|
|
|
|
|
Health News
Bangalore September 3:
A hospital in cooperation with a research group here, has conceptualised and launched a health service that uses mobile phones to detect cancer.
The Mazumdar Shaw Cancer Centre (MSCC) of the Narayana Hrudayalaya, a well-known hospital along with the SANA (a research group at Harvard/MIT), has launched the 'mhealth' that uses mobile phone to detect cancer.
The Head of Department (HOD) of Cancer in the Narayan Hriduyalya, Dr. Moni Abraham, said that usually patients visit specialists with stage four of cancer that is expensive to treat. However, if cancer is detected early, it can be treated properly and economically, he said.
"By sitting in the building like a major cancer centre we get a lot of patients but they have very advance stage. So, we realise that we have to reach out to people; so that is the basic motive we go out to the people and try to pick up the cancer at its early stage. So, we can provide basic help to the patient.... The cost of treatment, the benefit of treatment will be significant ... than stage four disease," said Dr. Moni Abraham.
The technology that the SANA software has developed includes certain automated questionnaires, which are directed to the patient by a trained health worker. If most of the questionnaires are answered in the affirmative, the health worker will then take high quality lesion picture using the phone camera. After clicking the picture, the entire data is uploaded on the server for the specialists to take a look and analyse the case.
"This picture can be taken by the mobile phone camera and with the optics of the recent camera the quality of picture is fairly good. So, all most like an expert going to the community and seeing the patient ourselves, so, they (health workers) take a picture then completing all the constituents and taking picture they press a button and with the button they can transfer the entire details through internet," said Dr. Moni Abraham.
It takes only two minute for a cancer specialist to decide whether the person in question is affected with cancer. Dr. Abraham said: The next development will be that the software will be given to telephone vendors to be uploaded in their phones.
|
|
Source :
Punjab Mail Online
|
|
News Date :
September
|
|
Washington September 3:
The fat tissue in those spare tires and lower belly pooches - is not just a dormant storage depot for surplus calories, but is an active organ that sends chemical signals to other parts of the body, perhaps increasing the risk of heart attacks, cancer, and other diseases, according to scientists.
They have discovered 20 new hormones and other substances not previously known to be secreted into the blood by human fat cells and verification that fat secretes dozens of hormones and other chemical messengers. Anja Rosenow and colleagues note that excess body fat can contribute to heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other diseases.
Many people once thought that fat cells were inert storage depots for surplus calories. But studies have established that fat cells can secrete certain hormones and other substances much like other organs in the body. Among those hormones is leptin, which controls appetite, and adiponectin, which makes the body more sensitive to insulin and controls blood sugar levels. However, little is known about most of the proteins produced by the billions of fat cells in the adult body.
The scientists identified 80 different proteins produced by the fat cells. These include six new proteins and 20 proteins that have not been previously detected in human fat cells. The findings could pave the way for a better understanding of the role that hormone-secreting fat cells play in heart disease, diabetes, and other diseases. The study appears in ACS’ monthly Journal of Proteome Research.
|
|
Source :
Punjab Mail Online
|
|
News Date :
September
|
|
New Delhi September 1:
Eating a high-fat diet during puberty is associated with a greater risk of breast cancer later in life, according to a preliminary research.
The findings come from research at Michigan State University's Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Center. Physiology professor Sandra Haslam, director of the center, and Richard Schwartz, microbiology professor and associate dean in the College of Natural Science, are now expanding that research.
"The pubertal time period is crucial, as this is when the basic framework is created for mammary gland development. What we are seeing from preliminary research in animals is that a high-fat diet during puberty can lead to the production of inflammatory products in the mammary glands of adults, which can promote cancer growth," Haslam said.
The work is based on the team's previous research that found the hormone progesterone activates genes that trigger inflammation in the mammary gland; that inflammation may be a key factor in increasing the risk of breast cancer. The researchers discovered that a high-fat diet during puberty produced many of the same effects seen as part of their progesterone research.
Schwartz said: "Understanding what genes were turned on by progesterone led us to look at some of the same suspects with high-fat diets. It appears both processes may lead to inflammation in the mammary glands." Since these inflammatory changes first occur during the crucial time of puberty, a period of intense development and cell division, it can have effects lasting a lifetime.
