1 August, 2017

Doctors in India witness a rare case of 'fetus-in-fetu' after baby is born 'pregnant' with twin brother

The world of medicine has seen and heard it all, but rare cases still have the power to stump the best doctors. In another such rare case, an Indian baby was born 'pregnant' with its twin brother! While half-formed, the male baby – complete with a brain, arms and legs – was discovered by doctors inside his perfectly healthy brother's stomach after he was born.

Doctors suspect this to be a rare 'fetus in fetu' twin pregnancy – one of around 200 ever recorded in the world.

The 7 cm mass was successfully removed from the baby through surgery. According to a report in the Daily Mail, radiologist Dr Bhavna Thorat, who spotted the problem during a routine scan, said: 'It was inside a fetal sac of the newborn.' The unnamed baby and his 19-year-old mother from Mumbra, in India, are both healthy and doing well.

Doctors at Mumbra's Bilal Hospital noticed the abnormality during a routine scan of the mother in early July. Their suspicions came true nine days later after the baby was born, when a scan revealed 'another small baby' inside the newborn's abdomen.

Dr Thorat said: 'I could see bones of the upper and lower limbs of the fetus. 'The unique thing about it was I could see a tiny head with the brain inside. 'However, this parasitic twin didn't have a skull bone,' the Daily Mail reported. The newborn was taken to Titan Hospital in Thane for surgery to remove the 150g mass.

The baby is reported to be in good health and the mother will start feeding him soon.

Fetus in fetu is a developmental abnormality in which a mass of tissue resembling a fetus forms inside the body.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

01.08.2017

Forget yesterday, live for today, tomorrow will take care of it itself

31 July, 2017

The dangerously sweet highway to the heart!

6.5 crore Indians suffer from cardiovascular disease and 6.51 crore people suffer from diabetes, as per latest public health reports. These numbers being so close isn't completely a coincidence. Statistics show that eight out of every 10 diabetics develop heart disease.

High glucose in blood for prolonged period compromises the health of blood vessels, affecting various functions that are integral in maintaining blood flow to heart muscle. Uncontrolled diabetes decreases fluidity of blood making it more prone to clot. In addition, people with diabetes develop soft plaques that are more vulnerable to rupture in the coronary. Upon rupture it triggers clotting of blood which clogs the coronary artery causing heart attack.

Each time you consume added sugar, overeat or binge-starve yourself, blood glucose levels spike to levels that require extra insulin to be generated to normalise it. In a predisposed individual eventually, it would result in insulin resistance. One of the major causes of type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance which is rising at an epidemic rate in India. This means that your body gradually starts to lose its ability to bring blood glucose levels down to healthy levels.

To lower the risk of diabetes, even if there is no family history, maintain a healthy balanced lifestyle. If already diabetic, lower the risk of heart disease by consciously keeping your blood glucose levels under control.

Uncontrolled blood sugar is the dangerously sweet highway to developing heart disease. Stay off this highway to live a better quality, fit and healthy life.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

31.07.2017

The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do

29 July, 2017

Researchers generate human antibodies in the lab

A new laboratory technique that will accelerate development of vaccines to protect people from a wide range of diseases has been reported by an international team of scientists. Normally, vaccines induce B-lymphocytes or B-cells of the body's immune system to produce antibodies that fight against invading pathogens like viruses.

In the new study, researchers have developed a method to rapidly produce specific human antibodies in the laboratory itself from B-cells isolated from patient blood samples and by replicating the same processes these cells use in the body to prevent infections.

The technique, reported in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, could potentially accelerate the development of new vaccines by allowing the efficient evaluation of candidate target antigens, it is claimed. The researchers, from Francis Crick Institute in London and the Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital in the US, successfully demonstrated their approach using various bacterial and viral antigens and proteins from several strains of influenza A.

In each case, the researchers were able to produce specific high-affinity antibodies in just a few days and were also able to generate antibodies against HIV (which causes AIDS) from B-cells isolated from HIV-free patients.

