Weight-loss drug cuts risk of heart attack, strokes: Novo Nordisk

COPENHAGEN - Shares in Danish pharma group Novo Nordisk soared to a record high on Tuesday after a late-stage trial suggested its obesity drug Wegovy could reduce the risk of heart attacks or stroke by 20 percent.

Preliminary results showed that patients taking Wegovy had a 20 percent lower risk of suffering from a heart attack or stroke compared to those who took a placebo, Novo Nordisk said in a statement.

"We are very excited about the results," the company's executive vice president for development Martin Holst Lange said, adding the drug "has the potential to change how obesity is regarded and treated."

Novo Nordisk's share price closed up by more than 17 percent on the Copenhagen stock exchange on Tuesday.

The medical community also welcomed the results.

While the trials "still need to be confirmed through careful peer review, they demonstrate the urgent need for patients living with obesity to be offered this effective and safe drug to prevent future disease," said Simon Cork, senior lecturer in physiology at Anglia Ruskin University.

"This will not only provide significant financial savings for health bodies, but provide people with a greater quality of life," he said.

Novo Nordisk, the world's biggest insulin maker which manufactures both Wegovy and diabetes drug Ozempic, in May announced a 39 percent rise in its first-quarter profit, buoyed by sales of its obesity treatments.

In mid-July, the Amsterdam-based European Medicines Agency said it was reviewing data "on the risk of suicidal thoughts and thoughts of self-harm" with three popular weight-loss drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy -- which both have semaglutide as their main ingredient -- and Saxenda, whose main ingredient is liraglutide.

The detailed results of the trial will be presented at a scientific conference later this year, Novo Nordisk said, adding that it plans to apply for regulatory approval to expand the uses for Wegovy in the US and the EU in 2023.

Competition among pharmaceutical groups over obesity treatments is fierce, with more than a billion people in the world suffering from obesity, according to the World Health Organization.

Agence France-Presse

Singer-actor Sonny Parsons of Hagibis dies at 61

MANILA -- Singer-actor Sonny Parsons, best known as a member of the OPM novelty macho group Hagibis in the '70s and '80s, passed on Sunday, May 10, at 61 years old. 

His son Jeff Parsons told ABS-CBN News that his father succumbed to suspected heart attack due to heat stroke between 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Tayabas, Quezon while on a charity drive with his motorcycle club, Law Enforcers Riders Association of the Philippines (LERAP). 

“We do not have complete details yet of his final moments," said the younger Parsons who, as of this writing, is en route with his family from the Parsons residence in Marikina to the Islamic Center in Taguig. 

He said the family has yet to finalize Parsons’ burial arrangement following Muslim tradition. 

"He was a datu and we will see how to carry out his wish to be cremated," he said.

At the height of their success, Parsons and Hagibis churned out “Katawan,” “Legs” and other hit songs extolling Pinoy virility. 

Parsons also transformed himself as an an action lead star in the '90s. 

He was elected councilor of Marikina in the late '90s. 

Parsons last performed with Hagibis at the Philippine Arena concert of Imelda Papin and was slated to tour Australia this year. 

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High blood pressure during pregnancy tied to heart problems decades later

Women who develop high blood pressure during pregnancy may be more likely than those who don’t to have heart attacks or strokes decades later, a Norwegian study suggests.

Compared to women with normal blood pressure during every pregnancy, women who developed hypertensive disorders, or high blood pressure, during one or more pregnancies were 57% more likely to have a heart attack or stroke at some point between ages 40 and 70.

“We knew that women who experienced hypertensive disorders in pregnancy have a 2-fold increased risk of cardiovascular disease compared to women without these complications,” said lead study author Eirin Beate Haug of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim.

“From our current study, we learned that most of the excess cardiovascular risk in women who had hypertensive disorders in pregnancy can be explained by higher levels of traditional cardiovascular risk factors, especially blood pressure and BMI,” Haug said by email.

High blood pressure and a high BMI (body mass index, a measure of weight relative to height) explained 77% of the excess risk of events like heart attacks and strokes among women who had hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, researchers report in JAMA Cardiology.

The study followed 23,885 women who had one or more pregnancies before age 40, including 2,199 women who had hypertensive disorders during pregnancy.

A total of 728 women only had “gestational” hypertension, when women who normally don’t have high blood pressure develop it during pregnancy. Gestational hypertension progressed to a more serious and potentially life-threatening version of high blood pressure known as preeclampsia in 1,391 women.

Overall, 1,155 women who never had hypertensive disorders during pregnancy still had events like heart attacks or strokes during the study period.

Compared to women who didn’t have high blood pressure during pregnancy, women who had any type of gestational hypertensive disorder were 64% more likely to have a heart attack between ages 40 and 70. Women with a history of hypertension during pregnancy were also 47% more likely to develop heart failure and 40% more likely to have a stroke.

