Page 253 - Health Medical Pharma
Study links heart disease with Alzheimer's in some patients
Turns out, genetics may predispose some people to both Alzheimer's disease and high levels of blood lipids such as cholesterol, a common feature of the cardiovascular disease.Researchers at the UC San Francisco and Washington University School of Medicine, analysed genome-wide data from over 1.5 million individuals, making it one of the largest-ever studies of Alzheimer's genetics.Mounting clinical and epidemiological evidence has pointed to a link between heart disease and Alzheimer's disease, but a biological relationship between the two conditions has remained controversial. Many patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease also show signs of cardiovascular disease, and postmortem studies reveal that the brains of many Alzheimer's patients show signs of vascular disease, which some scientists speculate could drive the onset of dementia.These observations led to hopes of preventing Alzheimer's by treating cardiovascular symptoms, but initial genetic studies and failed clinical trial .
Over 27 lakh children given MR vaccine in JK
Over 27.85 lakh children were given the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine during an ongoing vaccination campaign across Jammu and Kashmir, an official spokesman said Saturday. The campaign was launched on September 24 to cover nearly 38 lakh children in the age group of nine months to 15 years to eliminate the congenital rubella syndrome, caused by the rubella virus. "A total of 37,72,960 children will be covered in the state, of whom 27,85,731 have been vaccinated till date with 17,00,994 children covered in the Kashmir division and 10,84,737 in the Jammu division," the spokesman said. The campaign is expected to be concluded by the end of this month as against the scheduled October 20 deadline. The measles-rubella campaign marks the introduction of the rubella vaccine in India's childhood immunisation programme for the first time. Rubella, which is commonly referred to as German measles, is a mild infection, but can have serious consequences if it occurs in pregnant women. India's latest
Social media use linked to depression, loneliness: Study
Excessive use of social media including Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram is associated with poor well-being which could lead to depression and loneliness, researchers have warned.
Exclusive: Takeda to win EU approval for $62 billion Shire deal - sources
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Japanese drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical is set to win conditional EU antitrust approval for its $62-billion bid for London's Shire, the biggest ever overseas acquisition by a Japanese company, two people familiar with the matter said on Friday.
15 newborns die in Assam hospital in 6 days, probe ordered
At least 15 newborns have died at Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH) in upper Assam between November 1 and 6, prompting the state health department to rush a team to investigate the matter, officials said Friday. The hospital authorities have also formed a committee to look into the matter, they said. According to JMCH Superintendent Saurav Borkakoti, 15 newborns have died at the special care newborn unit of the hospital between November 1 and 6. Borkakoti, however, claimed the deaths were not due to medical negligence or neglect of the hospital. "Sometimes the number of patients coming to the hospital may be large and so the figure of death of newborns may also be large. It depends in what situation the patients have come to the hospital. They may have come with prolonged labour, with low birth weight. In such circumstances, those newborns may die," Borkakoti said. He said ever since the civil hospital was converted into a full-fledged medical college and hospital, the number
Exclusive: EU regulators to clear $62 billion Takeda, Shire deal - source
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators are set to approve Japanese drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical's $62-billion offer for London peer Shire on condition that Shire sells a drug it has in development, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday.
Exclusive: EU regulators to clear $62 billion Takeda, Shire deal: source
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators are set to approve Japanese drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical's $62-billion offer for London peer Shire on condition that Shire sells a drug it has in development, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday.
EU regulators to clear $62 billion Takeda, Shire deal: source
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators are set to approve Japanese drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical's $62-billion offer for London peer Shire on condition that Shire sells a drug it has in development, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday.
India lost 2.6 lakh children under the age of five years to pneumonia and diarrhoea in 2016: Report
India's vaccination coverage to prevent rotavirus infection, a leading cause of severe diarrhoea in young children, was the lowest among the 15 countries which introduced it last year, a new report said Friday. It also pointed that India lost over 2.6 lakh children under five years from pneumonia and diarrhoea in 2016. The report found health systems falling "woefully short" in ensuring that the most vulnerable children have access to prevention and treatment services in the 15 countries. including India, that account for 70 per cent of global pneumonia and diarrhoea deaths in children under five. Despite significant reductions in disease in recent years because of improvements in access and use of health interventions, nearly half a million pneumonia and diarrhoea deaths still occurred in two countries - India and Nigeria, it said. The number of deaths of children under five years due to pneumonia in 2016 was 1,58,176, while diarrhoea deaths was 1,02,813, the report said. Released ...
