Page 229 - Health Medical Pharma
Snoring linked to cardiac issues in women
According to the findings of a recent study, women who snore have a greater cardiac risk.The research was presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).Researchers stated that Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and snoring may lead to earlier impairment of cardiac function in women than in men. A common but dangerous sleep disorder, OSA causes an increased risk for left ventricular and, more rarely, right ventricular dysfunction in the heart.OSA is the most common type of sleep apnea. It occurs when the throat muscles intermittently relax and block the airway when a person sleeps. While there are several symptoms of OSA - such as gasping during sleep, waking with a dry mouth, morning headache and irritability - loud snoring is a common sign. Complications of OSA may include daytime fatigue and sleepiness, complications with medications and surgery and cardiovascular problems."Our analysis showed that in both genders of the OSA and snoring groups there .
Know how parasites cause sleeping sickness in people
In a recent study, researchers have discovered how parasites, which causes sleeping sickness, initiate a physical change in order to spread the disease.Researchers at the University of Edinburgh analysed a decade-long puzzle about the behaviour of the parasites spread by the bite of the tsetse fly. They found that the parasites release enzymes, called peptidases, which break down proteins in the blood into smaller molecules, causing sleeping sickness in people and animals.The findings of the study are published in the journal 'Cell'.Pinpointing at the details of the signal that enables parasites to quickly boost their numbers, scientists said that these small molecules, known as oligopeptides, are sensed by a protein, called GPR89. It is found on the surface of the parasite. This triggers the parasites' transition into a state in which they can be taken up and transmitted by flies.Oligopeptides, a peptide, also acts as a nutrient for the parasites and are taken up by the same surface .
Brain stimulation may relieve depression symptoms
Turns out, analysing the stimulation of the brain functions might relieve depression symptoms in people.The researchers at the University of California recruited 25 patients, who reported minimal to severe symptoms of depression, and asked them to report their mood several times a day using a tablet-based app while they were in the hospital awaiting surgery. This allowed the researchers to use the patients' implanted electrodes to observe patterns of brain activity linked to natural mood fluctuations over several days.The researchers then used mild electrical current to systematically disrupt brain activity in candidate regions including the orbitofrontal cortex "OFC", amygdala, cingulate cortex, insula, and hippocampus -- while asking patients to report the effect on their mood ranging between opposing states such as 'calm' vs. 'restless' or 'hopeful' vs. 'hopeless.'The researchers found that most stimulation locations produced no effect on volunteers' mood, but applying current to ..
China bans researcher, who edited human gene, from carrying out experiments
A Chinese researcher, who claimed to have created the world's first gene-edited babies that are resistant to HIV, has been suspended from any scientific activity amid mounting criticism at home and abroad about the controversial experiment, according to media reports. In a fertilised human-egg cell, the scientist, He Jiankui, intends to make a person resistant to HIV by disabling a gene that forms a protein doorway allowing the virus to enter the body. "The case, as media have reported, is a blatant violation of China's laws and regulations, and it breaks the bottom line of academic morality and ethics," Xu Nanping, vice-minister of science and technology, told state-run China Central Television. "It's shocking and unacceptable," Xu was quoted by the China Daily as saying in the interview. Xu said the ministry had ordered authorities to suspend all scientific activity of people involved with the case and mete out punishments after an ongoing investigation. He, an associate professor ..
YO-yo dieting linked with higher death risk: Study
Weight cycling or the constant losing and gaining of weight is associated with a higher risk of death, a study claims. By some estimates, 80 per cent of people who lose weight will gradually regain it to end up at the same weight or even heavier than they were before they went on a diet, researchers said. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, found this was because once an individual loses weight, the body typically reduces the amount of energy expended at rest, during exercise and daily activities while increasing hunger. This combination of lower energy expenditure and hunger creates a "perfect metabolic storm" of conditions for weight gain. "This study shows that weight cycling can heighten a person's risk of death," said Hak C Jang, a professor at Seoul National University (SNU) in Korea. "However, we also concluded that weight loss as a result of weight cycling can ultimately reduce the risk of developing diabetes in people with obesity,"
Lupin launches skin-treatment cream in US
Drug maker Lupin Friday said it has launched skin-treatment cream Nystatin and Triamcinolone Acetonide in the US market. The company has launched the product after having received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) earlier, Lupin said in a regulatory filing. Lupin's product is the generic equivalent of Taro Pharmaceuticals' Nystatin and Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream indicated for the treatment of cutaneous candidiasis. As per IQVIA MAT September 2018 data, the cream had annual sales of USD 54.3 million in the US. Lupin shares were trading 1.72 per cent up at Rs 880 per scrip on BSE.
