28 April, 2017

Consuming less salt not a solution to lower your BP: Study

New Delhi: Consuming less salt may not lead to lower blood pressure in the long term or save a person from hypertension, says new study.

"We saw no evidence that a diet lower in sodium had any long-term beneficial effects on blood pressure," said Lynn Moore, Associate Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine in the US.

The new findings, presented at the Experimental Biology 2017 meeting, being held in Chicago from April 22-26, call into question the sodium limits recommended by the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

"Our findings add to growing evidence that current recommendations for sodium intake may be misguided," Moore added. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams a day for healthy people. 

For the study, the researchers followed 2,632 men and women ages 30 to 64 years old who were part of the Framingham Offspring Study. 

The participants had normal blood pressure at the start of the study. 

However, over the next 16 years, the researchers found that the study participants who consumed less than 2,500 milligrams of sodium a day had higher blood pressure than participants who consumed higher amounts of sodium.

The researchers also found that people in the study who had higher intakes of potassium, calcium and magnesium exhibited lower blood pressure over the long term.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

28.04.2017

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength

Corrie Boom

27 April, 2017

Artificial womb for premature babies? This baby sheep is growing inside a plastic bag

New Delhi: It's not a sci-fi movie – a premature lamb fitted with tubes and fluids is growing inside a plastic bag. Scientists have been able to keep a baby sheep alive for weeks using an artificial womb that resembles a plastic bag. The approach might one day help nurture and protect premature babies outside the uterus, providing a better chance for survival and eliminating the health risk of pregnancy.  Although the technology has only been tested on sheep, researchers hope it could become a lifesaver for many premature human babies in just a few years.

"Just looking at them it's immediately clear that they shouldn't be here yet, they're not ready," said Emily Partridge, a doctor for critically premature infants at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and one of the researchers. Babies born at or before 25 weeks have quite low survival outcomes, and in the US it is the leading cause of infant mortality and morbidity.

In babies born preterm, the chance of survival at less than 23 weeks is close to zero, while at 23 weeks it is 15%, at 24 weeks 55% and at 25 weeks about 80%.

With an artificial womb the babies can continue developing – even just a few weeks extra 'growing time' can be the difference between severe health problems and a relatively healthy baby. "These infants have an urgent need for a bridge between the mother's womb and the outside world," says Alan Flake, senior researcher for the study and a foetal surgeon at the CHOP. In the study, the premature lambs, equivalent in age to 23to 24 week-old human infants, appeared to develop normally in their bags.

The plastic 'biobag' womb is filled with filled with an electrolyte solution which acts like amniotic fluid in the uterus. The lamb's own heart pumps the blood through the umbilical cord into a gas exchange machine outside the bag.

Researchers said after just four weeks the lambs' brains and lungs had matured. They had also grown wool and could wiggle, open their eyes, and swallow. "We've been extremely successful in replacing the conditions in the womb in our lamb model," lead investigator Dr Alan Flake was quoted as saying.

"They've had normal growth. They've had normal lung maturation. They've had normal brain maturation. They've had normal development in every way that we can measure it." The team of researchers insist it is not looking to replace mothers or extend the limits of viability, but to find a better way to support babies born prematurely.

The research has been published in Nature Communications.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

27.04.2017

In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity

Albert Einstein

26 April, 2017

Decoded: Which emotion causes which disease

Do you believe that your mind and body are connected? Do you think that what your mind manifests, so does your body? For centuries and beyond, wellness experts have been arguing in the favour of an ethereal connection that binds our mental state with our physical reality and Louise Hay is one glorious believer among them. A bestselling author and a teacher by profession, Hay's 'You Can Heal Your Life' have done a tremendous job at building connection between the physical diseases and the mental diseases.

ORGAN-WISE PROBLEM

Problems with the head: Feeling that something is wrong with "us".

Hair problems: Lack of strength; tension.

Ear problems: Unwillingness to hear what's going on around you.

Stomach problems: Inability to assimilate new experiences; fear of new ideas.

