Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
Teresa Heinz Kerry Says Recent Seizure Related to Concussion Years Ago
A "bad concussion" four years ago was the likely cause of a seizure suffered in July by Teresa Heinz Kerry, the wife of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Heinz Kerry said her seizure was not related to her 2009 treatment for breast cancer, but rather to the lingering effects "after a bad concussion that was not properly treated at all ... from a very bad fall," USA Today reported.
The 75-year-old heiress to the Heinz condiment fortune said she suffered the concussion when she fell four years ago.
Heinz Kerry said her doctors told her it can take years for the brain to repair itself after a concussion and does so by forming new connections and circuits. The newspaper noted that "circuits formed can be overly excited and lead to seizures," USA Today reported.
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Broccoli Salad Kits Recalled by Taylor Farms
More than 5,000 pounds of broccoli salad kit products are being recalled by Taylor Farms because they contain salad dressing that may be contaminated with Listeria, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says.
The kits were shipped to distributors and delis for sale to consumers in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Vermont, CNN reported.
The recalled products are boxes labeled "TAYLOR FARMS BROCCOLI CRUNCH WITH BACON AND DRESSING," with the case codes 310151 or 310153. They were produced on October 21, 22 and 23, and bear the establishment number EST. 34522 inside the USDA mark of inspection, the USDA said.
Listeria bacteria can cause a serious infection called listeriosis, which typically affects pregnant women, older adults, infants, and adults with weakened immune systems, CNN reported. The USDA said there have been no reports of illnesses associated with the recalled products.
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Former NFL Quarterback Brett Favre Has Memory Problems
Former star quarterback Brett Favre is the latest retired National Football League player to reveal that he is suffering memory problems.
Favre played for 20 years and was sacked 525 times, more than any other NFL quarterback. He told ESPN Radio that he's become worried about his memory in recent years, ABC News reported.
"I think after 20 years God only knows the toll," Favre said. "This was a little shocking to me, that I couldn't remember my daughter playing youth soccer."
Research about the effects that repeated head injuries have on pro football players has only recently shown how devastating the long-term impact can be. This has led to criticism that the NFL has failed to protect players, ABC News reported.
More than 90 percent of the 34 former NFL players who died and donated their brains to research were found to have a degenerative brain disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), according to a University of Michigan study.
