Page 344 - Health Medical Pharma

Contact lenses not environment-friendly

Turns out, if disposed off carelessly, the same contact lenses that help improve your vision could also end up affecting the marine life and ultimately your health.According to a recent study, lenses could be contributing to microplastic pollution in waterways. Aquatic organisms can mistake these microplastics for food and since plastic is indigestible, this dramatically affects the marine animals' digestive system. Being part of a long food chain, some of these animals eventually find their way to the human food supply. This could lead to unwanted human exposures to plastic contaminants and pollutants that stick to the surfaces of the plastics.Lenses that are washed down the drain ultimately end up in wastewater treatment plants. Researchers have estimated that around 6 to 10 metric tons of plastic lenses end up in wastewater in the U.S.Contacts tend to be denser than water, which means they sink, and this could ultimately pose a threat to aquatic life, especially bottom feeders that

3 days after transplant, kidney recipient dies

A woman, the recipient of a kidney of a brain-dead 15-year-old girl, died at a state-run hospital here today, three days after the transplant, an official said. Moumita Chakraborty died at around 2:45 am at the SSKM Hospital as her body had developed 'rejection' to the kidney of another person, State Nodal Officer on organ transplantation Aditi Kishore Sarkar told PTI. She had been on ventilation since August 17 post-transplant, and her condition remained extremely critical. She had been undergoing treatment for her renal problems at the hospital since the first week of August, a hospital spokesman said. Chakraborty was one of the recipients of the organs of Mallika Majumder who was declared brain-dead by the SSKM Hospital on August 17 and her two kidneys and liver were transplanted on three recipients. A resident of Khardah in North 24 Parganas district, she was the recipient of one kidney of Majumder. Another kidney of Majumder and her liver were transplanted on two ..

Milk at breakfast can help manage diabetes risk

If you are diabetic, then consuming milk at breakfast can help lower blood glucose level throughout the day, suggests a study.

M S Swaminathan speaks on importance of nutrition security

Focus needs to shift from food security to nutrition security so that attention is paid not only to calories and proteins but also to micronutrients, renowned geneticist and father of green revolution Dr M S Swaminathan said today. He said that if one wants healthy mothers and children, there needs to be eradication of three kinds of hunger - protein hunger caused by deficiency of protein, calorie hunger caused by deficiency of calories and hidden hunger caused by deficiency of micronutrients like iodine and iron. India has been able to fight protein hunger and calorie hunger but now there is a need to fight hidden hunger, Swaminathan said. "I strongly believe we need to move from food security to nutrition security, where not only calories and proteins but also micronutrients are taken care of. All that needs to be done is to bring agriculture, health and nutrition together in a triangular relationship, which can only be achieved through partnerships," he said in a video message to ..

Home Neuroscience August 17, 2018

Scientists have used a gene-editing tool to target the natural mood-boosting receptors in the brain, an advance that may help alleviate depression in patients who don't find relief with existing drugs. Most antidepressant drugs target serotonin receptors, aiming to boost serotonin, a chemical thought to regulate mood and social behaviour. Researchers at Washington University in the US used CRISPR technology to target an altogether different type of receptor called delta-type GABA receptors. They think that natural mood-boosting substances in the brain can target these receptors. "There's a real need to develop more effective antidepressants," said Steven Mennerick, principal investigator of the research published in The Journal of Neuroscience. "The most commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs -- such as Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft -- were approved by the FDA more than 30 years ago, and there's been a dearth of new antidepressants since then. A completely new approach is warranted," ...

U.S. health secretary says agency has power to eliminate drug rebates

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said it was within his agency's power to eliminate rebates on prescription drug purchases, a key element of the Trump administration's plan to lower prescription medicine costs.

How to incorporate natural ingredients in skincare regime

It is very important to decipher the ingredients in the product you use in your day-to-day skin care regime. As the skin is continuously exposed to such ingredients it will greatly affect the skin health, so make sure you are adding more such ingredients in your day-to-day life.

MTaI to organise 'MTaI MedTekon 2018' on September 20th

Medical Technology Association of India (MTaI), which represents leading research-based medical technology companies with significant investments in India, is organising 'MTaI MedTekon 2018' to bring together healthcare experts for devising a mechanism to ensure Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyan addresses all stakeholders adequately.Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyan (PRAJAA), which was called Ayushman Bharat - National Health Protection Scheme (AB-NHPS) earlier, will provide health insurance worth Rs. 5 lakh per family. It will cover 50 crore people, or nearly 40% of India's population. The scheme is scheduled for a formal launch on September 25.MTaI MedTekon 2018 will be organised on 20th September 2018 with representation from the government, NITI Aayog, hospitals, pharmaceuticals industry, medical device manufacturers, doctors, et. al. to deliberate on the role medical technology sector can play in conjunction with other stakeholders for successful implementation of the scheme. ...

Antidepressants may counter effects of brain ageing

A commonly used antidepressant medication Prozac can counter some of the effects of brain ageing, such as sensory and cognitive decline, an MIT study suggests. The research published in the Journal of Neuroscience provides fresh evidence that the decline in the capacity of brain cells to change - called 'plasticity' - rather than a decline in total cell number, may underlie some of the sensory and cognitive declines associated with normal brain ageing. Scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US showed that they could restore a significant degree of lost plasticity to the cells by treating mice with the commonly used antidepressant medication fluoxetine, also known as Prozac. "Despite common belief, loss of neurons due to cell death is quite limited during normal ageing and unlikely to account for age-related functional impairments," researchers said. "Rather it seems that structural alterations in neuronal morphology and synaptic connections are features most .