Neck problems: Stubbornness; inability to see the other side of the equation.

Throat problems: Feeling inadequate to stand for yourself; repressed anger

Eye Problems: Not liking what you see in your life; Not wanting to see the past, present or the future; Not seeing Truth.

Knee problem: Inflexibility; stubbornness; inability to bend; ego.

Lung problems: Feeling that we do not have the right to live life fully.

Mouth problems: Incapacity to take ideas; closed mind; set opinions.

Nerve problems: Confused thinking; fear; struggle; anxiety.

Breast problems: Over-mothering a place, person, a thing or an experience.

Heart problems: Denying yourself joy and love.

Leg problems: Inability to move forward; reluctance for the future.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

26.04.2017

Life belongs to the living and he who lives must be prepared for changes

Johann Wolfgang

25 April, 2017

6 lakh litres of blood wasted in 5 years

In the last five years, over 28 lakh units of blood and its components were discarded by banks across India, exposing serious loopholes in the nation's blood banking system. If calculated in litres, the cumulative wastage of 6% translates to over 6 lakh litres - a volume enough to fill up 53 water tankers.

India faces, on average, a shortfall of 30 lakh units of blood annually. Lack of blood, plasma or platelets often leads to maternal mortality as well as deaths in cases of accidents involving severe blood loss.

Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were among the worst offenders, discarding not just whole blood but even red blood cells and plasma as the life-saving components could not be used before their expiry date. In 2016-17 alone, over 6.57 lakh units of blood and its products were discarded. The worrying part is that 50% of the wasted units were of plasma, which has a shelf life of one year, much longer than the 35-day deadline by which whole blood and red blood cells have to be used.

The spoilage has been laid bare in data provided by the National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) in response to an RTI query filed by petitioner Chetan Kothari. Maharashtra, which is the only state to have crossed the one-million mark vis-a-vis collection of blood units, also accounted for the maximum wastage of whole blood, followed by West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. Maharashtra, UP and Karnataka bagged the top three positions in the wastage of red blood cells. UP and Karnataka also wasted the maximum units of fresh frozen plasma.In 2016-17, over 3 lakh units of fresh frozen plasma were discarded, which is surprising given that the product is imported by several pharma companies to produce albumin.

While Naco officials could not be reached for an official comment, a senior health ministry official told TOI that Naco had allowed banks to transfer units last year. "In 2016-17, there is a near 17% fall in wastage. Also, hospitals have to keep blood in emergency reserve to deal with mass casualties," the officer said.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

25.04.2017

To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often

Winston Churchill

24 April, 2017

Obesity can lead to 13 types of cancer, says study

New Delhi: Obesity leads to 13 types of cancer, including that of pancreas and esophagus, as fat cells affect the processes that regulate the growth of cancer cells in the human body, says a study.

Due to excess fat in the body, fat cells produce hormones and proteins, according to the study conducted by the United Kingdom's Imperial College. Besides being released into the bloodstream, these are also circulated around the body and this is why they increase the risk of several different types of cancer. Fat cells are also said to affect processes that regulate cancer cells' growth.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around 1.9 billion adults worldwide are overweight or obese, and with obesity linked to some 13 types of cancer, the problem of extra weight poses a serious threat to their lives.

Among the 13 types of cancer, which are believed to have strong connection with weight gain, are oesophageal (food pipe), pancreatic, liver, stomach, colon and rectum, gallbladder, lung, kidney and gynaecological cancer. Among women, breast, ovary or uterus cancer could occur.

"The most common types include breast and colon, while the most difficult to treat include pancreatic, oesophageal and gallbladder cancer," said the study. Commenting on the study, Deep Goel, Director of Bariatric and Gastrointestinal Oncology Surgery at the BLK Super Speciality Hospital, said that obese had a greater risk of developing and also dying from several types of cancer.

