27 October, 2016

Diwali 2016: Protect your eyes this Diwali

Diwali celebrations mean a lot of fun and enjoyment, but with incidents of eye injuries and even loss of eyesight being reported every year, it's crucial to take safety measures. In fact, eyes are the second-most common affected area during Diwali after hands and fingers. As expected, the leading cause of injuries on Diwali is the lack of appropriate safety measures while lighting fireworks. Here are some tips shared by Dr. Pallavi Joshi, Consultant Cornea & Refractive Services, Sankara Eye Hospital, Bangalore, which will help you have a happy and safe Diwali!

Irritation caused by smoke-emitting crackers

Some major precautionary measures to be taken during bursting crackers are to fire them in open spaces, covering your eyes with goggles or tested spectacles and wash your hands a number of times to protect yourself from harmful chemicals, says Dr Pallavi Joshi. Also defuse used fireworks properly by soaking them in a bucket of water before disposal.

Caution for people who wear contact lenses

Dr Pallavi suggests to always remove your contact lenses before going out to fire cracker. Use a spare glass instead, which can protect your eyes in a better way. Contact lenses may cause irritation to the eyes if exposed to direct heat for a long time. Maintain a distance of an arm's length while lighting firecrackers, and at least five metres while watching.

In case of an eye injury.

In case you get an eye injury with crackers, the first step should be to wash your eyes and face properly. Wash your hands before splashing water on the face. Do not rub or scratch your eyes. If there is bleeding in the eye, use a patch to cover up the wounded area and immediately rush to the nearest hospital, adds Dr Pallavi. Dr Pallavi warns that all types of crackers are harmful and any kind of cracker can be dreadful for your eyes. So it's best to avoid highly combustive crackers. Avoid sparklers that reach temperatures as high as 1000°C - high enough to melt gold and cause serious injury.

Injury leading to permanent vision loss

Any kind of cracker injury can harm the eye, which can result in permanent vision loss if the condition is severe. The damage of the eye by a cracker depends on the velocity of the cracker or the intensity by which it hits the eye, the second one is the chemical reaction in the eye and the third is the thermal burn, which is the heat that is caused by the cracker.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

27.10.2016

The struggle you are in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow

26 October, 2016

Air Pollution May Even Harm Blood Vessels of Healthy Young

Even young, healthy adults can suffer blood vessel damage from air pollution, a new study finds.

Periodic exposure to fine particulate matter -- tiny pollutants from cars, factories, power plants and fires -- isn't a health risk only for the ill and the elderly, the researchers concluded.

The three-year study in Provo, Utah, tied this form of air pollution to abnormal changes in the blood of young adults, age 23 on average. Over time, these abnormalities could lead to heart disease, the researchers said.

The findings suggest that living in a polluted environment could promote development of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke more pervasively and at an earlier stage than previously thought, said study researcher Timothy O'Toole. He's with the Diabetes and Obesity Center at the University of Louisville in Kentucky.

"Although we have known for some time that air pollution can trigger heart attacks or strokes in susceptible, high-risk individuals, the finding that it could also affect even seemingly healthy individuals suggests that increased levels of air pollution is of concern to all of us, and not just the sick or the elderly," O'Toole said.

"Blood vessel injury is the cornerstone of cardiovascular damage that leads to heart attacks and strokes," said Dr. Satjit Bhusri, a cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital.

This study helps explain how toxins in the air might cause such damage, Bhusri said. It suggests air pollution increases cell damage and artery injury. It also suggests that there are biochemical signs that prevent new blood vessel growth and promote cell death, Bhusri noted.

"Taken together, we now have a clear link to air pollution and inherent blood vessel damage that can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease," he said.

The report was published online Oct. 25 in the journal Circulation Research.

Source: www.medicinenet.com

Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard

25 October, 2016

Onion compound may treat ovarian cancer

A natural compound isolated from onions may help treatovarian cancer, a new study has claimed.

