Page 97 - Health Medical Pharma
Criminal cases against 213 candidates in first phase: Report
As many as 213 (17 per cent) out of 1,266 candidates in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections have declared criminal cases against themselves while 146 (12 per cent) have declared serious criminal cases, as per Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
Emergency dept of AIIMS Trauma Centre to become operational from Saturday
The emergency department of the AIIMS Trauma Centre will become operational from Saturday, 12 days after a massive blaze rendered the operation theatre complex non-functional. According to Dr Amit Lathwal, the additional superintendent of AIIMS, three of five operation theatres (OT) located on the ground floor damaged in the fire, have been renovated and will become functional from Saturday. "The causality will reopen tomorrow. Also, the OT on the first floor that was made operational after the incident will be available for urgent and minor cases till all the OTs become operational," he said. Admission of patients to the emergency department of the AIIMS Trauma Centre here, the biggest such facility in the country, were suspended after a massive blaze on March 24 had damaged the operation theatres. Several surgeries scheduled had to be postponed while an OT on the first floor, which was dismantled few months ago due to renovation work on the floor, was made operational to cater to ...
Quality primary care key to advancing universal health coverage: WHO
Quality health care services at community level, without financial hardship, is fundamental to advancing universal health coverage, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday. A well-functioning primary care system that meets most of a person's health care needs, throughout the life course, is central to universal health coverage, Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia, said ahead of World Health Day to be observed on April 7. "As a large share of outpatient care is delivered by private providers and financed by out-of-pocket payment, we need new approaches to address the double challenge of protecting people from financial exploitation and poor-quality care, while harnessing the private sector's extensive assets," she said. The theme of the day this year is universal health coverage (UHC) -- 'Health for All: Everyone, Everywhere'. In the WHO South-East Asia Region, UHC has been a flagship priority programme since 2014. The region has seen encouraging ...
France bans breast implants linked to rare cancer
France has become the first country to ban a type of breast implant that has been linked to a rare form of cancer that attacks the immune system, the media reported on Friday.
Just one drink a day may up stroke risk: Study
Even one to two alcoholic drink every day may increase blood pressure and the risk of having a stroke, warns a study published in The Lancet journal. The study that followed 500,000 Chinese people for 10 years, counters previous claims that one or two drinks a day could be protective. The findings are relevant to all populations and the best evidence yet on the direct effects of alcohol, researchers said. The researchers, from the University of Oxford, Peking University and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, found that drinking one to two alcoholic drinks every day increased stroke risk by 10-15 per cent. Drinking four drinks every day increased the risk of having a stroke by 35 per cent, BBC reported. "It is very roughly the opposite effect of taking a statin, which are drugs prescribed by doctors to help lower cholesterol levels in the blood and prevent heart attacks and strokes," said Professor David Spiegelhalter, from the University of Cambridge. The study also found no ...
Multiple mechanisms behind disease associated with fatal heart attack: Study
A new research has revealed that there are multiple mechanisms behind the disease hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.The study was published in the Journal of Physiology.Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is best known for revealing itself in one certain way, as an unexpected, fatal heart attack during strenuous exercise. But researchers' suspect as many as 300 mutations can individually cause enlargement of the heart that renders it vulnerable to strain.Recent studies examining three of those mutations at the molecular level found separate mechanisms at work, said, Doug Swank, a researcher."It's likely to be multiple mechanisms, perhaps depending on where the mutation is found in the protein or what it does to the protein," said Swank.The current study and a previous study published in eLife in 2018 examine two mutations in myosin, a lever-shaped muscle protein that generates force to contract heart muscle tissue.Like all proteins, muscle proteins are chains of amino acids twisted into a ...
VP concerned over rise in non-communicable diseases
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu Friday described the rise in non-communicable diseases as a "deeply disturbing trend" and called upon the medical fraternity to educate the people on the dangers of leading sedentary lifestyles. Naidu quoted a 2017 report of India Council of Medical Research (ICMR), which said that the burden from non-communicable diseases increased from 30 per cent to 55 per cent between 1990 and 2016, while the communicable diseases dropped from 61 per cent to 33 per cent in the same period. He was addressing the Annual Meeting of the National Interventional Council (NIC) of the Cardiological Society of India at the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) here. Pointing out that factors such as high levels of stress, increased incidence of diabetes, blood pressure, smoking, excessive consumption of alcohol, lack of exercise and lack of proper sleep were contributing to cardiovascular diseases, he said that lifestyle modification was one of ..
