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A new study has found that caffeine, the world's most consumed psychoactive substances, may impair the quality of donated blood and reduce the effectiveness of transfusions—especially in recipients whose red blood cell (RBC) metabolism is influenced by a common genetic variant. The REDS RBC-Omics study, which analyzed samples from over 13,000 blood donors, the study reveals higher levels of caffeine in the blood are linked to RBCs that are more prone to damage during storage and less effective after transfusion. In a clinical setting, transfusions of RBCs with relatively high levels of caffeine resulted in lower increases in patients' hemoglobin...

Some sugar substitutes may come with unexpected consequences for long-term brain health, according to a study. The study examined seven low- and no-calorie sweeteners and found that people who consumed the highest amounts experienced faster declines in thinking and memory skills compared to those who consumed the lowest amounts. The link was even stronger in people with diabetes. The artificial sweeteners examined in the study were aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol and tagatose. The study included 12,772 adults from across Brazil. The average age was 52, and participants were followed for an average of eight years. Researchers divided them...

Researchers have found that a single injection of the antibiotic benzathine penicillin G (BPG) successfully treated early syphilis just as well as the three-injection regimen used by many clinicians in the United States and elsewhere. These findings from a late-stage clinical trial suggest the second and third doses of conventional BPG therapy do not provide a health benefit. Syphilis is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. Without treatment, syphilis can result in neurological and organ damage as well as severe pregnancy complications and congenital abnormalities. Syphilis can also increase a person's likelihood of acquiring...

Pornography consumption may affect judgments on a wide range of sexual and reproductive topics. The present study hypothesized that the consistent images projected in pornography affect sexual scripts related to abortion judgments. National, three-wave longitudinal data gathered from U.S. adults were employed to examine associations between earlier pornography consumption and subsequent support for abortion. The findings suggested that prior pornography consumption may lead to later support for abortion. This study provides additional evidence of pornography's socializing impact, particularly for the older White segment of the population, and adds to knowledge about what environmental factors influence judgments about abortion. Mechanisms that...

Democracy Dies in Darkness with DemocratsThe chair of a new panel of federal immunization advisers selected by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Friday that the group’s “enormous depth and knowledge about vaccines, about science” should be obvious to anyone listening to them work.But medical associations and scientific experts who watched the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meetings Thursday and Friday panned the panel’s performance as the group reversed recommendations for coronavirus and a combined measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox vaccine.They said the members were unprepared, misunderstood or ignored key data and highlighted flawed or...

In February 2023, a routine cataract surgery resulted in the death of 56-year-old Bart Writer.[1] According to a now-settled lawsuit, the surgical team members—namely the surgeon, Carl Stark Johnson, MD, and the anesthesiologist, Michael Urban, MD—were playing a game called “music bingo” during the procedure. (Music bingo, as described in the case, involved naming musical artists or songs as letters, to fill a bingo card while songs were played from Urban’s cell phone.) This game was allegedly regularly played during what were considered simple or routine surgeries. Is the OR a place for fun and games? According to notes obtained...

he Charlie Kirk assassination fallout continues as dozens of doctors and nurses across the country are fired or suspended for celebrating Charlie Kirk's death.

A microbial risk score could help identify people at greater riskKey Takeaways Oral bacteria and fungi may help reshape the pancreatic microbiome and promote carcinogenesis. Earlier research has connected periodontal disease and clinical candidiasis with greater pancreatic cancer risk. Altogether, the study identified a more than threefold increase in cancer risk for every one standard deviation rise in a microbial risk score comprised of 27 bacteria and fungi. More than two dozen bacteria and fungi in the mouth may be linked to pancreatic cancer risk, according to an analysis of two large cohorts. Analysis of oral-wash samples from over 120,000...

Risk of new lesions reduced by 54% in veterans who started drug after first skin cancerKey Takeaways Nicotinamide reduced skin cancer risk by 14% overall in patients with a history of nonmelanoma skin cancer. The risk reduction increased to 54% when nicotinamide was started after a first skin cancer diagnosis. More prospective studies are needed to confirm findings and identify patients most likely to benefit. Patients with a history of using nicotinamide had a significantly lower risk of developing nonmelanoma skin cancer, particularly when starting treatment after a first skin cancer, a large retrospective cohort study showed. Overall, nicotinamide use...

Up to 10% of pediatric hematologic malignancies attributed to imaging-related radiation exposureKey Takeaways: One in 10 childhood blood cancers may result from medical imaging-associated radiation exposure. Cancer risk increased with cumulative radiation dose, ranging from 1.41 times higher to 3.59 times higher. Children exposed to at least 30 mGy had 25.6 excess blood cancers per 10,000 by age 21. One of every 10 blood cancers in children may result from radiation exposure associated with medical imaging, according to a large retrospective analysis. The risk of hematologic malignancy increased with cumulative radiation exposure versus none, ranging from 1.41 times higher for...

