Page 278 - Health Medical Pharma

Innovative therapy may treat chronic back pain: Study

People with treatment-resistant back pain may get significant and lasting relief with an innovative treatment that short-circuits pain, a study claims. Chronic pain - that lasts three months or more - occurs when nerves continue to send signals to the brain after the original source of the pain is gone, said researchers at Rush University Medical Center in the US. An alternative to spinal cord stimulation, dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation therapy disrupts pain signals by specifically targeting the nerves responsible for the pain. This may avoid unnecessary stimulation of nerve fibres that come from non-painful areas, which may occur with spinal cord stimulation. It also helps to meet the need for non-drug pain treatments in select patients, according to the study presented at the annual American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) meeting in San Fransisco, US. "People in our study who had DRG stimulation reported significant improvement in pain even after a year, which is ...

Do's and Dont's for Diabetics during the festival season

Pre-festival consultation with doctors, dietary restraint and continuing with exercise schedule should be adhered to by patients of Diabetes mellitus to enjoy Navaratri and Durga Puja celebrations, senior doctors have said. People with diabetes should be cautious about controlling their blood glucose level during Navaratri and Durga Puja celebrations owing to the periods of fasting and feasting associated with the festivals, senior doctors opined. Those with poor blood sugar control and life-threatening complications should avoid any disruption in their day-to-day routine during the festivals, the doctors said. "Since Navaratri and Durga Puja festivals are invariably associated with periods of fasting and feasting, diabetic patients tend to eat sweets, eat out more often, not stick to the daily routine of exercise and eating pattern, all of which worsen blood sugar control," Dr J J Mukherjee, senior endocrinologist and diabetologist, Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals in the

Pain disruption therapy may treat back pain

According to a study, people with treatment-resistant back pain may get significant and lasting relief with dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation therapy, an innovative treatment that short-circuits pain.Chronic pain - pain that lasts three months or more - occurs when nerves continue to send signals to the brain after the original source of the pain is gone. An alternative to spinal cord stimulation, DRG stimulation disrupts pain signals by specifically targeting the nerves responsible for the pain. This may avoid unnecessary stimulation of nerve fibers that come from non-painful areas, which may occur with spinal cord stimulation. It also helps to meet the need for non-drug pain treatments in select patients.During the study at American Society of Anesthesiologists, people who had DRG stimulation reported significant improvement in pain even after a year. They had tried numerous therapies, from drugs to spinal cord stimulation to surgery, but got little to no lasting pain relief. ..

Despite crisis, patients take opioids after surgery

Even with concerns about addiction, side effects and the other risks of opioids are dominating headlines. A study found that people expect to be prescribed opioids and perceive them to be the most effective form of pain relief after surgery.Interestingly, it was also found that opioids led to complications such as increased pain, poorer quality of life and dependence following back surgery.While opioids may effectively relieve pain after surgeries and procedures, they may not be the best option in all cases. Opioids can be highly addictive and carry some risks and side effects, such as sleepiness, constipation, and nausea, as well as life-threatening shallow breathing and slowed heart rate, which may indicate an overdose."Patients often assume they will receive opioids for pain, believing they are superior, and therefore may pressure physicians to prescribe them after surgery," said Nirmal B. Shah, lead author of the study. "But research shows opioids often aren't necessarily more ...

Natco Pharma jumps after favourable decision for patent dispute in US Court

Shares of Natco Pharma was up 6.09% at Rs 720.55 at 10:49 IST on BSE.

Apple iPhone to soon decode binge eating disorder

A team of researchers in the US is set to use Apple iPhone and Watch to track binge eating disorder among people.

Vaping does not stain teeth: Study

E-Cigarettes and tobacco heating products cause significantly less staining to teeth than conventional cigarettes, a recent study has suggested.In a part of the study conducted at British American Tobacco, scientists assessed and compared a novel e-cigarette (EC), a tobacco heating product (THP) and a conventional cigarette for their impact on teeth enamel staining.While cigarette smoke caused significant enamel discoloration, vapour from the EC and aerosol from the THP caused only minimal staining. The results are published in the American Journal of Dentistry.These next-generation products (NGPs) do not involve combustion; the vapour and aerosol they produce are less complex and contain significantly lower levels of certain toxicants compared to cigarette smoke.It is well known that smoking cigarettes cause stains on teeth that cannot easily be removed by regular brushing, but little is known about such effects from NGPs. So scientists conducted vitro teeth staining studies to ...

