1 January, 2016

Plastic surgery in India has come of age: Survey

New Delhi: With vanity high on the list of discretionary spending, even majority of middle class people in India today are accepting cosmetic plastic surgery as a valid scientific means of improving appearance, shows a survey.

The survey conducted by Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, here involved an analysis of the evolving attitude of more than 700 residents from Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) towards cosmetic plastic surgery.

"Cosmetic surgery has existed in India for more than four decades now but Indians continued to refer to it in hush-hush tones. However, today, it is not only the uber class but also the great Indian middle class that is a rising clientele,” said lead researcher Sunil Choudhary, director, aesthetic and reconstructive surgery, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket.

"The survey revealed that 53 percent of the people view cosmetic surgery as an investment. This is a definite proof that people are now looking at plastic surgery as a valid scientific means of improving appearance,” Choudhary noted in an official statement.

The survey results released on Wednesday showed that over 50 percent of the residents surveyed agreed that there has been a shift in the attitude of Indians towards plastic surgery and that the youth between the ages 25-30 are the biggest advocate of cosmetic plastic surgery as a measure to enhance appearance.

"The rise in demand is seen most in the 25-30 years age group in my practice,” Choudhary pointed out.

"This is perhaps due to their contemporary modern outlook, financial independence and an increasing desire to look their best,” Choudhary explained.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

01.01.2016

If your success is not on your own terms, if it looks good to the world but does not feel good in your heart, it is not success at all

Anna Quindlen

30 December, 2015

Suffering from asthma? It may increase your risk of painful skin rash

People with asthma may be at increased risk of shingles, a common form of painful skin rash caused by the varicella zoster virus, says a new study. ‘The effect of asthma on the risk of infection or immune dysfunction might very well go beyond the airways,’ said lead author Young Juhn, general academic pediatrician and asthma epidemiologist at the Mayo Clinic Children’s Research Centre in Rochester, US. Medical records for potential patients with shingles, also known as herpes zoster, were reviewed in Olmsted County, Minnesota, where 371 cases with shingles — age 67 on average — were identified during the study period and compared against 742 control subjects. Of the 371 shingles cases, 23 percent (87 individuals) had asthma, compared with 15 percent (114 of 742) from the control group.

The authors found that adults with asthma were at about a 70 percent greater risk of developing shingles, compared to those without asthma. The researchers also noted that both asthma and atopic dermatitis were found to be independently associated with a higher risk of shingles. Researchers believe that, because asthma helps suppress adaptive immunity, it may increase the risk of varicella zoster virus reactivation. ‘As asthma is an unrecognised risk factor for zoster in adults, consideration should be given to immunising adults aged 50 years and older with asthma or atopic dermatitis as a target group for zoster vaccination,’ Juhn noted. The researchers note that neither inhaled corticosteroids nor vaccinations were associated with a higher risk of shingles.

The findings appeared in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.  

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

30.12.2015

Don't wait for extraordinary circumstance to do good; try to use ordinary situations

Charles Richter

29 December, 2015

Harmful bacteria can survive in cookies for months

Pathogens, like salmonella, can survive for at least six months in cookies and sandwich crackers, new research has found. 

The recent study was prompted by an increased number of outbreak of foodborne diseases linked to dry foods, said the researchers who wanted to see just how long bacteria that cause foodborne illness can survive in certain foods. 

"There have been an increased number of outbreaks of diseases associated with consumption of contaminated dry foods. We would not expect salmonella to grow in foods that have a very dry environment," said lead researcher Larry Beuchat from University of Georgia in the US. 

The researchers found that not only can harmful bacteria survive in dry foods, like cookie and cracker sandwiches, but they can also live for long periods of time. 

For the study, researchers used five different serotypes of salmonella that had been isolated from foods involved in previous foodborne outbreaks. 

"Isolates were from foods with very low moisture content," Beuchat said. 

Focusing on cookie and cracker sandwiches, the researchers put the salmonella into four types of fillings found in cookies or crackers and placed them into storage.  The researchers used cheese and peanut butter fillings for the cracker sandwiches and chocolate and vanilla fillings for the cookie sandwiches. 

These "are the kind that we find in grocery stores or vending machines", Beuchat said. 

After storing, the scientists determined how long salmonella was able to survive in each filling. 

In some cases, the pathogen was able to survive for at least to six months in the sandwiches, the findings showed. 

