Man donates part of his liver to stranger

The double doors into the operating rooms are about to open. The anaesthetist is wheeling John Cooper down the hall as his wife walks quickly beside the gurney, trying to keep up.

The couple has already said their goodbyes, whispered in the pre-dawn dark of their 23rd-floor hotel room. Cooper has told his two adult daughters that he loves them. They, in turn, have told their dad how proud they are of him.

There are no regrets. And yet this moment still seems to have come too soon.

As the anaesthetist ties on her mask, John and Deb grasp hands one last time. Deb leans down to kiss her husband. They look at each other and say a final “I love you.

Heart Disease Is Still Country's No. 1 Killer

We all know that heart attacks are the worst possible outcome for heart disease patients. But there are many things related to coronary heart disease that people don't know. One is that coronary heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. It accounted for about 1.2 million coronary attacks in 2009. Another is that women are just as likely to be heart attack victims as men. And too many people also don't know the symptoms of heart disease or how to prevent a heart attack.

The good news is, Americans can fight back by taking control of their lifestyles with exercise, healthier eating and by avoiding tobacco.

Tests Show More Swine Flu Immunity in Older Folks

ATLANTA -- New test results show what scientists have suspected -- people in their 60's and older have signs of greater immunity to the new swine flu virus.

Scientists think it's because older people have been exposed to other viruses in the past that are more similar to swine flu than more recent seasonal flus.

But the results come from complicated lab work and calculations, and it's not yet clear how safe older people actually are from the new infection, federal officials said.

"We can't say," said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So older people are advised to take the same precautions as their children and grandchildren.

British Dentists Might Have To Ration Fillings, Crowns, Etc.

DENTAL NEWS: Despite the stereotype that the British have bad teeth, better dental care -- especially among seniors -- is likely to lead to a shortage of items used by British dentists in the treatment of cavities, tooth erosion and root canals.

The British Dental Association's (BDA) scientific adviser Professor Damien Walmsley says that the demand for dental supplies that were originally designed only to be used for 20 years could exhaust resources in the British government-run system of dental care in the near future.

BDA research has found that fewer than a third of the over-65s in England currently have their own teeth, but within 20 years that is likely to increase to about 50% of them.

Are you "Inf-Obese?" A New Health Crisis and 3 Ways to Avoid It

Infobesity: the feeling of busting at the seams with tweets, status updates, texts, emails…too much information!

The average adult spends 6-8 hours each day online. With each passing moment, there’s a more portable gadget that makes consuming information easier... just as there's another unhealthy junk food or 'energy drink.' Is this really any different than the obesity crisis?

Whether from distracted driving, or erosion of quality time with our children, or lacking a spare moment in the day to just relax...infobesity is equally as dangerous to our bodies and even more so to our spirits.

How can you avoid the dangers of infobesity and get Info-Skinny in 2011?

Depression Rising, but Psychotherapy Declines

Gap Between Drug Treatment and Talk Therapy Widens

More Americans than ever are receiving treatment for depression, but the number getting psychotherapy with or without drugs continues to decline, a national survey finds.

Depression treatment rates increased dramatically during the 1990s with the introduction of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft.

Other SSRIs, including Celexa, Lexapro, and Luvox soon followed, as did newer classes of antidepressants represented by drugs like Cymbalta, Effexor, and Wellbutrin.

Despite all the new drug choices, the use of antidepressants increased only modestly during the last decade -- from about 74% of patients treated in 1998 to 75% in 2007, the survey revealed.

‘Depression Gene’ Linked to Response to Stress

Study Shows Gene Plays Role in the Ways People React to Stressful Events

An analysis of 54 studies suggests that there really is a depression gene that can affect how people respond to stressful life events.

The new study, which appears in the Jan. 3 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, should help resolve controversy regarding the role of this gene.

People with a short variation of the serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) gene are more likely to become depressed when faced with certain stressful life events than their counterparts who have the longer variation, the new study showed.

What’s more, not all stressful life events are created equally when it comes to depression risk. For example, this gene raises risk of depression in people who have experienced stress related to childhood maltreatment and severe medical illness as opposed to other stressful events.

Genetic Link Between Stress and Depression

Study Shows People With a Genetic Mutation May Be More Likely to Develop Depression

A gene that influences how the brain responds to stress may also play a key role in depression.

A new study shows people with a certain genetic mutation that causes them to produce less of the brain chemical neuropeptide Y (NPY) have a more intense negative emotional response to stress and may be more likely to develop depression than others.

Researchers found low levels of neuropeptide Y caused a stronger emotional response to negative stimuli and physiological response to pain in the brain, which may make people less resilient in the face of stress and more prone to depression.

Excited Over Pope’s Condom Comments? Hold the Applause

As Spiderman was once so sagely advised, “With great power comes great responsibility.” I venture out on a limb to suggest that the Pope may have missed this memo, at least when it comes to protecting the reproductive health of his one billion or so followers.

The Catholic Church’s staunch view against the use of birth control was cemented in a 1968 pronouncement and hasn’t budged since. After four decades and the explosion of the AIDS epidemic, condoms got a big old “talk to the hand” again last year during the Pope’s trip to Africa, where he said the contraceptive “aggravates the problems” despite the HIV infection of more than 20 million on the continent.

Pope Clarifies: Condoms a “Lesser Evil”

After a few days of speculation, and perhaps putting some words in the Pope’s mouth, the Vatican’s spokesman has come forward to clarify the Pope’s recent comments on condom use.

The Pope is not condoning homosexual relations, prostitution or condom use just for males. Three out of three of those things are still very, very wrong. The Vatican maintains its castigating eye, but clarifies that when faced with the decision whether to use condoms or transmit/contract HIV, condom use is officially the lesser of those two evils. And this goes equally for men, women, and “transsexuals.” Relieved, aren’t you?

3 Easy and Effective Ways to Dig Out of a Rut

It can happen almost before you know it: You wake up at the same time every day, follow the same route to work, and perform the same job you’ve done for years. At the end of the day, you come home and make a meal you’ve made a million times before, watch your favorite television show, and go to bed at the same time you always do.

There’s nothing like the feeling that you’re living out your own version of the movie Groundhog Day to make you realize that you’re in a world-class rut.

Being in a rut doesn’t necessarily mean you’re unhappy—there’s a certain comfort in having a stable and predictable routine. But whether your rut is at work, in your relationship, or in your personal life, when your usual regimen starts to make you feel as if you’re sleepwalking through life, it might be time to snap back to attention.

Types of College Degrees

According to a report published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, April 27, 2010, 70.1% of 2009 high school graduates were enrolled in colleges or universities – a historic high since 1959. (bls.gov/news.release/hsgec.htm)

If you are currently in high school, chances are that you have already set the ball rolling on preparing for college. The word on the street is the earlier you start, the more time you’ll have to plan for college.

One important question you’ll need to address as part of your planning process is the type of college degree that best suits your educational goals, career objectives, personal situation and financial circumstances. Let’s face it, not everyone can afford or may want to spend five to six years in college.

Swine Flu: What Would It Take for You to Start Wearing a Surgical Mask?

It's hard to know just how bad swine flu might get. Health officials can speculate--but really, no one knows. In the meantime, people are talking about face masks, and whether we should start wearing them out at the grocery store, the gym, etc. Hysteria or a good idea? (And, P.S. there is rumored to be a mask shortage in some places in the U.S. right now...)

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We've all seen news footage by now of people in Mexico City wearing surgical masks to protect themselves from contracting the swine flu. Government workers have been passing them out in the streets, and now street vendors are even selling them (which leads some to believe that there may be surgical mask shortage).