Page 654 - Health Medical Pharma
Frequent heartburns up cancer risk in older adults
You may want to avoid over-eating during this festive season, as a recent study has warned that frequent heartburns in the older adults may raise the risk of developing cancer.According to researchers, acid reflux, which causes heartburns, is linked to cancer of the throat, tonsils and upper digestive tracts in older adults.The team conducted a study on 13,805 patients aged 66 or older with cancer of the respiratory and upper digestive tracts and 13,805 patients without cancer.They wanted to analyse inflammatory condition gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD or acid reflux) and the development of cancer.The patients with cancer of the respiratory and upper digestive tracts (outcome) were compared to those without cancer to examine whether GERD (exposure) was associated with cancer.The results suggested that GERD was associated with cancer of the throat, tonsils and parts of the sinuses.Author Edward D. McCoul from the Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans explained that ..
Santa Claus may be at serious health risk: UK experts
Santa Claus is adored by youngsters the world over, but he could be setting a bad example when it comes to his physical health and mental well being, according to UK doctors. Centuries of sherry-drinking, eating mince pies and working night shifts could be putting Santa Claus at serious health risk, according to the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGPs) - a professional body for doctors in the UK. With every house leaving carrots for his reindeers and mince pies and cookies for him, it is likely Santas BMI is exceptionally high. Obesity can lead to numerous health problems, such as hypertension, diabetes, fatty liver disease, and cancer, the RCGP said in a statement. As a result of his waistline, unhealthy diet, and alcohol intake, it is also possible that Santa Claus has developed gout a painful joint condition caused by the build-up of uric acid in the blood. Santa Claus is known for his tight black boots to help him combat the snow, but with all his long ...
Decoded: Where voice recognition occurs in our brain
Scientists have identified a tiny region of our brain that not only allow us to recognise voices, but also helps us differentiate voices.
Retd doctors to be roped in to make new AIIMS fully functional
The Health ministry, which is struggling to make six new AIIMS fully functional due to unavailability of suitable candidates, has now decided to hire retired doctors, who have worked in premier medical institutes of the country, on contract. The government will hire retired doctors on contract basis as various faculty positions of professors, additional and associate professors in most of the clinical disciplines are lying vacant despite two rounds of vacancy filling exercises. The six new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) -- Rishikesh, Jodhpur, Bhopal, Raipur, Patna and Bhubaneshwar -- are yet to become fully functional due to lack of doctors and faculty. "Approval of the competent authority is conveyed for engagement of retired faculty at the level of professor, additional professor and associate professor, on contract basis, in new AIIMS, up to the age of 70 years, from institutes of national importance (INIs) and government medical colleges (GMCs)," ..
Drunken men more likely to check out 'unfriendly' women
Men under the influence of alcohol are more interested in checking out the body parts of women they perceived as unfriendly or unintelligent, finds a new study.
AIIMS docs ask PM to live their life for a day to understand
Backing the protest by doctors in Rajasthan for higher pay and promotions, resident doctors of AIIMS asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "live" their life for a day to understand their stress. In a letter to Modi, the AIIMS Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) yesterday urged the PM to understand the tremendous pressure on doctors at government hospitals due to the poor infrastructure and misbehaviour of patient's kin during emergency situations. "We are lucky to have an active PM like you... Now RDA AIIMS requests you to put (on) white apron and spend one day as a government doctor to understand the tremendous amount of pressure we face, the agony of patients who did not get treatment, the dying healthcare system due to lack of resources and infrastructure," AIIMS RDA president Harjit Singh Bhatti wrote in the letter. He said it will also set an example to ministers who level allegations against doctors for cheap publicity. "Your one day as a government doctor can be a
Study suggests earache might be a sign of rare cancer
Cancer of the ear is quite rare and most often develops in the outer skin. The condition can affect any of the three parts of the ear; the inner, middle or outer ear.But what are the symptoms that one should keep in mind for this rare condition. Ear cancer symptoms vary, depending on where in the ear the tumour is located.The main outer ear cancer symptom is a spot that does not heal within four weeks, according to Express.co.uk.The spot may appear like a pink lump, with hard scaly surface. They often bleed easily.Hearing loss and earache could be signs of middle ear cancer.The most common sign of middle ear cancer, however, is a discharge from the ear, which may have blood in it.Pain inside the ear, headache, hearing loss, dizziness, or a ringing in the ear could be signs of inner ear cancer."The only way to confirm a diagnosis of cancer is to take a small amount of tissue [biopsy] from the abnormal area of the ear. This is then examined under a microscope. Doctors do not take ...
