A 28-year-old man from Michigan decided to donate a kidney to a total stranger, setting into motion a kidney swap that over many months has resulted in 10 people getting a donor organ--and the process is still ongoing.
The billionaire founder of Google Sergey Brin has announced he will contribute money and his DNA to a study into the genetic underpinnings of Parkinson's disease.
AP - When Matthew Jones decided to donate a kidney to a stranger, the Michigan father of five had no idea he'd be starting a lifesaving, "pay it forward" chain. His kidney donation to a Phoenix woman in 2007 set off a long-running organ swap that resulted in 10 sick people getting new kidneys over a year. It hasn't ended yet.
AP - New research in teenagers links low levels of vitamin D to high blood pressure and high blood sugar, which can lead to ominous early health problems. The "sunshine" vitamin is needed to keep bones strong, but recent research has linked vitamin D to other possible health benefits. The teen study confirms results seen in adults, linking low levels with risk factors for heart disease, the researchers said.
AP - A Massachusetts anesthesiologist has been accused of faking data for a dozen years in 21 published studies that suggested after-surgery benefits from painkillers including Vioxx and Celebrex.
HealthDay - TUESDAY, March 10 (HealthDay News) -- Used together, a blood test and an ultrasound scan may be effective in detecting ovarian cancer in its early and more curable stages, British researchers report.
HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Two drugs -- levodopa and pramipexole -- used to treat early stage Parkinson's disease each have advantages and disadvantages, but their overall impact appears to even out over a long period of treatment.
HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- In yet another sign that obesity poses health risks at any age, new research shows that overweight children as young as age 3 can begin to show signs of cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Time.com - An experimental technique may help preserve fertility in cancer patients and other women struck with premature infertility. It may even be used for healthy women who just want to wait
AP - Doctors screening women for ovarian cancer were able to pick up the disease about two years earlier than normal, according to a British study published Wednesday.