The risk was even greater for the subset of women who had preeclampsia. They were 78% more likely to have a heart attack, 83% more likely to have heart failure, and 46% more likely to have a stroke between ages 40 and 70 compared to women without pregnancy high blood pressure.

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy didn’t appear to influence the risk of heart problems after age 70, however.

One limitation of the study is that researchers only had data for hospitalized patients, and it’s possible some women had nonfatal events that were treated in other settings, the study team notes.

Another limitation of the results is that researchers didn’t examine whether women had risk factors for heart disease before they conceived.

Still, the findings suggest that women with a history of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy can minimize their risk of future heart issues by keeping their weight and blood pressure within healthy ranges as they age, said Laura Benschop, a researcher at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, who wasn’t involved in the study.

“Women should be aware of these cardiovascular risk factors and check their blood pressure and BMI regularly (annually) after pregnancy,” Benschop said by email.

While doctors typically screen for these cardiovascular disease risk factors in older adults, women with high blood pressure during pregnancy develop these risk factors earlier in life than women with normal blood pressure in pregnancy, said Jennifer Stuart, a researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston who wasn’t involved in the study.

“Therefore, it is especially important for these women to regularly see their doctor after pregnancy to monitor their blood pressure, body mass index, glucose, and cholesterol,” Stuart said by email.

SOURCE: bit.ly/2XqFiQv JAMA Cardiology, online June 12, 2019.

Eddie Garcia suffered neck fracture, not heart attack, says doctor

MANILA - Veteran actor Eddie Garcia suffered a neck fracture when he tripped and fell while shooting a TV series for GMA Network, a doctor attending to him said Sunday.

Dr. Enrique Lagman, Garcia's family doctor, said the actor did not suffer a heart attack as earlier reported.

"The doctors ruled out heart attack and stroke as proven by several validating tests done in Mary Johnston hospital. He is in critical condition due to severe cervical fracture," he said in a statement released by Garcia's family.

At present, Garcia, who is 90 years old, is in a deep sleep.

GMA earlier on Sunday said it was reviewing a viral video of veteran actor Eddie Garcia supposedly collapsing while shooting an upcoming television series for the media network.

Garcia was immediately taken to the Mary Johnston Hospital in Tondo, Manila after the incident.

The family of the veteran actor said they are still dealing with the situation and asked for privacy and prayers.

Garcia is widely regarded as one of the most versatile actors in the Philippine entertainment industry, portraying both lead characters and villains in action, comedy, drama, and even fantasy films and television series in a career spanning more than half a century.

His last project with ABS-CBN was a role in the Coco Martin-led primetime teleserye "Ang Probinsyano," portraying a drug lord. He bid farewell to the part last February.

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Short walk once-a-week can lower risk of death: study

PARIS, France - A brisk stroll once or twice a week is enough to reduce the risk of dying from heart attack, stroke or cancer, according to a statistical study of nearly 90,000 people released Tuesday.

People who walked or gardened 10 minutes to an hour each week had an 18-percent lower risk of death from any cause compared to full-on couch potatoes, researchers reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Two-and-a-half to five hours weekly of such "moderate physical activity" -- broken into segments of no less than 10 minutes -- resulted in a 31 percent reduction in risk, they found.

And those who clocked up at least 25 hours almost halved the risk.

Not everyone, however, has that much time to spend on leisure-time exercise, the authors acknowledged.

Heart-pumping and pulse-quickening activities such as biking, running and competitive sports "are more time-efficient than moderate intensity activity," they said.

For cardiovascular disease alone, there was no additional benefit to be gained by graduating from five to 25 hours, they noted.

Researchers led by Bo Xi, a professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Shandong University in northern China, sifted through data collected annually on 88,140 people in the United States between 1997 and 2008 for the National Health Interview Surveys.

That data on exercise was then matched against registered deaths through 2011.

The authors cautioned that the study was observational, meaning that no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect. The fact that exercise data was self-reported was also a potential weakness.

But the large number of people covered by the research goes a long way to compensate for these methodological limitations, they added.

mh/nla

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Filmmaker Kevin Smith suffers 'massive heart attack'

LOS ANGELES -- Director and actor Kevin Smith, best known as the laconic sidekick "Silent Bob" of his 1990s cult comedies, said on Monday that he suffered a "massive heart attack" after taping a standup comedy show in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale.

The 47-year-old "Dogma" filmmaker said on Twitter that he fell ill after completing the first show of two scheduled performances on Sunday evening.

"The doctor who saved my life told me I had 100% blockage of my LAD artery (aka 'the Widow-Maker')," Smith said. He was referring to the left anterior descending artery, or left coronary artery, which is considered the most important for blood supply to the heart.

