Page 354 - Health Medical Pharma
Somnath Chatterjee suffers heart attack, condition critical: Hospital
Former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee's condition deteriorated today after he suffered a "mild heart attack", an official of a private hospital said. Eighty-nine-year-old Chatterjee, who is suffering from a kidney-related ailment, was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition on Tuesday. "He is undergoing dialysis. In such cases it happens at times that the heart stops giving support. Chatterjee suffered a mild heart attack this morning, but was revived. He is in the ICCU and is responding to treatment," a senior hospital official told PTI. Last month, the former speaker had suffered a hemorrhagic stroke. "He has been under treatment for the past 40 days. Chatterjee was discharged from the hospital just for three days after his health showed signs of improvement. However, his condition deteriorated last Tuesday and he had to be hospitalised again," the official said. A 10-time Lok Sabha MP, Chatterjee was a central committee member of the CPI(M), which he had joined in ...
Advanced low-vision aid can help around 6 mn people in India: Expert
Almost nine million people in India are now visually impaired, which is the highest number over the past two decades, but six million of them can be helped with advanced low-vision aids, according to an expert
Fake, low-quality medicines prevalent in developing countries
Sale of substandard and falsified medicines - including those used to treat deadly diseases like malaria - are prevalent in the developing world, say scientists who found that 13 per cent of the sampled medicines in low and middle-income countries were below par. When looking specifically at African countries, almost 19 per cent of the essential medicines that satisfy the priority health care needs of the population was found to fall in this category, according to a study by researchers from the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill in the US. Falsified medicines are medical products that deliberately and fraudulently misrepresent their identity, composition or source. Substandard medicines are real medical products that fail to meet quality standards or specifications for a variety of reasons, including poor manufacturing, shipping or storage conditions, or because the drug is sold beyond its expiration date. Researchers analysed 96 previous studies of falsified and ...
Treating depression in child may boost parent's mental health
The bond between parent and child extends far beyond sharing similar looks or behaviours as a new study suggests that treating depression in teenagers may benefit their parents' mental health too.
Avoid-unwanted-pregnancy-app
This new app can help you prevent pregnancy.US' Food and Administration (FDA) has approved an app 'Natural Cycles', designed to track fertility and prevent pregnancy. the app has been tagged as a contraceptive by the FDA.According to Dr. Terri Cornelison, assistant director for the health of women in the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, The app can provide an effective method of contraceptive if used carefully. He also specified that no form of contraception provides 100% protection, reported CNN.As part of the agency's new Digital Health Innovation Action Plan, initiated to fast track approval for new low-to-moderate-risk devices, FDA, on Friday, also approved a vaginal ring contraceptive. Designed by the global nonprofit research organization, one vaginal ring lasts for an entire year.The app keeps a track of sperm survival rates, body temperature and menstrual cycles to predict the number of days a woman will be fertile. Talking all these factors into ...
Indian-American researchers unleash turmeric's power to fight cancer
A team of Indian-American researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and at the University of Utah at Salt Lake City, has used an ingenious process to enable curcumin to kill cancer cells.
Government looks to bring efficiency in tea auction system (News Analysis)
Amid stagnating prices of tea in auctions, the central government is looking at the "imperfection" of the primary market as it aims to bring more efficiency in the system after sellers and buyers of the crop raised issues of operational difficulties along with relatively higher transaction costs involved in the entire process, stakeholders say.
What generates pessimistic mood?
Scientists have identified a brain region that could generate pessimistic moods in disorders such as anxiety or depression that leads people to focus more on the possible downside than the potential benefit in a stressful situation.
Link between palliative care and suicide risk in cancer patients
Palliative care is associated with a reduced risk of suicide in veterans diagnosed with advanced stage lung cancer, a new study has found. Palliative care is for the terminally ill and their families, especially that is provided by an organized health service.Lead author of the study, Donald Sullivan, said, "The goal of the study was to see whether palliative care, which aims to relieve physical pain and discomfort and to address psychological issues like anxiety that diminish quality of life for those with life-threatening illnesses, reduced suicide rates among veterans with stage IIIB and IV lung cancer."The findings were based on a study of more than 20,000 lung cancer patients enrolled in a cancer patient registry from the VA Central Cancer Registry. Of the 20,900 patients with advanced lung cancer enrolled in the registry, 30 patients committed suicide, a rate more than five times greater than the average among all veterans who use VA health care of a similar age and ...
Depressed teenagers lead to depressed parents
The bond between parents and children extends far beyond sharing similar looks or behaviors. A recent study links the symptoms of depression in teens and parents.According to Kelsey R. Howard, MS of Northwestern University, when a teen's depression improved through treatment, so did depression experienced by his or her parent. "More young people today are reporting persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness and suicidal thoughts," said Howard. He added, "At the same time, suicide rates have climbed in nearly all U.S. states. This research may help healthcare providers as we grapple as a nation with how to address these alarming trends."A total of 325 teens, which had been diagnosed with depression and 325 of their parents or caregivers, participated in this long-term study. The teens were randomly assigned to one of three groups: those who received cognitive behavioral therapy, those who took an antidepressant or those who used a combination of both. The first treatment period ...