Here's how postpartum depression is linked to mother's pain

A recent study has shown that postpartum depression is linked to mother's pain after childbirth.Previous researches had demonstrated the pain associated with giving birth may increase the risk of postpartum depression but has not specified which part of the labor process (e.g., before, during or after delivery) may be the source of the problem.This is the first study to differentiate postpartum pain from labor and delivery pain and identify it as a significant risk factor for postpartum depression."For many years, we have been concerned about how to manage labor pain, but recovery pain after labor and delivery often is overlooked," said Jie Zhou, M.D., M.B.A., lead author of the study and assistant professor of anesthesia at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston. "Our research suggests we need to focus more on helping new mothers manage pain after the baby is born."Symptoms of postpartum depression, including extreme sadness, low energy, anxiety, crying ...

Goa Minister hopes for miracle for Cancer-stricken Parrikar

Goa's Power Minister Nilesh Cabral on Sunday said he hoped for a miracle for Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who has been battling cancer for several months.

Harsh parenting may make kids antisocial: Study

Parents, take note! A harsh environment at home and less emotional warmth can make children aggressive and antisocial, a study has found. Researchers from University of Pennsylvania and Michigan State University in the US analysed small differences in the parenting of 227 identical twin pairs. They wanted to determine whether these differences predicted the likelihood of antisocial behaviours emerging. The study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, showed that the twin who experienced stricter or harsher treatment and less emotional warmth from parents had a greater chance of showing aggression as well as a set of characteristics known as callous-unemotional (CU) traits. "Some of the early work on callous-unemotional traits focused on their biological bases, like genetics and the brain, making the argument that these traits develop regardless of what is happening in a child's environment, that parenting doesn't matter," said Rebecca ...

177 cases of swine flu detected in Karnataka

After reports about a fresh batch of swine flu cases in Karnataka surfaced, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner Manjunath Prasad on Sunday assured that there is no need to panic, as the reported numbers are less than the previous year's figures."Till now we have identified 177 cases, out which 37 are from outside Bengaluru. These are regularly monitored and proper action is being taken. Numbers are less compared to the previous years. There is no need to panic," Prasad told ANI.He also assured that authorities are taking all the necessary measures and as soon as anyone is tested positive, a health team staff is sent to visit the house of the patient to provide necessary information to the patient's family and everyone in the vicinity.Earlier in the day, Karnataka Deputy Chief G. Parameshwara held a meeting with health department officials, BBMP Mayor Gangambike and other municipal corporation officials to discuss an action plan to curb the spread of the H1N1 ...

MP: Doc claims patients' kin assaulted him, wanted to be treated by upper cast person

A doctor belonging to Scheduled Tribe community has alleged that he was beaten up by relatives of two patients who wanted them to be treated by an "upper caste" person, police said on Sunday. Garha Police Station in-charge S Khan said Dr Geetesh Ratre has complained that the incident took place on Friday when two women injured in an accident were brought to the government-run Subhash Chandra Medical College here around 7:30pm. "Dr Ratre was on duty in the Emergency department and he directed the medical staff to start treatment immediately. However, a mob of about a dozen people, comprising relatives and acquaintances, reached there and asked Dr Ratre his name and caste," Khan said, quoting the complaint. When Dr Ratre told him that he belonged to a Scheduled Tribe community, the accused started demanding that only an "upper caste" doctor treat the two injured women, the police official said. An altercation ensued over this, during which Ratre was manhandled, Khan said, adding that ...

Being less affectionate can make your child anti-social: Study

Parents, take note. Your less affectionate and harsher behaviour towards your children can make them aggressive and anti-social, a new study has found.