"If I hadn’t canceled show 2 to go to the hospital, I would've died tonight. But for now, I'm still above ground!" Smith said on Twitter.

Smith, who currently stars in the AMC TV reality series "Comic Book Men," earned critical praise for his satires on suburbia, romance and religion. 

He rose to prominence with his 1994 raunchy low-budget cult comedy "Clerks" about a day in the life of two convenience store workers. He won a screenwriting Independent Spirit Award for 1997’s "Chasing Amy."

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Russia's UN envoy Churkin dies suddenly in New York

MOSCOW - Russia's combative ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, died suddenly in New York on Monday after being taken ill at work, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry gave no details on the circumstances of his death but offered condolences to his relatives and said the diplomat had died one day before his 65th birthday.

It declined to comment on reports that Churkin had been taken to a hospital shortly before his death.

A U.S. government official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the case, said that Churkin had died of an apparent heart attack.

A federal law enforcement official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said that there appeared to be nothing unusual about the ambassador's death.

The New York Post quoted unnamed sources as saying Churkin had been rushed to a Manhattan hospital from the Russian embassy after falling ill with a cardiac condition.

President Vladimir Putin was deeply upset by the news and had greatly valued Churkin's professionalism and diplomatic talent, Russian news agencies quoted the Kremlin as saying.

Tass news agency quoted Churkin's deputy, Pyotr Ilyichev, as saying: "The loss sustained by Russia is grave and irreplaceable.

"Ambassador Churkin remained at his work post until the last minute. He devoted his whole life to defending the interests of Russia and was to be found on the very front lines and in the most stressful posts."

Churkin was a pugnacious defender of Russian policy, notably its intensive bombing of the Syrian city of Aleppo last year to crush rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad.

MOTHER TERESA
When then-U.S. envoy to the United Nations, Samantha Power, accused Syria, Russia and Iran last year of bearing responsibility for atrocities there, Churkin said she was forgetting the United States' own track record in the Middle East.

"The weirdest speech to me was the one by the U.S. representative who built her statement as if she is Mother Teresa herself. Please, remember which country you represent. Please, remember the track record of your country," he said.

Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the U.N. secretary-general's office, on Monday said: "He has been such a regular presence here that I am actually quite stunned. Our thoughts go to his family, to his friends and to his government."

Shortly after news of the ambassador's death broke, a moment of silence was held at an informal session of the U.N. General Assembly. Later, the General Assembly's president, Fiji Ambassador to the United Nations Peter Thomson, offered the world body's "heartfelt condolences" and praised the late ambassador's "stern resolution" before leading another silent tribute.

Churkin's diplomatic counterparts weighed in with their own encomiums.

"In my short time at the United Nations, Ambassador Vitaly Churkin showed himself to be a gracious colleague," the U.S. ambassador to the world body, Nikki Haley, said in a statement.

"We did not always see things the same way, but he unquestionably advocated his country's positions with great skill."

British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft described Churkin on Twitter as "a diplomatic giant & wonderful character."

Condolences poured in from his U.S. counterparts in the Obama administration. His occasional foe, former U.S. ambassador Power, described Churkin as a "diplomatic maestro and deeply caring man who did all he could to bridge US-RUS differences."

Churkin first came to prominence as foreign ministry spokesman for the Soviet Union from 1990 until the collapse of the superpower the following year. Despite the pressure of events, he appeared to revel in the attention of the Western correspondents who mobbed him at briefings, and was happy to respond to them at length in fluent English.

He went on to serve as deputy Russian foreign minister and ambassador to Belgium and then to Canada, eventually moving to the United Nations in 2006.

In his last interview, given to the state-funded Russia Today earlier this month, Churkin argued that the United Nations was ever more essential for resolving conflicts around the world.

"I think the U.N. continues to be an indispensable mechanism," he said. "Without the U.N., we would be acting all on our own."

(Reporting by Jack Stubbs and Ned Parker, Mark Hosenball; writing by Mark Trevelyan; editing by Gareth Jones and Jonathan Oatis)

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Former Boston Celtics player Fab Melo dead at 26

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Brazilian basketball player Fab Melo, who played briefly for the Boston Celtics, was found dead at his home, police said Sunday.

Brazilian news outlets said the 26-year-old suffered a heart attack as he slept in his home in Juiz de Fora in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais.

Police told AFP that Melo's mother called emergency medical workers upon realizing her son was unconscious.

Melo was a star center at Syracuse University and was drafted by the Celtics in 2012.

But he only played in six games for Boston, before moving on to other teams and then returning home to play in Brazil in 2014.

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Hollywood mourns 'Star Wars' icon Carrie Fisher

Co-stars, friends and fans added their voices on Tuesday to a torrent of tributes from Hollywood for "Star Wars" actress Carrie Fisher, after she died at the age of 60 after suffering a heart attack.

