Page 348 - Health Medical Pharma
BJP postpones its national executive
The BJP today postponed its two-day national executive, slated for August 18-19, in the wake of critical health condition of its veteran leader and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. "As of now, the national executive has been postponed, and its dates will be finalised later," a party leader said. Vajpayee is battling for life and remains on advanced life support at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences for the second day today. As anxiety grew about the state of the 93-year-old leader's health, a stream of leaders, including Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, BJP chief Amit Shah and Union ministers Sushma Swaraj and Rajnath Singh, visited him in the hospital. The former prime minister was admitted to the hospital on June 11 with a kidney tract infection, urinary tract infection, low urine output and chest congestion.
New HIV drug cuts viral load, boosts immunity: Study
A new HIV drug may effectively reduce viral replication and increase immune cells in patients with advanced, drug-resistant infection, a study has found. Used in combination with existing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) medications, the drug is a promising strategy for patients who have run out of effective treatment options, according to researchers at Yale University in the US. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, enrolled patients with multi-drug-resistant HIV. Patients received a dose of ibalizumab, which is delivered intravenously, in addition to their failing regimen, for one week, said Brinda Emu, assistant professor at Yale. Ibalizumab is a drug that targets the primary receptor for HIV entry into immune cells known as CD4 T cells. After that period, they received ibalizumab in combination with optimised treatment regimens for six months. The researchers found that after one week on ibalizumab, the majority of the 40 patients (83 per cent) enrolled ..
Prediabetic night owls may gain unhealthy weight
People with prediabetes who are more active and alert later in the day -- those who have an evening preference -- may have higher body mass index (BMI), a new study has found.
New HIV drug effectively reduces virus, boosts immunity: Study
A new intravenous HIV drug has shown to be effective in reducing virus, boost immunity among patients with advanced, multi-drug resistant HIV infection, results of a phase-III trial has showed.
'Insecticide DDT may increase autism risk in babies'
Women with high levels of the insecticide DDT in their blood during pregnancy are more likely to bear children who develop autism, according to a study of over one million pregnant women in Finland. The study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, is the first to connect an insecticide with the risk for autism using maternal biomarkers of exposure. A team, led by researchers at Columbia University in the US, identified 778 cases of childhood autism among offspring born from 1987 to 2005. Maternal blood taken during early pregnancy was analysed for (DDE), a metabolite of Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), another class of environmental pollutants. The researchers found the odds of autism with intellectual disability in offspring were increased by greater than twofold for the mother's DDE levels. "Along with genetic and other environmental factors, our findings suggest that prenatal exposure to the DDT toxin may be a trigger for ...
USFDA issues warning letter to Apotex Research
The US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has issued a warning letter to Apotex Research, the Indian arm of Canadian pharmaceutical major Apotex Inc, for violating current good manufacturing practice norms at its Bengaluru-based plant. In the letter, the USFDA said inspectors during November 6-17, 2017, had found significant deviations from standard manufacturing practices at Apotex Research Pvt Ltd's Bengaluru-based plant. "This warning letter summarises significant violations of current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) regulations for finished pharmaceuticals...because your methods, facilities, or controls for manufacturing, processing, packing, or holding do not conform to CGMP, your drug products are adulterated," USFDA said. The significant violations included company's failure to thoroughly investigate any unexplained discrepancy or failure of a batch or any of its components to meet any of its specifications, the US health regulator said. USFDA said the company's ...
Smoking parents may up kids' risk of lung disease related deaths
Are you a chain smoker? Besides harming your own life, you may also be exposing your kids to second-hand smoke, which can increase their risk of death due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adulthood, researchers have warned.
Fadnavis to visit Delhi to enquire about Vajpayee's health
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will leave for New Delhi later in the day today to enquire about the health of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who is on life support at the AIIMS, official sources said here. Fadnavis will fly to New Delhi from Nagpur, where he has gone to attend a public event, sources in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. He will visit the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the national capital, where Vajpayee has been admitted, and enquire about his health, they said. The chief minister is in Nagpur to participate in an event organised to pay homage to freedom fighters who were martyred in police firing at Chimur when they took out a morcha against the British after Mahatma Gandhiji's Quit India call. Vajpayee was admitted at the premier medical college and hospital on June 11 with a kidney tract infection, urinary tract infection, low urine output and chest congestion. The 93-year-old Bharatiya Janata ...
