19, January 2015

Meet the woman who gave birth to baby just hour after learning about pregnancy

By ANI | ANI – Sat 10 Jan, 2015 11:06 AM IST

A woman recently gave birth to a baby girl just an hour after learning about her pregnancy, it has been reported.

Katherine Kropas had no idea she was pregnant with a 10-pound baby until an hour before she gave birth, ABC News reported.

The 23-year-old had few intense back pains, but at first, doctors couldn't find anything wrong with her, so they did an ultrasound and after looking at the report they rushed her off into the labor.

Kropas told WCVB she felt that she'd put on some weight, but figured maybe it was just typical holiday weight gain.

Dr. Jennifer Ashton, a senior medical contributor for ABC News and practicing OB/GYN, said she's seen cases like Kropas's in her career and it tends to happen in women who are overweight or obese to start, might have irregular periods and are less aware of their bodies.

It represents a missed opportunity for prenatal care for the baby, which was definitely not ideal, she further added. (ANI)

Consume less salt to reduce stomach cancer risk

A new study has revealed that excessive salt consumption, which is well known for causing high blood pressure and heart disease, can also increase the risk of stomach cancer. 

The most well-established stomach cancer risk factor is infection with a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), which causes inflammation within the stomach that can progress to stomach cancer, the Daily Expressreported.

Researcher John Atherton of United European Gastroenterology Secretary said that although they don't know exactly why a high salt intake increases the risk of stomach cancer, studies suggest that it may encourage the growth of H. pylori and make it more toxic to the cells of the stomach.

Current guidelines from the World Health Organisation (WHO)suggest that no more than 5g of salt (less than 1 teaspoon) should be eaten per day, which can be a challenging target given that most salt in our diets is not added by us, but comes from processed foods such as bread, cheese, breakfast cereals and ready meals. Atherton added that in the UK, people's salt target is no more than 6 g per day, which should theoretically reduce the risk of stomach cancer as well as other salt-related health problems.

He continued that they need more studies to confirm that eating a low-salt diet reduces the incidence of stomach cancer, but there is preliminary evidence from Japan to suggest this would be the case.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

19.01.2015

Eczema sufferers have higher risk of obesity, BP

People suffering from the chronic itchy skin disease eczema have higher rates of smoking, drinking and obesity, and are less likely to exercise than adults who do not have the disease, scientists report.

These types of behaviour provide them with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol as well as diabetes, the team from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in the US said.

They also have higher rates of insomnia. "This disease takes a huge emotional toll on its sufferers," said lead study author Jonathan Silverberg. The study analyzed data for 27,157 and 34,525 adults aged 18 to 85 years from the 2010 and 2012 National Health Interview Survey respectively.

The study reported patients with eczema had 54 percent higher odds of being morbidly obese, 48 percent higher odds of hypertension, up to 93 percent higher odds of having pre-diabetes and up to 42 percent higher odds of having diabetes. They also had 36 percent higher odds of high cholesterol.

Because eczema often starts in early childhood, people are affected through their developmental years and adolescence. "It hurts their self-esteem and identity. That is part of why we see all these negative behaviour," Silverberg added. Adding to eczema patients' health woes is difficulty in exercising because sweat and heat aggravate the itching. "They will avoid anything that triggers the itch. Patients report their eczema flares during a workout," Silverberg said.

Dermatologists need to ask patients about their lifestyle habits such as smoking and physical activity so they can offer interventions, the authors said.

The study was published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

19.01.2015

The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra

Jimmy Johnson