SHOW THIS TO PEOPLE WHO THINK CHARLIE KIRK IS RACIST. Charlie didn't even believe in race, he calls it a social construct. 0:31 VIDEO AT LINK...................

2-Year U.S. Study Shows Daily Cocoa Flavonol Supplement May Lower Inflammation In Older Adults In A Nutshell * A 2-year U.S. trial found cocoa extract lowered hsCRP, a key inflammation marker in aging. * Participants taking cocoa flavanols saw an 8.4% yearly reduction vs placebo. * Benefits were strongest in people with higher baseline inflammation. * Supplements, not ordinary chocolate, provided the tested flavanol levels. ==================================================================================== BOSTON — A daily cocoa extract supplement rich in flavanols lowered a key marker of chronic inflammation in older adults, according to a major U.S. clinical trial. The study offers rare long-term evidence that...

Bella Hadid's mother Yolanda Hadid shared a heartbreaking post for her supermodel daughter on Thursday. The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills veteran also shared several images of Bella in a hospital getting treatment for Lyme disease. Her daughter has frequently shared details of her ongoing battle with the condition, which she's had since the age of 16.

NATIONAL CHEESEBURGER DAY National Cheeseburger Day on September 18 honors America's favorite sandwich with a slice of cheese. Let's celebrate this delicious food holiday together! #NationalCheeseburgerDay A few days ago, we celebrated National Double Cheeseburger Day. This food holiday is the lighter version. While only a single stack, this tasty burger still earns a celebration! There are many theories to the beginning of the cheeseburger dating back to the 1920s. One story suggests that Lionel Sternberger invented the cheeseburger in 1926 while working at his father’s Pasadena, California sandwich shop, The Rite Spot. During an experiment, he dropped a slice...

Marketed as a natural wellness product and widely available, 7-OH seemed like a viable alternative for Hayden resident Kevin McAuliffe to use as an energy and mood booster. However, McAuliffe said it became “absolutely impossible for me to ween off 7-OH because basically I became highly addicted to it, and I was waking up in the middle of night with withdrawal symptoms.” “I was having extreme health side effects,” McAuliffe said of the product 7-Hydroxymitragynine, known as 7-OH, which is a chemically concentrated derivative of the kratom plant. Addiction treatment professionals, UCHealth physicians, valley residents and the U.S. Food and...

A study reports that acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH)—a blood-saving method in which a patient's blood is collected before going on heart-lung bypass and reinfused near the end of cardiac surgery—remains underused in the United States at 14.7%. Yet the study found that ANH lowered the likelihood of a transfusion by 27%, a decrease in blood use that could cut costs substantially while still protecting patient safety and outcomes. Global demand for cardiac surgery is increasing, with more than 1 million procedures performed annually worldwide. In high-income countries like the United States, cardiac surgery remains the largest consumer of blood products,...

Methotrexate, a common medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, has a newly recognized useful secondary effect of lowering blood pressure and potentially reduces the risk of heart disease in people with this condition. A new study led by researchers, has shown that methotrexate significantly lowers blood pressure when compared to another arthritis drug, sulfasalazine, marking the first clear evidence of this effect in newly diagnosed patients. Occurring in about 1 in 100 people, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune disease which leads to inflammation and pain in the connective tissue of a patient's joints. Over six months, the researchers...

In a new study, researchers discovered that zeaxanthin, a plant-derived carotenoid best known for protecting vision, may also act as an immune-boosting compound by strengthening the cancer-fighting activity of immune cells. The findings highlight the potential of zeaxanthin as a widely available supplement to improve the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies. The study builds on years of work by Chen's lab to better understand how nutrients influence the immune system. By screening a large blood nutrient library, the team identified zeaxanthin as a compound that directly enhances the activity of CD8+ T cells, a crucial type of immune cell that kills...

A comprehensive analysis of nearly 29,000 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) suggests that clopidogrel, a commonly prescribed blood thinner, is more effective than aspirin in preventing serious heart and stroke events, without increasing the risk of major bleeding. The new study challenges the long-standing recommendation of aspirin as the default treatment for secondary prevention in CAD patients. CAD, a condition characterized by narrowed heart arteries, often requires lifelong treatment to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular death. Aspirin has traditionally been prescribed indefinitely for patients with CAD. However, the evidence supporting aspirin's long-term benefits and safety has been limited....

Dual antiplatelet therapy after cardiac bypass surgery is no more effective than acetylsalicylic acid alone and also increases the risk of serious bleeding. This is shown in a study by researchers. Today, dual antiplatelet therapy is recommended in international treatment guidelines after heart bypass surgery for acute coronary artery disease. The current study compares two different antithrombotic, i.e., blood-thinning, treatments. One is single antiplatelet therapy with acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin) alone, the other is dual antiplatelet therapy with acetylsalicylic acid and ticagrelor (Brilique). "There is no doubt that this patient group needs antiplatelet therapy. However, it has so far been unclear...