Page 576 - Health Medical Pharma

Mumbai: Doctors remove 'world's largest brain tumour'

Surgeons at Neurosurgical department of BYL Nair Hospital have removed a massive brain tumour - weighing 1.8 kg - which protruded from the top of the patient's skull.They feel it is the largest brain tumour in record.Santlal Pal, 31, who came here from Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh, was admitted with swelling under the scalp, heaviness, headache and decreasing vision in both eyes."This case is a very unique and rare case. It was a very huge tumour, the size of which was nearly the size of the head. Size, vascularity and the involvement of the brain and the bone possessed a challenge in the case," Dr Trimurti Nadkarni, Head, Department of Neurosurgical told ANI."The operation lasted for about seven hours. During the operation, he lost tremendous amount of blood which is life threatening. So, constantly we had to transfer 11 units of blood during the surgery," he added."After cross-checking medical records, we believe it could be the largest ever brain tumour to be successfully removed," he ...

C-section, gut bacteria may up obesity risk in kids

Babies born to obese women via Caesarean-section (C-section) may be at five times greater risk of turning out overweight by the age of three, a study has found.

New iPhone app to aid heart attack survivors

A new iPhone-based app may help patients who survived a heart attack to maintain their health and reduce the number of hospital readmissions, according to a study.

Indian origin Prof gets $600000 grant to develop lupus cure

An Indian-origin professor and his two colleagues at the University of Houston have got a USD 600,000 private grant for their path-breaking research to develop a new treatment for lupus. The Target Identification in Lupus grant from the Lupus Research Alliance has been given to Chandra Mohan, endowed professor in the university's biomedical engineering department, and his research team members Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz. Lupus is a complex autoimmune disease that is difficult to diagnose, treat and defeat. Only one treatment has been approved in nearly 60 years. "Lupus nephritis (kidney disease) is one of the most serious complications of lupus. With the TIL grant support, Chandra Mohan, MD, PhD, University of Houston will build on his existing discoveries to evaluate a potential new therapeutic target for lupus nephritis," the health organisation said. Only seven lupus researchers across the country were asked to carry out these tasks and the grant will address fundamental questions ..

Testing tears may help diagnose Parkinson's early: study

Testing tears may be a reliable, inexpensive and noninvasive way to diagnose Parkinson's disease early, a study has found. Researchers investigated tears because they contain various proteins produced by the secretory cells of the tear gland, which is stimulated by nerves to secrete these proteins into tears. "We believe our research is the first to show that tears may be a reliable, inexpensive and noninvasive biological marker of Parkinson's disease," said Mark Lew from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Since Parkinson's can affect nerve function outside of the brain, the researchers hypothesised that any change in nerve function may be seen in the protein levels in tears. For the study, tear samples from 55 people with Parkinson's were compared to tear samples from 27 people who did not have Parkinson's but who were the same age and gender. Tears were analysed for the levels of four proteins. Researchers found differences in the levels of a particular protein, ..

Genetics may play big role in kid's snacking patterns

Parents, take note! The types of snacks a child chooses could be linked to genetics, a new study has claimed.

Testing tears may help in early diagnosis of Parkinson's

Testing tears may be a cheap, non-invasive as well as reliable technique for early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, say scientists.

Beetroot juice supplements may help heart failure patients: study

Beetroot juice supplements may help enhance exercise capacity in patients with heart failure, a study has found. Exercise capacity is a key factor linked to these patients' quality of life and even survival, said researchers from Indiana University in the US. The study, published in the Journal of Cardiac Failure, examined the impact of dietary nitrate in the form of beetroot juice supplements on the exercise capacity of eight heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction. It is a condition in which the heart muscle does not contract effectively and cannot get enough oxygen-rich blood to the body. Tens of millions of people suffer from heart failure. In about half of all such people, the ejection fraction of the heart is reduced, the researchers said. Because of their condition, these patients exhibit laboured breathing, have diminished peak oxygen uptake and use more energy while exercising than would otherwise be the case. The researchers found that the beetroot supplement .

Merck Foundation to empower infertile women in Gambia

Merck Foundation, a non-profit organization and a subsidiary of Merck KGaA Germany, is partnering with the First Lady of Gambia, Fatoumatta Bah Barrow, to empower infertile women across Africa.The partnership aims to achieve the Merck Foundation's objectives of raising awareness, building professional capacity and improving healthcare access in the field of cancer and fertility care in Gambia and other African countries.Bah-Barrow is the ambassador for the 'Merck More Than a Mother' campaign."It was a great honor to appoint the First Lady of Gambia, Her Excellency Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow, as an ambassador of 'Merck More Than a Mother' campaign. Together, we have acknowledged and encouraged infertile women groups across the country for their courage to share their stories of suffering from infertility stigma. They are 'Merck More Than a Mother' heroines. I am thrilled and proud to be a part of this great day," said Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President of Merck More ...

