Page 56 - Health Medical Pharma
ICMR develops affordable quick test kits for diagnosing genetic bleeding disorders
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has developed a cost-effective and rapid point-of-care test kit for diagnosing genetic bleeding disorders such as haemophilia A and Von Willebrand disease (VWD). Diagnostics which are currently available require special equipment and are expensive. "Both Haemophilia A and VWD are under diagnosed disorders in our country. There are only handful of comprehensive diagnostic centres for bleeding disorders," an official at ICMR said. "Lack of awareness and diagnostic facilities, high cost of tests are some of the factors for under-diagnosis of bleeding disorders in our country," he said. According to the ICMR, the kit is the world's first point-of-care test for specific diagnosis of any common bleeding disorder and costs less than Rs 50 in comparison to existing conventional test that cost around Rs 4,000 to Rs 10,000. The newly developed kit would help in diagnosis within 30 minutes of blood sample collection. Also, this will be available at ..
Your genes decide whether you will own a dog or not
The choice of getting a dog at home is heavily influenced by an individual's genetic make-up, says a study, suggesting that genetic variation explains more than half of the variation in dog ownership.
Merck Foundation marks World Hypertension Day 2019
Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany marked 'World Hypertension Day 2019' by building hypertension care capacity in Africa and Asia through their nationwide programs."Merck Foundation launched 'Merck Hypertension Award' in 2016 in more than 40 African and Asian universities in partnership with health ministries, first ladies and academia. The winners are enrolled for One Year Post Graduate Diploma in Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine with University of South Wales, UK. The aim is to build a platform of hypertension experts in underserved communities", said Dr Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation.Winners of the Merck Hypertension Award 2017 were announced last year. The award attracted over 500 concept submission applications from universities in Africa and Asia. The winners from each university have been provided with an opportunity to study for a one-year online Post Graduate Diploma."At Merck Foundation, we mark the "World Hypertension Day" every day ...
New policies needed to prevent measles resurgence, study suggests
A recent study highlights the current vaccination policies and scenario to eliminate measles and prevent it from occurring in future in Australia, Ireland, Italy, the UK, and the US.The study was published in the journal, 'BMC Medicine'.To successfully achieve and maintain measles elimination in these countries in the medium to long term, further country-specific immunization efforts may be needed in addition to current strategies. Measles elimination has been defined as the absence of endemic measles transmission in a region or other defined geographic area for twelve months or longer.A team of researchers used a computer model to simulate the evolution of measles immunity between 2018 and 2050 in seven countries; Australia, Ireland, Italy, Singapore, South Korea, the UK, and the US.The researchers focused their analysis on countries with a routine two-dose measles vaccination program and a high primary school involvement rate, but with different demographics and vaccination ...
Heavily processed foods lead to weight gain and calorie intake
Examining the effects of processed food, researchers found that, people eating ultra-processed foods consumed more calories and gained more weight than when they ate minimally processed diet.Researchers considered foods "ultra-processed" if they have ingredients predominantly found in industrial food manufacturing, such as hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, flavoring agents, and emulsifiers."Though we examined a small group, results from this tightly controlled experiment showed a clear and consistent difference between the two diets. This is the first study to demonstrate causality that ultra-processed foods cause people to eat too many calories and gain weight," wrote the study's lead author Kevin D. Hall in the study published in the Journal of Cell Metabolism.For the study, researchers admitted 20 healthy adult volunteers, 10 male and 10 female, for one continuous month and, in random order for two weeks on each diet, providing them with meals made up of ultra-processed .
Early weight-loss surgery may improve diabetes and blood pressure outcomes
Undergoing weight loss surgery in early age can result in better outcomes against type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, compared to adults who had the same procedure, observed researchers."Obesity increases the risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, and these conditions can be more difficult to manage in young people. We also found earlier bariatric surgery in carefully selected youth may have greater benefits compared to waiting until later in life," wrote the study author and program director, Mary Evans.The study was published in the Journal of Medicine."Although there are risks associated with bariatric surgery, this study demonstrates that, for many young people, the benefits likely outweigh the risks. Sufficient vitamin and mineral supplementation, along with continued medical care, can help mitigate some of these risks," said the study's first author Thomas Inge.Researchers also found that overall weight loss percentage was not different between the groups. ...
Results of workplace bullying, study suggests
Workplace bullying not only leads to health-related problems in the victims but can also cause them to behave badly, reveals a latest research.In some cases this is characterised by a lack of problem solving and high avoidance coping strategies.For example, drinking alcohol when facing a problem, experiencing very frequent negative emotions like anger, fear and sadness. Other repercussions may include high work 'moral disengagement' or in simpler terms, the way individuals rationalise their actions and absolve themselves of responsibility for the consequences.The study, carried out by the University of East Anglia and Uninettuno Telematic International University in Italy, was published in the journal, 'Personality and Individual Differences.'Bullying is one of the major occupational stresses for employees and the effects can compromise their development as well as their health and can interfere with the achievement of both personal and professional goals.It is usually differentiated .
