Washington, Sept 19 : A long-term study has revealed that that a type of stem cell transplant used for patients with life-threatening diseases, such as leukaemia and lymphoma, results in decreased sexual function and activity for recipients.

The study also found that males are likely to recover from these changes over time, while the sexuality of female patients remains compromised. In addition, neither male nor female long-term cancer survivors regained levels of sexual activity and function equal to those of their peers who have not had cancer.

Chicago: America’s top pediatrician group advised that children should be screened for autism twice by the time they are two years.
At its annual meeting in San Francisco, the group presented the advice in two reports. The advice is meant to help both parents and doctors spot autism sooner so that therapy can begin as soon as possible. While autism has no cure, but early therapy can lessen its severity.
There are many warning signs that are indications for immediate evaluation. These include no babbling or pointing or other gesture by 12 months; no single words by 16 months; no two-word spontaneous phrases by 24 months; loss of language or social skills at any age.

New Delhi: All school children in India, above class V, will be screened for diseases once a year.

Union Health Minister, Dr Anbumani Ramadoss has announced smart cards for health for school children as a part of a new National school health programme.

The health cards will contain the health information and children will be screened by doctors, either from public or private hospitals for free-check up of blindness, deafness, diabetes, dental and cardio vascular health, vitamin deficiencies and anemia. If found any suffering, they will be immeidtely referred for further treatment.

Officials from health ministry and HRD have already held talks with next one scheduled for mid-December.

Thiruvanthapuram: Government has decided the implementation of the specialty and administrative cadre for government doctors, Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy said.
Sreemathy told that 50 posts of senior medical consultants and 16 posts of Chief Medical Consultants would be created in specialty cadre. The allowances of doctors would also be increased but pay scale revision had not been considered. Government would bear additional burden of about Rs.25 crore annually for boosting the allowances.
All government hospitals having more than 100 beds will be equipped with the specialty units.

Washington, Nov 12: Kids in the UK are being prevented from leading a healthy and hearty life by health and safety ‘extremists’, warned the head of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

RoSPA said that not allowing kids to take part in activities which could lead to a twisted ankle or cut knee, and virtually wrapping them in cotton wool was more harmful than beneficial to them.

Tom Mullarkey, the head of RoSPA, accused "small-minded bureaucrats", of undermining genuine health and safety work.

"People have this perception of 'elf and safety' as something that restricts your life, rather than helping you to live fully and successfully, " the Telegraph quoted him, as saying.

According to a new study, the health benefits of green tea might hike up by Citric juices of fruits like lemon and orange.

Scientists have discovered that lemon , orange, lime and grapefruit juices enable these antioxidants to remain after digestion making the pairing even healthier than previously thought.

Researchers at Purdue University compared the effect of various beverage additives including juices and creamers on catechins, naturally occurring antioxidants found in tea.

Scientists have considered that a compound found in cannabis, called CBD, may forbid breast cancer spreading to other parts of the body, and be a realistic choice to chemotherapy.

California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute does not counsel marijuana use among cancer patients.

Research institute commandeds it was unlikely that the right concentrations of CBD could be achieved through smoking cannabis.

By halting the activity of a gene called Id-1 and combats the disease , CBD is considerd to be responsible for the spread of cancer cells from the site of the original tumor -- a process known as metastasis.

Chennai: When government had not given any favorable response to medicos’ four days of protest, they have decided to go ‘fast unto death’ from Friday.

Since Monday, medicos have been protesting against the Union Health Ministry’s move to make a year’s service in rural areas compulsory for an MBBS degree.

Two second year MBBS students of Government Vellore Medical College (GVMC) were admitted to GVMC hospital after they fainted on the third day of fast.

According to a study, people on walking program who use pedometers, which clip to a waistband and counts the steps, tend to walk an extra kilometers. These people burn more calories, and can lower the blood pressure.

