Like many other medical conditions, fainting runs in families, a new study finds. The study included 51 sets of same-sex twins. At least 1 twin in each pair had fainted in the past. Fainting in both twins was twice as common among identical twins as among fraternal twins. Identical twins come from the same fertilized egg, which divides. All of their genes are the same. Fraternal twins come from two fertilized eggs. They have fewer genes in common. Other relatives of the twins in the study did not have an unusually high risk of fainting. Researchers said this suggests that fainting is not inherited through just one gene. The journal Neurology published the study online. HealthDay News wrote about it August 8.
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Reminding both teens and their parents about missed shots may help increase vaccination rates, a new study suggests. Teens in the study were ages 13 through 17. All of them were missing at least 1 recommended shot. They were randomly divided into 3 groups. One group received reminder phone calls to parents from the doctor’s office. Another group received reminders for both the parents and the teens. People in the third group were not contacted. Vaccination rates increased in the next month for teens who received reminders for themselves and their parents. The other groups did not show this improvement. But any differences were gone a year later. Doctors also had problems reaching many of the teens and their parents. The journal Pediatrics published the study online August 20.
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For people who faint because their heart rates suddenly plummet (a condition called cardioinhibitory syncope), a dual-chamber pacemaker has been shown to reduce fainting episodes by 57%.
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Kidney disease and some medications, like ACE inhibitors and NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, can cause potassium levels to be high. It is almost impossible to achieve high potassium levels simply by eating foods rich in potassium.
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The United States Preventive Services Task Force advises that everyone be checked for colon cancer from age 50 to age 75, and that testing should stop after age 85. It’s a more individual decision for those ages 76 to 85.
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The recent FDA approvals of new medications to treat obesity may make it seem like a cure is at hand. But there’s no magic bullet for shedding excess weight-diet pills promote modest weight provided you’re a good candidate for drug therapy and you use the
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Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer among men and women. Several tests can find hidden colorectal cancer while it is still small and treatable.
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Genetic testing is useful for determining if someone has inherited a condition caused by a problem with a single gene, like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. But it can’t yet add much to predicting who will have a heart attack.
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