Thursday, 16 October 2014

17, October 2014

Psoriasis could lead to high BP

New York: Patients with severe psoriasis - a common skin disease - are more likely to have uncontrolled hypertension, found a study.
The researchers defined uncontrolled hypertension as blood pressure measured to be at least 140/90 mm Hg.            Additional findings indicated that there is a significant dose-response relationship, meaning that the likelihood of uncontrolled hypertension increases with greater psoriasis severity.
The patients with the highest risk of having uncontrolled blood pressure, are those with moderate to severe psoriasis, which is defined as having at least three percent of one's body surface affected by the disease, the findings showed.
"To our knowledge, ours is the first study to evaluate the effect of objectively determined psoriasis severity on blood pressure control," said co-first author on the study Junko Takeshita from the University of Pennsylvania in the US.

The researchers examined data from a random sample of psoriasis patients included in The Health Improvement Network (THIN), an electronic medical database based in Britain.
"Over the last several years, studies have shown that psoriasis, specifically severe psoriasis, is an independent risk factor for a variety of comorbidities, putting patients suffering with this common skin disease at an increased risk of other conditions such as heart attack and stroke," Takeshita added.
"Knowing that psoriasis is tied to other health conditions, it's vital that we have a better understanding of the systemic effects it has on other areas of the body so that we can more closely monitor these patients and provide better and preventative care" Takeshita concluded.
The findings appeared in the journal JAMA Dermatology.
17.10.2014



Washing hands can prevent disease, death: Harsh Vardhan

New Delhi: The deaths of children due to preventable causes is "shameful" and simple measures like hand-washing which can prevent it should be promoted, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said Wednesday.
"Hand-washing is likely to become the strongest possible public health movement. This prevents deaths in children," he said at an event to mark the Global Hand-washing Day here. "It is a shame that we are not able to avoid deaths which are entirely preventable," he said.
The minister said that as part of the National Health Assurance Mission, the government was planning to focus on preventive and positive health.
He added: "This would be followed by providing Ayush drugs." Harsh Vardhan said that in the next couple of months, the government was planning a slew of programmes to promote a healthy lifestyle.
He said: "I urge you to make health a social movement."
Global Hand-washing Day, observed Oct 15 every year, is a campaign to motivate and mobilise millions around the world to wash their hands with soap as a key approach to disease prevention.
The health minister said: "Hand-washing does not cost anything at all because one uses the same soap for various other reasons. It is a simple and effective intervention."
After signing on a board supporting the hand-washing campaign, Harsh Vardhan urged all sections of society, irrespective of age and social background, to be partners in the social movement on health.
He said: "All countrymen are invited to be part of this."
WHO's Country Representative Nata Menabde said that Global Hand-washing Day has a significance in the Indian context.
She said: "It is a simple and inexpensive way to reduce the disease burden. Today, it is aligned to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi."
17.10.2014







The past cannot be changed; the future is yet in your power

Mary Pickford


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