25 August, 2015

Most deaths caused by smokeless tobacco in India

More than a quarter of a million people in the world die each year from using smokeless tobacco, and India bears three-fourths of the burden, reveals a study that assessed the global impact of smokeless tobacco consumption on adults.

Millions more have their lives shortened by ill-health due to the effects of chewing tobacco-based products, the findings showed.

"Nearly 85 percent of the total burden attributable to smokeless tobacco (SLT) use was in South-East Asia, with India alone accounting for 74 percent of the global burden, followed by Bangladesh (five percent)," said the study.  Researchers compiled the figures using data from 113 countries and extracted from the 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study and surveys such as Global Adult Tobacco Survey.

In 2010 alone smokeless tobacco resulted in more than 62,000 deaths due to cancers of the mouth, pharynx and oesophagus and accounted for more than 200,000 deaths from heart disease, the study estimated.

"It is possible that these figures are underestimated and future studies may reveal that the impact is even bigge," said Kamran Siddiqi, senior lecturer in epidemiology and public health at University of York in England.

The team said that more research is needed in countries with high levels of consumption but where figures for the relative risk of acquiring smoking-related cancers are not available.

"We need a global effort to try and address and control smokeless tobacco," Siddiqi said.

"We have got no international policy on how to regulate the production, composition, sale, labelling, packaging and marketing of smokeless tobacco products," he pointed out.

The international framework to control tobacco does not seem to work to control smokeless tobacco. It does not get the same regulation as cigarettes, Siddiqi pointed out.

"There is a need to build on the insights obtained from efforts to reduce cigarette smoking and to investigate strategies to reduce the use of smokeless tobacco," he noted.

The results were published in the journal BMC Medicine.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

25.08.2015

Effective hygiene routine for contact lens users

If you wear contact lenses, chances are you've slept in them and on occasion even forgot to disinfect them.

According to an online study, experts say that at least 50% of contact users report wearing their lenses while sleeping and 82.3% of contact wearers keep their contact lens cases longer than recommended. It was found that 99% of those people surveyed are at an increased risk for serious eye infections because of poor hygienic behaviour. Routines, like 'topping off' the lens solution or using water at times, can result in devastating eye infections and even blindness in some cases.

"The lens case can get dirty, and germs from the case get onto the lens or vice versa, and eventually they get onto your eye and attack your cornea," said Thomas Steinemann, a researcher, adding that infections can happen within 24 hours of wearing a compromised lens. One third of those surveyed also reported that they sought medical help for red or painful eyes related to wearing contact lenses. A few things that can be done to minimise the risk is to not use the lens beyond the recommended period, not sleep while wearing lenses (even extended use lenses), cleaning the solution every time the lens is used and ensuring that you dispose the case every three to four months.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

25.08.2015

                   

The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it

Eyemadreamer

20 August, 2015

Listening to music lowers anxiety during breast biopsies

Listening to live or recorded music significantly reduces anxiety for women undergoing surgical breast biopsies for cancer diagnosis and treatment, new research has found.

The two-year study involved 207 patients.

"We discovered that anxiety levels dropped significantly from pre-test to post-test in patients who heard one preferred song of either live or recorded music before surgery," said lead author Jaclyn Bradley Palmer, music therapist at University Hospitals of Cleveland in Ohio, US.

Patients were randomly assigned to one of three study groups.

One group listened to preferred live music before surgery, one listened to preferred recorded music, and one experienced usual care with no music before surgery.

"In this trial, both live and recorded preoperative music therapy interventions reduced anxiety significantly more than usual preoperative management by 28 and 27 points, representing percent reductions of 43 percent and 41 percent, respectively," she said.

"There wasn't a significant difference in anxiety between live music and recorded music," Bradley Palmer said.

"It seems like music, no matter how it is delivered, had a similar effect on reducing a patient's preoperative anxiety," she said.

"We know that music touches parts of our brain: The emotional centre that creates release of our body's natural opiates, for example, endorphins, enkephalins and serotonin. All of those things that are released, are triggered by auditory stimulation, and music is prime in that," said one of the co-authors of the study, Deforia Lane, from University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Centre.

