10 October, 2012 Clippings

Last stage of liver cancer? There’s hope

Even stage IV liver cancer patients have chances of survival— this is the message that doctors in the city tried to convey through Liver Update 2012, a conference on liver surgery held in the city on Sunday.

The event aims to spread awareness about the various treatments available for liver metastases from colorectal cancer. Liver metastases refers to the cancer that is first detected in the colon and then spreads to the liver.

Dr Hitesh Chavda, organising secretary, Liver Update 2012, said that at least 20% of the patients suffering from metastatic colorectal cancer —stage IV liver cancer—can be cured completely.

He asserted that co-ordinated effort on part of doctors is required to help such patients. “It is not the work of surgeon alone. You need oncologists, radiologists and others. They need to work together to explore a range of treatments and develop the one that is of optimal use in a particular situation,” he explained.

Chavda added that not many medical practitioners are aware of the curability of this type of cancer. “This conference is an attempt to discuss the various modalities available and how they can be used best,” he said.

However, he cautioned that the curability was dependent on several factors including the size of the tumour, its aggressiveness etc. “Nowadays, molecular markers can tell a doctor how a patient will react to a certain therapy of cancer treatment,” he said.

He added that the exact cause of colon cancer is not known. “However, the instances of colon cancer are 10 times less than what we see in western countries,” he said. Chavda said that in 50% of the cases, colon cancer may spread to the liver as well. “In 30% of the cases, cancer would have spread from the colon to the liver by the time it is detected,” he added.

Source: www.dnaindia.com

10.10.2012

Psychiatry must be included in MBBS syllabus: Experts

On the eve of World Mental Health Day at a discussion on ‘Depression: A Global Crisis’, experts said that psychiatry must be included in the MBBS syllabus. The event was organized at the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute by the Karnataka State Mental Health Association.

‘We need at least 1 lakh psychiatrists in India. The government must take steps to include psychiatry as a subject in the MBBS syllabus; at least one semester would be enough. If depression is treated with professional care, patients will not hesitate to come forward to seek treatment,’ Justice N Kumar of the Karnataka High Court said.

‘We require trained professionals to help cure mental illness. For this, we need to integrate mental healthcare into public healthcare. We need to create trained professionals, who can handle mental healthcare at Primary Health Centers as depression is highly prevalent in rural areas. MBBS doctors, counsellors, nurses, etc can be trained. Medical colleges must design special courses for mental health treatment,’ said Madam Goal, principal secretary, department of health and family welfare and chairman, Karnataka State Mental Health Authority. Karnataka has just two government institutes – Nimhans and Dharwad Mental Institute — to treat mental illness. The government must set up more institutes to treat mental illness, pointed Dr BN Magadha, professor, department of psychiatry.

Source: http://health.india.com

10.10.2012

There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure

          Paulo Coelho

9 October, 2012 Clippings

Your palm an indicator of illness

Your health is in your hands, and quite literally so. Our hands are the barometers of our well-being and the littlest changes on them may convey a serious medical problem elsewhere in the body.

Discoloured nails

Your nails should be a healthy, pinkish colour. If they have a greenish-yellow tinge then you probably have a fungal infection and should ask your doctor for an anti-fungal treatment. Besides, yellow nails can be a sign of a lung disease.

Spoon-shaped nails

A healthy nail should be slightly raised in the middle and slightly curved down at the tip. If you nail looks the opposite of this, like a spoon, it's a symptom of iron deficiency and anemia. You can correct this by taking iron supplements and including more dark green veggies and some red meat in your diet. Nail clubbing, where the nail takes on a ball-like shape, is even more worrisome as it can mean an internal disease such as lung cancer or heart problems.

Finger lumps

Small lumps close to the nail beds are the first signs of osteoarthritis. These lumps come up as the disease causes a loss of joint space, leading to broadening of joints while new bones begin to form. Osteoarthritis, which is general wear and tear of the joints, is common among women and is painful.

Trembling hands

Everyone's hands shake to some degree but if yours tremble noticeably, it may be an early warning sign that you are developing Parkinson's disease, which affects the nervous system.

Dry skin

Very dry skin can be a sign of an under-active thyroid as it causes the skin to lose moisture.

Red palms

For centuries doctors have associated a reddening of the palm with liver disorders, in particular cirrhosis.. Red palms can also be a symptom of rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disorders and, sometimes, pregnancy.

