Page 280 - Health Medical Pharma

Katy Perry goes all pink for breast cancer awareness

Katy Perry goes all pink to support breast cancer awareness drive at a breast cancer fundraiser gala.Perry attended the fundraiser gala on Thursday night as she don a shimmering Pastel pink strapless Galia Lahav jumpsuit paired with a matching train. She completed the look with pink chiffon gloves.Taking to her Instagram account, the 'Firework' singer shared some pictures from the event."Putting my best foot forward in The Memphis by @katyperrycollections at #FFANY'S 25th anniversary benefiting breast cancer research," she wrote in the caption of one of the pictures.Perry attended the event as an ambassador. The fundraiser event was also organised to celebrate the achievements made in the footwear industry. The singer, who is a footwear designer herself, grabbed this opportunity with both hands and rocked the red carpet in pink pumps by Katy Perry Collections.Perry, in an interview during the event, said, "Everyone knows someone who has been affected by breast cancer or cancer in ...

Govt keen on setting more dental colleges: Minister

Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey on Friday said the government is keen on setting more government dental colleges in the country.

In crackdown, U.S. FDA seeks details on new electronic cigarettes

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Faced with a proliferation of new electronic cigarettes and a sharp rise in teen vaping, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday sent letters to 21 electronic cigarette manufacturers seeking information to assess whether the products are being marketed illegally.

Fear no more: Arthritis cannot stop you

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the major diseases affecting individuals around the world. A chronic, progressive musculoskeletal disorder characterised by gradual loss of cartilage in joints, it results in bones rubbing together which creating stiffness, pain and impaired movement.The disease most commonly affects the joints in the knees, hips, hands, feet, and spine. OA is the second most common rheumatologic problem and the most frequent joint disease with a prevalence of 22 percent to 39 percent in India. It is more common amongst women than in men. Nearly, 45 percent of women over the age of 65 years have symptoms while 70 percent of those over 65 years show radiological evidence of OA. The daily struggle with one's own body pushes a patient into a state of paranoia.Stressing on the plight of old-age patients suffering from OA, Dr. Himanshu Kataria of Safdarjung Hospital, said, "For senior citizens, maintaining a social circle involves going out for walks, meeting friends for yoga .

AVA group sets up 110-bed ayurveda hospital in Kochi

: AVA group, which is into healthcare, fast-moving consumer goods and entertainment, has set up its first multi-specialty ayurveda hospital in Kochi. The 110-bed Sanjeevanam hospital would be inaugurated on October 18, a press release said. The hospital, equipped with modern facilities, would have a team of ayurveda doctors, specialists, dieticians and physiotherapists, the release said. The facility would also have a centre for fitness and physiotherapy, a e-library, a movie hall and a restaurant, it said. The hospital, designed to be eco-friendly, was planning to meet 50 per cent of its electricity needs by tapping solar energy by this financial year-end, the release said. "Ayurveda has been at the forefront of the growth of our business which has a 400-year-old tradition and we aim at being a catalyst in driving Ayurveda forward," the release quoted managing director of AVA Group A V Anoop as saying.

Ashwini Choubey urges dental students, surgeons to raise awareness about oral hygiene

Union Minister Ashwini Choubey on Friday administered an oath to dental students in the national capital for working in rural areas for at least 15 days a year, and urged them to create awareness about oral hygiene among the people. Inaugurating the 11th International Dental Students and the fifth Dental Surgeons Conference, the Union Minister of State for Health said the government wants to increase the number of state-run dental colleges and at the same time wants private facilities to deliver quality service. The dental council can play a crucial role in monitoring and enhancing the quality of these services, Choubey was quoted as saying in a release. The event was organized by Dental Students Welfare Association of India and Dental Surgeons Association of India at Lady Hardinge Medical College in the national capital. According to the release, he urged all dental students and dental surgeons to create more awareness about oral hygiene and related diseases in the country. About ...

Haryana's first autism research centre opens in Gurugram

First of its kind in Haryana, National Autism Intervention Research Centre was launched here on Friday at Fortis Memorial Research Institute by state's Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Health & Family Welfare, R.R. Jowel.

