The first rigorous test of an expensive new drug that radically lowers cholesterol levels found that it significantly reduced the chance that a high-risk patient would have a heart attack or stroke. These were men and women who had exhausted all other options. The results of the study, which cost about $1 billion and was paid for by Amgen, maker of the drug, were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology. The drug, Repatha, is called a PCSK9 inhibitor and can make cholesterol tumble to levels hardly ever seen naturally in adults, or even in people taking cholesterol-lowering statins.

Baby born with 4 legs thriving after surgery

Doctors say a baby girl from Africa who's recovering from a risky surgery at a Chicago-area hospital should be able to lead a normal life. Ten-month-old Dominique was born in the Ivory Coast with a not-fully-developed conjoined twin. Doctors performed surgery on March 8 to remove two legs and a second spine that protruded from her back. Her foster mother, Nancy Swabb of Chicago, says her family learned about Dominique on social media and knew instantly they wanted to help. Swabb says Dominique can now sit up, raise her hands and reach for things, which she couldn't do before. She'll eventually return to her family in west Africa.

Fewer deaths with inspectors watching

Hospitals in the U.S. are accredited by the Joint Commission, which periodically makes unannounced inspections, spending several weeks assessing whether the staff is following best practices. A new study suggests that when the inspectors are watching, fewer people die. The study, in JAMA Internal Medicine, used records of Medicare admissions from 2008 to 2012 at 1,984 hospitals. During that time, there were 244,787 admissions during Joint Commission inspections and 1,462,339 in the three weeks before and after. In non-inspection weeks, the average 30-day death rate was 7.21 percent. But during inspections, the rate fell to 7.03 percent. The difference was greater in teaching hospitals — 6.41 percent when the inspectors were absent and 5.93 percent during survey weeks.

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