1 June, 2013

Soccer improves heart health in diabetic men

A new study has revealed that soccer training improves heart function, reduces blood pressure and elevates exercise capacity in patients with type 2 diabetes. 

The study from the Copenhagen Centre for Team Sport and Health at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, demonstrates that soccer training also reduces the need for medication. 

The study investigated the effects of soccer training, consisting of small-sided games (5v5), on 21 men with type 2 diabetes, aged 37-60 years. 

"We discovered that soccer training significantly improved the flexibility of the heart and furthermore, that the cardiac muscle tissue was able to work 29 per cent faster. This means that after three months of training, the heart had become 10 years 'younger'," Medical Doctor, PhD Student, Jakob Friis Schmidt, who co-authored the study alongside with PhD student, Thomas Rostgaard Andersen, said. 

"Many type 2 diabetes patients have less flexible heart muscles which is often one of the first signs of diabetes' effect on cardiac function, increasing the risk of heart failure," he said. 

Advanced ultrasound scanning of the heart also demonstrated that the heart's contraction phase was improved and that the capacity of the heart to shorten was improved by 23 per cent - a research result that had not been reported with other types of physical activity. 

At the start of the study, 60 per cent of the participants had too high blood pressure and had been prescribed one or more pressure reducing medications.  Soccer training reduced the systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 8 mmHg, which is greater than the achievements of prior training studies. 

These effects are as pronounced as those achieved by taking high blood pressure pills and the need for medication was significant reduced.  The study also showed that the participants' maximal oxygen uptake was increased by 12 per cent and that their intermittent exercise capacity was elevated by 42 per cent. 

The study is published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

01.06.2013

People on dialysis likelier to get heart attack

Why people on dialysis are likelier to have heart attack (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

Scientists in Japan have discovered why patients, who are suffering from advancedkidney disease, and undergoing hemodialysis are at high risk to heart attacks and other cardiovascular complications.

New research findings show that uremic toxins, which are not removed by hemodialysis, increase heart attack risk.

The same scientists also found what reduces this risk: an oral adsorbent called "AST-120."

Masayuki Yoshida, M.D., a researcher involved in the work from the Life Science and Bioethics Research Center at Tokyo Medical and Dental University in Tokyo, Japan, said "treatment with AST-120, an oral adsorbent, will not only delay the progression of kidney disease, but may also prevent future heart attack.

For the research, scientists used two groups of mice with kidney failure.

The first group received AST-120 and the second group did not. When monocytes taken from both sets of mice were subjected to flow cytometry, Mac-1 expression and oxidative stress was reduced in the group with AST-120.

The research findings have been published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

01.06.2013

The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend

Abraham Lincoln

31 May, 2013

Three litres of cola a day enough to kill you!

A 30-year-old Briton died after he drank three litres of cola every day, causing his lungs to swell to four times the normal weight. His mother said the man ‘drank absolutely excessively since he was 10 years old’. According to the Daily Mail, Paul Inman of Haworth, West Yorkshire, would go out to buy the drink up to three times a day, and would also drink glasses of water to quench his thirst, the Bradford hearing was told. But the huge quantities of cola drinks caused his lungs to swell to four times the normal weight, and the man died in his sleep.

Inman was found dead in his bedroom by a care worker, who was checking on him one morning in March 2012. Detectives investigated the sudden death but found no suspicious circumstances. Inman never stayed still and care staff had to keep his cigarettes so he would not smoke 20 an hour. When he was 17, Inman was diagnosed with schizophrenia but when his case was reviewed in 2008, doctors diagnosed that he suffered from Asperger Syndrome – a form of autism.

A post-mortem examination found that Inman’s lungs were three to four times the weight they should have been, pathologist Deirdre Mckenna said. She ruled out the cause of that being epilepsy and a heart attack and put it down instead to his excessive drinking. He was already known to have had low sodium levels because of the volume of fluids that he drank. His mother said after hearing the doctor’s report: ‘I’ve said all this time the cause of it was he drank excessively, absolutely excessively. He had done since he was 10 years old. We used to say he had a self-destruct button.’ The inquest recorded a verdict that Inman died of natural causes.

