Page 553 - Health Medical Pharma
Soy-based formula may cause changes in girls' reproductive system
Newborn girls who consume soy-based formula are more likely to experience "subtle differences" in some reproductive-system cells and tissues, compared to those who use cow-milk formula or are breastfed, researchers say.
Novel 'tripple pill' may help lower BP
'Triple pill' - a drug combining doses of three blood pressure-lowering medications - can significantly increase the number of patients reaching their healthy BP targets, a study has found. Despite the availability of effective blood pressure-lowering drugs, high blood pressure remains a major problem around the world, researchers said. Effectively treating high blood pressure can help to prevent heart attacks, strokes and kidney problems. Globally, however, many people with high blood pressure receive no treatment, and only about a third of those who are treated achieve recommended reductions in blood pressure. Achieving desired reductions in blood pressure often requires treatment with more than one medication, which increases the complexity of treatment, and patients often have difficulty adhering to regimens that involve taking multiple pills every day. "Most people - 70 per cent - reached blood pressure targets with the Triple Pill," said Ruth Webster, from the University of New .
Slow down ageing with right food, ample sleep
Want to age slowly and live a longer life? Eat right, get adequate sleep and stay positive.
Doctors, bikers start 2,200-km long ride for cancer awareness
A group of doctors and bikers have joined hands to travel through 2,200 kilometres across the North East to create awareness about cancer by enacting street plays and organising talks along their entire journey. Twenty-five doctors and staff of Cachar Cancer Hospital & Research Centre and members of biking group 'Silchar Thumpers' have kick started their ride yesterday from Silchar in Assam. Members taking part in the rally - a collaboration of Tata Trusts, Cachar Cancer Hospital and others - will criss-cross seven NE states and will touch Shillong, Guwahati, Tezpur, Itanagar, Dibrugarh, Kohima, Imphal, Aizawl and Agartala before ending the ride again at Silchar on March 22. "Our purpose is to both support delivery of high quality and affordable cancer care close to patients' homes and also to generate mass awareness about its prevention and early detection," Tata Trusts Medical Director (Cancer Care Programme) Arnie Purushotham told PTI. There is a high incidence of
Dengue fever may increase stroke risk
People suffering from dengue fever are at two times higher risk of stroke, especially during the first two months following infection, a study warns. Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection that infects at least 100 million people every year around the world, with about four billion people at risk of the illness, which includes dengue hemorrhagic fever that can lead to spontaneous bleeding, organ failure and death. "Clinicians in dengue-endemic areas should be aware of this association, especially for patients with dengue who have neurologic deficits or for patients with stroke who have unexplained fever," said Chia-Hung Kao, China Medical University Hospital in Taiwan. The study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), looked at data on 13,787 patients, most between 31 and 60 years of age, with newly diagnosed dengue between 2000 and 2012. It found the incidence of stroke was higher in people with dengue fever. The risk of stroke was as high as 2.49 times in
'Tripple Pill' may reduce hypertension more effectively
Trying hard to reduce your blood pressure levels? A new "triple pill" that combines low doses of three blood pressure-lowering medications may be safe and help reduce hypertension more effectively, researchers suggest.
Dengue fever may increase risk of stroke: Study
People with dengue fever may have a higher risk of stroke, especially in the first two months following infection, a new study has claimed.
Moderate Facebook use may boost happiness in autistic adults
Adults with autism spectrum disorder who use Facebook in moderation tend to be happier than those who do not, finds a new study.
New technique for cervical cancer screening
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in the country among women aged between 15 and 44 years. The necessity of proactive and periodic screening stems from the fact that cervical cancer is a preventable and curable condition if detected in the asymptomatic stages.Unfortunately, in India, there continues to be a major gap in the awareness levels in women regarding screening, especially while still asymptomatic. This results in delayed diagnosis, making it critical to understand the advantages of screening and opting for appropriate testing methods.BD SurePath Direct to Slide (DTS), is a unique Liquid Based Cytology (LBC) test intended to be used for screening and detection of cervical cancer, pre-cancerous lesions, atypical cells and all other cytological categories.It offers the availability of residual sample for conducting important additional follow-up tests without the need for repeat sampling.According to Dr. Minaxi Desai, Ex-Director, Manchester Cytology Centre, ...
WHO lists 'Disease X' among priority diseases: Report
The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed "Disease X", which could potentially trigger deadly global epidemic in the near future, among priority diseases, calling for urgent measures to accelerate research and development to tackle it.
Novel 'risk calculator' can diagnose appendicitis in kids
Scientists, including one of Indian origin, have developed a new 'risk calculator' that can help diagnose appendicitis in children and provide tailored medical and surgical guidance. Researchers from Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota and HealthPartners Institute in the US used data collected from ten paediatric emergency departments to develop the risk calculator and then independently validated the score using data from a single children's hospital. Potential benefits of using the new risk calculator include a reduction in the use of computed tomography (CT), more judicious utilisation of ultrasound and a reduction in healthcare expenditures. "This method is of great benefit to our patients and the health care system overall," said Anupam Kharbanda, chief of critical care services at Children's Minnesota. "In addition to being able to target our care specifically to each patient, we're also reducing the use of unnecessary medical tests and expenses," said ...
