Maryland veteran who received genetically modified pig heart transplant has died, hospital says

A Maryland man who received a pig heart transplant in a highly experimental surgery nearly six weeks ago has died, his Maryland doctors announced Tuesday. Lawrence Faucette, 58, a 20-year Navy veteran and a married father of two from Frederick, Maryland, had end-stage heart disease and was ineligible for a traditional heart transplant when he underwent...

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Missing Halloween for heart surgery: Neighbors throw early trick-or-treat surprise for 4-year-old girl

Naz Hassan, a 4-year-old from Syria, was sad to learn that she would have to miss trick-or-treating due to a heart surgery procedure the day before Halloween — but her community made sure she still got to experience the fun of what she calls her favorite holiday. Hassan was born with a very large hole between the ventricles of her heart, called a VSD...

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Anger can motivate people to achieve their goals, new study suggests: 'Sharpened focus'

Looking to get stuff done? Being angry might help you there. Anger can be a powerful motivator for achieving goals, according to a new study from the American Psychological Association (APA). The research, published this week in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, examined how both positive and negative emotions factor into the odds of...

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Ask a doc: ‘Does my pet have fall allergies — and if so, how can I help?’

Just like humans, pets can experience allergies — particularly in the fall, when environmental allergens like ragweed and mold are prevalent. "As a veterinarian, I can emphasize the crucial importance of monitoring and addressing pet allergies promptly," said Nicole Savageau, a veterinarian in Austin, Texas, who provides online care through TheVets.com. Allergies...

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Depression and anxiety may impact young adults twice as much as teens, Harvard survey finds

While rising rates of depression and anxiety among American teens have gotten attention, young adults may be struggling even more with those conditions, according to a new report from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Approximately 36% of young adults said they struggle with anxiety, compared to 18% of teens. Regarding depression, 29% of young...

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Halloween candy is not a treat for aging skin, experts say: 'Can do a number' on us

The average American consumes 3.4 pounds of candy on Halloween, statistics show — but beyond affecting people’s weight, that amount of candy can also take a toll on the skin, experts warn. Consumers are expected to spend $3.6 billion on Halloween candy this year, according to the National Retail Federation, with 68% of people planning to pass it out...

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RSV vaccine shortage for babies: What parents need to know to keep infants safe

There are shortages of an RSV vaccine for infants due to supply issues. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a notice last week citing "limited availability" of the long-acting monoclonal antibody immunization Beyfortus (nirsevimab). The product is recommended by the CDC for preventing disease from respiratory syncytial virus...

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Dog alerts family, saves Texas teenager from life-threatening stroke: 'Keeping guard'

A teenage boy in Spring, Texas, may owe his life to the family dog, who saved him from a potentially deadly stroke. Gabriel Silva, 17, was a healthy soccer player with no signs or symptoms of any medical problems when he experienced a dissection of the artery — when the inside wall of an artery gets torn — on Aug 26. Early that morning, the family’s...

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Virginia high school student creates soap to fight skin cancer, is awarded $25K: 'Remarkable effort'

A Virginia high school freshman was looking for a fun science experiment — and ended up making a soap with the aim of treating skin cancer. Heman Bekele, who attends W.T. Woodson High School in the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) system, was crowned "America’s Top Young Scientist" and awarded $25,000 after winning this year’s 3M Young Scientist...

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Halloween costumes for tiny babies are a passion project for New York NICU nurse : 'Creating happiness'

A NICU nurse makes over 50 Halloween costumes by hand each year so that her tiny patients and their families can enjoy a sense of normalcy during an otherwise difficult time.  Lilly Fox, a NICU nurse at NewYork-Presbyterian Alexandra Cohen Hospital for Women and Newborns, picks a theme for the costumes and then gets to work constructing them by...

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Colorado woman with Alzheimer’s is still vibrant after more than 4 years: ‘I refuse to surrender’

Since her Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2019, a Colorado woman has refused to give in to the disease — and after 4½ years, she is still mentally sharp and virtually symptom-free. Dr. Rebecca Chopp, who is married with three sons, was 67 when she was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer’s disease. At the time, Chopp thought everything...

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Alzheimer’s risk is reduced among women who follow the DASH diet in their 40s, study finds

Women over age 40 who adopt the DASH diet could have a lower risk of cognitive decline as they age, according to a study published this week in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. Researchers from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine found that women who followed the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)...

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Want to avoid a heart attack? These are the best and worst foods, according to cardiologists

The secret of avoiding heart disease could come down to which foods are on — or off — your plate. While you can’t control factors such as age or family history, the choice to adopt a heart-healthy diet can help reduce your risk. "The goal is not to go on a temporary diet for rapid weight loss, but to make good lifestyle choices to promote well-being...

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Breast cancer survivor says her 120-pound weight loss helped save her life: 'Strong, confident and healthy'

Tamara Loving, a mother of two from Huntington Beach, California, believes her dramatic weight loss helped her beat breast cancer. In 2016, when she was 37, Loving embarked on a weight loss journey. After joining WeightWatchers and spending eight months of meal-prepping, healthy eating and exercising, she lost 120 pounds — down to 150 from her original...

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