-HGSOC ovarian cancers, although it could potentially identify low-grade and borderline tumors with higher malignant potential. CANCER SCREENINGS: HERE ARE 5 TYPES AND CRITICAL INFORMATION TO KNOW ABOUT EACH The researchers are looking into a follow-up study to validate results, according to Medical Press. This validation could lead to OvaPrint’s commercial availability within the next two years. “The test has the potential to improve treatment, because the surgical approach to removing a pelvic mass differs depending on whether it’s benign or not,” Bodour Salhia, the study’s coauthor and co-leader of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center’s genomic and epigenomic regulation research program, said in a statement, as Healthcare Brew noted. The test is “highly sensitive and specific” for women experiencing symptoms, the results showed, with the potential for future use in asymptomatic cases. (iStock) “Right now, doctors essentially have to take their best guess.” Fox News Digital reached out to the study authors for further comment. Dr. Brian Slomovitz, director of gynecologic oncology at Mount Sinai Medical Center, reacted to the developments in an interview with Fox News Digital, noting that the “novel” study is for early detection in women with pelvic masses. “It is not a cancer screening test, which looks at normal-risk women who have not been diagnosed with a mass,” he said. “In this group of women, investigators were able to identify those malignant tumors with a relatively high sensitivity and specificity.” CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER He added, “This test is done to determine if a mass is malignant and needs to be removed. Also, in a real-world [scenario], it can determine if an oncologic surgeon should be doing the surgery.” Slomovitz mentioned the largest ovarian cancer screening trial done, the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS), which identified a group of patients with earlier-stage disease when using their test. Ovarian cancer affects one in 70 people, noted one expert. (iStock) “However, even with a positive result, this did not become standard of care because it didn’t demonstrate a survival difference between the groups,” he said. The doctor suggested that the prevalence of ovarian cancer should be taken into consideration when performing early detection testing. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The prevalence of ovarian cancer in the population is one in 70,” he said. “The statistical outcomes need to not only show a sensitivity and specificity but, in a real-world population, an acceptable negative predictive value, in order to not miss any diagnosis of cancer.” He added, “Nonetheless, it is interesting research and I look forward to future studies evaluating this test.” For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health. Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle writer for Fox News Digital.

Google A GP practice where some abnormal blood results were not reviewed quickly enough has been put in special measures by the health watchdog. Emergency equipment at Richmond Medical Centre in North Hykeham, near Lincoln, also had no instructions in English, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said. Greg Reilly from the CQC said the inspectors’ findings were “concerning”. The medical centre said “significant changes” had been made since the inspection. Staff at the practice told inspectors in May 2023 that equipment regularly went missing from the emergency trollies. They also said GPs “weren’t visible” and this was “having an impact on people’s care”. ‘Warning notice’ The inspectors found the surgery did not review blood tests on the day the results arrived, meaning there were 32 outstanding abnormal results awaiting action after three days of being received. There were “127 patients with a potential undiagnosed long term condition following blood results,” according to the report. Patients were also unable to get through to the practice “in a timely manner” by telephone. Mr Reilly said: “We’ve used our enforcement powers and issued a warning notice which highlight the areas we need to see significant and immediate improvements. “In the meantime, we’ll continue to monitor this service, including through further inspections, to make sure people are receiving the safe care they deserve, and won’t hesitate to take further action if needed.” ‘Kindness and respect’ But inspectors said staff at the surgery “treated patients with kindness, respect and compassion and helped patients to be involved in decisions about care”. A spokesperson for the practice said the management of blood test results had been changed and staff training had taken place since the inspection. “We feel that the report published today no longer reflects our current position and we are working closely with the CQC in order to be re-inspected as soon as possible,” they said. “As a medical centre we have faced a number of challenges over the past 12 months, and we accept that at the time of the inspection, some of our processes were not to a standard we all aspire to.” Follow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] Related Topics North Hykeham Lincoln Care Quality Commission Related Internet Links Care Quality Commission Richmond Medical Centre The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.