The scientists believe their approach will help researchers generate therapeutic antibodies within a shorter time frame in the laboratory for the treatment of infectious diseases and other conditions such as cancer.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

29.07.2017

Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great

John D. Rockefeller

28 July, 2017

Eating walnuts may protect the digestive system and reduce cancer risk

Consuming half a cup of walnut per day may help protect the digestive system by increasing the amount of probiotic bacteria in the gut and ward off risks of heart and brain disease as well as cancer, researchers say. The findings, from the animal study, showed that a walnut-enriched diet reshapes the gut microbe community and causes a significant increase in beneficial bacteria including Lactobacillus, Roseburia, and Ruminococcaceae. Walnuts act as a probiotic to help nourish and grow the bacteria that keeps the digestive system healthy, the researchers said.

“The health of the gut is related to overall health in the rest of the body. Our study is showing that walnuts change the gut, which could help explain why there are other positive health benefits to eating walnuts such as heart and brain health,” said lead researcher Lauri Byerley, Associate Professor at the Louisiana State University in the US. Consuming walnuts also has been associated with health benefits including a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer, Byerley added.  The bioactive components of walnuts may be contributing factors in providing these health benefits, the researchers explained in the paper appearing in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.  “Greater bacterial diversity may be associated with better health outcomes, whereas low diversity has been linked to conditions such as obesity and inflammatory bowel disease,” Byerley noted.

Walnuts are the only nuts that contain a significant amount of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the plant-based omega-3 fatty acid (2.5 grams per one ounce) and also offer protein (4 grams per one ounce) and fibre (2 grams per one ounce).  For the study, rats were randomly assigned to a diet containing ground walnuts, equivalent to about 2 ounces (1/2 cup) per day in humans, or a diet without walnuts for up to 10 weeks.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

28.07.2017

Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it

Henry David Thoreau

27 July, 2017

23% of heart failure patients die within a year of diagnosis

In India, 23 per cent of heart failure patients die within one year of diagnosis, a study revealed on Tuesday, adding that the country is next to Africa where the rate stands at 34 per cent. Of the total deaths, 46 per cent were due to cardiac issues, while non-cardiac causes led to 16 per cent deaths in patients, at one year, according to the first comprehensive study on heart failures conducted across six geographies globally. The International Congestive Heart Failure (INTER-CHF) study said that death rate of patients due to heart failures in Southeast Asia is 15 per cent, seven per cent in China, nine per cent both in South America and West Asia, significantly lower than in Indian patients.

"In India, heart-related diseases occur a decade early than the people of west. Lack of awareness, out of pocket expenditure and lack of infrastructure are corroborating to the heart-related diseases," said Sundeep Mishra, Professor of Cardiology at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).  The study was aimed at measuring mortality at one year in patients, due to heart failure in India, Africa, China, the Middle East, South East Asia and South America.

During the study, 5,823 patients across 108 centres in six geographies were enrolled. Patients were followed up at six months and one year from enrolment. The mean age of patients was 59 years, with a male to female ratio of 60:40. The primary outcome of the study was to record all cause mortality within one year. A previous study by AIIMS, published in the journal of Practice of Cardiovascular Sciences, highlighted that late diagnosis results in one third of patients dying during hospital admission and one-fourth dying within three months of diagnosis.

Calling for a community based approach to resolve the issue, Mishra said a lot of Indians also do not understand the difference between heart failure and heart attack because of which they do not consult doctors.  According to the World Health Organisation, heart failure impacts more than 60 million people worldwide.

The risk of death of heart failure patients is comparable to that of patients with advanced cancer. It currently costs the world economy $108 billion every year.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

27.07.2017

You can do anything, but not everything

26 July, 2017

'Stethoscopes that are dirty can raise risk of infection'

Researchers from Yale University in the US say they found health care providers rarely perform stethoscope hygiene between patient encounters, despite its importance for infection prevention. They conducted a quality improvement pilot project in which they observed stethoscope hygiene (alcohol swabs, alcohol gel, or disinfectant wipes) at the start of a four-week rotation for medical students and physicians at an academic teaching hospital. None of those observed was found to be performing stethoscope hygiene.