"That was not expected," Beuchat said. 

The study was published in the Journal of Food Protection.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

29.12.2015

Good people are good because they've come to wisdom through failure

William Saroyan

23 December, 2015

Herbal sweetener launched for diabetics

In a bid to provide a healthy life to diabetic patients, a new sweetener made of herbs was launched here on Monday.

Zero Sugar -- made out of natural sweetener Stevia -- enables the patient to tackle obesity and satiate his sugar cravings also.

Stevia is extracted from the leaves of the plant species Stevia rebaudiana.

"There is no nutritive value in sugar and when consumed in excess, one is likely to be prone to life threatening ailments. After lots of research Zero Sugar has been formed with herbal base," said Kanchan Patwardhan, Mumbai-based clinical nutritionist and dietician, at the launch.

India is home to nearly 62 million diabetics - second only to China which has over 92 million diabetics. A majority of diabetics are unable to keep their sugar level under control despite adequate medication and follow ups.

Patwardhan said Zero Sugar is a better solution because, being 200 times sweeter than sugar, it is the best sugar replacement.

According to medical science, eating sugar in excess sets up a relentless biochemical drive in the brain that in turn makes the person crave for more sugar, resulting in weight gain and diabetes.

"Being free from carbohydrates, it neither affects blood sugar nor insulin levels. It can be a good alternative for our regular sugar as well as for those who love to eat sweets but still want to be in shape. A gram of sugar contains about 4 calories. In contrast to this, Stevia has no calories," said Patwardhan.

"There are a few natural sweeteners which can regain that lost taste to your sweet foods. One of these is Stevia, a sweetener that is 100 percent natural and zero calories with a number of health benefits that have been confirmed by scientific studies," said Dilip Joshi, managing director and chief executive officer of GreenRev, the makers of Zero Sugar.

By 2030, India's diabetes numbers are expected to cross the 100 million mark according to a 2012 report by International Diabetes Federation. The economic burden due to diabetes in India is among the highest in the world.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

23.12.2015

Life is better because you know more, not just because you have more

22 December, 2015

Good news for diabetics! A new herbal sweetener has been launched just for you

Find it difficult to give in to your sugar cravings? In a bid to provide a healthy life to diabetic patients, a new sweetener made of herbs was launched here on Monday. Zero Sugar — made out of natural sweetener Stevia — enables the patient to tackle obesity and satiate his sugar cravings also.  Stevia is extracted from the leaves of the plant species Stevia rebaudiana. ‘There is no nutritive value in sugar and when consumed in excess, one is likely to be prone to life threatening ailments. After lots of research Zero Sugar has been formed with herbal base,’ said Kanchan Patwardhan, Mumbai-based clinical nutritionist and dietician, at the launch. India is home to nearly 62 million diabetics – second only to China which has over 92 million diabetics. A majority of diabetics are unable to keep their sugar level under control despite adequate medication and follow ups.

Patwardhan said Zero Sugar is a better solution because, being 200 times sweeter than sugar, it is the best sugar replacement. According to medical science, eating sugar in excess sets up a relentless biochemical drive in the brain that in turn makes the person crave for more sugar, resulting in weight gain and diabetes. ‘Being free from carbohydrates, it neither affects blood sugar nor insulin levels. It can be a good alternative for our regular sugar as well as for those who love to eat sweets but still want to be in shape. A gram of sugar contains about 4 calories. In contrast to this, Stevia has no calories,’ said Patwardhan.

‘There are a few natural sweeteners which can regain that lost taste to your sweet foods. One of these is Stevia, a sweetener that is 100 percent natural and zero calories with a number of health benefits that have been confirmed by scientific studies,’ said Dilip Joshi, managing director and chief executive officer of GreenRev, the makers of Zero Sugar. By 2030, India’s diabetes numbers are expected to cross the 100 million mark according to a 2012 report by International Diabetes Federation. The economic burden due to diabetes in India is among the highest in the world.  

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

22.12.2015

It is not the years in your life but the life in your years that counts

Adlai E. Stevenson

21 December, 2015

New genes linked to longevity identified

Gene variants linked to cell senescence or biological ageing, autoimmunity, and Alzheimer's disease play an important role in determining whether we would live over 100 years or not, new research has found.

The results of the study indicate that several disease variants may be absent in centenarians versus the general population.