Source: http://health.india.com

31.05.2013

Financial scheme for heart patients in Bengal

Heart patients in West Bengal can go for advanced treatments at an affordable cost, courtesy a unique financial scheme that was launched in the Kolkata on Wednesday. Kolkata’s Belle Vue Clinic has partnered with India Medtronic to extend its scheme of equated monthly installment (EMI) under the Healthy Heart For All (HHFA) initiative. ‘We have started the EMI scheme for cardiac patients as the major problem in India is affordability,’ said Munish Sehegal, business model innovator of India Medtronic.

Over three million deaths result due to heart diseases in India and the mortality rate goes up due to affordability and unawareness. HHFA provides loan assistance at easy instalments for implants, pacemakers, stents, implantable cardiovert defibrillators and triple chambers pacemakers. The scheme benefits patients covered under health Insurance and also patients who have no health insurance or cannot get easy loans. According to estimates, cardiac ailments claim 17.3 million lives all over the world annually.

Heart disease or cardiovascular disease refers to a group of diseases that involve the heart and/ or blood vessels. Some of the more common ones are coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke and peripheral arterial disease. While susceptibility to heart diseases increases with age, gender, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, stress there are many things we can do to improve our cardiovascular health. A low fat, high fibre diet with fruits and veggies, quitting smoking and giving up alcohol coupled with increased physical activity and less stress can go a long way in improving cardiovascular health.  

Source: http://health.india.com

31.05.2013

To desire is to obtain; to aspire is to achieve

James Allen

30 May, 2013

Most pregnant women constipated

Nearly 3 out of 4 pregnant women experience constipation, diarrhea or other bowel disorders during their pregnancies, a new study has found.

But such bowel disorders only minimally affect a pregnant woman's quality of life, according to the Loyola University Medical Center study.

The study by senior author Scott Graziano, MD, and Payton Johnson was presented during the 61st Annual Clinical Meeting of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in New Orleans.

As part of this project, 104 pregnant women were enrolled and completed the first trimester questionnaire; 66 women also completed a survey in the third trimester.

Seventy-two percent of the first trimester respondents and 61 percent of the third trimester respondents reported one or more bowel disorders, including constipation, diarrhea, bloating and irritable bowel syndrome.

The women also filled out a questionnaire that measures the extent to which bowel problems affect quality of life. (For example, the survey asks whether bowel problems make life less enjoyable, limit what a person can wear or eat or make a person feel embarrassed, vulnerable, angry, isolated or depressed.)

The quality of life survey is scored on a 1 to 100 scale, with 100 representing the least possible impact on quality of life due to bowel problems. The average score was 94.9.

The only bowel problems that had a significant impact on quality of life were constipation, which reduced the score by 4.4 points out of 100, and bloating, which reduced the score by 4.0 points.

Graziano said the reason bowel problems have a minimal impact on quality of life is likely because pregnant women have learned to expect such problems during pregnancy and so are better able to tolerate them.

Bowel problems are due to physiological and hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy.

For example, increased progesterone levels affect the smooth muscles in the intestines.

Consequently, it takes longer for food to move through the intestines, which can cause constipation. Vitamins and calcium and iron supplements that women take during pregnancy also can cause constipation, Graziano said.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

30.05.2013

Children of long-lived parents disease free

Children of parents who live to a ripe old age are more likely to live longer, and are less prone to cancer and other common diseases associated with ageing, according to a new study.

Experts at the University of Exeter Medical School, led an international collaboration which discovered that people who had a long-lived mother or father were 24 percent less likely to get cancer.

The scientists compared the children of long-lived parents to children whose parents survived to average ages for their generation.

The scientists classified long-lived mothers as those who survived past 91 years old, and compared them to those who reached average age spans of 77 to 91. Long-lived fathers lived past 87 years old, compared with the average of 65 to 87 years. The scientists studied 938 new cases of cancer that developed during the 18 year follow-up period.

The researchers found that overall mortality rates dropped by up to 19 per cent for each decade that at least one of the parents lived past the age of 65. For those whose mothers lived beyond 85, mortality rates were 40 per cent lower. The figure was a little lower (14 per cent) for fathers, possibly because of adverse lifestyle factors such as smoking, which may have been more common in the fathers.

The study has been published in the Journals of Gerontology: Series A.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

30.05.2013

No one ever attains success by simply doing what is required of him

Charles Kendall Adams

29 May, 2013

Can pesticides cause Parkinson’s disease?

