11 May, 2013

Eating pepper could help prevent Parkinson’s

Eating food, which contains even a small amount of nicotine, like peppers and tomatoes, may help reduce risk of developing Parkinson's disease, a new study has claimed.

According to the research, Solanaceae—a flowering plant family with some species producing foods that are edible sources of nicotine—may provide a protective effect against Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder that is caused by loss of brain cells that produce dopamine. Its symptoms include facial, hand, arm, and leg tremors, stiffness in the limbs, loss of balance, and slower overall movement.

For the present population-based study Dr. Susan Searles Nielsen and her colleagues from the University of Washington in Seattle recruited 490 patients newly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at the university's Neurology Clinic or a regional health maintenance organization, Group Health Cooperative.

Another 644 unrelated people without neurological conditions were used as controls.

Questionnaires were used to assess their lifetime diets and tobacco use, which researchers defined as ever smoking more than 100 cigarettes or regularly using cigars, pipes or smokeless tobacco.

Vegetable consumption in general did not affect Parkinson's disease risk, but as consumption of edible Solanaceae increased, Parkinson's disease risk decreased, with peppers displaying the strongest association.

Researchers noted that the apparent protection from Parkinson's occurred mainly in men and women with little or no prior use of tobacco, which contains much more nicotine than the foods studied.

Nielsen said that similar to the many studies that indicate tobacco use might reduce risk of Parkinson's, their findings suggests a protective effect from nicotine, or perhaps a similar but less toxic chemical in peppers and tobacco.

The study has been published in Annals of Neurology, a journal of the American Neurological Association and Child Neurology Society.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

11.05.2013

Gene that halts cancer growth discovered

Scientists have identified a "master regulator" gene that, when repressed in cancer cells, puts a halt to tumours and stops them from enlarging and spreading to distant sites.

Researchers hope the gene may be the key to developing a new treatment for tumours resistant to current drugs. This master regulator is normally turned off in adult cells, but it is very active during embryonic development and in all highly aggressive tumours studied to date," said Linda Resar, from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

"Our work shows for the first time that switching this gene off in aggressive cancer cells dramatically changes their appearance and behaviour," said Resar. Resar has been investigating genes in the master regulator's family, known as high mobility group or HMG genes, for two decades. In addition to their role in cancer, these genes are essential for giving stem cells their special powers, and that's no coincidence, she said.

"Many investigators consider cancer cells to be the evil twin of stem cells, because like stem cells, cancer cells must acquire special properties to enable the tumour to grow and etastasise or spread to different sites," she said. In the newly reported study, the Resar's team applied the same techniques to several strains of human breast cancer cells in the laboratory, including the so-called triple negative cells - those that lack hormone receptors or HER2 gene amplification.

The Resar team blocked HMGA1 expression in aggressive breast cancer cells and followed their appearance and growth patterns. "The aggressive breast cancer cells grow rapidly and normally appear spindle-shaped or thin and elongated.

Remarkably, within a few days of blocking HMGA1 expression, they appeared rounder and much more like normal breast cells growing in culture," said Resar.

The team also found that the cells with suppressed HMGA1 grow very slowly and fail to migrate or invade new territory like their HMGA1-expressing cousins. Researchers next implanted tumour cells into mice to see how the cells would behave. The tumours with HMGA1 grew and spread to other areas, such as the lungs, while those with blocked HMGA1 did not grow well in the breast tissue or spread to distant sites. The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Source: http://health.india.com

11.05.2013

Life isn't hard to manage when you've nothing to lose

ERNEST HEMINGWAY

10 May, 2013

IISc develops world’s first painless, needle-less vaccine system!

Yesterday, HRD minister of state Shashi Tharoor told the Rajya Sabha that the Indian Institute of Science has made a remarkable breakthrough in delivering medication by successfully designing and testing a needleless vaccine delivery system.

Tharoor said the new method had been developed by IISc by the laboratory for hypersonic and shock wave, the aerospace engineering department and microbiology and cell biology department and it’s the first such delivery system in the world. The new system apparently managed to successfully deliver mice with a typhoid vaccine. The method utilises the instantaneous mechanical impulse generate by micro-blast waves to achieve subcutaneous delivery of vaccine into mice. The micro-blast wave is generated inside a small disposable plastic tube (3mm in diameter) using very less chemical energy.