Researchers from Kumamoto University in Japan studied the effects of onion in A (ONA) on a preclinical model of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) both in vivo and in vitro. Previously , researchers found that ONA suppressed pro-tumour activation of host myeloid cells.

According to WHO, EOC is the most common type of ovarian cancer and has a five-year survival rate of about 40%. researchers said.

The group's in vitro experiments showed that EOCs, which usually proliferate in the presence of pro-tumour M2 macrophages, showed inhibited growth after introduction of ONA. This was thought to be due to ONA influence on STAT3, a transcription factor known to be involved in both M2 polarisation and cancer cell proliferation.

The team also found that ONA inhibited the pro-tumour functions of myeloid-derived suppressor cells, which are associated with the suppression of the anti-tumour immune response of host lymphocytes, by using preclinical sarcoma model. ONA was also found to enhance the effects of anti-cancer drugs by strengthening their anti proliferation capabilities.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

25.10.2016

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop

Confucius

24 October, 2016

Average physical fitness sufficient to prevent many lifestyle disease

Even if you are up to 20 per cent less fit than your population average, it is sufficient to prevent risk factors like diabetes, hypertension, obesity that affect people withheart disease, finds a study. Physical inactivity along with risk factors like depression, diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, obesity, excess weight, and smoking may lead to heart disease, which is one of the leading causes of death in the world, representing 31 per cent of global mortality, the study says. To measure the impact of physical fitness on heart disease risk factors, the researchers selected 205 men and 44 women with heart disease, including coronary artery disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, and heart valve disease, and had them undergo a cycle ergometer (stationary bike) stress test to determine their fitness level. The results showed that normal physical fitness, even up to 20 per cent below the population average, is sufficient to have a preventive effect on five of the eight risk factors affecting people with cardiovascular disease–abdominal circumference, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and excess weight.

‘It is common to meet people entering a cardiac rehab centre who are totally out of shape and whose exercise is irregular or non-existent, which has a harmful effect on general and cardiovascular health,’ said Daniel Curnier, a professor at the University of Montreal, Canada, said in a statement. The easiest way to achieve normal physical fitness is to follow the recommendations of the World Health Organization — 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, the study suggested. The results have also demonstrated the importance of a good fitness level, before and after a heart attack, to produce the preventive effect on depression. The study sheds new light on the overall role of physical fitness in the development of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with cardiovascular disease. 

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

24.10.2016

If you want something you have never had, you do something you have never done

22 October, 2016

Heart disease: Could sleep disorders put you to long sleep?

One of the recently published article in the American Heart Association journal Circulation gives an overview of what is currently understood regarding sleep problems and cardiovascular-related risk factors. It also asks if improving sleep would decrease these risk factors and, therefore, the risk of heart disease. Risk factors that are associated with both sleep irregularities and heart disease include obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and atherosclerosis, arrhythmias, high blood pressure, stroke, and unhealthy levels of triglycerides and cholesterol.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society recommend that adults should get at least 7 hours of sleep per night to promote overall health. However, the American Heart Association does not have a recommendation on how much sleep is needed for cardiovascular wellness, as there is currently not enough scientific evidence to base a recommendation.

Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Ph.D., associate professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia University in New York City, and chair of the panel that reviewed the science behindsleep disorders and heart disease, is of the opinion that "short sleep, usually defined as under 7 hours per night, overly long sleep, usually defined as more than 9 hours per night and sleep disorders may increase some cardiovascular risk factors, but we don't know if improving sleep quality reduces those risk factors," "Since the scientific evidence doesn't show a specific dose/response relationship between sleep duration and cardiovascular wellness, the American Heart Association cannot offer specific advice on how much sleep is needed to protect people from cardiovascular disease," she adds.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleep is essential for a healthy heart. Individuals who do not sleep between 6-8 hours per night are at a greater risk for cardiovascular disease regardless of age, weight, smoking, and exercise habits. Lack of sleep is linked to stress, increased blood pressure, and adrenaline secretion - all heart disease risk factors.

