Page 632 - Health Medical Pharma

Consume right amouint of fluid while working out

Fluid intake is very important for a runner. Hydrate yourself before, during and after the run or else it can lead to dehydration, fatigue and can hamper performance at a marathon, say experts.

U.S. FDA approves expanded use of AstraZeneca cancer drug

(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it has approved expanded use of AstraZeneca Plc's cancer drug Lynparza to include patients with metastatic breast cancer whose disease is associated with a mutation of the BRCA gene.

Hospital submits 30 volumes of docs to Jaya probe panel

The Apollo Hospitals today submitted medical records related to late J Jayalalithaa's hospitalisation and subsequent demise to a one-man inquiry panel probing her death. Affidavits and 30 volumes of the original medical records with copies of documents pertaining to the medical treatment of the former Chief Minister was submitted, the hospital said. The records furnished included details right from the time of her admission on September 22, 2016 till her demise on December 5 that year, it said in a statement here. "At the time of hearing photo copies (of records) and originals were compared and it was verified that the copies of documents were in order." Following this, the commission took the documents on record and directed the hospital to take back the 30 volumes of original medical records. The hospital had sought two weeks time to file the entire set of medical records and the panel had on January 3 posted the matter to January 12. The Justice A Arumughaswamy ...

Haryana to bring health insurance for all

The Haryana government is contemplating to implement an insurance scheme in the health sector for the people, said Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday.

Cycling may not harm men's sexual health

Cycling, a popular choice of transportation, exercise, and leisure, may not be harmful for the sexual health and urinary function of males, finds a study.

Datar Cancer Genetics limited is now CAP accredited

Datar Cancer Genetics Limited, a leading molecular and genetic analysis company has been awarded accreditation by the Accreditation Committee of the College of American Pathologists (CAP), post a recent on-site inspection and audit.Datar Cancer Genetics offers the most comprehensive services and solutions in molecular pathology, genomic analysis and fully integrated bioinformatics in India. It has focused largely on developing services that offer a greater insight into precision, customized and accurate medicine through its diverse ecosystem of innovative oncology solutions."Our passion and commitment to deliver best-in-class genomic solutions for Cancer has resulted in developing an unparalleled range of blood and tissue based diagnostics for clinicians," said Rajan Datar, Chairman, Datar Cancer Genetics Limited. "This accreditation highlights our focus on quality, accuracy of processes and patient centricity. It reflects our continuous effort and drive to provide innovative ...

Hormone therapy can treat transgenders' eating disorder

Hormone therapy may help reduce the symptoms of eating disorder such as anorexia and binge-eating among transgenders, finds a study.

Haryana govt mulling insurance scheme in health sector: CM

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today said his government is contemplating implementation of an insurance scheme in the health sector for the people of the state. At the 'Meet the CM' programme organised on the occasion of National Youth Day to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, he said if a patient visits a private doctor, the fees would be reimbursed under the scheme by the state government. "The scheme would not only benefit the common man but also ease the growing pressure on doctors in governmenthealth facilities," Khattar said. Patients visiting government hospitals in the state are already being provided treatment free of charge, he said. Apart from this, about 570 medicines are being provided free of cost to the people of the state, the chief minister said. Reiterating the his government's commitment to providing quality healthcare to the people, Khattar said to meet the requirement of doctors in government healthcare facilities, ..

New prognostic tool may predict prostate cancer risk

A team of researchers have developed a genetic prognostic tool that may help predict the age of onset of aggressive prostate cancer in men.

New AI technology may boost kidney disease prognosis

Researchers, including one of Indian origin, have developed a new computer model based on artificial intelligence (AI) that can quantify the extent of kidney damage and predict the life remaining in the organ.

Cells that enable sense of touch created

Researchers have, for the first time, coaxed human stem cells to become sensory interneurons - the cells that give us our sense of touch. The new protocol could be a step towards stem cell-based therapies to restore sensation in paralysed people who have lost feeling in parts of their body, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the US said. Sensory interneurons, a class of neurons in the spinal cord, are responsible for relaying information from throughout the body to the central nervous system, which enables the sense of touch. The lack of a sense of touch greatly affects people who are paralysed. For example, they often cannot feel the touch of another person, and the inability to feel pain leaves them susceptible to burns from inadvertent contact with a hot surface. "The field has for a long time focused on making people walk again," said Samantha Butler, associate professor at UCLA. "Making people feel again does not have quite the same ..

Soon, wearable robots to help older people walk around

Scientists have designed a wearable robot that will help older people with weakened muscles and mobility issues by supporting their hip joints while walking. The wearable system consists of plasticised polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gel, mesh electrodes, and applied voltage, according to the study published in the journal Smart Materials and Structures. The mesh electrodes sandwich the gel, and when voltage is applied, the gel flexes and contracts, like a muscle. It is a wearable actuator, the mechanism that causes movement. "(In our) current study, (we) sought to develop a lightweight, soft, wearable assist wear for supporting activities of daily life for older people with weakened muscles and those with mobility issues," said Minoru Hashimoto, from the Shinshu University in Japan. "We thought that the electrical mechanical properties of the PVC gel could be used for robotic artificial muscles, so we started researching the PVC gel," said Hashimoto. "The ability to add voltage

Patient found hanging in Dhanbad hospital

A 38-year-old patient who was scheduled to be released today from a state run hospital here, was found hanging there this morning. Tapan Kumar Bauri's body was discovered inside a toilet of the male medicine ward of the Patliputra Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) by another patient. "At around 6.30 a m, a patient found him hanging with his muffler in a toilet. He raised an alarm and when Bauri was brought down, he was already dead," PMCH Superintendent Dr Kameswar Biswas said. The police were immediately informed, Biswas said adding that prima facie it appears to be a case of suicide. "Police investigation and postmortem reports would confirm the reason behind the patient's death," he said. Bauri was admitted at the hospital on January 8 after he vomited blood at his residence. Biswas said the patient has recovered and was scheduled to be released from the hospital today on request of his son. Bauri's wife Mala and son Sunil had been with him in hospital since ...

