14 February, 2018

Ball games can boost bone health in school children

Want your child to have stronger bones? Encourage them to play ball games or indulge in circuit strength training as it may help them to develop stronger bones, a new study has claimed. According to the researchers, eight to ten-year-old school children develop stronger bones, increased muscular strength and improved balance when ball games or circuit training are on the timetable.

"Our research shows that intense exercise at school has clear positive effects on bone density, muscular strength and balance in eight to ten-year-old children," said the lead author of the study, Peter Krustrup Professor of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Southern Denmark. For the study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers examined bone and muscle health in 295 school children over a whole school year. 

The children participated in a training concept looking into the effects of various types of intense interval training at school.

The researchers compared the effects on children who took the normal school physical education (PE) classes with children who had intense exercise on the timetable for two hours a week in the form of ball games on small pitches or 'circuit training' consisting of gymnastic and strength exercises using their own body weight.

In the children in third grade who played ball games three against three or participated in circuit training for three days in a week for 40 minutes, muscular strength increased by 10 per cent and balance improved by 15 per cent.  While the children's bone density increased by a whole 45 per cent compared to the control group.

"The study shows that bone density in the ball-game group rose by 7 per cent in the legs and by 3 per cent in the body as a whole, giving a real boost to bone health," said Malte Nejst Larsen, Assistant Professor at the University of Southern Denmark.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com/health

14.02.2018

It is possible to fail in many ways...while to succeed is possible only in one way

Aristole

12 February, 2018

Good news! Being single is healthier

Recent studies have suggested that single people are more likely to embrace solitude and benefit from it. According to The Independent, Bella DePaulo, a psychologist from the University of California Santa Barbara, advocates the single life and travels the nation to present these findings, which she says are often dismissed by the larger psychology community. It has been found that single people tend to have stronger social networks. In 2015, social scientists named Natalia Sarkisian and Naomi Gerstel set out to explore how ties to relatives, neighbours, and friends varied among single and married American adults.

They found out that singles were not only more likely to frequently reach out to their social networks, but also tended to provide and receive help from these people more than their married peers. Their results held steady even when they accounted for factors like race, gender, and income levels.

In older people, friendships were a stronger predictor of both health and happiness than relationships with family members. “Keeping a few really good friends around can make a world of difference for our health and well-being,” Chopik said in a statement. “So it’s smart to invest in the friendships that make you happiest.” Also, singles also tend to be fitter. There may be some truth to the idea that people who “settle down” ease into unhealthier habits, at least when it comes to some measures of physical fitness. In surveying more than 13,000 people between 18 and 64, researchers found that those who were single and had never married worked out more frequently each week than their married and divorced peers.

In a 2016 presentation for the American Psychological Association, DePaulo presented evidence that single people tended to have stronger feelings of self-determination and were more likely to experience psychological growth and development than their married counterparts.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

12.02.2018

A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks…..

8 February, 2018

Yoga could bring relief for those battling cancer

India is likely to see around 17.3 lakh new cancer cases, with over 8.8 lakh deaths by 2020. Cancer is a killer that claims numerous lives every year.

India is likely to see around 17.3 lakh new cancer cases, with over 8.8 lakh deaths by 2020, as per the data compiled by Indian Council of Medical Research. Cancers of the breast, lung and cervix are predicted to be on the rise in the coming years.

To raise awareness about the deadly disease and to battle the surrounding stigma, World Cancer Day is observed on Feb. 4 every year.

When a person is diagnosed with cancer, he or she faces both physical and psychological threats. Health professionals and oncologists feel that there is a need to intervene early and break the patient's symptom distress. Yoga has been suggested as a possible remedy.

Yoga has the potential to calm a person's mind. It helps cancer patients as well as survivors with the healing process. It is used to treat many of the patient's symptoms and to reduce the discomfort caused by cancer treatments.

Yoga Consultant Dr. Deepashree says that yoga can help a person manage stress and improve his or her quality of life. “I personally do not like to associate every person who comes to me for yoga with a disease. Rather, I would like to make them understand their health. I emphasize the power of mind that can be directed on constructive things,” she says.

Latha Menon, a businesswoman who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer last year, sees yoga as a lifesaver. She says: “Yoga does a lot of good to one’s psyche. There is no need for heavy asanas (postures) to get our systems right. There are some gentle yoga poses to follow. Even a simple meditation can do a lot.”

Source: www.deccanherald.com

08.02.2018

Be real, be yourself, be unique, be true, be honest, be humble, be Happy….

7 February, 2018

64 percent of antibiotics being sold in India haven't been regulated: UK study

According to a study conducted in the UK, millions of antibiotics currently being sold in Indian markets haven't been approved by the regulator. 64 percent antibiotic medicines that can be found at pharmacies around the country haven't been regulated, the study said.

Despite pledging to tackle the rising problem of antibiotic resistance, multinational companies continued to manufacture many unapproved formulations, it was found.

Antibiotic resistance is slowly gaining momentum as a global crisis. It occurs when bacteria change in a way that reduces the effectiveness of drugs, chemicals, or other agents designed to cure or prevent infections. As it becomes increasingly prevalent, it also threatens to undermine healthcare systems across the globe.

