Page 317 - Health Medical Pharma

Bedi shocked over poor upkeep in dental hospital

Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi on Wednesday expressed shock over poor maintenance of the dental chairs in the government-run Mahatma Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Dental Sciences near here. After visiting the hospital, Bedi, in a press release, said almost all the dental chairs were in a deplorable condition putting the patients at risk, and the outpatient wing lacked sanitation and proper upkeep. She said she has issued instructions to the society through which the government runs the college and the hospital thatthe dental chairs should be repaired or replaced within the next three months. The college should adhere to the norms of the Dental Council of India on the requirements of the institution, she said, adding that the pending stipend for interns should be disbursed without delay.

Suicide a leading death cause in India: Study

In India, suicide is the leading cause of death in the 15-39-year age group with 37 per cent of the total global suicide deaths among women coming from the country, according to a new study.

EU officials clash with Chinese firm on drug factory inspection

LONDON (Reuters) - European medicines regulators have issued a notice that an ingredient for a generic brain cancer drug made in China does not meet manufacturing standards, after inspectors were refused entry to a factory run by Jiangsu Yew Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

Cancer to kill 10 mn in 2018 despite better prevention

Cancer will kill nearly 10 million people this year, experts said Wednesday, warning the disease's global burden continues to rise in spite of better prevention and earlier diagnosis. An estimated 18.1 million new cancer cases were predicted worldwide for 2018 -- with 9.6 million deaths, said a report of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). This is up from estimated 14.1 million new cancer cases and 8.2 million deaths reported in the agency's last assessment just six years ago. The toll is rising as populations expand and grow older, and people in developing nations adopt unhealthy, high-risk lifestyles traditionally associated with richer economies. An increased focus on prevention -- encouraging people to get exercise, quit smoking, and eating a healthy diet -- led to a drop in certain types of cancer in some population groups, the IARC said. Yet the overall number of new cases is racing ahead of efforts to contain the disease. "These new figures highlight that ...

Come out with rules to regulate clinical drug trials on humans: SC to govt

The petitioners have alleged that clinical trials by several pharmaceutical firms were going on indiscriminately in several states across the country

Minor rape survivor moves HC for aborting 24-week-old foetus

A 14-year-old rape survivor Wednesday approached the Bombay High Court seeking permission to terminate her 24-week pregnancy. The girl, who is also a cancer patient, was raped earlier this year and an FIR was registered in the case, according to the plea. However, her pregnancy was detected only recently when she went to a local hospital for her chemotherapy session. The girl's father is a daily wage labourer and her mother works as a domestic help. When they learnt about her pregnancy, they approached an NGO which in turn helped them get in touch with some lawyers and file the plea in the high court. A bench of Justices A S Oka and M S Sonak has now directed the dean of the J J hospital in the city to "immediately" constitute a panel of expert doctors, including a psychiatrist, to assess the girls' health condition and to suggest whether a medical termination of the pregnancy at such a late stage can be permitted. The bench directed the panel of doctors to submit the report by ...

Experts urge govt. to regulate medical implants

Given the 'faulty hip implants' of metal on the metal prosthesis, medical experts urged the government to establish a National Joint Replacement Registry to regulate medical implants and drugs for patients' safety.Raju Vaishya, a joint replacement surgeon, said that it is ironical that although about 4,700 patients received the 'faulty hip implants' in India, over 3,600 of them remain untraceable."Incidentally, there is no government body like National Joint Replacement Registry in our country, though the formation of such a body was suggested, many years ago. But, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) did not take any timely action on this matter, despite knowing the problems related to these implants since at least 2010. It is, therefore, a regulatory failure," said Vaishya.In Metal on Metal hip implants, the metal ball and the metal cup slide against each other during walking or running. Metal can also be released from other parts of the implant where two implant .

