Page 633 - Health Medical Pharma
Soldier injured in landmine explosion
A soldier was injured in a landmine explosion near the Line of Control in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, the Army said today. The soldier, who was part of patrolling team, was injured when he stepped on a landmine near the LoC on Wednesday, an Army official said. He said the injured soldier was evacuated to 92 Base Hospital of the Army here and his condition is now stable.
Mediterranean diet can cut risk of frailty in older adults
According to a study, following Mediterranean diet - which includes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts - may reduce the risk of frailty in older adults.The findings suggest that a diet emphasizing primarily on plant-based foods can help keep people healthy and independent as they age.Frailty is common among older people and its prevalence is increasing as the population ages.Frail older adults may often feel low in energy and have weight loss and weak muscle strength.Lead study author Kate Walters from the University College London wanted to access how a healthy diet might decrease one's risk of frailty.The team analyzed 5,789 older individuals four France, Spain, Italy and China.Dr. Walters stated, "We found the evidence was very consistent that older people who follow a Mediterranean diet had a lower risk of becoming frail".The results indicated that the people who followed Mediterranean diet the most were overall less than half as likely to become frail over a ...
Arthritis drug may help treat memory loss from West Nile virus
Scientists have identified an arthritis drug that reduces inflammation in people with West Nile virus and may help treat neurological problems persisting in patients who survive the infection. "These memory disturbances make it hard for people to hold down a job, to drive, to take care of all the duties of everyday life," said Robyn Klein, from the Washington University School of Medicine in the US. "We found that targeting the inflammation with the arthritis drug could prevent some of these problems with memory," Klein said. Spread by the bite of a mosquito, West Nile virus can cause fever and sometimes life-threatening brain infections known as West Nile encephalitis. About half the people who survive the encephalitis are left with permanent neurological problems such as disabling fatigue, weakness, difficulty walking and memory loss. These problems not only persist but often worsen with time. For the study published in the journal Nature Immunology, the researchers ...
How fast food is damaging your immune system
Fast food makes the immune system more aggressive in the long term, suggest researchers.According to the University of Bonn study, even after a change to a healthy diet, the body's defenses remain hyperactive.These long-term changes may be involved in the development of arteriosclerosis and diabetes, diseases linked to Western diet consumption.The scientists placed mice for a month on a so-called "Western diet": high in fat, high in sugar, and low in fiber. The animals consequently developed a strong inflammatory response throughout the body, almost like after infection with dangerous bacteria."The unhealthy diet led to an unexpected increase in the number of certain immune cells in the blood of the mice, especially granulocytes and monocytes. This was an indication for an involvement of immune cell progenitors in the bone marrow," Anette Christ, postdoctoral fellow in the Institute of Innate Immunity of the University of Bonn explains.To better understand these unexpected findings, ..
Memory loss from West Nile virus may be preventable
The neurological problems persisting in people who survive brain infection with West Nile virus may be due to unresolved inflammation that hinders the brain's ability to repair damaged neurons and grow new ones, a new study has found.
Junior doctors booked for attacking men accompanying patient
The police today registered two cases after junior doctors of the SCB Medical College and Hospital allegedly beat up two persons accompanying a patient. No arrests have been made in connection with the incident that took place late last night, police said. It occurred in the casualty department of the Hospital following an altercation over the allegation that the doctors did not attend to the patient the victims had brought. The cases were registered on the basis of FIRs lodged by both the sides. Police said they rescued two attacked persons from the hospital and released them this evening after treatment.
Punjab to implement Clinical Establishment Act
Punjab will soon implement the Clinical Establishment Act to check malpractices in private hospitals, Health Minister Brahm Mohindra said today. Notably, Union Health Minister J P Nadda had last month urged all the states to adopt the Centre's Clinical Establishment Act in the backdrop of cases of alleged medical negligence and overcharging by some private hospitals. "We will very soon bring a Clinical Establishment Act to regulate the private hospitals in the state. We will control this (any problem of charging hefty sum from patients by private hospitals)," Mohindra said. The Clinical Establishment Act was been enacted by the Centre for regulation of all clinical establishments in the country with a view to prescribe the minimum standards of facilities and services provided by them. Meanwhile, the minister said the Punjab government was committed to provide quality and affordable healthcare facilities to all the people. Among new initiatives, Mohindra said his ...
