19 November, 2013

Diabetes and TB interlinked, say doctors

In more bad news for people diagnosed with diabetes, the lifestyle disease has now been linked to an increased incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in patients.

According to the government-run Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP), people with diabetes have a two-three times higher risk of TB compared to people without diabetes and about 10 per cent of TB cases globally are linked to diabetes.

Diabetes, which is characterized by high levels of glucose in the blood and the inability of the body to regulate blood sugar levels, is an independent risk factor for all lower respiratory tract infections, doctors said.

"The link between diabetes and tuberculosis is a recent knowledge and the subject of much research. Studies show that diabetes can lead to TB and the reverse is also true," Anoop Mishra, chairman Fortis Centre of Excellence for Diabetes Metabolic Diseases and Endocrinology (CDOC), said.

People with diabetes who are diagnosed with TB, an infectious disease of the lungs, have a higher risk of death during TB treatment and of TB relapse after treatment is over. "Diabetes is complicated by the presence of infectious diseases like TB," Mishra added.

Doctors are, therefore, increasingly screening both diabetes and TB patients for the two diseases, he added. The reason behind diabetes patients easily contracting TB is the low immunity in them that results in high chances of infection.

India has a high burden of both diabetes and tuberculosis. In India, there are nearly 50 million diabetics, according to the statistics of the International Diabetes Federation - a global advocate for the promotion of diabetes care, prevention and cure.

The federation had declared that India was emerging as the diabetes capital of the world.

India has approximately two to three million people infected with Tuberculosis.

According to Rajeev Chawla of the North Delhi Diabetes Centre: "Previously there was a link between diabetes and HIV, but now we can see a link between diabetes and TB. Diabetes and TB can be seen to co-exist in many cases."

"If a patient develops diabetes, it can also lead to reactivation of his or her TB which has been cured earlier. "Diabetics should avoid contact with TB patients and always keep their blood sugar levels under check," Chawla said.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

19.11.2013

How tea can better our mood

Research has found that tea might play a role in changing your mood, helping you feel less depressed, more alert or even energetic.

Some of the benefits of tea include lower rates of some cancers, reduced risk for heart disease andstroke, and may protect against Alzheimer's.

These benefits are seemingly endless and so are the ways you can use tea to alter your mood, theHuffington Post reported.

Drinking a hot cup of tea is always an option, but so is using it to scent your room

The following teas can change your mood accordingly, for instance Herbal teas with lemonverbena makes the mood happy, Green tea or black "chai" make you feel energized.

Green and black teas makes you feel productive, while Honeybush and herbal chai blends release the stress.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

19.11.2013

The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think

Horace Walpole