Latest news with #UniversityofIowaHealthCare
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Pregnant mothers' high blood pressure linked to this increased risk in children
Pregnant mothers experiencing high blood pressure may have to worry about another potential health risk to their children, researchers warned on Monday. The condition, also known as gestational hypertension, has previously been linked to premature births and stillbirths that are tied to a decrease in blood flow through the placenta. Now, researchers at University of Iowa Health Care have found it is also associated with an increased risk for seizure in kids. "The connection between high blood pressure in pregnant moms and seizures in children from these pregnancies had been postulated before, but never examined on a large scale, and never modeled in an animal,' Dr. Baojian Xue, a senior research scientist in pediatrics at the university, commented on the research. 'With these new mouse models and this new connection between gestational hypertension and seizures, we can now perhaps come up with new childhood anti-seizure therapies," he wrote. Xue was the first author of the National Institutes of Health-funded study, which was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. To reach these conclusions, they utilized clinical databases and studies in lab mice, including the records of more than 246 million patients from across the U.S. The study found that children born to mothers with high blood pressure during their pregnancy had significantly higher rates of seizures compared to those with normal blood pressure. In mice, testing confirmed that exposure to gestational hypertension in the womb increased seizure sensitivity and death due to seizures. Of their subjects, male offspring showed greater vulnerability to the medical condition. They also found that brain inflammation played a 'significant role' in the process of disease, saying it may play such a role in human children. Gestational hypertension impacts nearly 16 percent of American pregnancies. Mothers are also at a higher risk of seizures, stroke, temporary kidney failure, and liver and blood clotting problems, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Most people with high blood pressure will deliver healthy babies when the condition is caught early in pregnancy. However, the more severe the condition is, the more at risk mothers are for serious complications, the clinic notes. That can include preeclampsia, when high blood pressure develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Eclampsia occurs when a pregnant woman has seizures due to untreated or under-treated preeclampsia. But this study – the first large-scale evidence connecting gestational hypertension to heightened seizure risk in offspring – may offer new pathways for further research. The impact of brain inflammation could be targeted to prevent seizures in children exposed to gestational hypertension. Notably, this research was released the same day as another study from Columbia University that found low levels of arsenic in drinking water were also linked to preterm birth and lower birthweight. "This study is unique because you have an association drawn from analyses of large clinical databases, but then we go on to prove the association with animal models,' Dr. Vinit Mahajan, professor of ophthalmology at Stanford University and a co-author on the study, explained. 'We were even able to reduce seizures in mice offspring with anti-inflammatory drugs based on what we learned from the model.'
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why this Johnson County Democrat says he's challenging US Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks
Travis Terrell, a Democrat and University of Iowa Health Care employee from Johnson County, said he's challenging U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks for Iowa's 1st Congressional District seat to be a voice in Washington, D.C., for working-class and progressive Iowans. Terrell, 39, is the first Democrat to launch a 2026 congressional bid in the race that has already been projected to be competitive. Miller-Meeks hasn't formally announced an official reelection campaign but has a significant jump in fundraising and recently took herself out of the running for the Iowa governor's race. "I am doing the work, and I am going to go to Washington ready to fight. I'm not going to go there and try to get settled down," Terrell said. "I'm going with a plan to fight like hell for Iowans and let the billionaires and the corporations know I am not going to be like Donald Trump or Nancy Pelosi. You're not going to be able to buy me, because my heart is going to be back home, where I'm going to be as much as I possibly can." He said he's running because he believes Iowa voters in the 1st Congressional District are ready to send a progressive Democrat to Congress who will "restore the dignity of the working man." He said he closed out of his vacation savings to fund his campaign's website and first ad. "I don't have the masters education that a lot of politicians do, and I feel like that's going to be a good thing because I don't think Congress or government officials need that formal education or that degree because really what it comes down to when you're voting is right or wrong and it comes to what you believe and who you're going to fight for," Terrell said. Terrell lives in Tiffin and works as a patient access specialist