While the reasons behind why not getting enough sleep is detrimental to heart health are unclear, scientists indicate that less sleep causes disruptions to underlying health conditions and biological processes such as glucose metabolism, blood pressure, and inflammation. However, sleeping too much - beyond 8 hours - may carry the same risks of dying from coronary artery disease as having too little sleep, which suggests that there is a fine balance between sleep duration and heart health.

Source: www.timesofindia.com  

22.10.2016

Winners are not people who never fail, but people who never quit

21 October, 2016

Stress hormone in hair can predict IVF success, says study

A study conducted by Indian-origin researcher found that elevated levels of 'stress hormone' cortisol measured in hair can predict success rate of conceiving through In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF).  The findings suggests that the levels of a hormone when measured in hair can significantly predict the likelihood of pregnancy in women undergoing IVF treatment.

The study was published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.

This technique provides more reliable measure of hormonal function compared to other techniques using saliva, blood and urine that measure only short term levels of the hormone.

The study provide the first proper evidence that long-term levels of cortisol, which are affected by many lifestyle factors including diet, exercise, caffeine and most notably stress, may play an important role in determining reproductive outcomes.

A total of 135 women were observed for the study, 60 per cent of whom became pregnant following IVF treatment. Eightyeight women provided hair samples and the rest submitted salivary samples for the measurement of cortisol. After analysing both types of cortisol data, researchers found that short-term salivary cortisol measurements were not related to pregnancy but in contrast the hair cortisol concentrations were.

The findings suggest that 27 per cent of the variance in pregnancy outcome was accounted for by hair cortisol concentrations after controlling for other known factors that are linked to IVF success such as age, body mass index (BMI), number of eggs retrieved and the number of eggs fertilised.

"Researchers have been interested in the role that cortisol may play in determining reproductive outcomes for some time now, not least because cortisol is typically elevated in relation to stress," said lead researcher Kavita Vedhara, Professor at the University of Nottingham School of Medicine.

"While these results do not specifically implicate stress, they do provide preliminary evidence that long-term cortisol levels are associated with a reduced likelihood of conceiving. A range of factors are likely to account for that, stress being one possibility," Vedhara added.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

21.10.2016

If it doesn’t challenge you,

 it won’t change you

20 October, 2016

Taking short walks after meals can help reduce diabetes

Taking a short walk after meals, particularly when they contain a substantial amount of carbohydrates, can help people with Type 2 diabetes reduce their blood sugar levels, a study has found. The findings showed that post-meal blood sugar levels dropped 12 per cent on average when the participants followed the ‘walking after meals’ advice compared to walking at any time of the day. ‘Most of this effect came from the highly significant 22 per cent reduction in blood sugar when walking after evening meals, which were the most carbohydrate heavy, and were followed by the most sedentary time,’ said lead author Andrew Reynolds from University of Otago in New Zealand.  Post-meal glucose is regarded as an important target in managing Type 2 diabetes, given its independent contribution to overall blood sugar control and cardiovascular risk, added Jim Mann, professor at University of Otago.

‘Postprandial physical activity may avoid the need for an increased total insulin dose or additional mealtime insulin injections that might otherwise have been prescribed to lower glucose levels after eating,’ Mann said. An increase in insulin dose might, in turn, be associated with weight gain in patients with type 2 diabetes, many of whom are already overweight or obese, he stated. For the study, the researchers prescribed walking to 41 patients with Type 2 diabetes in two-week blocks, separated by a month.  The results are published in the journal Diabetologia.  

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

20.10.2016

The one who falls and gets up is so much stronger than the one who never fell

19 October, 2016

Calcium tablets may cause more harm than good

In life, balance is necessary for overall well-being, whether it is a work-to-life balance, or a food-to-exercise balance. Similarly, nutritional balance is important to maintain a healthy body. As the human body ages, it becomes imperative to supplement the nutrition available through food with external sources. In women after menopause in particular,calcium and vitamin D supplementation can mean the difference between healthy bones and osteoporosis. However, this supplementation is not without its risks, as recent research has demonstrated that overall heart health may take a hit with daily intake of calcium and vitamin D through supplementation.

