Page 610 - Health Medical Pharma
Senior BJP MP Chintaman Wanaga passes away
Senior BJP MP from Maharashtra Chintaman Wanaga passed away in Delhi today, said doctors at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. He was 67. He was brought dead to the hospital around 11.15 am after collapsing at home. "He was brought to RML Hospital around 11.15 am. We tried to resuscitate him for 30 minutes but he could not be revived. He was declared brought dead at around 11.45 am," the hospital's medical superintendent, Dr V K Tiwary, told PTI. The cause of the death is being investigated, sources added. Wanaga, who was born on June 1, 1950, was elected to the Lok Sabha from Palghar in Maharashtra.
Medica Superspecialty Hospital inserts stent in a boy's food pipe
?A 10-year old boy consumed sulphuric acid instead of cold drink by mistake. His esophagus, in other words, the food pipe, a muscular tube connecting the throat (pharynx) with the stomach, was burnt by the acid. He was unable to swallow his own saliva, leave aside food and water.The condition of Vishwa (name changed) was deteriorating and the doctors of a local hospital referred him to Medica Superspecialty Hospital.When the boy along with his parents visited Medica, he had significant malnutrition owing to inability to eat for almost a month and weighed mere 20 kilograms (kgs).After examining the child and seeing the barium swallow X-ray, the doctors found that the X-ray showed a severely narrowed lower end of esophagus with the contrast barely entering the stomach."It was not only difficult to open up the narrowed segment but it was highly risky as he was just 10 year old and that too with malnutrition," recalled Consultant Gastroenterologist, Medica Superspecialty Hospital, Dr. ...
MRI death: Philips team to inspect MRI machine in Nair Hosp
A team from Philips will inspect the MRI machine in Nair Hospital as part of the probe into the death of a man who died after being sucked into the machine, hospital authorities said today. Rajesh Maru, 32, who was carrying a liquid oxygen cylinder, was killed in the hospital on Saturday evening. "A team from Philips company, the manufacturer of the MRI machine, will visit Nair hospital today following the fatal accident a couple of days back," Dr Ramesh Bharmal, dean of B Y L Nair charitable hospital, told PTI. "The company's engineering team will inspect the machine and submit a report as part of the ongoing inquiry," Bharmal said. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has set up a committee to inquire into the incident. The police have booked three staffers of the civic-run hospital for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and arrested a doctor and a ward boy. Maru was killed after he was allegedly sucked into the MRI machine and inhaled the liquid oxygen .
Health-tech startup eKincare secures funding to fuel expansion
eKincare, an integrated healthcare benefits platform driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI) announced an undisclosed amount of Series A funding, which will be used to fuel their expansion drive.eKincare's AI powered personal health assistant reads medical data from health records and various healthcare interventions, predict health risks and provide timely personalised recommendations to beat those risks.Through its understanding and usage of technology, data science and curated services, the start-up assisted organisations to reach their optimal health and save on healthcare costs; thereby helping them become more strategic and efficient in their employee benefits spend.Trusted by fortune 500 companies, like Optum, Unilever, Barclays and Disney among others, the Hyderabad-based health-tech startup has strategic partners in over 2000 locations across India. As India's only end-to-end integrated healthcare solution, with the ability to collect, structure and provide meaningful ...
Mediterranean diet may boost IVF success: study
Eating a Mediterranean diet may significantly boost the chances of women receiving in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) to have a successful pregnancy and live birth, scientists said today. Researchers from Harokopio University of Athens in Greece asked women about their diet before they underwent IVF treatment. They found that those who ate more fresh vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, fish and olive oil, and less red meat, had a 65-68 per cent greater likelihood of achieving a successful pregnancy and birth compared to women with the lowest adherence to the Mediterranean-style diet. "The important message from our study is that women attempting fertility should be encouraged to eat a healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, because greater adherence to this healthy dietary pattern may help increase the chances of successful pregnancy and delivering a live baby," said researcher Nikos Yiannakouris. IVF is a process of fertilisation where an egg is combined with ...
Over 60% women suffer from insomnia in late pregnancy: Study
Researchers in Spain have found that 64 per cent of pregnant women suffer from insomnia in the third trimester of pregnancy.
64% women experience insomnia in late pregnancy
According to a new study, it has been discovered that 64 percent of pregnant women suffer from insomnia in the third trimester of pregnancy, which is ten times higher than that for women suffering from insomnia prior to pregnancy.Researchers from the University of Jaen studied 486 healthy pregnant women from Granada, Jaen, Huelva and Seville, who had attended the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) before the 14th week of pregnancy (first trimester).The effects of pregnancy on these women were monitored throughout all three trimesters.The research found that 44 percent of pregnant women suffer from insomnia in the first trimester of pregnancy, which increases to 46 percent in the second trimester and 64 percent in the third trimester.According to the authors of the study, these high figures justify the need for a "systematic approach to this problem".One of the researchers behind the study, Dr. María del Carmen Amezcua Prieto said, "Although it is well known that pre-existing sleep ...
Ensuring healthy motherhood in body and mind (Health Tips)
Imagining the future as a parent and leaving all the worries aside is a predominant need for all couples. A woman can attain the right mindset and physical health for motherhood when her pregnancy is a planned one. Preparing the body and the mind for a pregnancy in advance helps in coping with various natural changes that occur in pregnancy and has a positive effect on the health of the pregnant woman in general.
