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Prostate medicines linked to Type-2 diabetes

Medicines prescribed to reduce the symptoms of prostate diseases increase the likelihood of developing Type-2 diabetes.

'NASA Twins' study shows spaceflight effects on the human body

A paper on 'NASA Twins' has revealed that a year in space appears to have little effect on the gut microbiome. However, the effects appeared are significant and transient.The findings published in the journal 'Science' are among the results from 10 other research teams examining how the human body responds to spaceflight that is reported in the paper.The twins involved in the study were astronaut Scott Kelly, who flew a year-long mission aboard the International Space Station which ended in March 2016, and his twin brother, Mark Kelly, also an astronaut, who stayed on Earth while his brother was in orbit.The two brothers, who were 50 years old at the time of the study, provided biological samples and underwent a battery of cognitive and physical exams before, during and after Scott's flight.Stefan Green, first authors of the study, managed the genetic sequencing and analysis of the gut microbes collected from the twins before, during and after one of the twins spent nearly a year on ..

Want to quit smoking? Do it in pairs: Study

Couples who attempt to quit smoking together have a nearly sixfold chance of success, according to a study which suggests that kicking the habit works best in pairs. "Quitting smoking can be a lonely endeavour," said Magda Lampridou from the Imperial College London in the UK. "People feel left out when they skip the smoke break at work or avoid social occasions. On top of that, there are nicotine withdrawal symptoms," Lampridou said in a statement. "Partners can distract each other from the cravings by going for a walk or to the cinema and encouraging replacement activities like eating healthy food or meditating when alone. Active support works best, rather than nagging," he said. Half of coronary patients smoke and 90 per cent of people at high risk of cardiovascular disease are smokers. European Society of Cardiology (ESC) prevention guidelines advise against tobacco in any form, and people who stop smoking generally halve their risk of cardiovascular disease, researchers ...

Poet Pradeep Chaubey dies due to heart attack

Hindi poet Pradeep Chaubey, famous for his humorous poetry, died on Thursday night due to cardiac arrest in Gwalior, people close to his family confirmed. He was 70 years old.

Lupin launches Testosterone Gel

Lupin's Testosterone Gel, 1.62% (20.25 mg/1.25 g pump actuation), is the generic equivalent of AbbVie Inc's AndroGel, 1.62%. It is indicated for replacement therapy in males for conditions associated with a deficiency or absence of endogenous testosterone:

Chronic diseases, reason for declining mobility of old people: Study

Chronic diseases are a key factor behind the declining mobility of old people, a new study suggests.The study was published in the Journal 'Annals of Medicine'."Healthcare professionals should pay attention to the mobility limitations caused by chronic diseases before older adults' independent living is endangered," says Professor Urho Kujala.The study incorporated 779 twins aged between 71-75 years who were currently living at homes.The study brought out that chronic diseases were behind the significant decrease in the measured amount of mobility without the research subjects noticing it.Diseases that affected the mobility of older adults included coronary heart disease, diabetes, heart failure, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.More the number of diseases, lesser was the number of the physical activity level.For individuals without diseases, the accrued number of steps per day was on average almost 7,000. In turn, those who reported at least three diseases moved less than ...

NASA 'Twins Study' decodes space impact on human body

NASA's landmark "Twins Study", which gave us the first integrated molecular view into genetic changes, has demonstrated that a human body adapts and remains robust and resilient even after spending nearly a year aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Twins study reveals impact of space travel on astronauts

Scientists have found no long-lasting, major epigenetic differences in astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent a year in space aboard the International Space Station (ISS), and his twin brother, Mark Kelly, who remained on Earth. Epigenetic changes involve chemical "tweaks" to DNA that can influence gene activity, but the changes don't affect the underlying genetic code itself. The changes affect when and how a gene is read, or expressed, for its protein-encoding instructions. "This is the dawn of human genomics in space," said Andrew Feinberg from the Johns Hopkins University in the US. "We developed the methods for doing these types of human genomic studies, and we should be doing more research to draw conclusions about what happens to humans in space," Feinberg said in a statement. Scientists have long monitored and studied the physiological effects of space travel on astronauts. However, most of these astronauts travel on spaceflight missions of six months or less, not the longer ...