World Hypertension Day: Everything you need to know about high blood pressure
Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, is a common condition in which there is an excessive long term force of blood applied to the artery walls leading to heart diseases. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries are, the higher would be your blood pressure.The recommended normal blood pressure levels range between 120/80mm Hg to 140/90 mm Hg.High blood pressure rarely has noticeable symptoms. If left untreated it can increase the risk of heart attacks or strokes. "A large number of people do not even know they have the condition. A major study in 2014 concluded that about 33 per cent urban and 25 per cent of rural Indians were hypertensive," informed Dr Shankar Narang, COO, Paras Healthcare.Hypertension has been long recognised as one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease and premature deaths worldwide. "It is a 'Silent Killer' with every third person having suffered from it - hypertension has emerged as the most important risk ...
Brain stimulation may help treat Alzheimer's disease: Study
Magnetic stimulation of the brain improves working memory, according to a study that may lead to a new therapy for individuals living with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. The study, published in the journal PLoS One, found that healthy younger and older adults who received repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) therapy performed better on a memory task than those who received placebo. Working memory is the process of recalling and then using relevant information while performing a task. It is a key component of day-to-day tasks like driving to a new location, making a recipe, or following instructions. "This study relies on highly individualised parameters, from the selection of the stimulated target, based on fMRI activation, to the selection of the difficulty, titrated according to subjects' performance," said Lysianne Beynel, a postdoctoral associate at Duke University in the US. Functional magnetic resonance imaging or functional MRI (fMRI) measures ..
About 500 people test positive for HIV in Pakistani district
Nothing seemed unusual to Rehmana Bibi, the mother of 10-year-old Ali Raza, when the boy came down with a fever at their home in the dusty, largely neglected district of Larkana in southern Pakistan. Bibi took her son to a local doctor, who prescribed paracetamol syrup for Raza and told her there was no need to worry. But she panicked after being alerted that several children who initially came down with a fever had tested positive for HIV in nearby villages. Alarmed, Bibi took Raza to a hospital where medical tests confirmed the boy was among about 500 people, mostly children, who authorities say tested positive for the virus, which can lead to AIDS. A local physician who has AIDS has since been arrested and is being investigated for possibly intentionally infecting patients. "We were in great pain the day we heard about our son testing HIV positive," she told The Associated Press on Thursday. Bibi said it was heartbreaking to learn that her child contracted HIV at such a young age. .
French doctor charged in 17 poisoning cases: Lawyer
A French doctor already under investigation for poisoning seven patients has been charged with poisoning 17 more people at a clinic in eastern France, one of his lawyers said on Thursday. Frederic Pechier worked as an anaesthesiologist at two private clinics in Besancon, when seven patients, aged 37 to 53, went into cardiac arrest from 2008 to 2017.
519 tested HIV-positive in Pak's Sindh province
As many as 519 people, most of whom were children, have been tested HIV-positive in the last two weeks in Pakistan's Sindh province, with health officials attributing the cause to the use of unsanitary equipment, unsafe blood transfusion and rampant malpractice -- often at the hands of quack doctors. According to a UN report, Pakistan now has the second-fastest growing rate of HIV in Asia, with about 20,000 new infections in 2017 alone. On Wednesday, 39 cases of HIV were detected during screening of people in Larkana district, taken the HIV positive cases to over 500 in the last 17 days, health officials said. As many as 23 children and five women were tested HIV-positive in the latest screenings carried out in Ratodero town, where the highest number of such cases have been detected in the district. Last month, provincial health authorities were alarmed when the number of HIV-positive cases rose to 39, which included over a dozen children. According to an inquiry by the health ...
Health ministry asks centre-run hospitals to set up 'dengue corners'
Ahead of the monsoon season, the health ministry has asked all centre-run hospitals to set up 'dengue corners', dedicated areas to provide treatment to dengue patients, as part of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) guidelines. The 'Dengue Corners' will have designated staff that will cater to dengue patients. "The aim of setting up these dengue corners is to provide seamless and efficient healthcare service to the patients during surge in dengue incidence. These instructions are part of the guildelines of the NVBDCP," Dr Ashutosh Biswas, a professor of medicine at the AIIMS, said. With no specific drug and vaccine currently available in the country to cure dengue, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria said that a good supportive treatment accompanied with early diagnosis helps in the treatment of the mosquito born viral disease. According to Dr Guleria, the India Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting research on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine on ..