NCDRC notice to Kolkata hospital for botch-up cancer diagnosis
The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) has sought the reply of a private hospital in Kolkata and one of its doctors to a plea alleging medical negligence over a botch-up cancer diagnosis. The apex consumer commission has issued notice to Sri Aurobindo Seva Kendra in Kolkata and a medicine specialist from the hospital on a plea seeking a compensation of over Rs 2.3 crore. The commission has posted the matter for further hearing on April 11. The NCDRC was hearing a petition filed by Sarbani Das who alleged that the hospital and the doctor, instead of noticing a 'large opacity' in the right lung of her husband in the X- ray, treated him for reactive arthritis for almost 10 months. She alleged that in January, 2017, by the time they were informed that the opacity in the lung seen in the X-ray report was cancerous, her husband had reached the fourth stage of the disease. The plea also alleged that the doctor had fabricated a bed head ticket, which is also
Philippines says deaths in vaccine row 'consistent with'
The Philippines said today that some of the 14 children who died after receiving a controversial vaccine showed signs of "severe dengue", as investigators probe the drug whose use was suspended due to health concerns. More than 830,000 Filipino schoolchildren were injected with Sanofi's Dengvaxia vaccine last year in the world's first public dengue immunisation programme. But the country stopped the sale and distribution of Dengvaxia last month after Sanofi warned the vaccine could worsen symptoms for people who had not previously been infected with the virus. Philippine authorities are also pursuing criminal and public health safety investigations into any links between the drug and the deaths of 14 schoolchildren who died months after being vaccinated. "The findings of the forensic pathologists are consistent with severe dengue or dengue shock syndrome," Health Secretary Francisco Duque told ABS-CBN television, referring to the results of autopsies on some of the ...
Depression in older adults with high BP may delay recovery
Antidepressants may fail to work properly in older adults suffering from high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels, finds a study.
Jeevan Jyot Cancer Relief and Care Trust organizes 'Prince Kutchhi Vyapar Mela'
Jeevan Jyot Cancer Relief and Care Trust will organize 'Prince Kutchhi Vyapar Mela' (Kutchhi Trade Fair) during 26th to 28th January 2018 at Central Railway Ground, Dr. Ambedkar Road, Parel, Mumbai. The Fair is sponsored by Prince Pipe, Green Cure and National Railway Mazdoor Union.There will be more than 400 stalls. This will be a Shopping Extravaganza consisting of readymade garments, fashion wear, arts & crafts, furnishing, home appliances, sports, handicrafts, gift articles, professionals, builders-home decor, mutual fund - insurance, home articles, bank finance, housing loan, ladies purse -belt etc.There will be food court, play zone, yoga & blood camp, dance, musical shows etc. The Fair will be under surveillance by security and CCTV Cameras. This will be an exhibition cum sale with FUN'N'FAIR for visitors. There will be lucky draws every hour. Entry to the Fair will be free for all visitors. A footfall of around 1.50 lakh visitors expected during the fair.Harakhchand ...
Why we gain weight in winters decoded
Need another reason to bask in the sunshine? Fat cells just beneath our skin shrink when exposed to the blue light emitted by the Sun, a study has found, explaining why we tend to gain more weight in winters. "When the Sun's blue light wavelengths - the light we can see with our eye - penetrate our skin and reach the fat cells just beneath, lipid droplets reduce in size and are released out of the cell. In other words, our cells don't store as much fat," said Peter Light, professor at University of Alberta in Canada. "If you flip our findings around, the insufficient sunlight exposure we get eight months of the year living in a northern climate may be promoting fat storage and contribute to the typical weight gain some of us have over winter," said Light, senior author of the study published in the journal Scientific Reports. The finding is only an initial observation and that pursuing exposure to sunlight is not a safe or recommended way to lose weight, Light ...
Kerala govt permits prisoners to donate organs to close
The Kerala government today decided to permit prisoners in state jails to donate their organs to close relatives, but with certain conditions. The decision was taken at the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. "The prisoners can henceforth donate their organs to close relatives and the government has decided to make necessary amendments in the Kerala Prisons and Correctional Services (Management) Act 2014," a government press release read. However, the prisoner needs to meet certain conditions for the process to take place. Like, the organ donation can be made by prisoners to their close relatives only. Also, they have to take sanction from the concerned court, the same which convicted them, besides the medical board nod for any such organ donation. "It was also resolved that the period the prisoner is hospitalised post donation, will be considered as parole and the hospital expenses will be met by the jail department,"the release added. The ...
Frozen embryos as good as fresh ones for sucessful IVF births
Using frozen embryos for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) gives infertile couples just as much of a chance of having a child as using fresh ones, a study has found. Researchers from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Vietnam and University of Adelaide in Australia showed that ongoing pregnancy rates and live births were equivalent in a group of IVF women implanted with frozen embryos compared with fresh embryos. "Frozen embryo techniques are growing in popularity in fertility clinics worldwide. This is one of the reasons why our research is important for fertility clinicians and researchers, and of course couples who are hoping to have a child," said Lan N Vuong from University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Vietnam. The study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, investigated almost 800 women who had infertility not related to polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Women were given one cycle of IVF, where either a transfer of fresh embryos occurred, or all ..
