Page 587 - Health Medical Pharma

Climbing stairs may reduce hypertension

Try climbing stairs as much possible if you find aerobics or resistance-training exercises to be tedious, as it may not only reduce high blood pressure problems but also build leg strength, especially in older women, claimed a new research.

Lab-grown human liver model may help advance treatment

Scientists have developed the most sophisticated functional model of a human liver in the laboratory, an advance that can potentially help scientists improve treatment for liver diseases.

14 kg mass hanging from man's thigh removed

A 46-year old man, who was bedridden for the last two years, due to a 14 kg mass hanging from his thigh, has been relieved of the suffering with doctors here removing it in a surgery. The man, Saidalavi, hailing from Thrissur district, was suffering from lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis) for some three decades and underwent a couple of surgeries over the years, but to no avail, as the swelling kept increasing. He underwent a five-hour surgery at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences here recently following which the deformity was removed. "It was a complex surgery. Several complications could rise because of the patient being overweight and his inability to walk," said Dr Subramania Iyer, head, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences. Among the problems the doctors faced was the patient's physical transfer to the operating table and correct positioning during surgery as it required meticulous planning. The patient will need further ...

Bring in system to stop harassment of patients over bills: HC to Maha govt

The Bombay High Court today directed the Maharashtra government to come up with a regularity mechanism to ensure that patients seeking treatment in private hospitals are not harassed over payment of bills. A bench of justices S C Dharamadhikari and Bharati Dangre said the state must come up with a mechanism that balances the rights of the hospitals as well as the patients. The bench said the state must ensure that patients or their relatives are not illegally detained or harassed by the hospital authorities over their inability to pay bills. "This illegal confinement of patients when they fail to clear the bills cannot be permitted to continue. "A patient, who is otherwise fit and no longer needs treatment, can't be prevented from leaving the hospital by the authorities," the bench said. "We understand a hospital can't waive its entire fees but it is also true that sometimes, patients are overcharged. The hospital gives them a composite bill that includes charges for its ...

Lena Dunham reveals undergoing hysterectomy

Actor-writer Lena Dunham has revealed that she underwent a hysterectomy to treat her endometriosis. The 31-year-old actor shared the news of her surgery in the March 2018 edition of Vogue, the excerpts of which were published on the Endometriosis Foundation of America website. Dunham said she had made the tough decision to undergo the procedure - which involves the removal of the uterus and cervix - after undergoing "years of complex surgeries measuring in the double digits". She also talked about trying alternative treatments including pelvic floor therapy, massage therapy, acupuncture and yoga. The "Girls" creator said the team of doctors had found other issues with her reproductive organs while they were performing the surgery. "In addition to endometrial disease, an odd hump-like protrusion and a septum running down the middle, I have retrograde bleeding, a k a my period running in reverse so that my stomach is full of blood. "My ovary has settled in on the muscles around the ...

Tweaking gut bacteria may cut obesity, diabetes risk

The gut microbiome - a "garden" of bacterial, viral and fungal genes - may play a substantial role in development of obesity and diabetes in humans, say scientists. The findings, published in the journal Mucosal Immunology, highlights the potential to prevent obesity and diabetes by manipulating levels and ratios of gut bacteria, and modifying the chemical and biological pathways for metabolism-activating genes. "This study adds to our understanding of how bacteria may cause obesity, and we found particular types of bacteria in mice that were strongly linked to metabolic syndrome," said David Hackam, surgeon-in-chief at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in the US. "With this new knowledge we can look for ways to control the responsible bacteria or related genes and hopefully prevent obesity in children and adults," said Hackam. Metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions including obesity around the waist, high blood sugar and increased blood pressure, is a risk factor for heart ...

AstraZeneca Pharma launches anti-diabetic tablet Xigduo XR

AstraZeneca Pharma India today said it has launched an anti-diabetic tablet 'Xigduo XR' used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults. The drug is a product of AstraZeneca Group and is approved in 61 countries to date including the US, EU and Japan. It is a combination of metformin and dapagliflozin, an inhibitor of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2, the company said in a statement. Xigduo XR is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. "We believe this novel once-daily combination therapy of dapagliflozin and metformin can address an unmet medical need by offering a comprehensive and convenient treatment option for the Indian phenotype patient," AstraZeneca Pharma India Managing Director Gagan Singh Bedi said. The combination of drug is backed by the XR (extended release) technology which provides 24-hour sugar control. Eight in ten Indians display a characteristic feature of the Indian Phenotype (greater ...

Here are a few preventive healthcare packages for 'Corporate India'

Got your preventive health check-up done? If you wish to do so, ensure that you don't end up with unnecessary tests. It is important for every company to maintain and improve the health of employees so that they feel a sense of belonging and remain faithful to the company. The easiest way to achieve this is by introducing preventive healthcare packages in the corporate culture.There is an emerging trend of people taking charge of their own health and of those close to them. An increasing number of people are opting for preventive healthcare packages to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Here are some of the best preventive healthcare packages offered by health companies for the Corporate world.EasybuyhealthMost organisations rely on group health insurance or feel good health checkup activities that provide very little incentives to the employees. EasyBuyHealth is here to make your employee feel secure. Making healthcare accessible to the corporate world, India's most comprehensive online ..

CMFRI to launch nutraceutical product to treat thyroid disorder

After having developed nutraceutical products to treat diabetes, arthritis, and cholesterol from marine organisms such as seaweeds and green mussel, the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) is all set to launch a natural product from the sea to tackle thyroid disorder.

Manipulating gut bacteria may cut obesity, diabetes risk

Manipulating levels and ratios of gut bacteria can help prevent obesity and diabetes -- a common risk factor for developing cardiovascular diseases, finds a new study.