Previous work indicated that centenarians have health and diet habits similar to the average person, suggesting that factors in their genetic make-up could contribute to successful ageing.

However, prior genetic studies have identified only a single gene (APOE, known to be involved in Alzheimer's disease) that was different in centenarians versus normal agers, the study said.

To find the longevity genes, Kristen Fortney from Stanford University, and colleagues first derived a new statistical method (termed 'informed GWAS') that takes advantage of knowledge from 14 diseases to narrow the search genes associated with longevity.

Using iGWAS, the scientists found the longevity genes associated with physiological mechanisms for successful ageing.

The incidence of nearly all diseases increases with age, so understanding genetic factors for successful ageing could have a large impact on health, the researchers said.

The findings appeared in the journal PLOS Genetics.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

21.12.2015

Adversity does not build character, it reveals it

James Lane Allen

19 December, 2015

Italian surgeon lauds state of Indian heart surgery

Rome: Italy could benefit from cooperation with India in the field of heart surgery, according to a top doctor who performed a pioneering operation in Rome to fit a patient with the latest artificial heart.

"Some 200 fewer heart transplants are being carried out in Italy each year, a figure that is comparable to other countries," Francesco Musumeci said.

"We need to react," said Musumeci, who is head of heart surgery and the Lazio region's transplant unit at Rome's San Camillo Hospital.

Musumeci recently returned from India, where he said he found many aspects of the country's medical facilities to be "excellent". "Even if the health system is private, it has made enormous strides and in some cases the infracture is technologically superior to ours," said Musumeci.

"The Indians are interested in what we are doing in Italy, in how we work and how we tackle medicine's challenges.

"It is a country we could work together with profitably on joint projects and to share knowledge." In late November, Musumeci and his team fitted the first Heart Mate 3 artificial heart in an operation on a patient with a serious congenital heart defect. By the end of the year, four patients will be fitted with the life-prolonging device while they wait on the donor list, he said.

Given the ageing population and a shortage of donors, artificial hearts are playing an increasingly important role in the treatment of heart disease, as patients wait longer for transplants.

Latest generation devices are around 4-5 centimetres in diametre, a fraction of the size of earlier models, meaning the operation to fit them is far less invasive than previously and they are also easier to recharge. The latest devices also give rise to fewer complications than earlier models and can be worn by patients for several years while they await a heart transplant.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

19.12.2015

Raise your words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder

Jalal ad-Din Rumi

18 December, 2015

Heart disease killed 31% people worldwide in 2013

Heart disease and stroke were the number one and number two killers worldwide in 2013, reveals a new report. While 31 percent of all deaths were from cardiovascular disease, with 80 percent occurring in low- and middle-income countries as of 2013, stroke accounted for 11.8 percent of all deaths, according to American Heart Association’s 2016 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update. ‘Statistics about cardiovascular disease and stroke, and particularly the metrics about death and the factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease are incredibly important,’ said Mark Creager, president, American Heart Association (AHA). Despite the progress in reducing the number of deaths from heart disease and stroke, the numbers are still too high, Creager said. Produced since 1958, the update is created from the most-recent data available and compiled by the AHA, the US National Institutes of Health, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and other government sources. 

The study found that one of every three deaths in the US in 2013 were from heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular disease is not only the top killer in the US, but worldwide, David Siscovick, senior vice president for research at the New York Academy of Medicine in New York City.  Hypertension, obesity and diabetes are global epidemics, he said. The update now tracks health factors and behaviours known to contribute to good cardiovascular health. These habits include smoking status, physical activity, healthy diet, body weight, and control of cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar. ‘We need to maintain our vigor and resolve in promoting good cardiovascular health through lifestyle and recognition and treatment of risk factors such as high blood pressure,diabetes, high cholesterol and smoking,’ Creager said.  ‘We have made progress in the fight against cardiovascular disease, but the battle is not won,’ Creager noted.

 The findings appeared in the journalCirculation. Here are the most common signs associated with heart disease.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

18.12.2015

When nothing is sure, everything is possible

Margaret Drabble

17 December, 2015

Cancer rates rising in lower-income countries: Study

While incidence and mortality rates from several common types of cancer in many high-income countries have gone down, many low-and middle-income countries have seen cancer rates rise, partially due to increases in risk factors that are typical of Western countries, says a study.

