Page 236 - Health Medical Pharma
Classroom friendships may offset effects of punitive parents
Warm relationship with classroom teachers, friendship with peers may provide a unique opportunity for harshly-parented kindergarteners to retool their negative behaviour, a new study suggests.
Anabolic steroids linked to premature death in men
According to a recent study, men who use androgenic anabolic steroids such as testosterone may face a higher risk of early death and of experiencing more hospital admissions than normal.The study was published in the Journal of Internal Medicine. For the study, 545 men who used androgenic anabolic steroids were matched with 5,450 controls. In addition, 644 men who were sanctioned because they refused to submit to a doping test and 6440 controls were included as a replication cohort.Over an average follow-up of 7.4 years, there were seven (1.3 percent) deaths among users of androgenic anabolic steroids and 23 (0.4 percent) among participants in the control group, translating to a three-times higher risk of death associated with androgenic anabolic steroids.The median annual number of hospital contacts was 0.81 in the androgenic anabolic steroid users and 0.36 in the controls.Acne, gynaecomastia, and erectile dysfunction affected more than 10 percent of the androgenic anabolic steroid ..
Screenwriter Terry Rossio roasted for using N-word in a tweet
Terry Rossio, the screenwriter of "Shrek" and five "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, is receiving flak online for using a derogatory racial slur on Twitter. In a tweet, responding to "The 100" writer Julie Benson's call for people to contribute to vaccination efforts, Rossio, 58, dropped the N-bomb while arguing against the use of vaccines. "My heart goes out to all the parents of vaccine damaged children, who have to not only endure the sadness of their loss, but also the vitriol of ill-informed and insensitive people (such as those here)," he wrote. "Anti-Vax is equivalent to calling someone a n****r and makes as little sense," he added. However, the response did not go down well with the social media users, including Benson, who slammed him for the comparison. "Please never come on my feed with the n word again," Benson wrote. Writer Jeff Grubb tweeted, "God, this is such a good point. I remember how American founders and citizens enslaved vaccine skeptics for decades. And then, ...
Sugar supplement may be helpful for tumour, cancer treatment
According to a new study, a nutritional supplement called Mannose sugar can help slow down tumour growth and enhance the effects of chemotherapy with multiple types of cancer.The results of the study were published in the Journal of Nature. The study is a step towards understanding how mannose could be used to treat cancer.Tumours use more glucose than normal, healthy tissues. However, it is very hard to control the amount of glucose in your body through diet alone. In this study, the researchers found that mannose can interfere with glucose to reduce how much sugar cancer cells can use."Tumours need a lot of glucose to grow, so limiting the amount they can use should slow cancer progression. The problem is that normal tissues need glucose as well, so we can't completely remove it from the body. In our study, we found a dosage of mannose that could block enough glucose to slow tumour growth in mice, but not so much that normal tissues were affected," said lead study author Kevin ...
Probiotics not beneficial for young kids with stomach virus
Children with stomach viruses are often given probiotics to ease symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. However, a new study has found that commonly used probiotic is not effective in improving symptoms in young patients with gastroenteritis.The study was led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the results were published in The New England Journal of Medicine.Gastroenteritis accounts for 1.7 million pediatric emergency room visits and more than 70,000 hospitalisations each year.The study involved nearly 1,000 children aged between three months to four years and provided evidence against the popular and costly use of probiotics -- live microorganisms believed to restore the balance of intestinal bacteria and boost the immune system.Participants were eligible if they had come to the emergency room with symptoms of gastroenteritis: watery stools, vomiting, diarrhea or other signs of acute intestinal infection. They also had to have not have taken probiotics in the ...
Orange juice, leafy greens, fruits may lower memory loss risk in men
According to a recent study, eating leafy greens, dark orange, red vegetable, berry fruits and drinking orange juice may be linked with a lower risk of memory loss in men over time.The study was published in the Journal of Neurology. It looked at 27,842 men with an average age of 51 who were all health professionals. Participants filled out questionnaires about how many servings of fruits, vegetables and other foods they had each day at the beginning of the study and then every four years for 20 years."One of the most important factors in this study is that we were able to research and track such a large group of men over a 20-year period of time, allowing for very telling results. Our studies provide further evidence dietary choices can be important to maintain your brain health," said study author Changzheng Yuan, ScD, of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.Participants also took subjective tests of their thinking and memory skills at least four years before the end .