A 2013 study in the US showed that calcium supplements in men increase risk of heart attack and strokes. A recent study showed that calcium supplements in women prevented osteoporosis and fracture. But they increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. So the benefit of calcium supplementation was offset by the long term adverse events of the same.

The study involved an analysis of data from healthy 65 year old women with average body mass index. The data was used to devise a model that evaluated the effect of calcium and vitamin D supplementation on total health, when compared to no supplementation. The results were striking, and indicated that if 100,000 women took 1000 mg calcium daily, around 5890 hip fractures and 3820 other fractures would be prevented, but on the other hand, over 5917 heart attacks and 4373 strokes could occur instead. In other words, while calcium and vitamin D supplementation measurably reduce the incidence of fractures, their benefits do not outweigh the risk of heart disease that accompanies them. Overall, the number of years lost due to heart disease was more than the number of years gained from preventing fractures. The results also suggested that calcium and vitamin D supplementation would be cost-effective only for women who were at low risk of heart disease, and not for women who were at high risk. However, the results do not imply a direct association between calcium supplementation and increased risk of heart disease, and future studies need to explore this connection further.

Till a few years back, we doctors used to prescribe calcium to many of our patients, especially those who complained of bone or joint pains.However, in the recent years, there have been large studies which possibly highlight the nuances of doing so. Although this still needs to proved in larger trials, we as doctors now don't prescribe much calcium. We however ensure normal vitamin D, which is a more natural way to absorb dietary calcium. So watch out before popping that calcium pill, as it may not be all that it claims to be!

Source: www.timesofindia.com

19.10.2016

The best way to predict the future is to create it

18 October, 2016

Prescribe medicines rationally, MCI tells doctors

The Medical Council of India (MCI) has asked doctors to prescribe drugs rationally and write the names of medicines along with their generic names in capital letters.

“Every physician should prescribe drugs with generic names legibly and preferably in capital letters and he/she shall ensure that there is a rational prescription and use of drugs,” MCI said in a gazette notification on October 8.

The notification was issued to amend the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette, and Ethics) Regulation 2002. Approved for publication on September 21, this is an upgrade of the previous notification that says doctors should write generic names of the drugs they prescribe.

While irrational prescription of medicine is one of India’s biggest public health threats, experts questioned MCI’s motive to come out with the notification at a time when the council is under scanner for its gross failure to get rid of the corrupt practices in the health care system.

Creation of a separate body to replace the MCI is under the government’s consideration following the advice of a Parliamentary Standing Committee and recommendations of a high-level panel.

“The notification is too vague. The MCI is trying to create an impression that something is being done. This will not work unless the government comes out with treatment specific guidelines,” Chandra M Gulhati, a former consultant to the World Health Organisation (WHO) told DH.

Irrational prescriptions are one of the biggest ills in Indian health care. The public health workers, however, wonder if the notification is the best way to tackle this menace.

“The MCI neither has the ability nor the capacity to implement such a notification. It has no power to prosecute. How are they even going to monitor the doctors,” said Amit Sengupta, a doctor associated with the People’s Health Movement.

Irrational use of medicines is a major problem worldwide. The WHO estimates that more than half of all medicines are prescribed, dispensed or sold inappropriately, and that half of all patients fail to take them correctly. India is one of the world’s biggest largest markets of irrational Fixed Dose Combinations (FDC) as such combinations worth Rs 40,000-50,000 crore are sold in India every year. Pharmaceutical companies are locked in a legal battle with the government on stopping the sale of 344 such irrational FDC earlier this year.

“Irrational prescription is basically over prescription as doctors prescribe for 5-6 symptoms without accurately diagnosing the disease. But in the absence of mandatory refresher courses, doctors are often short of knowledge and confidence, leading to irrational prescription,” Sengupta added.