Sweaty palms

Our palms often heat up when we are nervous or anxious, but if this is happening to you on a regular basis, your thyroid could be to blame. An over-active thyroid causes an increase in your metabolic rate. This means you burn more calories and sweat more as your body temperature increases. You may also experience unexplained weight loss, a constant feeling of nervous energy and a swelling of the thyroid gland in the throat.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

09.10.2012

Nobel Prize in physiology, medicine is shared by Briton, Japanese

British scientist John Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka of Japan shared the 2012 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine Monday for experiments separated by almost 50 years. Their work provides deep insight into how animals develop and offers hope for a new era of personalized medicine.

"Their findings have revolutionized our understanding of how cells and organisms develop," the Nobel committee said in the prize announcement.

Gurdon, 79, is an emeritus professor at Cambridge University who still conducts research at an institute there bearing his name and was knighted in 1995 for his work in developmental biology. His frog experiments a half-century ago showed that scientists 'should be able to derive any one kind of cell from another, because they've all got the same genes," Gurdon said Monday at a news conference in London.

In 2006 and 2007, Yamanaka extended this insight by turning back time on individual cells from both mice and humans. By sprinkling four genes on ordinary skin cells, Yamanaka discovered a virtual fountain of youth: Any cell, he found, could be reverted to an early embryonic state.

These "induced" embryonic cells behave much like the ethically contentious stem cells gleaned from human embryos. Like embyronic cells, they can be grown into many other types of tissues — but without having to destroy any embryos.

The breakthrough offered hope that someday skin cells could be harvested from a patient, sent back to an embryonic state, and then grown into replacement tissues such as heart muscle or nerve cells.

A huge global research effort is now under way to develop pluripotent stem cells, as they're called, into treatments for heart disease, some forms of blindness, Parkinson's disease and many other disorders.

Because the cells made by the technique are genetically identical to the patient, the advance "may one day allow us to transplant rejection-proof tissues," said a leading U.S. stem cell researcher, George Daley, director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute.

Yamanaka's work "has now expanded to hundreds of labs around the world that are exploiting the techniques to study virtually every kind of disease. The impact cannot be overstated," Daley continued.

09.10.2012

There's only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything

Vincent "Vince" Lombardi

8 October, 2012 Clippings

Patient gets Hepatitis C virus during dialysis

The Columbia Asia Referral Hospital in Yeshwanthpur, Bangalore, is facing a probe by the department of health and family welfare over alleged negligence towards a patient undergoing dialysis.

The patient, Beerappa Methre, a 28-year-old mechanical engineer based in Pune, has alleged in his complaint that he got infected with Hepatitis C virus during treatment.

The assistant director of health and family welfare has sent a letter directing the district health officer, Bangalore Urban, to conduct an inquiry and submit a report. Confirming the inquiry, BK Eshwarappa, assistant director, health and family welfare department, said that health minister Aravind Limbavali had directed the department to look into Methre’s complaint.

Methre had come to the hospital in February for dialysis, as he was suffering from a renal problem. Before admitting him, the hospital had referred his blood samples to Reliance Life Sciences, Mumbai for testing. In the results HCV RNA PCR were not detected.

The hospital conducted dialysis for a few months. When he again got his blood tested on August 8 at Ananya Hospital, he was shocked to know that he had tested positive for Hepatitis C virus. “Later I got tested at Religare SRL Diagnostics and Anand Diagnostic Laboratory. Both the tests confirmed presence of Hepatitis C virus. The HCV Viral load was 5,43,000. After coming to know about my health condition, my mother died. I have lost my health and mother. I spent a few lakhs of rupees for the treatment and dialysis. Now I have no money even to pay for dialysis,” Methre told DNA.

Source: www.dnaindia.com

08.10.2012

Ailment more deadly than AIDS, cancer: Doctors

Thirty-six people die every hour in India of sepsis, a disease that kills more people than cancer and AIDS put together. Yet it is one of least known diseases not just among the general public but medical professionals as well.

Sepsis is a serious medical condition caused by the body’s response to a bacterial infection and in this state the body is fighting a severe infection that has spread via the bloodstream. It can lead to complications affecting multiple organs and even cause death.