Zydus Cadila gets USFDA nod for Tizanidine tablets
Cadila Healthcare today said its group firm Zydus Cadila has received final approval from the US health regulator for its generic version of Tizanidine tablets used for treatment of muscle spasms. The approval by the US Food and Drug Adminstration (USFDA) is for multiple strengths of 2 mg and 4 mg, the company said in a BSE filing. The tablets will be manufactured at the group's formulations manufacturing facility at SEZ, Ahmedabad, the company added. Tizanidine tablets are used to treat muscle spasms caused by certain conditions such as multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, it said. The group has more than 180 approvals with over 320 abbreviated new drug approvals (ANDAs) filed since 2003-04, the company said.
New technique to improve appendicitis diagnosis for kids developed
Researchers, including one of Indian-origin, have developed a new paediatric appendicitis risk calculator (pARC) that may help to calculate a specific risk for appendicitis in kids.
Cadila Healthcare gains after USFDA approval for drug
Cadila Healthcare rose 1% to Rs 393.25 at 12:15 IST on BSE after the company said it received final approval from the US drug regulator for its Tizanidine tablets.
Modest Facebook use can aid happiness in autistic adults
According to a study, moderate Facebook use promotes happiness in adults with autism spectrum disorder.The researchers propose that that ability to interact with others on Facebook, instead of in more challenging face-to-face interactions may help protect these individuals against mental health issues associated with ASD such as depression.This finding could not be generalized to overall use of social media, however, because the same was not true of those who used Twitter, for example.In "Social Media Use and Happiness with Autism Spectrum Disorder," coauthors Deborah Ward and Karen Dill-Shackleford, Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, CA and Micah Mazurek, University of Virginia, Charlottesville found that while happiness and Facebook use increased together up to a certain point, the beneficial effect of social media use then waned."Some studies report that up to 50% of adults with ASD have co-occurring social anxiety disorder. Facebook may provide a safe starting point for .
Blood-thinning drug could lower death risk post non-cardiac surgery
Dabigatran, a blood thinning drug, can significantly reduce the risk of death after non-cardiac surgery.Researchers in Hamilton have discovered that the blood thinner lowers the risk of death, heart attack, stroke, and other heart or blood-vessel complications in patients who have a heart injury following major, non-cardiac surgery.Every year, approximately eight million people world-wide develop a condition called myocardial injury after non-cardiac surgery (MINS), which refers to damage incurred to the tissue of the heart in response to the stress of surgery on the body.The condition affects patients undergoing major procedures such as a hip or knee replacement, bowel resection, or abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, and can lead to severe complications including heart attack, stroke, blood clots, amputations, and death.In the first randomized controlled trial to evaluate a treatment for MINS, Dr. P.J. Devereaux, scientific lead for perioperative research at the Population Health ...
Study renders insights into genetic abnormalities leading to multiple myeloma
In India, incidence of multiple myeloma affects 1.8 per cent in a population of 100,000. Approximately, 50,000 new cases of multiple myeloma are diagnosed each year.A recent study conducted by CORE Diagnostics reveal that genetic abnormalities are more prevalent among younger median age of 50 years to 70 years, which forms 65 per cent of total multiple myeloma cases.Out of 1001 cases, 37 per cent were found positive for various abnormalities like; Del13q(RB1), Del17p(TP53), t (4;14), t(11;14), t(14;16), 1q, Hypodiploidy and Hyperdipolidy etc.The study aimed to find out the frequency of Cytogenetic aberrations in multiple myeloma patients in Indian perspective. The retrospective observational study included 1001 patients falling in the age bracket of 21-90 years and was carried on over a course of three years from January 2015 to January 2018 at CORE Diagnostics.The study was conducted using Plasma Cell Enrichment Technique, which is a more accurate mechanism for separating plasma ...
Over 500 genes linked to intelligence identified
Scientists have identified over 500 genes linked to intelligence after comparing DNA variations in more than 240,000 people from around the world. The study, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, sheds new light on the biological building blocks of people's differences in intelligence. Researchers from Harvard University in the US, University of Edinburgh and University of Southampton in the UK identified 538 genes that play a role in intellectual ability. They also found 187 regions in the human genome that are linked to thinking skills. Genes found to be linked to intelligence also appeared to influence other biological processes, researchers said. Some genes linked to intellectual ability are also associated with living longer, scientists found. They also found that genes linked with problem solving powers were associated with the process by which neurons carry signals from one place to another in the brain. Using these genetic discoveries, scientists predicted seven per ..
Rolled over by auto rickshaw, 10-month-old girl successfully treated
It was a regular morning when 35-year-old Asha Matthew was walking with her 10-month-old daughter, Esther, to her grandmother's house. In a matter of few seconds, the young mother was face-down on the road and the baby flung a few feet away.The mother's handbag had gotten stuck in the handle of a passing by motorbike, jerking both the mother and baby into the busy street. Having suffered a bad fall herself, the mother witnessed her little girl being run-over by a passing auto rickshaw.Pedestrians and motorists, who witnessed the accident at Dombivali, helped the mother take her baby to a nearby hospital where baby Esther underwent a full body CT scan. It revealed an isolated chest trauma with accumulation of air and blood around the lungs and blunt trauma to the chest, putting the child in terrible pain; the child also couldn't breathe properly.Lack of infrastructure and medical expertise led to the child being shifted to Fortis Hospital, Mulund. The child was immediately admitted ...