During Carrie Wells’ first doctor’s visit after learning she was pregnant, she was surprised when her doctor suggested a blood test that could detect the risk of Down syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities as early as 10 weeks. At 30, she hadn’t been worried about conceiving a child with a genetic disorder. The test, called a “cell-free DNA” screen, analyzes the fetal genetic information that travels from the mother’s placenta and poses no risk to the baby. The doctor had been routinely prescribing it for her patients who were older and higher risk, and was now prescribing it to younger women, as well. The doctor’s reasoning: women younger than 35 had more babies overall and account for 80 percent of country’s 6,000 annual Down births, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She said the test was more accurate than the current standard of care. Plus, the parents could learn the gender during the first trimester if they … [Read more...] about More younger women using prenatal tests to detect genetic abnormalities
Baltimore dna testing centers
The DNA detectives who are hunting the causes of cancer
Story highlights Scientists are looking inside the DNA of cancer cells to look for signatures of cancer-causing agents Finding out what is increasing the risk of cancer can make lasting life-saving changes in public health (CNN)Halfway up a hill overlooking the Great Rift Valley in western Kenya are two graves. One of them is a few years old now, bristling with bushy shrubs stretching bright green leaves towards a cloudless sky. The other is a freshly dug bed of rough red dirt planted with a white wooden cross. They are the final resting places of Emily's mother and father, who died within four years of each other. Still a young woman, Emily now looks after her family's rural homestead near Iten -- a town famed for churning out long-distance runners and playing host to Mo Farah's training camps. We reach it by driving through urban sprawl and out into the hills, passing a seemingly endless stream of impossibly fit athletes pounding the roadside paths. Emily is busy cooking … [Read more...] about The DNA detectives who are hunting the causes of cancer
Get colon checked sooner, new guidelines say
Story highlights Previous guidelines had called for screenings to begin at age 50, depending on your risk level and race Colorectal cancer rates and deaths are rising among younger adults (CNN)If you're in your mid-40s and haven't had your colon checked, it might be time. The American Cancer Society's newly updated guidelines for colon and rectal cancer screening recommend that adults at average risk get screened starting at age 45 instead of 50, as previously advised. The updated guidelines come on the heels of what seems to be a rise in colorectal cancer among younger adults. Those at higher risk include African Americans, Alaska Natives, and people with a family history or a personal history of colon or rectal polyps; risk factors such as these could require screening earlier. Published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians on Wednesday, the updated guidelines also indicate that there are six screening test options for adults, ranging from noninvasive stool tests to visual … [Read more...] about Get colon checked sooner, new guidelines say
Estimated 7,000 bodies may be buried at former asylum
Sarah Mearhoff, Associated Press Updated 11:55 am, Wednesday, May 23, 2018 window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-5', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 5', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-9', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 9', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); Photo: Rogelio V. Solis, AP Image 1of/9 CaptionClose Image 1 of 9 In this May 9, 2018 photo taken in Starkville, Miss., Mississippi State University anthropologist Molly Zuckerman holds a portion of a mandible extracted from one of the graves unearthed at what was the graveyard of the Mississippi State Asylum in Jackson, Miss. The jaw at left, … [Read more...] about Estimated 7,000 bodies may be buried at former asylum
Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer long wondered if he’s related to JFK. At 72, he learned the truth.
Dave Sheinin, The Washington Post Published 1:17 pm, Thursday, May 10, 2018 window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-5', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 5', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-10', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 10', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-15', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 15', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-20', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery … [Read more...] about Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer long wondered if he’s related to JFK. At 72, he learned the truth.