The screen icon, who was catapulted to worldwide stardom as rebel warrior Princess Leia in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, was pronounced dead in Los Angeles, four days after collapsing on a transatlantic flight.

Here is a selection of the most notable tributes:

- Family -

"Thank you to everyone who has embraced the gifts and talents of my beloved and amazing daughter. I am grateful for your thoughts and prayers that are now guiding her to her next stop."

- Fisher's mother, the actress Debbie Reynolds

"She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly."

- Simon Halls on behalf of Fisher’s daughter, actress Billie Lourd

- 'Star Wars' -

"Carrie was one-of-a-kind -- brilliant, original. Funny and emotionally fearless. She lived her life bravely... We will all miss her."

- Harrison Ford (Han Solo)

"no words #Devastated"

- Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker)

"In 'Star Wars' she was our great and powerful princess -- feisty, wise and full of hope in a role that was more difficult than most people think... she will be missed by all."

- "Star Wars" creator George Lucas

"I'm deeply saddened at the news of Carrie's passing. She was a dear friend, whom I greatly respected and admired. The force is dark today!"

- Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian)

"I thought I had got what I wanted under the tree. I didn't. In spite of so many thoughts and prayers from so many. I am very, very sad."

- Anthony Daniels (C3PO)

"I am extremely sad to learn of Carrie's passing. She was wonderful to work with. Condolences to her friends, family & fans around the world."

- David Prowse (Darth Vader)

"There are no words for this loss. Carrie was the brightest light in every room she entered. I will miss her dearly."

- Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca)

- Hollywood -

"I have always stood in awe of Carrie. Her observations always made me laugh and gasp at the same time. She didn't need The Force. She was a force of nature, of loyalty and of friendship. I will miss her very much."

- Veteran director and producer Steven Spielberg

"I'm deeply saddened to learn of the death of Carrie Fisher. I will miss our banterings. A wonderful talent & light has been extinguished."

- "Star Trek" actor William Shatner

"Millions fell in love with her as the indomitable Princess Leia; she will always have a special place in the hearts of 'Star Wars' fans as well as all of us who were lucky enough to know her personally."

- Bob Iger, head of The Walt Disney Company

"Carrie Fisher has passed, she was funnier&smarter than anyone had the right to be. Sail On Silver Girl. Condolences Debbie & Billie R.I.P."

- Actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg, who co-starred with Fisher in "Soapdish"

"@CarrieFisher was a brilliant writer, actor, and friend. She was so much fun. I can't believe she's gone."

- US talk show host and actress Ellen DeGeneres

"We just lost a great ally for mental health and addiction. Be strong, be as (strong) as she'd want you to be. Rest in paradise."

- Comedian Margaret Cho

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'Star Wars' actress Carrie Fisher has mid-air heart attack

Hollywood star Carrie Fisher was fighting for her life Friday after suffering a massive heart attack on a flight, emergency workers and witnesses said.

The 60-year-old "Star Wars" actress was flying from London to Los Angeles when she suffered cardiac arrest, and was given cardiopulmonary resuscitation by an emergency responder on board.

Fisher collapsed 15 minutes before the plane landed at LAX, according to celebrity news website TMZ, and was rushed to UCLA Medical Center on a ventilator.

TMZ, citing witnesses, said the actress's eyes were closed and she appeared unconscious as she was rushed through the terminal, where paramedics worked for 15 minutes before they could get a pulse.

The Los Angeles Times said her condition was critical, quoting an unnamed source who said the actress was "in a lot of distress on the flight."

The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) did not refer to the actress by name but confirmed it had responded to an alert just after midday over "a patient on an inbound flight in cardiac arrest."

"LAFD firefighter paramedics were standing by and provided immediate advanced life support and aggressively treated and transported the patient to a local hospital," spokesman Erik Scott told AFP.

United Airlines said medical personnel met Flight 935 from London upon arrival after the crew reported that a passenger was unresponsive.

Fisher was catapulted to worldwide stardom as the rebel warrior Princess Leia in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, which has been a cultural phenomenon since the release of the films from 1977 to 1983.

Steeped in Hollywood excess from an early age, she was the product of the four-year marriage of movie star Debbie Reynolds, best-known for her role in "Singin' In The Rain," and singer Eddie Fisher.

The relationship, and the happy home in Beverly Hills, came to an end when Fisher left Reynolds for her close friend, the actress Elizabeth Taylor.

- Searingly honest -

Fisher's co-stars led tributes as Hollywood reacted with shock to news of her collapse.

"As if 2016 couldn't get any worse... sending all our love to @carrieffisher" tweeted Mark Hamill, who plays her on-screen twin Luke Skywalker in the "Star Wars" saga.

