Fat deposits near heart can help predict risk posed by
kidney disease
Fat deposits around the heart – which can be spotted through
simple CT scans – can help predict the risk of death in patients with chronic
kidney disease, research shows.
The study, published in the journal Nephrology
Dialysis Transplantation, was conducted by scientists from Canada, Venezuela,
Italy and the US, Xinhua reported.
‘We wanted to know if this type of heart fat is related to
poor outcomes for patients with chronic kidney disease, and it was a very clear
marker of risk,’ said Paolo Raggi, a researcher from the University of Alberta
in Edmonton, Canada.
‘The greater the amount of fat around the heart, the greater
the mortality rates were in patients.’
After examining CT scans of 109 American patients with
chronic kidney disease from a randomised, clinical trial, the researchers found
that for every 10 cubic cm increase in heart fat, the risk of death rose six
percent.
The findings also showed that high levels of calcium or
plaque in the arteries and high cholesterol levels were strong predictors of
large volumes of heart fat.
Previous research showed a link between this heart fat and
plaque buildup in the heart arteries, according to the researchers.
Source: http://health.india.com
19.09.2013
Surgeon
live-streams operation through Google Glass
Two operations led by Dr J S
Rajkumar of Lifeline Hospitals were live-streamed to a group of medical
students on Tuesday. Using Google Glass, the doctors were able to show the
complete procedure of upper gastro-intestinal laparoscopy and a hernia repair
surgery. This is the first time, the gadget was used to live-stream a surgery
in India.
‘It felt like I was glancing at my rearview mirror while
driving. I was focusing on the surgeries and talking to my students at the same
time. At one point, I stopped feeling it was an external device,’ Dr J S Rajkumar
told TOI.
What is Google Glass?
Google Glass is a wearable computer for your eyes, and it
looks similar to normal eyeglasses. Once worn, the glass follows natural
language commands to perform its many functions.
Dr Rajkumar also said that the tool can be great for both
conducting surgeries, and educating young doctors about its methods. Doctors
could use the tool to view medical information like X-rays, MRI images, etc.
while conducting the surgery.
Priced at $1,500, the glass could prove to be too expensive
a gadget for a lot of surgeons and has its share of detractors too. ‘I use a
camera attached to my head which is live-streamed to audiences in different
parts of the world. So what makes this gadget special? We’ll have to wait till
it hits the market.’ Dr R Ravi Kumar, director, institute of cardiovascular
disease, robotic surgery centre at Chettinad Health City told TOI.
Previously, Dr Vikas Agarwal, a leading ENT surgeon had
live-streamed a surgery to treat obstructive sleep apnoea, which was seen by over 2000 doctors around the world.
Source: http://health.india.com
19.09.2013
If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything
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