Page 346 - Health Medical Pharma
Annu Rani, Monika Chaudhary dropped from Asian Games squad
Javelin thrower Annu Rani and 1500m runner Monika Chaudhary were dropped from the Asian Games squad after their performance in the confirmatory trials were found to be unsatisfactory by the selection committee, Athletics Federation of India (AFI) said today. The selection committee, which met under the chairmanship of Olympian GS Randhawa at AFI office here today, also asked shot putter Naveen Chikara to attempt one more trial on Monday. Naveen was supposed to travel to Jakarta late tonight but is now been asked to stay back. "Annu Rani and Monika Chaudhary were not selected as their performance in the confirmatory trials was not found to be satisfactory by the selection committee," said CK Valson, AFI secretary. The confirmatory trials were held on August 15 at different venues. Meanwhile, from the 400m group currently camping in Czech Republic, Anu Raghvan clocked 57.43m in 400m hurdles confirmatory trials to book a berth for Asian Games. The AFI qualifying guideline for 400m ...
Four diagnostic labs sealed in J-K for flouting norms
The Jammu and Kashmir government today sealed four unauthorised diagnostic laboratories in Rajouri district, an official spokesperson said. The raids were carried on the directions of Deputy Commissioner of Rajouri Mohammad Aijaz Asad after complaints were received from various quarters about labs employing unqualified staff and giving wrong diagnostic results, thereby risking lives of patients, he said. A joint team of officials from the revenue and health departments raided 17 diagnostic and clinical labs in Rajouri town and Manjakote area under the supervision of chief medical officer Dr Suresh Gupta, he added. During the raids, four labs were found violating the norms of the Nursing Homes and Clinical Establishment Act, the spokesperson said. All the four labs were immediately sealed and action was initiated against them under the rules, he said.
Denmark's Novo Nordisk buys UK insulin technology pioneer
Denmark's Novo Nordisk, the world's top insulin maker, said today it has acquired a British firm that is pioneering a new technology which could help people with diabetes inject themselves more safely with insulin. Novo Nordisk said in a statement it has acquired Bristol-based Ziylo in a deal that could potentially exceed USD 800 million. Ziylo describes itself as a scientific incubator that is developing glucose responsive insulins or GRIs. A GRI would "help eliminate the risk of hypoglycaemia, the main risk associated with insulin therapy and one of the main barriers to achieving optimal glucose control," Novo Nordisk said in a statement. Hyperglycemia or high blood sugar is when there is an excessive amount of glucose in a person's blood. And insulins are used to lower those levels. However, the level of glucose that is deemed to be too hyperglycemic varies from person to person, making it tricky to monitor those and inject the correct amount of insulin. Novo Nordisk said that a ...
Doctors Without Borders welcomes WHO's new recommendations to treat drug-resistant TB
International humanitarian medical organisation Doctors Without Borders today welcomed WHO's new recommendations for improved treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis by prioritising the use of several oral drugs and minimising use of those medicines that must be injected. The newly recommended 18 to 20-month treatment regimen can help improve cure rates, decrease mortality and have far fewer side effects. For these recommendations to be put in place and for those with drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) to receive treatment, Doctors Without Borders or Mdecins Sans Frontires (MSF) called on US pharma comnpany Johnson and Johnson, which produces bedaquiline, to take steps for making the drug affordable for people, particularly in low- and middle-income and high DR-TB burden countries. Today, only 20 per cent of people globally with DR-TB receive the treatment they need. People on standard DR-TB treatment have to endure an agonizing regimen of medicines for up to two years, involving ..
Indian-origin surgeon finds contact lens stuck in eye for 28 years in UK
An Indian-origin surgeon and his colleagues have found a contact lens lodged in a woman's eye for 28 years. Dr Sirjhun Patel and his eye specialist colleagues, Lai-Ling Tan and Helen Murgatroyd, recounted the discovery in the 'British Medical Journal' (BMJ) this week, explaining how the 42-year-old patient had presumed the lens had fallen out but had instead moved behind her eye without causing any obvious symptoms for many years. It was discovered by Patel and his team in Dundee, Scotland, after she complained of swelling recently. "The patient assumed the lens fell out and was lost; however, it can be inferred that the lens migrated into the eyelid and resided there," Patel writes in the journal. "During surgery, an encapsulated cyst was found. On removal, the cyst ruptured and a hard contact lens was extracted, he said. It emerged that the patient had been hit in the face by a shuttlecock during a game of badminton as a teenager, when she presumed the lens in her left eye had ...
Can autoimmunity cause lung disease?