The music groups and controls did not differ in the amount of anaesthesia requirement needed to reach moderate sedation.

The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

20.08.2015

Can’t concentrate? Here’s what to do

Thanks to the numerous forms of communication and electronic gadgets that have flooded the market (and our homes today), being unable to concentrate has become a common complaint.

And one of the biggest distractions today happens to be social media. Whether you're on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (or something else for that matter), millions of people check their social media accounts every couple of minutes to see the activity and what people are up to. While all this is okay to an extent, when it starts affecting your daily chores, work performance or family life, you have a problem on your hands. This is when concentrating on important tasks starts becoming difficult.

While some companies have anyway blocked social media sites from their servers, most haven't. So, the next time you feel like sneaking a look at those sites (on your computer or smartphone), resist the temptation.

- Use your commute time to spend time on your smartphone instead. If you work from home, don't go on social networking sites while you're working.

- Recognising the distraction and realising what it is doing to you is half the battle won. Very often, the urge to immediately reply to an email or a comment distracts you from the task on hand. This will affect your concentration and affect your performance.

- Check your email once every hour. This way you can work uninterrupted and with full concentration. Very often, we take on too many things at once, which causes us to multitask but this could lead to one or several tasks not getting completed properly. While multitasking is not a bad thing, it might not be for everyone.

- Stress is another thing that will not allow you to concentrate properly. Stressful thoughts don't allow you to concentrate on the task properly. To deal with this, try meditation and deep breathing techniques.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

20.08.2015

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today to make a new ending

Maria Robinson

18 August, 2015

‘Super-intelligent’ mice may help treat brain disorders in humans

Altering a single gene has helped scientists create super-intelligent mice and researchers believe that the findings could lead to new drugs for cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease,schizophrenia and other conditions. The researchers altered the gene to inhibit the activity of an enzyme called phosphodiesterase-4B (PDE4B), which is present in many organs, including the brain. In behavioural tests, these mice showed enhanced cognitive abilities.

‘Cognitive impairments are currently poorly treated, so I am excited that our work using mice has identified phosphodiesterase-4B as a promising target for potential new treatments,’ said lead researcher Steve Clapcote, lecturer in pharmacology at the University of Leeds in England. The findings are limited to mice and have not been tested on humans, but PDE4B is present in humans, the study pointed out. In tests, the ‘brainy mice’ showed a better ability than ordinary mice to recognise another mouse that they had been introduced to the day before. They were also quicker at learning the location of a hidden escape platform in a test called the Morris water maze.

These intelligent mice were also found to be less fearful. The researchers are now working on developing drugs that will specifically inhibit the enzyme. These drugs will be tested in animals to see whether any would be suitable for clinical trials in humans. ‘In the future, medicines targeting PDE4B may potentially improve the lives of individuals with neurocognitive disorders and life-impairing anxiety, and they may have a time-limited role after traumatic events,’ co-lead researcher Alexander McGirr, psychiatrist in training at the University of British Columbia in Canada noted. The findings appeared in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology. 

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

18.08.2015

Soon — an easier and quicker way to detect blood-clots

A new method, tested on rats, may someday enable doctors to quickly scan the entire body for a blood clot. To locate a blood clot, a physician may need to use three different methods: ultrasound to check the carotid arteries or legs, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)to scan the heart and computed tomography to view the lungs.

‘It is a shot in the dark. Patients could end up being scanned multiple times by multiple techniques in order to locate a clot,’ said Peter Caravan from the Massachusetts General Hospital. ‘We sought a method that could detect blood clots anywhere in the body with a single whole-body scan,’ he added. A blood clot is a dangerous health situation with the potential to trigger heart attacks, strokes and other medical emergencies.

