Page 69 - Health Medical Pharma

Mental well-being predicts leisure-time physical activity in midlife: Study

People who demonstrated high mental well being at the age of 42 were more physically active at the age of 50 compared to those who got lower scores in mental well-being at age 42, suggests new research.The findings show that mental well-being is capable of predicting leisure-time physical activity in midlife.Different exercise activities are related to the different dimensions of well-being in midlife, the recent study that used data gathered at ages 42 and 50 by questionnaires and interviews for the research by Department of Psychology, University of Jyvaskyla.As part of the study, mental well-being was investigated through three dimensions: emotional, psychological and social well-being.Emotional well-being indicates overall satisfaction with life and a tendency to have positive feelings. Psychological well-being refers to experiences of personal growth and the purpose of life. Social well-being tells about relationships with other people and the community.It was a surprise that ...

Blood test to spot Alzheimer's before symptoms occur

Researchers have developed a new test that could help doctors detect Alzheimer's disease eight years before the first symptoms occur.

Researchers discover four hallmarks of cancer metastasis

The four hallmarks of cancer metastasis have been identified as Motility and invasion, modulation of the microenvironment, plasticity and ability to colonise by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Kansas Cancer Center.Cancer metastasis -- when cancer has spread to different parts of the body from where it started- is believed to be the cause of up to 90 per cent of cancer deaths.Researcher Douglas Hurst conducted a literature review of more than 10,000 publications on metastasis and published the findings in Cancer Research, from the American Association for Cancer Research.Metastasis cancer spread to different parts of the body from where it has started. It is believed to be the cause of up to 90 per cent of cancer deaths.Metastasis can be very difficult to treat. Virtually any cancer type can form metastatic tumours. The most common sites for cancers to metastasise include the brain, bones, lungs and liver. Other areas include the adrenal ...

Study links viral infections during pregnancy to behavioral abnormalities in offspring

According to a recent study, viral infections during pregnancy can be linked to behavioral abnormalities in offspring.In a study conducted on rats, male and female rats whose mother experienced a simulated viral infection during pregnancy, behave abnormally.The research published in the journal of eNeuro, found that young adult rats, exposed to a simulated viral infection in utero, displayed abnormal behaviour, suggesting specific brain changes while in the womb.The findings suggest that inflammation during pregnancy alters the brain development of unborn offspring and may predispose them to psychiatric illness, including schizophrenia.The study's findings are consistent with human studies linking exposure to inflammation in the womb to increased rates of psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and autism.Previous studies have found that babies whose mothers were exposed to the flu virus during the first half of their pregnancy may face a higher risk of developing schizophrenia .

Congressman, Industry and Doctors Favour Accelerated Traction on India-USA Synergies for Universal Health at Capitol Hill, DC. Legislative Day

/ -- Council for Healthcare and Pharma (CHP) supports concerted joint action The Council for Healthcare and Pharma hailed its just concluded Legislative day at Capitol Hill D.C. as engaging and successful. The forum received overwhelming support and consensus for greater traction between India and the USA to fully utilise mutual synergies and complementarities in the Pharma & Health space for the cause of Universal Healthcare. (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/881557/CHP_Legislative_Day.jpg ) The 'Legislative Day' had attendance of over 20 eminent US Congress leaders, representatives from Industry & Trade, Medical Fraternity and Board of Management AAPI, supporting the need for greater affordability, accessibility and accountability in keeping populations healthy. Dr. Gurpreet Sandhu, President, CHP, said, "For Universal Healthcare to become a reality, we must pull out all the stops to optimise the sourcing and delivery of each element of the health value chain. This ..

SpaceX to send organs on a chip to the International Space Station

SpaceX is reportedly set to send microchips embedded with living human cells or so-called organs on a chip to help understand how space travel affects humans.According to Wired, the organs on a chip replicate human physiological function at the cellular level and have been designed to study those processes easier than in actual humans.The set of tissue chips modelling kidneys, bone and cartilage, blood-brain barrier, and lungs is scheduled to arrive at the International Space Station (ISS) in the next few days. The experiment will help researchers discover novel medical treatments for a number of disorders on Earth.