“Sepsis is a serious infection usually caused by bacteria, which can originate in many body parts, such as the lungs, intestines, urinary tract, or skin that make toxins that cause the immune system to attack the body’s own organs and tissues. If not recognised early, body’s response to infection can damage its own tissues. It is sad that though it is one of the leading killers, especially of people with compromised immunity, it is one of the least understood diseases,” said Dr PK Joshi, director of Niramaya Hospital and president of Pune chapter of Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine (ISCCM). One of the most common reasons to develop sepsis is hospital-based infections.

“People admitted to healthcare set-ups are already suffering from some infection and hence immuno-compromised. Also we see that antibiotics are rampantly used by doctors and combinations of antibiotics are used even in simple infections. There should hence be a hospital policy on use of antibiotics,” said Dr Ramesh Ranka, owner and chief orthopaedic surgeon at Ranka Hospital.

A common misconception is that sepsis is blood poisoning and usually happens due to open wounds etc. “A patient suffering from a viral infection can develop sepsis and even a cancer patient suffer from secondary infection and develop sepsis,” said Prayag Hospital director Dr Shirish Prayag.

Source: www.dnaindia.com

08.10.2012

If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it

Margaret Fuller

6 October, 2012 Clippings

Too young for a heart attack? Think again

Twenty-seven-year-old IT employee Rohit Kotecha (name changed) used to skip reading articles on cardiac ailments, assuming it was something he wouldn’t have to bother about.

A few days ago, an incident changed Kotecha’s way of thinking forever. Experiencing sudden chest pain and sweating while he was on an assignment in Hyderabad, he was rushed into the emergency room of a hospital by colleagues. Doctors told him he had suffered a heart attack.

“He needed an angioplasty and once he was stabilised, his brother drove him down from Hyderabad to Pune for the procedure. The patient led a stressful lifestyle with erratic work hours and smoked nearly 100 cigarettes a day. In fact, such cases of youngsters have become routine for us,” said Duggal.

Doctors say cases of young patients in their late 20’s or early 30’s suffering heart attacks is so common that it doesn’t surprise them anymore.

“In most cases, till the last minute, the patients don’t accept that they are having a heart attack as they are too young. There are days when I have operated three to four cardiac patients in 20’s on the same day. Typically, we see more male patients suffering early heart attacks,” said cardiologist Dr CN Makhale.

Chief cardiologist and trustee of Ruby Hall Clinic, Dr Pervez Grant said the most common risk factors for youngsters is an unhealthy lifestyle.

“Most of the younger patients have lifestyle issues such as odd working hours that forces body to fight its biological clock, stressful lifestyle, little time to exercise and bad dietary habits which are common risk factors. In a large majority, we found a history of smoking which is extremely dangerous and often overlooked as young people take up habit as a stress buster,” said Grant.

In addition to lifestyle factors, experts are now in the process of identifying certain biological factors that make youngsters more susceptible to heart disease.

“Lack of certain enzymes like homocystein, which aid the cell-building process, may aggravate heart trouble. Also, the effects of serum lipoprotein A levels and triglyceride levels in the body on the heart are important,” said interventional cardiologist Dr Rahul Patil.

Source: www.dnaindia.com

06.10.2012

You always pass failure on the way to success

Mickey Rooney

5 October, 2012 Clippings

Eating rice may help fight cancer

Rice consumption may help reduce the risk of bowel cancer, a study has suggested.

Professor Ann Richardson of the University of Canterbury said more than 2800 Kiwis were diagnosed with bowel cancer each year and it was “very possible” dietary changes were associated with world cancer trends.

“Rapid increases in the incidence of bowel cancer in Japan and Hong Kong have been linked to dietary changes which have occurred in these countries over the last 50 years,” Stuff.co.nz quoted her as saying.

Per capita, rice consumption declined by almost 50 per cent in Japan over the past 20 to 30 years.

But countries such as China and India had not seen the same decline in rice consumption and continued to have low rates of bowel cancer, she noted.

Richardson said rates of colorectal cancer in Japan and Hong Kong had increased “too quickly to suggest that it is something genetic”.

“So instead of it being something harmful, it might just be the loss of something protective. There is some laboratory research that suggests that rice has a tumour-suppressing effect, and it’s a very interesting idea and we’re going to pursue it,” she said.

Statistics New Zealand rice-import figures showed that in 1990 each person was eating about three kilograms of rice. In 2012, Kiwis were eating about 8kg each.

