death

We Thought This Cell Death Phenomenon Was Irreversible, But We Were Wrong

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Pyroptosis, a type of programmed cell death related to infection and an inflammation response, can actually be stopped and managed, according to new research – whereas it was previously thought that the process was irreversible once it gets going.   Killing off cells with pyroptosis is something the body uses to stay healthy, though such … Read more

Risk of Death For Female Patients Is Much Higher if Surgeon Is a Man, Study Reveals

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For female patients, operation outcomes tend to be significantly better when their surgeon is also female, recent research out of Canada has found. No one really knows why that is just yet, but a new model comparing the sex of the surgeon, the sex of the patient, and the outcomes of the surgery have now revealed an … Read more

Covid-19 news: India’s death toll may be six times higher than thought

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By Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Jessica Hamzelou, Sam Wong, Graham Lawton, Adam Vaughan, Conrad Quilty-Harper, Jason Arunn Murugesu and Layal Liverpool A disused granite quarry repurposed to cremate the dead due to covid-19 in Bengaluru, India Abhishek Chinnappa/Getty Images Latest coronavirus news as of 12pm on 7 January The potentially massive scale of unrecorded … Read more

Death star: In cosmic first, scientists observe red supergiant just before it explodes

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It’s much easier for scientists to see the messy aftermath of stellar explosions than to watch the prelude to the drama. But finally, astronomers managed to observe a red giant star just as it “went supernova,” as exploding stars are called. Using a telescope in Hawaii, a team of scientists gathered observations of a red … Read more

Death-Bringing ‘Brain Tsunamis’ Have Been Observed in Humans

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Back in 2018, researchers were able to study the moment brain death becomes irreversible in the human body for the first time, observing the phenomenon in several Do Not Resuscitate patients as they died in hospital.   For years, scientists have researched what happens to your brain when you die, but despite everything we’ve found … Read more

US Life Expectancy Has Taken Its Sharpest Drop in More Than 75 Years

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US life expectancy dropped by 1.8 years in 2020, final official figures showed Wednesday, the steepest drop in more than 75 years driven in large part by the COVID-19 pandemic.   Life expectancy at birth was 77.0 years for the total US population last year, down from 78.8 years in 2019, according to the Centers … Read more

Covid-19: Coronavirus was the third leading cause of death in the US in 2020

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In the first year of the pandemic, covid-19 became one of the leading causes of death in the US. The country also had the biggest drop in life expectancy than any other Health 22 December 2021 By Jason Arunn Murugesu In America: Remember, an art installation in Washington, DC, memorialising those who have died in … Read more

Hormone replacement therapy: Large study finds HRT does not increase risk of dying early

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A study of 300,000 people shows that HRT for menopause symptoms doesn’t increase the risk of early death, helping to overturn outdated fears about its safety Health 10 December 2021 By Alice Klein A woman applying a hormone replacement therapy patch Phanie/Alamy A large UK study has provided reassurance that taking hormone replacement therapy to … Read more

New Zealand smoking ban: Will it work if it ignores vaping?

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Outlawing the sale of cigarettes to anyone born after 2008 and mandating low-nicotine cigarettes for others will help New Zealand reach its smoke-free vision, but vaping will still be an issue Health | Comment 10 December 2021 By Alice Klein Cigarettes may soon be difficult for young people in New Zealand to access Roberto Sorin/Shutterstock … Read more