Pakistan demands Facebook remove polio vaccine misinformation

Pakistan urged Facebook to remove harmful polio-related content from the social networking site on Friday, saying it was jeopardising eradication initiatives and putting the lives of vaccinators at risk. Polio vaccination campaigns have faced stubborn resistance for years in Pakistan. In recent months Pakistani social media has been inundated with fake news reports and videos -- garnering thousands of views and shares in the last week alone -- claiming numerous children have been killed by the polio vaccine. Thousands of parents have refused to allow their children to be inoculated. "The parental refusals due to propaganda on Facebook regarding the vaccine is emerging as the major obstacle in achieving complete eradication of the virus," Babar Atta, who is helping oversee the country's vaccination drive, said in a statement. Atta has requested "Facebook's management to block and/or manage the dissemination of such anti vaccination propaganda from their platforms operating from within

Chief Economic Advisor Krishnamurthy Subramanian appointed as member of Advisory Council of 15th Finance Commission

The Chief Economic Advisor to Central government, Dr. Krishnamurthy Subramanian has been included as the member of the Advisory Council of the Fifteenth Finance Commission, Union Government said in a statement on Friday.It may be recalled that on April 16 last year the Fifteenth Finance Commission had constituted an Advisory Council with the following Members-- Dr. D.K. Srivastava, Dr. Indira Rajaraman, Dr. Arvind Virmani, Dr. Surjit S. Bhalla, Dr. Sanjeev Gupta, Prof. Pinaki Chakraborty, Sajjid Chinoy, Neelkanth Mishra, Prachi Mishra, Dr M. Govinda Rao, and Dr. Omkar Goswami.Dr. Krishnamurthy Subramanian will be the twelfth Member of the Council.The role and function of the Council is to advise the Commission on any issue or subject related to the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the Commission, which may be of relevance and to assist in the preparation of any paper or research study which would enhance the Commission's understanding on the issue contained in its ToR.Its functions also ...

Gymnast Sachin undergoes two complex surgeries

After seriously injuring his cervical spine due to a fall during practice, national level gymnast Sachin Kagdra underwent two complex surgeries at the Columbia Asia Hospital, Gurugram. This was the second time in four years that Sachin injured his cervical spine during a practice session, but this time the injury was graver than the last.

Smoky environment increase risk of high blood pressure: Study

A non-smoker should leave a smoky room or car until it has been cleared, suggest researchers as secondhand smoke can cause high blood pressure and hypertension."Avoid exposure to secondhand smoke regardless of whether the smoker is still in the room. Our study in non-smokers shows that the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension) is higher with longer duration of passive smoking - but even the lowest amounts are dangerous," said author, Byung Jin Kim in the details discussed in the Meeting of EuroHeartCare.Passive smoking at home or work was linked with a 13% increased risk of hypertension. Living with a smoker after age 20 was associated with a 15% greater risk. Exposure to passive smoking for ten years or more was related to a 17% increased risk of hypertension. Men and women were equally affected.High blood pressure is the leading global cause of premature death, accounting for almost ten million deaths, and those affected are advised to quit smoking.Previous research has ...

Doctors dispel myths on asthma treatment

In view of rising asthma cases in the country, especially in the city, experts Friday called for more awareness and also stressed upon dispelling myths and fears associated with inhalation therapy. In India, the soaring numbers have reached 15-20 million and the number will continue to grow until adequate emphasis is laid on the importance of identifying the right medication, which can help manage asthma effectively, Dr Anant Mohan, the Head of Department of Pulmonary Medicine at AIIMS, said. The chronic disease affects a large population worldwide and its number is rising every year. According to the WHO Fact sheet, between 100 and 150 million people around the globe suffer from asthma. The reasons for the increasing prevalence of asthma are multifactorial. They include rising air pollution with increase in air particulate matter, smoking, incorrect treatment in children, and viral infections in early childhood. Emphasising on right treatment and awareness, Dr Mohan said it is very ..

Smoky rooms, cars increase high blood pressure risk: Study

Exposure to secondhand smoke may be bad for your heart and overall health as it increases the risk of developing high blood pressure, according to a study. "Avoid exposure to secondhand smoke regardless of whether the smoker is still in the room," said Professor Byung Jin Kim from Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea. "Our study in non-smokers shows that the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension) is higher with longer duration of passive smoking -- but even the lowest amounts are dangerous," Kim said in a statement. Passive smoking at home or work was linked with a 13 per cent increased risk of hypertension. Living with a smoker after age 20 was associated with a 15 per cent greater risk, researchers said. Exposure to passive smoking for ten years or more was related to a 17 per cent increased risk of hypertension. Men and women were equally affected. Participants with hypertension were significantly more likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke at home or work (27.9 per cent) ..

Cadila Healthcare gets 14 observations from USFDA for Moraiya plant

Drug firm Cadila Healthcare Friday said the US health regulator has issued 14 observations after inspecting its manufacturing facility at Moraiya in Ahmedabad. The US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) inspected the plant from April 22, 2019 to May 3, 2019, Cadila Healthcare said in a regulatory filing. "The inspection concluded with 14 observations. There were no repeat observations or data integrity related observations," it added. Shares of Cadila Healthcare Friday ended 3.55 per cent lower at Rs 304 on the BSE.