Substance abuse likely to reduce lifespan in teens
Adolescents with serious conduct and substance use problems are five times more likely to die prematurely than their peers, a recent study has found.The study also suggests that while drug and alcohol use among adolescents draws more attention, antisocial behavior--including rule-breaking tendencies--may be a more powerful predictor of early mortality.Lead author Richard Border, said, "This research makes it clear that youth identified with conduct problems are at extreme risk for premature mortality, beyond that which can be explained by substance use problems, and in critical need of greater resources."For the study, Border and his colleagues looked at death rates among 1,463 adolescents who had been arrested or referred to counselling for substance use problems. They also followed 1,399 of their siblings and a control group of 904 adolescents of similar age and demographic background.The researchers decided to do the study after while following up with subjects from the ongoing ...
Congo's latest Ebola outbreak taking place in a war zone
In a new reminder of the dangers in containing an Ebola outbreak in a war zone, suspected rebels killed seven civilians overnight in northeastern Congo and sent local residents fleeing, an official said. Global health officials have warned that combating this outbreak is complicated by the presence of multiple armed groups in the mineral-rich region and a restless population that includes 1 million displaced people and scores of refugees leaving for nearby Uganda every week. The insecurity means health workers might have to change a vaccination strategy that proved successful in Congo's previous Ebola outbreak, the World Health Organization's emergency preparedness chief Dr. Peter Salama said yesterday. The so-called "ring vaccination" approach of first vaccinating health workers, contacts of Ebola victims and their contacts might have to give way to the approach of vaccinating everyone in a certain geographic area such as a village or neighborhood. That would require a larger number .
Rajnath, Shah visit AIIMS to enquire about Vajpayee's health
Home Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP president Amit Shah visited AIIMS this evening to enquire about the health condition of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who has been undergoing treatment at the premier institute. Shah visited AIIMS around 6.30 pm and Singh reached there around 8.15 pm to enquire about Vajpayee's health condition, a source at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said. There was no official update on Vajpayee's health condition. Vajpayee was admitted to the hospital on June 11 with kidney tract infection, chest congestion, urinary tract infection and urine output on the lower side. The 93-year-old BJP leader, a diabetic, has one functional kidney. He had suffered a stroke in 2009 that weakened his cognitive abilities. Subsequently, he developed dementia.
Three dengue deaths, over 200 patients in Durg district
At least three people have died of dengue and over 200 have been found to have contracted the mosquito-borne disease in Chhattisgarh's Durg district, a senior health official today said. As many as 209 persons were found positive for dengue infection in the district in the last one month, Health and Family Welfare Department Commissioner R Prasanna said. Three dengue deaths were confirmed in hospitals in Durg and Bhilai cities during last two weeks, he added. Thirty-two teams of health officials are conducting door-to-door screenings for the disease and carrying out an awareness campaign, he said. There were already three mobile medical units in Durg and the number has been now increased to five, Prasanna said. Enough testing kits and medicines are available in the district, he said. The administration is providing financial assistance to dengue patients admitted in private hospitals too. The health department has reserved five beds in ICU at Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Memorial ..
Rajnath, Shah visit AIIMS to enquire about Vajpayee's health condition
Home Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP president Amit Shah visited AIIMS this evening to enquire about the health condition of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who has been undergoing treatment at the premier institute. Shah visited AIIMS around 6.30 pm and Singh reached there around 8.15 pm to enquire about Vajpayee's health condition, a source at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said. Vajpayee was admitted to the hospital on June 11 with kidney tract infection, chest congestion, urinary tract infection and urine output on the lower side. The 93-year-old BJP leader, a diabetic, has one functional kidney. He had suffered a stroke in 2009 that weakened his cognitive abilities. Subsequently, he developed dementia.
Men too care for their partner's well-being: Study
Women, please take note. If you think that your spouse does not care for your well-being the way you do then you may be wrong, a new study has found.
Early onset of diabetes may cut girls' lifespan by 18 years
Girls who develop Type-1 diabetes before the age of ten die an average of nearly 18 years earlier than those who do not have diabetes, a new study has found.
OTC drugs may lead to incorrect lab results, diagnoses
Do you have the habit of popping over-the-counter (OTC) drugs such as multivitamins, multiminerals, cranberry and aspirin? Besides making you antibiotic resistant and causing other health issues, it may also affect lab test results, leading to possibly incorrect diagnoses, researchers have warned.
Children hospitalised after taking deworming tablets
At least 7 children were hospitalised after they were allegedly given Albendazole tablets in the Sambhal district on Saturday.The children, at an Anganwadi centre, were administered the anti-worm tablets, after which they complained of stomach ache. The staff, then, rushed the kids to the Chandausi Government Hospital where they are undergoing a treatment.Speaking to ANI, Amita Singh, the Chief Medical Officer, informed, "Some 8-9 children complained of stomach ache after having the medicine. They were admitted to the hospital. First-aid has been given to them."Despite governmental efforts, condition of some Anganwadis or day-care centres, has often remained dismal, specially in rural areas.Just last month, 13 children and a helper at an Anganwadi center in Delhi's Uttam Nagar were hospitalised after allegedly having a mid-day meal.
Batch of DPT vaccines in China found substandard
Investigation by Chinese officials into recent vaccine scandal revealed that a batch of DPT vaccines was substandard. DPT refers to a combination of vaccines for three infectious diseases -- diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus -- which are given to children. China also exports DPT vaccines. The batch of DPT vaccines, produced in July 2016 by Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd, was proved substandard due to a short-term equipment failure, which resulted in improper distribution of active constituent in the vaccines, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the findings of an investigation by officials into the recent vaccine scandal. The official findings showed the company failed to take into account the malfunction and make targeted tests on the quality of its products during internal inspections. The scare over the faulty scandal raised serious concerns in China. Subsequent reports of faulty rabies vaccines have also created panic among public. Authorities have launched a ...