A Health Ministry report in 2010 showed bowel-cancer rates were highest for Pakeha and Maori men but lower for Asians and Pacific Islanders.

Source: www.dnaindia.com

05.10.2012

Breast cancer cases to double by 2025

The city will see an alarming rise of cases of breast cancer in women — it will double by 2025. An average of 1,300 cases were recorded in Mumbai every year between 2001 and 2005.

According to a study by Tata Memorial Hospital, where population-based Mumbai Cancer Registry data was studied in women between the age group of 25 and 74, it was observed that cases of breast cancer have been increasing among older women (above 50 years) than the younger age group.

“Every year between 2001 and 2005, an average of 1,300 breast cancer cases were recorded in Mumbai. The number of cases is predicted to double to more than 2,500 cases a year by 2025 with the older women being the hardest hit,” said Dr Rajan Badwe, director, Tata Memorial Hospital in Parel.

According to the 30-year study (from1975 to 2005), breast cancer cases among younger women are increasing by 1% every year and by 1.6% among older women.

“Obesity increases the risk of pre- and post-menopausal breast cancer. Also there is an increasing prevalence of hormonal imbalance in women due to an ill-defined series of reproductive and dietary determinants in lifestyle which affect their health after the age of 50,” said Dr Rajesh Dikshit, associate professor at Tata Memorial Hospital in Parel.

Between 1976 and 1980, one in around 5,000 young women had breast cancer. In 2000- 2005, one in around 4,000 young women were reported to have been afflicted by the disease.

However, cases of breast cancer is higher in older women with one in 1,000 above 50 years having breast cancer in the same period. Doctors say that one in every 30 women in Mumbai has the risk of developing breast cancer if she lives up to 74 years.
“It is estimated that higher-income Indian women get 32% of their total energy from fatty foods,” said Badwe.

“Also, the changing pattern of child bearing, particularly in higher socio-economic classes, and decreased or no breast feeding among mothers is making them vulnerable to breast cancer at a later stage in their lives,” he added.

Source: www.dnaindia.com

05.10.2012

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift

Eleanor Roosevelt

October 4, 2012 Clippings

Celebrate health with tomatoes

Tomatoes are now hot-favourites thanks to the much-talked about Tomato Festival in Spain as shown in the movie Zindagi Milegi Na Dobaara. But take a break from your favorite actors soaking in the 'tomato fun.' It's time to know the health benefits of this rich easily available vegetable.

Anti-oxidant: Tomatoes contain a lot of vitamins A and C, mostly because of beta-carotene, and these vitamins act as an anti-oxidant, working to neutralize dangerous free radicals in the blood stream. Free radicals in the body can be flushed out with high levels of Lycopene, and the tomato is so amply loaded with this vital anti-oxidant that it actually derives its rich redness from the nutrient. These dangerous free radicals can cause cell damage. Also, remember that cooking destroys much of vitamin C, so stick to raw tomatoes for these benefits. So, do remember to carry a tomato-cucumber sandwich in your tiffin box.

Vision: Because of all that vitamin A, tomatoes are also an excellent food to help improve your vision. This also means tomatoes can help your eyes be better about night blindness.

Cancer: Various studies have shown that because of all that lycopene in tomatoes, the red fruit helps to lessen the chances of prostate cancer in men, and also reduces the chance of stomach cancer and colorectal cancer. Lycopene is considered somewhat of a natural miracle anti-oxidant that may help to stop the growth of cancer cells. And, interestingly enough, cooked tomatoes produce more lycopene than do raw tomatoes, so enjoy that tomato soup!

Heart troubles: Due to potassium and vitamin B, tomatoes help to lower blood pressure and to lower high cholesterol levels. This, in turn, could help prevent strokes, heart attack and other potentially life-threatening heart problems.

Skin care: Because of high amounts of lycopene, tomatoes are excellent for skin care. Make sure the inside of the tomato skins are against your skin, and let this be there for at least 10 minutes. Then wash off. You face will be cleaner and give a shiny look.

Hair: Remember all that vitamin A in tomatoes? Well, it's good for keeping your hair strong and shiny, and its also good for your eyes, teeth, skin and bones.

