Page 134 - Health Medical Pharma
Half of children with cancer left undiagnosed, untreated: Study
Nearly one in two children with cancer are never diagnosed and may die untreated, according to a Lancet study which estimates that there are almost 400,000 new cases of childhood cancer annually, while current records count only around 200,000. The model makes predictions for 200 countries and estimates that undiagnosed cases could account for more than half of the total in Africa, South Central Asia and the Pacific Islands. In contrast, in North America and Europe only three per cent of cases remain undiagnosed. If no improvements are made, researchers estimate that nearly three million further cases will be missed between 2015 and 2030. "Our model suggests that nearly one in two children with cancer are never diagnosed and may die untreated," said Zachary Ward from the Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health in the US. "Accurate estimates of childhood cancer incidence are critical for policy makers to help them set healthcare priorities and to plan for effective diagnosis and ...
Maternal delivery complications more likely during night, weekends: Study
Expecting mothers are substantially more likely to suffer from delivery complications in hospitals during nights, weekends and holidays, a study has found. Researchers from Colorado State University in the US analysed more than two million cases from 2005 to 2010, using detailed data obtained from the Texas Department of State Health Services. The study, published in Risk Analysis: An International Journal, looked at labour or delivery complications including third- or fourth-degree perineal laceration, ruptured uterus, unplanned hysterectomy, admission to intensive care unit and unplanned operating room procedure following delivery. The research team focused only on women with a single birth (ie not twins) who had gestation of more than 20 weeks, a delivery attended by a physician, and a normal labour onset. The study evaluated whether delivery complications vary by work shift, increase as the hours pass within work shifts, and increase on weekends and holidays. The results suggest ..
Insomnia could be in your genes
Finding it hard to sleep at night? If so, blame your genes, say researchers, who identified 57 genes associated with symptoms of insomnia, affecting 10 to 20 per cent people worldwide.
1 in 2 kids with cancer left undiagnosed globally: Lancet
Owing to barriers to access and referral in health systems, nearly one in two children with cancer worldwide are never diagnosed and are likely to die untreated, reveals an analysis of childhood cancer cases in 200 countries.
New method uses AI to screen for foetal alcohol spectrum disorder
Scientists have now developed a new tool that can screen children for foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) quickly and affordably, making it accessible to more children in remote locations worldwide.The study was conducted by scientists from the University of Southern California (USC), Queen's University (Ontario) and Duke University.The tool uses a camera and computer vision to record patterns in children's eye movements as they watch multiple one-minute videos, or look towards/away from a target, and then identifies patterns that contrast to recorded eye movements by other children who watched the same videos or targets.The eye movements outside the norm were flagged by the researchers as children who might be at-risk for having FASD and need more formal diagnoses by healthcare practitioners.The technique was described in a study 'Detection of Children/Youth With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Through Eye Movement, Psychometric, and Neuroimaging Data,' by Chen Zhang, Angelina ...
Maternal delivery complications higher during night, weekends: Study
Women who deliver babies during night time, weekends and even on holidays are more likely to face complications, finds a new study.
Mandatory screening, drug subsidies may cut newborn deaths due to rare diseases
India could significantly reduce the deaths of newborn babies caused by rare genetic diseases by making genetic screening mandatory in government hospitals and subsidising the required drugs, experts say. While there is no formal definition for a rare disease, global health bodies say that it is characterised by three factors -- the total number of people having the disease, its prevalence and non-availability of treatment. "The government is not paying much attention to the cases of rare diseases thinking it as a rare case," Manjit Singh, President of Lysosomal Storage Disorder Support Society of India (LSDSS), told PTI. "However, there is a need for genetic testing laboratories in the every government hospitals to understand the real problem," he added. A newborn screening (NBS) test looks for various developmental, genetic, and metabolic disorders in the newborn. This allows steps to be taken before symptoms develop. Most of these illnesses are extremely rare, but can be treated if
Spending childhood in greener spaces may prevent mental disorders later
Children who grow up with greener surroundings have up to 55 per cent less risk of developing various mental disorders later in life, according to a study which emphasised the need for designing green and healthy cities for the future. An increasing share of the world's population now lives in cities and World Health Organisation estimates that more than 450 millions of the global human population suffer from a mental disorder. Based on satellite data from 1985 to 2013, researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark have mapped the presence of green space around the childhood homes of almost one million Danes and compared this data with the risk of developing one of 16 different mental disorders later in life. The study, published in the Journal PNAS, shows that children surrounded by the high amounts of green space in childhood have up to a 55 per cent lower risk of developing a mental disorder. "With our dataset, we show that the risk of developing a mental disorder decreases ...
Pioneering trial offers hope for restoring brain cells damaged in Parkinson's
A pioneering clinical trial programme that delivered an experimental treatment directly to the brain, offer hope that it may be possible to restore the cells damaged in Parkinson's.The study, funded by Parkinson's UK with support from The Cure Parkinson's Trust and in association with the North Bristol NHS Trust, aimed to investigate whether boosting the levels of a naturally-occurring protein, Glial Cell Line Derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF), can regenerate dying brain cells in people with Parkinson's and reverse their condition.This is something which no existing treatment can do.A specially designed delivery system was designed to get GDNF to the brain cells that need it. In total, 41 participants underwent robot-assisted surgery to have four tubes carefully placed into their brains, which allowed GDNF to be infused directly to the affected brain areas with pinpoint accuracy, via a port in the side of their head.Six took part in the initial pilot study to assess the safety of the
Being surrounded by greenery in childhood may improve mental health of adults
A new study now finds that children who grow up with greener surroundings have up to 55 per cent less risk of developing various mental disorders later in life.The study, by Aarhus University, Denmark, emphasises the need for designing green and healthy cities for the future.With a majority of world population living in cities, WHO estimates, more than 450 million of the global human population suffer from mental disorders.Now, based on satellite data from 1985 to 2013, researchers from Aarhus University have mapped the presence of green space around the childhood homes of almost one million Danes and compared this data with the risk of developing one of 16 different mental disorders later in life.The study, published in American Journal PNAS, shows that children surrounded by the high amounts of green space in childhood have up to a 55 per cent lower risk of developing a mental disorder - even after adjusting for other known risk factors such as socio-economic status, urbanisation, ..
