Page 649 - Health Medical Pharma

Swine flu virus hits Rajasthan hardest in December

Swine flu cases in Rajasthan smashed all past records in the month of December, with no less than 310 persons testing positive in the state.

Britons urged to limit food intake to 1,600 calories a day

In a bid to cut down obesity, men and women living in Britain are being urged to reduce their intake of calories to just 1,600 a day, according to new health guidelines.

Boys' brains wired to be callous, unemotional: study

Boys who are callous and unemotional have structural differences in the brain region linked to conscience and empathy, a study has found. Researchers from the University of Basel and University of Basel Psychiatric Hospital in Switzerland studied brain development in 189 adolescents. In recent years, researchers have given these personality traits increased attention, since they have been associated with the development of more serious and persistent antisocial behavior. However, until now, most research in this area has focused on studying callous-unemotional traits in populations with a psychiatric diagnosis, especially conduct disorder. This meant that it was unclear whether associations between callous-unemotional traits and brain structure were only present in clinical populations with increased aggression, or whether the antisocial behavior and aggression explained the brain differences. Using magnetic resonance imaging, the researchers were able to take a closer ..

Lupin gets USFDA nod for generic psoriasis treatment solution

Pharma major Lupin Ltd today said it has received final approval from the US health regulator for its generic version of Dovonex scalp solution used in treatment of psoriasis of scalp. The approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to Lupin's calcipotriene topical solution is for strength of 0.005 per cent (scalp solution), the company said in a statement. It is the generic equivalent of Dovonex scalp solution of Lep Pharmaceutical Products Ltd. It is used for topical treatment of chronic, moderately severe psoriasis of the scalp. Citing IMS data, the company said Calcipotriene topical solution had annual sales of USD 5.9 million in the US till October this year. Shares of Lupin Ltd ended 0.67 per cent higher at Rs 880.85 apiece on the BSE today.

Tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle in winter

The onset of winters can prove to be a health hazard if you are not following a nutritious diet, and a balanced lifestyle. So make sure you are getting right nutrition this chilly season.

Non-invasive brainwave technology may cut post-traumatic stress

Researchers have developed a non-invasive brainwave mirroring technology that can significantly reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress, especially in military personnel.

Computer-based optical method detects early stage cervical cancer

A computer-based optical method, developed by Indian scientists, can pin-point precancerous cervical cells and healthy cells, thereby providing early indications of cervical cancer.

New treatments for nicotine addiction in the offing

Scientists have identified specific chemical changes deep in the brain that help drive nicotine addiction, an advance that may lead to new treatments for the condition. In the research published in the journal PNAS, scientists were able to halt these changes in mice and discover potential targets for drugs to treat tobacco dependence. Nicotine is a stimulant that works by binding to receptors widely distributed throughout the brain, causing neurons to release a variety of neurotransmitters including dopamine, which triggers feelings of pleasure. In a search for the brain cells that transmit this response, researchers at the Rockefeller University in the US investigated how nicotine affects two midbrain structures, the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) and the medial habenula (MHb). While these brain regions are ancient in evolutionary terms and are found in all vertebrates, including humans, they have not received much attention from scientists until recently, researchers ...

UK medics to help Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

A team of British medical staff is travelling to Bangladesh to help tackle an outbreak of diphtheria affecting Rohingya Muslim refugee camps, the media reported on Thursday.

Non-invasive brainwave tech can reduce PTSD symptoms

A non-invasive brainwave mirroring technology can significantly reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress, a study in military personnel has found. "Ongoing symptoms of post-traumatic stress, whether clinically diagnosed or not, are a pervasive problem in the military," said Charles H Tegeler, professor at Wake Forest School of Medicine in the US. "Medications are often used to help control specific symptoms, but can produce side effects. Other treatments may not be well tolerated, and few show a benefit for the associated sleep disturbance. Additional noninvasive, non-drug therapies are needed," said Tegeler. According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, about 31 per cent of Vietnam veterans, 10 per cent of Gulf War veterans and 11 per cent of veterans of the war in Afghanistan experience PTSD. Symptoms can include insomnia, poor concentration, sadness, re-experiencing traumatic events, irritability or hyper-alertness, as well as diminished autonomic ...

Why boys are not as emotional as girls

Boys tend to be callous and display unemotional traits because of difference in brain structure, finds a research.

Your body's built-in weighing scale may help combat obesity

Human body consists of an internal body weight sensing system that operates like bathroom scales, registering body weight and signalling the brain to reduce food intake, researchers have found.

