Page 614 - Health Medical Pharma
Choose omega-3s from fish for cancer prevention
Omega-3s from fish pack a stronger punch than flaxseed and other oils when it comes to cancer prevention, according to a study. Researchers discovered that marine-based omega-3s are eight times more effective at inhibiting tumour development and growth. "This study is the first to compare the cancer-fighting potency of plant- versus marine-derived omega-3s on breast tumour development," said Professor David Ma, from the University of Guelph in Canada. "There is evidence that both omega-3s from plants and marine sources are protective against cancer and we wanted to determine which form is more effective," he said. There are three types of omega-3 fatty acids: a-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). ALA is plant-based and found in such edible seeds as flaxseed and in oils, such as soy, canola and hemp oil. EPA and DHA are found in marine life, such as fish, algae and phytoplankton. The study, published in the Journal of ...
High body fat levels may up breast cancer risk: study
Postmenopausal women with normal body mass index (BMI), but with higher body fat levels are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer, a study warns. Body fat levels are typically measured via BMI, which is a ratio of weight to height. While BMI may be a convenient method to estimate body fat, it is not an exact way to determine whole body fat levels, as muscle mass and bone density cannot be distinguished from fat mass. The study included participants who had a normal BMI (between 18.5 to 25.0) and no history of breast cancer. During the median 16 years of follow-up, the participants were assessed for the development of invasive breast cancer, and cancer cases were evaluated for estrogen receptor (ER) positivity. Of the 3,460 participants in the study, 182 developed invasive breast cancer during follow-up; 146 of these cases were ER-positive. Researchers found that the risk of ER-positive breast cancer increased by 35 per cent for each 5-kilogram increase in ...
Axio Biosolutions secures $7.4m funding from Ratan Tata
Medtech startup Axio Biosolutions raised USD 7.4 million funding in Series B round from Ratan Tata's RNT Capital, which will be used for expansion to new markets, and development of high-impact medical products.The first Indian company to launch an emergency haemostat for trauma care, Axio Biosolutions' flagship invention, Axiostat, is a patented and CE-approved product that has prevented countless deaths due to haemorrhage and grievous injuries.The first-aid dressing stops uncontrollable bleeding within just 2-3 minutes of its application, thus saving lives. Axiostat is the de-facto product of Indian armed forces after being used in the surgical strike to save the lives of soldiers and is now an essential part of their field kit. The product caters to the Indian Armed Forces, BSF, NSG, para-military forces, hospitals and emergency services in India and across the globe."Uncontrolled bleeding is one of the leading causes of death from traumatic injuries. We are grateful to make a ...
Omega-3s from fish more effective in cancer prevention
When it comes to cancer prevention, Omega-3 fatty acids from fish pack a stronger punch than flaxseed and other oils, new research has found.
Colonoscopy may be linked to appendicitis
According to a recent research, colonoscopy can "prompt" appendicitis up to one week after the examination, in certain patients.But, drawing such a conclusion required access to a large amount of data in order to achieve statistical significance.Dr Marc D. Basson, senior associate dean for Medicine and Research at the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences, and his team accessed to Veterans Administration national data, which identified nearly 400,000 veterans across the United States who had experienced screening colonoscopy between January 2009 and June 2014, and whose incidence of subsequent procedures could be tracked.After seeing the data, Basson said, "Depending on how you ask the question, it turns out that the rate of appendicitis and appendectomy in the first week after a colonoscopy was at least fourfold higher compared to these patients' next 51 weeks. By some measures, the increase was 12 fold".He also noted that the research accounted for differences in the coding ..
Sore throat, swollen glands linked to thyroid cancer
A sore throat and swollen glands might be symptoms of a cold or fever, but they can also be symptoms of deadly cancer.According to England's National Health Service (NHS), these symptoms can also be a sign of rare but dangerous thyroid cancer that affects the thyroid gland, a small gland at the base of the neck that produces hormones, reporst Daily Express.Though it is easily treatable and in many cases, it gets cured completely, but it can sometimes return after treatment.Some of the symptoms of this condition are:- Swollen glands in the neck- A painless lump or swelling in the front of the neck - although only one in 20 neck lumps are cancer- A sore throat that doesn't get better- Difficulty in swallowingSpeaking about the symptoms, the NHS said, "The symptoms can be caused by less serious causes, such as an enlarged thyroid, so it's important to get them checked out. You can organise a blood test to check how well your thyroid is working. If they ...
