Here are some of health headlines this 20th day of December, 2013:

• The family of a young girl who suffered cardiac arrest after a routine tonsillectomy at Children’s Hospital Oakland are seeking a court order allowing them to postpone removing their daughter from her ventilator until after the holidays
• According to a news release issued by Stanford University, researchers have discovered that in some cases, narcolepsy, a condition that can suddenly render patients weak and sleepy may be linked to the H1N1 vaccine because of a phenom known as “molecular mimicry.”
• A study conducted by the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins shows that although 3 out of 4 adults surveyed  recently knew that Angelina Jolie had a double mastectomy, less than 10% fully understood the complexity of her rare predisposition. According to medical experts, the genetic mutation that left Jolie at high risk for breast cancer is responsible for only 5-10 %of all breast cancer cases. In actuality, the term “breast cancer” is an umbrella phrase used to describe several “different” types of cancers found in breast tissue.
• There’s good news for diabetic patients who increase physical activity in their daily lives.  Newly published research in The Lancet reveals that diabetic patients who walk an extra 2,000 steps per day can lower their risk for cardiovascular events by 8%. Patients afflicted with type 2 diabetes, the so-called “silent epidemic” are at a significantly greater risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
• SSRIs taken by women before and during pregnancy do not put their offspring at a greater risk of developing autism spectrum disorder, according to a Danish study published online by The New England Journal of Medicine.
• Stroke, the journal published by the American Heart Association published a study that reveals a link between anxiety and long-term risk of stroke. Although the study showed an association between risk and anxiety, the research did not reveal a causal relationship between the two.