India fast emerging as inventors' hub for drugs patent
India is fast emerging as an inventors' hub for patents for an assortment of drugs worldwide. Around 15 per cent of the total 1.3 lakh patents filed in India from 2013 to 2015 have been contributed by the indigenous pharmaceutical industry. India is ranked second only to the United States in terms of applications for product patent for drugs with the USFDA (US Food and Drug Administration) as revealed during the ongoing 69th Indian Pharmaceutical Congress taking place in Chandigarh.Largely known for the manufacture of generic drugs, the Indian pharmaceutical industry has started moving up the value chain as it invests more money in research to develop new drugs and reformulate existing ones."It was brought to light that India has traditionally been focusing on process patents, but since 2005, importance is being given to product patents. There has been a paradigm shift. Key speakers at the 69th Congress spent Saturday deliberating on the strides being made in this direction of ...
Over 5K students achieve World Record for largest lung representation
In a bid to create widespread awareness about the ill-effects of pollution, over 5,000 students set a Guinness World Record by forming the largest human image of an organ (Lung) at the Thyagaraj Stadium here on Saturday.The event, which was spearheaded by Lung Care Foundation, saw participation from over 5,300 students from 35 schools across Delhi-NCR to form the human image of a lung.The participants used the lung formation to show the effects of pollution: pink lungs turning into irreversible black lungs. Not only this, through this campaign Lung Care Foundation aims to bring in a people movement where, the citizens, corporates and children come together to start a new revolution.The new feat was appreciated by President Ram Nath Kovind, who extended his warm greetings and felicitations to all children who took the pledge to work for a cleaner environment as a people's movement. He further expressed his joy on this initiative of "Sankalp Se Siddhi Programme for Clean Air" being ...
Doctors in capital report increasing incidence of 'Text Neck' syndrome
There is a high chance that you are reading this on a smart phone, tablet, or a laptop, with your neck bending downwards and a hunched back. Mobile devices have transformed our lives but have also made us vulnerable to a series of health concerns.Doctors in the capital say they are seeing an increasing number of patients complaining of neck pain and stiffness that can be directly attributed to excessive use of mobile phones as digital devices. The syndrome is being referred to as 'text neck'.Studies have reported that an average consumer spends around 3 hours per day on an average on mobile devices in India, while in the United States; it is as high as 5 hours.Excessive usage and poor posture while using mobile devices and other tech-gadgets causes repetitive stress injury on the neck and spine. To put it simply, prolonged duration of bending over electronic gadgets, causes text neck.As the incidence of this condition is increasing amongst people due to increased dependency on mobile .
Infertility, contraception, adolescent & behavioral psychology gain traction: Report
Infertility and contraception, along with adolescent and behavioral psychology were among the health issues in 2017 that saw a phenomenal growth in terms of interactions with doctors over a year back in a welcoming sign that Indians are getting aware about the importance of being psychologically healthy too while being physically fit.As per the annual report released by Lybrate Healthscape India 2017, the number of interactions on infertility and contraception saw a 290% jump as compared to last year, followed by interactions on adolescent and behavioral psychology, which recorded a 265% spike.In Delhi, 23% people consulted doctors for Infertility and Contraception, while 31% reached out to them for issues related to adolescent/behavioral psychology. In Mumbai, 32% people talked about Infertility and Contraception and 31% consulted healthcare experts about adolescent/behavioral psychology. Kolkata and Ahmedabad had the highest number of queries around Infertility and Contraception ...
'Live' a government doctor's life for a day to understand stress: AIIMS doctors to Modi
Backing the protest by doctors in Rajasthan for higher pay, promotion and changes in shifts, the doctors' body at AIIMS on Saturday invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "live" a government doctor's life for a day to understand their stress and helplessness and also take note of the "dying healthcare system".
Lung Care Foundation, Petronet in Guinness for largest human image of lung
The Lung Care Foundation and Petronet LNG have entered the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the largest human image of an organ, that of the lung.The program was organised by Lung Care Foundation to create awareness about the ill effects of pollution on lung health and to motivate individuals to come up with people-driven solutions.Over 5100 school children from over 35 schools located in the Delhi-NCR got together to create this record. The previous records were created by Beijing and Abu Dhabi.President Ram Nath Kovind expressed his joy over this initiative of "Sankalp Se Siddhi Programme for Clean Air" being organised by the Lung Care Foundation.Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his message congratulated the Lung Care Foundation on this unique initiative in galvanising the support of the youth and creating awareness on a vital subject which impacts every individual.The event was graced by the Lt. Governor of Delhi, Anil Baijal,Anil Swarup, Secretary (School Education), ...