China drafts rules on biotech after gene editing scandal
China has unveiled draft regulations on gene-editing and other new biomedical technologies it considers to be "high-risk." The measures follow claims in November 2018 by Chinese scientist He Jiankui that he helped make the world's first genetically edited babies. That roiled the global science community and elicited widespread outcry over the procedure's ethical implications. Gene editing for reproductive purposes is effectively banned in the US and most of Europe. In China, ministerial guidelines prohibit embryo research that "violates ethical or moral principles," but no law specifically forbids gene editing. Under the proposed measures released Tuesday, technology involving gene editing, gene transfer and gene regulation would be categorized as "high-risk" and placed under the authority of the State Council, China's Cabinet. State media reported last month that He violated national guidelines.
Oil massages to opt for rejuvenation
A warm oil massage removes toxin from the body and strengthens immunity. Opt for olive oil or sesame oil to nourish skin, say experts.
Parrikar's parameters stable, discharged from hospital
Ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was on Tuesday discharged from the Goa Medical College where he was being treated since Saturday, the Chief Minister's Office said in a statement.
This LA hospital pilots Alexa-enabled smart patient rooms
Hospitals are perhaps the best places for the use of smart speakers. Cedars-Sinai, a non-profit hospital in Los Angeles, is looking at adding a touch of smart to the patient rooms.In order to understand the potential of using Alexa to make healthcare better, Cedars-Sinai has enabled more than 100 patient rooms with the voice assistant-powered platform called as Aiva, the hospital announced in its official blog.The platform allows patients to control their entertainment and interact hands-free with nurses. It is the world's first patient-cantered voice assistant platform for hospitals.Cedars-Sinai is running the pilot where Amazon's smart voice-enabled assistant Alexa is at disposal of the patients through the smart speakers, who can instruct it to control their TVs, play music, check weather, read the news, or call out to the nurses for help with medicine or to use the restroom.The commands have been designed in such a manner that patient's requests through Alexa are routed to the ...
End to malpractices by private hospitals demanded
Patients and health activists on Tuesday voiced concern over malpractices in private hospitals and urged the Health Ministry to adopt the complete charter of patients' rights without bowing to pressure from private hospitals.
No shifting of NCI Jhajjar facilities: Nadda
Union Health and Family Welfare minister J.P. Nadda on Tuesday said facilities envisioned for National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Jhajjar will not be shifted to any other medical institute.
Human chain formed against violation of patients' rights in pvt hospitals
Over 500 patients, their family members and health activists from across the country formed a human chain at Jantar Mantar here demanding an end to "malpractices, gross overcharging and violation of patients' rights" in private hospitals. Representatives of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, All India Patients Rights Group, Mahila Pragati Manch, People for Better Treatment, National Campaign for Right to Public Health, and Delhi Network of Positive People (DNP+) addressed the gathering and pledged to launch a nationwide campaign to uphold patients' rights and stop "exploitative practices" in private hospitals. Women from low income communities, patient victims, people living with HIV, health professionals and activists from Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and other states participated in the protest and formed a human chain to uphold Patients' Rights and end malpractices in private hospitals immediately. The participants shared their heart-rending ...
Lupin launches generic Minocycline Hydrochloride ER Tablets USP
Lupin's Minocycline Hydrochloride ER Tablets USP 55mg is a generic version of Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation's Solodyn 55 mg. It is indicated to treat only inflammatory lesions of non-nodular moderate to severe acne vulgaris in patients 12 years of age and older.
SC directs ex-Ranbaxy promoters to appear on March 14
The Supreme Court Tuesday directed former Ranbaxy promoters, Malvinder and Shivinder Singh, to appear before it on March 14 in connection with the pleas relating to sale of controlling stakes of Fortis Healthcare by them to Malaysian IHH Healthcare Berhad. The apex court said its earlier order asking to maintain status quo on the sale of controlling stakes in Fortis Healthcare to Malaysian IHH Healthcare Berhad would remain in force till the next date of hearing. "The court would like to have the personal presence of respondent nos. 2 and 4 (Malvinder and Shivinder Singh) in in SLP(C) No... along with their affidavits on the next date fixed that is March 14," said a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Navin Sinha and Sanjiv Khanna. The apex court had earlier refused to pass any interim order on pleas relating to the sale of controlling stakes of Fortis Healthcare to Malaysian IHH Healthcare Berhad and had listed the matter for final hearing for today. The apex ...
Indigenous drugs can control expenses: Chief economic advisor
: Alternative systems of medicines such as ayurveda and homeopathy may play an important role in the Indian healthcare system, and preventive methods would help control the expenditure, chief economic advisor K V Subramanian said Tuesday. Speaking at an interactive session with former Minister and TRS working president KT Rama Rao, Subramanian said there was a necessity to invest in basic research on native medicine and incentivise it. "If you look at the out-of-pocket expenditure, this is something which is really important, and as policymakers we need to think about it. The out-of-pocket expenditure for individuals in India is way higher than that of the other countries," he said The chief economic advisor cited an incident that happened 20 years ago which made him believe what ayurveda and homeopathy and other Indian systems of medicine can do in the Indian healthcare system. He said his younger brother was cured of asthmatic problems after taking 'fish medicine' in .