The American actress has talked and written frequently about her years of drug addiction and mental illness.

Fisher is known for her searingly honest semi-autobiographical novels, including her best-selling debut "Postcards from the Edge" which she turned into a film of the same name in 1990.

She has given various interviews over the years about her diagnosis of bipolar disorder and addiction to prescription drugs and cocaine, which she admitted using on the set of "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980).

She has also discussed being treated with electroconvulsive therapy, in which small electric currents are passed through the brain, to trigger brief seizures.

Writer and actress Anna Akana, who said she was on board Fisher's flight, described the mid-air drama in a series of tweets, voicing her "shock and sadness."

"Don't know how else to process this but Carrie Fisher stopped breathing on the flight home. Hope she's gonna be OK," she said.

"So many thanks to the United flight crew who jumped into action, and the awesome doctor and nurse passengers who helped. Feel weird even tweeting about it but I JUST finished her book and was fangirling out over seeing her dog Gary in person."

Fisher's famous "Star Wars" character features as part of the storyline to spin-off "Rogue One," which is currently riding high in box offices around the globe, although the actress is understood not to have been involved in the production.

"The whole world is sending you so much love! Sending you the universe's most powerful Force," tweeted English actress Gwendoline Christie, who played the warrior Brienne of Tarth in HBO's "Game of Thrones" and Captain Phasma in Fisher's most recent "Star Wars" episode, "The Force Awakens."

ft/acb

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Omega-3s cut fatal heart attack risk 10 percent: study

WASHINGTON - Consuming foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, sardines and anchovies, can reduce risk of a deadly heart attack by 10 percent, a study out Monday said.

Researchers looked at blood and tissue omega-3 levels in participants of 19 studies across 16 countries, the report published in the US journal JAMA Internal Medicine said.

They found that while omega-3s "were associated with about a 10 percent lower risk of fatal heart attacks," the same reduction of risk did not hold true for nonfatal heart attacks.

That suggests "a more specific mechanism for benefits of omega-3s related to death," the researchers said.

The new results "provide the most comprehensive picture to-date of how omega-3s may influence heart disease," coauthor Liana Del Gobbo of the Stanford University School of Medicine added.

Both plant and seafood-based omega-3s were associated with the 10 percent lower risk in fatal heart attacks.

Fish, the major source of omega-3s, are also rich in specific proteins, vitamin D, selenium, and other minerals and elements, the researchers said.

Plant-based omega-3s are prevalent in walnuts, flaxseed oil, canola oil and some other seeds and nuts and their oils.

The new study provides "an unprecedented opportunity to understand how blood biomarkers of many different fats and fatty acids relate to diverse health outcomes" as part of a global consortium, said senior author Dariush Mozaffarian of Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.

The researchers studied more than 45,630 participants. Of those, 7,973 people suffered first-time heart attacks, of whom 2,781 died.

"Across these diverse studies, findings were also consistent by age, sex, race, presence or absence of diabetes, and use of aspirin or cholesterol-lowering medications," Del Gobbo said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Cardiac arrest or heart attack: Know the difference

MANILA - Many get confused with cardiac arrest and heart attack, with most thinking that the two are just the same condition.

In an interview on DZMM's "Magandang Gabi Dok," Dr. John David Tan, a cardiologist, explained that cardiac arrest is often an effect of a heart attack.

"By the name itself (cardiac arrest), hindi na po tumitibok ang puso. Either the heart does not pump anymore, because of that, hindi na po efficient ang daloy ng dugo sa utak. That's why yung pinaka-common manifestation of sudden cardiac death is loss of consciousness, nawawalan ng malay po ang tao," he said.

"The most common cause of sudden cardiac death is heart attack. I think that was the case nung nangyari kay Direk Wenn (Deramas), sudden cardiac death due to massive heart attack," Tan added.

Heart attack is often caused by a blockage in the veins, making it difficult for blood to circulate the body.

For Tan, it is important for a heart attack patient to undergo cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as soon as possible.

"Kapag hindi na-CPR within a minute, there is a higher chance of dying every minute," he added.

Upon diagnosis of the cause of the heart attack, a person may undergo emergency angioplasty to remove the blockage.

"Binubuka po 'yung 100 percent blockage na nag-cause ng heart attack," Tan said.

Aside from giving of first aid, patients should also be aware of symptoms of heart attack, which includes chest pains, difficulty in breathing, and breaking into a cold sweat.

Deramas passed away Monday of cardiac arrest due to a heart attack.

Deramas was in a hospital to see his sister who also earlier succumbed to a heart attack.


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Former 76ers basketball star Darryl Dawkins dies

Former National Basketball Association star Darryl Dawkins, known as "Chocolate Thunder" for his powerful dunks and flamboyant personality, died on Thursday of a heart attack, his family said. He was 58.