Mothers don't spend enough quality time with their children

Kores India Ltd, a popular stationery manufacturer with a wide range of art and craft products for children, along with First Moms Club (FMC), a social community of mothers, undertook a study roping in 5000 mothers within the age group of 24-44 years to understand how they spend time with their children.The results gave light to the truth that young mothers do spend considerable time with their children, but due to various distractions - the time cannot be counted as quality time.The study suggested that children have the highest cognitive function from the age of 2-10 years, which means that during these years they absorb a lot of information, are most intuitive and start understanding the world around them. Crucial age to influence that will help them reach their potential as they grow. But as children, they would need their parents' guidance to show them the way.Mothers were presented with a few simple questions trying to understand how they spend time with their children and ...

Family history of heart attacks should not be ignored: Experts

Having a family history of cardiovascular disease increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease, angina, heart attack, heart failure and stroke.Therefore, it is imperative to not ignore a family history of heart attack or heart diseases in general.Research indicates that siblings with one parent that had experienced a heart attack were 48% more likely to have one. Those with two parents with history of heart attack were nearly six times more likely to have a heart attack.Speaking about the same, Padma Shri Awardee Dr K K Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) and Immediate Past National President Indian Medical Association (IMA), said, "The warning signs of a heart attack include chest discomfort, upper body pain, shortness of breath. Most people experience an unusual feeling that begins at the center of the chest and radiates out."He added, "The discomfort, which can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain, can last for more than a ..

Six unlikely signs of lung cancer revealed

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 7.6 million deaths globally each year are caused by cancer and data shows that lung cancer is by far the number one cancer killer.But how to know that you are developing signs of lung cancer?Lung cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells that start off in one or both lungs; usually in the cells that line the air passages. The abnormal cells do not develop into healthy lung tissue, they divide rapidly and form tumors.Here're 6 unlikely signs that you could have the condition, and should get checked by a medical professional:- Finger clubbingClubbing is a condition where the fingers and toes broaden at their tips, and the nails curve and thicken. It occurs in lung cancer patients with hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy.The researchers said, "People with lung conditions can get HPOA. It affects about five out of every 100 people with cancer of the windpipe [bronchus] or lung. In cancer, it is most common in people ..

Mediterranean diet may protect elderly from becoming frail

Following a Mediterranean diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts may reduce the risk of frailty in older individuals, a study claims. Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta- analysis of four published studies examining associations between adherence to a Mediterranean diet and development of frailty in older individuals. Their analysis included 5,789 people over 60 living in France, Spain, Italy, and China. "Nutrition is thought to play a crucial role in developing frailty and we found that the Mediterranean diet may help older individuals maintain muscle strength, activity, weight, and energy levels," said Kate Walters, from the University College London (UCL) in the UK. The findings, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, suggest that a diet emphasising plant- based foods and low to moderate amounts of fish and poultry helps keep people healthy and independent as they age. "People who followed a Mediterranean ...

Merck Foundation connects Africa, Asia through their partnership with Malaysia and India to build healthcare capacity in Africa

Merck Foundation (MF), a non-profit company and subsidiary of Merck KGaA Germany, and the University of Malaya (UM), Malaysia's oldest and most established institution of higher learning, signed a Memorandum of Understanding today aimed at providing fellowship training for post-graduate medical trainees from Africa and other developing countries.The signing ceremony was witnessed by YB Datuk Dr. Mary Yap Kain Ching, Deputy Minister of Higher Education Malaysia.Professor Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of Executive Board of E-Merck KG and Chairman of Board of Trustees of Merck Foundation said, "We are delighted to partner with the University of Malaya, to provide clinical training and fellowship programmes to young healthcare practitioners from Africa and other developing countries."I strongly believe that building capacity is the right strategy to improve access to quality and equitable healthcare since the lack of professional skills is a key challenge in these nations. We

Here's why obese people find it difficult to lose weight

Are you one of those who exercise daily but are still unable to lose weight?We might have an answer to your question.According to a recent research, obese people may find it harder to lose weight because their fat tissue becomes scarred and inflamed, reports Daily Express.The study found that their fat can cease to cope as it increases in size and becomes suffocated by its own expansion.The scientists examined tissue samples from patients, including those with weight problems who have undergone bariatric surgery. It was seen that fat in obese people can suffocate and struggle for oxygen supply, due in part to the increase in the fat cells' size.As cells get bigger they become distressed and struggle for oxygen, which triggers inflammation in the fat tissue.The inflammation spills over from fat tissue into the bloodstream and is eventually measurable in the circulation by a blood test. With fat tissue not being able to do its most vital job, which is storing excess calories, the excess

Pancreatic cancer accelerated by stress: study

Stress accelerates the development of pancreatic cancer by triggering the release of "fight-or- flight" hormones, a study has found. Beta-blockers - commonly used medications that inhibit these hormones - were found to increase survival in a mouse model of the disease, said researchers at the Columbia University Medical Center in the US. An additional analysis of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer revealed that those who were taking beta- blockers for another condition lived about two-thirds longer than those who were not taking the medications. Recent studies have shown that emotional and psychological stress play a role in the development of tumours in general. This effect is thought to occur through the sympathetic nervous system, which releases hormones that give the body a surge of energy so that it can respond to perceived dangers. "Some biologists dismissed this idea because stress is hard to measure," said Timothy C Wang, from the Columbia University ...