Q&A on the News

Q: Recently, the U.S. warned North Korea not to launch a rocket. Although the mission failed, North Korea went ahead with the launch. Please bring us up to date on this very serious matter.

—Tom Hundley, Peachtree City

A: The State Department has been working on an expanded list of international sanctions that could be imposed on North Korea if that country continues to threaten South Korea or other countries with missile attacks. Washington also has stopped a plan to give food to the city of Pyongyang, The Associated Press reported. North Korea Vice Marshal Ri Yong Ho said Wednesday that his country is armed with "powerful modern weapons ... that can defeat the [U.S.] imperialists at a single blow," and there are signs that the country might attempt its third nuclear test. North Korea is thought to have nuclear weapons, but lacks the technology to put them on long-range missiles, according to the AP.

Q: Can you tell me why there is an age limit on lung transplants?

—June Lewallen, Bowdon

A: There isn't a set age limit for lung transplants, according to doctors, as long as older patients are healthy. Doctors at the University of Virginia Health System found in a 2006 study that patients over 60 weren't at a higher risk because they "have the same survival rate, have the same length of hospitalization and the same rate of complications," as younger patients, one of the doctors told WebMD. Cedars-Sinai recommends an age of 65 for single lung transplantation, 55 for double lungs and 45 for heart-lung transplantation. The University Transplant Center in San Antonio suggests an age of 70 for single lung and 65 for double lung transplantation.