Page 572 - Health Medical Pharma
Parrikar's health stable, under observation: Official
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar continued to be hospitalised in the Goa Medical College and Hospital near Panaji through Monday, even as the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said his condition is stable.
Review insurance clauses reg genetic disorders: HC to IRDA
In a significant judgement, the Delhi High Court today directed the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India (IRDA) to have a re-look at the exclusion clauses in the insurance contracts to ensure that claims were not rejected on the basis of exclusions relating to "genetic disorders" like cardiac conditions, high blood pressure and diabetes. Observing that the availing of health insurance was an integral part of the 'Right to Health and healthcare' under the Constitution, Justice Pratibha Maninder Singh held that the clause in the insurance policy excluding a person with "genetic disorder" from availing its benefit was "discriminatory" and contrary to public policy. The judge also left it to the lawmakers to take necessary steps in this regard, saying there was an urgent need for a proper framework against genetic discrimination. "The IRDA is directed to re-look at the Exclusionary clauses in insurance contracts and ensure that insurance companies do not reject claims on ..
New target for Parkinson's therapy identified
Researchers have discovered one of the factors behind nerve cell death in Parkinson's disease, unlocking the potential for new treatment to slow the progression of this fatal neurodegenerative disorder.
Anxiety can help you remember things
Anxiety can help your memory, a new research has found.According to a study led by the University of Waterloo, manageable levels of anxiety actually aid people in being able to recall the details of events.The study of 80 undergraduate students found that when anxiety levels got too high or descended into fear, it could lead to the colouring of memories where people begin to associate otherwise neutral elements of an experience to the negative context."People with high anxiety have to be careful," said co-author Myra Fernandes."To some degree, there is an optimal level of anxiety that is going to benefit your memory, but we know from other research that high levels of anxiety can cause people to reach a tipping point, which impacts their memories and performance."The study saw students from the University of Waterloo (64 females) complete the experiment. Half of the participants were randomly assigned to a deep encoding instruction group while the other half were randomly assigned to .
Automated external defibrillator may double cardiac arrest survival
Survival from cardiac arrest doubles when a bystander is able to step in to apply an automated external defibrillator (AED) before the arrival of medical help, researchers say.
Vegetarian, Mediterranean diet may keep heart diseases at bay
Consuming a form of vegetarian diet, which includes eggs and dairy but excludes meat and fish, may be just as effective as a Mediterranean diet in reducing the risk of heart diseases and stroke, researchers have claimed.
Wearable sensors may boost recovery in stroke patients
Scientists are developing novel wearable sensors that could help speed up the recovery of stroke patients. The sensors send information to doctors continuously, and could allow them to more closely monitor the effectiveness of their care. "It is almost mechanically imperceptible to the patient who is wearing the device," said John Rogers, of Northwestern University in Chicago in the US, who developed the sensors. "And you can embed all sorts of advanced sensor functionality, microprocessor computing capability, power supplies and WiFi into this very unusual platform, and that is the uniqueness of what we do," said Rogers. The technology to put sensors on the body to assess which muscle groups work or not can pinpoint the areas affected by the stroke, Dr Lizzy McAninch told 'BBC News'. The technology can help target therapies to specifically improve those issues. McAninch had a stroke two years ago. She could not move or speak or swallow for several weeks. She is testing the wearable .
Shantha Biotechnics receives WHO nod for cholera vaccine storage
Sanofi Pasteur today said its affiliate Shantha Biotechnics has received approval from the World Health Organization for storage of its oral cholera vaccine Shanchol at high temperatures, thus increasing its availability. After the approval by the WHO, Shanchol may be kept for a single period of time at temperature of up to 40C for up to 14 days immediately prior to administration. The approval is of great significance to regions where the vaccine is used, including India, as it eliminates the challenges of maintaining the vaccine cold chain during transport, Sanofi Pasteur said in a statement. Shantha Biotechnics' Executive Director and COO Mahesh Bhalgat said : "This is a significant milestone in our efforts towards effective cholera prevention and control." WHO's approval will help make Shanchol available to populations living in remote, hard-to-reach areas of India and other parts of the world, especially ones with erratic electricity supply, he added. The WHO approval for use of .
Aster DM Healthcare settles lower on debut
Shares of Aster DM Healthcare settled at Rs 179.85 on BSE, at a discount of 5.34% to its initial public offer price of Rs 190 per share on its debut on the bourses today, 26 February 2018.
Mahesh Babu named brand ambassador of Protinex
Superstar Mahesh Babu has been roped in as the ambassador for the protein brand Protinex.
Lupin launches generic Axiron topical solution in US
Drug firm Lupin today said it has launched its testosterone topical solution in the American market. The company has launched Testosterone Topical Solution, 30 mg per actuation, in the US after receiving approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), Lupin said in a filing to BSE. The company's product is the generic version of Eli Lilly and the companys Axiron topical solution, 30 mg per actuation, it added. It is indicated for replacement therapy in males for conditions associated with deficiency or absence of endogenous testosterone, Lupin said. As per IQVIA MAT December 2017 data, testosterone topical solution, 30 mg per actuation had annual sales of approximately USD 179 million in the US, it added. Shares of Lupin today closed at Rs 821.30 per scrip on BSE, up 1.75 per cent from the previous close.