If this vaccine delivery system proves successful in the long run because of the various cons associated with needles such as:

• A lot of children are afraid of injections and the pain it causes
• An injection if applied incorrectly can cause problems ranging from muscle damage to instant death if an air bubble is released in the bloodstream
• There’s also the risk of transmission of diseases like HIV/AIDS from unsterilized needles

Tharoor added the method is painless because the depth of penetration below the skin is very less and the method will also require less quantity of vaccines. It’s also painless, cheap, disposable, safe and economical and has the potential to revolutionise vaccine delivery.

Source: http://health.india.com

10.05.2013

‘Kids spend less than an hour with their parents’

Busy schedules of parents are increasingly deprieving their children of their company and hence, they are growing up cocooned in their own world. A study by Assocham Ladies League (ALL) shows that over 65 percent of youngsters between the age of eight and 24 get to spend less than one hour with their parents. This leads to a situation where youngsters become aloof, introverted, impatient and intolerant, says the study.

Parents are reaching home much later in the evening and leaving home much earlier in the morning and the consequences of this are that with the growing number of nuclear families, there is no one to look after the children in their absence, adds the study.

ALL Global Chairperson Harbeen Arora said: ‘Since violence and abuse emerge from complex causes, we require participation of multiple stakeholders in addressing the issue. The practices of responding to complaints and victims must become more sensitive and supportive, and civil society is ready to help in such endeavors.’

The study highlighted the fact that the majority of youth spend less time in and with their families resulting in estranged relationships. Most of the respondents rarely shared any problems with their parents. Thus, problems of communication, inadequate expression and lack of parental support have been identified as factors associated with behavioural problems in children and adolescents.

Urvashi Butalia Director & Co-founder , Kali for Woman said: ‘Rape and sexual assault are not merely women’s issues. They are a symbol of the deep-seated violence that women and other marginalized people experience every day in our society. So a mindset change is required and there’s a need for inculcating values for respecting women in our education and culture’

‘Abuse and violence in families not only affects the psyche of a child but also hinders growth and development. Children from homes where domestic violence is occurring are also more likely to exhibit aggressive behaviour and tend to be intolerant and impatient’, adds the study.

Source: http://health.india.com

10.05.2013

The worst that a man can do to himself is to do injustice to others

HENRIK IBSEN

9 May, 2013

How aerobic exercise helps lower breast cancer risk

Aerobic exercise influences the way our bodies break down estrogens to produce more of the `good` metabolites that lower breast cancer risk, according to a new research.

Observational studies suggest physical activity lowers breast cancer risk, but there are no clinical studies that explain the mechanism behind this, said Mindy S. Kurzer, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota in Saint Paul.

Kurzer and her colleagues conducted the Women in Steady Exercise Research (WISER) clinical trial, which involved 391 sedentary, healthy, young, premenopausal women. They randomly assigned the women to two age-matched, body mass index-matched groups: a control group of 179 women and an intervention group of 212 women.

While women in the control group continued a sedentary lifestyle for the entire study period, women in the intervention group performed 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise five times a week for 16 weeks. Aerobic exercises included the treadmill, stair stepper or elliptical machine.

Using a state-of-the-art technique called liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectroscopy, they measured the amount of three parent estrogens, E1, E2 and E3, and nine of their breakdown products called metabolites, in the participants` urine samples.

According to Kurzer, estrogen metabolism favoring the production of a metabolite called 2-hydroxyestrone (2-OHE1) over one called 16alpha-hydroxyestrone (16alpha-OHE1), which results in an increase in the 2-OHE1/16alpha-OHE1 ratio, has been linked with a reduction in breast cancer risk.

She and her colleagues found that aerobic exercise led to an increase in the amount of 2-OHE1 and a decrease in the amount of 16alpha-OHE1, which led to a significant increase in the 2-OHE1/16alpha-OHE1 ratio. There were no changes in the 2-OHE1/16alpha-OHE1 ratio in the urine of control group participants.  "Exercise, known to favor fitness and improve heart health, is also likely to help prevent breast cancer by altering estrogen metabolism," said Kurzer.

In collaboration with researchers at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Kurzer is conducting similar studies in women with a high risk for breast cancer.

The study results were published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

09.05.2013

Sunshine could be `elixir of life`

A new study has suggested that exposing skin to sunlight may help reduce blood pressure, cut the risk of heart attack and stroke - and even prolong life.

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh have shown that when our skin is exposed to the sun`s rays, a compound is released in our blood vessels that helps lower blood pressure.

The findings suggest that exposure to sunlight improves health overall, because the benefits of reducing blood pressure far outweigh the risk of developing skin cancer.

