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Nearly one-third of patients with a stroke of unknown cause have a heart rhythm disorder that can be treated to prevent another stroke. "More than 90% of stroke patients found to have atrial fibrillation had no symptoms of heart rhythm disorder," said Dr. Barbara Ratajczak-Tretel. Most strokes are ischaemic, meaning a blockage stops blood flow to the brain. In one in four ischaemic strokes the cause is undetermined. "The best therapy to prevent another stroke depends on the underlying cause," said Dr. Ratajczak-Tretel. "Those with atrial fibrillation should receive oral anticoagulants but a definitive diagnosis is needed before drugs can...

Patients with COVID-19 in the intensive care unit (ICU) prescribed full-dose blood thinners are significantly more likely to experience heavy bleeding than patients prescribed a smaller yet equally effective dose. The research, which compared the safety and effectiveness of blood clot treatment strategies for more than 150 critically ill COVID-19 patients at two hospitals, found that almost all patients who experienced significant bleeding were mechanically ventilated and receiving full-dose anticoagulants (blood thinners). The results may inform treatment guidelines for blood clots in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, who are at an increased risk for both blood clots and severe bleeding. Previous reports...

The leech man: Lawyer hopes nightly blood-sucking treatment will help return his sight after his 'schizophrenic son blinded him'A lawyer is hoping that a nightly blood-sucking leech treatment will help return his eyesight after his schizophrenic son allegedly blinded him in a blitz attack. John Dunlap, 80, is placing his trust in an experimental treatment that requires him to attach several leeches around his eyes so that one day he might see again. The lawyer from Memphis started the bizarre therapy after his bipolar and schizophrenic son Andrew, 41, allegedly attacked Dunlap and blinded him in 2015. With the help...

Texas has a new plan for its 2.5 million feral hogs: total annihilation. Sid Miller, the state's agriculture commissioner, just approved a pesticide — called "Kaput Feral Hog Lure" — for statewide use. "The 'hog apocalypse' may finally be on the horizon," Miller said in a statement on Tuesday. SEE ALSO: First human-pig chimeras created, sparking hopes for transplantable organs — and debate "This solution is long overdue," he added. "Wild hogs have caused extensive damage to Texas lands and loss of income for many, many years." Texas's agriculture commission estimates that feral hogs cause $52 million in damage each...

Full Title: Are Hillary’s health problems more severe than thought? New book claims she kept medical history secret over fears it would end presidential ambitions Possible presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's health issues have been kept secret for fears they will ruin her eligibility to become president, it has been claimed. The remarkable claim comes in a new book written by journalist Ed Klein which details the rocky relationship between the Obama and the Clinton families. The excerpt on her health includes a claim from a cardiac specialist familiar with Clinton's condition as saying her clotting in the brain could have...