30 November, 2013

High-fat diet in puberty may up breast cancer risk

Eating a high-fat diet in puberty may increase the risk of aggressive breast cancer in younger adult women, a new study has warned. Researchers from the Michigan State University also found that this type of diet can speed up the development of breast cancer.

Utilising a preclinical model, the findings indicate that before any tumours appear, there are changes in the breast that include increased cell growth and alterations in immune cells.

These changes persist into adulthood and can lead to the rapid development of precancerous lesions and ultimately breast cancer. In addition to the accelerated breast cancer development, this type of diet produces a distinct gene signature in the tumours consistent with a subset of breast cancers known as basal-like that can carry a worse prognosis.

"This is very significant because even though the cancers arise from random mutations, the gene signature indicating a basal-like breast cancer shows the overarching and potent influence this type of diet has in the breast," said Sandra Haslam, physiology professor in MSU's College of Human Medicine and one of the lead investigators of the project.

"Cancers of this type are more aggressive in nature and typically occur in younger women. This highlights the significance of our work toward efforts against the disease," she said.

"It's important to note that since our experimental model did not involve any weight gain from the high-fat diet, these findings are relevant to a much broader segment of the population than just those who are overweight," said co-lead researcher Richard Schwartz, microbiology professor and associate dean in the College of Natural Science.

"This shows the culprit is the fat itself rather than weight gain," said Schwartz. Early evidence indicates that the fat, which in this case was saturated animal fat, could potentially have permanent effects even if a low-fat diet is introduced later in life.

Schwartz cautioned, however, that this preliminary finding requires further investigation and doesn't indicate with certainty that humans will be affected in the same way. "Overall, our current research indicates that avoiding excessive dietary fat of this type may help lower one's risk of breast cancer down the road," he said.

The study is published in the journal Breast Cancer Research.

Source: www.indianexpress.com

30.11.2013

Obesity may up risk of hearing loss in women

Obesity may increase the risk of hearing loss in women, while exercising may lower it, a new study has claimed. A higher body mass index (BMI) and larger waist circumference are each associated with higher risk of hearing loss, while a higher level of physical activity is associated with lower risk of hearing loss in women, scientists have found.

"We often think of hearing loss as an inevitable part of the ageing process, but these findings provide evidence that potentially modifiable risk factors, such as maintaining a healthy weight and staying physically active, may help in the prevention of hearing loss or delay its progression," said Sharon Curhan, lead author of the study paper.

Using data from 68,421 women who were followed from 1989 to 2009, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) analysed information on BMI, waist circumference, physical activity, and self-reported hearing loss.

The baseline and updated information was obtained through validated biennial questionnaires.

Researchers found that women with a BMI of 30-34 had a relative risk for hearing loss that was 17 per cent higher, and with a BMI of 40 or more had a relative risk that was 25 per cent higher, when compared with those with a BMI of less than 25.

For women with waist circumference 80-88 cm, the relative risk for hearing loss was 11 per cent higher and with waist circumference greater than 88 cm the relative risk was 27 per cent higher when compared with women with waist circumference less than 71 cm. Researchers also found that higher level of physical activity was associated with lower risk.

Compared with women who were the least physically active, women who were the most physically active had a 17 per cent lower risk of hearing loss.

Walking, which was the most common form of physical activity reported among these women, was associated with lower risk; walking two hours per week or more was associated with a 15 per cent lower risk of hearing loss, compared with walking less than one hour per week.

According to the World Health Organisation, 360 million people have disabling hearing loss, a condition that is often considered to be an unavoidable side effect of ageing, researchers said.

The study was published in The American Journal of Medicine.

Source: www.indianexpress.com                   30.11.2013

When the road is long, when the challenges are great, that is your chance to truly shine

 Ralph Marston

29 November, 2013

Kolkata scientists discover new breast cancer gene mutation

Scientist in Kolkata claim to have discovered a gene mutation that triggers tumour growth which in turn can lead to breast cancer. Exon 20, a component of BRCA 1 (Breast Cancer Associated Gene) mutates to disrupt the structural stability of proteins and helps cancerous cells proliferate. A paper on Exon 20 mutation will be published in Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters, next month.

The research team, which comprised scientists from the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB) and the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Cancer Research Institute (NSCBCRI), chanced upon the novel mutation while studying the genetic factors behind breast cancer. Exon 20, they found, hindered the stability of BRCA’s protein structure.  

