Here are some of the latest health and medical news
developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
U.S. Spent $2.5 Trillion on Health Care in 2009: Report
Total U.S. spending on health care in 2009 was $2.5 trillion, an
average of $8,086 per person, says a report released Wednesday by
the office of the actuary at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services.
The four percent growth in health care spending from 2008 was
the slowest rate of increase in 50 years and was linked to the
recession,
The New York Times reported.
"Many consumers decreased their use of health care goods and services, partly because they had lost employer-based private health insurance coverage and partly because their household income had declined," explained economist and principal author Anne B. Martin.
Despite the slowed growth in spending, health care still
accounted for a record 17.6 percent of total U.S. economic output
in 2009,
The Times reported.
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Irish Giant had Rare Gene Mutation
A rare and mysterious gene mutation explains the mystery of the
Irish Giant, according to a new study.
Charles Byrne was 7 feet 7 inches tall. He gained fame and
fortune when he traveled to London to be displayed as a freak.
After he died in 1783, his skeleton was kept in a museum in London,
The New York Times reported.
In 1909, an American doctor removed the top of Byrne' skull and
concluded that his immense size was caused by a pituitary tumor.
But British and German scientists recently analyzed DNA from
Byrne's teeth and concluded that a gene mutation was the cause.
The same mutation was found in four Northern Ireland families
who live near where Byrne was born and are related to him.
The study appears in Thursday's issue of the
New England Journal of Medicine.
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Cheney Must Make Decision About Heart Transplant
A decision on whether to seek a heart transplant will likely
have to be made by former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney within
the next few months, suggests a news report.
The mechanical heart pump Cheney, 69, received in July saved his
life, according to doctors. The pump, called a ventricular assist
device, helps the heart push blood through the arteries. The
devices are implanted as a last resort either as a permanent
measure or to keep a patient alive until they undergo a heart
transplant.
Doctors say Cheney has a narrow time frame to make a decision
about seeking a heart transplant because he will soon be too old to
qualify for the procedure,
The New York Times reported.
It is possible for patients with a ventricular assist device to
live for years, but the long-term prospects are unclear. The
devices carry a significant risk of infection.
None of Cheney's family or friends will reveal details about his
heart condition or what he may be doing to deal with it,
The Times reported.
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