Simple score can help diagnose heart attacks faster

Scientists have developed a simple laboratory score that can help quickly diagnose patients with heart attack symptoms. The score, published in Canadian Medical Association Journal, can also identify patients at risk of subsequent heart issues after discharge. "We have developed a simple lab score that is superior to using cardiac troponin alone for the identification of patients at low and high risk for heart attack or death at emergency department presentation," said Peter Kavsak, McMaster University in Canada. "This lab score may reduce both the number of blood tests and time spent in the emergency department for chest pain patients," said Andrew Worster, also from McMaster University. Patients with chest pain symptoms require multiple blood tests over several hours before a diagnosis is reached. Previous studies using high-sensitivity cardiac troponin alone to rule out and rule in heart attacks have not consistently demonstrated sufficient safety to use in clinical ...

Faster, safer lab score to diagnose heart attacks developed

Researchers have developed a simple laboratory score which is safer and faster at diagnosing patients who visit the emergency department with heart attack symptoms.

Antidepressant can delay ageing of brain cells: Study

Administering commonly used antidepressant fluoxetine to mice helped restore youthful flexibility to their ageing brain cells, showed a study.

Consuming milk at breakfast lowers blood sugar in diabetics

Drinking high-protein milk at breakfast can help diabetics keep their blood glucose under control, a study has found. Researchers from the University of Guelph and University of Toronto in Canada showed that a change in breakfast routine may provide benefits for the management of type 2 diabetes. Milk consumed with breakfast cereal reduced blood glucose concentration compared with water, and high dairy protein concentration reduced postprandial blood glucose concentration compared with normal dairy protein concentration. The high-protein treatment also reduced appetite after the second meal compared with the low-protein equivalent. "Metabolic diseases are on the rise globally, with type 2 diabetes and obesity as leading concerns in human health," said Douglas Goff, from University of Guelph. "Thus, there is impetus to develop dietary strategies for the risk reduction and management of obesity and diabetes to empower consumers to improve their personal health," said Goff. The team ...

Dr Reddys Laboratories Ltd soars 0.8%, up for fifth straight session

The stock is quoting at Rs 2383, up 0.8% on the day as on 12:44 IST on the NSE. Dr Reddys Laboratories Ltd is up 23.4% in last one year as compared to a 18.47% spurt in NIFTY and a 15.17% spurt in the Nifty Pharma.

Contact lenses contribute to microplastic pollution

Discarded contact lenses are contributing to the rising microplastic pollution in the world's water bodies and could eventually find their way to the human food supply, scientists including one of Indian origin have found. Lenses, usually discarded after about a month or sometimes just a day's use, often end up in wastewater treatment plants. Researchers concluded that microbes in the wastewater treatment facility actually altered the surface of the contact lenses, weakening the bonds in the plastic polymers. "When the plastic loses some of its structural strength, it will break down physically. This leads to smaller plastic particles which would ultimately lead to the formation of microplastics," said Varun Kelkar, one of the researchers from Arizona State University (ASU). Aquatic organisms can mistake microplastics for food and since plastics are indigestible, this dramatically affects the marine animals' digestive system. These animals are part of a long food chain. Some ...

Link discovered between inflammation and depression in type 1 diabetes

Inflammatory protein is associated with depression in diabetes, according to a study.The research, conducted by at Lund University in Sweden, suggests that galectin-3 levels may be useful for diagnosis of depression or may be a new target for treating depression associated with type-1 diabetes, which could lead to better patient care.It is well established that people with both type-1 and type-2 diabetes have an increased risk of developing depression, a debilitating mental health disorder with potentially serious consequences, but the causes remain poorly understood.Galectin-3 is a key protein involved in promoting inflammatory immune system responses that are needed to repair tissue damage throughout the body, in response to injury or disease. However, elevated levels of galectin-3 have also been linked to an increased risk of inflammatory disorders including Alzheimer's disease and cardiovascular disease. Previous research has suggested that both depression and diabetes may be ...

Israeli researchers use soil bacteria to cure fungal infections

An Israeli study said on Sunday that fungal infections could be cured using bacteria found in the soil.

Ebola deaths in DR Congo rises to 49 with 2,000 feared 'contacts'

The deadly Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo has now claimed 49 lives since the start of the month, the government has said, and the World Health Organization expects more cases. The gradually increasing death toll, with a further 2,000 people feared to have come into contact with the virus, adds to the woes of a country already facing violence, displacement and political uncertainty. First reported on August 1 in the North Kivu province, the current outbreak has killed 49 of the 90 cases reported, according to the latest health ministry bulletin yesterday. It said of the 49 deaths from the haemorrhagic fever, 63 were confirmed and 27 were probable. Confirmed cases are verified through laboratory tests on samples taken from patients. The cases treated as "probable" often concern sick people with a close epidemiological link to confirmed cases, but who have not been tested. Most deaths -- 39 -- were recorded in the agricultural village of Mangina 30 kilometres southwest of the city ..

New clay-based therapy can boost blood vessel growth

Scientists, including one of Indian origin, have developed a clay-based platform to deliver therapeutic proteins to the body to assist with the formation of new blood vessels, one of the major clinical challenges in wound healing and tissue implants. Researchers from Texas A&M University in the US have developed a new type of two-dimensional clay, also known as nanosilicates, that delivers multiple specialised proteins called growth factors into the body to stimulate new blood vessel formation. To allow blood vessels time to form, the clay is designed to prolong the release through its high surface area and charged characteristics, according to assistant professor Akhilesh K Gaharwar. "Clay nanoparticles work like tiny weak magnets that hold the growth factors within the polymeric hydrogels and release very slowly," Gaharwar said. "Sustained and prolonged release of physiologically relevant doses of growth factors are important to avoid problems due to high doses, such as abrupt ..

Researchers develop new way to grow blood vessels

Researchers, including one of Indian-origin, have developed a clay-based platform to deliver therapeutic proteins to the body to assist with the formation of blood vessels.