Page 227 - Health Medical Pharma
Pregnancy is safe for breast cancer survivors: Experts
Breast cancer, the most prevalent cancer among Indian women, cannot deter motherhood, if intervention takes place at the right moment, say health experts. According to them, pregnancy is possible for women survivors of breast cancer -- it does not increase risk of recurrence and neither does it cause any harm to the baby.
Painless method can evaluate tumour progression
Chinese researchers have developed a new evaluating model using medical imaging to help painlessly evaluate tumour progression in patients.
'India has potential to eradicate HIV'
India has the potential to eradicate the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) diseases if all strategies are put well in place, said Bilali Camara, Country Director, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)."We care for those who are HIV+ and we will do our best to take care of them. They should keep hope alive. AIDS is a chronic disease, but it can be handled perfectly. I have seen people living with this disease for 30 years and doing very well. Life expectancy of somebody living with HIV today is the same as a normal person. People should not think that if you have HIV you cannot do what you want to. India has the potential to eradicate the disease," Camara told ANI here on Saturday on the World AIDS Day.He said that over the years the situation has improved in India. "In general terms, the situation is improving (in India). There has been some progress in many areas. However, as long as we don't put a break on the new infections, we will continue to face the issue. 85,000
First open heart surgery in UP under Ayushman Bharat project
The first open heart surgery in Uttar Pradesh under the ambitious Ayushman Bharat project has been performed here on Saturday.
Army conclave deliberates on different aspects of military medicine
A conference on several aspects of military medicine was organised here Saturday, officials said. The Directorate General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) Military Medicine Conclave here was attended by top military doctors. "Upgradation of the qualitative benchmarks is an ongoing process which cogently addresses the changing disease burden, harnessing of modern technology, optimal availability of resources and the ever-evolving operational milieu," the statement said. "These contemporary challenges, which lie at the crossroads of finite manpower and financial resources including clientele expectations, were extensively deliberated at the conclave," it added. The conclave saw a confluence of former director generals as well as the current innovations and futuristic vision of the AFMS fraternity. The network of AFMS medical units and establishments comprises the largest healthcare organisation in the country with a disciplined, dedicated and professionally competent workforce it .
'Preventable' C-section births in pvt hosps for financial incentives: IIM-A study
There were as many as nine lakh "preventable" unplanned Caesarean section (C-section) deliveries out of 70 lakh in private hospitals in India in one year, driven mainly by "financial incentives," says a study by Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad. Such "medically unjustified" births not just cause "large out-of-pocket expenses" but also "delayed breastfeeding, lower birth-weight, respiratory morbidities" among other troubles for the newborn, it says. The study is titled "Too much care? Private health care sector and surgical interventions during childbirth in India," and was carried out by IIM-A faculty member Ambrish Dongre and doctoral student Mitul Surana. The study finds "a woman opting for private facility is 13.5-14 percentage points more likely to undergo an unplanned C-section (compared to public facilities)". The figure is based on the fourth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), carried out in 2015-16, which found that 40.9 per cent births in private ...
Maharashtra has 27,963 persons affected with AIDS: Minister
As many as 27,963 persons have been affected with AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) in Maharashtra as of 2017-18, state Health Minister Deepak Sawant said. Sawant, in a written reply in the Legislative Council Friday, said the state government has held several programmes under the guidance of the Centre's National Aids Control Organisation and this has led to a decrease in the number of persons being affected by the deadly virus over the past three years. He added that under the government's "Treat All Policy", Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) was being made available immediately to HIV patients. Meanwhile, speaking Saturday at a World Aids Day programme organised jointly by the Maharashtra State AIDS Control Institute, state Health Department and Central Railway, Sawant said the number of AIDS patients in the state had reduced by 0.7 per cent. Sawant said society should change its outlook towards AIDS patients, adding that treatment facilities and medicine supply
Protests as Sri Lanka cuts tax on sugary drinks
Sri Lanka Saturday slashed a tax on sugary drinks in a controversial reversal of an anti-diabetes policy that attracted immediate criticism. The finance ministry ordered an immediate 40 per cent reduction in the levy as part of a package of tax cuts launched by the disputed government to win over public opinion as a bitter power struggle intensifies. But health campaigners and a former minister condemned the move as damaging the fight against obesity and diabetes among young people. Sri Lanka has been gripped by a constitutional showdown between President Maithripala Sirisena and his sacked prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who refuses to step down. Sirisena's nominee for prime minister, Mahinda Rajapakse has been making populists moves to win support for his government which has been recognised only by China and Burundi. The lower sugar tax came on top of reductions in fuel prices and income taxes this week. Wickremesinghe's administration, which was toppled on October 26, had ...
'Night owls' at greater risk of heart disease, diabetes: Study
If you are a night owl or prefer sleeping late at night and are having trouble waking up early, then you are at a higher risk of suffering from heart disease and Type-2 diabetes than early risers.
Zydus Cadila gets USFDA nod for Teriflunomide tablets
Drug firm Zydus Cadila Saturday said that it has received an approval from the US health regulator to market Teriflunomide tablets, used to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The company has received an approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to market Teriflunomide Tablets - 7 mg and 14 mg - in the US market, Zydus Cadila said in a statement. "It will be manufactured at the group's formulations manufacturing facility at special economic zone (SEZ), Ahmedabad," it added. Teriflunomide is not a cure for MS but is thought to work by decreasing certain immune system cells (lymphocytes) which can attack the nerves in brain and spinal cord. "This helps decrease the number of flare-ups (relapses) and may help slow down physical problems caused by MS," it added. Zydus group now has 237 approvals from the USFDA and has so far filed over 340 abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) since the commencement of the filing process in FY 2003-04.