To test their findings, Haslam and Schwartz will lead a team analyzing two different mouse models of breast cancer and the effects of high-fat diets during puberty. They also will test several anti-inflammation interventions designed to overcome the negative effects of a high-fat diet on inflammation.
|
|
Source :
Punjab Mail Online
|
|
News Date :
September
|
|
London September 1:
Just a cup of coffee a day could keep your arteries healthy, supple and ward off heart disease, says a new study.
Researchers investigated regular coffee drinking to see if it helps people live longer. They looked at 485 people with high blood pressure (BP) or hypertension. They were aged between 65 and 100 years, inhabiting the Greek island of Ikaria, known as the 'land of longevity'. A third of its residents are 90 years old, reports the Daily Mail.
Hypertension stiffens arteries and reduces elasticity, increasing the likelihood of heart attacks and strokes, the study said. Study leader Christina Chrysohoou from the University of Athens found that 56 percent of people, who were moderate coffee drinkers, consuming between one and two cups a day, had the best arterial health, with their blood vessels having the elasticity of younger people. These findings were presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Stockholm, Sweden.
|
|
Source :
Punjab Mail Online
|
|
News Date :
September
|
|
London September 1:
Scientists say the best way to combat garlic's lingering odour is to have a glass of milk. Drinking milk was found to reduce garlic breath when even brushing your teeth doesn't work. In tests with raw and cooked cloves, milk was shown to ' significantly reduce' concentrations of the chemicals that give garlic its long-lasting smell, reports the Daily Mail.
One of the compounds - allyl methyl sulphide (AMS) - cannot be broken down during digestion, causing it to be released from the body in the breath and sweat. Food scientists at Ohio State University found that drinking a small glass (200ml) of milk can reduce the presence of AMS on the breath by 50 per cent.
The US study, concluded that full-fat milk gave better results than skimmed and it was also better if diners drank with their meal, rather than afterwards. The study has been published in the Journal of Food Science.
|
|
Source :
Punjab Mail Online
|
|
News Date :
September
|
|
London September 1:
As little as 30 minutes of exercise -- be it a brisk walk, jogging or even walking up and down stairs -- daily could dramatically reduce one's chance of developing cancer, says a new study.
According to the World Cancer Research Fund, which carried out the study, there is increasing evidence to show that people who keep fit have a lower risk of developing cancer as they grow older. This may be due to the fact that fit people tend to be slimmer -- studies have shown that obesity increases the risk of cancer, the 'Daily Express' reported.
Dr Rachel Thompson of the Fund said: "There is now very strong evidence that being physically active is important for cancer prevention. Even relatively modest increases in activity levels could prevent thousands of cancer cases. "You can reduce your cancer risk just by making small changes and this is highlighted by the fact that so many cases could be prevented through something as simple as brisk walking."
Staying fit not only cuts the risk of certain cancers, but can reduce the risk of other common killers like heart disease and stroke, and cut the chance of diabetes. The Fund is launching 'Walking Together', a campaign to get the public to organise walks with friends and family. Paul Fretwell, head of fund-raising, said:
"We are trying to promote the fact that wherever you live in the UK, you are never that far away from somewhere nice to walk. As well as raising money, this campaign is promoting importance of physical activity for cancer prevention and reminding people how enjoyable walking can be."
|
|
Source :
Punjab Mail Online
|
|
News Date :
September
|
|
Washington August 31:
More women will be giving birth by C-section for the foreseeable future, government scientists said Monday, releasing a study into the causes of a trend that troubles maternal health experts.
Overall, cesarean deliveries account for about a third of births in the U.S. While much attention has recently focused on women having repeat C-sections, researchers with the National Institutes of Health found that nearly one third of first-time moms delivered by cesarean.
That is "somewhat surprising," said Dr. Jun Zhang, lead author of a study that looked at nearly 230,000 deliveries in 19 hospitals around the country. "It has consequences for future pregnancies." Many doctors and hospitals follow a policy of "once a cesarean, always a cesarean."
The study also suggested a link between chemically induced labor and higher likelihood of a C-section. Women whose labor was induced were twice as likely to have a cesarean. The authors said more research is needed to clarify if there's a cause-and-effect relationship.
