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On May 10, the Canadian Blood Services (CBS) issued an apology to 2SLGBTQIA+ communities for the role its former donor eligibility policy played in contributing to “discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, and HIV stigma within society.” From 1998 until 2013, CBS had a lifetime blood donation ban for any man who had sex with another man, even once. This ban then became a deferral period of five years, then 12 months, and finally, three months. Under their most recent screening policies updated in late 2022, both CBS and Héma-Québec ask every potential donor if they have had anal sex with a new...

When a pregnant woman had her blood sampled back in 1972, doctors discovered it was mysteriously missing a surface molecule found on all other known red blood cells at the time. After 50 years, this strange molecular absence finally led researchers from the UK and Israel to describe a new blood group system in humans. "It represents a huge achievement, and the culmination of a long team effort, to finally establish this new blood group system and be able to offer the best care to rare, but important, patients," UK National Health Service hematologist Louise Tilley says, after nearly 20...

People with higher levels of metals found in their blood and urine may be more likely to be diagnosed with—and die from—amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, a study suggests. Researchers have known that ALS, a rare but fatal neurodegenerative condition, is influenced by genetic and environmental factors, including exposure to pesticides and metals. This latest study examined the levels of metals in the blood and urine of people with and without ALS, finding that exposure to individual metals and mixtures of metals is associated with a greater risk for ALS and shorter survival. Goutman's team measured metal levels in plasma...

(CNN) — Consuming a drink with erythritol — an artificial sweetener used to add bulk to stevia and monk fruit and to sweeten low-carb keto products — more than doubled the risk of blood clotting in 10 healthy people, according to a new pilot study. Clots can break off blood vessels and travel to the heart, triggering a heart attack, or to the brain, triggering a stroke. Previous research has linked erythritol to a higher risk of stroke, heart attack and death. “What is remarkable is that in every single subject, every measure of platelet responsiveness (clotting) went up following...

The smartest people I know are Freepers. Hopefully, y’all can give me some advice My 72yo wife has ulcerative colitis (UC), she’s in her 6th month of trying to get it into remission. UC is bleeding ulcers in your colon – therefore rectal bleeding and diarrhea, poor girl has it hugely. Her last UC episode, which went into remission within a couple months, was 17 year ago when she was 55yo. She’s taken all her biologic initial dosages of Remicade. We have Medicare and Medigap insurance, we live in KY in a major metro area. Her blood test results are...

The results of routine blood tests could be used to speed up cancer diagnosis among people with stomach pain or bloating, suggests a study. The study looked at data from more than 400,000 people aged 30 or older in the UK who had visited a GP due to stomach pain and more than 50,000 who had visited their GP due to bloating. Two thirds of this group had blood tests following their appointment. In the new study, the researchers found that people aged 60 or over who had gone to the GP with either stomach pain or bloating had a...

ay receive blood transfusions from a donor with O-negative blood, sometimes referred to as the "universal donor" type of blood. "An AB patient may receive enough O blood units during a transfusion that nearly all of their red cells type as group O," Our Blood Institute explains. "Within a few months, the patient’s bone marrow should naturally replace the transfused blood with his or her original blood type." This brings us neatly to bone marrow transplants. Red blood cells are made in your bone marrow, and if you receive a bone marrow transplant from a donor of a different type,...

The headquarters of the Republican National Committee was put on lockdown Wednesday morning after two vials of blood were discovered in a package addressed to former President Donald Trump — with the party’s chairman calling the incident a “biological attack.” “Today, vials of blood were sent to RNC Headquarters in DC. We are thankful to law enforcement, who responded quickly and ensured everyone’s safety. The lockdown has been cleared and staff has resumed their office duties because we remain unintimidated and undeterred in our efforts to elect President Trump to the White House,” RNC boss Michael Whatley said in a...

The headquarters of the Republican National Committee was briefly placed on lockdown Wednesday morning and the hazardous materials team from the United States Capitol Police responded to the scene on Capitol Hill. According to sources reported by NBC News, the emergency response stemmed from a package containing vials of blood that was sent to the RNC's offices just a few steps from House office buildings.NEW: Three sources tell @NBCNews vials of blood were sent to the RNC... https://t.co/iRhiH2O1rK— Dasha Burns (@DashaBurns) May 22, 2024Capitol Police told NBC News that the package was contained and removed by its personnel while another...

The headquarters of the Republican National Committee were put on lockdown Wednesday morning. It was unclear exactly what caused the security alert, but one source told The Post: “It sounds like vials of blood were sent in a package and something broke open.” There were no immediate reports of any injuries. A Hazmat unit was on site at the Capitol Hill building.