Study lead author, Dr. Dena M. Bravata, a senior research scientists at Stanford University, said, “People who use pedometers increase their physical activity by about 2,100 steps a day, about a mile. They also seem to lower their blood pressure more and lose more weight.”

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has directed the Centre and all State governments to provide Rs. 500 as cash assistance under the National Maternity Benefit Scheme (NMBS) to pregnant women below the poverty line 8-12 weeks prior to delivery irrespective of their age and the number of children they have.

A Bench consisting of Justices Arijit Pasayat and S.H. Kapdia gave this direction on an application filed by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties seeking proper guidelines for implementation of the scheme.

New Delhi: Due to chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCDs), India is expected to lose $237 billion in national income over the next 10 years, World Health Organization (WHO) said.

China will lose $558 billion, and Russia - $303 billion in the same period.

CNCDs include cardiovascular diseases (mainly heart disease and stroke), chronic respiratory diseases, some cancers and Type-2 diabetes.

Experts said that CNCDs cause 60 percent of worldwide deaths - with 80 percent occurring in low and middle income countries.

A survey on the United States docs released on Monday revealed that there’s a wide gap between what doctors say they believe about practicing medicine ethically and what they actually do to fulfill them. The survey also disclosed that while the overwhelming majority thinks incompetent colleagues should be reported, less than half actually do so.

Washington: According to the U.S. researchers, fitness is more important than losing fat to live longer.

In the study, it was found that men and women who were fit but were fatty or obese with age 60 and older, as measured by treadmill exercise testing had a lower mortality risk than those of normal weight but low fitness levels.

Fitness is found to be a strong predictor of longevity.

Lower level of fitness is related to higher risk of death from all causes.

Washington: It’s been already established that certain diabetes drugs can cause heart attacks and death. A recent study has again revealed that several diabetes drugs, particularly GlaxoSmithKline's Avandia can do the same, but Glaxo does not agree with findings.

According to the Canadian scientists, the drugs, such as thiazolidinediones, TZDs or glitazones have a significantly higher rate of death, heart attack and congestive heart failure and death.

Chicago: A team of U.S. researchers on Tuesday revealed that mammograms’ accuracy varies widely. According to the researchers conducting a study on the subject, the women with lumps in their breasts rely on their radiologists to accurately read their mammograms, but the accuracy of those readings varies widely.

Diana Miglioretti, the lead researcher at the Group Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle, told that the variation in the quality of screening mammograms have also been revealed by earlier studies, but the recent study found inconsistencies even when a lump was present, leaving some women open to false positive results or even missed diagnoses.

London: Generosity is in the genes, according to a new research.

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel found some people are genetically destined to have a generous personality.

A gene called AVPRI enables the arginine vasopressin hormone to act on brain cells. Vasopressin has been implicated in social bonding.

Dr Ariel Knafo from the Psychology Department at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said, “The experiment provided the first evidence, to my knowledge, for a relationship between DNA variability and real human altruism.”

Yes, the English people living in Scotland are much less prone to die from heart disease than those born here. According to a new study by a group of researchers from the University of Edinburgh, the people born in other parts of the UK, who move to Scotland, are 20% less likely to die from heart problems.

However, the study could not pinpoint the precise reason for the difference, but scientists suspect that it is because many who move are well-off professionals.

According to Dr Colin Fischbacher, the lead author of the study, this would make them less likely to develop bad habits associated with heart disease.

Washington, Dec 17: According to a report, a combination of a ‘targeted’ therapy and chemotherapy reduces metastatic brain tumours by at least 50 percent in patients with aggressive HER2-positive breast cancer.

The study, led by Nancy Lin, MD, of Dana-Farber's Breast Oncology Centre and Eric Winer, MD, director of the Dana-Farber Breast Oncology Centre, found that combination of Lapatinib (Tykerb) and capecitabine (Xeloda) shrank brain metastases significantly in the patients.