at UI Health Care. He grew up in Ottumwa in a single-mother household for most of his life and said he started working at 13 years old to help pay bills. Terrell attended Indian Hills Community College to study electronic technology. "I come from a very working-class, union-proud family. My brother-in-law was on strike at John Deere last year and my sister is on a strike at Dr. Pepper now," he said. "And even though most of the family doesn't work there, we all go out to the picket lines for our union brothers and sisters because we have a very strong belief that this country was built by unions and they're what makes this country great." He filed a statement of candidacy at the end of March with the Federal Election Commission for the race in the district that includes the cities of Davenport, Iowa City, Keokuk, Burlington and rural southeastern Iowa. He said his campaign focuses on protecting Social Security, passing immigration and health care reform, such as expanding programs for families and veterans and finding solutions to remedy physician shortages. Terrell said he has already drafted a few bills with his main issues. "The first bill that I wrote was a plan that gave you a gateway from legal residency to citizenship for people that earned it by being residents and paying their taxes and contributing to our society, where they didn't have to go through the minefield of becoming a citizen," Terrell said. National Democrats have pledged resources for the 1st Congressional District race and are targeting it as one they think could be flipped blue. The Cook Political Report also has slotted Iowa's 1st District contest into its most competitive category as a 'toss-up' race. Terrell said he's already visiting more rural areas to speak with voters about his platform in anticipation that the race will be competitive. "So the enthusiasm is there, but we also have to capitalize on it and not just count on people to vote blue no matter who, because that's one of the worst philosophies that a Democratic party has ever had," Terrell said. "We need to take that enthusiasm and give people (someone) that they can actually get behind and know that this person is actually somebody who can relate to me." Miller-Meeks, a former ophthalmologist and Army veteran, won her 2024 reelection by about 800 votes, and in 2020, Miller-Meeks led with six votes after a recount. While Miller-Meeks hasn't publicly announced a reelection campaign, she said in an April 16 announcement she's not seeking a 2026 Iowa governor run. She said she is focusing on her current role representing southeastern Iowa in Congress. "I'm honored that many Iowans would consider me as a candidate for governor, but my current job is all encompassing and I will not be exploring a gubernatorial run," she said. Miller-Meeks has a significant lead in fundraising so far this year with more than $1 million among Iowa U.S. House members, according to the most recent financial reports. Emily Tuttle, National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson, wrote in a statement that Terrell is a 'radical Democrat" and has no business running for Congress. "Iowans know Rep. Miller-Meeks is working relentlessly to deliver results for their communities," Tuttle wrote. "Terrell stands no chance.' One other competitor eyeing Miller-Meeks' seat has formally declared they are running. David Pautsch, a Davenport Republican, announced his intentions in February to run against Miller-Meeks, which likely sets up a primary rematch that the two candidates faced in 2024. Running to the right of Miller-Meeks, Pautsch was within 12 percentage points of her in the 2024 primary. Sabine Martin covers politics for the Register. She can be reached by email at or by phone at (515) 284-8132. Follow her on X at @sabinefmartin. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Democrat Travis Terrell challenges Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mission Cancer + Blood opens new clinic in Waukee
WAUKEE, Iowa — Cancer care is expanding to the west of the metro. On Monday, Mission Cancer + Blood opened a new clinic in Waukee. It's located at 2565 SE Encompass Drive and provides 32 more treatment chairs for chemotherapy and immunotherapy, as well as on-site labs. With Iowa having one of the fastest growing cancer rates in the country, doctors say it's important to serve patients in their communities. 'For anyone who's been treated in our downtown offices, the wait can be long,' Dr. Seema Harichand, hematologist and oncologist at Mission, said. 'So having the ability to sort of spread that out over different offices also makes it easier and less inconvenient for people. Cancer care entails a lot of visits, a lot of treatment, and the more convenient we can make it for patients, the easier their journey will be.' Mr. Worldwide and legendary rock band to play Grandstand at Iowa State Fair Earlier this year, Mission officially became part of University of Iowa Health Care. Dr. Harichand says the partnership will allow patients more access to new cancer treatments. 'We hope that the University of Iowa will help us expand our clinical trial portfolio,' Dr. Harichand said, 'not only locally but also help us improve access for patients who need to go and be seen at the University to be able to get care more easily and maybe quickly.' Mission has more than 20 other community locations across Iowa. To learn more, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
