Page 244 - Health Medical Pharma
Centre, AAP govt not ensuring regular supply of drugs to treat HIV: plea in HC
The Delhi High Court has sought the Centre's stand on a plea alleging that it and the AAP government were not following through on their assurance to the court to ensure there would be no shortage of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, used to treat HIV. Justice Sunil Gaur has asked the Ministry of Health to file a status report in response to the petition seeking contempt proceedings against the Centre, Delhi government and the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) for "willful disobedience" of the assurance given to the court last year. The plea, listed for hearing on March 12 next year, has contended that the two governments and NACO had assured the high court that there would be no shortage of ARV drugs in future. The contempt petition was moved by Delhi resident Rekha Devi, who said the assurance was given in May last year after she had moved a plea claiming shortage of ARV drugs at all government-run hospitals and antiretroviral therapy (ART) centres in the national capital. In her .
ICMR to conduct trials of indigenously developed Zika vaccine
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will soon undertake trials of the indigenously developed vaccine against Zika virus, cases of which have been reported in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. The ICMR will undertake phase-II trial of the vaccine to establish the efficacy and safety of the vaccine along with its adverse effects, a senior official said. Vaccines manufacturer, Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, has developed a vaccine, which they claim will provide protection against infection caused by an Asian Zika virus strain as well as by the African Zika virus strain, the official said. "The company had developed the vaccine around two years ago. At that time we did not have an outbreak of Zika in India as it was only restricted to Latin America. "Zika virus is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito and also there is a breakout in some states. Vector control is one of the most challenging work. Thus the vaccine, if its efficacy
Strength training could benefit heart health
According to a recent study, while all physical activities are beneficial for heart health, static activities such as strength training was found to be more strongly associated with reducing heart disease risks than dynamic activities like walking and cycling.The new research was presented at the ACC Latin America Conference 2018 in Lima, Peru.It is a well-known fact that physical activity is important for heart health. Strength training showed the most amount of benefit."Both strength training and aerobic activity appeared to be heart healthy, even in small amounts, at the population level," said Maia P. Smith, PhD, MS, statistical epidemiologist and assistant professor in the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at St. George's University in St. George's, Grenada."Clinicians should counsel patients to exercise regardless--both activity types were beneficial. However, static activity appeared more beneficial than dynamic, and patients who did both types of physical ...
Novel shoe insole can help heal diabetic ulcers
Scientists have developed a shoe insole that could help heal diabetic ulcers -- a condition that often leads patients to lose their toes, foot or leg. Diabetes can lead to ulcers that patients do not feel or notice until the sight of blood. These ulcers can not heal on their own. Researchers from Purdue University in the US have made the healing process more portable for those who develop ulcers as a result of diabetes. "One of the ways to heal these wounds is by giving them oxygen," said Babak Ziaie, professor at Purdue. "We've created a system that gradually releases oxygen throughout the day so that a patient can have more mobility," said Ziaie. Diabetic ulcers commonly result from high blood sugar damaging nerves, which takes away feeling from the toes or feet. Without the ability to feel pain, hits and bumps tend to go unnoticed and skin tissue breaks down, forming ulcers. A lot of sugar in the bloodstream, along with dried skin as a consequence of diabetes, further slow the ...
Cellular proliferation keeps HIV infected cells alive: Study
A new study has that cellular proliferation keeps the HIV-infected cells alive in infected individuals, even after undergoing suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART).The study was published in Nature Communications journal.Cell proliferation is a process which results in an increase in the number of cells, wherein the balance between cell divisions and cell loss occurs through cell death or differentiation.The scientists found out that reducing cellular proliferation could help deplete the number of infected cells and potentially lead to a functional cure for HIV.The research team in the Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre, combined mathematical models and immunological insight to understand the genetic signature of HIV-infected cells."Our approach was inspired by ecology," said a lead researcher Dan Reeves."We adapted tools to characterize the reservoir of HIV-infected cells more realistically, inferring the mechanism of generation from
Scientists discover inhibitor to treat Sepsis: Study
Scientists have now discovered a new inhibitor that helps in treating the life-threatening disease- sepsis.The research was published in Science Journal.Sepsis occurs when certain chemicals released in the bloodstream to fight an infection trigger inflammation throughout the body. This can cause death in certain cases.Scientists from the University of Sheffield, who have discovered the OGG1 inhibitor, said that it could decrease lung inflammation, and also hold the key to treating life-threatening Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.The study revealed that the inhibitor OGG1's protein signals inflammation and the newly created inhibitor could prevent the onset of inflammation.The new mechanism which is different to other anti-inflammatory drugs can also help in preventing the human immune system from attacking itself in conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, and potentially other autoimmune disorders, apart from sepsis.During inflammation, the white blood cells ...
New shoe insole could treat diabetic foot ulcers
Researchers have developed a shoe insole that could help make the healing process more portable for people who develop ulcers as a result of diabetes.
Scientists make robots more expressive
Japanese scientists have found way to make faces of human-like robots more expressive, paving the way for machines to show a greater range of emotions, and ultimately have deeper interaction with people. While robots have featured in advances in healthcare, industrial, and other settings, capturing humanistic expression in a robotic face remains an elusive challenge. Researchers at Osaka University in Japan found a method for identifying and quantitatively evaluating facial movements on their android robot child head. Named Affetto, the android's first-generation model was first unveiled in 2011. The researchers have now found a system to make the second-generation Affetto more expressive. Their findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Robotics and AI, offer a path for androids to express greater ranges of emotion, and ultimately have deeper interaction with humans. "Surface deformations are a key issue in controlling android faces. Movements of their soft facial skin create ...