Lapatinib is an oral small-molecule drug from GlaxoSmithKline that is approved along with capecitabine for treating patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer whose tumours are driven by the abnormal growth signal, HER-2. Lapatinib blocks the HER-2 signal.

London, Dec 17 (ANI): People suffering from ovarian cancer who have lower levels of protein called TGFBI, are less likely to respond to the treatment for cancer, says a study.

Transforming growth factor, beta-induced, 68kDa, also known as TGFBI, is a human gene.

The finding was based on a study, led by Dr James Brenton, a Cambridge University researcher, which found that patients lacking the protein tend to be immune to Paclitaxel, a drug that shrinks ovarian tumours.

Paclitaxel is part of a family of drugs called taxanes, originally derived from yew trees.

In the study, the researchers examined ovarian cancer cells and data from 20 patients.

Washington, Dec 17 (ANI): Women suffering from advanced or metastatic breast cancer (MBC) need as much psychological support as they do information regarding disease and treatment, reveals a new survey.

The survey was conducted by Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization and involved a round 367 women with advanced breast cancer.

It also highlighted the increasing importance of the Internet as a source of information for the patients. It was disclosed that patients with MBC feel that healthcare professionals and patient advocates can effectively use the Internet.

Washington, Dec 17 : A new study has revealed that short sleep times in patients with chronic medical diagnoses increases the risk of obesity.

Researchers surveyed 200 patients attending internal medicine clinics to determine their sleep habits, lifestyle characteristics, and medical diagnoses.

It was found that people with a sleep time of less than seven hours had a significantly increased possibility of obesity defined by a body mass index greater than 30 kg/meters2 when compared to the reference group of eight to nine hours.

There was a U-shaped relationship between obesity and sleep time in women suggesting that women who had both short and long sleep times were more likely to be obese.

London, Dec 17: Researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research have identified two genetic mutations that could triple a person’s risk of developing bowel cancer.

A previous study found the first section of the human genome linked to bowel cancer.

Now, researchers have found another two mutations within that which could raise the overall risk two to three-fold.

The team said that they could cause a third of all cases - about 12,000 per year.

Previously, researchers found a part of the genome, which is responsible for causing Hereditary Mixed Polyposis Syndrome (HMPS) - a condition that significantly increases bowel cancer risk in Jews of Ashkenazi descent.

Washington, Dec 17 : Physicists have created a device that can generate and trap huge numbers of elusive-yet-valuable ultra cold polar molecules, which would help to create exotic artificial crystals and stable quantum computers.

Called the Thin WIre electroStatic Trap, or TWIST, this device has been made from combining an atom-chiller with a molecule trap.

"The neat thing about this technology is that it's a very simple, but highly efficient method," said Jan Kleinert, a doctoral physics student at the University of Rochester and designer of the new device. "It lets us produce huge quantities of these ultracold polar molecules, which opens so many doors for us," she added.

Washington, Dec 17 : A new research has led scientists to warn that the Arctic sea might not have any ice left by 2013.

The hypothesis emerged after the research analyzed the drastic shrinking of ice in the Arctic sea this summer, which is on a record low.

Apart from global warming being a major cause for this loss, wind currents have also played a key role by blowing sea ice south into the Atlantic Ocean, where the ice then melted.

This phenomenon has led scientists to envision a grim future for the Arctic's so-called perennial sea ice, which is the ice that survives through the summer.

London, Dec 17: They may leave you feeling clean and refreshed, but it seems that all that chemicals in body wash, shampoo and soap you use may be seeping into your drinking water.

The caution has come after a report revealed that chemicals from consumer products such as shampoos, perfumes and drugs could be breaking down and recombining into a harmful cocktail in water supplies.

The report by the UK's Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) revealed that synthetic chemicals from these consumer products and other healthcare products that are washed down the drain are sneaking through the filters at water purification plants.

London, Dec 17: Standing long hours because of traffic light signals on ‘earth’ are now passé, because it might be time to consider traffic lights on the moon.