Researchers have analysed more than 100 global studies to show that exposure to pesticides, weed killers and solvents is likely to be associated with a higher risk for developing Parkinson’s disease. The research appears in the May 28 print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. ‘Due to this association, there was also a link between farming or country living and developing Parkinson’s in some of the studies,’ said study author Emanuele Cereda of the IRCCS University Hospital San Matteo Foundation in Pavia, Italy. Cereda conducted the research along with Gianni Pezzoli of the Parkinson Institute (ICP) in Milan.

 The researchers found that exposure to bug or weed killers and solvents increased the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by 33 to 80 percent. In controlled studies, exposure to the weed killer paraquat or the fungicides maneb and mancozeb was associated with two times increase in the risk of developing the disease, reports Science Daily. ‘We didn’t study whether the type of exposure, such as whether the compound was inhaled or absorbed through the skin and the method of application, such as spraying or mixing, affected Parkinson’s risk,’ said Cereda. ‘However, our study suggests that the risk increases in a dose response manner as the length of exposure to these chemicals increases,’ the researcher added.

Source: http://health.india.com

29.05.2013

Beware – using expired make-up products could be injurious to your health

Women who use make-up products beyond its expiry date are putting their health at risk, a poll suggests. Carried out by Debenhams, the poll discovered that 57.7 percent of women make-up bags consist of expired cosmetics and they don’t throw it away as they think it to be a waste.  But what they don’t know is that it causes health risks that can lead to problems like breakouts, eye infections and skin rashes. ‘It’s worrying to find that so many women are putting their health at risk by keeping hold of make-up for too long,’ femalefirst.co.uk quoted Lisa Brett, spokesperson for Debenhams, as saying. ‘It’s important to check the recommended use-by date on a product, and don’t be tempted to hang onto it even if it’s been discontinued! An out-of-date product will not give you the results it once could, and it may leave you with problems,’ she added.

The poll revealed that 73 percent of women are not even aware of the expiry date of their make-up products.  One-third were found to use eyeliner that is over an year old, which could lead to serious eye infections, 22 percent were said to keep foundation well over a year – leading to a bad skin complexion and breakouts – and seven percent of women admitted to keep eye shadows for over six years, which is way over its one-year recommendation. Brett said: ‘If your makeup is past its best, it’s a false economy to keep using it until it’s all gone – it’s not worth the issues it could cause. Now spring’s here, what better opportunity to give your makeup bag a good clear out?’

‘Aside from health benefits of replacing your old cosmetics with new, the work of makeup will have moved on leaps and bounds if it’s been a few years since you explored it! With new formulations and colours hitting the shelves all the time, there’s really no need to hang on to old makeup,’ she added.

Source: http://health.india.com

29.05.2013

A man who makes trouble for others is also making trouble for himself

Chinua Achebe

28 May, 2013

New device can detect cancer or any disease in 10 minutes: UK scientist

A UK scientist claims to have developed a cheap, hand-held device that detects almost any disease such as TB, malaria, HIV infection or cancer in just 10 minutes.

The Q-POC machine, costing 500 pounds, can micro-analyse tumours and the genetic signatures of the disease before advising on the best type of drugs to use.

Using his garage in Uckfield, East Sussex, as a makeshift laboratory, 37-year-old Jonathan O'Halloran hit on the ground-breaking idea of releasing DNA within a barely visible sample and making multiple copies to allow an accurate diagnosis, whether cancer mutations exist and which oncology drugs will work best.

The device is undergoing rigorous clinical trials and be used across the National Health Service (NHS) as early as next year, the 'Daily Express' reported.

The first prototypes are in advanced trials and experts say they have the potential to prolong the lives of newly-diagnosed cancer sufferers and save the lives of millions with infectious diseases.

"We are using the device to extract, amplify and analyse DNA from tumours or other samples to make sure the patient gets a personalised service as soon as possible," said O'Halloran.

"We see this working alongside histopathologists and clinical oncologists to provide the missing link – a personalised service for cancer sufferers.

"It will also provide rapid diagnosis for TB, malaria, HIV and STIs, giving doctors key information on which drugs will treat the disease. The idea now is to make these devices available to doctors and health professionals," he said.

The invention is being developed by British company QuantuMDx Group in partnership with Newcastle University.

Source: www.indianexpress.com

28.05.2013

Scientists develop urine-based test to detect breast cancer

Scientists have developed a new urine-based screening method to diagnose breast cancer and determine its severity even before it can be detected with a mammogram.

