Month: August 2012

Eating chocolate may reduce men’s chance of having a stroke, a new study suggests. The study included more than 37,000 men. At the beginning of the study, they answered questions about what they ate. In the next 10 years, about 2,000 men had a first stroke. Those who ate the most chocolate had a 17% lower risk of stroke than those who ate none. The amount eaten by the top group was equal to about one-third cup of chocolate chips per week. In Sweden, where the study was done, about 90% of the chocolate eaten is milk chocolate, study authors said. The same researchers also found similar results by combining results from 5 prior studies on chocolate and stroke. Those studies included a total of 4,200 strokes. People who ate the most chocolate had a 19% lower risk of stroke than those who never ate chocolate. The journal Neurology published the study.

Preventing infections and other problems for hospital patients is a big job. A new pilot program will use both technology and family help in the effort. The Johns Hopkins University program will cost $9 million. Doctors and nurses know many ways to help to keep patients safe. The new project will use automatic signals and controls to make sure they are carried out. For example, breathing problems can be a side effect of some painkillers. The Johns Hopkins program will link the machines that dispense medicines and keep track of breathing. Painkillers will be cut off automatically if breathing problems occur. The hospital also wants to put a checklist of daily care tasks on a tablet computer in each patient’s room. Hospital staff will urge family members to check the tablet and speak up if something is missed.