An explosive center whose dunks shattered two glass backboards in 1979, Dawkins got his nickname from musical great Stevie Wonder. In a 14-season NBA career he averaged 12 points, 6.1 assists and 1.4 blocks per game, statistics that were dwarfed by an outsized personality.

"Darryl touched the hearts and spirits of so many with his big smile and personality, ferocious dunks, but more than anything, his huge, loving heart," the family said in a statement.

Always a fan favorite, Dawkins gave names to his dunks, such as "Dunk You Very Much," "Yo Mama," "Spine Chiller Supreme" and "In Your Face Disgrace."

Thanks to his high-flying game and his size and strength, the NBA was forced to adopt breakaway rims and impose fines and suspensions for breaking backboards during games.

In 1975, the 6-foot-11, 255-pound Dawkins became the first player taken directly from high school in the first round of the NBA draft. A year earlier, Moses Malone went to the rival American Basketball Association after being drafted out of high school by the Utah Stars.

The Philadelphia 76ers selected Dawkins with the fifth overall pick and he went on to play with the team for seven seasons before moving to the New Jersey Nets for five years. He played four games for the Utah Jazz in 1987-88 before ending his NBA career with the Detroit Pistons in the 1988-89 season.

"We've lost a dear friend and an iconic figure, both on and off the court," 76ers CEO Scott O'Neil said. "We remember fondly not only his thunderous dunks, but more importantly his powerful presence and personality.

"His endearing charm, infectious smile and unparalleled sense of humor will be sorely missed. 'Chocolate Thunder' will always have a special place in our hearts."

Dawkins averaged in double figures in points nine times in his career but never lived up to his massive expectations.

Dawkins used to joke that he was an alien from the planet "Lovetron" who spent the off-season practicing "interplanetary funkmanship." After leaving the NBA in 1989, he played two seasons in Italy and then with the Harlem Globetrotters.

After several coaching stints, he retired from basketball in 2000. But he remained visible at events like the NBA's All-Star Weekend, where he served as a judge of this year's Slam Dunk contest.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Dawkins "played the game with passion, integrity and joy, never forgetting how great an influence he had on his legions of fans, young and old." (Additional reporting by Alden Bentley; Additional reporting by Steve Ginsburg; Editing by Alan Crosby and David Gregorio)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Singer Rico J. Puno to undergo open heart surgery

MANILA - Singer Rico J. Puno is set to undergo open heart surgery.

Speaking to entertainment website Push, Puno's partner, Queenie, said the 62-year-old veteran singer was confined at the Makati Medical Center last Thursday.

Puno reportedly experienced difficulty in breathing last Tuesday. After his two scenes for the ABS-CBN sitcom "Home Sweetie Home," Puno also experienced difficulty in ascending the stairs toward the second floor of the studio.

Puno was then brought to the clinic for first aid and told to go home.

On Thursday, Queenie said, Puno agreed to undergo a check-up at the Makati Medical Center, where he was subsequently confined.

The veteran singer was placed in the hospital's intensive care unit (ICU), but remained in high spirits, even sharing stories with his visitors which include his friends from showbiz Richard Merck and Marco Sison.

Puno, who was found to have clogged aorta, was scheduled at 7 a.m. Saturday for angiogram and aorta artery bypass operation, which could last 4 to 5 hours, according to Merck.

"I sincerely ask you to please pray for our dear Rico J. May God bless the hands, minds & eyes of the doctors performing the surgery. All we can do now is pray & wait for the results. God Bless Rico J. And God Bless You All," Merck said in a text message.

In the afternoon, Merck said the angiogram was successful but the bypass surgery was moved to a later date.

"He (Puno) needs to be stronger," he said.

In 2012, Puno almost suffered a heart attack when his blood pressure shot up to 220/180 after his concert with Sison and Hajji Alejandro.

Puno is one of the icons of Original Pilipino Music (OPM). His classic hits include "May Bukas Pa," "Macho Guwapito," and "Sorry Na Pwede Ba."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Devotee suffers heart attack, trapped in Nazarene crush

MANILA - A member of the Hijos del Nazareno died of a heart attack while protecting the image of the Black Nazarene in Rizal Park Friday morning.

Renato Burion, 44, of Sampaloc, Manila, was one of several frontliners who protect the Black Nazarene image.

"The devotee had a heart attack and was rushed to the Manila Doctors Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival," Johnny Yu of the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction Office said.

Barangay kagawad Adam Sanding said Burion was trapped on top of the carriage as devotees scrambled on top of him in order to touch the image.

"Naipit yung katawan niya sa taas dahil sa pagsampa sa ibabaw, sa pagpunas sa mahal na Señor, malas isa na rin nag trigger sa kanya. Nahirapan siyang huminga," he said.