Production of this pressure-reducing compound - called nitric oxide - is separate from the body`s manufacture of vitamin D, which rises after exposure to sunshine. Until now it had been thought to solely explain the sun`s benefit to human health, the scientists added.

Researchers studied the blood pressure of 24 volunteers who sat beneath tanning lamps for two sessions of 20 minutes each. In one session, the volunteers were exposed to both the UV rays and the heat of the lamps. In the other, the UV rays were blocked so that only the heat of the lamps affected the skin.

The results showed that blood pressure dropped significantly for one hour following exposure to UV rays, but not after the heat-only sessions. Scientists said that this shows that it is the sun`s UV rays that lead to health benefits. The volunteers` vitamin D levels remained unaffected in both sessions.

"We suspect that the benefits to heart health of sunlight will outweigh the risk of skin cancer. The work we have done provides a mechanism that might account for this, and also explains why dietary vitamin D supplements alone will not be able to compensate for lack of sunlight," said Dr Richard Weller, Senior Lecturer in Dermatology at the University of Edinburgh.

The landmark proof-of-principle study will be presented on Friday in Edinburgh at the world`s largest gathering of skin experts.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

09.05.2013

When inspiration does not come to you, you go to meet it

SIGMUND FREUD

8 May, 2013

Why dark chocolate keeps you calm and stress free

A new study suggests that dark chocolate can help in anger management! Researchers claim that the polyphenols in dark chocolate increase calmness and the sense of contentment! Polyphenols are found naturally in plants and are a basic component of the human diet. These compounds have been shown to reduce oxidative stress which is associated with many diseases. They may also have beneficial psychological effects, scientists believe.

‘Anecdotally, chocolate is often linked to mood enhancement,’ said lead author of the study, Matthew Pase, from Swinburne University of Technology, Australia. ‘This clinical trial is perhaps the first to scientifically demonstrate the positive effects of cocoa polyphenols on mood,’ Pase said.

Seventy-two healthy men and women aged 40-65 years took part in the randomised study to receive a dark chocolate drink mix standardised to contain either 500 mg of cocoa polyphenols, 250 mg of cocoa polyphenols or 0 mg of cocoa polyphenols. The drink mixes were given to participants in identical packaging so that both the investigators and participants were unaware of which treatment they were receiving. Participants drank their assigned drink once a day for 30 days.

After 30 days, those who drank the high dose concentration of cocoa polyphenols reported greater calmness and contentedness than those who drank either of the other drink mixes. The researchers did not find any evidence that cocoa polyphenols significantly improved cognitive performance. Additionally, only those who consumed the highest amount of polyphenols (500 mg per day) reported any significant positive effects. Participants who consumed a moderate amount (250 mg per day) reported no significant effects. The study was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.

Earlier research has shown that dark chocolate has immense health benefits but only when consumed in moderate amounts. It’s supposed to keep heart disease away, lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol.

Source: http://health.india.com

08.05.2013

Medical colleges to only prescribe generic drugs

The Medical Council of India (MCI) has advised deans of all medical colleges to prescribe generic drugs, parliament was told on Tuesday.

The MCI has issued circulars to deans of all medical colleges, directors of post graduate institutes and presidents of state medical councils to give wide publicity to ensure compliance by doctors as far as possible in prescribing drugs with generic names, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad informed the Rajya Sabha in a written answer. The MCI has stated that it is not aware of doctors opposing the circular, he said.

Azad further clarified that MCI does not regulate manufacturing of drugs. The quality of drugs manufactured or imported is regulated under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.

What are generic drugs?

They are drugs which have the same chemical composition as branded drugs. They are sold under their chemical name instead of the branded name and are usually cheaper. There has been a movement in recent years to bolster the generic drug scenario in the country and the Govt has even promised to provide them free at public health facilities. Thanks to lack of patent laws that don’t recognise intellectual property rights, India is the leading manufacturer of generic drugs in the world and many developing countries are dependent on Indian pharmaceuticals for drugs to treat various diseases including HIV/AIDS, malaria and even cancer. They entered public consciousness last year when Aamir Khan discussed them on his reality show Satyamev Jayate.

Source: http://health.india.com

08.05.2013

An idealist is a person who helps other people to be prosperous

HENRY FORD

7 May, 2013

Say good morning to pain-free feet

Do you wake up to a sharp, shooting pain in your feet? Plantar Fascial loading is common among women who stand for long hours — homemakers who cook and clean on their feet and working women, who commute by trains and stand for long.