"Let's say, if there's one normal-weight patient suffering from pancreatic cancer and another obese patient suffering from the same cancer of same stage, chances of an obese patient's death are more over normal-weight patient," said Goyal.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com             24.04.2017

Always tell the truth it is the easiest thing to remember

22 April, 2017

Caesarean deliveries up 15% due to late marriage

India has witnessed a sudden increase of 15 per cent in caesarean sections or caesarean deliveries — a procedure performed only during complicated pregnancies and difficulty in a normal vaginal delivery, gynaecologists said on Saturday. The doctors said that rise in C-section cases, both in urban and rural areas, are due to delayed marriage and the consequent late child birth, coupled with lifestyle and environmental factors. Medical science says that if there are no complications with pregnancy or labour, a vaginal birth is safer than a caesarean birth. Vaginal birth also makes future pregnancies and fertility safer. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), until 2010, caesarean sections were limited to 8.5 per cent of all deliveries in India. “But in the last decade or so, the numbers have escalated in many parts of the country, reaching as high as 41 per cent of deliveries in Kerala and 58 per cent in Tamil Nadu,” it said. Bandita Sinha, gynaecologist and fertility specialist at World of Women, a leading medical centre for gynaecology cases, said: “The alarming factor is that the recommended level of caesarean deliveries by WHO is 10-15 per cent. The sudden increase in the number of caesarean sections is visible in both urban and rural areas.”

The lifestyle factors leads to an increasing number of women opting for their first child post 30 years of age.  According to Sinha, there are various indications of a caesarean delivery, like contracted pelvis, where if the size of the baby is not proportionate to the size of the birth canal, normal delivery becomes difficult. “Health of the scar of any previous uterine surgery also determines if the women will have a natural delivery. Foetal distress or prolonged labour, severe hypertension and other medical conditions can affect mother or baby’s health,” said Sinha. Gauri Gore, gynaecologist at city-based Zen Hospital, said: “Sometimes, the caesarean-section becomes risky if the mother has genital herpes. So, it has to be ensured that the mother’s infection does not pass on to the baby.” Gore said that a sedentary lifestyle or lack of exercise could also increase the possibility of a C-section.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

22.04.2017

By changing nothing, nothing changes

Tony Robbins

21 April, 2017

Decoded: Why your shoe laces keep coming undone

Do your shoe laces keep coming undone even when you tie them the strongest way possible? You are walking down the stairs of your office or are jogging in the apartment garden; they keep flaring open in all glory, again and again. Why does that happen? Are your weak tying skills to blame or something else? The engineers at University of California Berkeley decode it for us.

Your poor tying is not the reason it's happening. The mechanical engineers say that it happens due to the force put by the foot on the ground combined with the force of swinging or walking your legs.

To understand the happening of repeated knot untying, the experts used a slow-motion camera during their experiments. The force put by the feet first relaxes the knot; secondly they pull at the laces.

For the study, a treadmill walk of the co-author Christine Gregg was filmed. "The shoelace knot comes untied due to the same sort of motion. The forces that cause this are not from a person pulling on the free end but from the inertial forces of the leg swinging back and forth while the knot is loosened from the shoe repeatedly striking the ground," Gregg said.

A variety of laces are being used to conduct the same experiment and so far, they all suffered the same issue. This could be the beginning of understanding why certain laces could be better than others.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

21.04.2017

A problem is a chance for us to do our best

Duke Ellington

20 April, 2017

New 'smart' bandage tells doctor how wound is healing

London: Scientists in the UK have designed a new "intelligent" bandage which can detect how well a wound is healing and send a progress report to the doctor.
The bandage, which could be trialled within the next 12 months, uses real-time 5G technology to monitor what treatment is needed and also keep track of a patient's activity levels.

"The intelligent dressing uses nano-technology to sense the state of the wound at any one specific time," said Marc Clement, chairman of the Swansea University's Institute of Life Science in the UK, which led the research.

"It would connect that wound to a 5G infrastructure and that infrastructure through your telephone will also know things about you - where you are, how active you are at any one time," Clement was quoted as saying by BBC News.