Six new antibodies developed to combat Zika
Researchers, including one of Indian origin, have developed six Zika virus antibodies which may help diagnose as well as treat the mosquito-borne disease that has infected over 1.5 million people worldwide. The antibodies "may have the dual utility as diagnostics capable of recognising Zika virus subtypes and may be further developed to treat Zika virus infection," said Ravi Durvasula from Loyola University in the US. Zika is spread mainly by mosquitos. Most infected people experience no symptoms or mild symptoms such as a rash, mild fever and red eyes. However, infection during pregnancy can cause miscarriages, stillbirths and severe birth defects such as microcephaly, said Adinarayana Kunamneni, a research assistant professor at Loyola University. There is no effective vaccine or drug to treat the disease, said Kunamneni, senior author of the study published in the journal PLOS ONE. "The recent Zika virus outbreak is a health crisis with global repercussions," said ...
Yo-yo dieting can be fatal: Study
Yo-yo dieting, or weight cycling, or the cyclical loss and gain of weight is associated with a higher death risk, researchers have warned.
Lupin launches Nystatin and Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream USP 100,000 units/gm; 0.1 %
Lupin's Nystatin and Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream USP 100,000 units/gm; 0.1 % is the generic equivalent of Taro Pharmaceuticals' Nystatin and Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream. It is indicated for the treatment of cutaneous candidiasis.
Turmeric may help boost heart health: Study
Consuming curcumin -- the active compound in turmeric -- may improve exercise capacity in patients with heart failure, a study claims. Curcumin has been used as a traditional Asian medicine for centuries, primarily to treat gastrointestinal ailments and skin wounds, said researchers from the University of Nebraska in the US. Studies increasingly suggest that the compound may prevent or limit muscle wasting associated with a number of health conditions, including heart failure, they said. People with heart failure have a reduced function of the left ventricle -- the chamber of the heart that pumps blood out to the rest of the body -- called reduced ejection fraction. A decreased ability to exercise or exercise intolerance is another significant characteristic of heart failure, according to the study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. The researchers theorised that a reduction in the normal signalling of Nrf2, a protein that regulates the expression of antioxidant enzymes, .
Novel dressing to speed up wound healing
Scientists have developed a new, low-cost dressing which uses electrical stimulation to dramatically speed up healing of wounds. The method developed by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US leverages energy generated from a patient's own body motions to apply gentle electrical pulses at the site of an injury. In rodent tests, the dressings reduced healing times to a mere three days compared to nearly two weeks for the normal healing process, according to the research published in the journal ACS Nano. "We were surprised to see such a fast recovery rate," said Xudong Wang, a professor at UW-Madison. "We suspected that the devices would produce some effect, but the magnitude was much more than we expected," Wang said. Researchers have known for several decades that electricity can be beneficial for skin healing. However, most electrotherapy units in use today require bulky electrical equipment and complicated wiring to deliver powerful jolts of ...
How turmeric helps heart failure patients
Curcumin -- the active compound in turmeric -- may repair exercise intolerance faced by patients with heart failure, suggests a new research.
India Can Be A Laboratory For Affordable Healthcare Industry
India can be a laboratory for affordable healthcare industry, according to Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship & Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan. He said that the Government has brought about a paradigm shift in the national healthcare. Addressing the 15th Health Summit organized by CII, he said that an entrepreneurial model is being created by tapping the talent, energy and resources outside the Government system to provide affordable, accessible and sustainable healthcare.