Potential pathogens cultured from stethoscopes include Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Clostridium difficile, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci.

A previous study found that stethoscopes were capable of transmitting potentially resistant bacteria.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

26.07.2017

Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm

Winston Churchill

25 July, 2017

Depression may cause change in communication and thinking skills

An individual suffering from depression may be at an increased risk of developing changes in the structure of the brain associated with communication and thinking skills, researchers say. The findings showed that alterations were found in parts of the brain known as white matter, which contains fibre tracts that enable brain cells to communicate with one another by electrical signals. White matter is a key component of the brain’s wiring and its disruption has been linked to problems with emotion processing and thinking skills, the researchers said. Further, people with symptoms indicative of depression also had reductions in white matter integrity — a quality of the matter, which was not seen in people who were unaffected. “This study shows that people with depression have changes in the white matter wiring of their brain,” said Heather Whalley, senior research fellow at the University of Edinburgh. 

Depression is the world’s leading cause of disability, affecting around a fifth of UK adults over a lifetime. Symptoms include low mood, exhaustion and feelings of emptiness. For the study, published in Scientific Reports, the team analysed 3461 people using an MRI-based neuroimaging technique to map the structure of white matter. “There is an urgent need to provide treatment for depression and an improved understanding of its mechanisms will give us a better chance of developing new and more effective methods of treatment,” Whalley said.  “Our next steps will be to look at how the absence of changes in the brain relates to better protection from distress and low mood,” he added.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

25.07.2017

Don’t  let yesterday take up too much of today

Will Rogers

24 July, 2017

Higher sun exposure may up risk of eye freckles

A higher lifetime exposure to sunlight may increase the risk of developing eye freckles or dark spots on the coloured part of the eye (iris), researchers warned. The findings showed that eye freckles could indicate the presence or risk of sunlight-triggered eye diseases like cataract or macular degeneration.

Further, the development of eye freckles also correlated with increasing age, lifetime number of sunburns and a history of severe sunburns resulting in blisters, the researchers reported.

"While we do not know the exact role of sunlight in several eye diseases, we now have a biomarker (iris freckles) indicating high amounts of chronic sunlight exposure," said Christoph Schwab, ophthalmologist at the Medical University of Graz in Austria. In addition, people with dark coloured eyes were found less likely to have eye freckles, as well as those who maintained better sun protection habits like using sunscreen or covering up.

For the study, published in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, over 600 swimmers at public pools in Styria, Austria, had their eyes examined for freckles and filled out a questionnaire that asked about their lifetime sun exposure and sun-protection habits.

Researchers also found that freckles were most commonly found in the lower outer quadrant (away from the nose) of each eye.

This may be because the eyebrow and nose shield the upper and inner quadrants of the eye from the sun, lowering exposure and the risk of developing freckles, Schwab explained.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

24.07.2017

The best dreams happen when you are awake

Cherie Gilderbloom

21 July, 2017

Scales tip in fight against AIDS, 1 million lives lost in 2016, down 50% from 2006: UN report

New Delhi: A United Nations report has shown that one million people have died due to AIDS in 2016 globally - almost half the 2005 toll (1.9 million) that marked the peak of the deadly epidemic.

The UN report released on Thursday said that the scales have tipped in the fight against AIDS, with more than half of people infected with HIV now getting treatment and AIDS-related deaths almost halving since 2005.

According to data published ahead of an AIDS science conference opening in Paris on Sunday, not only are new HIV infections and deaths declining, but more people than ever are on life-saving treatment.

The UNAIDS agency, in its latest global report on the pandemic, which has killed around 35 million people worldwide since it began in the 1980s, said there were particularly encouraging signs in Africa, a continent ravaged by the disease.