Many medical experts consider cesarean deliveries to be a major component of "overtreatment" in the U.S. — procedures and tests that provide little or no benefit while subjecting patients to additional risks. Indeed, new clinical recommendations say vaginal birth is safe for most women who've had a first C-section.
But the trend does not appear likely to reverse. Since the mid-1990s, the C-section rate in the U.S. has increased by more than 50 percent. How low should it be? In Scandinavian countries it hovers in the 20 percent range, with no evidence of ill-effects for mothers or babies, Zhang said. How high can it go? In some countries 60 percent to 70 percent of babies are now delivered surgically.
"I hope that we won't get there," said Zhang. "The upward trajectory seems likely to continue in the near future." Explaining the increase in C-sections is no simple matter. The study found a variety of reasons, some related, including heavier moms and babies, women giving birth later in life, an increase the number of twins and multiple births, and evidence that doctors may be opting for a cesarean if women encounter difficulties in the early stages of labor.
One factor that made no difference was whether the mother had private health insurance or was covered through a government program like Medicaid. The study was published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
|
|
Source :
Punjab Mail Online
|
|
News Date :
August 31,
|
|
London August 30:
Scientists have identified the first-ever genetic risk factor associated with common types of migraine, a finding they claim may soon pave the way for novel therapies to prevent the debilitating pain attacks.
An international team looked at the genetic data of over 50,000 people and found that patients with a particular DNA variant on Chromosome 8 between two genes -- PGCP and MTDH /AEG-1 -- have a greater risk for developing migraine. The scientists also discovered a potential explanation for this link -- the associated DNA variant regulates levels of glutamatem a chemical, known as a neurotransmitter, which transports messages between nerve cells in the brain.
The results suggest that an accumulation of glutamate in nerve cell junctions (synapses) in the brain may play a key role in the initiation of migraine attacks, according to the 'Health and Medicine' journal. Dr Aarno Palotie of Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, which spearheaded the study, said: "This is the first time we have been able to peer into the genomes of many thousands of people and find genetic clues to understand common migraine.
"Studies of this kind are possible only through largescale international collaboration -- bringing together the wealth of data with the right expertise and resources -- so that we could pick out this genetic variant. This discovery opens new doors to understand common diseases." In fact, the scientists carried out what is known as a genome-wide association study to zoom in on genome variants that could increase susceptibility to migraine.
The team compared the genomes of more than 3000 people from Finland, Germany and The Netherlands with migraine with the genomes of more than 10,000 non-migraineurs, recruited from pre-existing studies, to spot differences that might account for one group's increased susceptibility to migraine. To confirm their link, the team compared the genomes of a second group of more than 3000 patients with more than 40,000 apparently healthy people.
The statistical analysis revealed that a DNA variation found between the PGCP and MTDH/AEG-1 genes on chromosome 8 appears to be associated with increased susceptibility to common migraine. The variant appears to alter the activity of MTDH/AEG-1 in cells, which regulates the activity of the EAAT2 gene: the EAAT2 protein is responsible for clearing glutamate from brain synapses in the brain, say the scientists.
"Although we knew that the EAAT2 gene has a crucial role to play in neurological processes in human and potentially in the development of migraine, until now, no genetic link has been identified to suggest that glutamate accumulation in brain could play a role in common migraine. "This research opens the door for new studies to look in depth at the biology of the disease and how this alteration in particular may exert its effect," said co-author Christian Kubisch of Ulm University.
|
|
Source :
Punjab Mail Online
|
|
News Date :
August 30,
|
|
London August 30:
Binge drinking and obesity are contributing to a steep rise in deaths from liver disease. The number of deaths from damaged, diseased and worn-out livers has gone up by 60 percent in just a decade in Britain.
Liver disease, including cancer, claimed 9,719 lives in Britain in 2008 alone, up from 6,058 10 years earlier, a report by the All-Party Parliamentary Hepatology Group said, according to the Daily Mail. Alcohol is 75 percent cheaper now than in 1980. Heavy drinking can inflame the liver, causing jaundice and leading to comas and even death.
Long-term, excessive drinking can also cause cirrhosis, which destroys normal liver tissue and is replaced by scar tissue. The number of cases has increased 10-fold in recent decades. Doctors have warned that the alcohol-induced problem, usually found in older adults, is now being diagnosed in teenagers.