To treat a blood clot, doctors need to find its exact location. ‘If a person suffers a stroke that stems from a blood clot, their risk for a second stroke skyrockets,’ Caravan noted. The initial blood clot can break apart and cause more strokes if it is not quickly found and treated. Depending on where the blood clot is located, the treatment varies — some of them respond well to drugs, while others are better addressed with surgery. The team is set to describe their approach at the 250th national meeting and exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) this week.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

18.08.2015

It’s not our abilities that show who we truly are, it is our choices

Dumbledore

17 August, 2015

Benefits of running at night

The mercury is rising and with the heat starting off as early as 7am these days, people who work out regularly, especially runners, experience some kind of difficulty running in the sun. 

Maybe it is time you switched over to running at night, not just to gain some respite from the heat, but also to get healthy. Summer nights, especially, provide the perfect atmosphere to run — with less traffic and of course, a cooler weather, which makes it more comfortable to run. Here are some benefits of working out or running at night.

There is a general perception that working out or running at night, causes the release of endorphins and other stimulants which prevent the body from feeling sleepy. However, a study conducted at the University of South Carolina revealed that people who exercised for an hour or two, before bedtime, in fact, had no trouble nodding off. Their sleep was monitored, and it was found that they actually slept better.

Choosing your treadmill over the TV at night (especially after a long day at work), can be hard, but make sure you have the right kind of work regimen or a specified time limit, if you are running. If you are a night bird, you will be surprised to know that you can push yourself harder, for longer periods of time. This is because muscular function and strength peaks in the evening hours. However, take caution to ensure that you stick to the regimen and don't deviate from it.

A good night's rest following a workout can lead to calmer mornings. If you are a working professional, you can reduce your morning rush by running in the night. You don't need to rush through your morning run. A calm morning can go a long way in setting the tone for the rest of the day.

Useful tips to remember

Remember to carry a torch with you, especially if you choose to go on a particularly dimly lit trail.
It may help to run with a group of buddies, especially women, just to be safe. Moreover, running in a group makes you visible to approaching vehicles. If you are running at night for the first time, it may help to ease into the process. Start with shorter trails and then move on to longer ones, once you get accustomed to the terrain.

Make sure you wear bright clothes while running, so that you are visible in the dark. Yellows, neon colours work best.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

17.08.2015

Intelligent kids more physically fit!

If you were an intelligent boy throughout your academic life, chances are you will be more physically-fit as you grow older.

New research has revealed a distinct association between male intelligence in early adulthood and their subsequent midlife physical performance. The higher intelligence score, the better physical performance, noted the researchers from University of Copenhagen.

"Our study clearly shows that the higher intelligence score in early adulthood, the stronger the participants' back, legs and hands are in midlife. Their balance is also better," said PhD student Rikke Hodal Meincke from the centre for healthy aging and the department of public health.

For the study, the scientists employed several tests like handgrip strength, balance and chair-rise when measuring physical performance. "Former studies have taught us that the better the results of these midlife tests, the greater the chance of avoiding a decrease in physical performance in old age," Meincke added.

The study comprised 2,848 Danish males born in 1953 and in 1959-61 and the results were published in the scientific Journal of Aging and Health.

With a 10-point increase in intelligence score, the results revealed a 0,5 kg increase in lower back force, one cm increase in jumping height - an expression of leg muscle power, 0.7 kg increase in hand-grip strength, 3.7 percent improved balance and 1.1 more chair-rises in 30 seconds.

A feasible explanation for this connection could be that people with a higher intelligence score find it easier to understand and interpret health information and thus have a healthier lifestyle.

"For instance, they exercise more regularly. Exercise can thus be viewed as a mechanism that explains the connection between intelligence and physical performance," Meincke elaborated.

The results are important for the future planning and targeting of initiatives that may help improve or maintain elderly peoples' physical performance. Previous research has shown that exercise, health status and socio-economics influence physical performance.

Furthermore, childhood factors may also influence physical performance in later life.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

17.08.2015

Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts

Albert Einstein

14 August, 2015

How music can benefit you post-surgery

Now that’s the way to recuperate! Scientists have found that listening to music before, during, or after a surgery could help them recover faster. In a most comprehensive study by Brunel University and Queen Mary University of London involving almost 7000 patients, it was found that music significantly reduced pain and anxiety, and decreased the need for pain medication.