From healthcare to manufacturing, 3D printing set to grow big in India (Tech Trend)
A team of surgeons from Medanta: The Medicity, Gurugram, last year successfully implanted a 3D-printed vertebra in a 32-year-old woman -- helping her walk again after a bout of disabling spinal tuberculosis.
Vitamin deficiency puts cancer cell into hibernation, finds study
In a significant new research, scientists have found a new potential therapeutic agent, diphenyleneiodonium chloride (DPI), which effectively switches off cancer stem cells, preventing their proliferation.Study's lead author Professor Michael Lisanti said, "It's extraordinary; the cells just sit there as if in a state of suspended animation."The discovery is significant because the drug halts the propagation of cancer stem cells without causing the toxic side-effects normally associated with more conventional chemotherapy.In their findings, the scientists observed that addition of DPI to a mixed population of cells eliminated a tumour initiating cancer stem cells.However, the drug was non-toxic for "bulk" cancer cells, which are not thought to be cancer-forming.The study described how DPI targets more than 90 protein enzymes which feed mitochondria and help generate the cell's energy."Our observation is that DPI is selectively attacking the cancer stem cells, by effectively creating a
Group workouts, a key to follow fitness goals
The study was published after Anglia Ruskin University conducted a research on 18 physically healthy adults walking in groups and compared them to those who either walk alone or do not walk.The results showed that those who conducted workout sessions in the group continued with it even after six months.The World Health Organization also recommends that adults must undertake 150 minutes of moderate aerobic physical activity per week.Professor Catherine Meads of Anglia Ruskin University said, "Walking in groups is a safe and inexpensive intervention that can be delivered easily and successfully in the community.
15 Kashmiri children treated for heart defects for free
A group of 15 children from Kashmir were treated for congenital heart defects (CHD) for free at a private hospital in Gurgaon, with the help of two philanthropic bodies, the facility said today. According to 'Congenital Heart Disease in India: A Status Report', CHD accounts for 10 per cent of infant mortality in India, the Fortis Group said in a statement. The children were treated at Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI) in Gurgaon recently as part of Fortis Foundation's 'Umeed Dhadkan' initiative, and the free surgeries were also supported by Rotary Club of Delhi East End, Have A Heart Foundation along with Fortis Foundation. A CHD can be defined as a structural or functional abnormality in the heart, which presents itself at the time of birth. "It poses a great threat to the life of the newborn and can result in death. It has an incidence rate of 2.25 to 5.2 per 1000 live births and accounts for two thirds of all major birth defects," the Fortis Group said in the .
UK judge rules intensive care for brain-damaged boy can halt
A British judge has ruled that intensive care treatment can be withdrawn for a brain-damaged 11-month-old boy despite his parents' wishes for continued intervention. Judge Alistair MacDonald said today in Birmingham that doctors can stop providing life support treatment to Isaiah Haastrup. The case had been heard in the Family Division of the High Court in London. Specialists at King's College Hospital say further intensive treatment would be "futile, burdensome and not in his best interests." Doctors told the court the boy had suffered "catastrophic" brain damage because of oxygen deprivation at birth. His parents say they want treatment to continue.
'Disturbingly high' rates of diabetes in India: study
India is facing an epidemic of diabetes and high blood pressure, often called "silent killers" because they lead to heart disease, said a report today involving more than 1.3 million people. The rate of diabetes in India is over six percent, while around one quarter of people have high blood pressure, said the first nationally representative figures on the topic, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine. The rates of diabetes and hypertension were particularly high among middle-aged and elderly people. While these rates are lower than the United States and China, experts say a combination of widespread tobacco use, genetic susceptibility to diabetes and a lack of access to quality medical care are to blame. "In middle-age to older adults across all geographic settings and socioeconomic groups in the country, the prevalence of both diabetes and hypertension were disturbingly high," said an accompanying editorial by Alka Kanaya .
Sanofi beats Novo to buy Ablynx for $4.8 billion in biotech M&A boom
PARIS/LONDON (Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi has agreed to buy Belgian biotech company Ablynx for 3.9 billion euros ($4.8 billion), beating Novo Nordisk and marking its second big deal this month after buying Bioverativ.
Diabetes, hypertension rates high in India: Study
Diabetes and hypertension are common among middle-aged and elderly people in India, home to more than a sixth of the world's population, researchers said on Monday.
Google venture arm backs UK universal flu vaccine company
LONDON (Reuters) - A private British company developing a vaccine that could be the first in the world to fight all types of flu has raised 20 million pounds ($27 million) from investors including GV, the venture capital arm of Google parent Alphabet Inc.
Need priority status for healthcare: Healthcare Federation
As the Centre gears up for the Budget, the Healthcare Federation of India (NATHEALTH) on Monday urged the government to give priority sector status to healthcare as it would help innovative long-term financing structures for healthcare providers.
SC asks Centre to frame guidelines on Thalassemia treatment
The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to come up with guidelines for providing treatment to patients suffering from Thalassemia within four weeks. Thalassemia, a genetic blood disorder, is usually characterised by abnormal production of hemoglobin in the body and the abnormality results in improper oxygen transport and destruction of red blood cells. It has wide-ranging effects on the body such as iron overload, bone deformities, and in some cases, heart ailments. A bench, comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, asked the Centre to file "requisite guidelines" for providing treatment to patients suffering from Thalassemia within four weeks. The bench posted the public interest litigation (PIL) for further hearing on March 12. The court issued the directive while hearing the petition filed by Reepak Kansal. The petition claimed that the disease has no cure and people living with Thalassemia require regular blood transfusion ..