Page 541 - Health Medical Pharma

Advocate from Kanpur becomes first in country to register 'living will'

A 35-year old advocate from Kanpur becomes the country's first citizen to register a 'living will', following the Supreme Court ruling in favour of passive euthanasia on terminally-ill patients earlier this month.A 'living will' is something when a patient puts forth their wishes in regard to the manner they want to be treated, if they get seriously ill.In the 'living will', the advocate, named Sharad Kumar Tripathi, on March 17, gave the authority to junior advocate Amitesh Singh, who from now on would be in charge of taking a decision on whether he should be kept on any form of life support systems or not.The top court on March 9 issued a verdict where it allowed passive euthanasia, or withholding treatment essential to life for a terminally-ill patient, subject to certain guidelines.Most importantly, in one of the guidelines, a name of a close relative should be mentioned in the event if the aforementioned executor of the decision is unable to take a call in regard to the ...

Bikers Cancer Awareness Rally concludes in Silchar today

The 2100 km Bikers Cancer Awareness Run and Ride rally spreading awareness on cancer concluded in Silchar today after covering seven states of the North East Region. Starting from Silchar on March 12, a 34-member team on 17 motorbikes stopped at Shillong, Guwahati, Tezpur, Itanagar, Dibrugarh, Kohima, Imphal, Aizwal and Agartala, the organiers said. At every stop there was wide participation by schools, medical colleges, NGOs, nursing students, NSS, doctors, patient support groups, Defence and Military forces, CRPF, BSF and Assam Rifles, they said. The rally was organized by Cachar Cancer Hospital, Silchar Thumpers, Enfield club, Tata Trusts and others.

'Clinical' strike for #smokefreeindia

A US-based health organisation, Vital Strategies, on Thursday commended the Indian government on the launch of a national tobacco control mass media campaign to warn people about the harm of exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke (SHS).

Know why obese people have less sensitive taste buds

Inflammation, driven by obesity, may reduce the number of taste buds on the tongue by 25 per cent, while affecting a person's sensitivity to the taste of food, researchers have found.

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra against high salt consumption

Filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and spiritual leader and Art of Living Founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar have joined a campaign to raise awareness about high salt consumption by Indians and its adverse effect on the kidneys.

'CCTV footage of Jayalalitha's stay in hospital not available'

The Close Circuit TV (CCTV) footage of former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa's stay in Apollo Hospital is not available, as disclosed by hospital chairman Dr Prathap C Reddy on Thursday during a press conference here."CCTV cameras at Apollo Hospitals were turned off during the 75-day hospitalisation of Jayalalithaa before her death on December 5, 2016," Reddy told reporters.After Jayalalithaa was admitted, she was the only patient to occupy 24-bed intensive care unit (ICU)."As soon as she got admitted, the access to the ICU was closed. All patients were diverted to another ICU. This ICU was occupied only by her. Only one out of 24 rooms in the ICU was used. They removed the camera because they did not want everyone to be watching," Reddy said.Jayalalithaa was admitted to the hospital on September 22, 2016. She suffered a cardiac arrest on December 4 and was declared dead the following day.Following her death, suspicion over the circumstances leading to her demise were ...

Johnson & Johnson rolls out mobile training centre for surgeons

Medical devices maker Johnson & Johnson Medical India on Thursday launched a specialised bus to travel across the country and provide hands on surgery training to around 25,000 healthcare professionals in the next five years.

'Hip Hop Stroke' intervention can raise awareness, save lives

Have you ever heard songs with lyrics based on heart conditions?

No Jaya footage to prevent people from watching:Apollo

Apollo Hospitals, which treated former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in 2016 till her death, today said no footage of hers in the hospital room was kept as "we did not want everyone to be watching." Speaking to reporters here, Apollo Hospitals founder-chairman Prathap Reddy said the medical staff did their best to save Jayalalithaa but she passed away after suffering a "massive heart attack." Admitted for fever and dehydration in September 2016 at the corporate hospital, the AIADMK supremo breathed her last on December 5 the same year, after receiving 75 days of medical treatment. The octogenarian doctor, speaking on the sidelines of a seminar organised by the hospital, said after Jayalalithaa was admitted there, other patients were shifted to another intensive care facility. "The ICU was more or less completely occupied only by her (Jayalalithaa). One out of 24 rooms were used...we removed the footage because we did not want everyone to be watching," Reddy added. Reddy

Treatment for lower back pain poor, harmful globally: Lancet

Current treatments including opioids, injections and surgery to treat lower back pain -- the leading cause of disability globally -- are useless, unnecessary and harmful, finds a series of studies in The Lancet.

Protein that can stop cancer identified

Researchers have discovered a protein that prevents the uncontrolled proliferation of cancer cells in the liver.

Menopausal hormone therapy likely to boost brain skills

Hormone therapy taken to relieve menopausal symptoms including hot flashes, fatigue, insomnia, may also play a beneficial role in improving memory and thinking skills, a study suggests.