New electronic nose can 'sniff out' colon diseases

Scientists have developed an electronic nose that can non-invasively detect colon diseases and distinguish between patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The device - named Moosy 32 eNose - can also tell whether the disease is active, with close to 90 per cent accuracy. In the future this type of equipment could be available for digestive system specialists who could, thanks to a simple stool analysis which takes three minutes, determine the state of the patient, according to researchers from Valencia's Polytechnic University in Spain. It is common nowadays to use invasive tests to diagnose and evaluate inflammatory activity as a result of colon- related illnesses, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, both classified as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). With the developed prototype, researchers want to contribute to the creation of non-invasive diagnosing systems. It is believed that as many as 200,000 people currently suffer from these ...

'Twice-weekly exercise may improve memory, thinking'

Exercising twice a week may improve thinking ability and memory in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to a guideline by the American Academy of Neurology. Mild cognitive impairment is a medical condition that is common with ageing. While it is linked to problems with thinking ability and memory, it is not the same as dementia. However, there is strong evidence that MCI can lead to dementia, researchers said. "It is exciting that exercise may help improve memory at this stage, as it is something most people can do and of course it has overall health benefits," said Ronald C Petersen, from the Mayo Clinic in the US and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. "Because MCI may progress to dementia, it is particularly important that MCI is diagnosed early," said Petersen, lead author of the guideline published in the journal Neurology. According to the guideline, doctors should recommend that people with MCI exercise regularly as part of an overall .

Over 4000 doctors attend orthopaedic convention in Indore

The 62nd annual convention of the Indian Orthopaedic Association being held here has seen over 4000 doctors sharing their experiences and discussing new technology. Doctors from different part of the country shared their expertise on various orthopaedic-related subjects during the technical sessions organised on the second day of the IOACON-2017 convention yesterday, a press release informed. It added that several doctors including Dr John Mukhopadhyay (Patna), Dr Prakash Bangani (Indore), Dr Vikas Agashe and Roshan Wade (Mumbai), Dr T Ajitprasad, Dr Parag Sancheti, Dr Jawahar Pachore delivered lectures during the instructional course workshop. Dr Bangani, while delivering his lecture, said that bone infections had to be dealt with care as they take a lot of time to heal unlike normal infections.

Bi-weekly exercise may boost cognition, memory in elderly

Exercising twice a week may improve thinking ability and memory in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to a new guideline released by the American Academy of Neurology.

Three super foods that can help you lose belly fat fast

Super foods can help you to detox after overindulging during the festive period and a nutritionist has answered debate over which 'super food' is best, analysing the benefits of green tea, turmeric and cocoa just in time for New Year's resolutions to come into effect.All three foods have different health benefits - green tea is a natural antioxidant, turmeric is an anti-inflammatory and cocoa is known for its cardiovascular benefits.But, according to nutritionist Georgios Tzenichristos, the overall winner was green tea.It contains 7 percent of the active molecule EGCG, while tumeric only contains 2 percent of the molecule curcumin and cocoa contains 0.5 percent flavanols.Green tea's polyphenols help to speed the metabolism and boost fat-burning during exercising.Georgios said, "If I had to choose one of those famous super ingredients, that would be the humble green tea. A cup is easy to prepare, costs next to nothing and provides you with a whopping 7 percent active molecules (EGCG), .

National policy, improved immunisation programme highlights on

The roll-out of a new National Health Policy, enactment of a mental healthcare law and the launch of a strengthened immunisation programme stood out for the Health Ministry in 2017. The nod to the draft National Medical Commission Bill, 2017, by the Cabinet, towards the end of the year, despite opposition from some quarters, came as a shot in the arm for the health ministry. The draft bill seeks to replace the existing apex medical education regulator Medical Council of India (MCI) with a new body to ensure transparency. The new National Health Policy which addresses the current and emerging challenges necessitated by the changing socio-economic, technological and epidemiological landscape, was released after a gap of 15 years. It aims to attain the highest possible level of health and well-being for all at all ages through a preventive and promotive healthcare and universal access to quality health services without anyone having to face financial hardship as a ...

Livestock Disease Forewarning -Mobile Application (LDF-Mobile App) launched

Union Agriculture Minister said that ICAR-NIVEDI has identified 13 priority diseases based on their past incidence patterns and has built a strong database of these diseases and has been providing monthly livestock disease alerts to the state and central animal husbandry departments.

Study explores impact of obesity on bone marrow cells

In a new research, a group of scientists have managed to find the pernicious effect of obesity on the long-term health of blood-making stem cells (hematopoietic stem cells).Conducted largely in genetic models of obese mice, it shows obesity causes durable and harmful changes to the hematopoietic stem cell compartment - the blood-making factory in our bodies.Talking about the study, study's principal investigator Damien Reynaud, said, "There is now an understanding that the blood stem cell compartment is made up of numerous cell subsets. Keeping this compartment healthy is essential to human health. This includes maintaining the diverse pool of blood-making stem cells (hematopoietic stem cells) needed to produce blood cells the body needs to function properly."The research showed that age and environmental stresses can lessen the healthy diversity of cells in our blood-making machinery.This can include skewing blood cell formation toward myeloid cells and possibly promoting ...