A Missouri University of Science and Technology researcher used a device called a P-scan, to detect the concentration of certain metabolites called pteredines in urine samples.

These biomarkers are present in the urine of all human beings, but abnormally high concentrations can signal the presence of cancer.  Dr Yinfa Ma, Curators' Teaching Professor of chemistry at Missouri S&T, believes the levels continue to rise as the cancer advances.  Ma has had good results in limited testing and is now expanding testing in a larger study to prove that the technique works.

This study is part of the validation process required by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to eventually make the P-Scan available in clinics across the country as an inexpensive, non-invasive test that could be used during routine physical examinations.  In April, Ma began a clinical trial with Mercy Breast Center and commercialisation partner Emergence BioScreening of St Louis.

The study focuses on 300 breast cancer patients and a control group of 100 individuals who have been clinically tested and found to be free of cancer. He hopes to conclude the study within a year. This is a blind study, which means that Ma doesn't know which samples he tests are those of cancer patients and which are from healthy individuals. Using the P-scan, Ma will can detect the presence of cancer and its level of advancement - often before it could be detected on a mammogram.

"Mammogram technology is not sensitive. Some early cancer cannot be detected by a mammogram. If this P-Scan technology works, it will be much easier to incorporate into regular physical screening," Ma said.

"A patient donates urine and 10 minutes later I have a result. If this works, it will be an amazing diagnostic tool," Ma added.  The P-scan works by using a capillary to pass a small sample of urine into the device, separate different pteredine molecules and then pass the sample through a light source.  The researchers then use a spectrophotometer to identify and measure the pteredines in the sample.  Pteredines are normal metabolites that are present in the urine of all human beings. But when cancer is present, the levels rise.

Source: www.indianexpress.com

28.05.2013

Power is always dangerous. Power attracts the worst and corrupts the best

Edward Abbey

27 May, 2013

‘Healthcare needs government, private partnership’

To provide quality healthcare, the government, insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies should come together, a group of experts said on Sunday. India Health Progress (IHP), a healthcare forum brought together experts at a conference to discuss and deliberate ‘Access to Healthcare’. ‘About 85 percent of healthcare costs are paid by the end consumer. To reduce this burden, innovative models of partnership amongst government, insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies need to be worked out to provide better access,’ Sundeep Kumar, head, corporate and public affairs, Novartis, said at the conference.

‘We need to explore business models that tackle issues specific to our country, including public-private partnership, social entrepreneurship and patient assistance programmes. Innovation in healthcare can be a game changer. However, the cost of innovation needs to be borne by someone, which could be the government too,’ said Amit Kapoor, chairman, Institute for Competitiveness India. Highlighting that mass awareness is important because even if the treatment is free, there is no guarantee that the people will avail these.

Source: http://health.india.com

27.05.2013

Five cups of coffee a day could kill you!

Drinking five cups of coffee a day – even when decaffeinated – has been linked to obesity and chronic disease, a new study has found. It is the first study in the world to look at higher doses of coffee, rather than the equivalent of one or two cups, and it found that five coffees doubled the fat around organs in the abdomen – a type of fat that causes deadly conditions, News.com.au reported.

A compound in coffee known as Chlorogenic Acid (CGA) was thought to have health benefits, such as preventing diabetes, but a new study has found too much may cause a build-up of fat and other problems. Researchers from the WA Institute for Medical Research and the University of Western Australia were hoping to prove the cardiovascular benefits of coffee, but instead discovered it can worsen obesity and its related diseases. The researchers found that mice given an equivalent dose of five cups of coffee for a human developed twice the amount of visceral fat – the most dangerous form of fat that collects around the organs in the abdomen.

 University of WA professor Kevin Croft said that previous studies had only tested small amounts of coffee equivalent to one cup of coffee a day. ‘Studies have shown that coffee consumption lowers the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes,’ Prof Croft said. ‘With this in mind, we studied the effects of CGAs, which are very rich in coffee but also found in tea and some fruits including plums. ‘The CGAs were previously known for their health benefits – increasing insulin sensitivity and reducing blood pressure and body fat accumulation,’ he said. But the study proved the opposite when dosages given to mice were equivalent to five cups of coffee for a human per day, said WAIMR Assistant Professor Vance Matthews. ‘We found that the equivalent of five cups of coffee a day had a tendency to increase weight gain, particularly in regards to visceral fat,’ Prof Matthews said. ‘There was also increasing insulin resistance (which can lead to diabetes) and glucose intolerance in mice having high levels of CGA,’ he said.