C-section births doubled globally since 2000: Lancet

The number of babies born through caesarean section (C-section) nearly doubled from 12 per cent to 21 per cent of all births between 2000 and 2015, worldwide, according to research published in The Lancet, that shed light on a huge gap in childbirth care between rich and poor mothers.

Psychoactive drugs may up suicide risk in lung disease patients

Long-term use of benzodiazepine -- a class of psychoactive drugs -- widely used to treat insomnia and anxiety, may be associated with an increased risk of suicide among patients with lung disease and traumatic stress disorder, a study has warned.

Diagnostic startup Healthians launches operations in Punjab

Online diagnostic startup Healthians Friday announced the launch of its operations in Punjab. Healthians will be making an investment of Rs 10 crore in the state by 2020. The investment will be made towards hiring, establishing operations in the state, and creating awareness about wellness and preventive care, it said. The company has raised multiple rounds of funding from various investors including Yuvraj Singh's investment venture YouWeCan, the company added. Healthians will be hiring over 300 phlebotomists, people trained to draw blood from a patient for clinical or medical testing, and support staff in the state by March 2019. Our vision is to employ the power of science and technology to add 10 healthy years to every Indian's life. With the launch of our services in Punjab, we bring the best in wellness and preventive diagnostics to the residents of the state, with world-class technology and impeccable service, Healthians CEO and founder Deepak Sahni said. The services are ...

E-cigarette additives may impair lung function: Study

Flavouring and additive ingredients in e-cigarettes may increase inflammation and impair lung function, according to a study. The research, published in the American Journal of Physiology -- Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, also found that short-term exposure to e-cigarettes was enough to cause lung inflammation similar or worse than that seen in traditional cigarette use. E-cigarettes, popular battery-powered devices that simulate the act of smoking a traditional cigarette, dispense a vapour derived from liquid chemicals in a refillable cartridge. The refills typically contain propylene glycol, nicotine and often flavourings, said researchers from the University of Athens Medical School in Greece. Propylene glycol -- a colourless, odourless food additive -- is found in numerous processed food and beverages; it is also used as a solvent in a number pharmaceutical. E-cigarette devices and refills are not well regulated, and the long-term health effects of e-cigarette use are not

'First mammal with two moms born using gene-editing'

Chinese scientists have used stem cells and gene editing techniques to successfully produce healthy mice with two mothers that went on to have normal offspring of their own. Mice from two fathers were also born but only survived for a couple of days, said researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The finding, published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, looked at what makes it so challenging for animals of the same sex to produce offspring and suggests that some of these barriers can be overcome using stem cells and targeted gene editing. "We were interested in the question of why mammals can only undergo sexual reproduction," said Qi Zhou from Chinese Academy of Sciences. "We have made several findings in the past by combining reproduction and regeneration, so we tried to find out whether more normal mice with two female parents, or even mice with two male parents, could be produced using haploid embryonic stem cells with gene deletions," Zhou said. While some reptiles, ...

VP says there's lot to done for healthcare

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu Friday said the country was currently in a "transformational phase" with expansion of basic services such as healthcare. A visit to primary healthcare centres or super specialty hospitals like JIPMER and the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) would indicate there is so much that needs to be done, he said. "Our country is in a transformational phase. We are focusing more and more on expanding basic services including the healthcare to all our citizens, We are seeking to actively forge public private partnerships to accelerate progress," he said. Addressing graduates of the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) at its ninth annual convocation, he said, "the healthcare needs of our vast and diverse population are huge." For quality healthcare to become affordable to many segments of the population, the Centre recently initiated the 'Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana', he said. Effective ...

Well-regulated OTC guideline will expand access to medicines in India:OPPI

A well-regulated over-the-counter (OTC) framework will improve access to medicines in India, a study by the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India said Friday. The study calls for a well regulated OTC framework that not only helps improve access to medicines but also supports responsible self-medication to achieve multiple health and economic objectives, OPPI said in a statement. "Access to medicines in India has long ignored the critical role of the viability of OTC medicines in the remotest areas. A well-regulated OTC guideline will expand access for patients," President-OPPI and MD India & VP - South Asia, Glaxo SmithKline Pharmaceuticals A Vaidheesh said. The study, 'Shaping India's OTC Policy 2018' is an illustration of the collaborative effort of the entire pharmaceutical industry in empowering patients to make responsible and wise choices and self-manage their health outcomes, he added. The key recommendations of the study suggest a separate Rule and a separate ..