The report said Eastern and southern Africa are leading the way, reducing new HIV infections by nearly 30 percent since 2010, and average life expectancy has increased by nearly 10 years from 2006 to 2016. Africa, for example, average life expectancy increased by nearly 10 years from 2006 to 2016.

Whereas Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda and Zimbabwe have gone further, cutting new HIV infections by 40 percent or more since 2010.

The report warned, however, that not all regions are making progress.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

21.07.2017

All things are possible if you believe

20 July, 2017

Being single may up dementia risk: study

People who are single or widowed are at a greater risk of suffering from dementia as compared to those who are married, a study claims. Researchers from University College London in the UK reviewed 14 existing studies.

"There is compelling research showing married people generally live longer and enjoy better health, with many different factors likely to be contributing to that link," said Laura Phipps, from Alzheimer's Research UK.

People who are married tend to be financially better off, a factor that is closely interwoven with many aspects of our health. Spouses may help to encourage healthy habits, look out for their partner's health and provide important social support, Phipps said.

Research suggests that social interaction can help to build cognitive reserve - a mental resilience that allows people to function for longer with a disease like Alzheimer's before showing symptoms. While people who are unmarried or widowed may have fewer opportunities for social engagement as they age, this certainly is not always the case.

This research points to differences in levels of physical activity and education underlying much of the differences in dementia risk between single, married and widowed people, Phipps said.

Staying physically, mentally, and socially active are all important aspects of a healthy lifestyle and these are things everyone, regardless of their marital status, can work towards.

"It's important to remember that this study is taking a population-level view, and age, genetic and lifestyle factors will all play a role in defining someone's risk of dementia at an individual level," Phipps added.

Source: www.deccanherald.com

20.07.2017

Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud

Maya Angelou

19 July, 2017

Dangerous chemicals detected in macaroni and cheese powder

New Delhi: Are you one of those who love macaroni and cheese? If so, you might want to give a second thought. A new study found high concentrations of potentially dangerous chemicals known as phthalates in the macaroni and cheese powder. In the small study, researchers analysed 30 different cheese products for phthalates, a group of plastics used to make plastics more flexible an harder to break.

The analysis done by the the Coalition for Safer Food Processing & Packaging - the group behind KleanUpKraft.org and a consortium of environmental health advocacy groups - revealed phthalate levels were more than four times higher in macaroni and cheese powder. It found evidence of the chemical in 29 of the 30 products tested.

The analysis also showed that natural cheeses had the lowest levels of the chemical, while processed cheese products had the highest levels.

Phthalates can be found in a host of home and personal care products such as soaps, hair sprays, nail polishes, raincoats, detergents and flooring. The chemicals aren't meant to be in food or find their way into human bodies, but they make their way in through the manufacturing process, body washes, cosmetics and other personal care products. Some phthalates have been banned from children's toys and products.

These chemicals are believed to pose a serious threat to the health of pregnant women and children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says human health effects from exposure to low levels of the chemicals are unknown, although some phthalates have altered lab animals' reproductive systems. It says more research is needed to assess how phthalates impacts human health.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

19.07.2017

Saying thanks costs nothing but gives everything

18 July, 2017

Eating tomatoes daily can reduce the risk of skin cancer by half in men

If you love eating tomatoes, then here’s another reason to have one more as a study has recently found that people, especially males, who consume tomatoes daily can slash the development of skin cancer tumours by half. In a mouse study, researchers explained how nutritional interventions can alter the risk for skin cancers. The findings suggested that the male mice fed a diet of 10 percent tomato powder daily for 35 weeks, then exposed to ultraviolet light, experienced, on average, a 50 percent decrease in skin cancer tumours compared to mice that ate no dehydrated tomato. “The theory behind the relationship between tomatoes and cancer is that dietary carotenoids, the pigmenting compounds that give tomatoes their colour, may protect skin against Ultraviolet (UV) light damage,” said co-author of the study Jessica Cooperstone from Ohio State University in Columbus, US.

