CHICAGO (AP) ― The nation’s first full face transplant patients are growing into their new appearances ― literally.Medical imaging shows new blood vessel networks have formed, connecting transplanted skin with the patients’ facial tissue, a finding that may help improve future face transplant surgeries, doctors announced Wednesday.Dallas Wiens, the first U.S. man to get a full face transplant, is a remarkable example of that success. The 28-year-old Fort Worth man attended Wednesday’s annual mee

Doctors advise asthma patients to be mindful of not only cold air but also fine dust from China

Liver cirrhosis is a chronic liver disease that destroys normal liver cells, replacing them with scar tissue. The broad scarring of the liver distorts the organ’s normal structure. This obstructs the blood flow in the liver and stops it from carrying out important functions.Chronic diseases that can lead to liver cirrhosis include viral hepatitis B and C, alcoholic liver disease and some uncommon genetic or autoimmune diseases. However, liver cirrhosis does not always occur in patients with chro

Sarcoma is a type of cancer that arises from stem cells. It can develop from muscle, fat, nerve, vascular, cartilage or bone tissues. Sarcomas are broadly classified into soft-tissue sarcomas and osteosarcomas. Soft-tissue sarcomas can arise in any part of the body, but mainly the limbs and retroperitoneum, an area at the back of the abdominal cavity, while osteosarcomas are often found in the limbs. Soft-tissue sarcomas can be further divided into liposarcomas, rhabdomyosarcomas, neurofibrosarc

Kim Dong-young, a 22-year-old student, had been scratching his skin almost every day, particularly after showering. “I can’t help but scratch my skin to death because I feel itchy and stingy all over my body at the same time,” he said. “My skin then gets blood red and swollen. It looks so ugly.” Kim applied moisturizers for the last three months, thinking that the rash may have been caused by the dry weather. However, he learned from a dermatologist last week that the rash had nothing to do with

Doctors say arthritis patients should wear warm clothing, exercise during cold months

A group of South Korean scientists said Thursday they have confirmed anti-stress effects of Goryeo ginseng, adding to the long list of health benefits of the perennial plant.According to the scientists from the Rural Development Administration, Goryeo ginseng helped reduce the level of stress, as well as depression, in pregnant mice that underwent a series of stress-inducing activities, such as forced swimming and exposure to extreme cold.The research was conducted jointly with a team of scienti

 Cholesterol is one of the essential lipids needed to maintain normal body function. It forms the cell membrane, and is needed to produce various hormones such as adrenocortical hormones, as well as male and female hormones.However, people with higher-than-normal levels of cholesterol (200-240 ml/dl) are at increased risk for angina, myocardial infarction and cerebral ischemia, along with smoking and hypertension, which are the three main risk factors. On the other hand, low levels of cholestero

Office worker Mr. A often felt stiffness of the neck, a heavy sensation on the shoulders as if burdened by a rock, headache, eye pain, and weakness and numbness of his arms after office work, computer work, reading on the couch or driving for a long time. He decided to see a doctor because he was worried that it could be a stroke, cervical disk prolapse, or some other serious condition. After many tests and examinations he asked the doctor what the diagnosis was.The doctor told him that there we

Health authorities are on alert over recently heightened levels of fine particles in the air, which can cause respiratory problems and other irritations in the eye, nose and throat. About 30 times smaller than a human hair, ultrafine particles measure less than 2.5 micrometers across and are carried by the wind, much of them coming from cities in northern China, including Harbin and Beijing. Recent studies showed they can directly enter the bronchial tubes and interfere with the gas exchange in

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that can last for 10-20 years. The affected patient will have a high chance of recurrence over their lifetime, even after initial improvement. Approximately 1-2 percent of the world’s population has this skin condition, and 60 people are newly diagnosed with psoriasis in every 100,000 people. Therefore, it is expected that a significant number of people will suffer from psoriasis in Korea. Psoriasis is characterized by scaly, dry skin with redness, together