 Source: http://health.india.com

27.05.2013

Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell

Edward Abbey

25 May, 2013

Your mouth reveals your ailments

They say that the mouth is the window to overall health. And rightly so, because signs of oral health problems can work as indicators of various health problems.

Pain in upper molars — Sinusitis

The root cause of acute pain in the upper molars is sinusitis. When the maxillary sinus-air cavities within the cheek bones, above the upper jaw, becomes inflamed due to infection, it exerts pressure on the upper jaw. The roots of the upper molars are in close proximity with the sinus and on being pressed, they mimic pain of dental origin.

Tooth sensitivity — Acidity & heartburn

Those who suffer from frequent heartburn or acid reflux invariably suffer from eroded teeth enamel. Unhealthy eating habits such as eating large meals, lying down on the back right after a meal or snacking before bed time are some factors that cause the valve at the entrance of the stomach to become loose and stomach acids to travel backwards.

Gingivitis and pregnancy

Pregnancy causes hormonal changes that increase the risk of developing oral health problems like Gingivitis (A mild form of gum disease with inflammation of the gum) and Periodontitis (a serious gum infection that damages the soft tissue and bone that supports the tooth). Pregnant women with these problems are four to seven times more likely to deliver prematurely — and underweight babies — than mothers with healthy gums.

Flat teeth — High stress

A lot of people tend to clench and grind their teeth during the day and night without being aware of it. Long term grinding of teeth makes them flat, causing jaw tenderness, fatigue of cheek muscles, headaches and ear aches. Stress is one of the pivotal causes of Bruxism (It refers to excessive grinding of teeth and/or excessive clenching of the jaw).

Mouth ulcers — Weak immune system

Usually, mouth ulcers occur when the body's immune system is weak. In very rare cases, mouth ulcers can signal a warning of mouth or throat cancer.

Dry mouth — Diabetes

Constant case of dry mouth, clinically known as Xerostomia, may be an early sign of diabetes. It causes the blood vessels present in the salivary glands to thicken thereby slowing down the natural flow of saliva and elimination of toxins, leaving the gums vulnerable to infections.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

25.05.2013

World No Tobacco Day 2013: Only way to lower use is blanket ban on advertising

Doctors and health experts in Karnataka believe that the only way to lower tobacco use is to ensure that there’s a blanket ban on all types of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship in the state. This ties in with the theme of this year’s World No Tobacco Day campaign ‘Ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship’. Addressing a press conference, Upendra Bhojani, faculty at the Institute of Public Health, demanded that the state rigorously enforce the ban.

According to WHO, the tobacco industry spends billions around the year in advertising, promotion and sponsorship. In countries like ours where direct advertising is banned, the tobacco industry usually adopts a technique called ‘surrogate advertising’ in which they promote other products to drill the brand name into the consumer. The long-term goal is a total ban on direct and indirect advertising, promotion and sponsorship, as provided in guidelines to Article 13 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, can substantially reduce tobacco consumption and protect people, particularly the youth, from industry marketing tactics. To be effective, bans must be complete and apply to all marketing categories.

Currently, it’s believed tobacco kills nearly six million people every year and of them six lakh die due to exposure to passive smoking. While the Section 5 of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act prescribes a complete ban on all forms of tobacco promotions, advertisements and sponsorships, companies get around this loophole by using surrogate advertising which employs similar imagery logos for tobacco and non-tobacco products.

Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, a cancer surgeon at Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Hospital who recently won the prestigious Wilkenfeld Award in the US for his innovative leadership in the fight to reduce tobacco use in India feels that industry manipulates people by forcing them to use their products.  He said, ‘The industry uses strategic tactics to dilute the tobacco control policy. They lobby with the government and see to it that the policies are delayed and weakened before implementation. They promote their products either through indirect advertisements or diversify their products. They showcase as a doing good for the well-being of the society by investing in corporate social responsibility or giving bravery awards.’

Source: http://health.india.com

25.05.2013

We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone

Ronald Reagan

24 May, 2013

Extreme heat bad for pills

Extreme heat can affect medicines and these can become life threatening for those using them, doctors said on Thursday. ‘Quality of medicines can deteriorate during summers because of high temperatures. As most medicines are designed to be stored at normal room temperatures, no drug should be exposed to temperatures higher than 86 degrees fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius),’ the Delhi Medical Association (DMA) said in a statement.According to doctors, chemists and pharmaceutical manufacturers should store there products at a controlled room temperature of 68 degrees fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius) to 77 degrees fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius).