Researchers develop new technique to study movement of cells

In new research, researchers have developed a technique to study the movement of cells without using labels or dyes. The method also revealed an undiscovered phenomenon that may play a role in the earliest stages of cell death.The team's findings were published in the journal Nature Communications. The paper is titled 'Multimodal interference-based imaging of nanoscale structure and macromolecular motion uncovers UV induced cellular paroxysm'.Studying the movement of tiny cells is no small task. For chromatin, the group of DNA, RNA, and protein macromolecules packed within our genome, the motion is an integral part of its active role as a regulator of how our genes get expressed or repressed."Understanding macromolecular motion is critical, but scientists know very little about it. Part of the reason is that we lack instrumental techniques to observe those processes," said Vadim Backman, who led the research.While scientists can currently track the movement of cells using molecular ...

'Two-hit' model helps solve greatest unmet need in cardiology

In a new study, the researchers have found that combining a high-fat diet with a drug that raises blood pressure gave them a 'two-hit' model, like a one-two punch to the disease.The study published in the journal Nature, reveals that nearly half of the hospital admissions for heart failure are caused by a type of the disease with no treatment options."There are two types of heart failure. One is called HFrEF, for which we have a number of therapies, including medications, devices, and transplants. The other - HFpEF - has zero options," said UT Southwestern Chief of the Division of Cardiology and Professor of Internal Medicine and Molecular Biology Dr Joseph Hill."HFpEF is the single greatest unmet need in cardiology. Finding a new way to examine it represents a significant advance, as it provides a model necessary to develop and test therapies that could save lives worldwide," said Dr Hill, who holds the James T. Willerson, M.D. Distinguished Chair in Cardiovascular Diseases and the ..

Why B-cells produce protein antibiodies?

A new research has found why B-cells in rheumatoid arthritis produce protein antibodies that attack the healthy proteins of the body. B-cells are also known as white blood cells.The research was published in the Journal 'Arthritis and Rheumatology'."To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to conduct whole transcriptome profiling of antigen-specific B cells in any human autoimmune disorder," said Varadarajan, the researcher.He further added, "We anticipate that these data will serve as a foundational data set for investigating multiple hypotheses on the roles of B cells in RA and other autoimmune disorders, and will enable drug discovery."B-cells activate to produce an antibody as soon as a new pathogen is encountered in the body. Every person has between 10-100 million unique B cells, each capable of making its own antibody.While antibodies are the natural way the body fights infections, in the autoimmune RA, these antibodies attack the body's own proteins and are thus ..

One-third of cancer patients take complementary and alternative medicines

A recent study on cancer patients has shown that a stunning one-third of the patients use complementary and alternative medicines like meditation, yoga, acupuncture, herbal medicine, and supplements.The findings published in the journal JAMA Oncology found that herbal supplements were the most common alternative medicine and chiropractic, or osteopathic manipulation, was the second most common alternative.Referring to the finding that 29 per cent of people who use complementary and alternative medicine did not tell their physicians, Dr Nina Sanford, said, "Younger patients and women are more likely to use complementary and alternative medicines. However, I would have thought more people would tell their doctors,"Many survey respondents said they did not say anything because their doctors did not ask, or they did not think their doctors needed to know. Dr Sanford and other cancer specialists agree this is concerning, especially in the case of herbal supplements."You don't know what's ..

Lupin launches testosterone gel in US

Drug firm Lupin Friday announced the launch of testosterone gel, used for treating low or no testosterone in men due to certain medical conditions, in the US market. Lupin's testosterone gel, 1.62 per cent (20.25 mg/1.25 g pump actuation), is the generic equivalent of AbbVie Inc's AndroGel, 1.62 per cent, Lupin said in a BSE filing. Quoting IQVIA MAT December 2018 data, Lupin said AndroGel had annual sales of around USD 893 million in the US market. On Thursday Lupin had said that it has received the nod from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to market its testosterone gel. Shares of Lupin were trading 2.44 per cent higher at Rs 825.55 apiece on BSE.