Continuously standing for hours puts a lot of pressure on the weight-bearing surface of the feet, which is supported by the Plantar Fascia. "Due to continuous standing, the Fascia becomes swollen, which leads to the pain early in the morning," says Chaitanya Shah, practising podiatrist and mobility consultant. The pain occurs when you get up from the bed and place your feet on the ground and try to stand or walk. In some cases, the pain remains throughout the day while in others, it subsides after a few hours. Mostly, it comes back if you take rest in between and restart activity.

If this condition is left untreated, the body will start depositing calcium at the heel bone (Calcaneum), leading to Calcaneal Spur.

To avoid the pain on one leg, women often transfer their weight on the other. "Never do this," says Dr Shah. It results in knee pain. Also, the abnormal walk affects the spine and you develop back and neck pain.

In fact, what actually starts off as a foot pain will later affect the whole biomechanics (study of how the bones, muscles, tendon and ligament work together to cause movement) of your body.

"Women who have to stand for long hours or have to wear high heels at work can develop bunion, corns and calluses. Another common problem among women is Vitamin D deficiency, mainly due to the hormonal changes during pregnancy and menopause. As a result, they develop weak and brittle bones, leading to osteoporosis. Bone pain is very common in such women," adds Shah.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

07.05.2013

Nutrition plays key role in oral health

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There is a strong connection between the food people eat and their oral health, a recently updated position paper of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has stated.

The Academy's position paper highlighted that nutrition is an integral component of oral health.

The Academy supports integration of oral health with nutrition services, education and research. Collaboration between dietetics practitioners and oral health care professionals is recommended for oral health promotion and disease prevention and intervention.

According to the Academy's position paper, dental caries - also known as tooth decay - "is the most prevalent, chronic, common and transmissible infectious oral condition in humans."

In addition, a person's overall health can be affected by tooth loss, since "declining periodontal health" can lead to diminished dietary quality because of lack of essential nutrients in a person's diet.

The Academy's position paper emphasizes that oral health problems can be prevented by: Eating a healthy balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, lean protein and low-fat dairy products and whole grains that provide essential nutrients for optimum oral health and overall health.

Practicing good oral hygiene, such as brushing teeth with fluoridated toothpaste twice a day; drinking fluoridated water; and seeking regular oral health care.

"As knowledge of the connection between oral and nutrition health increases, it highlights the importance of dietetics practitioners and oral health care professionals to provide screening, education and referrals as part of comprehensive client/patient care," according to the authors of the Academy's position paper.

"Collaborative endeavors between dietetics, dentistry, medicine and allied health professionals in research, education and delineation of practice roles are needed to ensure comprehensive health care," they noted.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

07.05.2013

Every man alone is sincere. At the entrance of a second person, hypocrisy begins

RALPH WALDO EMERSON

6 May, 2013

First kidney transplant from deceased donor in UAE

In a landmark surgery in the UAE, a hospital carried out a kidney transfer and transplant from a deceased donor from Saudi Arabia to a 23-year-old woman patient from Abu Dhabi. The surgery was done at the Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), owned and operated by the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA).

The health of the patient, Latifa Sai’ed, who had suffered kidney problems for 16 years, is said to be improving daily. The organ is functioning normally and she is no longer on dialysis.

Ali Abdulkareem al-Obaidli, chief clinical officer at SEHA, spoke about the patient recipient.

Latifa Sai’ed, born and raised in the UAE, suffered from a rare syndrome that resulted in kidney failure at the age of seven. She was on dialysis for 16 years ever since and endured multiple problems common to long-term dialysis patients, such as blood clots, inflammation and painful procedures such as cathertization.

Word was received that a young man died in a traffic accident in Saudi Arabia, and his family decided to donate his organs to help save the lives of those needing organ transplants.

Tests showed that Latifa was a near perfect match for the kidney and arrangements were made to rush it from Saudi Arabia to the UAE by a jet.

Al Qubaisi praised the medical team, and thanked the family of the donor for their generous and selfless act of kindness.

Sheikh Khalifa Medical City has conducted 75 kidney transplants, all from living related donors in the past. Among them were seven children, the youngest being four years old, while the oldest person was 64 years old. However, this was the first transplant from a deceased donor.

Source: http://health.india.com

06.05.2013

4500 died due to unsafe abortions

As many of 4,500 deaths or eight percent of all maternal deaths occur due to unsafe abortions every year, parliament was told on Friday.