‘In fact, 68-77 degrees fahrenheit is the range in which manufacturers guarantee product integrity. Anywhere from 58 (14.5 degrees Celsius) to 86 degrees fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) is still fine,’ K.K. Kohli, state secretary of DMA, said. He warned that certain medicines, including nitroglycerin (used to treat heart ailments) and insulin (used for diabetes), are particularly susceptible to heat. ‘Both nitroglycerin and insulin are usually carried by patients, who need to take them when they suffer chest pains or high blood sugar. So, a damaged dose of these crucial medicine can be life-threatening. Certain antibiotics decay and can cause stomach or kidney damage,’ the DMA statement added.

Kohli said that because of high temperature even common medicines can break down and have potentially harmful effects. ‘Medicines like aspirin which are exposed to temperature change and can cause more than the usual stomach upset. Hydrocortisone cream can separate and become useless in the heat. Thyroid, birth control and other medicines that contain hormones are especially susceptible to temperature changes, and when protein gets hot it changes properties,’ Kohli said.

Giving away tips on how to protect medicines from temperature changes, doctors advise to keep medicines in a cool and dry place like a hallway linen closet, bedroom closet or even a kitchen cabinet, away from the stove. The unopened bottles of insulin can be kept in the refrigerator. ‘Never take any medication that has changed colour or consistency, regardless of the expiration date. Check also for an unusual odour. Discard pills that stick together, are chipped or are harder or softer than normal,’ the DMA statement added.   

Source: http://health.india.com

24.05.2013

Single parent’s children likelier to be obese

 A new study by US researchers shows that children living with married parents are less likely to be obese. ‘Childhood obesity is a significant public health issue in our country with nearly one-third of all US children aged 2-17 overweight or obese,’ said Rachel Kimbro, study co-author and associate professor of sociology at the Rice university.  ‘Despite this, very little research has been conducted to explore the impact of family structure on this epidemic,’ said Kimbro, who is also and director of Rice’s Kinder Institute Urban Health Programme.

In a recent edition of the Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk, the study by Kimbro and colleagues shows that children living in a traditional two-parent married household are less likely to be obese (with 17 percent obesity rate) than children living with cohabiting parents, who have a 31 percent obesity rate, reports Science Daily.

‘For reasons we cannot fully measure, there appears to be something about people who marry and have a child that is fundamentally different than the other groups, and these factors are also linked to children’s weight,’ Kimbro said.

What is childhood obesity?

Childhood obesity refers to the condition where a child’s well-being and overall health is hampered by excess fat. Like obesity in adults, childhood obesity can lead to various health issues including an elevated risk to heart diseases, diabetes and other obesity-related diseases. It is also often synonymous with psychological issues like low self-esteem. Childhood obesity cases are on the rise thanks to academic stress, an urbanised junk-food culture and a general lack of physical activity. 

Source: http://health.india.com

24.05.2013

Pakistani man gets Indian heart

An Indian’s heart is now beating for 40-year-old Moulana Mohammed Zubair Ashmi, a Pakistani national, who has undergone a successful heart transplant surgery at the Fortis Malar Hospital. Ashmi was suffering from a condition called dilated cardiomyopathy in which functioning of both the ventricles of the heart is severely depressed, said a statement from the hospital on Thursday. He was repeatedly admitted to several hospitals in Pakistan with breathing difficulty, poor urine output and swelling in the body, and doctors advised Ashmi’s family that his only chance of survival was a heart transplant.

K.R. Balakrishnan, director of cardiac sciences at Fortis Malar, said Ashmi was on medication for more than a year and his heart’s pumping efficiency was only around 10-15 percent against the normal 60 percent.  He was flown to Fortis Malar from a hospital in Lahore, and on a detailed examination doctors realised Ashmi also had renal failure; fluid in his lungs and abdomen; and he was hepatitis C positive.

After a wait of about two months, a suitable Indian donor heart of a different blood group became available, the hospital said. ‘I am ready to live life all over again and it is all due to the kindness of my saviour’s heart,’ Ashmi was quoted as saying by the hospital.

Source: http://health.india.com

24.05.2013

We must be our own before we can be another's

Ralph Waldo Emerson