Source: www.deccanherald.com

18.10.2016

Our mind is a powerful thing when we fill it with positive thoughts,

our life will start to change

17 October, 2016

Beware! Increasing waist size indicates liver cancer

The findings showed that for every 5 kg/m2 increase in BMI, there was a 38 and 25 per cent increase in the risk for liver cancer in men and women, respectively. 

For every 5 cm increase in waist circumference, the increase in risk for liver cancer was was 8 per cent.

Participants with Type 2 diabetes mellitus were 2.61 times more likely to be diagnosed with liver cancer, and the risk increases with increase in BMI, the researchers said.

"Liver cancer isn't simply related to excess alcohol intake and viral hepatitis infection. We found that each of these three factors was associated, robustly, with liver cancer risk. All three relate to metabolic dysfunction," said Peter Campbell, researcher at the American Cancer Society.

The study adds substantial support to liver cancer being on the list of obesity-associated cancers.

Thus, "this is yet another reason to maintain a body weight in the 'normal' range for your height", Campbell said. 

The results are also consistent with other data indicating that obesity and diabetes might be playing a role in the rapid increase in liver cancer in recent decades, he added. 

For the study, the team pooled data from 1.57 million adults enrolled in 14 different US-based prospective studies. 

At enrolment, participants completed questionnaires related to their height, weight, alcohol intake, tobacco use, and other factors potentially related to cancer risk. None of them had cancer at enrolment.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

17.10.2016

I like criticism because it makes me strong

LeBron James

14 October, 2016

50% rise in diabetes deaths across India over 11 years

With a genetic predisposition brought to the fore by changing lifestyles, deaths due todiabetes increased 50% in India between 2005 and 2015, and is now the seventh most common cause of death in the country, up from the 11th rank in 2005, according to data published by the Global Burden of Disease(GDB).

Ischemic heart disease continues to be the highest cause of death, followed by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cerebrovascular disease, lower respiratory infection, diarrhoeal diseases and tuberculosis. In 2015, 346,000 people died of diabetes, which caused 3.3% of all deaths that year, with an annual increase of 2.7% from 1990, according to the GDB study.

Nearly 26 people die of diabetes per 100,000 population; diabetes is also one of the top causes of disability and accounts for 2.4% of the disability adjusted life years lost (sum of years lost due to disability or premature death due to the disease). There are 69.1 million people with diabetes in India, the second highest number in the world after China, which has 109 million people with diabetes. Of these, 36 million cases remain undiagnosed, according to this 2015 Diabetes Atlas released by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). Nearly 9% in the age group of 20-79 have diabetes.

The figures are alarming since diabetes is a chronic disease that not just affects the pancreas’ ability to produce insulin but affects the entire body. Complications caused due to diabetes include heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, vision loss and neuropathy or nerve damage leading to leg amputation. Unlike other countries, where a majority of people with diabetes are over 60 years old, the prevalence in India is among the 40-59 years age group, affecting productivity of the population.

“Diabetes strikes Indians a decade earlier than the world,” Anoop Misra, chairman, Fortis Centre of Excellence for Diabetes, Metabolic Diseases and Endocrinology, New Delhi, told IndiaSpend. “This causes reduced productivity, increased absenteeism in working population and gives more time for complications to arise.”

Source: www.timesofindia.com

14.10.2016

When you are alone control your thoughts and when you are in crowd control your words

13 October, 2016

Number of overweight kids likely to be 268 million globally by 2025: Study

In an indication that no policy interventions have proven very effective at changing current obesity trends, researchers have estimated that globally some 268 million children aged five to 17 years may be overweight by 2025. On the assumptions of continued population growth given by the World Bank, the study projected a rise from some 219 million children in this age group in 2010 to 268 million children in 2025. Obesity alone rises from 76 million children in 2010 to 91 million by 2025, the study, published in the journal Pediatric Obesity, said. “These forecasts should sound an alarm bell for health service managers and health professionals, who will have to deal with this rising tide of ill health following the obesity epidemic,” said study co-author Tim Lobstein from World Obesity Federation, London. For the study, the researchers used sing data prepared by the Global Burden of Disease collaborative for 2000 and 2013. Timed to coincide with this year’s World Obesity Day, which is observed on October 11, the investigators also released data anticipating that obesity-related conditions will rise among children.