Patients evacuated as fire breaks out in a Delhi hospital
A major fire today broke out at a hospital in east Delhi's Preet Vihar and 84 patients were evacuated from the building, officials said. Some patients suffered minor injuries in the rescue operation in the fire that broke out on the second floor of the Metro Hospital and Cancer Institute, they said. The fire started in an air conditioning vent and then spread to other floors, a senior police officer said. A senior officer from the Delhi Fire Services said a call was received at 3.20 PM alerting them about the blaze, which intensified in the next 20 minutes. Twelve fire tenders were rushed to the spot, he said. "But it was controlled by 4.15 PM and completely doused by 4.50 PM," the official added. Police said that the 84 patients were safely evacuated from the hospital and shifted to its Noida branch. The cooling operation was underway, the police said, adding that some patients suffered minor injuries in the episode.
Consumption of sugary drinks linked to obesity
If you are consuming a lot of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), stop doing so. It may make you obese or overweight, a study has confirmed.
5,300 kids set Guinness record by forming largest human lung
Over 5,300 school children today set a world record by forming the largest shape of human lung at Thyagraj stadium here and entered the Guinness Book of World Records. The event organised by non profit organisation Lung Care Foundation and Petronet LNG was lauded by President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Lung care Foundation and Petronet LNG have been awarded with Guinness World Record of creating the largest image of an organ(lung)," said a statement from the organsiation. Over 5,300 school children from over 35 schools in Delhi- NCR got together to set the record. The previous records were held by Beijing and Abu Dhabi, it said. The feat was aimed at creating awareness about harmful effects of pollution on lung health. Lt Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal, who was present at the event, said he was confident the campaign would help in initiating a people's movement for clean air. "In this regard, children are our best ambassadors for a positive change ..
How exercise can slow progression of Parkinson's disease
Exercise can stop accumulation of a harmful protein which is believed to play a central role in the brain cell death associated with Parkinson's disease, new research has found.
Taking folic acid in pregnancy may up risk of allergies: study
Taking folic acid in late pregnancy may increase the risk of allergies in offspring affected by intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), a study warns. Folic acid, a type of B vitamin, has been shown to prevent defects in the neural tube - the precursor to the central nervous system - in a developing foetus. The neural tube develops in the first month of pregnancy; medical professionals typically recommend women take a folic acid supplement during the first trimester of pregnancy. Continued supplementation, however, may not be needed in the late stages of pregnancy and may actually increase the risk of allergies in offspring. Researchers at the University of Adelaide in Australia studied lambs born to three groups of sheep: mothers with a smaller-than-normal placenta, mothers with a smaller placenta that were also given high doses of a supplement that included folic acid in the last month of gestation ("restricted supplement"). The third group included mothers with normal
Emergency medical procedures to remain free for outstation
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar today announced that outstation patients will continue to get free-of-cost emergency medical procedures in the state-run hospitals, although they will be charged nominal fees for other medical facilities. Currently, the residents of Goa as well as patients from outside the state can avail the medical facilities free of cost in the state. The government had yesterday announced that it would start charging nominal fees from the patients from other states for undergoing treatment at the state-run hospitals from January 1. The state health department had earlier decided that from December, certain fees would be imposed on the patients from other states for getting treatment at the government-run hospitals. The decision was taken considering increasing rush at Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) near here. However, the government had later put the plan on hold. Talking to reporters here today, Parrikar said, "The Goa government is ...
Adolescent brain makes learning easier: study
The brains of adolescents react more responsively to receiving rewards, according to a study that shows it can make learning easier. "The adolescent brain is very sensitive to feedback. That makes adolescence the ideal time to acquire and retain new information," said Sabine Peters, from the Leiden University in the Netherlands. Researchers used a large data set for her research with MRI scans. Over a period of five years, no fewer than 736 brain scans were made of a total of 300 subjects between the ages of 8 and 29. According to Peters, the data set is about ten times larger than that of most comparable studies. In the MRI scanner, the participants had to solve a memory game. During that game, the researchers gave feedback on the participants' performance. The study was published in the journal Nature Communications. "It showed that adolescents responded keenly to educational feedback," said Peters. "If the adolescent received useful feedback, then you saw the corpus ..