Latest news with #autopsy
Daily Telegraph
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Telegraph
New study reveals dementia risk linked to surprisingly low alcohol intake
Don't miss out on the headlines from Illness. Followed categories will be added to My News. A new study published in the journal Neurology has found that drinking alcohol, even in relatively moderate amounts, significantly increases the risk of dementia and other serious health conditions. The research, conducted in Brazil, analysed data from autopsies of 1781 people, shedding light on the long-term effects of alcohol on brain health. Subjects were grouped into four categories: those who never drank, moderate drinkers (who consumed up to seven standard drinks per week), heavy drinkers (who had eight or more standard drinks per week), and former heavy drinkers who had not drunk for at least three months but had a history of heavy drinking. In the study, a standard drink was defined as 14 grams of alcohol, roughly equivalent to a 350ml glass of beer or 147ml of wine, according to Psychology Today. While drinking habits were reported by relatives, which may not always be entirely accurate, the overall findings still proved the link between drinking and cognitive decline. Drinking a moderate amount of alcohol has been shown to increase the risk of dementia. Picture: iStock Alcohol linked to dementia Interestingly, the amount of alcohol that can impair brain function is lower than many people might expect. The study defines 'heavy' drinking as eight or more drinks per week, but this is a level many would consider moderate. It would be the same as having a beer or a glass of wine each week night, plus two on the weekend. But the results showed that those who consumed up to seven or more than eight drinks per week faced a higher risk of brain injuries associated with memory loss and dementia. Up to seven or more than eight drinks was linked to cognitive decline, memory loss and dementia. Picture: iStock Heavy drinkers in the study had a 133 per cent higher risk of developing hyaline arteriolosclerosis, a condition involving the thickening and hardening of arteries. This process restricts blood flow to the brain and can result in tiny, often unnoticed strokes that damage memory and increase the risk of dementia. Former heavy drinkers, even after abstaining for three months or more, were still 89 per cent more likely to develop this condition compared to those who never drank. Meanwhile, moderate drinkers faced a 60 per cent increased risk, proving that even lower levels of alcohol consumption were harmful. Even former heavy drinkers were at risk of serious health issues. Picture: iStock Other health impacts Beyond artery damage, heavy drinkers and former heavy drinkers were also more likely to develop neurofibrillary tangles, which are protein formations in the brain strongly associated with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Heavy drinkers were 41 per cent more likely to have these tangles, while former heavy drinkers were 31 per cent more likely. Even after stopping drinking, former drinkers remain at a higher risk of dementia, which is a harsh reminder that the effects of alcohol can linger long after the last drink. In saying that, it's never too late to begin to make healthier lifestyle choices and re-evaluate your alcohol consumption. Australian implications Interestingly, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Australian Alcohol Guidelines recommend that adults should drink no more than 10 standard drinks per week to reduce the risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury. This is particularly worrying because this new research found increased dementia risks even at levels of drinking well below the current NHMRC guideline. What's even more concerning is that one in four Australian adults exceed this guideline, with men more likely to do so than women. Among young adults aged 18 to 24, more than one in three go over the recommended limit. Originally published as New study reveals dementia risk linked to surprisingly low alcohol intake
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Parents receive $2.2 million after doctor posted horrific video of their child's autopsy online
Georgia parents who sued a doctor after he posted autopsy photos of their decapitated baby on social media have been awarded a whopping $2.2 million in damages. Jessica Ross and Treveon Isaiah Taylor Sr. alleged their baby boy, Treveon Isaiah Taylor Jr., was decapitated during childbirth at Southern Regional Medical Center on July 9, 2023. The couple said they had no idea of their son's condition until they were notified by the funeral home and hired pathologist Dr. Jackson Gates to conduct an autopsy on the newborn. However, they filed a lawsuit against the pathologist after they paid him $2,500 for the autopsy and discovered he posted identifying videos and photos on Instagram, where he often shares his work for public health purposes. 'This video showed in graphic and grisly detail a postmortem examination of the decapitated, severed head of Baby Isaiah,' court documents said. The lawsuit stated that after the clip was removed, Gates posted two more videos of the baby's autopsy exactly a week later - ones that graphically depicted the baby's head, body, brain, and even organs. A judge ruled that Gates was liable for sharing the images on social media in March 2024. On Wednesday, a jury awarded Ross and Taylor $2.25 million in damages, as reported by Atlanta News First. 'While we are pleased that a jury punished Dr. Jackson Gates for his reprehensible behavior, nothing can ease the pain that the parents, Jessica Ross and Treveon Isaiah Taylor Sr., have experienced in losing their baby boy in such a horrific way,' the couple's attorneys said. 'After the decapitation of their baby, Gates poured salt into the couple's already deep wounds when he betrayed them. 'This young couple trusted him with the remains of their precious baby. Gates, in turn, repaid this trust by posting horrific images of their child for the world to see.' Gates's attorney, Ira Livnat, told WSBTV that his client regularly posted autopsy results on social media and had no intention of hurting Ross and Taylor. 'I believe that Dr. Gates believed he was helping. He believed he was helping the plaintiffs uncover what the hospital actually had done,' Livnat said 'He's absolutely heartbroken for what happened to this family. And what he said at trial was, is that if he had known that it would have harmed them, he would have never done it.' The parents' nightmare began on July 9, 2023, when Ross arrived at the hospital to give birth. They claim Dr. Tracey St. Julian applied 'ridiculously excessive force' on the baby's head and neck to try to deliver it while Ross was still awake. Ross began experiencing complications when her baby boy's shoulders got stuck during a vaginal delivery which started at 8.40pm, according to the suit. Dr. St. Julian is accused of delaying a C-section procedure and failing to seek help quickly. Instead, she applied 'ridiculously excessive force' on the baby's head and neck to try to deliver it while Ross was still awake, claims attorney and physician Roderick Edmond. The baby's body and legs were delivered by C-section three-and-a-half hours later at 12.11am, and his head was delivered vaginally. When Ross and Taylor demanded to see and hold their child, they claim the baby was tightly wrapped in a blanket with his head 'propped on top of his body' to make it appear like it was still attached. They ultimately found out about the decapitation from the funeral home, they claim. The grieving couple has filed a lawsuit against Ross and the hospital, accusing them trying to cover up what happened by discouraging them from getting an autopsy and encouraging them to have their son cremated. In February 2024, the Clayton County Medical Examiner's Office baby Isaiah's death was ruled a homicide. The baby suffered 'fracture dislocation with complete transection (to the) upper cervical spine and spinal cord,' according to an autopsy report. His death was caused by shoulder dystocia, arrest of labor and fetal entrapment in the birth canal. Pregnancy-induced diabetes and premature rupture of membranes also contributed, per the report.