Autoimmunity plays a key role in the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a new study has shown.
Ebola cases in DR Congo rise to 78, 44 dead
Seventy-eight cases of Ebola have been recorded in an outbreak in northeast Democratic Republic of Congo, claiming 44 lives, DRC officials and the World Health Organization (WHO) said today. The latest outbreak of the viral disease, which is highly contagious and frequently fatal if untreated, has prompted a visit by the head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the health ministry said in a statement. "In all, 78 cases of haemorrhagic fever have been reported in the region, of which 51 are confirmed and 27 probable" while "24 suspect cases are under investigation", according to reports from Congolese authorities and the WHO. Confirmed cases are verified by way of laboratory tests on samples taken from patients. The cases treated as "probable" often concern diseased people who had a close epidemiological link with confirmed cases, but have not been tested. Congolese authorities reported "two deaths of confirmed cases at Beni" -- a trading town with a population .
Apollo ties up with Microsoft for AI-powered CDV Risk Score
: Microsoft India and Apollo Hospitals today announced the launch of the first AI-powered Cardiovascular Disease Risk Score API (Application Program Interface), designed specifically to predict the risk of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) in the Indian population. A joint press release said the tie up is part of Microsoft's AI Network for Health care initiative and that doctors across the Apollo network of hospitals can now leverage this AI-powered API to predict risk of CVD and drive preventive cardiac care across the country. Built on Microsoft Azure, the API aims to determine a more accurate CVD risk score for the Indian population and has been developed using a combination of applied AI and clinical expertise on a large sample of retrospective data on health checks and coronary events, it said. Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals, said "the amalgamation of AI and machine learning with the global expertise of our doctors will help prevent heart ...
Your eyes can predict risk of Parkinson's disease
The thinning of retina -- the lining of nerve cells in the back of the eye -- could be linked to Parkinson's disease, a finding that can boost diagnoses to detect the disease in its earliest stages, researchers have found.
AstraZeneca Pharma shares zoom nearly 11 pc
Shares of AstraZeneca Pharma India today surged nearly 11 per cent after the company received permission from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to import and market olaparib tablets used for the treatment of ovarian and breast cancer. The stock soared 7.63 per cent to end at Rs 1,840.75 on BSE. During the day, it zoomed 10.74 per cent to Rs 1,894 -- its 52-week high. At NSE, shares of the company jumped 10.63 per cent to settle at Rs 1,890. The permission from the DCGI is for olaparib (Lynparza) tablets in the strengths of 100 mg and 150 mg, AstraZeneca Pharma India said in a BSE filing yesterday. The tablets are a patented product of the AstraZeneca group, it added.
Mom's life span can determine longevity of daughters: Study
Women whose mothers live up to the age of 90 are more likely to have increased lifespan, without suffering from any serious illnesses like cancer, diabetes, or heart disease, a study has found. The study, published in the journal Age and Ageing, also found that if only the father lived to 90, it did not correlate to increased longevity and health in daughters. However, if both the mother and father lived to 90, the likelihood of the daughter achieving longevity and healthy aging jumped to 38 per cent, researchers said. "Our results show that, not only did these women live to age 90, but they also aged well by avoiding major diseases and disabilities," said Aladdin Shadyab, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California - San Diego in the US. The study analysed data from about 22,000 postmenopausal women participating in the Women's Health Initiative, a large, national study in the US investigating major risk factors for chronic diseases among women. Shadyab and colleagues ...
Novel Microsoft-Apollo AI model to predict heart disease risk for Indians
In a novel effort to predict the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among the Indian population, Microsoft India and Apollo Hospitals on Friday launched the first-ever Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered heart disease risk score API (application programme interface).
Moderate carb diet may lower mortality risk: Study
Eating carbohydrates in moderation may lower the risk of mortality, a study claims. The study of over 15,400 people in the US found that diets both low (40 per cent energy) and high (70 per cent energy) in carbohydrates were linked with an increase in mortality. Moderate consumers of carbohydrates (50-55 per cent of energy) had the lowest risk of mortality, said researchers from the Brigham and Women's Hospital in the US. The finding, published in The Lancet Public Health journal, was confirmed in a meta-analysis of studies on carbohydrate intake including more than 432,000 people from over 20 countries. The study suggests that not all low-carbohydrate diets appear equal - eating more animal-based proteins and fats from foods like beef, lamb, pork, chicken and cheese instead of carbohydrate was associated with a greater risk of mortality. Alternatively, eating more plant-based proteins and fats from foods such as vegetables, legumes, and nuts was linked to lower mortality. "We need to
Your brain can take rational decisions against pre-existing bias
We all make decisions influenced by existing biases or beliefs, these decisions at times seem to be irrational. But a recent study suggests that our brain is capable of making logical decisions by setting aside these previously held notions.The research has highlighted the importance that the brain places on the accumulation of evidence during decision-making, as well as how prior knowledge is assessed and updated as the brain incorporates new evidence over time.According to the study's senior author Michael Shadlen (MD, PhD), we interact with the world every day and our brains constantly form opinions and beliefs about our surroundings. Sometimes the knowledge is gained through education or through a feedback we receive. But in many cases, we learn not from a teacher, but from the accumulation of our own experiences.For example, consider an oncologist who has to determine the best course of treatment for a patient diagnosed with cancer. Based on the doctor's prior knowledge and her ..