Sperm count 50 per cent lower in sons of fathers who smoke: Study
Son's of men who smoke at the time of their partner's pregnancy may have sperm count 50 per cent lower than their peers, a study has found. The study by researchers from Lund University in Sweden was conducted on 104 Swedish men aged between 17 and 20. Once the researchers had adjusted for the mother's own exposure to nicotine, socioeconomic factors, and the sons' own smoking, men with fathers who smoked had a 41 per cent lower sperm concentration and 51 per cent fewer sperm than men with non-smoking fathers. "I was very surprised that, regardless of the mother's level of exposure to nicotine, the sperm count of the men whose fathers smoked was so much lower," said Jonatan Axelsson, from Lund University. The biomarker cotinine is a metabolite from nicotine which can be measured in the blood. By measuring the level of cotinine, researchers can see whether the parents themselves smoke or whether they have been exposed to passive smoking. Many previous studies have shown that it is ...
Sperm count 50% lower in men whose fathers smoke: Study
While studies have repeatedly linked maternal smoking during pregnancy with reduced sperm count in male children, a new research showed that men whose fathers smoked at the time of pregnancy also had 50 per cent lower count of sperms than those with non-smoking fathers.
Study finds cannabis-based drugs help alleviate side-effects post-chemo; AIIMS to research further
Cannabis leaves have been found effective in alleviating pain and other symptoms in cancer patients post chemotherapy and radiotherapy, according to a study conducted by an autonomous body under the ministry of AYUSH. The pilot study was carried out by the Central Council For Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) in collaboration with the Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar, on patients undergoing treatment at the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. Taking it forward, a largescale study will be conducted beginning March next year at the AIIMS to examine and validate the efficacy of cannabis in reducing side-effects in patients suffering from breast and cervix cancer, among others. Usually cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy suffer from severe pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhoea and anxiety. "In the pilot study conducted earlier this year, cannabis leaves-based drugs have been found effective in alleviating pain and other symptoms in cancer patients
Naveen urges Nadda not to discharge conjoined Odisha twins
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Saturday urged Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda to ask the authorities of AIIMS, New Delhi, not to discharge twins Jaga-Kalia till they get fit for home care. Patnaik wrote the letter to Nadda after the state government came to know that the Department of Neurology, AIIMS, was preparing to discharge the babies unilaterally against the views of the team of specialists from Odisha and despite the request of the state to continue their treatment in Delhi. Stating that the professional team at AIIMS has conducted an extremely rare and difficult surgery last year in separating the craniopagus twins, Jaga and Kalina, who hail from Kandhamal district, Patnaik said: "Any capacity constraint in their treatment could prove counterproductive to all the serious and committed efforts made by AIIMS, New Delhi till now." Patnaik informed Nadda that the state government has been regularly sending teams of specialists to AIIMS .
Odisha CM seeks continuation of treatment of conjoined twins at AIIMS
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday requested Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda for the continuation of treatment of Jaga and Balia twins at AIIMS, New Delhi.
CIMAP designated as centre for medicinal plants
The Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow, has been designated as the coordination centre for medicinal plants by the Indian Ocean Rim Association-Regional Centre for Science and Technology Transfer (IORA-RCSTT), an official spokesman said on Saturday.
Conference on Thalassemia patients held in city
Around 200 doctors and scientists participated at a conference in the city to talk about ways to improve the quality of life of existing patients and prevent the birth of Thalassemia major children. The two-day conference which started on Saturday was organised by the National Thalassemia Welfare Society (NTWS) in association with the Department Paediatrics in Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC). With more than five crore Indians suffering from Thalassemia gene and approximately 10,000-12,000 new Thalassemia major born every year, there is still ignorance about this serious blood disorder, said Dr JS Arora, the general secretary of NTWS. He mentioned about the new drug in the pipeline, 'Luspatercept', that will improve Haemoglobin level in Thalassemia patients, saying it will drastically reduce the requirement of blood and iron chelating agents ultimately improving quality of the patient's life. Dr Sandeep Soni, Haemato-oncologist, who is doing research on gene therapy in ...