Abhijit Chakraborty, senior research fellow at the NSCBCRI and a member of the research team told TOI: ‘The protein helps cell cycle check point or controls the proliferation of cells. It also helps to repair DNA damage and prevents cancerous growth. Exon 20 mutation disrupts these two vital functions, allowing a proliferation of abnormal cells. This leads to tumoural growth and eventually breast cancer.’ ‘It could also be inherited from the mother to the daughter or the grand-daughter. The lone case that we have come across so far has a strong familial history of cancer,’ said Ashis Mukhopadhyay.  

The patient, a 34-year-old woman who developed breast cancer five years ago, had the Exon 20 mutation. While her mother was also a breast cancer patient, her uncle, too, was a cancer patient. ‘This suggests that while the BRCA gene is active in the family, an Exon 20 mutation is not ruled out in her mother’s case either. It needs to be seen if the mutation is hereditary. There is also a possibility that it is specific to this region, since it has not been identified anywhere else in the world. We also need to further investigate the impact of the mutation,’ said Chakraborty.

Source: http://health.india.com

29.11.2013

Diabetic women should monitor glucose levels before pregnancy

Women suffering from diabetes and wishing to start a family should monitor their blood glucose levels and take a daily high dose of folic acid before pregnancy to avoid risk to their baby’s health, a new study said Wednesday.

The risk of stillbirth – when the foetus dies in the uterus or death during the first year of birth – was over four times greater in women with diabetes than in those without the disease.

The team from Newcastle studied the outcome of over 400,000 pregnancies delivered in north of England between 1996 and 2008.  

‘We found that 2.7 percent of births in women with diabetes resulted in stillbirth, six times than the rate for women without diabetes, while 0.7 percent died during the first year of life, nearly double the rate in women without diabetes,’ said Ruth Bell, one of the researchers.

The research also said that nearly 40 percent of deaths might have been avoided if all of the women were able to achieve good control of their blood glucose before pregnancy.

‘Stillbirths and infant deaths are thankfully not common, but they could be even less common if all women with diabetes can be helped to achieve the best possible control of their blood glucose levels before becoming pregnant,’ added Bell.  

Source: http://health.india.com

29.11.2013

 

 

 

 

 

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future

John F. Kennedy

28 November, 2013

Painful pinpricks may soon be history for diabetics

A new nanotechnology-based technique for regulating blood sugar in diabetics may give patients the ability to release insulin painlessly using a small ultrasound device, allowing them to go days between injections - rather than using needles to give themselves multiple insulin injections each day.

The technique involves injecting biocompatible and biodegradable nanoparticles into a patient's skin. The nanoparticles are made out of poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) and are filled with insulin.

Each of the PLGA nanoparticles is given either a positively charged coating made of chitosan (a biocompatible material normally found in shrimp shells), or a negatively charged coating made of alginate (a biocompatible material normally found in seaweed).

When the solution of coated nanoparticles is mixed together, the positively and negatively charged coatings are attracted to each other by electrostatic force to form a "nano-network."

Once injected into the subcutaneous layer of the skin, that nano-network holds the nanoparticles together and prevents them from dispersing throughout the body.

The coated PLGA nanoparticles are also porous. Once in the body, the insulin begins to diffuse from the nanoparticles. But the bulk of the insulin doesn't stray far - it is suspended in a de facto reservoir in the subcutaneous layer of the skin by the electrostatic force of the nano-network. This essentially creates a dose of insulin that is simply waiting to be delivered into the bloodstream.

Using the new technology developed by Dr. Zhen Gu, senior author of a paper on the research and an assistant professor in the joint biomedical engineering program at NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill, and his team, a diabetes patient doesn't have to inject a dose of insulin - it's already there. Instead, patients can use a small, hand-held device to apply focused ultrasound waves to the site of the nano-network, painlessly releasing the insulin from its de facto reservoir into the bloodstream.

The study has been published online in Advanced Healthcare Materials.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

28.11.2013

Lifestyle factors linked to healthy pregnancy identified

Researchers have identified certain lifestyle factors that make it more likely for a woman to have a normal pregnancy.

They include increasing fruit intake before pregnancy, being a healthy weight, reducing blood pressure, stopping drug and alcoholmisuse, and being in paid employment during pregnancy.

Although further work is needed to determine whether these associations have causal importance, this study implies that targeted interventions that encourage women to make healthy choices before and during pregnancy "may increase the likelihood of normal pregnancy outcomes," the researchers said.