"Siksikan talaga, gusto makahalik, makapunas sa krus ng Señor," he added, referring to the image of the Black Nazarene.

He said it took 15 minutes for the official escorts of the image to remove Burion from the top of the carriage.

"Nandoon pa rin siya sa ibabaw ng andas, dun siya nakalupaypay. Nung inaangat na namin, sa sobrang daming sumasampa, nahirapan din kami sa pag-angat. Naipit pa rin," he added.

Sanding said Burion had only been serving as member of the Hijos del Nazareno for five years.

He said official escorts of the image are willing to lay down their lives to protect the Black Nazarene.

"Ang trabaho nga ng alagad o official escort ay protektahan number one ang Señor. Pangalawa na lang siguro ang buhay namin," he said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

What happens during a heart attack

MANILA -- Here's what happens when a person suffers from a heart attack.

On Thursday's episode of "Magandang Gabi Dok," Dr. Jose Paolo Prado, a cardiologist from The Medical City, explained how a person can suffer from heart attack.

More often than not, a heart attack is caused by clogged arteries or veins.

"Nagbabara ang mga ugat sa puso dahil sa cholesterol. Ito ay sakit ng mga may edad dahil over time, habang kumakain ng pagkaing may cholesterol, nagkakaroon ng deposito 'yung sides ng ugat," Prado said.

"Ito pong mga cholesterol deposits na 'to, pinapakipot niya yung lagusan ng dugo. Ang nangyayari dito, pinapakipot niya ang lagusan ng dugo kaya hindi nasusuplayan ng dugo 'yung heart muscle kaya ito ho ay nararamdaman bilang chest pain," he added.

Chest pain is the most common symptom of a heart attack, especially if it is felt after a strenuous activities, or extreme emotions.

"Kapag bumibilis ang tibok ng puso, kinakailangan ng oxygen."

Prado also explained that unlike other people, those suffering from diabetes do not feel chest pains.

Instead, they feel pain in other parts of their body, which makes it more difficult to determine whether they are suffering from a heart attack.

Those who feel sudden chest pains must immediately go to the hospital for immediate treatment.

"Ang pagpunta po sa ospital ay napakaimportante po kasi nagmamadali po kami kapag nagbabara 'yung ugat, kasi gusto namin mabuksan ulit 'yung nagbabarang ugat ng mabilisan," Prado said, adding that if possible, an emergency angioplasty should be performed on a patient within 90 minutes.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Nicole Kidman 'in shock' after father's sudden death

SYDNEY - Australian actress Nicole Kidman is in shock after the sudden death of her father in Singapore, her publicist said Saturday as her husband Keith Urban wrote of the couple's "deep state of grief".

Antony Kidman, 75, died after suffering from an apparent heart attack at an exclusive social club in Singapore, local media and emergency services said.

Nicole Kidman's publicist Leslee Dart said the Hollywood actress and her family were "in shock by the sudden death of her father".

"She appreciates the outpouring of support and kindly requests privacy during this very difficult time," Dart told the Australian Associated Press in a statement.

Nashville singer Urban cancelled a concert in the United States and said he was returning to Australia with Kidman.

"We are in a deep state of grief at the passing of Nic's father and are heading to Australia to be with family," Urban said in a statement on Facebook.

"We want to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for their love, prayers and support through this devastating loss."

Antony Kidman was believed to have collapsed at a restaurant at the upmarket Tanglin Club, where he was staying while visiting his daughter Antonia and her family, Singapore's Straits Times said.

He was at the restaurant after exercising in the morning.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force said paramedics received a call at about 8.10am on Friday requesting medical assistance at the club and that members of public performed CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).

A Singapore source told AFP on Friday that Kidman was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after arriving.

Antony Kidman was a clinical psychologist and director of the health psychology unit at Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital.

The family was last seen together in Sydney in January for the 50th wedding anniversary of the senior Kidman and his wife Janelle, Australian media reported Friday.

Nicole Kidman, 47, most recently starred in "Grace of Monaco", a biopic of Grace Kelly, the American film actress and Princess of Monaco.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Survivor lead singer Jamison dead at 63

Jimi Jamison, the lead vocalist of ‘80s rock band Survivor, has passed away from a heart attack. He was 63.

This was confirmed by his band via its official Twitter and Facebook accounts on Tuesday.


"Survivor is very shocked and saddened by the passing of our brother Jimi Jamison. Our thoughts, love and prayers go out to his family and friends," the band said.

Citing a report of the TMZ, Rolling Stone said Jamison died Sunday night at his home in Memphis.


Although he was not the band's original singer, Jamison's voice can be heard on many of Survivor's greatest hits like "The Search is Over," "Burning Heart," "I Can't Hold Back," "High on You," and "Is This Love."