Liver cancer is also on the rise. Although it is relatively common for cancers to spread to the liver, few cancers started there until recently. Don Shenker of the charity Alcohol Concern, which is calling for high-strength beers and ciders to be taxed more heavily, said the combination of cheap alcohol and round-the-clock drinking, had fuelled a surge in drink-related deaths.
Many young people take advantage of cheap supermarket alcohol, then go out later and stay out later. So their overall alcohol consumption has gone up, he said. Hepatitis C is also contributing to the surge in liver deaths. Many of today's deaths are from infections caught in the 1970s and 80s, before blood transfusions were screened for the virus. The report highlights huge variations in the care and treatment given to hepatitis patients in British hospitals.
Tory MP David Amess, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Hepatology Group, said: "There is effective treatment available for hepatitis C so there is absolutely no excuse for the death toll to continue rising. The staggering increase in deaths from liver disease and liver cancer show just how vital it is that the national liver strategy is developed as a matter of urgency.'
|
|
Source :
Punjab Mail Online
|
|
News Date :
August 30,
|
|
Washington August 30:
Why are some people more likely to become addicted to painkillers than others? Well, a new study has started to unlock the puzzle.
Geisinger investigators have found that patients with four common risk factors have a significantly higher risk of addiction. In addition, a history of severe drug dependence and drug abuse compounds the risk. According to the Geisinger study, common risk factors for painkiller addiction in patients with chronic pain are: age (65 years or younger), a history of drug abuse and depression, and use of psychiatric medications.
Currently, statistics find painkiller addiction as high as one in four (26 percent) among these patients. "These findings suggest that patients with pre-existing risk factors are more likely to become addicted to painkillers, providing the foundation for further clinical evaluation," said Joseph Boscarino, an epidemiologist and senior investigator at Geisinger's Center for Health Research. "By assessing patients in chronic pain for these risk factors before prescribing painkillers, doctors will be better able to treat their patients' pain without the potential for future drug addiction."
The study suggests that the same risk factors, often noted in a patient's medical record, may also influence drug addiction in patients without a history of chronic pain. For this study, Geisinger investigators accessed Geisinger's electronic data base to identify patients with back pain and related orthopedic conditions who were prescribed painkillers (opioids) for more than 90 days. They interviewed a sample (705) of these patients and collected and studied their DNA.
Specifically, investigators studied a gene located on chromosome 15 that has been implicated in alcohol, cocaine and cigarette smoking dependencies. The data suggests an association of DNA variants in a gene cluster on chromosome 15 with opioid as well as nicotine addiction. While the association of this locus with smoking phenotypes is well known, the association with opioid dependence is unknown.
Investigators also looked at patient demographics (age, sex, income and education), psychological factors, exposure to stress and childhood trauma, history of previous substance abuse, genetics and other potential risk factors. The findings appear in the September issue of Addiction.
|
|
Source :
Punjab Mail Online
|
|
News Date :
August 30,
|
|
Washington August 29:
Certain plant substances found in grapes, berries and walnuts, when given in combinations, have shown promise in preventing skin cancer.
The compounds, which occur naturally in a number of plant-based foods, were tested on mice that had been engineered to develop skin cancer, according to a Texas University statement.
"On the basis of our research, supplements and creams or sunscreens may be developed, tested in humans and then used to prevent skin cancer," said Zbigniew Walaszek, associate professor of pharmacology at the University of Texas Health Science Centre. The natural cancer fighting agents include resveratrol, found in the skin of red grapes and grapeseed extract.
Others are calcium D-glucarate, a salt of D-glucaric acid, which is present in the human bloodstream and in many fruits and vegetables, and ellagic acid, found in a host of berries and in walnuts. Each of these compounds work in a different way, so giving them in combination is most protective.
|
|
Source :
Punjab Mail Online
|
|
News Date :
August 29,
|
|
Washington August 29
Women who don't breastfeed their babies are more at risk of developing type-2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease, later in life than mothers who did.
"We have seen dramatic increases in the prevalence of type-2 diabetes over the last century," said Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, assistant professor of medicine, epidemiology, and obstetrics, gynaecology at the University of Pittsburgh.
"Diet and exercise are widely known to impact the risk of type-2 diabetes, but few people realise that breastfeeding also reduces the mothers' risk of developing the disease later in life by decreasing maternal belly fat," said Schwarz, according to a Pittsburgh release.