Moreover, when patients selected their own music there was a slightly greater (but non-significant) reduction in pain and use of pain relief. Surprisingly, even listening to music while under general anaesthetic reduced patients’ levels of pain, although the effects were larger when patients were conscious. However, music did not reduce length of hospital stay.  

Lead author Dr Catherine Meads said that music is a non-invasive, safe, cheap intervention that should be available to everyone undergoing surgery. Patients should be allowed to choose the type of music they would like to hear to maximise the benefit to their wellbeing. However, care needs to be taken that music does not interfere with the medical team’s communication. The study is published in The Lancet.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

14.08.2015

Identified — new treatment for diabetics with heart disease

In a breakthrough discovery, an Indian scientist has found new treatment for heart disease in diabetics by targeting a key protein. Lead researcher Rajesh Katare of the University of Otago said that the team sought to confirm their laboratory-based results by collaborating with cardiothoracic surgeons at Dunedin Hospital to collect and study heart tissue samples from coronary bypass patients.

In the study, the researchers used the type-2 diabetic mouse model and matched around 35 such diabetic patients to comparable non-diabetic ones. Analysis revealed markedly increased autophagy in the diabetic patients’ heart tissues compared to the non-diabetic ones. The increase then triggered activation of pro-cell death proteins, which lead to progressive loss of cardiac cells. As more cells die, cardiac dysfunction develops and heart failure ensues.

They also identified that diabetes increases autophagy through activation of the protein (Beclin-1). Katare said that the protein presented an extremely promising target for new treatments of diabetes-related cardiac disease. He said that they found that these molecular alterations begun in the diabetic heart from an early stage of the disease, before any clinically identifiable symptoms, so blocking them could be useful in combating cardiovascular complications in diabetes. The study is published in the International Journal of Cardiology.  

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

14.08.2015

The key to success is to focus our conscious mind on things we desire not things we fear

Brian Tracy

13 August, 2015

Facts and trivia of left-handers

On the occasion of International Left-Handers Day today, we look at some interesting facts and trivia associated with people who are sinistral 

Though left-handedness was looked down upon and lefties were often told to use their right hand for their day-to-day functioning in olden days, things have changed now. Case in point, celebrating International Left-Handers Day across the globe on August 13. The day is dedicated to create awareness of the inconveniences faced by left-handers in a predominantly right-handed world.

What makes a person lefty?

Researchers believe that 40 specific genes contribute to left-handedness. Scientists also state that 75% chance of a newborn being left-handed is linked to the environment/ lifestyle around the mother during her pregnancy. humans aren't alone... Studies have shown that certain species of animals and birds like kangaroos and the sulphur-crusted cockatoo (right) use their left hand/claw to eat.

TRIVIA
- Studies suggest that left-handed people use the right side of their brain more. This is probably why they are more innovative, creative and inclined towards art, dance and music.

- As compared to right-handers, they tend to chew food in the left side of their mouth.
- Babies who are born premature are usually left-handed.

- Unfortunately, they are more susceptible to have allergies and migraine attacks. They are also likely to suffer from insomnia, dyslexia and speech impediments like stammering and stuttering.

- More than 2,500 left-handers are injured every year because of using equipment meant for right-handed people.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

13.08.2015

Mothers of IVF babies at increased risk of digestive disease

Women who give birth to babies using in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) are at increased risk of a chronic digestive disease, says a new study. 

The researchers from Turkey compared two groups of women who had given birth to their first child at least one year earlier and found that those who had had IVF were three-times more likely to be diagnosed with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), than those who had conceived naturally. 

GORD is a common condition in which acid from the stomach travels up into the oesophagus and causes heartburn, regurgitation and pain when swallowing. 

The most common cause of GORD is a weakening of the lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS) (the ring of muscle at the end of the oesophagus), allowing the stomach acid to leak up into the oesophagus and damage the lining. 

For the study the researchers compared 156 first time mothers who conceived using IVF with an age-matched control group of women who had conceived naturally. 