As per Registrar General of India’s Sample Registration System (RGI -SRS) survey report (2001-03), 8 percent of maternal deaths in the country are attributed to ‘abortion’ which translates into an absolute number of approximately 4,500 deaths in one year, Minister of State for Health Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

Under the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), a conditional cash transfer scheme to promote institutional delivery with a special focus on below poverty line (BPL) and scheduled caste/scheduled tribal (SC/ST) pregnant women.

The scheme has brought about a significant increase in institutional delivery, added Choudhury.

More than 8.8 lakh ASHAs have been appointed in the villages to facilitate accessing of health care services at institutions, by the community, particularly pregnant women, he said.

Source: http://health.india.com

06.05.2013

President Mukherjee asks youngsters for blood

President Pranab Mukherjee called upon young men and women of the country to donate blood in a big way to ensure that not a single person in need of blood is left wanting. ‘Despite the notable efforts of our country’s blood banks, our country remains short of two million units of blood. I take this opportunity to call upon our young men and women to come forward in a big way and take part in voluntary blood donation,’ said Mukherjee, addressing the ceremonial session of the annual general meeting of the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) and St. John Ambulance. ‘Our efforts must be to ensure that not a single person in need of blood is left unanswered,’ he said. The president also presented awards to 26 volunteers and branches of IRCS and St John Ambulance (India) in recognition of their committed services.

Observing that despite the progress made by mankind, it cannot exercise control over occurrence of natural disasters, Mukherjee said: ‘While we may not be able to prevent such unfortunate events from occurring, we can definitely lessen their adverse impact on human lives.’ ‘For that, the quick response mechanisms for relief must be reinforced,’ he said. Mukherjee also asked volunteer-based organisations to ensure immediate medical assistance during road accidents so as to minimize the loss of life. In India, the Indian Red Cross Society and St. John Ambulance have been at the forefront of humanitarian service since 1920.

Source: http://health.india.com

06.05.2013

It's in vain to recall the past, unless it works some influence upon the present

CHARLES DICKENS

4 May, 2013

Diabetes may lead to infertility

When a couple does not conceive even after 12 months of trying without contraception it is termed as infertility. And diabetes can be one of the conditions that cause infertility in both men and women.

Young women with diabetes, either type 1 or type 2, on an average, tend to start their periods a little later in life than women without diabetes. On the other end of the spectrum, women with diabetes tend to go through menopause slightly earlier, so this provides a slightly smaller window of fertility for women with diabetes. We know that insulin is also a hormone, so when you have diabetes, or any form of insulin resistance, you have a hormone imbalance. When a single hormone is out of balance, it can trigger a domino-like effect with the rest of your hormones, including estrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels. These hormone imbalances can cause a wide variety of side effects, ranging from ovarian cysts to erectile dysfunction and infertility.

Diabetic women are also prone to miscarriages, which occurs due to high levels of sugar which is toxic for the developing embryo.

As reported by medicalnews.com, in a research led by Dr Ishola Agbaje, a research fellow in the Reproductive Medicine Research Group at Queen's University, Belfast (2007), concluded that, "DNA damage in the sperm of diabetic men is higher than in the sperm of men who do not have diabetes. They suggest this may make diabetic men less fertile."

Source: www.timesofindia.com

04.05.2013

Now, arthritis could be less painful

Scientists have created a synthetic polymer that functions as a joint lubricant aimed at providing relief to arthritis patients, says a study.

A team of researchers led by a Boston University Biomedical Engineer has developed a new joint lubricant that could bring longer lasting relief to millions of osteoarthritis sufferers.

The new synthetic polymer supplements synovial fluid, the natural lubricant in joints, and works better than comparable treatments currently available.

According to Professor Mark W. Grinstaff (BME, MSE, Chemistry), the best fluid supplement now available offers temporary symptom relief but provides inadequate lubrication to prevent further degradation of the cartilage surfaces that cushion the joint.

To achieve both objectives, Grinstaff, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School orthopedic surgeon Brian Snyder and a team of Boston University chemistry and engineering students, fellows and clinicians have advanced the first synthetic synovial fluid, reports Science Daily.

They describe the unique polymer and its performance in Journal of the American Chemical Society.

"From our studies, we know our biopolymer is a superior lubricant in the joint, much better than the leading synovial fluid supplement, and similar to healthy synovial fluid," said Grinstaff. "When we used this new polymer, the friction between the two cartilage surfaces was lower, resulting in less wear and surface-to-surface interaction. It's like oil for the joints."

Source: www.timesofindia.com

04.05.2013

Consider nothing impossible, then treat possibilities as probabilities

CHARLES DICKENS