Delhi traffic police creates green corridors to help 2 critically-ill patients reach hospitals
The Delhi Traffic Police provided special 'green corridors' to shift two critically-ill elderly patients to hospitals from the airport here, police said Thursday. Green corridor refers to a special road route that enables harvested organs meant for transplants or patients to reach hospitals. One corridor, was created Wednesday for the transfer of a 55-year-old woman suffering from a severe cardio-neuro disorder from the Indira Gandhi International airport's Terminal-1 to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Alok Kumar, said. She was brought from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh to the national capital for treatment. The convoy of vehicles started from Terminal-1 at 12.46 pm and reached AIIMS in just 22 minutes after covering a distance of about 12 kms, whereas the average travel time during this time slot would have been around one hour, Kumar said. In another case, a 75-year-old man, who suffered multiple heart attacks, was flown from .
Government okays compensation formula for Johnson and Johnson faulty hip implant patients
The Centre has approved a formula for determining compensation for those who had received faulty Articular Surface Replacement (ASR) hip implants manufactured by DePuy Johnson and Johnson Pvt Ltd, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Thursday.
Arunachal Guv plays saviour; takes pregnant woman in own chopper to hospital
In a humanitarian gesture, Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig (Retd) B D Mishra took a woman, who was in urgent need of medical attention, in his helicopter from Tawang to a hospital here, Raj Bhawan sources said Thursday. And, when the chopper developed a snag after refuelling at Tezpur, the Governor requisitioned an Air Force helicopter and let the woman and her husband leave first for the capital city. He returned later in another aircraft. Not stopping at that, Mishra also arranged for an ambulance with a lady gynaecologist at the Raj Bhawan helipad at Itanagar to take the pregnant patient to hospital without losing time, the sources said. At the Heema Hospital here, the patient underwent a successful emergency caesarean delivery. The distance between Tawang and Itanagar is over 200 km by road in the hilly terrain and it takes around 15 hours. But by air, it is around two hours. The chain of events started at an official programme in Tawang on Wednesday after the Governor ...
Zebrafish help unlock mystery of motor neurone disease
Scientists from the University of Sheffield in the UK have successfully created zebrafish that carry the complex genetic change known to cause the most common genetic form of motor neurone disease (MND). The breakthrough will help to accelerate pioneering research and experimental drug trials to tackle the degenerative disease. Until now, research to better understand how the disease occurs and the trial of experimental drugs has been conducted on fruit flies or mice models. This has had limited success due to the difference between the human brain and the fruit fly brain, and the time and cost implications of using mice models. For the first time, researchers from the University of Sheffield's Institute of Translational Neuroscience (SITraN) have successfully created the complex aspects of human C9-ALS/FTD pathobiology in zebrafish models. This pioneering breakthrough is essential for studying the underlying mechanisms of MND and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). MND, also known as ...
INC to hold international conference to stress on important role of nurses
The Indian Nursing Council (INC) organised an international conference in the national capital, with the support the Health Ministry, to emphasise on the important role of nurses and their contribution towards achieving the target of universal health coverage. The three-day conference was inaugurated Thursday by Union minister Suresh Prabhu. Referring to the government's ambitious programme, Ayushman Bharat, he said nurses play a critical role in healthcare and outlined the importance of quality nursing education in this context. The minister of commerce and industry said his ministry was working on a scheme to facilitate a large number of Indian nurses to work in other countries and assured all support to promote the profession of nursing. The event was organised by INC in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics (JHPIEGO) endorsed by International Council of Nurses (ICN). The INC in a statement said nurses were the ...
Avoid smoking to ward off stroke risks during menopause
Quitting smoking during the transition phase to menopause could be the key to ward off risks of cardiovascular diseases including heart attacks and strokes, suggests a new study.
Government committed to providing best healthcare facilities: Minister
Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel on Thursday said despite demographic challenges in India, the government is committed to providing the best healthcare facilities.