Page 51 - Health Medical Pharma
Harris' bill seeks to address racial bias in maternal care
US Senator Kamala Harris is offering a new bill to address racial disparities in maternal health care, one of several plans by 2020 Democratic presidential candidates on the issue. Harris' bill, first introduced in 2018, would create some $150 million in grant programs to medical schools and states to fight implicit racial bias in health care for women. The legislation, co-sponsored in the House by Rep. Alma Adams, D-N.C., is aimed at improving medical care for groups of women who, research suggests, might be denied first rate care because of their race. The government confirmed this month that black women who bear children die at a rate that is three times higher than that of white women. Native American and Alaskan women die at a rate that is 2 1/2 times higher than that of white women. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about 700 women in the U.S. die from pregnancy-related complications annually. Tennis star Serena Williams raised the profile on the issue last ...
Lupin launches asthma treatment drug in US
Drug maker Lupin Wednesday said it has launched Budesonide Inhalation Suspension single-dose ampules, used to treat asthma, in the US market. The company has launched its generic product after receiving the approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), Lupin said in a statement. The Mumbai-based company's product is a generic version of AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP's Pulmicort Respules Inhalation Suspension, 0.5 mg/2 mL. It is indicated for the maintenance treatment of asthma and as prophylactic therapy in children from 12 months to 8 years of age. As per IMS MAT March 2019 data, the drug had annual sales of around USD 385.4 million in the US, the company said. Lupin shares were trading 1.08 per cent up at Rs 755.60 apiece on the BSE.
Gut bacteria might play role in reducing anxiety: Study
Anxiety levels in people are on a constant rise, but regulating it might be as easy as eating. A new study has found that controlling the microorganisms in the gut using probiotic and non-probiotic foods can aid in relieving anxiety.The study, published in the journal General Psychiatry, highlighted anxiety symptoms that are common in people with mental problems and a variety of physical disorders, especially those related to stress.Research has earlier indicated that gut microbiota - the trillions of microorganisms in the gut - perform important functions in the immune system and metabolism by providing essential inflammatory mediators, nutrients and vitamins - can help regulate brain function through something called the "gut-brain axis".For the study, researchers reviewed 21 studies that had looked at 1,503 people. 14 studies had chosen probiotics as interventions to regulate intestinal microbiota (IRIFs), and seven chose non-probiotic ways, such as adjusting daily diets.The ...
Exposure to nature during childhood leads to better mental health: Study
Did you remember the last time you played in nature as a child? If no, then chances are that your mental health could be affected.In a recent study, it has been found that adults who had close contact with the environment during childhood have better mental health. The study was published in the journal, 'International Journal of Environmental Health Research'Exposure to natural outdoor environments has been associated with several health benefits, including better cognitive development and better mental and physical health.However, few studies have explored the impact of childhood exposure to natural environments on mental health and vitality in adulthood.Furthermore, studies have more frequently considered green spaces (gardens, forests, urban parks) than blue spaces (canals, ponds, creeks, rivers, lakes, beaches, etc.).This study was conducted within the framework of the PHENOTYPE project with data from almost 3,600 adults from Barcelona (Spain), Doetinchem (Netherlands), Kaunas ...
Kerala doctor suspended for wrong surgery on boy
Kerala Health Minister K.K. Shailaja on Wednesday ordered the suspension of a government doctor for performing a wrong surgery on a seven-year-old boy.
Space travel may harm astronauts' joints: Study
Space travel can be detrimental to the joints of astronauts, say scientists who have found early signs of cartilage breakdown in mice sent aboard a Russian spaceflight. The study adds to a growing body of research about the health effects of spaceflight on the musculoskeletal system, according to the researchers from Henry Ford Hospital in the US. Research has shown that living and working in space leads to many changes in the human body including the immune system, blood pressure and the shape of a person's eyes. "We believe this degradation is due to joint unloading caused by the near lack of gravity in space. If this were to happen to humans, given enough time, it would lead to major joint problems," Jamie Fitzgerald, from Henry Ford Hospital. Researchers theorise that because the biomechanical forces in space are different from those on Earth, changes to the musculoskeletal system occur. "We do know that tissues of the musculoskeletal system - bone, muscle, tendon, cartilage and ..