Improved screening and detection efforts, combined with decreases in risk factors like smoking, have reduced the incidence and mortality rates from cancer in high-income countries, the findings showed. Worldwide, an estimated 14.1 million new cancer cases and 8.2 million cancer deaths occurred in 2012, the study said.

"This study gives us important clues about the epidemiology of cancer and gives us some ideas about what we could further investigate to improve global public health," said one of the researchers Lindsey Torre from the American Cancer Society.

The researchers analysed incidence and mortality data for the years 2003-2007 from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) database, which includes incidence data through 2007 from cancer incidence in five continents, and mortality data through 2012 from the WHO Cancer Mortality database.

Study data reflected 50 countries selected to represent various regions of the world.

The authors noted developments across eight major kinds of cancer, which account for 60 percent of total global cases and deaths. The report detailed trends in breast, prostate, colorectal, lung, esophageal, stomach, liver and cervical cancers.

The incidence and mortality of many of these cancers have decreased in high-income countries, but risen in low-and middle-income countries due to factors that may include lifestyle changes and lack of appropriate screening or prevention measures.

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide in countries of all income levels, and the number of cancer cases and deaths is expected to grow rapidly as populations grow, age, and adopt lifestyle behaviours that increase cancer risk.

The study was published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

17.12.2015

Well done is better than well said

Benjamin Franklin

16 December, 2015

Robot assists in world's first artificial blood vessel procedure

Beijing: A hospital in China has successfully performed tumour surgery on a patient with pancreatic cancer taking assistance of a robot.

The hospital claimed Saturday's surgery as the world's first artificial blood vessel reconstruction involving the robotic device after searching through a widely-used global medical database, Xinhua reported.

During the surgery, the robot, controlled by the doctor, found the portal vein connected to the pancreas, which was also cancerous and needed to be removed.

The doctor inserted one robotic arm through a small hole in the 57-year-old patient's body to hold the artificial vessel steady while operating with the help of another arm to stitch.

The patient's abdomen was opened for the operation, Bie said adding: "But the robot only left a few needle holes, which is more conducive to recovery."

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

16.12.2015

Number of new breast cancer cases in women to double by 2030

New Delhi: Number of new breast cancer cases in women is estimated to nearly double in the country by 2030, the Rajya Sabha was told Tuesday.

The estimated number of new breast cancer (incidence) cases in women would be about 1,84,000 by 2030 as compared to 97,328 cases in 2014, Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda said in Rajya Sabha.

He said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has reported that as per a study, breast cancer showed a significant increase in rate over time in the age group of 35-44 in Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai (as per population based cancer registries) and in Delhi 45-54 age group. Besides, he said the age group of 0-24 in Mumbai showed an increase in rate over time.

Nadda said the data regarding ignoring of warning signs of breast cancer by young women is not available.

The Minister, however, said as per a published study, there is low cancer literacy of breast cancer risk factors among Indian women, irrespective of their socio-economic and educational background.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

16.12.2015

We are not creatures of circumstance; we are creators of circumstance

Benjamin Disraeli

15 December, 2015

Surgery with Da Vinci Xi System, the most advanced robotic surgical technology available in India

The benefits of robotic surgery include a minimally invasive approach, faster return to daily activities, fewer complications, and shorter hospital stay with reduced hospitalisation costs.

Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI), the flagship hospital of Fortis Healthcare Limited, announced acquiring Da Vinci Xi System, the most advanced robotic surgical technology for performing a minimal invasive surgery.

The new Da Vinci Xi System acts as an extension of the doctor’s hands, allowing him or her to perform a surgery with pinpoint accuracy and very little damage to surrounding tissues. The benefits of robotic surgery include a minimally invasive approach, faster return to daily activities, fewer complications, and shorter hospital stay with reduced hospitalisation costs.

According to Dr Sanjay Gogoi, Director, Urology and Renal Transplants, FMRI, ’The device allows high definition 3 D imaging, allowing surgeons to conduct complicated procedures with relative ease. The procedure involves using wristed instruments that bend and rotate far beyond the abilities of the human hand. Moreover, the tremor filtration and intuitive motion technologies allows the surgeons to operate with steady natural motion with the comforts of sitting on an easy chair.’  

