Page 291 - Health Medical Pharma
Risk of death 5 times higher in epileptic pregnant women: Study
The risk of dying during pregnancy is five times higher for women with epilepsy, finds a new study.
Soon, computers that can handle AI data better
Scientists at IBM are developing a new computer architecture, better equipped to handle increased data loads from artificial intelligence (AI). The designs, published in the Journal of Applied Physics, draw on concepts from the human brain and significantly outperform conventional computers in comparative studies. Today's computers are built on the von Neumann architecture, developed in the 1940s. Such computing systems feature a central processer that executes logic and arithmetic, a memory unit, storage, and input and output devices. Unlike the stovepipe components in conventional computers, the researchers propose that brain-inspired computers could have coexisting processing and memory units. Abu Sebastian, a scientist at the International Business Machines (IBM) in the US, explained that executing certain computational tasks in the computer's memory would increase the system's efficiency and save energy. "If you look at human beings, we compute with 20 to 30 watts of power, ...
BP, diabetes in pregnancy may up hot flashes later
Women with high blood pressure and gestational diabetes during pregnancy are likely to experience more hot flashes during their menopause, a new study reports.
Six new swine flu cases reported in Surat
Gujarat is witnessing a spike in the number of Swine Flu or H1N1 cases from the past one month. At least six new swine flu cases have recently been detected in Surat.With this, the total number of patients affected by the H1N1 virus in the city during this monsoon season has reached 51 and at least 28 people are currently being treated in different hospitals."At present 28 patients are admitted to hospitals and among them, four are on ventilators while others are stable," said Dr Ashish Mehta, Deputy Health Commissioner.He further stated that the increase in the number was witnessed after Ganesh Visharajan.The six swine flu patients included a 53-year-old woman from Hirabaug, a 42-year-old woman from Mota Varachha, a three-year-old boy from Punagam, a 27-year-old woman from Katargam, a 61-year-old man from Althan and a 39-year-old woman from Dindoli.
How sexual assault, harassment take toll on women's health
A new study has shed light on the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault and negative implications for women's mental and physical health.The #MeToo Movement, in addition to raising awareness, has provided people with a voice to speak out when they've been wronged, harassed, or assaulted. The study shows that not only are sexual harassment and assault highly prevalent today, but they may also have negative health consequences.The #MeToo Movement officially started in 2007 and was created as a way to publicly demonstrate the widespread problems of sexual harassment and assault in the United States. The movement gained momentum in 2017, largely as a result of the highly-publicized Hollywood scandals and has remained strong throughout 2018, forcing a number of accused, high-profile individuals to be fired or resign from their positions.While these repercussions have been largely positive, they fail to address the long-term consequences the victim suffered. In this new study ...
Domestic refrigerator may affect insulin quality
Your refrigerator may pose risk to the quality of the insulin which, as per a new study is often stored at the wrong temperature in patients' fridges at home, affecting its potency.New research being presented at this year's European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Germany stated that many injectable drugs and vaccines are highly sensitive to heat and cold and can perish if their temperature shifts a few degrees.To prevent loss of effectiveness, insulin must stay between 2-8°C/36-46°F in the refrigerator or 2-30°C/30-86°F when carried about the person in a pen or vial. Individuals with diabetes often store insulin at home for several months before they use it, but little is known about how storage in domestic fridges impacts insulin quality.To investigate how often insulin is stored outside the manufacturer's recommended temperature range, doctors monitored the temperature of insulin formulations stored in fridges at home and carried as a spare.On average, insulin ...
Ladies! Drink more water to reduce bladder infections
The health benefits of drinking sufficient water are endless, the latest being- reduction of bladder infections in women.Senior author Dr. Yair Lotan said, "In the controlled trial, women who drank an additional 1.5 liters of water daily experienced 48 percent fewer repeat bladder infections than those who drank their usual volume of fluids. The participants self-reported their usual volume as less than 1.5 liters of fluid daily, which is about six 8-ounce glasses."That's a significant difference," said Dr. Lotan. "These findings are important because more than half of all women report having bladder infections, which are one of the most common infections in women."He added that more than a quarter of women experience a secondary infection within six months of an initial infection and 44 to 77 percent will have a recurrence within a year. Physicians suspect more fluids help to reduce bacteria and limit the ability of bacteria to attach to the bladder.Symptoms for acute uncomplicated ..
Ghaziabad-based pharma firm banned from manufacturing polio vaccines
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said it has banned a Ghaziabad-based pharmaceutical company from supplying and manufacturing polio vaccines after traces of type-2 polio virus were found in some batches last week.
Diphtheria deaths: Panel finds 'alarming' situation of non-availability of ADS from Dec to Sep 22
A five-member panel probing the case of deaths of children at a civic hospital has found that there was an "alarming situation" of non-availability of anti-diphtheria serum (ADS) between last December and September 22, and most of the patients were "not vaccinated" against the infectious disease. The committee, which also had as members doctors from the Delhi government's Maulana Azad Medical College and the Centre's RML Hospital, also observed in its report that most of these patients died due to "heart complications and airway obstruction". North Delhi Mayor Adesh Gupta had set up the panel in the last week of September and it submitted its report on September 26, which was tabled in the House Wednesday. Few more diphtheria-related deaths have been recorded at the facility after the submission of the report. He had last week also suspended medical superintendent of the Maharishi Valmiki Infectious Diseases Hospital Sushil Kumar Gupta for alleged lapses in connection with the deaths
Polio surveillance enhanced in UP, Maha, Telangana: Health Ministry
The Health Ministry on Wednesday said surveillance has been enhanced in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Telangana after traces of Polio Virus Type 2 were found in some batches of oral polio vaccine, and asserted the country remains polio-free. The ministry said a constant vigil is being kept on the shedding of the polio vaccine virus in these areas and it has ordered a probe into the matter. The ministry's remarks came days after traces of Polio Virus Type 2 were found in some batches of oral polio vaccine manufactured by a Ghaziabad-based pharmaceutical company. It further said no sample has tested positive for wild polio virus in sewage or acute flaccid paralysis cases since 2011. "The country remains polio-free and this status has been maintained for more than seven years since the last wild polio virus case in the country was reported in January 2011. No child has been infected with wild polio virus as reported in some sections of the media," the ministry said in a statement. The .