Cooperstone further noted that “previous human clinical trials suggest that eating tomato paste over time can dampen sunburns, perhaps thanks to carotenoids from the plants that are deposited in the skin of humans after eating, and may be able to protect against UV light damage”. Lycopene, the primary carotenoid in tomatoes, has been shown to be the most effective antioxidant of these pigments. However, when comparing lycopene administered from a whole food (tomato) or a synthesized supplement, tomatoes appear more effective in preventing redness after UV exposure, suggesting other compounds in tomatoes may also be at play, the researchers stated. The team found that only male mice fed dehydrated red tomatoes had reductions in tumour growth. Those fed diets with tangerine tomatoes, which have been shown to be higher in bioavailable lycopene in previous research, had fewer tumours than the control group.

Cooperstone is currently researching tomato compounds other than lycopene that may impart health benefits. “Alternative methods for systemic protection, possibly through nutritional interventions to modulate risk for skin-related diseases, could provide a significant benefit,” Cooperstone said. “Foods are not drugs, but they can possibly, over the lifetime of consumption, alter the development of certain diseases,” she said. The study appears online in the journal of Scientific Reports.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

18.07.2017

Dream big and dare to fail

Norman Vaughan

17 July, 2017

Laziest people on Earth belong to 'THIS' country

New Delhi: Researchers of Stanford University have conducted a study on 46-country to find out the laziest countries in the world. It is found that India ranked 39 among the world's laziest countries, with people taking just 4,297 steps a day.

According to a report in Times of India, Stanford University researchers used step-counters installed in smartphones to track the walking activity of about 700,000 people in 46 countries around the world during their study. As per the reports, data shows that Indian women walk barely 3,684 steps, while men registered 4,606 steps daily.

The study found that for both males and females, a larger number of steps recorded is associated with lower obesity, but for females, the prevalence of obesity increases more rapidly as step volume decreases. The study found that Chinese are most active, particularly those living in Hong Kong, where people averaged 6,880 a steps a day.

Hong Kong, China, Ukraine and Japan tops the chart with people walking over 6,000 steps daily, while Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia are at the bottom. Indonesia was the worst nation with people walking nearly half as much, averaging 3,513 steps a day. The worldwide average is 4,961steps, with Americans walking an average 4,774 steps. The finding also found that obesity increases more rapidly in Indian women as the number of steps they take decreases.

Stanford researchers say in countries with less obesity, people walked a similar amount every day. In nations with higher rates of obesity, there were larger gaps between those who walked a lot and those who walked very little.

The study was published in the journal 'Nature'.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

17.07.2017

Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago

Warren Buffett

15 July, 2017

18 Mumbaikars die of TB every day, says NGO study

Not only do 18 Mumbaikars die of tuberculosis (TB) every day, the number of Mumbaikars dropping out of rigorous TBtreatment increased from 9% in 2012 to 19% in 2016-17, said new data released by NGO Praja on Wednesday. However, civic officials dismissed the NGO's analysis. "A health programme cannot be analysed based on some data randomly gathered using RTI," said civic TB officer Dr Daksha Shah. In fact, the BMC public health department had, in its RTI reply, asked Praja to analyse the data with Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) officials.

Praja officials were adamant. "There is clearly something wrong with BMC's TB control programme," said Praja's Milind Mhaske. "There has been a sharp drop in the number of people signing up with the RNTCP for treatment. This shows people prefer to go to the private sector for treatment. Moreover, the dropout rate in the government programme has increased from 9% in 2012 to 19% in 2016," he added.

Praja brings out a health report every year, analyzing data gathered from BMC's health department using RTI. It uses information mentioned in death certificates to calculate the toll due to various diseases - a step the BMC has been opposed to because its officials say death certificates are not scientifically filled out.  At a press conference held on Wednesday, Mhaske said, "Mumbai's health budget for 2017-18 was Rs 3,312 crore. This is only marginally lower than the entire budget for Thane Municipal Cor poration (Rs 3,390 crore). Yet, there is a lot more that needs to be done."