Chronic obstructive lung disease cases in India up from 28 to 55 million between 1990-2016: Study

About 55 million people in India suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to a global study, which noted that people of less developed states are more prone to the disease than those living in developed ones. According to the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990-2016, the contribution of air pollution to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) was found to be higher than that of smoking in India. The study also found that diabetes prevalence has more than doubled from 1990 to 2016 and overweight, which is a major risk factor for diabetes, doubled in every state of India during the same period. India had 38 adults with diabetes for every 100 overweight adults versus a global average of 19 in 2016. Unhealthy diet and physical inactivity are also contributing to high burden of diabetes in India, the study indicated. Although the prevalence of diabetes remains higher in economically and epidemiologically advanced states, ..

Medical experts seek formation of a national joint replacement registry

With Johnson and Johnson embroiled in a controversy over its alleged 'faulty' hip implants, medical experts have asked the government to establish a 'national joint replacement registry' to regulate medical implants and drugs for patients' safety. An expert panel, constituted earlier by the Union Health Ministry to probe complaints of "faulty" ASR hip implant devices, in its report has said the pharma giant "suppressed" facts on the harm of surgeries which were conducted on patients in India using "faulty" hip replacement systems. "It is strange that although about 4,700 patients received the 'faulty hip implants' in India, over 3,600 of them are untraceable. The J & J Company has said that only the hospitals would have this data. However, it is not difficult to identify these patients from the hospital data, where these joints were supplied," said a statement quoting Dr Raju Vaishya, senior joint replacement surgeon, Apollo Hospital, Indraprastha, and president of Indian ...

Coffee may help patients with kidney disease live longer: Study

Consuming more caffeine-containing beverages may help reduce the risk of death for people with chronic kidney disease, a study claims. An inverse relationship between coffee consumption and mortality has been previously reported in the general population, said researchers from Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte in Portugal. The study, published in the journal Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, involved data from 4,863 American people observed from 1999 to 2010. The analysis suggests an inverse association between caffeine consumption and all-cause mortality among participants with chronic kidney disease, researchers said. Compared with people that consumed less caffeine, patients who consumed higher levels of caffeine presented a nearly 25 per cent reduction in the risk of death over a median follow-up of 60 months, they said. "Our study showed a protective effect of caffeine consumption among patients with chronic kidney disease," said Miguel Bigotte Vieira from Centro Hospitalar ...

Dr Reddy's Laboratories launches Neostigmine Methylsulfate Injection in U.S.

The Bloxiverz brand and generic had U.S. sales of approximately $111 million MAT for the most recent twelve months ending in July 2018 according to IMS Health.

Merck Foundation to build healthcare capacity in Senegal

Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation met His Excellency MACKY SALL, The President of Senegal to discuss Merck Foundation's strong and long-term commitment to build healthcare capacity on 30th August 2018 in Senegal. Merck Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany."I am proud and elated to meet The President to discuss Merck Foundation's commitment to improve the health and wellbeing of people of Senegal by improving access to quality and equitable healthcare in the country," emphasized Dr. Rasha Kelej.During the meeting, Dr. Kelej also finalized Merck Foundation's annual conference 5th Edition of "Merck Africa Asia Luminary" to be conducted at CICAD, Dakar, Senegal on 30th & 31st of October 2018, under the patronage of The President of Senegal, H.E. Macky Sall and The First Lady of Senegal, H.E. Marieme Faye Sall, and in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Senegal. It will be attended by more than 450 healthcare providers, policy makers, academia and ...

Coffee may prolong lifespan for people with kidney disease

Drinking coffee may help reduce the risk of death for people with chronic kidney disease, suggests a study.

'Neuron discovery may lead to new therapy for hearing disorders'

Scientists have identified three new types of neurons in the inner ear, an advance that may lead to improved therapies for hearing disorders such as tinnitus. When sound reaches the inner ear, it is converted into electrical signals that are relayed to the brain via the ear's nerve cells in the cochlea, said scientists at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. Previously, most of these cells were considered to be of two types: type 1 and type 2 neurons, type 1 transmitting most of the auditory information. A study, published in the journal Nature Communications, shows that the type 1 cells actually comprise three very different cell types, which tallies with earlier research showing variations in the electrical properties and sonic response of type 1 cells. "We now know that there are three different routes into the central auditory system, instead of just one," said Francois Lallemend from Karolinska Institutet, who led the study. "This makes us better placed to understand the part played .