The study included 2,233 women between the ages of 40 and 78. Overall, 56 percent of mothers reported they had breastfed an infant for at least one month, reports the American Journal of Medicine. Twenty-seven percent of mothers who did not breastfeed developed type-2 diabetes or were almost twice as likely to develop the disease than women who had breastfed or never given birth.
Conversely, mothers who breastfed all of their children were not more likely to develop diabetes than women who never gave birth. These long-term differences were notable even after considering age, race, physical activity, tobacco and alcohol use. "Our study provides another good reason to encourage women to breastfeed their infants, at least for the infant's first month of life," Schwarz said.
"Clinicians need to consider women's pregnancy and lactation history when advising women about their risk for developing type 2 diabetes," she added.
|
|
Source :
Punjab Mail Online
|
|
News Date :
August 29,
|
|
New Delhi August 27:
Boffins have reported the first scientific elucidation for one of the most widely known rules of thumb for blending wine with food: " Red wine with red meat, white wine with fish."
Scientists in Japan have claimed that the unpleasant, fishy aftertaste noticeable when consuming red wine with fish results from naturally occurring iron in red wine. The researchers reported their finding in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry , a bi-weekly publication.
Takayuki Tamura and colleagues note that wine connoisseurs established the rule of thumb because of the flavor clash between red wine and fish. They point out, however, that there are exceptions to the rule, with some red wines actually going well with seafood. Until now, nobody could consistently predict which wines might trigger a fishy aftertaste because of the lack of knowledge about its cause.
The scientists asked wine tasters to sample 38 red wines and 26 white wines while dining on scallops. Some of the wines contained small amounts of iron, which varied by country of origin, variety, and vintage. They found that wines with high amounts of iron had a more intensely fishy aftertaste. This fishy taste diminished, on the other hand, when the researchers added a substance that binds up iron.
The findings indicate that iron is the key factor in the fishy aftertaste of wine-seafood pairings, the researchers say, suggesting that low-iron red wines might be a good match with seafood.
|
|
Source :
Punjab Mail Online
|
|
News Date :
August 27,
|
|
New Delhi August 27:
Munching on tangy fruits can help you stay slim, reveals a new study. The study conducted on mice showed that the juice of the blood orange stopped them from piling on weight when fed a high-fat diet.
However, those fed with sweeter oranges gained significant amounts of fat. The research team from University of Milan believe the fat-busting powers of the fruit, grown in Italy and the US, may be partly due to its high levels of anthocyanin.
This red pigment that gives the orange its deep colour is a type of antioxidant, a natural chemical that helps ward off disease, reports dailymail.co.uk. The juice damages the ability of cells called adipocytes to accumulate fat. Adipocytes are found mostly around the waistline and absorb fat from food to store as energy. The study appears in International Journal of Obesity.
|
|
Source :
Punjab Mail Online
|
|
News Date :
August 27,
|
|
New Delhi August 27:
Amy Reiley, one of only two Americans to hold a Masters of Gastronomy degree from Le Cordon Bleu, has revealed top six natural aphrodisiacs that will get you going.
Figs - she says are loaded with manganese, magnesium, vitamin E and zinc, which are essential for sexual health. Watermelons contain citrulline, which signals the body to release arginine, which relaxes blood vessels – an effect similar to Viagra.
Champagne is another one on the top. It enters the bloodstream more quickly than wine, so you drink less of it. And with pinot noir or pinot meunier grapes has as many antioxidants as red wine, reports Fox News. About Rosemary, she said: "If you're preparing a meal of seduction, you want something that will be easier to digest. You don't want blood flow diverted to your stomach."
Chilli Peppers - they replicate symptoms of arousal: flushed cheeks, a tingle on your tongue and plumper, more kissable lips. And they raise body temperature too. Cheese – releases ten times more endorphins than chocolate, and puts you in the mood. Reiley adds that the multi-sensory experience of eating, when combined with the right ingredients, nutrients and intentions, makes food positively sexual. And given the frequency with which we eat, that makes food the ultimate aphrodisiac.
|
|
Source :
Punjab Mail Online
|
|
News Date :
August 27,
|
|
|
|
|
|