PharmEasy offers flat discount on all medicine orders
In the age, we live in, everything arrives at our doorstep. Be it food, clothes, gadgets or books - it takes just a click and there it is. They can be made available without moving out of our seats. So why should medicines be any different? Especially those for diabetes and blood pressure, because they are a recurring presence in the lives of people who need them. That's where PharmEasy steps in.With just a click on the phones or laptops, these medicines can arrive at your home. There is an obvious advantage of cost reduction. PharmEasy provides the medicines for blood pressure and diabetes at a 20 per cent discount. That in itself is the biggest advantage for the patients as they save money on a chronic expenditure. These medicines are expensive and saving 20 per cent on them will add a sizeable portion of the money to anyone's monthly budget.There are no delivery hassles when it comes to buying medicines via PharmEasy. On time delivery ensures that the patient can continue the ...
Poor diet causes more deaths than tobacco consumption: Study
A new study has revealed that poor diet is responsible for more number of deaths globally than tobacco consumption, high blood pressure or other health issues.Diet that includes less whole grains, while too many unhealthy elements, accounted for every fifth death globally.The study was published in the journal 'Lancet'."Poor diet is an equal opportunity killer. We are what we eat and risks affect people across a range of demographics, including age, gender, and economic status," said Dr. Ashkan Afshin, lead author.The study brought out that poor diets resulted in 10.9 million deaths which are 22 per cent of all deaths among adults in 2017. The leading cause was cardiovascular disease followed by cancers and diabetes.However, tobacco resulted in an estimated 8 million deaths.The study indicated that three dietary factors-low intake of whole grains, fruits and high sodium intake resulted in 50 per cent of diet-related deaths. The other 50 per cent were due to high red meat, processed ...
New treatments on horizon for treating devastating brain cancer in children, says research
In new research, scientists have found that there could be new treatments on the horizon for treating 'diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma', or DIPG, a devastating form of brain cancer that afflicts young children and is currently incurable.The research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that the drug acts on cellular cholesterol pathways, and suggests that these pathways may be fruitful targets for treating a variety of brain cancers.Recent experiments in animal models of the disease have identified an experimental drug that effectively destroys DIPG cells and a team of scientists just figured out how this promising compound works.DIPG tumours are located in the pons, a highly sensitive structure that connects the brain to the spinal cord. Surgical removal of tumours is effectively impossible since it poses the risk of fatal brain damage.And although radiation can be used to temporarily reduce symptoms, cancer inevitably grows, with an average survival .
'Beauty spots' in human genome found
Scientists have pinpointed parts of the human genome linked to facial beauty by using genetic information from 4,383 people. The study, published in the journal PLOS Genetics, found that genes play a role in determining the beauty of a person's face, but that role varies with the person's sex. Humans tend to be preoccupied with beauty -- a person's attractiveness is associated with academic performance, career success and economic mobility, said researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US. However, despite its importance, scientists know little about the genetic basis for having a pretty face. Researchers had volunteers score yearbook photos based on attractiveness from participants with European ancestry and compared the scores to each person's genetic information. They identified several genes related to facial attractiveness, but their roles and relatedness to other human traits varied by sex. In women, certain genetic variations linked to beauty also appeared to
Sugar-sweetened foods may not lift your mood: Study
Contrary to popular beliefs that eating sugar-sweetened foods lift up low spirits, a new study suggests that sugar can worsen your mood.
Hackers can easily change MRI, CT scan results
Patients' CT and MRI scan results can be easily changed by hackers, thereby deceiving radiologists and Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms that diagnose malignant tumours, Israeli researchers have warned.