Dr Reddy's launches muscle disease drug in US

Dr Reddy's Laboratories Wednesday said it has launched Neostigmine Methylsulfate injection, used to improve muscle strength in patients with a certain muscle disease, in the US market. The company's product is the generic version of Bloxiverz Injection, which has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), the Hyderabad-based firm said in a statement. According to IMS Health, the Bloxiverz brand and generic had sales of around 111 million in the US market for the most recent twelve months ended July 2018. Dr Reddy's Neostigmine Methylsulfate injection, USP is available in strengths of 5 mg/10 ml and 10 mg/10 ml in multi-dose vials. Shares of the company today ended marginally up at Rs 2,529.30 on the BSE.

IHD, stroke increased by 50 pc, diabetes cases doubled in India between 1990-2016: Study

Prevalence of ischemic heart diseases (IHD) and stroke has increased by over 50 per cent between 1990 and 2016 in India, leading to doubling of deaths caused by them, according to a global study. The Global Burden of Disease Study 1990-2016, published Wednesday, noted that diabetes prevalence in India has more than doubled in the period. Punjab has been ranked at the top for the burden of IHDs, followed by Tamil Nadu, and vice-versa for diabetes. West Bengal was at the top position for the burden of stroke, followed by Odisha, according to the comprehensive analysis of several major non-communicable diseases (NCDs). It was conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), and Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. The analysis stated the number of chronic obstructive lung disease cases in India has increased from 28 million to 55 million from 1990 to 2016, and death rate among

Genes may decide how your heart responds to exercise: Study

Your genes can determine how your heart rate and blood pressure respond to exercise -- and may act as an early warning of future cardiovascular problems, a study has found. Until now it has not been known why the response to exercise varies between different people, researchers said. The study, published in The Journal of Physiology, found that genetic differences in receptors found in skeletal muscles can contribute to this different response. Receptors are groups of specialised cells that detect changes in the environment and cause some kind of response. The scientists identified that the presence of two common genetic mutations in receptors found in skeletal muscle led to higher blood pressure during exercise compared to people who did not have them, particularly in men. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Guelph in Canada, involved measuring heart rate and blood pressure of 200 healthy young men and women before and during a handgrip exercise, plus analysing ..

Exposure to cannabis in womb can cut men's social skills later

Maternal consumption of cannabinoids for pain relief during pregnancy can cause behavioural and neuronal deficits in males during adulthood, while females remain unaffected, says new research.

Lakhimpur Kheri: Health dept on alert after man tests positive for swine flu

The health department was put on alert on Wednesday after a 31-year-old man tested positive for swine flu, an official said. Acting on a report that Mohd Atif has tested positive for H1N1 virus, Lakhimpur Kheri chief medical officer (CMO) Dr Manoj Agrawal rushed a medical team to Nai Basti locality, where the patient was staying with his family. "The man is presently undergoing treatment in Lucknow and his neighbours and relatives, suspected to have come in contact with him, have been administered anti-swine flu medicine," Agrawal told PTI. No swine flu cases were reported in Lakhimpur Kheri in the last two years, he said. "Atif carried H1N1 virus from Dubai where he worked in a company," the CMO said. Atif was sent back to India on September 4 after he developed swine flu. In Lucknow, he tested positive for the H1N1 influenza at a private clinic and should have been quarantined, but he came to his residence in Lakhimpur, Agrawal added. "Here too, the family members continued his ...

Artificial anti-oxidant 100 times more potent: Study

A well-known artificial anti-oxidant, TEMPO, is up to 100 times more powerful than nature's best, and could help counteract everything from skin damage to Alzheimer's disease, a study has found. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that are naturally present in the body and are created during routine natural processes like breathing, according to researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada. "Free radicals are a natural part of human metabolism. But when our bodies have too many, like when we are exposed to UV radiation from the Sun, when we smoke, or even when we drink alcohol, it can be a problem," said Gino DiLabio, a professor at UBC. "These extremely reactive molecules can damage cells or DNA and can contribute to many different diseases, like Alzheimer's, and some researchers think they may even be responsible for aging," DiLabio said. The study, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, may lead to the development of a pharmaceutical