Bhutan marks World AIDS Day
A series of activities with various themes were held in Bhutan to mark World AIDS Day on Saturday.
Light pollution at night may up insomnia risk in elderly
Increased exposure to artificial or outdoor light, referred to as light pollution, at night can significantly raise the risk of developing insomnia in older adults, say researchers.
Little blood stem recipients get to meet donors after a year
It was an emotional moment for the families of two girls, both blood stem recipients, as they got to meet their donors, one of them an haematologist, after completion of the mandatory one year period of the procedure, at an event here. K G Disha and Vanshika Rohra, aged three and five respectively, were suffering from severe blood disorders and doctors had given a slim chance of their survival. But the blood stem cells of two donors, both unrelated and unknown, proved to be a match and Disha and Vanshika were cured of Hurlers Syndrome and Thalassemia respectively after treatment. At an event organised on Friday by 'Datri,' a blood stem cell donor registry, the families and donors were overcome with emotion. According to the registry protocol, the identity of donors and recipients are kept anonymous for one year and Datri arranges a meeting only on completion of the period when both express their desire to meet each other. The 37-year-old Dr Shruti Kakkar had registered .
Siddhartha Bhattacharya joins NATHEALTH as Secretary General
NATHEALTH has announced the appointment of Siddhartha Bhattacharya as Secretary General.In his new role, Siddhartha will lead the organization and work with key partners in realizing NATHEALTH's vision/ mission to spearhead the goal of high quality, affordable health for all."Siddhartha Bhattacharya is very well respected and one of the most seasoned and dedicated healthcare leaders of India," said Daljit Singh, President NATHEALTH."His decades of experience in launching successful partnerships in the public and private healthcare sectors and extensive background in healthcare systems and technology will be a tremendous asset to NATHEALTH. We are delighted to welcome him on board," added Singh."NATHEALTH, as a thought leader of the healthcare sector of our country, is uniquely positioned to shape the dialogue and catalyze the evolution of a high quality, affordable health systems across India, that match up to the best in the world. In pursuit of universal health coverage, it is ...
Understanding modifiable risk factors in younger heart patients
Researchers at American College of Cardiology have stressed on highlighting the importance of ditching cigarettes in younger heart patients.According to the findings of their latest study, heart attacks reoccurred more frequently in younger patients with several modifiable risk factors, including smoking and high blood pressure.The study was presented at the American College of Cardiology Asia Conference 2018 in Shanghai.It suggested that secondary preventive programs for younger patients should target modifiable risk factors."When treating younger patients with a history of heart attack, clinicians should emphasize better control of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes," said Joanne Karen Recacho-Turingan. "Other modifiable risk factors to highlight in patient history and address with these patients include smoking habits and obesity."Researchers analysed 133 young patients admitted at The Medical City for a heart attack between 2013 and 2016. During the study period, ..
Smoking, high BP raises risk of heart attack relapse: Study
Young men who are chain smokers or suffer from hypertension could be at an increased risk of heart attack recurrence, researchers have warned.
How to take care of your skin this winter
Winter demands extra care of skin and hair and hence it is important to take care of basic rituals like bathing in lukewarm water or minimizing the use of shampoo.
Cancer patients undergoing heart procedure at greater risk of complications
A recent study has found that patients with cancer are more at risk of complications following a heart procedure.The study, led by Keele University, has been published in the European Heart Journal.Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the most common interventional treatment undertaken in patients with coronary heart disease, and is a procedure in which a stent is used to open up narrowed or blocked blood vessels in the heart, both as a planned procedure or in the emergency heart attack setting.Approximately 10 percent of the patients who underwent a PCI procedure during the 11-year period analysed had either a current or historical cancer diagnosis.The study specifically looked at the impact on patients with a diagnosis of prostate, breast, colon or lung cancer, as these were the most prevalent in the dataset.The study found that patients with a current diagnosis of lung cancer were three times more likely to die in hospital following a PCI procedure, compared to patients with
Exposure to artificial light could cause insomnia
Artificial, outdoor light exposure at night is linked to insomnia in older adults, according to a study.The findings have been published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.Results show that increasing night-time levels of artificial, outdoor light exposure, stratified by quartile, were associated with an increased prevalence of hypnotic prescriptions and daily dose intake. Furthermore, older adults exposed to higher levels of artificial, outdoor light at night were more likely to use hypnotic drugs for longer periods or higher daily dosages."This study observed a significant association between the intensity of outdoor, artificial, nighttime lighting and the prevalence of insomnia as indicated by hypnotic agent prescriptions for older adults in South Korea," said Kyoung-bok Min. "Our results are supportive data that outdoor, artificial, nighttime light could be linked to sleep deprivation among those while inside the house."According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, ..
Lack of sleep makes people more prone to falls
A recent study has linked disrupted sleep with reduced capability to control posture and balance. The researchers found that a single bad night sleep can decrease your chance of controlling posture, thereby increasing the risk of fall.The study, conducted at the University of Warwick, appears in the journal Scientific Reports.The research shows that fragmented and disrupted sleep leads to acute balance deficit. A sample of healthy adults underwent sleep and balance assessment over two consecutive days, in order to determine the links between day-to-day variations in sleep quality and balance.State-of-the-art wearable sensors were used for in-home sleep monitoring and balance testing. These findings are relevant to pave the way to the design of fall prevention programs in populations and settings where normal sleep is frequently disrupted, such as older people and hospital wards.Dr Leandro Pecchia, team leader of the research, said: "We all have direct experience of this. When we do ...