These findings, therefore, underline grave obstacles to bring antimicrobial resistance under control in India – a country which has one of the highest antibiotic consumption rates and sales in the world. Parliamentary investigations into failures of the country's drug regulatory system have also been previously carried out.

For the study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, researchers analyzed figures for fixed dose combination (FDC) antibiotics (formulations composed of two or more drugs in a single pill) and single drug formulation (SDF) antibiotics (composed of a single drug) on the market in India.

Despite the sale of unapproved new medicines being illegal in India, it was found that of 118 different formulations of FDCs being sold in the country between 2007 and 2012, 64 percent (75) were not approved by the national drugs regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). Only five of the formulations were approved in the UK or US. 

Source: www.zeenews.india.com/health

07.02.2018

Change yourself – you are in control

Mahatma Gandhi

6 February, 2018

Most Indian parents think poor lighting can harm kids’ eyesight

Almost 61 percent of Indian parents agree that studying under poor quality, flickering light can damage a child’s eyesight, a survey by Philips Lighting said here on Monday.

According to the survey, which was conducted across 12 countries including India, children in India spend on an average up to 12 hours a day in poor quality light both in school and home. The survey pointed out that nearly half of all Indian parents worry that their child will need spectacles in future.

“To address this alarming and growing urban emergency of child myopia, more than half (55 percent) of Indian parents surveyed were willing to purchase good quality lighting that could positively impact their child’s eyesight and performance at school, in addition to improving their diet,” said the survey.

The findings of the survey are also supported by a World Health Organisation (WHO) report which accepts that spending more time outdoors can help.

“As Indian children are increasingly spending more time indoors under artificial lighting, concentrating on school work, it is important that they do sounder good quality lighting that is comfortable for their eyes, to reduce any unnecessary strain,” said Sumit Joshi, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Philips Lighting India.

The survey added that academic performance and children’s stress levels are also a source of concern for Indian parents.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

06.02.2018

If you run you stand a chance of losing, but if you don’t run you’ve already lost

 Barack Obama

5 February, 2018

Health Alert! Cervical cancer kills nearly 200 women every day in India

Cervical cancer kills nearly 200 women in India every day. Looking at the figures, it clearly shows that it has become one of the common fatal diseases in India. The figures are alarming, however what is of a bigger concern is the reason behind such a rampant spread of the disease. According to Indian Council for Scientific Research, cervical cancer killed more than 63,000 women in India in the year 2015.

The main cause of cervical cancer is one of the 170 strains of the human papilloma virus, which is also referred to as HPV. This virus can easily transmit through sexual contact. Even skin-to-skin contact can spread the virus.

According to studies, cervical cancer could affect about 80 percent of women under the age of 50. It has been found that out of these, immune system of 90 percent women automatically clears the virus on their own.

Symptoms
Cervical cancer symptoms include:

Vaginal discharge: Though it could be a symptom of any other health condition as well, when cervical cancer reaches its advanced stage, there is a possibility that vaginal discharge is there and may or may not have an odor.

Abnormal bleeding: The most common symptom is abnormal bleeding. If you experience a sudden and heavy bleeding (except menstruation or due to sexual intercourse), consult your doctor.

Recurring pain in pelvis: If it's not due to periods or physical exertion, report it to your doctor.

The treatment

Cervical cancer can be successfully treated in its early stages. The treatment and prognosis also depend on the type and stage of cancer. Treatment may include surgery, radiation therapy, Chemoradiation and Chemotherapy, which help in killing cancer cells.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

05.02.2018

Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts

Buddha

3 February, 2018

Scientists develop world's first blood test to detect Alzheimer's

Australian scientists in collaboration with researchers from Japan on Thursday announced the world's first accurate blood test for Alzheimer's disease which can detect the illness up to 20 years before any symptoms occur.

The test, which spots the illness at an accuracy of over 90 percent, identifies the build-up of a protein called amyloid-beta, which is an early indicator of the disease, Xinhua news agency reported. Up until now, the only way to determine if a patient had Alzheimer's was by highly invasive and expensive methods, including brain scans and lumbar punctures.

But the breakthrough by the University of Melbourne's Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health will mean diagnosing the disease will become far easier.

"In the first instance, it will be an invaluable tool in increasing the speed of screening potential patients for new drug trials," said Colin Masters, Professor at Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health.

"Progress in developing new therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's disease has been disappointingly slow," Masters said. "New drugs are urgently required, and the only way to do that is to speed up the whole process," he added. At the moment due to the long time spans involved in pharmaceutical studies, companies require extremely accurate predictions of who is most at risk before going ahead with trials.

This means rigorous patient selection is essential, and with the new test, the process should improve exponentially. Worldwide, Alzheimer's costs $818 billion per year, with 20-40 of the population over 70 considered to be "at risk" of developing the disease at some future point.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com/health

03.02.2018

Inaction breeds doubt and fear, action breeds confidence and courage

Dale Carnegie