The prevalence of GORD at the time of data collection was found to be 13.5 percent in the group of women who had received IVF compared with just 4.5 percent in the group of women who had conceived naturally. 

The reasons why women who have IVF might be more prone to developing GORD are not clear. 

However, the study authors proposed a number of possibilities, including medications taken during IVF, psychological causes associated with fertility issues (such as stress, depression and anxiety), and the possibility that women who undergo IVF may spend long periods of time lying down for fear of miscarriage. 

"These are very interesting findings," said Oliver Pech, head of gastroenterology and Interventional Endoscopy at the St. John of God Hospital in Regensburg in Germany and Associate Editor of the UEG Journal where the study was published. 

"We really need to investigate how we might prevent the development of GORD in all pregnant women, but particularly in those who receive IVF treatment," Pech noted. 

Source: www.timesofindia.com

13.08.2015

Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do

 Johann van Goethe

12 August, 2015

Over 40 percent men in urban areas at risk of anaemia

New Delhi: Over 40 percent of Indian men above the age of 45 and living in urban areas are at a higher risk of contracting anaemia, a study has revealed.

The study stated that due to several factors, including micronutrient deficiencies, systemic metal toxicities and intestinal disorders, men have started suffering from abnormal haemoglobin levels, which till now were mostly associated with women in general.

The survey was conducted by the leading diagnostic chain SRL Diagnostic after they screened 30 lakh males across the country from 2012-14. The results showed 43.5 percent of men were found to to be having low haemoglobin levels.

According to the World Health Organization, the prevalence of anaemia in all groups in India is higher as compared to other developing countries.

The analysis showed that prevalence of this abnormality was highest among men in the east of the country with 52.4 percent while the north and west had 48.6 percent and 39.3 percent, respectively. South India showed the lowest percentage with 27 percent.

"There is a significant need for reaching out and making people aware of the causes, symptoms, treatment and importance of testing for anaemia," said Leena Chatterjee, director of Fortis SRL Labs and SRL Strategic Initiative. 

"Most of the cases of anaemia are observed in infants and pregnant women. But SRL's analysis on men has shown that men are also almost equally prone to this condition."

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

12.08.2015

Keep pedalling at work to stay healthy

New York: Forget treadmill work stations, a portable pedalling device under the desk can provide a convenient way to keep sedentary workers active at work, and improving their health, says a new study.

People who sit all day -- even if they are active outside of work--are at increased risk for serious health conditions such as multiple chronic diseases, poorer cognitive function, and mental distress.

The researchers found that workers who pedalled more were more likely to report weight loss, improved concentration while at work, and fewer sick days than co-workers who pedalled less.

"We wanted to see if workers would use these devices over a long period of time, and we found the design of the device is critically important," said Lucas Carr, assistant professor of health and human physiology at the University of Iowa in the US.

Another essential component was privacy. Place a high-end exercise bike or treadmill desk in the hall as a shared device, and very few employees will use them, Carr said.

"It is a great idea in theory, but it does not work over the long haul for most people," Carr noted.

Carr's research over the years has found that the best way to get people moving at work is to change the environment in a way that makes being active easier -- a strategy his latest study shows can pay off for both employees and their employers who spend huge amounts of money in procuring fitness equipment for workers.

The new 16-week pilot study tested the effectiveness of portable pedal machines among 27 workers with sedentary jobs. 

At the end of the study, 70 percent of participants chose to keep their pedalling device.

The study appeared in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

12.08.2015

Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin

  Mother Teresa

11 August, 2015

Smartphone game helps reduce schizophrenia symptoms

Researchers at Cambridge University have developed a smartphone game that can help reduce symptoms of schizophrenia. 

The game, called Wizard, helps those diagnosed with schizophrenia practice day-to-day cognitive skills that keep their brains sharp. 

It has been designed to help deal with symptoms such as paranoia and hallucinations, and has been paired with the popular brain-training app, Peak. 

"In conjunction with medication and current psychological therapies, (Wizard) could help people with schizophrenia minimise the impact of their illness in their everyday life," The Guardian quoted a research team member as saying.