NGO launches awareness campaign against antibiotic overuse
A healthcare NGO launched Wednesday an awareness drive against overuse of antibiotics that leads to human body resisting its effectiveness. NGO Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) launched the drive in association with the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and WHO. The campaign was taken up as a precursor to the 'Perfect Health Mela' to be held later this month, said a statement from the NGO. "Considering the growing incidence of antibiotic resistance, there is an urgent need to raise awareness on the issue," Padma Shri awardee, Dr K K Aggarwal, President of HCFI, said. Antibiotics are different from all other classes of drugs in a very important way. The more a person uses them, the less effective they can become. For a country like India, where over-prescription and misuse of antibiotics is rampant, it is only a matter of time before the resistant bacteria win, he warned. "Several of these medicines can be obtained without a prescription. What further complicates the ...
After fire - astonishment, commotion, despair at Calcutta
Gouribala Das, an elderly lady in urgent need of blood transfusion, lay on the floor in the Emergency OPD section at the Medical College and Hospital here, her daughter holding a saline bottle in one hand. Das, in her 70s, was among the 250-odd patients, who were hurriedly shifted out of their wards after a fire broke out at the 183-year-old state-run medical facility on Wednesday morning. She was brought in a stretcher from the main building that housed the pharmacy, where the blaze erupted around 8 am. "My mother requires urgent treatment and we are looking for a doctor," her daughter said with a baffled expression. Similar was the plight of Akhtar Hussein, 75, a brain- stroke patient, who wore a blank look on his face, even as commotion prevailed around him. Hussein was taken out by his son with the help of a hospital staff from the third floor of that building and directed to the Emergency OPD section. "He is in a severe state of trauma. None of the doctors have ...
Over 70% middle-aged Delhiites obese: Survey
Over 70 per cent of the middle-aged people (between ages 31-50) in Delhi are overweight, morbidly obese or super obese, making them prone to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, finds a city-based survey.
Diabetes ups risks of arthritis, osteoporosis: Study
Middle-aged with diabetes are at greater risk of developing arthritis and osteoporosis, in addition to increased risk to the heart, a study has found.
3 scientists named for Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Frances H. Arnold, and jointly to George P. Smith and Gregory P. Winter on Wednesday for their prowess in harnessing the power of evolution in order to develop proteins that focus on solving chemical problems.While Arnold will share one half of the coveted award, the other half will be jointly shared by Smith and Winter.According to an official release, Smith developed a method known as phage display, where a bacteriophage, a virus that infects bacteria, is used to evolve new proteins, while Winter, with the help of the new-found method, produced new pharmaceuticals and contributed to the development of antibodies that neutralise toxins, counteract autoimmune diseases and cure metastatic cancer.Arnold, on the other hand, conducted the first directed evolution of enzymes as these are proteins which help catalyse chemical reactions.The methods developed by the scientists are now being used internationally to promote a greener chemicals ...
Debunking common contact lens myths
While eyeglasses may require little to no maintenance, contact lens provide clearer vision and the added advantage of avoiding awkward spectacle inconveniences. However, there are some common myths around contact lenses that people should stop worrying about, say experts.
'This gene variant increases Type 2 diabetes, low body weight risk'
A well-known gene variant linked to Type 2 diabetes may also predispose people to being leaner or have lower body weight, a study has found. The findings, published in the journal BMC Obesity, are striking because many individuals with Type 2 diabetes are obese. However, individuals with this gene variant, called transcription Factor-7 like 2 gene, may be at the risk for Type 2 diabetes even while maintaining a low body weight, said researchers from the University of North Carolina in the US. As researchers uncover genes, they are finding distinct pathways through which individuals develop Type 2 diabetes. This information may be used in the future to tailor treatments to populations and individuals to help prevent diabetes or better control blood glucose levels once they develop diabetes. "The counterintuitive discovery that some people are predisposed to both being thin and developing Type 2 diabetes refocuses our attention on the need to collect data in diverse populations and ...
Nagaland CM launches Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio Wednesday launched the Measles-Rubella Vaccination Campaign (MRVC) in the state targeting to vaccinate 4.72 lakh children in the age group of 9 months to 15 years during the next five weeks. Rio called upon all to join hands in successful elimination of Measles and Rubella through the vaccination campaign to make Nagaland a healthy and progressive state. The chief minister said "This is a safe vaccine, certified by WHO and will help our children in battling Measles and Rubella and reduce mortality caused by these diseases." Rio said "there is nothing to worry and do not get misled by negative information and false propaganda." The chief minister also appealed to church bodies and NGOs to spread the message about the campaign so as to ensure 100 per cent coverage. "We love our children and want them to be healthy and therefore we seek the cooperation of all the parents and school authorities in successful conducting the campaign," Rio .
This gene predisposes people to diabetes, low BMI
Researchers found that a well-known gene variant linked to Type-2 diabetes may also predispose individuals to being leaner or having a lower body weight.