(September 3, 2009 - Insidermedicine)

From the Netherlands - Patients who undergo non-cardiac vascular surgery are much less likely to have consequent heart problems if they take cholesterol-lowering statins before and after the operation, according to a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers enrolled almost 500 patients who were scheduled to have either their leg, neck or aorta artery unclogged--administering a placebo or a statin one month before and one month following the operation.  Those who received the statin had half the risk of dying from a heart attack following their surgery.

From Kansas City - According to a report presented at the Military Health Research Forum, what a pilot eats could potentially affect his/her flight performance. Researchers from the University of North Dakota studied 45 pilots for over 3 months, studying the affects that four different diets--a control diet, one high in carbohydrates, one high in protein, and one high in fats--had on their cognitive functioning. They found that both the carbohydrate and fat diets resulted in better simulated flight performances as well as improved sleep.

And finally, from the UK -   According to research published in the journal Current Biology, gene sequencing has revealed significant mutation in human DNA. Scientists studied two men in China who shared a common ancestor born in 1805. Using a new technique called direct sequencing--a process that counts the individual differences of nearly 10 million DNA units--researchers found several mutations of the Y chromosome. With these new numbers, scientists approximate that every human has 100 to 200 new mutations in their DNA.