Q: How many of the people on the heart donor lists are over 70 years old, and how many of those over 70 get a heart for a transplant?
—Pat Carter, Dunwoody
A: Of the 3,146 people on the heart transplant list as of April 2, 95 of them were at least 70 years old, and two were 80 or older, Joel Newman, a spokesman with the United Network for Organ Sharing, told Q&A on the News. Last year, heart transplants were performed on 60 people who were 70 years or older out of the 2,322 total heart transplants, he said. The number of heart transplants on people at least 70 years old has increased in the past 10 years, Newman said, rising from a total of 27 in 2002.
Q: An Air Force general has been nominated to command Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Did she receive her fourth star and can you tell us how many female generals are on active duty in the Air Force?
—Elmer K. Miller, Cumming
A: Janet C. Wolfenbarger was approved by the U.S. Senate last week to become the first female four-star general in U.S. Air Force history. Wolfenbarger will be in charge of the Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. She is the second female four-star general in the history of the U.S. armed forces, following Army Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody, who received her fourth star in 2008. Wolfenbarger is one of 27 female generals in the Air Force, a group that includes her, three lieutenant generals, 12 major generals and 11 brigadier generals, according to the Air Force Times.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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