Page 370 - Health Medical Pharma

No need to send Sharif abroad for treatment: Minister

Nawaz Sharif's medical report does not suggest any treatment abroad, Punjab province home minister Shaukat Javed said today, days after the former prime minister was shifted from jail to a premier hospital here following health complications. Talking to reporters, Javed said Sharif is being kept in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on doctors' orders and he will be there till the doctors say otherwise, Geo TV reported. He brushed off the rumours of sending Sharif to London for medical treatment. Sharif, 68, was shifted to the Cardiac Centre of the country's top hospital in Islamabad after his health deteriorated due to heart trouble in the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Sunday night. Javed said there are no complications in Sharif's health condition and his medical report does not suggest any treatment abroad, the channel reported. He said hospitals in Pakistan have all the facilities, especially treatment for the heart. Earlier in the day, the doctors at PIMS had said ..

Religion, spirituality may help young adults cope with depression

Religion and spirituality can play a key role in the life of young adults with severe mental illness such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and serious depression, which social workers and counsellors are traditionally not equipped to discuss, say researchers.

Malaria cases are decreasing in state: Tripura health minister

Tripura minister Sudip Roy Barman today said malaria cases are decreasing in Tripura and asked officials to ensure early detection of communicable diseases to prevent outbreaks. While addressing an event on prevention of communicable diseases at Pragna Bhawan here this afternoon, the state health minister laid stress on disease control and said Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) under the National Health Mission should be used to prevent outbreaks. Malaria, dengue and other vector-borne diseases are endemic in several parts of Tripura, the minister said, adding, over 5,000 malaria cases were detected in different hospitals in Tripura last year. In addition, 80 cases of dengue and 44 cases of chikungunya were detected, Barman said. A total of 98 people were found to have been infected with Japanese encephalitis in 2017, he said. The minister also said two people died of malaria this year and one person died of Japanese encephalitis. No deaths were reported ..

Potent antibodies against 3 Ebola viruses found

Researchers are a step closer to developing a broadly effective antibody treatment against the three major Ebola viruses that cause the lethal disease in humans.

HealthSignz raises USD 5 Mn by Dr. Kantilal Patel

Bengaluru-Hyderabad based healthtech startup HealthSignz on Tuesday announced receiving funds worth USD 5 million by Dr. Kantilal Patel, founder of Nirvana Health Group - New Zealand's largest primary healthcare group.An AI driven healthcare platform, HealthSignz will enhance healthcare at all operational levels enabling an inclusive healthcare ecosystem. The company's mobile-centric platform will provide the most seamless consumer on-boarding."We see HealthSignz delivering great value for capital intensive tertiary care centre to stand alone practicing providers, transforming scalable and effective healthcare care delivery, enabling digital and mobile care for treating illness, and enhancing overall wellness though disease prevention," said CEO and co-founder, HealthSignz, Hanu."With increasing population and healthcare needs, we see a huge potential for AI solutions to restructure how medical care is delivered", said Dr. Kantilal Patel, Founder of Nirvana Health Group."As an ...

Air pollution causing lung cancer among youths: Study

Air pollution has emerged as a major factor for lung cancer in India, especially among those below the age of 40, suggests a new study.

Novel drug reverses hair loss, skin damage in mice

Scientists, including one of Indian origin, have developed a drug that successfully reversed hair loss, hair whitening and skin inflammation in mice, and may pave the way for new therapies in humans. The compound halts the production of certain fats called glycosphingolipids (GSLs) that are major components of skin and other cell membranes. Current research shows that mice fed a diet high in fat and cholesterol are more likely to have hair discoloration from black to grey to white, extensive hair loss and inflammation of skin exhibited by multiple wounds. Feeding these animals the compound, however, appears to reverse such symptoms. The researchers from Johns Hopkins University in the US caution that such results in mice do not mean that the same effects would occur in people, and there is no evidence at this time that the compounds they used would be safe in people. However the findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, shed light on possible pathways for addressing hair .

Rahul visits Karunanidhi in hospital

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday visited DMK President M. Karunanidhi at the Kauvery Hospital.

India's largest healthcare organization reckons the community service of IFRF as unparalleled

The Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) is chartered by the Indian government to deliver insurance and healthcare benefits to over 20 million private and public-sector employees and therefore is recognized as India's largest healthcare.ESIC provides these services through its over 2 thousand facilities that include hospitals, dispensaries and branch offices across India. ESIC recognised the selfless social service of ISKCON Food Relief Foundation (IFRF) Haryana's chapter in feeding more than 2.5 lakhs students daily.It organised a Health Checkup and Screening camp at the Gurugram and at the Faridabad branch of the Foundation.On 20th July, more than a hundred workers comprising of cooks, workers, drivers and staff of the Foundation were screened in the camp by the ESIC Medical College and Hospital (Faridabad). The team from the Hospital included, Dr. Pooja Goyal (Community Medicine), Dr. Mitasha Singh (Community Medicine), Dr. Nikhil Verma (General Medicine), Dr. Shaislav ...

Experimental drug to reverse hair loss, skin wounds developed

Scientists including one of Indian-origin have developed an experimental drug that could successfully reverse hair loss, hair whitening and skin inflammation -- all previously linked to diets heavy in fat and cholesterol -- in mice.

Cannabinoid may up survival rate for pancreatic cancer patients

A naturally occurring constituent of medicinal cannabis along with chemotherapy could increase the survival rate by three times among mice with pancreatic cancer, according to a new study.

Low levels of this molecule may boost depression diagnosis

Scientists have identified a substance in blood as a biomarker for depression, a finding that could open a novel way to a new class of antidepressants that could have no side-effects and faster-acting functions than those in current use.

