Page 356 - Health Medical Pharma
Johns Hopkins to hold S Asia Tobacco Control Leadership Program in Nov in Indonesia
The five-day India Tobacco Control Leadership Program, helmed by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH), today ended with organisers hoping that its participants would emerge as "ambassadors of change" in combating the tobacco menace. Stephen Tamplin, Associate Scientist, Institute for Global Tobacco Control at the JHSPH, said about 70 participants successfully completed the program and received the certificates. "A number of panel discussions were held over the five days, many senior officials from the Health Ministry, experts from WHO, and Paris-based International Union against Lung Disease and Tuberculosis (The Union), among others interacted with the participants. "We hope the participants, as they go back to their respective organisations, would now become ambassadors of change in tobacco control," Tamplin said. The programme is part of the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, and implemented through the Johns Hopkins University of the US. The ...
Glaucoma may be an autoimmune disease: Study
Glaucoma, an eye disease which affects nearly 70 million people worldwide, may be an autoimmune disease, according to a study. Autoimmune disease is a condition in which the immune system attacks the body's own cells. Glaucoma is something of a mystery despite its prevalence, said researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US. Little is known about the origins of the disease, which damages the retina and optic nerve and can lead to blindness. Published in the journal Nature Communications, the study conducted in mice showed that the body's own T cells are responsible for the progressive retinal degeneration seen in glaucoma. These T cells appear to be primed to attack retinal neurons as the result of previous interactions with bacteria that normally live in our body, researchers said. It could be possible to develop new treatments for glaucoma by blocking this autoimmune activity, they said. "This opens a new approach to prevent and treat glaucoma," said ...
Cal HC directs WB govt to release 10 per cent MBBS docs for PG courses
The Calcutta High Court upholding a State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) order today directed the West Bengal government to release 10 per cent in-service MBBS doctors for post graduate courses. Dismissing an appeal by the state government challenging the SAT order, a division bench of justices Debasish Kargupta and Sampa Sarkar directed it to comply with the order within two weeks. The SAT had on June 11 directed that the state government release 10 per cent of in-service MBBS doctors in state-run hospitals, which would roughly translate to a total of over 300 MBBS degree holders getting a chance to pursue MD/MS courses, as against 196 candidates allowed by the state, counsel for the petitioner doctors said. During the hearing, state counsel Amitesh Banerjee had told the court that rural healthcare services in the state would be in jeopardy if 10 per cent of the available MBBS doctors were allowed to go for higher studies as 37 rural health centres had only one doctor each, while 23 ..
'Wearable 'microbrewery' can protect humans from radiation damage'
Scientists have engineered yeast "microbreweries" that can help hospital lab workers better track their daily radiation exposure, enabling a faster assessment of tissue damage that could lead to cancer. The researchers at Purdue University in the US used disposable badges made of freezer paper, aluminum and tape to grow yeast, rather than building portable cellars or ovens. Simply adding a drop of water activates the yeast to show radiation exposure as read by an electronic device, according to the research published in the journal Advanced Biosystems. On a commercial level, the readout device could one day be a tablet or phone, researchers said. The badge could also be adapted in the future for nuclear power plant workers and victims of nuclear disasters, they said. "You would use the badge when you are in the lab and recycle it after you have checked your exposure by plugging it into a device," said Manuel Ochoa, a postdoctoral researcher at Purdue. Radiology workers are regularly ..
China launches nationwide action after faulty rabies vaccine
With the recent faulty rabies vaccine scandal creating panic, China has launched a nationwide campaign to provide medical consultation and free inoculation of rabies vaccines. Rabies vaccines made by the Changchun Changsheng Life Sciences Company, the second largest in China, were found to have violated national standards including usage of expired fluids and falsified production dates. The vaccines were also widely exported, including to India. The Drug Controller General of India early this month ordered an immediate withdrawal of rabies vaccines from the market and also banned their imports from a Chinese manufacturer that allegedly fabricated records. Health institutions and disease control centres across China are providing consultation services for people who received rabies vaccines made by the company, state-run Global Times reported today. China has designated 36,482 hospitals and health institutions for consultation, the report said. No deaths from rabies have been reported .
Glaucoma may be an autoimmune disease: Study
Glaucoma, an eye disease which affects nearly 70 million people worldwide, may be an autoimmune disease, suggests a new research.
