Medical Watch Digest for Sept 7
Transplant News
There is a new way to make sure transplants are successful.
By adding a tiny monitor to transplant organs, doctors can spot the first sign of potential problems.
Northwestern University scientists tested the implantable electronic system on transplanted kidneys.
It’s smaller than a quarter and has wireless sensing technology.
Current monitoring methods are infrequent and invasive.
The new implant sits directly on the organ constantly tracking temperature irregularities associated with inflammation, an indicator of transplant rejection.
When doctors get a smartphone alert, they can be proactive, intervening to preserve the organ.
Cancer deaths not from cancer
The surprising cause of death for many cancer patients is not cancer.
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network is urging better recognition of the lesser known threat amid a cancer diagnosis.
People with cancer are nine times more likely to develop blood clots than those who do not have cancer.
Blood clots are a leading cause of death behind the cancer itself.
Experts say recognizing and treating the clots can prolong life for people battling cancer.
Abuse and disability
When either a mother or father struggle with substance abuse, their children suffer, many in the form of intellectual disabilities.
Parents with alcohol or drug dependencies produce offspring who have difficulties learning.
It’s well documented when women drink or do drugs during pregnancy it increases the risk for a child to be born with disabilities. But this latest research from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute reveals abuse in both the mother and father, not only during pregnancy, can have a lasting impact on the child.
Keto & fertility
A certain diet may be able to help some women struggling with infertility.
The ketogenic or keto diet helps lower testosterone levels in women with poly cystic ovary syndrome, a leading threat to fertility.
The high fat, low carb eating plan helps women lose weight, normalize menstrual cycles and optimize reproductive hormone levels.
The Endocrine Society says the overall enhanced health and lower testosterone from the keto diet boosts fertility prospects for women with PCOS.
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