The plaster would help clinicians know the performance of the specific wound at any specific time, who can then tailor the treatment protocol for the individual.

3D printers would be used to produce the bandages which would bring down the cost, researchers said.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

20.04.2017

If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you

19 April, 2017

New wearable sensor can analyse your sweat for disease

US researchers have developed a wristband-type wearable sweat sensor that could help diagnose cystic fibrosis, diabetes and other diseases. The sensor collects sweat, measures its molecular constituents and then electronically transmits the results for analysis and diagnostics through a smartphone, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday. The study was led by researchers at the Stanford University, in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley. Unlike previous sweat collectors, the new device does not require patients to sit still for a long time while it collects sweat from them. The wearable device is a two-part system of flexible sensors and microprocessors that sticks to the skin, stimulates the sweat glands and then detects the presence of different molecules and ions based on their electrical signals. High chloride ion levels, for example, are an indicator of cystic fibrosis while high blood glucose levels can indicate diabetes, according to the study published in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Conventional methods for diagnosing cystic fibrosis — a genetic disease that causes mucus to build up in the lungs, pancreas and other organs — require that patients visit a specialized centre and sit for 30 minutes while electrodes stimulate sweat glands in their skin to provide sweat for the test.

By comparison, the wearable sweat sensor stimulates the skin to produce minute amounts of sweat, quickly evaluates the contents and beams the data by way of a cellphone to a server that can analyze the results, and this test happens all at once and in real time, said Carlos Milla, Associate Professor at Stanford University. For this study, the research team also measured glucose levels in sweat, which correspond to blood glucose levels, making the device potentially useful for monitoring pre-diabetes and diabetes. But the technology can also be used to measure other molecular constituents of sweat, such as sodium and potassium ions and lactate, meaning the platform can be used to “measure virtually anything found in sweat.” “Sweat is hugely amenable to wearable applications and a rich source of information,” said co-author Ronald Davis, Professor at Stanford University. The team is now working on large-scale clinical studies to look for correlations between sweat-sensor readings and health. In the longer term, it’s hoped that the wearable sensor could be integrated into a smartwatch for broad population monitoring. 

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

19.04.2017

Every man has right to decide his own destiny

Bob Marley

18 April, 2017

ICMR advises tertiary care hospitals to avoid at least three antibiotics

Chennai: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has advised tertiary care hospitals to avoid at least three antibiotics — Carbapenems, Polymyxin and Colistin — used to treat multi-drug resistance.

“Every prescription for these drugs should be approved by an internal committee or another physician before being administered to patients,” said antibiotic stewardship committee chairman Dr Dilip Mathai.

Interim results of an ongoing ICMR study in the intensive care units of 20 tertiary care hospitals showed at least 5-7% of infections in critically ill patients are drug resistant, said Dr Mathai.

ICMR has also asked hospitals to develop policies to help rationalise use of all antibiotics. While microbiologists will prepare a list of common infections, drug-resistant infections and effective antibiotics based on periodic study, doctors will be asked to pick the ‘best bet’ drug to treat infections before sending the patient’s blood sample for detailed analysis, reports ToI.

Source: www.indiamedicaltimes.com

18.04.2017

Do your work in silence and let your success be the noise

17 April, 2017

High sugar tax can reduce diabetes burden: Study

Higher taxes of up to 20% on sugar-sweetened beverages and on palm oil can significantly reduce India's diabetesburden and number of deaths due to cardiovascular diseases in less than a decade, a new research published in British Medical Journal (BMJ) shows.

Corroborating the health ministry's long pending proposal for sugar tax, international researchers say 20% tax on sugary drinks can reduce prevalence of overweight and obesity by 3% and incidence of Type 2 diabetes by 1.6% in next 10 years. This assumes significance given that diabetes burden has doubled in the last 10 years from 32 million to 63 million and is projected to grow to 101.2 million in the next 15 years.

The study suggests higher tax can avert at least 4 lakh cardiac deaths. Similarly , prevalence of obesity is also as high as 22% among adults as well as children in India.