Second-hand plastic toys could harm your kid
Many second hand plastic toys could pose a health risk for your child as the plastic may not meet the most up to date international safety guidelines, a study suggests.Scientists from the University of Plymouth analysed 200 used plastic toys which they found in homes, nurseries and charity shops across the South West of England.These included cars, trains, construction products, figures and puzzles, with all of them being of a size that could be chewed by young children.They discovered high concentrations of hazardous elements including antimony, barium, bromine, cadmium, chromium, lead and selenium - which are chronically toxic to children at low levels over an extended period of time - in many building blocks, figures and items of jewellery that were typically either yellow, red or black.Further tests showed that under simulated stomach conditions (involving extraction in dilute hydrochloric acid) several toys released quantities of bromine, cadmium or lead that exceeded limits set .
Report: Orthodontics professor disparaged resident doctors
A prominent, now-retired orthodontics Indian-origin professor at the University of Connecticut subjected Muslim and Arab resident doctors at the school to disparaging remarks about their nationalities and retaliated against them when they cooperated with an inquiry into his conduct, according to a school investigation report. Among the allegations in the July 2016 report against Dr. Ravindra Nanda are that he called some resident doctors members of the Islamic State, said the FBI might think he is building an "ISIS cell" because of the large number of Saudis in his program, allowed only North American students and residents to treat Caucasian patients and scuttled a job application for a woman resident doctor. Nanda, 74, a native of an area of former British India that is now part of Pakistan, denied all the allegations. He retired last fall, more than a year after the report was issued. The report by an investigator with UConn Health's Office of Institutional Equity ...
3-day national conference on bronchology in Coimbatore
A three-day 23rd National Conference of Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology is being held here from February 7. The "Broncocon-2018" conference, to be held under the aegis of Indian Association for Bronchology, will feature a live workshop with the aim of helping the participants to fine tune intervention skills, organisers said. The participants can learn new competencies under the guidance of pioneers in the field of interventional pulmonology from across the globe, Organising President and consultant pulmonologist of Royal Care Hospital Dr V R Pattabhiraman said. He said the workshop would be divided into basic and advanced sub groups catering to the learning requirements of about 700 delegates, including faculty from abroad. He claimed that the hospital was among the first in the country to introduce bronchial thermo plasty, a minimally invasive outpatient procedure for adults with severe asthma.
Hepatitis C drug effective against Zika virus: study
Scientists have found that a drug used to treat Hepatitis C may also be effective in treating people infected with Zika virus. According to the findings, the repurposed drug effectively protected and rescued neural cells infected by the Zika virus - and blocked transmission of the virus to mouse foetuses. "There has been a lot of work done in the past year or so to address the Zika health threat. Much of it has focused on developing a vaccine, with promising early results," said Alysson Muotri, from the University of California - San Diego in the US. "But there is also a great need to develop clinical strategies to treat Zika-infected individuals, including pregnant women for whom prevention of infection is no longer an option," Muotri said. For the study published in the journal Scientific Reports, the researchers investigated an antiviral drug called sofosbuvir, approved and marketed under the brand name Sovaldi to treat and cure hepatitis C infections. The drug works
110-year-old Siddaganga Mutt seer hospitalised
The pontiff of the Siddaganga Mutt, Sivakumara Swamiji, was today admitted to a private hospital here following respiratory problem besides gall bladder and renal related complications,hospital sources said. He was admitted this morning, an executive of the BGS Global Hospital said. Hospital sources said doctors decided to operate upon him in the evening for gall bladder related problems and installed three stents successfully in his body. Dr Ravindra, who performed the operation, said, the biggest challenge was giving anesthesia because his blood pressure was quite low. "We have inserted three stents in his body. Now, we are giving treatment for pneumonia and infection," he said. "His condition is now stable," the doctor added. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who visited the hospital in the morning, said he spoke to the pontiff and inquired about his health. Siddaramaiah had yesterday recommended to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to confer the Bharat Ratna, the country's ...
Hepatitis C drug could be effective against Zika virus
Researchers have found that a drug used to treat Hepatitis C may work effectively as a potential treatment for Zika-infected adults, including pregnant women.
Keep body fat in check to cut breast cancer risk
Postmenopausal women with normal body mass index (BMI) but higher body fat levels at the same time may be at an increased risk of breast cancer, suggests new research.