... In the early 1980s, the UK could not keep up with demand for Factor VIII, which was made by pooling - or mixing - the blood plasma of thousands of individual donors. Instead the treatment was shipped from the US. In the UK, blood donations have always been voluntary, but in the US, drug companies were allowed to pay cash for plasma. High risk groups, from prisoners to drug users, had a clear financial incentive to give blood and potentially lie about their medical history. Evidence uncovered by campaigners and seen by the ongoing public inquiry into the wider...

Abig update has emerged in connection with COVID vaccine and its rare side effects, which are being questioned by several health experts. British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company AstraZeneca has admitted in court papers that its COVID vaccine, Covishield, can cause rare side effect, The Telegraph reported. Covishield was developed by AstraZeneca and was produced by the Serum Institute of India. In India, it was one of the widely administered COVID vaccine. What did AstraZeneca say about the vaccine side effect? Currently, AstraZeneca is facing a class action lawsuit in the UK due to claims that its vaccine caused deaths....

AstraZeneca has admitted for the first time in court documents that its Covid vaccine can cause a rare side effect, in an apparent about-turn that could pave the way for a multi-million pound legal payout. The pharmaceutical giant is being sued in a class action over claims that its vaccine, developed with the University of Oxford, caused death and serious injury in dozens of cases. Lawyers argue the vaccine produced a side-effect which has had a devastating effect on a small number of families. The first case was lodged last year by Jamie Scott, a father of two, who was...

Managing a stroke victim's blood sugar levels after they receive powerful clot-busting drugs might help them survive their health crisis, a new trial finds. People with high blood sugar levels were more likely to suffer a potentially deadly brain bleed after clot-busters reopened their blocked brain arteries, researchers found. The risk was particularly high in older patients with more severe strokes. "These data suggest that more focus and research is needed on the management of high blood sugar in the treatment of stroke patients, particularly those with higher risk, more severe strokes," said Dr. Andrew Southerland. For the study, researchers...

In September 2021, many people went into a frenzy when the United States Postal Service announced that their mail delivery service would become permanently slower. This new phenomenon is called Pre-Parcel Anxiety. “We live in a society where we build expectations and uphold perfectionism. We want things here and now. We want efficiency and struggle with patience,” psychotherapist Owen O’Kane explains. Today, we’re seeing what I’m calling Pre-Trib Anxiety. The world is in such a mess that anticipation of the always-imminent rapture is making people anxious. Where is it? It should have been here by now. Why is there a...

A family member of slain NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller let Gov. Kathy Hochul “have it” when she stopped by the wake Friday afternoon — telling her “his blood is on your hands,” a source told The Post. The family member “was going crazy on her,” the source said. “He said, ‘We don’t want you here. You’re not wanted here. You have blood on your hands. If you want to do something, change the bail laws,'” the source continued.

To this day, the American Red Cross wants blood donors to know that—despite all the confirmed devastating side effects and deaths—receiving an mRNA COVID-19 jab does not make you ineligible to donate blood. Okey-Dokey fact-checker verified, their website declares, “True: you can donate blood after getting a COVID-19 vaccine.” Besides that, the Red Cross insists, “Blood donations from those who have been vaccinated for COVID-19 are safe for transfusion,” noting on its website that “like all blood collectors in the U.S., [the Red Cross] is required to follow the eligibility guidelines set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).” That...

Ginkgo Diterpene Lactone Meglumine (GDLM), a group of organic compounds that derive from the Ginkgo biloba plant, can improve cognitive function in patients who recently experienced an acute ischemic stroke, according to new research. During a stroke, impaired blood flow to the brain results in oxygen deprivation and an inflammatory response which ultimately leads to neuronal cell death. Consequently, cognitive impairment is common in stroke patients. GDLM could have the potential as such a treatment. Ginkgo biloba, from which it derives, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat cardiovascular disease, and GDLM itself has been shown to inhibit...

Ibuprofen works wonders for your headaches, joint pain, muscle aches, and menstrual cramps, so it's probably no surprise that it's the second most common over-the-counter (OTC) drug behind paracetamol (Tylenol), according to a 2023 article https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36876700/ in the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences. You might get a prescription for ibuprofen if you have rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis to reduce the pain and swelling from these conditions. Ibuprofen might also be used for psoriatic arthritis, arthritis of the spine, and gouty arthritis. Like other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), ibuprofen works by blocking an enzyme that makes prostaglandins that cause...

While reducing salt intake has been the focus of dietary advice to control high blood pressure (hypertension), a study suggests that upping your potassium intake can be at least as important. Researchers analyzed data from The George Institute's large-scale randomized trial, the Salt Substitute and Stroke Study (SSaSS), which involved 20,995 participants followed for five years. The study showed clear reductions in the risk of stroke (14%), major cardiovascular events (13%) and premature death (12%) from switching regular salt for potassium-enriched salt. The researchers based their analyses on the "gold standard" measure of sodium and potassium in the urine of...