Avoid passive smoking at home and workplace to cut BP

Living with a smoker after age 20 is associated with a 15 per cent greater risk of developing high blood pressure, warn researchers, adding that avoiding smoky environments can reduce the risk of hypertension.

Reddit posts reveal opioid addiction treatment risks

Using advanced Machine Learning (ML) techniques on nearly 1.5 million Reddit posts, researchers, including one of Indian origin, have identifed risks associated with self-treatment for opioid addiction.

Indian-origin head of US pharmaceutical major found guilty of bribing doctors to prescribe opioids

A 76-year-old Indian-origin head of a US pharmaceutical major has become the first top executive of a drugmaker to be convicted of bribing doctors in America to prescribe addictive painkillers, fuelling a national opioid crisis which has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people over two decades. John Nath Kapoor, the founder of Insys Therapeutics pharmaceutical company based in Arizona state's Chandler city, was found guilty of criminal conspiracy by a jury in Boston, Washington-based National Public Radio reported. Kapoor, a onetime billionaire, was convicted on Wednesday along with four other former executives of the company. They face up to 20 years in prison. Kapoor and his co-defendants were accused by the federal government of running a nationwide bribery scheme. India-born Kapoor founded Insys Therapeutics in 1990. Between 2012 and 2015, Insys allegedly paid doctors to prescribe its potent opioid medication and then lied to insurance companies to ensure that the ...

New findings could lead to better detection, treatment of chronic malaria

Researchers have found that certain metabolic systems in the blood of people with chronic malaria change to support a long-term host-parasite relationship.According to the study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight, the findings could eventually lead to the development of better detection, treatment and eradication of the disease.Chronic infections, which often go undetected, account for about 75 per cent of all malaria cases, said Regina Joice Cordy, lead author of the study.What makes the infections tricky to detect is that malaria often has no symptoms in the chronic stage - although the host still provides a fertile environment for the malaria cells to grow, get transferred to mosquitoes via bites, and spread the disease.Malaria-infected about 219 million people in 87 countries in 2017, according to the World Health Organization. That year, the disease killed 435,000 people. Spread by mosquitoes infected with the Plasmodium parasite, malaria causes high ...

Here's why people like coffee and beer

Researchers searched for variations in our taste genes that could explain our beverage preferences. Surprisingly, the study showed that the taste preferences for bitter or sweet beverages aren't based on variations in our taste genes, but rather genes related to the psychoactive properties of these beverages."The genetics underlying our preferences are related to the psychoactive components of these drinks. People like the way coffee and alcohol make them feel. That's why they drink it. It's not the taste," wrote assistant professor, Cornelis, in a study published in the Journal of Human Molecular Genetics Scientist.The study highlights important behaviour-reward components to beverage choice and adds to our understanding of the link between genetics and beverage consumption including the potential barriers to intervening in people's diets.Sugary beverages are linked to many diseases and health conditions. Alcohol intake is related to Why people like coffee and beer more than 200 ...

New mobile app cuts in-person visits during pregnancy: Study

A mobile app has been found to reduce in-person care visits during pregnancy while maintaining patient and provider satisfaction, according to a study. The Babyscripts app was built to deliver educational content and remotely monitor blood pressure and weight, said researchers from George Washington University (GW) in the US. The app provided patients information on topics like nutrition and breastfeeding, and also gave patients and providers early warnings about hypertension or abnormal weight gain, which could indicate gestational diabetes, nutritional deficiency, or edema associated with preeclampsia. Some symptoms of preeclampsia may include high blood pressure and protein in the urine, occurring after week 20 of pregnancy. "Prenatal care is one of the most widely utilised preventative health care services, however there is little research on the effectiveness of standard prenatal care," said Kathryn Marko, an assistant professor at GW. "We wanted to reevaluate the model for ...

Ayush Min, CSIR pact to boost Indian herbal drug industry

The Ayush Ministry and the country's premier research agency, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), have joined hands to explore modern scientific methods for integration with traditional medicine to boost prospects of Indian herbal products in the global market. According to the MoU between the two organisations, emphasis will be on research and development, ayush-specific diagnostic tools, multi-ingredient herbal formulations and their standardisation among others, said a ministry official. Various CSIR labs have already taken initiatives in this direction in the past too, for instance, scientists from the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) and the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), had jointly developed anti-diabetic herbal drug BGR-34 a few years ago, another official said. The scientifically validated poly-herbal ayurvedic blood glucose regulator BGR-34 has been prepared from six medicinal plants including Daruharidra, Giloy,