CARE downgrades credit ratings of Fortis Healthcare

CARE Ratings today said it has downgraded credit ratings of Fortis Healthcare (FHL) following disclosure of significant advances extended to related parties by the healthcare chain. "The revision in ratings assigned to the bank facilities and short-term instruments of Fortis Healthcare Ltd takes into account the impact on FHLs liquidity profile given the disclosure made by the company on significant advances extended to related parties," CARE Ratings said in its note. Further, revision in ratings also factors in inordinate delay in publication of FHLs results for the quarter ending September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2017, it added. The rating agency also took note of the resignations tendered by Malvinder Singh (Executive Chairman) and Shivinder Singh (Non-executive Vice Chairman) from the FHL board. Delhi High Courts recent decision to uphold the Singapore tribunal's arbitration order in favour of Daiichi Sankyo also paved the way for the downgrade. "The ratings continue to be on ..

No GST on food served by hospitals to in-patients

The GST will not be charged on the cost of food served to patients by hospitals as advised by doctors, the government has said. However, patients not admitted will have to pay tax on the total value of food served by the hospital. In a set of FAQs, the Revenue Department also clarified that no Goods and Services Tax (GST) would be levied on services provided by senior doctors/consultants/ technicians hired by the hospitals as these are covered under healthcare services. The FAQ said that food supplied to in-patients are not separately taxable as they form part of composite supply of healthcare, which is exempt under the GST. "Food supplied to in-patients as advised by the doctor/nutritionists is a part of composite supply of healthcare and not separately taxable. Other supplies of food by a hospital to patients (not admitted) or their attendants or visitors are taxable," it said. As per GST law, healthcare services have been defined to include any service by way of diagnosis or ...

Natural product from sea soon to treat thyroid disorders

A natural product from the sea will be launched soon to treat thyroid disorders, a Central government institute said here today. Kochi-based Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) said the marine nutraceutical product developed by the Institute for thyroid dysfunction, is in the final stage of clinical trial. "The product will be commercialised soon after the successful completion of the clinical experiment", Dr A Gopalakrishnan, Director of the CMFRI said. In addition, CMFRI would develop more such natural products, including cosmeceuticals from marine organisms, he said while speaking at the valedictory of the three-week long Winter School held by CMFRI to train young researchers in extracting medicines from the marine organisms. "The CMFRI will seek the possibilities of interaction with the industry to commercialise the natural marine products developed from the laboratories of the Institute", Gopalakrishnan said. CMFRI has already developed nutraceutical

Ketone drink may help diabetics manage blood sugar

Drinking a ketone supplement can lower blood sugar levels, and could help manage diabetes, a study has found. Type 2 diabetes and obesity have reached epidemic proportions in the past few decades. These conditions are associated with high blood sugar, which can damage the vessels that supply blood to vital organs and can also increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Previous studies have shown that infusing ketones into the bloodstream can reduce blood sugar levels. The new study, published in the Journal of Physiology, has shown that a ketone ester supplement can also lower blood sugar levels. Researchers at the University of British Columbia in Canada and University of Oxford in the UK have demonstrated that a single drink of ketone ester enables better control of blood sugar by reducing spikes in sugar levels. Twenty healthy individuals participated in the study and on two occasions consumed the ketone monoester supplement or a placebo after a 10-hour fast. Thirty minutes ...

This 'selfish' gene may prevent heart disease

Scientists have identified a "selfish" gene that can potentially remove cholesterol from blood vessels and help prevent heart disease.

A soda a day may cut your chances of conceiving

Planning a baby? Then stop drinking soda or sugar-sweetened beverages, as intake of one or more such drinks a day -- by either partner -- may decrease the chances of conceiving, warns a study.

Newly discovered gene may protect against heart disease

Scientists have identified a gene that may play a protective role in preventing heart disease. The gene, called MeXis, acts within key cells inside clogged arteries to help remove excess cholesterol from blood vessels, said researchers at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the US. Published in the journal Nature Medicine, the study in mice found that MeXis controls the expression of a protein that pumps cholesterol out of cells in the artery wall. MeXis is an example of a "selfish" gene, one that is presumed to have no function because it does not make a protein product, researchers said. However, recent studies have suggested that these so-called "unhelpful" genes can actually perform important biological functions without making proteins and instead producing a special class of molecules called long non-coding RNAs, or lncRNAs. "What this study tells us is that lncRNAs are important for the inner workings of cells involved in the development of heart disease," said ...

45 people affected by diarrhoea in two Odisha villages

At least 45 people are affected by diarrhoea in two villages of Ganjam and Kandhamal districts of Odisha, health officials said today. Medical teams have been rushed to Sabarapalli village in Ganjam district and Ghumara village in Kandhamal district and the water-borne disease has not claimed any life in the two villages, they said. While at least 22 people were affected at Sabarpalli, 23 were taken ill at Ghumara, they said. "The disease was reported at Sabarapalli on Sunday after villagers took cooked food in a community feast," said Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO), Ganjam, R Jagadesh Patnaik. Use of contaminated water from a pond, which is lying unused for some years, was suspected to have led to the disease, he said. Medical teams from the community health centre (CHC) at Adapada and Berhampur rushed to the village. "They will bring samples of stool and blood from the patients and collect water from the village for laboratory tests," he said. The CDMO ruled out

Bill Paxton's family files wrongful death lawsuit

The family of Bill Paxton believes his death last year was preventable, according to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family against the hospital and surgeon who treated the late actor.

Lena Dunham underwent total hysterectomy

Actress Lena Dunham has revealed that she underwent hysterectomy to combat endometriosis pain.