The first surgery was performed by Dr Gogoi on a 35-year old patient from Congo, Central Africa. She had Yousuf’s Syndrome, a condition where due to complications from previous caesarean sections, an anomalous fistulous communication had formed between the uterus and the urinary bladder. This had led to menstrual bleeding draining into the bladder, leading to cyclical hematuria and repeated infections. Occasionally she also had urinary incontinence, as urine would flow into the uterus and leak out.

Dr Gogoi, added ‘Previous medical consultations and reviews had all pointed towards a hysterectomy. However, she was not willing to undergo the procedure for removal of the uterus. With our robotic surgery programme, we not only managed to separate the fistula that had formed between the two organs, but also saved her from a hysterectomy. Surgeons at FMRI are currently utilising advanced minimally invasive surgical techniques for all surgical specialities.’  

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

15.12.2015

It is amazing what you can achieve if you do not care who gets

the credit

Harry S. Truman

14 December, 2015

Singing boosts memory in early dementia

Singing favourite songs aloud can not only boost the mood but also improve memory in people with early stages of dementia, a team of Finnish researchers has found.

Researchers led by Teppo Sarkamo from University of Helsinki revealed that caregiver-implemented musical leisure activities, particularly singing, are cognitively and emotionally beneficial especially in the early stages of dementia.

The findings could help improve dementia care and better target the use of music in different stages of dementia. "Singing seems to be very promising for maintaining memory functioning in the early stages of dementia," Sarkamo explained.

Initially, the researchers recruited 89 people with mild to moderate dementia and their caregivers for a trial in which they received a 10-week music coaching intervention involving either regular singing or listening to familiar songs or standard care.

Previously, the results showed that the musical activities were able to enhance various cognitive skills, such as working memory, executive functions, and orientation, and alleviate depression compared to standard care.

Singing was found to be beneficial for working memory, executive function and orientation especially in persons with mild dementia and of younger age.

Music listening was associated with cognitive benefits only in people with a more advanced level of dementia. Both singing and music listening were more effective in alleviating depression especially in persons with mild, Alzheimer-type dementia.

"Importantly, the musical background of the persons with dementia (whether they had sung or played an instrument before) did not influence the efficacy of the music interventions," the authors noted.

"Our findings suggest that musical leisure activities could be easily applied and widely used in dementia care and rehabilitation," Sarkamo concluded in a paper published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

14.12.2015

FAIL- First Attempt In Learning

END- Effort Never Dies

A.P.J.Abdul Kalam

12 December, 2015

Novel device brings tears to treat 'dry eye' syndrome

New York: Scientists have developed a device that electronically stimulates tear production, which will offer hope to sufferers of dry eye syndrome, one of the most common eye afflictions in the world.

The researchers discovered the afferent neural pathway -- the neural pathway from sensory neurons to the brain which activates the reflex tearing -- offered an even more efficient way to enhance tear production.

The device, 16 mm long, 3-4 mm wide and 1-2 mm thick, was implanted beneath the inferior lacrimal gland in a rabbit's eyes. It was wireless and increased the generation of tears by nearly 57 percent

"I've been working on electro-neural interfaces for about a decade, but the idea to stimulate lacrimal gland for tear production came from my postdoctoral fellow, Michael Ackermann," said study author Daniel Palanker from Stanford University.

Dry eye leads to inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva.

"The biggest surprise for us was discovering that stimulating the afferent neural pathway provided a more potent and long-lasting tear response," Palanker added.

The study was published in the Journal of Neural Engineering.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

12.12.2015

Start with what is right rather than what is acceptable

Peter F. Drucker

11 December, 2015

Do you sleep for more than nine hours? It could kill you

Sleeping more than nine hours and sitting too much during the day — along with a lazy lifestyle — can send you to an early grave, warn researchers. According to the findings from non-profit organisation Sax Institute’s ‘45 and Up Study’, a person who sleeps too much, sits too much and is not physically active enough is more than four times as likely to die early as a person without those unhealthy lifestyle habits. Too much sitting equates to more than seven hours a day and too little exercise is defined as less than 150 minutes a week. ‘This is the first study to look at how those things (sleep and sitting) might act together,’ said lead author Dr Melody Ding.