More women die of heart attacks than men as bystanders less likely to help: Study
Chances of death for women who suffer cardiac arrest outside a hospital are more compared to men as they are less likely to be resuscitated by bystanders, a new study claims.A study published in the journal, 'European Heart Journal', found that people did not recognise women who collapsed were having a cardiac arrest, leading to delays in calling the emergency services and delays in providing resuscitation treatment.Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart goes into an irregular rhythm and then stops beating completely. It is different from a heart attack (or myocardial infarction).Dr Hanno Tan, the lead researcher said, "We found that the worse outcome in women is largely attributable to the fact that women had about half the chance of having a shockable initial rhythm compared to men."The term shockable initial rhythm is the heart rhythm recorded when someone with cardiac arrest is connected to an electrocardiogram machine; it is very fast (often more than 300 beats a minute) and ...
New smartphone app may help diagnose rare genetic disease
Scientists have developed a smartphone application which they say can help diagnose early symptoms of a rare genetic disorder. The Neural Impairment Test Suite app created by researchers at the Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) in Lithuania provides its user with a series of tests in order to check the presence of the symptoms. If the probability of symptoms is detected, the user is informed and encouraged to contact medical professionals for further advice. Huntington's disease, caused by an inherited defect in a single gene, is a progressive brain disorder that causes uncontrolled movements, emotional problems, and loss of thinking ability. If a parent has the gene, each son or daughter has a one in two (50/50) chance of inheriting the disease. Adult-onset Huntington's disease, the most common form of this disorder, usually appears in a person's thirties or forties. Individuals with the adult-onset form of Huntington disease usually live about 15 to 20 years after signs and ...
Boy or girl? Hong Kong at centre of banned China gender test
Shady middle-men are openly advertising on Chinese social media to smuggle blood samples of pregnant women to Hong Kong to skirt the mainland's ban on gender testing, an AFP investigation has found. The business thrives on a well-organised underground network that serves the huge demand for illicit sex-selective abortion in mainland China -- driven by limits on family size and an entrenched cultural preference for sons. Chinese authorities vowed to crack down on the trade in 2015. But dozens of blood smuggling agents are openly advertising services on the Twitter-like platform Weibo and on websites, despite China's proven ability to scrub digital content. Gender testing -- except on medical grounds -- is outlawed in China, where sex-selective abortions have helped create a surplus of about 31.6 million men, with some 115 boys born for every 100 girls last year. A long-standing one-child policy was eased to permit two children in 2016 but gender testing continues, with many parents of .
Regulating gut microbes may reduce anxiety: Study
Regulating gut microorganisms by using probiotic and non-probiotic food and supplements may help people alleviate their anxiety levels, a review of studies suggests. Anxiety symptoms are common in people with mental diseases and a variety of physical disorders, especially those related to stress, according to the study published in the journal General Psychiatry. Previous studies have shown that as many as a third of people will be affected by anxiety symptoms during their lifetime. Research has indicated that gut microbiota -- the trillions of microorganisms in the gut which perform important functions in the immune system and metabolism by providing essential inflammatory mediators, nutrients and vitamins -- can help regulate brain function through something called the "gut-brain axis." Recent research also suggests that mental disorders could be treated by regulating the intestinal microbiota, but there is no specific evidence to support this. Researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong ...
Low-cost method to store, transport life-saving vaccines developed
Scientists have developed a low-cost method to store crucial vaccines for weeks at a time, paving the way for safely transporting them to remote and developing regions of the world. According to scientists at the McMaster University in Canada, the research can replace the cumbersome "cold chain" -- constant storage at temperatures between two and eight degrees Celsius -- currently necessary to keep anti-viral vaccines viable. Regions lacking the infrastructure to refrigerate and transport vaccines could possibly benefit from this, they said. "You can spend all kinds of money developing a vaccine, but if it is deactivated by high temperature an hour before you can give it to someone, it doesn't matter," said Ali Ashkar, a professor at the McMaster University. The new method, described in the journal Scientific Reports, combines ingredients in existing vaccines with a sugary gels, remaining viable for eight weeks or more, even at elevated temperatures. According to the researchers, only
US states which took Obamacare funding saw more cancer screening
US states which expanded Medicaid insurance coverage to low-income adults as part of Barack Obama's signature healthcare law saw a marked increase in colorectal cancer screening, a new study said Wednesday. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed excluding skin cancers, according to the American Cancer Society, and its rates have been growing among younger people in recent years for reasons that are unclear. The paper, which appeared in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, estimated that if so-called non-expansion states had experienced the same increase in screening that was recorded in early adopter states, an additional 355,184 people would have been covered. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as "Obamacare," was enacted in 2010 and provided federal support for states to expand Medicaid insurance coverage to low-income adults. Five states and the District of Columbia were very early adopters and expanded Medicaid eligibility in 2010-2011. An ...
Indian woman doctor gets Global Asian award
Bengaluru-based medical doctor Hema Divakar was honoured with the 'Global Asian of the Year 2018-19' award in Dubai recently for her yeomen services and contributions to the women's healthcare ecosystem, in India, said its organiser 'Asia One' magazine's publisher on Tuesday.