Researchers from the UK, Ireland and New Zealand carried out a study to identify factors at 15-20 weeks' gestation associated with a subsequent uncomplicated pregnancy. Their aim was to highlight those factors amenable to change before pregnancy, thereby informing decisions about interventions that could increase the likelihood of a normal outcome.

A total of 5,628 healthy women with singleton births (and no previous pregnancies) were recruited to the Screening for Pregnancy Endpoints study between November 2004 and August 2008.

The primary outcome was uncomplicated pregnancy defined as a "normotensive pregnancy, delivered at more than 37 weeks resulting in a live born baby who was not small for gestational age and did not have any other significant pregnancy complications."

Factors amenable to improvement that reduced the likelihood of an uncomplicated pregnancy (that is, were detrimental) were increasing body mass index and blood pressure and misuse of drugs (including binge drinking) in the first trimester.

Factors amenable to improvement that increased the likelihood of an uncomplicated pregnancy (that is, were beneficial) were high fruit intake in the month before pregnancy and being in paid employment 15 weeks into pregnancy.

Detrimental factors that could not be altered were being in a lower socio-economic group, high blood pressure before pregnancy while taking oral contraceptive pills, family history of high blood pressure in pregnancy and bleeding during pregnancy.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

28.11.2013

We can't do great things in this life, We can only do small things with great love

Mother Theresa

27 November, 2013

Ophthalmologist G. N. Rao honoured by US institute

Hyderabad: The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) honoured eminent ophthalmologist Gullapalli N. Rao with its outstanding humanitarian service award, said a statement here Tuesday.

G. N. Rao is the founder and chairman of L.V. Prasad Eye Institute. This award was bestowed on him in recognition of the eye care delivery model he created with the institute and his contributions to prevention of blindness globally.

The award was presented to Rao on Nov 17, at the AAO's annual meeting in New Orleans, said the statement.

LVPEI's model of eye care, represented by a pyramid, emphasizes the creation of sustainable permanent facilities within communities, staffed and managed by locally trained human resources, and linked effectively with successively higher levels of care.

Rao was also earlier the recipient of international prevention of blindness award of the Academy.

The L.V. Prasad Eye Institute was established in 1986-87 here as a not-for-profit comprehensive eye care institution.

Source: www.zeenews.india.news.com/news/health

27.11.2013

Liver transplant success celebrated on 15th anniversary

New Delhi: Celebrating one of India's key medical triumphs, Congress Chief today felicitated the country's first successful liver transplant recipient, Sanjay Kandasamy from Tamil Nadu, who had undergone the procedure here in November 1998 when he was 18 months old.

"It is wonderful to see how the young infant in dire need of a transplant is today a healthy young man who himself wants to become a doctor. It is a testament not only on India's medical acumen but also of the tenacity of this young man," Gandhi said, as she interacted with Sanjay and his family on the 15th anniversary of liver tansplantation in India.

Sanjay was born with a rare condition called Biliary Atresia, which is seen in one out of 12000 babies.

"This is a condition in which there is no connection between the liver and the intestine so the bile produced in the liver cannot be excreted and therefore damages the liver," said Dr Anupam Sibal, Group Medical Director and Senior Paediatric gastroenterologist from Apollo Hospital where Sanjay had undergone the transplant.

These babies develop jaundice a few days after birth and the jaundice progressively increases. An operation to create bile flow, if performed before the age of 2 months, can prevent liver failure.

Unfortunately in India, most babies with biliary atresia are diagnosed after the age of three months making this operation unsuccessful. This happened in Sanjay's case, Sibal said.

 Since his condition was deteriorating because of liver failure, his family decided to come to Delhi and Sanjay's father came forward to donate a part of his liver to give his son a new lease of life.

Sanjay became the first child to have undergone a liver transplant in India on 15th November 1998 and made medical history, Apollo hospital said.

According to Sibal, "Sanjay now leads a completely normal life, goes to school like other kids, enjoys meals, plays football, wants to become a doctor to save lives."

Dr Preetha Reddy, Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group, said, "The success of the liver transplantation has established the low cost--high quality value proposition that India offers and has enhanced the reputation of Indian healthcare globally. The outcomes are comparable to the best in the West with a cost which is one-tenth." 

Source: www.zeenews.india.news.com/news/health

27.11.2013

 

 

 

 

You may think there is a lot wrong with you, but there is also a lot right with you

Joel Osteen

26 November, 2013

Scientists create artificial skin from stem cells derived from umbilical cord!