He also sang "The Moment of Truth" from “The Karate Kid” and the “I’m Always Here” from the TV show “Baywatch.”

According to USA Today, Jamison last performed with Survivor on August 30 in Morgan Hill, California and that the band was scheduled to perform at a concert on September 12 in Parker, Colorado.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Daylight Saving Time linked to heart attacks: study

WASHINGTON -- Switching over to daylight saving time, and losing one hour of sleep, raised the risk of having a heart attack the following Monday by 25 percent, compared to other Mondays during the year, according to a new U.S. study released on Saturday.

By contrast, heart attack risk fell 21 percent later in the year, on the Tuesday after the clock was returned to standard time, and people got an extra hour's sleep.

The not-so-subtle impact of moving the clock forward and backward was seen in a comparison of hospital admissions from a database of non-federal Michigan hospitals. It examined admissions before the start of daylight saving time and the Monday immediately after, for four consecutive years.

In general, heart attacks historically occur most often on Monday mornings, maybe due to the stress of starting a new work week and inherent changes in our sleep-wake cycle, said Dr. Amneet Sandhu, a cardiology fellow at the University of Colorado in Denver who led the study.

"With daylight saving time, all of this is compounded by one less hour of sleep," said Sandhu, who presented his findings at the annual scientific sessions of the American College of Cardiology in Washington.

A link between lack of sleep and heart attacks has been seen in previous studies. But Sandhu said experts still don't have a clear understanding of why people are so sensitive to sleep-wake cycles.

"Our study suggests that sudden, even small changes in sleep could have detrimental effects," he said.

Sandhu examined about 42,000 hospital admissions in Michigan, and found that an average of 32 patients had heart attacks on any given Monday. But on the Monday immediately after springing the clock forward, there were an average of eight additional heart attacks, he said.

The overall number of heart attacks for the full week after daylight saving time didn't change, just the number on that first Monday. The number then dropped off the other days of the week.

People who are already vulnerable to heart disease may be at greater risk right after sudden time changes, said Sandhu, who added that hospital staffing should perhaps be increased on the Monday after clocks are set forward.

"If we can identify days when there may be surges in heart attacks, we can be ready to better care for our patients," he said.

The clock typically moves ahead in the spring, so that evenings have more daylight and mornings have less, and returns to standard time in the fall. Daylight saving time was widely adopted during World War I to save energy, but some critics have questioned whether it really does so and whether it is still needed.

Researchers cited limitations to the study, noting it was restricted to one state and heart attacks that required artery-opening procedures, such as stents. The study therefore excluded patients who died prior to hospital admission or intervention.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Arroyo transferred to ICU

MANILA, Philippines – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Veterans Memorial Medical Center on Friday after several tests showed she is at risk of a heart attack.

VMMC Director Nona F. Legaspi said various tests done on Mrs. Arroyo indicated that the former president is currently suffering from "ischemia."

"Considering the forgoing, the patient is not dischargable at this time," Legaspi told reporters in a press briefing Friday afternoon.

Legaspi explained that ischemia is a condition where not enough blood is circulating in the coronary arteries due to blockage.

"Medyo ominous iyan. It is not something that you can just forego with. You have to monitor the patient. That's why we transferred her to the ICU. May medicines, the cardiologist will take care of that," she said.

"Ischemia should not be taken lightly. That can progress to full blown myocardial infarction, or in layman's term, a heart attack.," she added, noting that the former president needs to undergo further medical examinations.

Legaspi said Arroyo is not allowed to engage in any activity while inside the ICU.

"Ngayon dapat binabatanayan siya and everybody knows, I think there is no need to overemphazise that the heart is important," Legaspi said.

Arroyo was admitted to the ICU on Friday even as her arraignment for a plunder case was scheduled on Monday, October 15.

Earlier, her lawyers filed a formal written motion before the Sandiganbayan to defer the arraignment.

The motion accused the Office of the Ombudsman of committing "grave abuse of discretion" in finding probable cause in the plunder case against Mrs. Arroyo.

It said the former President plans to file a petition for certiorari before the Supreme Court to nullify and set aside the resolutions of the Ombudsman finding probable cause in the case.

The lawyers argued they need more time to prepare the petition for certiorari before the SC, hence the need to defer the arraignment on Monday, October 15.

Legaspi said it remains indefinite when Arroyo could be discharged.

"In the practice of medicine you think of the worst condition until proven otherwise. In a situation where the patient is diagnosed to have ischemia, you will think of that blockage in the coronary artieres until proven otherwise," she said.

"Sometimes pwede bumalik lahat yan. It is better to put her in the ICU for monitoring and then tell 'okay, that was nothing,' rather than take it for granted and all of a sudden you are caught unaware, and it turns around."

source: abs-cbnnews.com