Anxiety may help remember things: study
Manageable levels of anxiety can actually help you remember more details of an event, a study claims. The study of 80 undergraduate students also found that when anxiety levels got too high or descended into fear, it could lead to the colouring of memories where people begin to associate otherwise neutral elements of an experience to the negative context. "People with high anxiety have to be careful," said Myra Fernandes, professor at the University of Waterloo in Canada. "To some degree, there is an optimal level of anxiety that is going to benefit your memory, but we know from other research that high levels of anxiety can cause people to reach a tipping point, which impacts their memories and performance," said Fernandes. For the study half of the participants were randomly assigned to a deep encoding instruction group while the other half were randomly assigned to a shallow encoding group. All participants completed the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. It was discovered that ...
Demanding targets make employees sleep less than 6 hours : Assocham
Nearly 56 per cent of corporate employees in India sleep less than six hours a day due to high stress levels that arise out of tough targets set by their employers, an Assocham Healthcare Committee report said here on Monday.
Some facts about Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Following the death of the veteran actress, Sridevi, of sudden cardiac arrest, many people are left with confusion and anxiety over the cause of it.Lack of proper knowledge has left many people in shock over the suddenness of it.Dr KK Aggarwal, Padma Shri awardee, President Heart Care Foundation of India and Immediate Past National President IMA, has come forward to make some common facts of sudden cardiac arrest clear.- Over 70 percent of all sudden cardiac deaths are due to underlying heart blockages- The frequency of heart blockages is much lower in sudden deaths occurring under the age of 30 (24 percent)- About 10 percent of sudden deaths are due to underlying structural heart disease (congenital coronary artery anomalies, myocarditis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic, and right ventricular cardiomyopathy). The frequency is much higher in subjects under the age of 30 (35 percent)- Around 5 to 10 percent of sudden cardiac deaths are arrhythmias occurring in the absence ..
A little anxiety may aid your memory
Do you tend to be worried or anxious over petty issues? Relax, a little anxiety may help you in remembering things, researchers have claimed.
4 health tips to help students perform well in exam season
It's that time of the year when both students and parents feel "exam pressure". Students are under pressure to perform their best, but doing so requires a balanced approach to health, in addition to consistent studying.
'Party drug' ketamine may treat depression symptoms within hours
Ketamine, an anaesthetic agent often misused as a recreational 'party drug', may help treat severe depression by producing a response within hours rather than weeks, scientists say. Ketamine and related drugs may represent a "paradigm shift" in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar depression - especially in patients who do not respond to other treatments, according to a research review by Carlos A Zarate, and colleagues from the US National Institute of Mental Health. Current treatments for MDD and bipolar depression have major limitations. Many patients with severe depressive symptoms don't respond to available antidepressant drugs. Even for those who do respond, it may take several weeks before symptoms improve. Ketamine, an anaesthetic, is one of several glutamatergic drugs affecting neurotransmitters in the central nervous system. Over the past decade, several studies have reported "rapid, robust, and relatively sustained antidepressant response" to ...
BD appoints Pavan Mocherla as MD for India, South Asia
Global medical technology firm Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) today said it has appointed Pavan Mocherla as the new managing director for India and South Asia operations. With more than 25 years of experience across various industries, Mocherla has held multiple positions and managed several projects in both emerging and developed markets, BD said in a statement. He has been with BD for over 14 years in business and strategic roles, it added. "In his last assignment in BD for Strategic Innovation, he was instrumental in setting up an Innovation System to accelerate growth opportunities for the markets of China and South East Asia," the statement said. In his current role, Mocherla will be driving patient safety initiatives like antimicrobial resistance, healthcare associated infections reduction and spearhead projects to improve access to technology in the global health space (HIV, TB) through engagement with stake holders across government and multilateral agencies, it ...
Italy's vaccine debate shows anti-establishment sway
In Italy, the fight against measles has moved from the doctor's office to the political battleground. The nation is facing one of its worst epidemics of measles in recent years, reporting a six-fold increase in cases last year that accounted for a quarter of all the cases in Europe. And yet the government's response a new law requiring parents to vaccinate their kids against measles and nine other childhood diseases has become one of the most divisive issues going into March 4 general elections. Public health authorities are incredulous that the small but loud anti-vax movement has gained traction during an entirely preventable measles outbreak, thanks to an election campaign where prominent politicians have questioned the safety of shots and denounced obligatory inoculations. It's just one example of how anti-establishment politics has upended even the most basic facts of life and death in Italy, and how a now-discredited Lancet article that linked autism to the MMR vaccine ...
New steps taken to fight, understand glaucoma
A new research has found new directions in understanding and fighting glaucoma.According to a study conducted by the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, two distinctive handfuls of short molecules that regulate gene expression have been found in the eye fluid of patients with two distinct types of vision degenerating glaucoma.These differentially expressed microRNAs point the way toward finding more genes associated with glaucoma, more clues about how these glaucoma types each go about damaging our optic nerve and potential new points of intervention, the scientists said."If we know the pathways involved, maybe we can reverse this, find better targets and design better drugs," said Dr. Yutao Liu, the corresponding author of the study.Currently, only a handful of known genetic mutations have been found to account for about 10 percent of glaucoma, said Liu."Differential expression" means the microRNA or miRNA - expression could be higher or lower in the different ...