In a major breakthrough, scientists have managed to grow artificial skin using stem cells derived from the umbilical cord. Scientists from the Tissue Engineering Research Group at the Department of Histology at the University of Granada demonstrated the ability of Wharton jelly mesenschymal stem cells to turn to oral-mucosa or skin-regeneration epithelia.

To grow the artificial skin, the researchers used, in addition to this new type of epithelia covering, a biomaterial made of fibrin and agarose, already designed and developed by the University of Granada research team. Prior studies from the same team, already pointed to the possibility that Wharton stem cells could be turned into epithelia cells.

That is indeed a lot of science talk. For the layman out there that means that skin can instantly be created for burn victims. Current methods to create artificial skin take weeks since the skin needs to be grown from other parts of the patient’s healthy skin.

‘Creating this new type of skin using stem cells, which can be stored in tissue banks, means that it can be used instantly when injuries are caused, and which would bring the application of artificial skin forward many weeks,’ said Antonio Campos, Professor of Histology at the University of Granada and one of the authors of this study. The study is published in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine. 

Source: http://health.india.com

26.11.2013

Now HIV positive people may be able to donate organs – Barack Obama passes law

US President Barack Obama signed into law a bill that allows scientists to carry out research into organ donations from one person with HIV to another.

In a statement, Obama said he signed the legislation, called the HIV Organ Policy Equity Act, or HOPE Act, to offer the opportunity for HIV-positive person to receive organ donations, Xinhua reported.

For decades HIV organ transplants have been illegal in the US and it was even illegal to study whether they could be safe and effective, the U.S. president said, calling the ban ‘outdated’.

‘The potential for successful organ transplants between people living with HIV has become more of a possibility,’ Obama said. 

‘The HOPE Act lifts the research ban, and, in time, it could lead to life-saving organ donations for people living with HIV while ensuring the safety of the organ transplant process and strengthening the national supply of organs for all who need them.’

He also said the HOPE Act, which received bipartisan approval in both houses of Congress earlier this year, ‘marks an important step in the right direction’ because improving care for people living with HIV is critical to fighting the epidemic.

Source: http://health.india.com

26.11.2013

Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional

Chili Davis

25 November, 2013

Signs of excessive sleeping and its side effects

Insomnia and lack of sleep are the biggest factors for developing different health problems. But excessive sleeping can also pose a problem to health. Dr. Ravindra Gupta of Internal Medicine from Columbia Asia Hospital at Gurgaon, explains the signs and negative health effects of oversleeping.

What is Excessive Sleeping? 

According to Dr. Ravindra Gupta, "It is a state is which one feels dozing off in the waking hours and lethargic during the day even after having a sufficient amount of sleep. And feel fatigued all the time. Unpredictable mood swings."

Signs of Excessive Sleeping: 

Fatigue and irritability

Dozing off in office or while driving

Inability to concentrate.

Seen in those who are obese

Those who have obstructive sleep apnoea.

Negative health effects of Excessive Sleeping:

Gaining weight

Irritability

Hypertension

Increase risk of accidents.

Excessive sleeping is also called hypersomina and is caused by medication, inadequate sleep, working in shifts, sleep disorders, and psychological problems.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

25.11.2013

1 in 10 people could suffer from diabetes by 2035

A shocking new report suggests that one in 10 people globally will have diabetes by 2035.

To highlight World Diabetes Day which takes place each year on Nov. 14, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) released its sixthedition of the Diabetes Atlas.

The report estimates how many adults between the ages of 20 to 79 will be affected by thedisease in the future.

By the end of this year, the IDF estimates that 382 million people will have diabetes around the world, CBS News reported.

By 2035, that number will skyrocket to 592 million. For comparison, about 285 million people had the disease just four years ago.

Eighty percent of people with the disease live in low- and middle-income countries, and most of them are between 40 and 59 years old.

The organization also said that one person dies from diabetes every six seconds, or about 5.1 million deaths annually.

The IDF estimates that the percentage of U.S. residents affected by diabetes will increase to 11.6 by 2035, which will be 29.7 million people.

About 8.3 per cent of the U.S. population had a form of diabetes in 2011, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

25.11.2013

You have to dream before your dreams can come true

Abdul Kalam 

23 November, 2013

A cure for blood cancer on the cards?