Chemists develop unique disease-fighting 'nano-grenades'
Russian chemists have developed a unique "transforming nanoparticle" that can help fight cancer and other diseases.
AIIMS to conduct workshop on orthognathic surgery from Sunday
The AIIMS will conduct a two-day workshop starting Sunday on orthognathic surgery to enhance the skill of oral and maxillofacial surgeons of India in jaw deformity surgical correction. Lectures, live surgeries and hands experience on 3D printed models will be given to surgeons during the workshop. The orthognathic surgery is performed to give balance to facial bones along with rectifying the deformed jaws which enhances the aesthetics of a person. "This also enhances the self esteem of a person, improves speech, eating and gives confidence in day to day life," said Dr Ajoy Roychoudhury, the head of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Centre for Dental Education and Research (CDER), AIIMS. Dr Roychoudhury explained that the surgery is performed from inside the mouth, with no scars and incisions on face. "The surgeon makes appropriate cuts in the jaw bones, aligns them to proposed position and fixes them with metal plates and screws. Wires or rubber elastics may be ...
Air pollution exposure linked to breast cancer: Study
Women working near busy roads are at high risk of developing breast cancer, due to traffic-related air pollution, researchers have warned.
Study links immune responses to environmental exposures early in life
Environmental exposures - such as obstetric factors, farm dust and air pollution - early in life can modify immune responses in adolescents.The University of Eastern Finland research has been published in the journal Pediatric Allergy & Immunology.There is strong evidence that different exposures early in life can alter the risk of allergic diseases. One of these exposures is farming. Exposure to the farm environment in childhood, and even prenatally, has been shown to decrease the risk of allergic diseases.On the other hand, being born by caesarean section is recognised as a risk factor. The roles of other obstetric factors are less studied. Another harmful exposure is air pollution, and especially exposure to particulate matter, which has been shown to increase asthma prevalence and exacerbations in children. However, the underlying mechanisms are unclear, causing a delay in the development of asthma-preventive strategies.Earlier studies have shown that immunological development
No awards to hospitals as they fail to upload transplant details on NOTTO website: Health ministry
The Health Ministry has decided not to give awards for 'best transplant coordinator' and 'best hospital for work in the sector of organ transplant' categories as none of the hospitals in the country uploaded details of their waiting lists and transplant data on the NOTTO website. Uploading details of waiting lists, transplant data and post-transplant follow up information was stipulated as an eligibility criteria for the awards. The NOTTO has been giving awards under these categories for the last two years to encourage hospitals to perform the transplant work in a legal and transparent manner, said Dr Vasanthi Ramesh, the director of NOTTO (National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation). "But despite our repeated requests to the respective states to ask hospitals to upload details of waiting lists and transplant and post transplant follow up data on the national registry maintained by the NOTTO, none of them have done so," Ramesh said. Elaborating on the procedure, the NOTTO ...
Cognitive behavioural therapy could treat anxiety in COPD patients
Treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients for anxiety using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) may reduce hospital visits, finds a study.The findings have been published in the journal ERJ Open Research.COPD is a long-term condition that causes inflammation in the lungs, narrowing of the airways and damaged lung tissue, making breathing difficult. Anxiety often occurs alongside COPD and can mean that patients do less physical activity, leading to loss of fitness, isolation, and deteriorating health overall.The new study found that brief CBT sessions with respiratory nurses reduced feelings of anxiety for patients with COPD and resulted in less frequent use of hospital services.Dr Karen Heslop-Marshall, lead researcher of the study, explained: "One of the main symptoms of COPD is breathlessness. This is very frightening and often leads to feelings of anxiety. Many healthcare professionals do not currently screen COPD patients for symptoms of anxiety, even though ..