When you add a lack of exercise into the mix, you get a type of ‘triple whammy’ effect.  ‘Our study shows that we should really be taking these behaviours together as seriously as we do other risk factors such as levels of drinking and unhealthy eating patterns,’ Dr Ding added. Dr Ding and her colleagues from University of Sydney analysed the health behaviours of more than 230,000 of the participants in the ‘45 and Up Study’. They looked at lifestyle behaviours like smoking, high alcohol intake, poor diet and being physically inactive and added excess sitting time and too little/too much sleep into the equation.

The team found another problematic triple threat: smoking, high alcohol intake and lack of sleep (less than seven hours a night) is also linked to a more than four-times greater risk of early death. ‘The take-home message is that if we want to design public health programmes that will reduce the massive burden and cost of lifestyle-related disease we should focus on how these risk factors work together rather than in isolation,’ explained study co-author professor Adrian Bauman. The non-communicable diseases (such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer) now kill more than 38 million people around the world and cause more deaths than infectious disease. ’Better understanding what combination of risk behaviours poses the biggest threat will guide us on where to best target scarce resources to address this major – and growing – international problem,’ the authors noted in a paper published in the journal PLOS Medicine.  

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

11.12.2015

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader

John Quincy Adams

10 December, 2015

WHO target cesarean delivery rate may be `too low`

Two new studies have challenged the three decades of public-health wisdom, suggesting that the international guideline on the optimal rate of cesarean delivery is too low. The researchers say raising the World Health Organization's recommended C-section rate beyond the current 10 to 15 percent could result in fewer mother and infant deaths.

The study examined nearly 23 million C-section deliveries that occurred worldwide in 2012. It showed that mother and infant deaths continued to decline as the C-section rate reached 19 percent of births. Only then did mother and infant deaths level off. "Previously recommended national target rates for cesarean deliveries may be too low," the authors write.

"This 10 to 15 percent target was just kind of created through expert consensus. A lot of things in policy come out this way, but we had some techniques and better data available now than in the past," said Alex B. Haynes from Massachusetts General Hospital in one study.

But the study also shows that the benefits of using the procedure flatten out as the rate exceeds 19 percent. In the United States, where the rate approached one-third of all births in 2013, health officials have called for a reduction in the practice. While rates vary by location, studies have questioned whether C-sections are being used unnecessarily.

"The study of Molina et al highlights the need for an evaluation of cesarean delivery rates by the international obstetrical community," write Mary E. D'Alton, and Mark P. Hehir of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in an accompanying editorial.

In another study, Mairead Black, M.R.C.O.G., of the University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom, and colleagues examined the relationship between planned cesarean delivery and offspring health problems or death in childhood.

The findings suggest that avoidance of vaginal birth may be an important early-life factor in the growing global burden of asthma, although absolute increase in risk to individuals is low, the researchers write. "Health professionals and women considering planned cesarean delivery should be made aware of this. However, the magnitude of risk is such that in the presence of a medical indication for cesarean delivery, the apparent risk to offspring health is unlikely to justify a plan for vaginal birth."

The studies are published in JAMA.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

10.12.2015

Lose as if you like it; win as if you were used to it

Tommy Hitchcock

9 December, 2015

New doctors at high risk of depression: Study

Washington: More than one in four doctors in the early stages of their careers have signs of depression, said a study. The study claimed the gruelling years of training for a medical job are to blame.

That's bad news not just for the young doctors themselves, but also for the patients they care for as depressed doctors are more likely to make mistakes or give worse care, Xinhua cited the study as saying.

The findings, published in the US journal JAMA on Tuesday, came from an investigation of 50 years' studies that looked for depression symptoms in more than 17,500 resident physicians, also known as doctors in training.

By collecting and combining data from 54 studies done around the world between 1963 and 2015, researchers from the Harvard University and the University of Michigan concluded that 28.8 percent of physicians in training have signs of depression.

"These findings highlight an important issue in graduate medical education," said corresponding author Douglas Mata, a clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School and resident physician in Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.

"The prevalence of depression is much higher than in the general population." The study also showed a small but significant increase in the rate of depression over the past five decades.

"The increase in depression is surprising and important, especially in light of reforms that have been implemented over the years with the intent of improving the mental health of residents and the health of patients," said co-author Srijan Sen, a psychiatrist and epidemiologist at the University of Michigan.

The researchers noted that depression among residents also affects patients, as previous research has established links between physician depression and lower quality care.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

09.12.2015

Don't be pushed by your problems, be led by your dreams

Ralph Waldo Emerson