Modi may use soldiers for votes but forces stand with India: Cong

The Congress on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was trying to use soldiers for votes but India's armed forces were with the country and not the saffron party. The opposition party was reacting to a letter written by over 150 armed forces veterans to President and Commander-in-Chief Ram Nath Kovind, complaining about the manner in which political parties have been using armed forces for political gains ahead of the Lok Sabha election. Congress said that it was clear that the soldiers were with India. "Modi may try to use soldiers for votes, but it's clear that soldiers stand with India and not the BJP. 156 Veterans of the Indian Armed Forces including 8 former Chiefs of Staff write to the President of India urging him to act against Modi for trying to use soldiers for votes," said a tweet from the Congress' official Twitter handle. The letter is signed by three former army chiefs, four former navy chiefs and a former air force chief. "We refer, Sir, to the unusual and ...

Cipla launches Niveoli inhaler in India

Drug major Cipla Friday announced the launch of its proprietary respiratory inhalation therapy product 'Niveoli' in India. Niveoli is used in respiratory inhalation therapy that addresses an unmet need associated with obstructive airway diseases (OAD) such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), Cipla said in a BSE filing. Cipla said Niveoli, extra-fine particle beclomethasone-formoterol combination hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) inhaler for adults, targets drug delivery to the small airways. "We see our market leadership as well as the range and depth of our R&D and manufacturing capabilities in this therapy as a privilege and a responsibility to do more for patients," Cipla Head - India business Nikhil Chopra said. Shares of Cipla were trading 0.40 per cent higher at Rs 546.55 apiece on BSE.

Evolution from water to land provides explanation behind better parenting

Parental care has been highly regarded not only in humans but in other species as well. However, the explanation behind the care has been unveiled by recent research that shows the evolution of aquatic creatures to start living on land made them into more attentive parents.The study published in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences', looked at the parental care of over 1000 species of frogs and toads and found those that reproduced on land invested more time and effort looking after their offspring.The authors suggested that because parental care increases the rate of survival of their young, it has played a key role in the colonisation of terrestrial habitats, not only for amphibians but also early tetrapods which ultimately gave rise to mammals including humans.The parenting behaviour of frogs and toads is very diverse, with care ranging from constructing a foam nest or attending the eggs, to more elaborate forms such as internal brooding of offspring

Animal protein linked to death risk in men: Study

Men with a diet rich in animal protein and meat such as sausages and cold cuts could be at a greater risk of death, finds a study.

Wockhardt rises after USFDA approval for cancer drug

Wockhardt rose 1.75% to Rs 449.80 at 14:31 IST on BSE after the company said it received US drug regulator's approval for cancer drug.

Genetic code of WWI soldier's cholera mapped

Scientists have mapped the genetic code of cholera-causing bacteria that infected a British soldier during First World War, which may help unveil how the disease evolved over time. The oldest publicly-available strain of Vibrio cholerae was stored for over 100 years before being revived and sequenced. The results, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, show that this strain is a unique, non-toxigenic strain of V cholerae that is distantly related to the strains of bacteria causing cholera pandemics today and in the past. Cholera is a severe diarrhoeal disease caused by ingesting food or water that is contaminated with toxigenic V cholerae. The disease can spread rapidly in epidemics and in global pandemics. WWI coincided with an historical global cholera pandemic, known as the sixth pandemic, which was caused by 'classical' V cholerae. Surprisingly, very few soldiers in the British Expeditionary Forces contracted cholera during the war, despite the disease being .

Study finds a new way to reduce risk of childhood obesity

A recent study has found a way to reduce the risk of obesity in children. The researchers of the study analysed breast milk as a potential factor, for childhood obesity.The research published in the journal The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggested that the composition of breast milk in normal weight mothers differs from that of overweight mothers and that variations in small molecule metabolites found in breast milk are possible risk factors for childhood obesity.It's known that maternal obesity is one of the strongest predictors of childhood obesity."Childhood obesity increases the risk for type 2 diabetes and a host of other health complications. Our aim is to identify the earliest risk factors that predict obesity in children. We know that one of those factors is nutritional exposures in the postnatal period," said Elvira Isganaitis, lead author of the study.The researchers analysed breast milk content and infant body measures (fat and muscle) at both one month and six .