Hypertension is also fast growing in India with a prevalence rate of 25.4% among adults. However, the study shows a higher tax of up to 20% in palm oil alone is projected to avert around 3,63000 deaths from myocardial infarctions and strokes over the period 2014-23 (1.3% reduction in cardiovascular deaths). Palm oil, consumed widely in low and middle in come countries, is high in saturated fat and causes a large increase in cholesterol concentrations.

"Strong regulatory framework is essential to ensure compliance. Taxes are mandatory in nature and are bound to impact sales. It is comparatively difficult to bring a change in people's behavorial choices which can be influenced through awareness and information," says Dr Anoop Misra, Chairman Fortis C-DOC.Misra is also one of the lead authors of the study.

Apart from higher taxes, researchers have also advocated for strengthening of health system capacity to deliver care for non-communicable diseases.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

17.04.2017

Live the life you love. Love the life you live

Bob Marley

15 April, 2017

60% people mistake Parkinson's Disease symptoms for old age problem, says neurologists

As people lack awareness on Parkinson's Disease, 60 per cent of them mistake its symptoms to be old age problems, causing a causing a delay in diagnosis and leads to irreversible position of the disease, dosctors said on Wednesday.

People often misunderstand Parkinson's Disease to be old age problems whose symptoms are similar, like shakiness in limbs, tremors, slowed movements, loss of automatic movements.

The disease affects only one side of the body unlike in the case of age-related problem where it affects the complete body.

Sumit Singh, director and head of Neurology at city-based Artemis hospital at a awareness lecture on Parkinson's Disease said, "This misconception leads to delayed diagnosis causing complications worse to treat. Our idea is to create awareness among all".

The neurosciences team has started a special OPD only for Parkinson's Disease patients from April 10 to 16 at the hospital between 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. where patients will be getting free consultation.  According to Parkinson's Disease Foundation, more than 10 million people worldwide are living with the disease. Medication costs for an individual are $2,500 annually, and therapeutic surgery can cost up to $100,000 dollars per patient.

Aditya Gupta, director, neurosurgery at Artemis hospital said as the stage advances, the effect of medication tends to stop and hinder quality of life and the frequency of medication increases due to several on and off phases. 

Gupta said, "This leads to end the medicine effect unpredictable and hence people with advanced stage have to go for deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery. It is most often offered to people with advanced Parkinson's who have unstable medication responses. DBS can stabilize medication fluctuations, reduce or halt involuntary movements (dyskinesias), reduce tremor, reduce rigidity, and improve slowing of movement." 

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

15.04.2017

Victory is paid for in sweat, courage and preparation

Nike

13 April, 2017

Girl born with heart outside body in Madhya Pradesh

A girl, born in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh with a rare medical condition with her heart abnormally located outside the chest, has been shifted to AIIMS in New Delhi for treatment, an official said on Sunday. The baby girl was born with a rare congenital medical condition called Ectopia Cordis in which the heart is abnormally located either partially or totally outside of the thorax. This rare medical condition occurs in eight children per 10 lakh births.Dr Lakhan Tiwari, Pediatrician at Chhatarpur district hospital, told IANS that the girl was born on April 5 at Khajuraho Health Centre in the district. She was brought to the district hospital from where she was referred to the AIIMS. Dr R.S. Tripathi, Civil Surgeon, Chhatarpur district, said: “The heart is covered by bones and skin in the human body but in this case though her heart was formed completely during embryonic development, the body wall could not mature properly.” He said: “Keeping in mind the infant’s serious condition, the infant was sent to the All India Institute of Meidcal Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi along with a doctor.”