Bones: Tomatoes have a fair amount of vitamin K and calcium, both of which help to strengthen bones.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

04.10.2012

Cipla’s new malaria drug Mefliam Plus receives WHO approval

A new anti-malarial drug developed by Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), a non-profit research and development organization, has received pre-qualification from the World Health Organisation (WHO). Drug firm Cipla today said. The new drug is a fixed dose combination of artesunate and mefloquine (ASMQ FDC) and is marketed by Cipla in India under the brand name Mefliam Plus.

WHO pre-qualification makes the drug eligible to be supplied globally to other markets under the WHO’s anti-malaria programmes, UNICEF, etc.

“The pre-qualification announcement is a recognition that Mefliam Plus meets WHO’s high quality standards and we aim to make this treatment widely available throughout Asia’, said Jaideep Gogtay, medical director, Cipla.

“The availability of this fixed dose combination will have a direct impact on patients, especially in Asia’, said Bernard Pécoul, executive director, DNDi. “It addresses an important public health need in the region as it forms part of the malaria treatment arsenal necessary to control the disease.”

Synriam, a arterolane maleate and piperaquine phosphate combination drug, had also been developed for the treatment of Malaria by maker Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. in collaboration with the government of India’s Department of Science & Technology (DST). Both the two drugs reduce dosage to one tablet per day for three days. The other drugs require 2-4 tablets daily.

Source: http://health.india.com

04.10.2012

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent

Eleanor Roosevelt

October 3, 2012 Clippings

No organ donation unless it’s a relationship of ‘love, affection and attachment’: High Court

The Delhi HC has asked the Centre to explain what its policy was concerning organ harvesting from cadavers. “Director General of Health Services is supposed to file an affidavit before the court on the policy which has been put in place by the ministry of health and family welfare with regard to organs harvested from cadavers,” Justice Rajiv Shakdher said in an order on Monday.

”The affidavit will also disclose whether information with regard to swapping requests and donation of organs from cadavers is uploaded on official website…there is an urgent need to inculcate complete transparency, accountability and general awareness in the citizenry at large by the state”, the court added, giving the Centre a week’s time to file the affidavit.

The need to give this direction came up in a case concerning Agra resident Pawan Anand who had sought the court’s permission for liver transplant for his mother from a close family friend. The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act however doesn’t allow this – in fact only near relatives are allowed to donate their organs and it can’t be allowed if a relationship of ‘love, affection and attachment’ is not established.

Citing provisions of the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, Justice Shakdher said the Act “permits donation by a person, other than a ‘near relative’, for reasons of affection or attachment towards a recipient…” prohibits “commercial dealings” of human organs and there “will rarely be a direct evidence with regard to commercial dealings” which have to be inferred from the facts in each case.

Anand, in his petition, had challenged Director General of Health Services’ refusal to allow liver donation for his ailing mother by his family friend. Pawan’s 62-year-old mother, suffering from liver cirrhosis, had been advised urgent liver transplantation and had sought the sanction under the Act to receive the organ from Gulab Devi, 42, stated to be a family friend who was a tenant in her premises at Agra.

Apollo Hospital’s authorization committee however denied permission claiming that the relationship between donor and recipient was akin to one of a master and caretaker and there was gross financial imbalance between the two.

Source: http://health.india.com                                       03.10.2012

Could proper sleep prevent diabetes?

A new study suggests that more sleep could improve teenagers’ insulin resistance thus preventing the onset of diabetes.”High levels of insulin resistance can lead to the development of diabetes,” said Karen Matthews, who teaches psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh. “We found that if teens that normally get six hours of sleep per night get one extra hour of sleep, they would improve insulin resistance by nine percent,” added Matthews, who led the study.

Insulin resistance is a set of metabolic dysfunctions linked with or contributing to a range of serious health conditions that include type 2 diabetes (also called adult-onset diabetes), metabolic syndrome, and obesity, among others.

The study tracked the sleep duration and insulin resistance levels of 245 healthy high school students. Participants provided a fasting blood draw, and they kept a sleep log and wore a wrist actigraph for one week during the school year, the journal SLEEP reported.

Results show that higher insulin resistance is associated with shorter sleep duration independent of race, age, gender, waist circumference, and body mass index, according to a Pittsburgh statement.

The study is the only one in healthy adolescents that shows a relationship between shorter sleep and insulin resistance that is independent of obesity, added Matthews

Source: http://health.india.com                

03.10.2012

Well done is better than well said

Benjamin Franklin