Brain region that generates negative moods identified
Scientists have identified a brain region that can generate negative moods which lead to irrational decision-making, a study has found. Stimulating the caudate nucleus region causes animals to give far more weight to the anticipated drawback of a situation than its potential benefit, according to the study published in the journal Neuron. Many patients with neuropsychiatric disorders such as anxiety or depression experience negative moods that lead them to focus on the possible downside of a given situation more than the potential benefit. Now, neuroscientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US have pinpointed the brain region that can generate this type of pessimistic mood. In tests in animals, they showed that stimulating this region, known as the caudate nucleus, induced animals to make more negative decisions. They gave far more weight to the anticipated drawback of a situation than its benefit, compared to when the region was not stimulated. This pessimistic
Moderate salt intake not as bad as earlier thought: Study
People with moderate or average salt intake need not reduce their sodium intake for prevention of heart disease and stroke, suggests a new study involving 94,000 people from different parts of the world, including India.
79 percent school girls at risk of cardiovascular issues
According to a recent study, about 79 percent of school girls are on the brink of developing potential health risks, which include cardiovascular and other non-communicable diseases.The study, carried out by Fitterfly - a health-tech company based out of Mumbai, had covered 15,000 school children, both boys and girls, from 25 schools across Mumbai, Delhi, Navi Mumbai and Thane.Medical experts and researchers have repeatedly worried about declining health parameters among the school-going children in the country, particularly, in cities like Mumbai, Delhi and other metros.The only silver lining in the story is that 59 percent girls find a slot in the healthy fitness zone in terms of Body Mass Index (BMI).The study stated that 68 percent school children (both boys and girls) in the age brackets of 5 and 17 years on a whole are clocking low on stamina, muscle strength, body composition and musculoskeletal fitness.The boys on these parameters, however, fared better compared to girls with .
Five grammes of daily salt intake safe for heart: Study
Consuming up to five grammes of salt a day, the equivalent of 2.5 teaspoons, may not increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a study conducted in 18 countries, including India. Any health risk of sodium intake is virtually eliminated if people improve their diet quality by adding fruits, vegetables, dairy foods, potatoes, and other potassium rich foods, according to the researchers from McMaster University in Canada. The study, published in The Lancet journal, followed 94,000 people, aged 35 to 70, for an average of eight years in communities from 18 countries around the world. It found that there is an associated risk of cardiovascular disease and strokes only where the average intake is greater than five grammes of sodium a day. China was the only country in the study where 80 per cent of communities have a sodium intake of more than five grammes a day. In the other countries, the majority of the communities had an average sodium consumption of three to five ...
40% women with asthma may get chronic lung diseases: Study
More than 4 in 10 individuals with asthma run the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a group of lung diseases that block airflow and make it harder to breathe, says a new study involving around 4,000 women.
AIIMS in Raipur, Jodhpur get new directors
The government has appointed directors of All india Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Raipur and Jodhpur. Nitin M Nagarkar will be head of AIIMS, Raipur, while Sanjeev Misra has been named director AIIMS Jodhpur, according to an order issued by the Personnel Ministry. The central government had decided to set up six new AIIMS at Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Patna, Rishikesh and Raipur under the first phase of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), to correct regional imbalances in providing quality healthcare and attain self-sufficiency in graduate and postgraduate medical education. Two more AIIMS, one at Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh and the other at Raiganj, West Bengal have been approved in the second phase of PMSSY. The move to set up more premier medical institution aims at reducing work load of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi, which caters to a large number of patients, officials said.
Binge drinking may increase cardiovascular disease risk: Study
People who binge drink are more likely to have cardiovascular risk factors such as higher blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, a study warns. Binge drinking is a pattern of drinking that brings a person's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grammes per cent or above, said researchers at Vanderbilt University in the US. This typically happens when men consume five or more drinks or women consume four or more drinks in about two hours. The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found that binge drinking by young men was associated with higher systolic blood pressure - the force on blood vessels when the heart beats. Frequent binge drinking had additional effects on cholesterol, researchers said. Both the factors contribute to cardiovascular disease, they said. Mariann Piano from the Vanderbilt University and her colleagues examined high blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and other cardiovascular risks in 4,710 adults ages ...