CIE@IIITH Launches Ojas Post-doctoral Entrepreneurship Program
/ -- Enables transition from academia to entrepreneurship For scientists in the MedTech arena Application deadline 25 April 2019 CIE@IIITH's Ojas medtech incubator has launched a program for scientists who are completing their PhDs and are keen on pursuing an entrepreneurial career. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/600789/IIIT_Hyderabad_Logo.jpg) The program offers post-doctoral training focused on building a technology enabled solution (device, app, digital tool) to address problems in the healthcare arena. This includes disease detection, diagnosis, prevention, treatment, monitoring or wellness. The scientist will need to select a professor from IIITH, who will guide the work. The PhD supervisor of the candidate can also be a collaborator for the project, if the product idea is based on the candidate's thesis work. A 12-month stipend will be provided, with the option of extending by 12 more months. At the end of this period, the scientist is expected to incorporate a company
Hormone that protects women from liver cancer
Researchers have discovered that a hormone -- present at higher levels in women -- can keep them away from liver cancer, suggesting the disease is more common in men.
Discovery of 'death switch' mechanism in plants may yield stronger crops: Scientists
Chinese scientists have discovered a possible "death switch" mechanism in plant's immune system that triggers infected cells to self-destruct, thus limiting the spread of the disease and keeping other parts of the plant healthy, official media here reported on Friday. Scientists said the discovery provides clues to cell death control and immunity for plants, and they hope further research can lead to a new generation of disease-resistant crops that use significantly less pesticide and are more environmentally friendly. The research was done by scientists from Tsinghua University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Genetics and Development Biology. Their findings were published in the journal Science on Friday. About 20 years ago, scientists discovered that plants, like animals, have robust immune systems that can protect them from pathogens including viruses, fungi, bacteria and parasites. Plants also have a unique "lure and catch" immune response to deal with pathogens .
89 pc women feel uncomfortable about themselves after reading social media comments: Survey
Thanks to the liberty and anonymity bestowed to us by technology, body shaming has taken to extremities. If you don't like someone's appearance, you are quick to point it out. Find someone gain a few extra, there pops a judgemental message. Too thin or too fat, even if 'socially-defined' perfect, body shaming has become a common behaviour.According to a study conducted by Fortis Healthcare, 90 per cent women recognise body shaming as a common behaviour and part of the blame is on social media.The survey, conducted on 1244 women (between the ages of 15 to 65) across 20 Indian cities including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai, found that 76 percent women believe media portrayals of beauty contribute to body shaming.A whopping 90 per cent women believe that films and television shows do tend to make fun of people who do not conform to the standard norms of beauty and body concepts. 89 per cent women reported feeling uncomfortable about their own selves when they read
2 soldiers killed, 5 hurt in Mhow Camp fire
Two soldiers were killed and five others injured in a fire during a training session at the Berchha Firing Range in the Mhow Cantonment, near here on Thursday, police said.
Only 138 countries define smokeless tobacco in their statutes: Study
Of the 180 parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, 138 countries define smokeless tobacco in their statutes while only 34 have so far reported levying a tax on such products, according to a recent study. According to the study published in the Lancet Oncology journal on Thursday, just six countries check and regulate the content of smokeless tobacco products while only 41 countries mandate pictorial health warnings on them. Describing the extent of the policy implementation gap in smokeless tobacco (SLT) control, researchers stated that there are only a handful of public awareness campaigns on the harms associated with tobacco so far and only 16 countries have implemented a comprehensive ban on smokeless tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorships. Globally, fewer smokeless tobacco users are advised to quit vis--vis smokers. Professor Ravi Mehrotra, Director of the National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (ICMR-NICPR) and the lead author of the ...
In world first, France bans breast implants linked to rare cancer
France on Thursday became the first country to ban a type of breast implant that has been linked to a rare form of cancer. The ban covers certain types of implants with a textured surface or polyurethane coating. The National Agency for Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) said the ban was a "precautionary measure" taken in light of the "rare but serious danger" posed by the implants, which have been linked to anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (BIA- ALCL), a rare type of cancer that attacks the immune system. But it did not recommend that the some 70,000 women believed to have received the implants -- of an estimated 400,000-500,000 French implant wearers -- undergo surgery to have them removed. Silicone implants are used in breast enhancements, or for reconstructive purposes after a mastectomy for breast cancer. They can either be smooth, textured or coated in polyurethane. Textured implants, which are designed to stick to the breast tissue to avoid slipping out of position, are the ...