Australian scientists say they have discovered a ground-breaking technique for treating aggressive forms of leukaemia. The medical researchers at Melbourne-based Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre have found a double-barrelled approach which would hopefully lead to long-term survival of those suffering from the blood cancer, according to a media report. A mutant enzyme called JAK2 drives and feeds a virulent form of the disease that has proved resistant to therapy. ‘Not only do they grow very quickly and the tumours spread more rapidly but they’re often refractory to standard chemotherapies up front,’  Ricky Johnstone of Peter MacCallum Centre said.

‘These are things that are very difficult to treat because of how quickly they spread but, in addition, they cannot be treated by the common chemotherapy,’ he said. However, the dual-pronged attack has already proved successful in completely curing this form of leukaemia in mice. 

Johnstone said ‘If we think about a tumour cell as a tree and if we think about this JAK2 protein being the tree, what we want to do is target that tree at two points: we want to cut off the leaves with one drug and then we want to deplete the root system and, importantly, the tap-root at another level. ‘We think that the best way to kill that tree and therefore the tumour cell would be this dual approach – remove the leaves, remove the roots and then completely diminish the survival and nourishment pathway for that tree and, therefore, kill the tumour cell.’

Researchers hope the treatment will be available to patients within a year.

Source: http://health.india.com

23.11.2013

Indian innovations in healthcare to serve as a template for worldwide health care reforms

At a time when the western world is going through a crisis of sorts in the health care sector, a conference at the University of Oxford will explore adapting Indian innovations for better health services across the world. The conference ‘Big change: Sustainable healthcare for the 21st century’ will be held Nov 22-23, said a statement from the organisers.

It will focus on the need for affordable innovation that is both sustainable and can deliver health care to those who need it most. India, being a key proponent of such innovations, will be represented by high profile health care researchers, policy makers, entrepreneurs and government officials like Dr Devi Shetty of Narayana Hridayalaya, Bangalore; Health Secretary Keshav Desiraju and Balram Bhargava, professor of cardiology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.

‘Innovation has an essential role to play, not only in improving health care standards around the world, but even in maintaining existing standards, given constrained funding,’ said Stephen MacMahon, principal director of The George Institute, one of the organisers of the conference.

Source: http://health.india.com

23.11.2013

Man needs his difficulties because they are necessary to enjoy success

Abdul Kalam 

22 November, 2013

Insomnia linked to higher mortality risk in men

Researchers have found that some insomnia symptoms, the most common sleep disorder, are associated with an increased risk of mortality in men.

The study's lead author Yanping Li from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) said that their research also showed that among menwho experience specific symptoms of insomnia, there is a modest increase risk in death from cardiovascular-related issues.

Specifically, researchers report that difficulty falling sleep and non-restorative sleep were both associated with a higher risk of mortality, particularly mortality related to cardiovascular disease.

Researchers followed more than 23,000 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study who self-reported insomnia symptoms for a period of six years.

After adjusting for lifestyle factors, age and other chronic conditions, researchers found that men who reported difficulty initiating sleep and non-restorative sleep had a 55 per cent and 32 per cent increased risk of CVD-related mortality over the six year follow up, respectively, when compared to men who did not report these insomnia-related symptoms.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

22.11.2013

Vegetable oils increase heart disease risk

A new study has revealed that some vegetable oils that claim to be healthy may actually increase the risks of heart disease. 

Replacing saturated animal fats with polyunsaturated vegetable oils has become common practice because they can reduce serum cholesterol levels and help prevent heart disease. 

"Careful evaluation of recent evidence, however, suggests that allowing a health claim for vegetable oils rich in omega-6 linoleic acid but relatively poor in omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid may not be warranted," Drs. Richard Bazinet, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto and Michael Chu, Lawson Health Research Institute and Division of Cardiac Surgery, Western University, London, Ontario said. 

Corn and safflower oil, which are rich in omega-6 linoleic acid but contain almost no omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid, are not associated with beneficial effects on heart health according to recent evidence. 

In the study the intervention group replaced saturated fat with sources of safflower oil or safflower oil margarine (rich in omega-6 linoleic acid but low in omega-3 a-linoleic acid). 

They found that the intervention group had serum cholesterol levels that were significantly decreased (by about 8percent-13percent) relative to baseline and the control group, which is consistent with the health claim. 

However, rates of death from all causes of cardiovascular disease and coronary artery diseasesignificantly increased in the treatment group. 

The study is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

22.11.2013

No one can build his security upon the nobleness of another person

Willa Cather