Ketogenic diet may prevent cognitive decline: Study

Following a ketogenic diet -- a high-fat, low-carbohydrate regime -- may boost cognitive abilities, a study in mice suggests. Researchers from University of Kentucky in the US showed that the gut and the brain are more closely connected than we once thought, and in fact the health of one can affect the other. "Neurovascular integrity, including cerebral blood flow and blood-brain barrier function, plays a major role in cognitive ability," said Ai-Ling Lin, from University of Kentucky. "Recent science has suggested that neurovascular integrity might be regulated by the bacteria in the gut, so we set out to see whether the Ketogenic Diet enhanced brain vascular function and reduced neurodegeneration risk in young healthy mice," said Lin. The Ketogenic Diet has previously shown positive effects for patients with other neurological disorders, including epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and autism. For the study published in the journal Scientific Reports, two groups of nine mice, aged 12-14

Spurt in dengue, malaria cases in Telangana

The state of Telangana is witnessing a rise in the cases of dengue, malaria, swine flu and viral fever.Speaking to ANI, Dr Shankar, Director Institute of Preventive Medicine, said, "In Fever Hospital, the cases have increased from 1000 to 1400. Out of 1400, 20 per cent cases are of viral flu. Last month 20 cases of dengue were reported and this month 10 dengue cases have been reported positive so far."He further said that malaria cases have also risen from the last three months, and until now 30 people have tested positive for the disease.The doctor also advised people to protect themselves from mosquito bites, and maintain hygiene. He also alerted that dengue, malaria and swine flu may increase more in the coming month.In September, as many as 50 patients had tested positive for swine flu or H1N1 in the state. Notably, there are only two centres for the testing of Swine Flu samples in Telangana namely, Fever Hospital and Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM).

Ketogenic diet prevents cognitive decline: Study

Consuming a ketogenic diet -- high levels of fat and low levels of carbohydrate -- can help prevent cognitive decline, according to a new study on mice.

Irrigating crops with wastewater may spread diseases: Study

Farmers could unwittingly be helping spread diseases like gastroenteritis and diarrhoea by irrigating crops with wastewater, a study has found. Researchers from the University of Birmingham in the UK discovered that wastewater collected from canals used for urban agriculture in Burkina Faso was rich in virulent human pathogens which cause gastroenteritis and diarrhea -- a major cause of death in low and middle-income countries. They studied wastewater samples from three canals in the capital Ouagadougou -- a city of 2.2 million inhabitants. After identifying a wide range of antibiotic resistance genes in the water, they concluded that using wastewater for urban agriculture in the city posed a high risk of spreading bacteria and antimicrobial resistance among humans and animals. With the urban population in sub-Saharan Africa expected to rise from 400 million (2010) to 1.26 billion in 2050, according to UN estimates, agriculture in towns and cities is recognised as a vital way of ...

Mothers using donor eggs lack confidence in parenting

According to a new study, mothers who give birth using donor eggs may react less sensitively to their babies and have a lower confidence in their parenting abilities.Scientists at the University of Cambridge found "subtle yet meaningful differences" in the way egg donor mothers interacted with their children, compared to mothers who had children using their own eggs, CNN reported.The team interviewed 85 families who had conceived using egg donation and 65 families who had children through the mother's own eggs. They also observed mothers playing with their children as they normally would.During interviews, mothers who used a donor's eggs were more likely to express a lack of confidence in their own parenting ability, the paper says. However, no changes were detected in fathers.The study suggested that this may be associated with the older age of mothers who had used donor eggs. Other differences included how quickly mothers read signals given by babies, such as boredom, and the study .

Parrikar discharged from AIIMS

Goa's ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who was being treated for advanced pancreatic cancer at All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), was discharged from the hospital on Sunday, an official said.

Dr Reddy's Labs recalls 35k tubes of skin infection cream from US

Dr Reddy's Laboratories' US arm is recalling over 35,000 tubes of Nystatin and Triamcinolone Acetonide cream on account of failed stability specifications, USFDA said. As per the US health regulator's Enforcement Report, Dr Reddy's Labs Inc is recalling 35,020 tubes of Nystatin and Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream, USP, 1,00,000 units/gm and 1 mg/gm from the American market. The recall is on account of "failed stability specifications - an out of specification result was observed for the test parameter : composition of Nystatin during stability testing," it added. The cream is used for treatment of cutaneous candidiasis, a skin infection. The voluntary ongoing nationwide recall is a class II recall, United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA)said. As per USFDA, a class II recall is initiated in a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health ..