Dutch to prosecute doctor who euthanized woman with dementia
Dutch officials said Friday they will prosecute a nursing home doctor for euthanizing an elderly woman with dementia, the first time a doctor has been charged since the Netherlands legalised euthanasia in 2002. Dutch prosecutors said in a statement the doctor "had not acted carefully" and "overstepped a line" when she performed euthanasia. Officials first began probing the case in September, when they found the doctor had drugged the patient's coffee and then had family members hold her down while delivering the fatal injection. The doctor said she was fulfilling the patient's earlier euthanasia request and that since the patient was not competent, nothing the woman said during her euthanasia procedure was relevant. But Dutch prosecutors argued that the patient's written euthanasia request was "unclear and contradictory." "In her living will, the woman wrote that she wanted to be euthanized 'whenever I think the time is right.' But after being asked several times in the nursing home ..
India had highest under-5 pneumonia, diarrhoea deaths in 2016: Report
India has topped the list of 15 countries with the highest number of pneumonia and diarrhoea deaths in children under five in 2016, says a report.
Breast milk, saliva can boost oral health in babies
Besides being a source of nutrition, breast milk also plays an important role in shaping a healthy oral microbiome in babies, suggests a study.
16 newborns die in Assam hospital
The Assam government has sent a team of medical experts to the Jorhat Medical College and Hospital following the reported death of 16 newborns in the hospital since last week.
Naturally low-caffeine tea plant discovered in China
Researchers have discovered a wild tea plant in China that contains little or no caffeine and, unlike many industrially decaffeinated products, could potentially provide many of the health benefits of regular brewed teas.
Gold nanoparticles used to treat prostate cancer for the first time
Scientists are using gold nanoparticles that act as tumour-seeking missiles to target prostate cancer, in a first-of-its-kind clinical trial. The nanoparticles or nanoshells, are made of small layers of silica glass formed into a sphere and wrapped in a thin layer of gold. The shells seek out and saturate cancerous cells, and their advanced vibrational properties are then harnessed to cause the tumourous tissue to pulse with extreme temperature when light is applied through a laser specifically designed to excite the particles. The oscillation kills the cancer cells while preserving the healthy tissue, avoiding the nerves and urinary sphincter. This procedure is the first in the world that is precise enough to potentially avoid negative ramifications like urinary incontinence or sexual impotency. "This therapy could be life-changing for men diagnosed with prostate cancer and I am honoured to be among the first doctors the US Food and Drug Administration approved to put it to the ...
Can pedalling desk cut sedentary time at workplace?
Do you have a sitting job? Having a pedalling desk can mitigate health risks such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease posed by sedentary workplace and is better than standing desks, says a study.
Google hires Geisinger CEO to lead healthcare initiatives
Google has reportedly picked David Feinberg, CEO of US-based health services organisation Geisinger Health, to lead the company's healthcare efforts.
Nanotechnology effective for treating acute kidney injury
A new technique using DNA origami nanostructures may help treat and prevent acute kidney injury, researchers say.
All infectious diseases seasonal: Study
All infectious diseases have a seasonal element, say scientists who have found that, depending on geography, even chronic infections like Hepatitis B and Zika flare up with greater regularity certain times of the year. Most of us are aware of the seasonal cycle of influenza outbreaks. Micaela Martinez, a scientist at the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health in the US, collected information from the World Health Organization, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and peer-reviewed publications to create a calendar of epidemics for 69 infectious diseases, from commonplace infections to rare tropical diseases. A given year will see outbreaks of flu in the winter, chickenpox in the spring, and gonorrhea and polio in the summer -- to name a few of the best described seasonal outbreaks, according to the study published in the journal PLOS Pathogens. Martinez found that seasonality occurs not just in acute infectious diseases like flu but also chronic infectious diseases ...
Brain activity pattern may predict schizophrenia
Scientists have identified a pattern of brain activity that predicts the development of schizophrenia, an advance that could be used to diagnose the disorder earlier. Schizophrenia, a brain disorder that produces hallucinations, delusions, and cognitive impairments, usually strikes during adolescence or young adulthood. While some signs can suggest that a person is at high risk for developing the disorder, there is no way to definitively diagnose it until the first psychotic episode occurs. "If we use these types of brain measurements, then maybe we can predict a little bit better who will end up developing psychosis, and that may also help tailor interventions," said Guusje Collin, a visiting scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US. Before they experience a psychotic episode, characterised by sudden changes in behaviour and a loss of touch with reality, patients can experience milder symptoms such as disordered thinking. This kind of thinking can lead to ...