In the past week, Isle of Man’s governments, space agencies, and even a company have announced plans to land on the moon.

On Dec 17, marking the 35th anniversary of the Apollo programme's last outing, NASA announced that its next crewed lunar mission was on track for 2020.

Meanwhile, China opened up its lunar programme planning a lander for 2012 and a crewed mission within 15 years.

And Russia proclaimed that it would begin a series of uncrewed landings in 2012, after a 30-year break from exploring the moon, reports New Scientist.

Washington, Dec 17: NASA and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) have announced a mission to map the moon’s internal structure, gravity and reconstruct its thermal history, also helping to unlock secrets of evolution of the inner planets in our solar system.

Known as the Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission, it will be led by MIT professor Maria Zuber and will be launched in 2011.

It will put two separate satellites into orbit around the moon to precisely map variations in the moon's gravitational pull. These changes will reveal differences in density of the moon's crust and mantle, and can be used to answer fundamental questions about the moon's internal structure and its history of collisions with asteroids.

London, Feb 8: Israel's air force is planning to give its combat pilots Viagra, in a bid to improve their performance at greater aerial heights.

Military researchers in the country believe the ingredients that allow enhanced blood flow for men suffering from sexual problems may help flyers operating at very high altitudes.

A recent study conducted by Israeli doctors among mountain climbers in Africa discovered a link between erectile dysfunction drugs and improved performance in high altitudes.

New Delhi, Feb 29 : Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram has announced a proposal of Rs. 993 crore to the National Aids Control Programme.

Chidambaram said, “Studies have shown that the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS has come down from 0.9 per cent to 0.36 per cent, which is a matter of some satisfaction.”

He also announced the total exemption of excise duty on anti-AIDS drug ‘Atazanavir’ and bulk drugs for its manufactures.

Sydney, Mar 3: A new survey has revealed that Aussies are among the world’s most undersexed people along with those from Japan, US and Nigeria.

According to that Durex Sexual Wellbeing study conducted over 26,000 people, Aussies are among the least sexed individuals with 60 per cent of Australians having weekly sex.

Japan fared the worst with just 34 per cent of its population having sex at least once a week while US and Nigeria stood on the second last spot.

Khemkaran Sector (Punjab), Mar 5: Fluorosis arising from excessive fluoride content in water cripples villagers and causes severe deformities in Punjab.

Besides being affected by deformed limbs, villagers also suffer from cataract, and premature ageing.

"The villagers are facing a host of health problems due to the hard water. Knees are severely deformed, eyesight turns weak and teeth have started falling and that too at a young age. We don't want anything from politicians, only safe and pure drinking water," said Simranjit Kaur, a resident.

Khamkaran Sector (Indo Pak Border) March 5, : There was a time when families living in the border villages of Punjab had to routinely migrate to safe places whenever tension with Pakistan aggravated.

Today people living in the villages are facing a new danger --death due to contaminated water.

Over 200,000 people in more than 200 villages of Punjab's Khamkaran sector are facing this danger. The water in the area is not only undrinkable but also dangerous for health.

Bangalore: Opening way for the foreign medical students to India, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Saturday announced that the Centre Govt. would recognize foreign post-graduate degrees in medicine from the English speaking countries.

According to the Union Health Minister’s statement, the Indian doctors having their post graduate degrees in medicine from the UK, the US, Canada, England and New Zealand are allowed to practice in India.

Islamabad - A man in northern Pakistan passed the deadly bird flu virus to two of his brothers, and the virus killed one of them, in the first known human-to-human transmission in Pakistan, a health official said Friday.

"It was definitely person-to-person. That is confirmed," said Maqbool Jan Abbasi, Ministry of Health joint secretary.

He said the World Health Organization confirmed by serological testing from a family in Peshawar, northwest of the capital Islamabad, three brothers had H5N1, the strain of avian influenza that can be deadly in humans.

"Two of the brothers had no contact with birds," Abbasi said.