Fight vaccine hesitancy as 'contagious disease', UN meeting told
Faced with a global resurgence of measles, health experts called Tuesday for countries to step up the fight against vaccine resistance, warning the movement was spreading like a contagious disease. World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus joined experts and health ministers from a range of countries at an event on "promoting vaccine confidence", amid rising concerns that resistance to immunisation is allowing preventable diseases to flourish. "No country can afford to be complacent about immunisation," Tedros told the meeting in Geneva, where the WHO is hosting its main annual gathering. The WHO says cases of measles -- a highly contagious viral infection that can prove fatal -- surged 300 percent in 2018. Resurgence of the once all-but-eradicated disease is linked to the growing anti-vaccine movement in richer nations, which has been identified as a major global health threat. "It's a contagious disease," Seth Berkley, who heads the GAVI Vaccine Alliance, told AFP, .
Scientists identify enzymes that play protective role against diabetic kidney disease
Researchers have identified a group of enzymes that help protect certain people against diabetic kidney disease.The study published in 'Diabetes Care' is built on the findings from a 2017 Joslin Medalist Study of protective factors and diabetic kidney disease (or DKD).The 2017 study focused on Joslin Medalists--people who have had diabetes for more than 50 years with little to no complications. The Medalists who never developed kidney disease had higher levels of a group of enzymes involved in glucose metabolism than people who did develop kidney disease.In their new study, doctors Hetal Shah, Daniel Gordin, and George King were able to show that protective factors are also present in kidney-disease-free people with shorter-duration type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.This finding indicates that these enzymes, and one in particular known as PKM2, play a strong protective role against kidney disease. The enzymes could be used as both biomarkers and, potentially, targets for DKD ...
Esketamine nasal spray effective, fast-acting antidepressant: Study
A new study has supported the effectiveness and safety of esketamine nasal spray that helps treat depression in people who do not respond to other depression treatments.The research was published in the 'American Journal of Psychiatry'.This study is one of the key studies that led to the recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of esketamine nasal spray, in conjunction with an oral antidepressant, for use in people with treatment-resistant depression.Depression is common, and as many as one-third of people with depression are considered treatment resistant--not finding relief from symptoms even after trying several antidepressants. Esketamine offers a new fast-acting treatment for people that have not responded to other depression treatments."The trial of esketamine was one of the pivotal trials in the FDA's review of this treatment for patients with treatment-resistant depression. Not only was adjunctive esketamine therapy effective, the improvement was evident within the ..
Scientists invent method to transfer life-saving vaccines to impoversished areas
Scientists have developed a new way that can help store vaccines and their subsequent transfer to remote and impoverished areas of the world.The new method developed by McMaster scientists and published in the 'Scientific Reports' combines the active ingredients in existing vaccines with a sugary gel, where they remain viable for eight weeks or more, even at elevated temperatures."This, to us, is the ultimate application of this technology. To imagine that something we worked on in the lab could one day be used to save people's lives is very exciting," said the paper's lead author Vincent Leung.The method creates light, durable, and compact doses that would be ideal for shipping Ebola vaccine, for example, to affected regions of Africa, the researchers said. The process adds only marginal cost to preparing a vaccine and eliminates almost all the cost of transporting it - which can account for 80 per cent of the total cost of inoculation.The storage technology was created by chemical ..
New nasal spray treats depression faster: Study
A new nasal spray has been found effective in treating people with depression who are often unable to relieve their symptoms despite trying other anti-depressants, says a study.
Cannabidiol might give a break to the drug-addiction cycle, claims study
While drug abuse has become prevalent in recent times, a new study has found that Cannabidiol (CBD) found in the cannabis plant, reduced cue-induced cravings in people who had past history of heroin abuse, indicating at a positive break to the cycle of addiction.The study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry also revealed that CBD tended to reduce physiological measures of stress reactivity, such as increased heart rate and cortisol levels, that are induced by drug cues."We initiated a study to assess the potential of a non-intoxicating cannabinoid on craving and anxiety in heroin-addicted individuals," says Yasmin Hurd, PhD, first author of the study."The specific effects of CBD on cue-induced drug craving and anxiety are particularly important in the development of addiction therapeutics because environmental cues are one of the strongest triggers for relapse and continued drug use."The current study used a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled design to explore ...
Doctor, nurses beaten up after three newborn die in Jharkhand
A doctor and some nurses at a government hospital in Jharkhand's Giridih were beaten up by relatives of three newborn babies who died on Tuesday, police said.