BMC officials said the data was "unscientifically" put together. A senior BMC official on Wednesday said Praja sought data about "new registrations" in 2016 from the BMC. "We replied that new registrations are 15,767. Now, TB treatment stretches from six months to three years, leading to some patients continuing treatment for years," said the official.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

15.07.2017

The secret of forgiving everything is to understand nothing

George Bernard Shaw

14 July, 2017

Diabetes, sleep apnoea ups risk of eye disease

Diabetes patients who are also suffering from obstructive sleep apnoea may be at greater risk of developing a common form of eye disease leading to blindness, researchers found. Diabetic retinopathy — the most common form of eye disease — affects between 40 and 50 per cent of patients with diabetes. The findings showed that the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was higher in patients with sleep apnoea (42.9 per cent) compared to those without sleep apnoea (24.1 per cent) — that causes snoring and interrupting breathing. Further, it was also more common in patients with both Type 2 diabetes and sleep apnoea compared to those with only high blood sugar levels alone. “Despite improvements in glucose, blood pressure and lipid levels, diabetic retinopathy remains very common,” said Abd Tahrani from the University of Birmingham. Importantly, patients with sleep apnoea and Type 2 diabetes may also be at an increased risk of developing advanced diabetic retinopathy over a period of three years and seven months.

These patients may also not be aware of the onset of diabetic retinopathy and the disease could go undiagnosed for years, the researchers said. For the study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the team involved 230 patients with Type 2 diabetes who were assessed for diabetic retinopathy using specialist retinal imaging, while sleep apnoea was assessed using a home-based multi-channel cardio-respiratory portable device. At a follow-up appointment, on average 43 months later the patients with sleep apnoea (18.4 per cent) were more likely to develop moderate to severe diabetic retinopathy compared to those without sleep apnoea (6.1 per cent). “We can conclude from this study that OSA is an independent predictor for the progression to moderate or severe diabetic retinopathy in patients with Type 2 diabetes,” Tahrani said.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

14.07.2017

Don’t expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong

Calvin Coolidge

13 July, 2017

Having a purpose in life may help you sleep better

The secret to a good night's sleep is having a reason to wake up in the morning, say scientists who found that older adults with a purpose in life are less likely to suffer from sleep disorders.

Researchers, including those from Northwestern University in the US, found that older adults who felt their lives had meaning were 63 per cent less likely to have sleep apnoea - a disorder that occurs when a person's breathing is interrupted during sleep.

The team also found that these people were 52 per cent less likely to have restless leg syndrome and had moderately better sleep quality, a global measure of sleep disturbance. Although the participants in the study were older, researchers said the findings are likely applicable to the broader public.

"Helping people cultivate a purpose in life could be an effective drug-free strategy to improve sleep quality, particularly for a population that is facing more insomnia," said Jason Org, associate professor at Northwestern University. Poor sleep quality is related to having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep and feeling sleepy during the day.

Sleep apnoea is a common disorder that increases with age in which a person has shallow breathing or pauses in breathing during sleep several times per hour. This disruption often makes a person feel unrefreshed upon waking up and excessively sleepy during the day, researchers said.

Restless leg syndrome causes uncomfortable sensations in the legs and an irresistible urge to move them. Symptoms commonly occur in the late afternoon or evening hours and are often most severe at night when a person is resting, such as sitting or lying in bed.

Researchers studied 823 individuals between the ages of 60 and 100 years with an average age of 79. More than half were African American and 77 per cent were female.

Participants were asked to answer a 10-question survey on purpose in life and a 32-question survey on sleep. For the 'purpose in life' survey, they were asked to rate their response to such statements as, 'I feel good when I think of what I've done in the past and what I hope to do in the future.'

The study was published in the journal Sleep Science and Practise. 

Source: www.deccanherald.com

13.07.2017

To be the best, you must be able to handle the worst

Wilson Kanadi