6 cr Indians slip into poverty annually due to medical expenses: AB-PMJAY CEO
About six crore people every year, or 7,000 people per hour, slip into poverty in India due to healthcare expenses, Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana CEO Indu Bhushan said here Saturday. AB-PMJAY Chief Executive Officer Indu Bhushan was speaking at a health conference organised by the Goa Institute of Management. The Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY programme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 23 is touted as the world's largest government funded healthcare programme aimed at benefiting 50 crore people. Bhushan hailed the country's efforts in reducing poverty, but said, "At the same time, we see that about six crore fall into poverty every year because of catastrophic healthcare expenses. I was astounded by the number. Six crore people means 7,000 people every hour." Calling the situation a "leaking bucket", he said, "It is like a leaking bucket. Though a lot of effort is being put to bring people out of poverty, due to health expenses, people are slipping into
'Conducive environment needed to admit medical errors'
Reputed doctors at a conference on Saturday here said that medical errors can prove very costly to patients but suppressing them could be even more dangerous. "Unless a conducive environment is created when errors can be expressed, it will be difficult to take corrective measures," they cautioned speaking at the Medicon International 2018 here. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Deepak Dwarkanath, Vice President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, said, "In this profession, no one goes to work to cause errors, rather all try the best for the patient. But if there is any error, then it should be dealt with honesty, openness and candour." The conference, supported by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, aimed at updating core knowledge and recent advances in various branches of medicine to trainees, general and specialist physicians to overcome these hurdles. "More awareness has to be created about general healthcare to keep critical diseases at bay," he ..
Pil Italica Lifestyle launches new chair 'Spine Care 2019'
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Lalu's health deteriorating, needs better treatment for him: RJD MLA
Former Bihar chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad's health has deteriorated and he can neither sit nor stand on his own, informed party MLA Rekha Devi after meeting him in Ranchi's Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) on Saturday.Devi has demanded better treatment for the RJD chief. "Laluji's health has deteriorated. He can neither sit down nor stand up. His blood sugar level has also increased. We demand that he should be taken to a place where he gets better treatment," the RJD MLA told reporters here.Lalu, who was convicted in the fodder scam, is currently admitted to the RIMS under the police custody, owing to heart-related problems.
Weightlifting better than walking and cycling for heart: Study
While it is well known that physical activities promote heart health, a new study suggests that weightlifting, rather than walking and cycling, can better help keep heart diseases at bay.
Slow reading speed linked to dry eyes: Study
People suffering from chronic dry eye disease are likely to have a slow reading rate, according to researchers.
Study links drug-resistant infections with higher mortality rates
In a recent study, researchers measured the burden of antibiotic resistance in low- or middle-income countries, and reported that in-hospital mortality is significantly higher among patients infected with multi-drug resistant (MDR) or extensively drug-resistant (XDR) pathogens.Researchers at the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy analysed antimicrobial susceptibility testing results and mortality outcomes for over 4,000 patients who visited one of ten tertiary or quaternary referral hospitals across India in 2015. Pathogens were classified as MDR or XDR based on drug susceptibility profiles. Mortality data was restricted to in-hospital deaths.The findings appear in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.Additional demographic and clinical data including age, sex, place of infection acquisition, and location in the hospital (i.e., intensive care unit [ICU] or non-intensive care unit) were also collected.The overall mortality rate among all study participants was 13.1 ..
Long term exposure to honking traffic can make you obese
Are you obese or overweight? Blame long term exposure to blaring horns and other noise from road traffic, said researchers.
Bret Michaels discharged from hospital after kidney stone surgery
Rocker Bret Michaels has been released from hospital after undergoing surgery for kidney stones.
Social isolation increases death risk
Findings of a recent study have linked social isolation to higher risk of death.The study, appearing in the American Journal of Epidemiology, says addressing social isolation holds promise if studies show interventions are effective, as they could be relatively simple and could influence other risk factors, as social isolation is also associated with hypertension, inflammation, physical inactivity, smoking, and other health risks.Social isolation has been linked to higher mortality in studies comprising mostly white adults, yet associations among black adults are unclear. The new prospective cohort study, led by the American Cancer Society's Kassandra Alcaraz, evaluated whether associations of social isolation with all-cause, cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality differed by race and sex.Investigators weighted several standard components of social isolation -marital status, frequency of religious service attendance and club meetings/group activities, and number of close ...
How playing high school football changes teenager's brain
Playing even a single season of football can cause microscopic changes in the teenage brain, finds a study.Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers used a new type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to take brain scans of 16 high school players, ages 15 to 17, before and after a season of football.They found significant changes in the structure of the grey matter in the front and rear of the brain, where impacts are most likely to occur, as well as changes to structures deep inside the brain. All participants wore helmets, and none received head impacts severe enough to constitute a concussion.The study is one of the first to look at how impact sports affect the brains of children at this critical age."It is becoming pretty clear that repetitive impacts to the head, even over a short period of time, can cause changes in the brain," said study senior author Chunlei Liu. "This is the period ...
Nick Jonas opens up about having diabetes
American singer and Priyanka Chopra's soon-to-be-husband Nick Jonas recently revealed that he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at a very young age.Taking to Instagram, Jonas shared his 'then and now' pictures and explained how he has a full control over his life now on day-to-day activities.He wrote, "13 years ago today I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The picture on the left is me a few weeks after my diagnosis. Barely 100 pounds after having lost so much weight from my blood sugar being so high before going to the doctor where I would find out I was diabetic. On the right is me now. Happy and healthy. Prioritizing my physical health, working out and eating healthy and keeping my blood sugar in check."He also thanked his family and fans for the good wishes. "I have full control of my day to day life with this disease, and I'm so grateful to my family and loved ones who have helped me every step of the way. Never let anything hold you back from living your best life. Thank you .