In 2025, up to 12 million children will have impaired glucose tolerance, four million will have Type-2 diabetes, 27 million will have hypertension, and 38 million will have hepatic steatosis, or buildup of fat in the liver, the researchers estimated. In a sense, we hope these forecasts are wrong: they assume current trends continue, but we are urging governments to take strong measures to reduce childhood obesity and meet their agreed target of getting the levels of childhood obesity down to 2010 levels before we get to 2025,” Lobstein said. Member states of the World Health Organisation (WHO) have adopted resolutions aiming to achieve “no increase on obesity levels” by 2025 (based on 2010 levels) for infants, adolescents and adults. But the researchers concluded that the 2025 targets are unlikely to be met, and health service providers will need to plan for a significant increase in obesity-linked comorbidities.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

13.10.2016

Don’t blame people for disappointing to you, blame yourself for expecting too much

7 October, 2016

For physicians, mouth is a window into rest of the body

Open your mouth wide, please," is a request most senior physicians make of their patients.
By looking at the teeth, tongue and gums, a doctor can get vital clues about what's going on in the rest of the body, and sometimes identify possible problems such as a cardiac disease or diabetes.

Senior consultant physician Dr K V Tiruvengadam, who has been peering into the mouths of all his patients for more than 60 years, says good oral hygiene can add years to a person's life."Oral health problems, such as gum disease, cavities, crooked teeth, impacted teeth, can have a large impact on overall health.The tongue, for instance, can reveal if a person has severe infection," he said.

The mouth is a habitat for an array of microbes. Although a majority of them aid digestion or protect teeth and gums, some can be disease-causing. The body's immune system and good oral care habits such as brushing and flossing can destroy harmful germs. With poor hygiene, however, pathogenic microbes can multiply to cause oral health issues ranging from tooth decay to gingivitis (inflamed gums) and periodontitis (severe gum disease), says dentist Dr Yashwant Venkataraman, medical director, Parasu Dental Centre.

"Many times cases are referred to us by orthopaedicians, dermatologists, ENT specialists, opthalmologists and cardiologists," he said.

Studies have linked dental problem to heart disease. Cardiologist say endocarditis -an infection of the inner lining of the heart -can occur when bacteria or germs from the mouth spread into blood stream and attach to the damaged areas of the heart.

Most cardiologists and general physicians refer their patients for a periodic dental screening to ensure this does not happen.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

07.10.2016

Don’t let the shadow of your past eclipse the brightness of your future

6 October, 2016

Beware! Smoking weed may decrease your creative thinking capabilities

Do you like to be high on weed? Well, one should stop taking weed as it not only harms their health but also reduces their creative thinking capabilities.

A new study has found that smoking weed may put you at risk of losing your creativity as well as make you less aware of your mistakes. The findings showed that cannabis users were less able to brainstorm, a mental process that is crucial for creative performance.

Mikael Kowal, Psychologist at the Leiden University in the Netherlands said that there are a widespread belief among users that these drugs enhance creativity. This experiment disproves that belief.

Kowal also demonstrated that for chronic users, the brain processes involved in monitoring mistakes also work less effectively. A high dose of cannabis seems to influence both the unconscious processing of mistakes and the later and more conscious stages of error processing.

Kowal further added,'' It is important that we gather more knowledge about the effects of cannabis on a person's ability to detect mistakes. This can help with putting together a treatment programme for drug addiction''.

In addition, the research also indicated that cannabis disrupts the activity of dopamine -- a chemical in the brain important for the proper working of the brain and also plays a role in learning performance.