Microsoft, Apollo Hospitals build AI-powered platform to predict cardiovascular disease risk score
Microsoft India and Apollo Hospitals have partnered to build an artificial intelligence-powered platform, designed to predict the risk of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) in the Indian population. Under the collaboration, which is part of Microsoft's AI Network for Healthcare initiative, the two entities have launched an AI-powered Cardiovascular Disease Risk Score API (application program interface) that can be used by doctors across the Apollo network of hospitals to predict risk of CVD and drive preventive cardiac care across the country, a statement today said. Apollo and Microsoft are also engaging global consortium partners to calibrate and scale this intelligent system for other population groups, the statement said. According to the National Family Health survey by the Health Ministry, one in eight Indians suffers from high blood pressure. The statement noted that while there are various CVD risk models available worldwide, these do not cater specifically to the Indian ...
'Mushrooms may help develop new diabetes treatments'
Eating white button mushrooms may improve the regulation of glucose in the liver, according to a study which could pave the way for new diabetes treatments and prevention strategies. Feeding white button mushrooms to mice changed the composition of gut microbes - microbiota - to produce more short chain fatty acids, specifically propionate from succinate, according to Margherita T Cantorna, a professor at Pennsylvania State University in the US. Previous research has shown that succinate and propionate can change the expression of genes needed to manage glucose production, she said. "Managing glucose better has implications for diabetes, as well as other metabolic diseases," said Cantorna. Normally glucose is provided from the food people eat. Insulin moves glucose out of the blood and into the cells. Diabetes occurs when either there is not enough insulin or the insulin that is made is not effective, resulting in high blood glucose levels. Diabetes and pre-diabetes contribute to ...
Moderate carbohydrate intake may lower mortality risk
If you are looking forward to boost your longevity, start consuming carbohydrates in moderation. A new study has found that it is associated with lower risk of mortality.
Mothers' life span can determine longevity of daughters
Women whose mothers lived up to the age of 90 are 25 per cent more likely to have increased lifespan, without suffering from any serious illnesses like cancer, diabetes, or heart disease, a new study has found.
Stress during pregnancy may cause depression in female offsprings
High maternal levels of the stress hormone cortisol during pregnancy can increase feelings of anxiousness and depression in female offsprings at the tender age of 2, a new study reveals.The findings emphasize the significance of prenatal conditions for susceptibility of later mental health problems in offsprings. The effect of high maternal cortisol hormone on the negative offspring behavior appeared to result from patterns of stronger communication between brain regions important for sensory and emotional processing.However, male offsprings of mothers with high cortisol during pregnancy did not demonstrate the stronger brain connectivity or a connection between maternal cortisol and mood symptoms."This study measured maternal cortisol during pregnancy in a more comprehensive manner than prior research", said study author, Alice Graham.To estimate the overall cortisol level during pregnancy, Senior author, Claudia Buss and colleagues, measured cortisol levels over multiple days in ...
Almond snacking may lower cholesterol, blood glucose: Study
A morning snack of almonds may reduce total cholesterol, and improve the body's ability to regulate blood sugar in breakfast-skipping college students, a study claims. Many college students tend to skip meals, mostly breakfast, while they transition to a more hectic independent lifestyle, said researchers from the University of California Merced in the US. According to the American Heart Association, daily breakfast consumption may decrease cardiometabolic risk factors including blood sugar and insulin metabolism, they said. "This study, the first among a college student population, shows that for those who skip breakfast, almonds are a good snack choice," said Rudy Ortiz, who led the study published in the journal Nutrients. Among predominantly breakfast-skipping college students, including a morning snack - either of almonds or graham crackers - reduced total cholesterol and improved fasting blood sugar levels, the researchers said. However, the benefits were greater with almonds, ..