Somalian undergoes double hip replacement at Apollo Hospitals

A double hip replacement surgery was successfully performed on a 53-year-old Somalian patient using the latest minimally invasive procedure at a private hospital here, enabling him to walk freely after 31 years, the hospital said today. The procedure, known as the 'Direct Hip Anterior', was used "for the first time in India," a release from the Apollo Hospitals said. "Both the hips of Mukhtar Hilowli got fused following a severe bout of infection in 1986," it said. It deprived him of the normal hip joint movement, Apollo Hospitals (Hospitals Division) President Dr Hari Prasad said. He had an abnormal gait on account of this, which made movement arduous and he had to endure the trauma for the last 31 years, Prasad said. According to the release, orthopedic surgeons led by Dr P Sharat Kumar performed the procedure. The patient underwent sequential bilateral total hip replacements, with the right one being replaced first on December 30 last followed by the left hip on ...

Flu, pneumonia may raise heart attack, stroke risk: study

People who have had flu or pneumonia may be six times more likely to suffer from a heart attack or stroke in the days after infection, according to a study. The research, published in the European Respiratory Journal, found that several different organisms that cause respiratory infections also increase heart attack and stroke risk, including S. pneumoniae bacteria and influenza. The findings suggest that getting vaccinated against these two infections could also have a role in preventing heart attack and stroke, along with preventing infection in the first place. "Heart disease, strokes and lower respiratory infections have been the three leading causes of death globally for over 15 years, and are important public health problems that affect large numbers of people worldwide," said Charlotte Warren-Gash, associate professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in the UK. The study found that having flu or pneumonia increases the risk of having a heart attack for up

Flu, pneumonia may raise heart attack and stroke risk

Older adults diagnosed with respiratory infections such as flu or pneumonia, are six times more likely to suffer from heart attack or stroke in the days after infection, a study warned.

Over 400 people taken ill eating 'Prasad' in Howrah

More than 400 people were taken ill after eating 'bhog prasad' of a religious ceremony at Kakrai village in Howrah district, a health official said today. About 125 affected people were admitted to two hospitals at Debipur and Jangalpara, Chief Medical Officer (Health) Bhabani Das said. About 300 others have been affected and they are being treated at their residences, she said. All of them complained of vomiting, lose motion and stomach pain after they ate the 'bhog prasad' on Tuesday. The affected people are getting well soon, Das said. A sample of the water used in cooking the 'bhog prasad' was sent to the School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata for test, an official said.

Measles outbreak in Manipur kills two children

Two tribal children were killed after an outbreak of measles in Manipur, said K. Rajo, Director of Health Services, on Thursday. Over 50 other children have also been affected by this disease.

Grilled, roasted meat may up high BP risk: study

People who routinely eat grilled or roasted meat, chicken and fish may be more likely to develop high blood pressure, a study warns. Researchers at the Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health in the US analysed cooking methods and the development of high blood pressure in people who regularly ate beef, poultry or fish. The study involved 32,925 women taking part in the Nurses' Health Study, 53,852 women participating in the Nurses' Health Study II and 17,104 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Detailed cooking information was collected in each of these long-term studies. None of the participants had high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, or cancer when they enrolled. However, 37,123 people developed high blood pressure during an average follow-up of 12-16 years, according to the research presented at the American Heart Association's session. "The chemicals produced by cooking meats at high temperatures induce oxidative stress, inflammation and insulin resistance ..

SGRF appoints Dr. Rajani Kanth Vangala as full time Director

SciGenom Research Foundation (SGRF) has announced the appointment of Dr. Rajani Kanth Vangala as its full time Director.He will lead the scientific and outreach activities of the foundation and oversee its day to day activities. Dr. Vangala brings over 15 years of experience in translational research and technology development. He will be based at the SGRF lab in Narayana Health City at Bangalore.Dr. Vangala most recently served as a director and head of translational research at the Thrombosis Research Institute (TRI). His primary research focus has been discovery of biomarkers for risk prediction, diagnostics and translating them into clinically useful tools using nanotechnology.His approach to translational research also included knowledge translation, technology development and teaching / training M.Sc and Ph.D students. He has over twenty peer reviewed publications and a patent pending to his credit along with several presentations at national and international conferences."We ..

Anxiety may trigger smartphone addiction: study

People who are less emotionally stable and suffer from anxiety are more likely to be addicted to their smartphones, according to a study. Researchers from the University of Derby and Nottingham Trent University in the UK conducted an online study with 640 smartphone users, aged 13-69, to find out the association between smartphone use and personality traits. They found that people who struggle with their mental health are more likely to intensively use their smartphone as a form of therapy. The less conscientious the individuals are, the more likely they are to be addicted to their phones, researchers said. The study also revealed that as anxiety levels increase in an individual, the more they use their smartphone. With 4.23 billion smartphones being used around the world, smartphone use has become a necessity in the lives of many individuals," said Zaheer Hussain, lecturer at the University of Derby. The study found that anxiety correlated with problematic smartphone use, supporting .