Proper sleep in children may prevent cancer later
Is your child having a tough time sleeping properly? You may need to keep a check on his/her body mass index (BMI) as a new research suggests that there is a co-relation between the two and can lead to cancer in adulthood.
Ukraine parents overcome jab fears amid deadly measles
Schools have shuttered and some clinics exhausted their vaccine stocks as a deadly measles outbreak hits Ukraine, where anti-vaccine sentiment and interrupted supplies have led to a resurgence of the virus. Parents, including those who for years refused vaccinations for their children, are queueing at clinics after schools extended their holidays or refused to let unvaccinated students attend lessons. In a public children's hospital in central Kiev, the door slammed constantly as concerned parents rushed in. "We vaccinated 150 children (in a single day)... This is three to four times more than we usually do," said Oksana Gutova, head of the hospital where staff now have to work overtime and weekends. A paediatrician from a private medical centre in Kiev said all but three of his 15 patients on a recent Saturday had come for immunisation. "We have exhausted our stock of measles, mumps and rubella vaccines for three months in two days," he told AFP. In 2017, almost 4,800 ...
Eating high-cholesterol diet may up colon cancer risk: study
People eating a high- cholesterol diet are at an increased risk of developing colon cancer, a study warns. Scientists discovered that boosting mice's cholesterol levels spurred intestinal stem cells to divide more quickly, enabling tumours to form 100 times faster. The study, published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, has identified a molecular pathway that could serve as a new drug target for colon cancer treatment. "We were excited to find that cholesterol influences the growth of stem cells in the intestines, which in turn accelerates the rate of tumour formation by more than 100- fold," said Peter Tontonoz, from the University of California, Los Angeles in the US. "While the connection between dietary cholesterol and colon cancer is well established, no one has previously explained the mechanism behind it," Tontonoz said. The scientists increased cholesterol in the intestinal stem cells in some of the mice by introducing more of the substance into their diets. In ...
Low carbohydrate intake may lead to increased risk in
Pregnant women should avoid diets that reduce or eliminate carbohydrates, as they could increase the risk of having babies with neural tube birth defects, a study has found. The study, published in the journal Birth Defects Research, found that women with low carbohydrate intake are 30 per cent more likely to have babies with neural tube defects, such as spina bifida (malformations of the spine and spinal cord) and anencephaly (absence of major portions of the brain and skull). It can lead to lifelong disability and infant death, when compared with women who do not restrict their carbohydrate intake. This is the first study to evaluate the relationship between low carbohydrate intake and having children with neural tube defects. "We already know that maternal diet before and during early pregnancy plays a significant role in foetal development. What is new about this study is its suggestion that low carbohydrate intake could increase the risk of having a baby with a ...
'Working before and after stroke is good for brain health'
Stroke patients who are employed prior to and after suffering strokes are more likely to have healthier minds than unemployed adults, a study has found. Scientists studied 252 working-age adult stroke survivors. They analysed brain health early on after stroke, as well as cognitive changes, at one year and two years after stroke. "Studies have shown stroke greatly increases dementia risk, and occupational status might influence how stroke survivors fare years after having a stroke," said Einor Ben Assayag, from Tel-Aviv Sorasky Medical Center in Israel. "We looked at how occupational status, brain health and cognitive decline might be interrelated after stroke," Assayag said. A preliminary research was presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2018. "A novel aspect of this study was we also studied the association of inflammation with occupational status and cognitive changes after stroke," Assayag said. They found that people who were
Beyonce very 'involved' mother to kids
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Working before and after stroke is good for brain health
Keep working during old age for good health as a study has recently suggested that stroke patients who are employed prior to and after suffering strokes are more likely to have healthier minds than unemployed adults.The findings indicated that returning to work after stroke was associated with lower cognitive decline risk.They also found that people who were unemployed before stroke were more than three times (320 percent) more likely than those who were employed to develop cognitive decline within two years from the initial stroke.Senior author Einor Ben Assayag from Tel-Aviv Sorasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel said, "Studies have shown stroke greatly increases dementia risk, and occupational status might influence how stroke survivors fare years after having a stroke".They looked at how occupational status, brain health and cognitive decline might be interrelated after stroke.The team studied 252 working-age adult stroke survivors from the TABASCO study.They analysed brain ...