Healthy mice born to 2 mothers using stem cells, gene editing

Scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have, in a breakthrough, produced healthy mouse pups with two mothers and no father, using stem cells and gene editing techniques.

C-section use doubled in India between 2005 and 2015: Lancet study

The number of babies born in India through caesarean section increased from nine per cent in 2005-6 to 18.5 per cent in 2015-16, according to a series of three papers published in The Lancet journal, which also found that C-section use almost doubled worldwide between 2000 and 2015. While the life-saving surgery is still unavailable for many women and children in low-income countries and regions, the procedure is overused in many middle- and high-income settings, said researchers, including those from Ghent University in Belgium. In the 10 countries with the highest number of births in 2010-2015, there were large differences in caesarean section or C-section use between regions - for example, differences between provinces in China ranged from four per cent to 62 per cent, and inter-state differences in India ranged from seven per cent to 49 per cent, they said. Globally, C-section use has increased by 3.7 per cent each year between 2000-2015 -- rising from 12 per cent of live births ..

Study finds how teens with type 1 diabetes can guard their hearts

Turns out, people with type 1 diabetes are far more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those without it. The risk is even higher if they show signs of hypertension, high blood pressure, unhealthy levels of cholesterol and dyslipidemia. This study highlights strategies to help young people manage high cholesterol and blood pressure.Interviewing teens and parents, Joslin Diabetes Center researchers have identified strategies to help teens with these conditions manage them better. The study was recently published in the Journal of Pediatric Diabetes.Offering realistic and specific guidance begins with delivering basic knowledge about the conditions, says Katz, who is also an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Asked about the risks of high blood pressure, for instance, teens might say that it could give you a headache, rather than realizing it might lead to a heart attack many years from now. Teens also often hoped that the condition might be "fixed" ..

E-cigarette additives impair lung function: Study

Flavouring and additive ingredients used in e-cigarettes are more likely to increase inflammation and impair lung function, according to new research.

Insurance claim cannot be denied on the ground of common lifestyle diseases: NCDRC to LIC

The apex consumer commission has asked LIC India to pay Rs 5 lakh to the kin of a deceased diabetes patient and made clear that insurance claims cannot be denied on the ground of common lifestyle diseases. The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), while setting aside the Punjab state commission's order, asked the Chandigarh branch of the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) India to pay the sum along with compensation Rs 25,000 and litigation cost Rs 5,000 within 45 days to Punjab-resident Neelam Chopra. Neelam Chopra's husband, who was suffering from diabetes, had availed a life insurance claim in 2003 from the company. While filling the proposal form, he had not mentioned about his disease. He died of a cardiac arrest in 2004. After her husband's death, when she claimed the policy, the company rejected it on the ground that the deceased had suppressed information regarding his health at the time of effecting the policy and that the claim has become time barred. "The ..

Immune cells in breast cancer offer potential therapeutic target

A new research has pointed to a way to disrupt the tumor microenvironment of an aggressive form of breast cancer, which tends to be particularly aggressive, often resisting systemic chemotherapy and metastasizing to other tissues.About 15 percent of breast cancers are classified as triple-negative, lacking receptors for estrogen, progesterone, and Her2. These cancers do not respond to targeted hormonal therapies.Researchers had observed that triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients who had higher numbers of a type of immune cell called myeloid-derived immunosuppressor cells (MDSCs) in their bloodstream had poorer outcomes. But until now it wasn't clear how MDSCs are recruited to the primary breast tumor and how they contributed to its progression and spread.A new report, led by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, filled in crucial details about the connection between MDSCs and aggressive disease. Blocking the MDSCs themselves reduced tumor growth and metastasis in a ...