Exercising for 30 minutes lowers risk of heart failures
Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood through to meet the body's needs for blood and oxygen.Though there is no cure for this condition, one can choose to lead a healthy lifestyle to lower the risk of heart failures and a new study has found that exercising four to five times a week for at least 30 minutes can lower the risk of heart failure.The researchers claimed that exercise could reverse damage to sedentary, ageing hearts and help to prevent the risk of future heart failure.Study's lead author Dr Benjamin Levine, said, "Based on a series of studies performed by our team over the past five years, this 'dose' of exercise has become my prescription for life. I think people should be able to do this as part of their personal hygiene - just like brushing your teeth and taking a shower."The team shared that they wanted to find a way to reverse sedentary ageing of the heart - where the heart stiffens in the left ...
How stress can make you sick explained
Stress can interact with immune cells and regulate how they respond to allergens, causing physical symptoms and disease, a study has found. Published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, the study showed how a stress receptor, known as corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF1) can send signals to certain immune cells, called mast cells, and control how they defend the body. For the study, researchers from the Michigan State University (MSU) in the US compared the histamine responses of mice to two types of stress conditions - psychological and allergic - where the immune system becomes overworked. One group of mice was considered "normal" with CRF1 receptors on their mast cells and the other group had cells that lacked CRF1. "While the 'normal' mice exposed to stress exhibited high histamine levels and disease, the mice without CRF1 had low histamine levels, less disease and were protected against both types of stress," said Adam Moeser, from MSU. "This tells us that CRF1 is .
Stress can spur development of pancreatic cancer
Stress can speed up the development of pancreatic cancer, finds a study.The researchers stated that stress triggers the release of "fight-or-flight" hormones.Beta-blockers--commonly used medications that inhibit these hormones--were found to increase survival in a mouse model of the disease.An additional analysis of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer revealed that those who were taking selective beta-blockers, which are used to treat heart conditions, lived approximately 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 tumors 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 study leader Timothy C. Wang, MD, the Dorothy L. and Daniel H. Silberberg ...
Robotic implant can help stunted organs regrow
Scientists have developed an implantable medical robot that can stimulate tissue growth in stunted organs without causing discomfort. The system induced cell proliferation and lengthened part of the oesophagus in a large animal by about 75 per cent, while the animal remained awake and mobile. According to the researchers from Boston Children's Hospital in the US, the system could treat long-gap oesophageal atresia, a rare birth defect in which part of the oesophagus is missing, and could also be used to lengthen the small intestine in short bowel syndrome. The most effective current operation for long-gap esophageal atresia, called the Foker process, uses sutures anchored on the patient's back to gradually pull on the oesophagus. To prevent the oesophagus from tearing, patients must be paralysed in a medically induced coma and placed on mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit for one to four weeks. The long period of immobilisation can also cause medical ...
New swallowable sensors to monitor human gut health
Scientists have successfully completed the first human trials of an ingestible capsule that can monitor gases in the gut in real time, potentially revolutionising the way stomach and colon disorders are diagnosed. The capsule can uncover mechanisms in the body that have never been seen before, including a potentially new immune system, researchers said. The new technology is a game-changer for the one-in-five people worldwide who will suffer from a gastrointestinal disorder in their lifetime. They could also lead to fewer invasive procedures like colonoscopies, they said. The ingestible capsule developed by researchers at RMIT University in Australia detects and measures gut gases - hydrogen, carbon dioxides and oxygen - in real time. This data can be sent to a mobile phone. "We found that the stomach releases oxidising chemicals to break down and beat foreign compounds that are staying in the stomach for longer than usual," said Kourosh Kalantar- zadeh, from RMIT ...
Study finds how stress may be making you sick
Stress is often a hidden health hazard that can literally make you sick.A Michigan State University researcher is providing new insight into how certain types of stress interact with immune cells and can regulate how these cells respond to allergens, ultimately causing physical symptoms and disease.The federally funded study showed how a stress receptor, known as corticotropin-releasing factor, or CRF1, can send signals to certain immune cells, called mast cells, and control how they defend the body."Mast cells become highly activated in response to stressful situations the body may be experiencing," said Adam Moeser, an associate professor and endowed chair who specializes in stress-induced diseases."When this happens, CRF1 tells these cells to release chemical substances that can lead to inflammatory and allergic diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, life-threatening food allergies and autoimmune disorders such as lupus."One chemical substance, histamine, is known to ...