MyHealthcare raises USD 2 Mn funding to improve digital ecosystem

Digital integrated healthcare technology platform MyHealthcare on Tuesday announced raising funds worth USD 2 million led by Hunch Ventures and Ajay Nanavati, Angel Investor and Retired Managing Director of 3M India & Israel.MyHealthcare, which helps connect healthcare givers, hospitals, diagnostics, patients and their family into a digital ecosystem, will enable digital technology and data to improve patient outcomes and patient care."Our platform works with hospitals, in enhancing their care solutions by transitioning the care process from paper to digital form. In the next phase we are working towards the use of AI & ML for predictive analysis, to aid care givers in the diagnosis process," said founder and director of InnoCirc Ventures, Shyatto Raha."Making healthcare easily accessible, affordable and ensuring accuracy of care is our single focus at MyHealthcare. The MyHealthcare SPINE works with its hospital network in ensuring the data acquisition is done on globally ...

Decoded: How ginger reduces bad breath

Ever thought how ginger helps reduce bad breath? A pungent compound present in the spice may be an answer to it, a new study suggests.

'Universal influenza vaccine in the offing'

Scientists have developed a novel nanoparticle vaccine that effectively protects mice against influenza A virus, an advance that could lead to affordable universal flu vaccine. Influenza, a contagious respiratory illness that infects the nose, throat and lungs, is a persistent threat to public health, said researchers from Georgia State University in the US. Nanotechnology provides a promising approach for developing new influenza vaccines, and the double-layered nanoparticle vaccine created in the study, published in the journal PNAS, shows strong potential for combatting influenza viruses. The researchers used peptides, compounds consisting of two or more amino acids linked in a chain, because they are much smaller than proteins. The nanoparticles mimic the biological cues of viruses and initiate danger signals that activate immune responses. "The adaptive immune system includes B lymphocytes mediating antibody responses and T lymphocytes mediating cellular responses," said ...

Karuna continues to be under intensive care; Rahul to pay visit

DMK president M Karunanidhi continued to remain in the intensive care for the fourth consecutive day today, with Congress chief Rahul Gandhi likely to visit the ailing leader this evening. Gandhi is expected to land here by 3.30 pm and proceed to the hospital straightaway, according to the Tamil Nadu Congress sources. Meanwhile, Health Minister C Vijayabaskar, on the sidelines of an event here said, Karunanidhi was "stable and breathing on his own", recalling his visit to the Kauvery Hospital yesterday. Karunanidhi's health continues to be stable, DMK working president M K Stalin had said last night. The family members of Karunanidhi, including Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi, are present in the hospital. The Kauvery Hospital, where the nonagenarian leader is being treated, continues to teem with party cadres from various districts albeit in reduced numbers due to the appeal of the party to avoid visits and help maintain calm. On July 29, a medical bulletin issued by the hospital had said ..

HealthPlix raises USD 3Mn from Kalaari Capital and IDG Ventures India

Bengaluru based healthtech firm HealthPlix on Tuesday announced raising funds worth USD 3 million from IDG Ventures India and Kalaari Capital in its Series A round.Co-founded by Raghuraj Sunder Raju, Sandeep Gudibanda and Prasad HBasavaraj, HealthPlix will utilise the funds to further strengthen its technology to assist doctors better and expand its team and services in other geographical markets."Population level health problems can be better managed if digital tools assist doctors at the time of treating their patients. Our goal at HealthPlix is to drive better Health Outcomes by enabling widespread adoption of our platform," said co-founder and CEO HealthPlix, Sandeep Gudibanda."We are happy to have gained valuable support from the leading investors - IDG Ventures India and Kalaari Capital. The funds raised will help us to enhance clinical experiences for patients & doctors and thereby create a platform which will revolutionize the Indian healthcare ecosystem," added ...

Yakult promises intestinal health and better immunity with its unique probiotic LcS

Probiotic Giant Yakult Danone India Pvt. Ltd. conducted an informative and interactive outreach program on the health benefits of Probiotics and Yakult, the globally acclaimed probiotic drink.The media briefing was held by Mr. Minoru Shimada, Managing Director, Yakult Danone India Pvt. Ltd. and Dr. Neerja Hajela - Head of Science and Regulatory Affairs."Being the bedrock of our well-being, the importance of a healthy intestine is often forgotten. Most people believe that the intestine is just about digesting food and absorbing nutrients and are not aware that it contains about 70% of the immune cells of the human body," said Dr. Neerja Hajela."They work wonders in the intestine by breaking down the hard to digest foods, giving us the nutrients that we need and build our immunity. Their numbers decline because of several factors like poor nutrition, stress, ageing, inadequate sleep, infection, antibiotics and pollution. The imbalance results in diarrhoea, constipation, indigestion, ...

Gene linked to hair loss may improve cancer treatment

Scientists have found that a gene associated with autoimmune hair loss disorder may also help improve cancer immunotherapy -- treatment that uses body's own immune system to fight cancer.

Cannabis extract may help pancreatic cancer patients live longer: Study

A naturally occurring compound in medicinal cannabis may help extend the lives of patients with pancreatic cancer undergoing chemotherapy, according to a study conducted in mice. Medicinal cannabis is a cannabis plant extract used to relieve the symptoms of some medical conditions. Researchers led by Queen Mary University of London in the UK found that mice with pancreatic cancer treated with cannabinoid Cannabidiol (CBD) alongside chemotherapy survived almost three times longer than those treated with chemotherapy alone. The study, published in the journal Oncogene, tested the impact of cannabinoid CBD on the use of the commonly used chemotherapy medication Gemcitabine as a treatment for pancreatic cancer in mice. Pancreatic cancer is aggressive and has one of the lowest survival rate of all cancers, researchers said. "This is a remarkable result. We found that mice with pancreatic cancer survived nearly three times longer if a constituent of medicinal cannabis was added to their ...