Former US president Carter out of hospital after hip surgery
Former US president Jimmy Carter, who underwent surgery this week after breaking his hip in a fall, was released from hospital on Thursday, the Carter Center said. Carter, 94, who served from 1977 to 1981 as the 39th US president, broke his hip while leaving his home in the southern state of Georgia on Monday to go turkey hunting. The Carter Center said the former president was released from Phoebe Sumter Medical Center after undergoing hip replacement surgery. It said he will recuperate at home and undergo physical therapy. The Carter Center said the former president planned to teach Sunday school at the Maranatha Baptist Church this weekend. Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, 91, was admitted to the hospital overnight for testing and observation after feeling faint, the Carter Center said. She left the hospital with her husband on Thursday. Jimmy Carter, America's oldest living president, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2015 but was declared free of the disease after treatment.
Navy airlifts comatose woman from Lakshadweep to Kochi
: An urgent medical evacuation of a comatose patient from a hospital in Lakshadweep to Kochi was carried out by the Navy Thursday. The evacuation from the Indira Gandhi Hospital, Kavaratti, to Kochi was done by the southern naval command (SNC) on a request received from the administration of Lakshadweep and Minicoy, according to a defence press release here. Cheriyabi PP (43), a resident of Kalpeni, was critically ill as she has been suffering from cerebro vascular accident (CVA) with cerebral haemorrhage and in need of urgent medical evacuation to the mainland, the release said. A naval advanced light helicopter (ALH) was immediately launched by the southern naval command from INS Garuda, with medical personnel to evacuate the patient from Kavaratti to Kochi. The naval liaison team at Kavaratti provided assistance in transferring the patient, along with medical escort, to the helicopter, the release said. The patient, along with the escort, was flown to INS Garuda, ...
Resident doctors abstain from work at Hindu Rao hospital over pending salaries
The resident doctors of Hindu Rao hospital, run by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), abstained from duty for three hours Thursday morning over delay in payment of their salaries. The doctors warned to go on an indefinite strike from Monday if the civic body failed to pay them their salaries pending for the last three months. A senior NDMC official said that arrangements were being made to release the salaries of the doctors. Around 450 resident doctors and interns of the hospital did not attend duties from 9.30 am to 12 noon, demanding payment of their salaries. "We will go on an indefinite strike from Monday, if the NDMC administration does not release our salaries," said Rahul Chaudhary, the president of Resident Welfare Association at the hospital. He said that salaries of the doctors were pending for the last three months. The municipal corporation, suffering financial crisis, has been facing hardships in regular payment of salaries to its employees, including ...
Now, a new phone app detects ear infections in children
Researchers have created a new smartphone app, which can detect fluid behind the eardrum by using a piece of paper, the phone's microphone and a speaker.According to the study published in the Journal of Translational Medicine, infection in ear occurs when fluid builds up in the middle ear behind the eardrum.This build-up is also common in another condition called otitis media with effusion. Any kind of fluid build-up can be painful and make it hard for children to hear, which can be especially detrimental when they are learning to talk.These conditions are hard to diagnose because they have vague symptoms. Sometimes children tug on their ears or have fevers, and sometimes there are no symptoms. In addition, young children may not be able to describe where are they feeling hurt.Now, with the invention of new Smartphone app parents can detect fluid behind the eardrum.The Smartphone makes a series of soft audible chirps into the ear through a small paper funnel and, depending on the way
Only 48% Lok Sabha candidates are graduate: ADR
Only 48 per cent of the candidates contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha polls have declared graduation and above educational qualifications, according to the National Election Watch and the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
Current thinking may distort memories of love
If you do not think of a person as highly now as you used to, the memories associated with that person can also change, says a study.
Preterm complications leading cause of death among Indian children under the age of five in 2015
Preterm birth complications was the leading cause of death among Indian children under the age of five in 2015, followed by pneumonia, intrapartum-related events and diarrhoea, according to two studies published in The Lancet. Preterm birth complications accounted for 25.5 per cent of the under 5 mortality, followed by pneumonia, a largely preventable but sometimes deadly infectious disease, which accounted for 15.9 per cent of such deaths. Intrapartum-related events (during labour and after birth) and diarrhoea made for 11.1 per cent and 8.9 per cent of such deaths respectively. The studies highlighted that India had more deaths among children under five than any other country in 2015, with large disparities in the child mortality rates between richer and poorer states. Most (57.9 percent) of deaths among Indian children under five in 2015 occurred in the first four weeks of life - the neonatal period, one of them stated. Infectious illnesses were more often among the top causes of ..