Another rare case that had happened in the year 2012 where doctors at Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital operated upon a 46-day-old baby to recreate half of her heart. The first-of-its-kind surgery in India gave her a normal life that she would have otherwise missed, medical officials said. The baby, who hails from Rohtak in Haryana, was brought to Ganga Ram when she was just 40 days old. A look at six-month-old baby does not indicate any abnormality with her, but the baby has had an open heart surgery to rectify her underdeveloped heart.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

13.04.2017

There is always a chance to change and make things right

12 April, 2017

CDSCO issues medical alert on bioresorbable stents

New Delhi: The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has asked patients and doctors to report adverse events suspected to be associated with the use of Absorb Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold (BVS) and Absorb GTl Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold (BVS) to the manufacturer (US-based Abbott Vascular), importer (Abbott Healthcare) and the CDSCO.

Cardiologist warns against dissolvable stents

“Based on the three years clinical data analysis from Absorb II it has been observed that there is an over elevated rate of major adverse cardiac events, specifically, myocardial infarction (heart attack) and scaffold thrombosis (a dangerous side effect where a blood clot forms on the stent itself),” said the CDSCO in a medical device alert dated April 7.

The CDSCO had approved Absorb BVS intended to be used as a temporary scaffold indicated for improving coronary luminal diameter that will eventually resorb and potentially facilitate normalization of vessel function artery lesions.

According to the CDSCO, the importer Abbott Healthcare recently informed the regulator that the manufacturer Abbott Vascular has initiated a field safety notice in European countries to communicate that the product Absorb BVS use will be limited to establish post-market registries to facilitate the collection of real-world evidence for Absorb BVS and Absorb GTl BVS systems.

The registries will capture data from the implantation of all sizes of Absorb Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold (BVS) and Absorb GTl Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold (BVS) in the European market.

According to a senior CDSCO official, the alert is merely a cautionary exercise and does not mean a ban or restriction on the use of the medical device.

He said the alert followed a European Union decision earlier this month to stop open sale of these stents and only allow its “restrictive sale” through trial registries at certain institutions. EU will monitor the stents till a review in 2018.

The US has not placed any restriction so far on the device, reports ToI quoting the official.

Source: www.indiamedicaltimes.com

12.04.2017

Pay more attention to your creator than your critics

11 April, 2017

Why we find it hard to remember names

Most people can't remember names even though names are great for building relationships. What makes people's names hard to recall? It's all down to the way human memory is wired, say University of Florida psychological scientists Lise Abrams and Danielle K. Davis.

Names are "meaningless labels" that reveal little about the person to whom they refer. A person named Brown may not be brown; "if you meet someone named Baker it's easier to remember that he works at a bakery than it is to remember his name." In some cases, the unique sound components of names make them harder to remember. To recall a name, you need to recall all of the sound combinations. "Because names possess more sounds by virtue of having multiple components, there are more sounds that need to be retrieved."

Sometimes, names confuse because they refer to people who have similar attributes.The Moses Illusion is an example. Most people will answer "two" when asked, "How many animals did Moses take on the ark?" But it was Noah, not Moses, who sailed the ark. People mix them up because they are male biblical figures associated with miracles. Recalling names gets tougher when similar sounds are involved, such as with Lyndon Johnson and Andrew Johnson - both former US presidents.

Then there's the visual overlap problem--it's easy to mix up people who look similar. In an experiment, participants were asked to choose the name of the actress who plays a ballet dancer who slowly loses her mind. The correct answer is Natalie Portman but many chose Keira Knightley, who resembles Portman.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

11.04.2017

Good people bring out the good in people

10 April, 2017

AIIMS develops app to monitor heart failure patients remotely

The cardiology department of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here has developed a smartphone application called ‘Dhadkan’ that aims to help doctors monitor the condition of their heart failure patients remotely.

A local nurse or physician can collect the patient’s data on blood pressure, heart rate and weight and feed them into the app and an AIIMS doctor can then remotely view the patient’s condition and prescribe the necessary intervention.

The technology was developed to help patients from far-flung areas who cannot come to Delhi for a check-up at regular intervals, according to Dr Sandeep Seth, professor in the department of cardiology at AIIMS and the man behind the app.

An article about the technology has been published in the Journal of the Practice of Cardiovascular Sciences. The app is available on Google Play Store.

www.indiamedicaltimes.com

10.04.2017

Not everyone we lose is a loss