'New 3D-printed device may help treat spinal cord injuries'
Scientists have developed a 3D-printed device that could potentially help patients with long-term spinal cord injuries regain some function. A three-dimensional (3D) printed guide, made of silicone, serves as a platform for specialised cells that are then printed on top of it, said researchers at the University of Minnesota in the US. The guide would be surgically implanted into the injured area of the spinal cord where it would serve as a type of "bridge" between living nerve cells above and below the area of injury, according to the research published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials. The hope is that this would help patients alleviate pain as well as regain some functions like control of muscles, bowel and bladder, researchers said. "This is the first time anyone has been able to directly 3D print neuronal stem cells derived from adult human cells on a 3D-printed guide and have the cells differentiate into active nerve cells in the lab," said Michael McAlpine, an ...
Women with asthma may develop COPD
According to a study, more than four in 10 women with asthma are more likely to develop the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).COPD is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that obstructs airflow from the lungs.The researchers at American Thoracic Society examined risk factors for developing asthma and COPD overlap syndrome, known as ACOS. Those who develop ACOS experience increased exacerbations and hospitalizations and have a lower quality of life, compared to those who have asthma or COPD alone.The authors reported that individual risk factors played a more significant role in the development of ACOS than exposure to fine particulate matter, a major air pollutant that because of its microscopic size penetrates deep into the lungs.Women who had a more than five-pack-year smoking history, meant that they had smoked more than the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes a day for five years.However, ACOS did not affect only those who smoke: 38 percent of the women who developed ACOS
Dozen patients die, Bihar doctors end strike
Nearly a dozen patients have died during a strike by Bihar's doctors, which was called-off on Friday after an assurance by the state government to fulfil their demands, officials said.
Brain proteins help to understand epilepsy
Turns out, new therapies could help researchers identify how proteins interact to control the firing of brain cells.A new study conducted at the Tufts University provides a new insight into ways to regulate a specialized 'compartment' of cells in the brain that controls their signaling. Influencing that compartment can control the firing of brain cells, which may in turn stop or prevent seizures, among other things."If we can better understand how the brain patterns activity, we can understand how it might go wrong in a disorder like epilepsy, where brain activity becomes uncontrolled. And if we can understand what is important for this control, we can come up with better strategies for treating and improving the quality of life for people with epileptic seizures," said the lead author of the study, Rochelle Hines.When the interaction was disrupted in rodent models, EEG tests showed brain waves moving out of control, mimicking patterns seen in humans with epilepsy and anxiety.The ...
Beware! Binge drinking may put your heart at risk
A new research has found that young adults who frequently binge drink are more likely to have specific cardiovascular risk factors at a younger age than non-binge drinkers.You might now want to think before you go out drinking tonight.Researchers at Vanderbilt University stated that binge drinking by young men is associated with higher systolic blood pressure (the force on blood vessels when the heart beats) and that frequent binge drinking has additional effects on cholesterol, both factors contribute to cardiovascular diseases.Current evidence suggests that development of high blood pressure before the age 45 is associated with significantly higher risks of cardiovascular death later in life.The study also found differences in how binge drinking affected young men and women. Young men who reported that they repeatedly binge drink had higher systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol while young women who repeatedly binge drink had higher blood sugar levels compared to non-binge ..
Mental health problems may induce more negative decisions
A new study has revealed that many patients with neuropsychiatric disorders focus on the possible downside of a given situation more than the potential benefit.Neuropsychiatric disorders such as anxiety or depression are typically attributed to diseases that originate from the nervous system.Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology pinpointed a brain region that can generate this type of pessimistic mood. In tests in animals, they showed that stimulating this region, known as the caudate nucleus, induced them to make more negative decisions. They gave far more weight to the anticipated drawback of a situation than its benefit, compared to when the region was not stimulated. This pessimistic decision-making could continue through the day after the original stimulation.These types of decisions, which require weighing options with both positive and negative elements, tend to provoke a great deal of anxiety. The study also showed that chronic stress dramatically affects this ..
New policy forum to enhance India-UK healthcare collaborations
A new policy forum created in Britain is set to boost healthcare partnerships between India and the UK and also identify avenues of new research and investments. The BAPIO India-UK Healthcare Policy Forum, launched at the Indian High Commission here yesterday will harness the contribution made by an estimated 60,000 Indian-origin doctors to the UK's state-funded National Health Service (NHS) and influence healthcare initiatives in both countries. I am sure this initiative will go on to make a significant contribution to the healthcare sector in both countries, particularly as people of Indian origin play such an important role in healthcare delivery in the UK, said India's High Commissioner here, Y.K. Sinha, who also supported the BAPIO in setting up the new forum. The British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO's) new forum is aimed at developing a network of experienced clinicians, policy-makers and entrepreneurs to provide advice and practical support to the health ...