Washington Post
21-06-2025
- Washington Post
Jury awards $2.25 million to Georgia couple in suit over autopsy images of decapitated baby
ATLANTA — A jury has awarded a Georgia couple $2.25 million in their lawsuit accusing a pathologist of posting graphic videos of an autopsy of their decapitated baby. A Fulton County jury returned the verdict against Dr. Jackson Gates on Wednesday. The couple, Jessica Ross and Treveon Isaiah Taylor Sr., hired Gates to perform an autopsy on their son, Treveon Taylor Jr., who was decapitated during delivery in July 2023.
Al Arabiya
21-06-2025
- Al Arabiya
Jury Awards $2.25 Million to Georgia Couple in Suit Over Autopsy Images of Decapitated Baby
A jury has awarded a Georgia couple $2.25 million in their lawsuit accusing a pathologist of posting graphic videos of an autopsy of their decapitated baby. A Fulton County jury returned the verdict against Dr. Jackson Gates on Wednesday. The couple, Jessica Ross and Treveon Isaiah Taylor Sr., hired Gates to perform an autopsy on their son, Treveon Taylor Jr., who was decapitated during delivery in July 2023. They have separately sued the doctor who delivered the baby and the hospital where the delivery occurred. That case is pending. In a lawsuit filed in September 2023, the couple said Gates posted several videos of the autopsy on Instagram without their permission. Gates initially removed the videos after receiving a letter from the couple's attorneys, but then reposted them, according to the couple's attorneys. Ira Livnat, an attorney for Gates, said Saturday the jury's finding that Gates did not intend to cause harm 'flies in the face of the plaintiffs' entire case.' His client generally made posts about autopsies to 'educate other pathologists and advocate for independent evaluations when people felt a hospital had engaged in wrongdoing,' he said. The couple received a default judgment for intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy, and fraud after Gates did not immediately respond to their lawsuit. 'Dr. Gates testified that he is deeply sorry for any harm that he unintentionally caused the plaintiffs,' Livnat said. 'Had he known for one second that they would see that and that they would know it was their child, he would never have done it.' Attorneys for the couple said in a statement that the doctor 'poured salt into the couple's already deep wounds.' 'This young couple trusted him with the remains of their precious baby,' they said. 'Gates, in turn, repaid this trust by posting horrific images of their child for the world to see.'
The Independent
21-06-2025
- The Independent
Jury awards $2.25 million to Georgia couple in suit over autopsy images of decapitated baby
A jury has awarded a Georgia couple $2.25 million in their lawsuit accusing a pathologist of posting graphic videos of an autopsy of their decapitated baby. A Fulton County jury returned the verdict against Dr. Jackson Gates on Wednesday. The couple, Jessica Ross and Treveon Isaiah Taylor Sr., hired Gates to perform an autopsy on their son, Treveon Taylor Jr., who was decapitated during delivery in July 2023. They have separately sued the doctor who delivered the baby and the hospital where the delivery occurred. That case is pending. In a lawsuit filed in September 2023, the couple said Gates posted several videos of the autopsy on Instagram without their permission. Gates initially removed the videos after receiving a letter from the couple's attorneys, but then reposted them, according to the couple's attorneys. Ira Livnat, an attorney for Gates, said Saturday the jury's finding that Gates did not intend to cause harm 'flies in the face' of the plaintiffs' 'entire case.' His client generally made posts about autopsies to educate other pathologists and advocate for independent evaluations when people felt a hospital had engaged in wrongdoing, he said. The couple received a default judgment for intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and fraud after Gates did not immediately respond to their lawsuit. 'Dr. Gates testified that he is deeply sorry for any harm that he unintentionally caused the plaintiffs,' Livnat said. 'Had he known for one second that they would see that and that they would know it was their child, he would never have done it.' Attorneys for the couple said in a statement that the doctor 'poured salt into the couple's already deep wounds.' 'This young couple trusted him with the remains of their precious baby,' they said. 'Gates, in turn, repaid this trust by posting horrific images of their child for the world to see.'