The study found that 22 patients who played the memory game committed fewer errors and needed less effort to remember the location of different patterns of specific tests. 

Improvements in memory retention, remembering dates and times and understanding the context, conversation and other forms of communication are all categories that improved when patients used the game on a regular basis. 

Wizard is currently available for iOS platform only, and soon it would be available for Android. 

The study was published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

11.08.2015

Music could be new frontier in epilepsy treatment

In conjunction with traditional treatment, music may be used as a novel intervention to help prevent seizures in people with epilepsy, says a new study. 

The researchers found that brains of people with epilepsy appear to react to music differently from the brains of those who do not have the disorder.

"We believe that music could potentially be used as an intervention to help people with epilepsy," said one of the researchers Christine Charyton, adjunct assistant professor and visiting assistant professor of neurology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Centre in Columbus, Ohio, US. 

Approximately 80 percent of epilepsy cases are what is known as temporal lobe epilepsy, in which the seizures appear to originate in the temporal lobe of the brain. 

Music is processed in the auditory cortex in this same region of the brain, which was why the researchers wanted to study the effect of music on the brains of people with epilepsy. 

The researchers compared the musical processing abilities of the brains of people with and without epilepsy using an electroencephalogram, where electrodes are attached to the scalp to detect and record brain wave patterns. 

They collected data from 21 patients who were in the epilepsy monitoring unit at a US medical centre between September 2012 and May 2014. 

The researchers found significantly higher levels of brain wave activity in participants when they were listening to music.  More importantly brain wave activity in people with epilepsy tended to synchronize more with the music, especially in the temporal lobe, than in people without epilepsy, Charyton said. 

Charyton said this research suggests music might be a novel intervention to help people with epilepsy. 

The research was presented at the American Psychological Association's 123rd annual convention in Toronto. 

Source: www.timesofindia.com

11.08.2015

Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit

by Vince Lombardi

10 August, 2015

Bad breath could indicate diabetes or worse…

What is your solution for bad breath? Mint, saunf, or maybe you gargle with some mouth wash. Whatever your method of dealing with bad breath is, know that foul breath is an indicator of a lot more than simply poor oral hygiene. It can indicate a lot more if looked at closely.

According to Dr Amit Saraf, MD FCPS, Consultant Physician, Jupiter Hospital, ‘In the olden ‘art of medicine’ when the modalities of investigations were far and few, most of the older clinicians used to rely a lot on clinical signs for diagnoses. These clinical signs hold ground even to date, in spite of ultra-modern investigations available. One of such clinical sign is a person’s breath and its odour. Both the pattern of breathing and its smell can give valuable and reliable information to the treating physician.’

Poor oral hygeine: One of the most common reasons for bad breath, poor oral hygiene is often caused due to the overgrowth of bacteria in your mouth and throat. Apart from that certain type of medication can also kill the good bacteria in your gut and mouth leading bad breath.

Liver failure: Dr Saraf says, ‘People with  liver failure have a very characteristic odour called  fetor hepaticus. Characterised as a fruity type of odour, this type of bad breath  is a sign of liver failure. Known to be due to an increase in a compound called thiols in a person’s breath.

Kidney failure: ‘ People with kidney failure have a characteristic ammonia or keto breath.’ Characterised as a fishy or urine -like fishy odour, this smell is caused due to a person’s kidney’s inability to excrete waste from the body. This build-up leads to the toxins being released from the body through a person’s breath — leading to this foul odour.

Diabetes:  A common sign of diabetes is bad breath that has a fruity odour. Diabetics suffering from a condition called ketoacidosis – a life-threatening condition where their body is not able to use sugars as a source of energy (due to the lack of insulin). Their body tends to break down fat instead leading to ketones being formed as a waste product.

Acid reflux: Also known as GERD, a person with this condition often has undigested or regurgitated food in their food pipe which leads to bad breath. The type of smell depends on the foods they eat, but often the smell can be extremely foul.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

10.08.2015

It's fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure

Bill Gates