'New technique reverses blindness in mice'
Scientists have reversed congenital blindness in mice for the first time using a technique that may lead to new treatments for humans. The researchers from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in the US reversed congenital (present from birth) blindness in mice by changing the supportive cells in the retina called Muller glia into rod photoreceptors. The findings advance efforts towards regenerative therapies for blinding diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, researchers said. "This is the first report of scientists reprogramming Muller glia to become functional rod photoreceptors in the mammalian retina," said Thomas N Greenwell from the US National Eye Institute (NEI). "Rods allow us to see in low light, but they may also help preserve cone photoreceptors, which are important for colour vision and high visual acuity," Greenwell said. "Cones tend to die in later-stage eye diseases. If rods can be regenerated from inside the eye, this might be .
NPPA fixes ceiling price of 92 drug formulations
Drug price regulator NPPA has fixed the ceiling price for 92 drug formulations, including those used for treatment of cancer, hepatitis C, migraine and diabetes among others. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) said while the retail price of 72 scheduled formulations has been fixed, that of 9 has been revised. Further, the authority has also revised the retail prices of 11 scheduled formulations. "NPPA has fixed/revised ceiling prices/retail prices of 92 formulations under Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013," it said in a notification. NPPA fixes the ceiling price of essential medicines of Schedule I under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO) 2013. In respect of medicines that are not under price control, manufacturers are allowed to increase the maximum retail price by 10 per cent annually. The calculation for essential drugs is based on the simple average of all medicines in a particular therapeutic segment with sales of more than 1 per cent. Set up in 1997, NPPA
Scientists reverse congenital blindness in mice
In a breakthrough, US researchers have reversed congenital blindness in mice by activating cells in the retina, advancing treatment for retinal degenerative diseases which currently have no cure.
Social media addiction can harm your bones, joints
Use of social media across the globe has grown by leaps and bounds in preceding years. Almost a quarter of the world's population is now on Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram and Twitter.There is a newly coined term called 'Whatsappitis', which has recently become popular, meaning that an incessant use of the thumb to text and operate cellular phones can damage your thumb muscle, causing tenosynovitis.One of the other problems that can stem from incessant use of smartphones to check social media is carpal tunnel syndrome, where one can face problems with hands or wrists due to typing too much. Typing can also cause strain in your finger tendons."Excessive addiction to social media and the use of smartphones along with it can be bad for bones and joints. Tilting the head forward for prolonged times forces the neck muscles, ligaments and tendons to strain. This distinct posture has been labelled as 'text neck'. Orthopaedicians are noticing signs of premature degeneration of the spine in ...
The Farm at San Benito, Philippines - a new wellness destination for Indians
In a world of increasing concern over living healthy and being fit, Indians are opting for wellness holidays that will address their combined goals for travel, experience and wellbeing.A Life-changing Holiday ExperienceOver the years, The Farm at San Benito has helped thousands of people succeed in their quest to live a healthier and balanced lifestyle through integrative medical services, preventive health care practices, and awareness of consuming nutritious foods in their purest form. Our team of experts is trained specifically on a science-based, evidence-based and results-driven approach to attaining optimal health.The Farm at San Benito is a world-class holistic medical wellness resort located in Lipa, Batangas, a 90-minute drive south of Manila. It rests on a 48-hectare lush, green jungle, with a stunning view of the majestic mountains, with pristine and uplifting life-giving energy radiating around the property. This world-renowned, multi-award winning resort offers natural ...
21-year-old suicide survivor undergoes historic face transplant
After a 31-hour-long face transplant surgery, 21-year-old Katie Stubblefield has turned over a new leaf in her life. She underwent 17 surgeries before finally going under the knife for the transformational procedure.Stubblefield's disfigured face was an outcome of her suicide attempt at the age of 18, following a number of emotional hurdles she faced as a teenager, reported CNN. The self-inflicted gunshot wound led to Katie losing her nose, mouth; it also displaced her eyes, thus impairing her vision.According to a video posted by Cleveland Clinic, the hospital where Katie was operated upon, 100 percent of her face was transplanted by doctors, to achieve results that cannot be called anything less than miraculous.Techniques and technologies such as surgical rehearsal, 3D printing and virtual reality were used as part of the pre-operative planning, said Cleveland Clinic.Katie's family was extremely supportive throughout this journey. The hospital's video quoted her father Robb as ...