Beetroot juice supplements can benefit heart failure patients

Beetroot juice supplements may help certain heart failure patients by enhancing their exercise capacity, according to a study.Exercise capacity is a key factor linked to these patients' quality of life and even survival.The study examined the impact of dietary nitrate in the form of beetroot juice supplements on the exercise capacity of eight heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction, a condition in which the heart muscle doesn't contract effectively and can't get enough oxygen-rich blood to the body.Tens of millions of people suffer from heart failure. In about half of all such people, the ejection fraction of the heart is reduced.Because of their condition, these patients exhibit labored breathing, have diminished peak oxygen uptake and use more energy while exercising than would otherwise be the case.Researchers found that the beetroot supplement resulted in significant increases in exercise duration, peak power and peak oxygen uptake while exercising.Those improvements

Some essential tests for women in their 40's

Women in 40s undergo subtle changes that need to be addressed before they become problems.Here are some of the most common health shifts that women experience:• Metabolism: Slowing by 2% per decade• Muscle: Down by 6 to 7 pounds from 10 years ago• Bone: Dropping by about 1% a year since your mid-30s• Hormone changes: Declining because of high stress levels and hormonal cycles• Stress: Especially high because of worries about kids, parents, health, career, and finances• Depression: More likely now than later in life"Being proactive towards your health can prevent several problems. Go for regular health checkups, stay healthier, sharper, more energetic, and more fulfilled for years to come. There are a bunch of tests that can prevent and detect many diseases early," suggests Dr. Ravi Gaur, COO, Oncquest Lab.A list of suggested routine medical screening tests for women over the threshold of 40 years are:- Pelvic Examination and Pap ...

Brazil to vaccinate entire population against yellow fever

Brazilian Health Minister Ricardo Barros has proposed to vaccinate the entire country against yellow fever, after the disease emerged in new areas.

Gina Rodriguez suffers panic attacks

Actress Gina Rodriguez suffered from "debilitating" anxiety and panic attacks after taking too much medication for her ongoing struggle with Hashimoto's disease.

'Needed a preferential tea trade agreement between India, China'

Pitching for a preferential tea trade agreement between India and China, Tea Board Chairman P.K. Bezbaruah on Thursday said both the countries were not competitors.

Telangana aims to double size of life sciences sector to $100 bn

The Telangana government aims to double the valuation of life sciences ecosystem in the state to $100 billion in 10 years, state Industry Minister K. T. Rama Rao said on Thursday.

Hyderabad man loses vision after hair transplant

A case of medical negligence has been recorded in Hyderabad, wherein a diabetic man lost his vision following a botched hair transplant surgery.After the surgery, Tariq Khusrou was infected with gas gangrene that had put his life at risk.He went for the hair transplant in July 2016 at the clinic of the accused, Dr Khan, in Telangana. He fixed an appointment with the doctor who later operated on the victim and transplanted 2700 strands of hair within 6 hours. The entire surgery was priced at Rs 1,25,000.The very next day, the victim claimed to have a high fever and his head got swollen.He had to be moved to an Intensive Care Unit, where he was kept under observation for 26 days supported by an artificial ventilator. He further had to take packs of antibiotics and had to go for a corrective surgery costing him Rs 40 lakh. There are still certain eye surgeries required to be done to prevent any further damage.He told ANI, "I have filed a case on the doctor but till now no action has been

Tel aims to double life sciences eco-system to $ 100 billion

The Telangana government aims to double the life sciences eco-system, currently valued at USD 50 billion with over 800 companies, to USD 100 billion in the next 10 years, IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao said today. Speaking at the inaugural session of 15th BioAsia Summit, Rao, popularly known as KTR, said the state has further strengthened its leadership position in life sciences innovation and manufacturing hubs by contributing more than 35 per cent to the national pharmaceutical production of the country. He said Telangana has become a vaccine hub of the country and the world by producing about 33 per cent of global vaccines dosages and significantly contributing to elimination of global pain and disease. "The life sciences eco-system in Telangana is valued at USD 50 billion with over 800 companies present in the state. Our aim is to double this figure to USD 100 billion in the next 10 years," he said. The Genome Valley Cluster here is among the largest life ..

FDA destroys 7700 litres of adulterated milk

Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials destroyed 7700 litres of adulterated milk worth Rs 2.42 lakh it had seized from two centres recently, an official said today. "Acting on a tip-off, sleuths of FDA from Pune division raided Sangram milk collection centre, run by one Dhanaji Pawar in Pandharpur taluka, and recovered 30 cans of cow milk (approximately 1200 litres). "Milk in the cans smelled like oil and was tasteless. Upon raiding the house of Pawar, we found powder and soyabean oil in large quantity, which were used for adulteration," an FDA officer said. He said samples of the milk and other products were sent for forensic examination and 1200 liters of milk was destroyed. "During the investigation, it was revealed that Pawar used to supply the adulterated milk to Srichakra Milk Products Pvt Ltd in Pandharpur taluka. We then raided the firm and took samples of the milk and destroyed approximately 6500 litres milk," said the officer. He said the ...

Depression may reduce ariginine levels in your body

People with major depressive disorder (MDD) have lower levels of naturally occurring arginine in their body than their non-depressed controls, a study has found.

Carcinogenic metals like lead found in vapours of e-cigarette

Chronic inhalation of these metals has been linked to lung, liver, immune, cardiovascular and brain damage, and even cancers