With chronic users a significant reduction was seen in the frequency of spontaneous eye blinking, an indication of a reduction in dopamine production, the researchers said, in the paper published in the journal PhD defence.

In the study the researchers assessed 40 regular users of cannabis, to study the direct and chronic effects of cannabis on dopamine-related functions, such as creative thinking and the ability to recognise one's own mistakes.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

06.10.2016

If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things

Albert Einstein

5 October, 2016

Some Doctors Swayed by Political Beliefs

A doctor's political beliefs can sway his or her treatment decisions.

That's the conclusion of a study by Yale University researchers who surveyed primary care doctors in 29 states on how they would deal with different types of patient health concerns, including abortion, firearms and marijuana use.

While Republican and Democratic doctors had similar views about general issues such asdepression, alcohol abuse and obesity, there were significant differences when it came to political hot-button topics.

Republican doctors expressed more concern than Democratic doctors about marijuana use and abortion, while Democratic physicians were more concerned about firearms, the findings showed.

Democratic doctors were more likely to urge patients not to keep guns in the home while Republican doctors were more likely to warn patients about themental health risks of abortion. Republicans were also more inclined to advise patients to reduce marijuana use and consider the legal risks of using the drug, the study found.

"The evidence suggests that doctors allow their political views to influence their professional decisions in the medical exam room," study co-author Eitan Hersh said in a Yale news release. Hersh is an assistant professor of political science.

"Just as patients choose physicians of a certain gender to feel more comfortable, our study suggests they may want to make a similar calculation based on their doctor's political views," Hersh said.

Study co-author Matthew Goldenberg added that "given the politicization of certain health issues affecting countless patients, it is imperative that physicians consider how their political views may affect their professional judgments."

Goldenberg, an assistant professor of psychiatry, said the study findings indicate the need for more training concerning "biases in how we address politically salient health issues."

The study was published Oct. 3 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Source: www.medicinenet.com

05.10.2016

Success always hugs you in private but failure always slaps you in the public

4 October, 2016

2016 Nobel Prize: Yoshinori Ohsumi from Japan awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine

Yoshinori Ohsumi is a Japanese cell biologist who specialises in autophagy and is a professor in Tokyo Institute of Technology ‘s Frontier Research Center. Today, Ohsumi has been awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries of mechanisms for autophagy(Autophagy is an intracellular degradation system that delivers cytoplasmic constituents to the lysosome. Despite its simplicity, recent progress has demonstrated that autophagy plays a wide variety of physiological and pathophysiological roles, which are sometimes complex). Ohsumi, 71, of the Tokyo Institute of Technology discovered the mechanisms that allow cells to break down and recycle unwanted components.The concept was first studied closely in the 1960s when cells were observed destroying their own contents by enclosing the item in a form of sack and then transporting it to a recycling unit known as the lysosome for destruction.The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet decided to award the prize to Ohsumi as his discoveries led to a new paradigm in the ‘understanding of how the cell recycles its content’. Here’s a list of other awards he has received till date: 

·          Fujihara Award, Fujihara Foundation of Science (2005)

·         Japan Academy Prize, Japan Academy (2006)

·         Asahi Prize, Asahi Shimbun (2009)

·         Kyoto Prize for Basic Science (2012)

·         Gairdner Foundation International Award (2015)

·         International Prize for Biology (2015)

·         Keio Medical Science Prize (2015)

·         Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences (2016)

·         Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2016)

 ‘His discoveries opened the path to understanding the fundamental importance of autophagy in many physiological processes, such as in the adaptation to starvation or response to infection,’ a statement on the official website of the Nobel Prize said. It said that mutations in autophagy genes can cause disease, and the process is involved in several conditions including cancer and neurological disease.The 2015 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded for discoveries concerning novel therapies against river blindness, lymphatic filariasis and malaria to William C. Campbell, Satoshi Omura and Youyou Tu.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

04.10.2016

When the wrong people leave your life, the right things start happening