Condition of former PM Vajpayee critical, stream of leaders visit him at AIIMS
Former prime minister and BJP patriarch Atal Bihari Vajpayee is battling for life and remains on advanced life support at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences for the second day, hospital officials said today. As anxiety grew about the state of the 93-year-old leader's health, a stream of leaders, including Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, BJP chief Amit Shah and Union ministers Sushma Swaraj and Rajnath Singh, visited him in hospital. Several government events have either been postponed or cancelled. A health bulletin from the premier hospital said Vajpayee's "condition continues to be the same. He is critical and on life-support system". "Both his lungs are not in good condition because of pneumonia on both sides and kidneys are also weak. He is critical," a source said. The former prime minister was admitted to the hospital on June 11 with a kidney tract infection, urinary tract infection, low urine output and chest congestion. Among those who visited the hospital were ...
Cox & Kings gets revision in credit ratings
From CARE and Brickwork Ratings
Robots may influence children's opinions: Study
Young children are significantly more likely than adults to have their opinions and decisions influenced by robots, according to a study. The research, published in the journal Science Robotics, raises concerns about the negative influence machines might have on vulnerable youngsters. Researchers from the University of Plymouth in the UK compared how adults and children respond to an identical task when in the presence of both their peers and humanoid robots. They found that while adults regularly have their opinions influenced by peers, something also demonstrated in previous studies, they are largely able to resist being persuaded by robots. However, children aged between seven and nine were more likely to give the same responses as the robots, even if they were obviously incorrect. The study used the Asch paradigm, first developed in the 1950s, which asks people to look at a screen showing four lines and say which two match in length. When alone, people almost never make a mistake .
The Farm at San Benito, Philippines - A New Wellness Destination for Indians
. PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same). San Benito, Philippines | Mumbai, India(NewsVoir) August 16, 2018--- In a world of increasing concern over living healthy and being fit, Indians are opting for wellness holidays that will address their combined goals for travel, experience and wellbeing. A Life-changing Holiday Experience Over the years, The Farm at San Benito has helped thousands of people succeed in their quest to live a healthier and balanced lifestyle through integrative medical services, preventive health care practices, and awareness of consuming nutritious foods in their purest form. Our team of experts is trained specifically on a science-based, evidence-based and results-driven approach to attaining optimal health. The Farm at San Benito is a world-class holistic medical wellness resort located in Lipa, Batangas, a 90-minute drive south of Manila. It rests on a 48-hectare lush, green jungle, with a stunning view of the majestic mountains, with pristine ..
Fitness guide for new-age women
In the process of losing weight and staying fit, women often end up making mistakes like eating too less, not working out as per their body type and expecting instant results.It is essential to concentrate on having a balanced diet comprising all the nutrients, and compliment it with regular workouts by making exercise a fun activity rather than a boring task."Fitness is a long and tedious process, especially for women who have to deal with weight loss. With a personal trainer guiding the aspirant throughout the session, the users are motivated to work out every day and also have an efficient session of burning more," said Ankit Gupta, co-Founder of Ludis, India's first audio fitness training app.Here's a fitness guide for the new-age women who are too caught up with their work, having no time for fitness:Healthy Breakfast- a must!A healthy breakfast with the inclusion of fiber and glucose is imperative to retain energy for the entire day. Out of all the three-time meals, breakfast is
Sun Pharma receives USFDA nod ophthalmic solution used to treat dry eye disease
Sun Pharma has received approval from the US health regulator for CEQUA (cyclosporine ophthalmic solution), used to increase tear production in patients with keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye). Dry Eye Disease represents an area of high unmet medical need, with a significant number of patients who are currently untreated, Abhay Gandhi, CEO, North America, Sun Pharma. "The the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approval of CEQUA represents a long-awaited dry eye treatment option and is an important milestone in the development of Sun's Ophthalmics business," said he added. "CEQUA (cyclosporine ophthalmic solution) 0.09 per cent, for topical ophthalmic use will be commercialised in the US by Sun Ophthalmics, the branded ophthalmics division of Sun Pharma's wholly owned subsidiary," Sun Pharma said in a BSE filing. CEQUA is dosed twice daily and will be available as a single-use vial. Shares of Sun Pharma were trading 2.25 per cent higher at Rs 615.20 apiece on BSE.