New Delhi, Apr. 8 : China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) has confirmed an outbreak of bird flu at a farm in a Tibet Autonomous Region village.

The testing of 268 dead chickens at a farm at Zhuba Village of Qamdo County in recent days revealed H5N1 bird flu killed them, the Xinhua news agency quoted authorities at the National Bird Flu Reference Laboratory, as saying.

On Friday, Tibet's major animal disease prevention and control headquarter office reported the epidemic to the ministry.

Along with the local government, the ministry immediately started emergency plans.

Washington, Apr 8 : A drug used long ago to treat asthmatics can also prove beneficial for people who have lost their sense of smell, according to a new study.

The asthma drug, known as theophylline, may help individuals whose smell loss relates to the biochemistry of two common proteins.

The study was conducted over 369 individuals, out of which 314 had smell loss and 55 did not. The cohort included 169 females and 145 males, aged 52-54 years. The smell loss was measured using standard testing procedures to determine the type, degree and character of smell loss.

Berne, Switzerland- The land of health spas, muesli and mountain
air, Switzerland remains one of the last havens for smokers in Europe
and there is a powerful restaurant and hotel lobby set on keeping it
that way.

However, while the smoker still holds sway in many restaurants and
bars across most of the country the non-smoker is breaking out of his
corner.

So far laws have been brought in piecemeal regionally. Six out of
26 cantons have introduced laws to curb passive smoking with others
planning to follow.

Manila  - Erratic weather conditions have triggered a dangerous dengue outbreak in a southern Philippine city, health officials said Saturday.

Health officials in Zamboanga City, 875 kilometres south of Manila, said a total of 642 people were afflicted with the disease in the first three months of the year, more than
400 per cent higher than the 144 cases recorded for the same period last year.

Cottbus, Germany  - A would-be teenage cannibal was ordered into closed psychiatric care in Germany Tuesday after he tried to sink his teeth into a nurse's neck and eat part of her.

The defendant told psychologists he had an urge to eat beautiful women.

A court in Cottbus, where he was on trial for attempted murder and assault for the June 2007 attack in a Berlin therapy centre, ruled Tuesday that he was insane.

The court was told that in another incident, in August 2007, the defendant, 19, tried to stab a male educationist to death with a nail file.(dpa)

Madrid - Nearly 800 Spaniards will undergo health checks to make sure they have not been affected by radioactive material leaked from the nuclear plant of Asco I in the country's north-east in November, press reports said Tuesday.

Nearly 580 people have already been examined without finding any evidence of health damage.

The checks would nevertheless continue to confirm that nobody had been affected by radioactivity to a significant extent, the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) said.

The director of a school in the city of Gerona however said Tuesday that he would request health checks for about 40 pupils who visited the plant on April 4.

Bangalore, April 15: To bring an everlasting smile on children needing heart treatment, the Sri Sathya Sai Institute Higher Medical Sciences is offering free heart surgery here.

The free service will enable the needy parents to have their kids treated without being worried about the cost.

The Sri Sathya Sai Institute Higher Medical Sciences is located in E. P. I. P. Area, White Field, Bangalore.

Asking the increase in PG course seats, interns and medical students along with resident doctors in Maharashtra went on indefinite strike on Tuesday.

Interns demand that the Medical Council of India should restore the teacher student ratio in the PG course to 1:2 and increase the number of seats to 1900 which has been reduced to 411 in January 2008 selection.

The results of PG seats for January 2008 have been announced and counselling for 411 seats began from April 8, 2008. The number of seats was 653 in 2007.

The strikers will take out a rally at KEM hospital at 1500 hours in support of their demands. Teachers in medical colleges will also join the strike on Thursday.

Mangalore: The health department officials confirmed the large-scale outbreak of Chikungunya in dozens of villages in the twin taluks of Sullia and Puttur when they found nearly 1,687 cases identified with symptoms of Chikungunya, out of which 35 cases were in Aranthod, 90 in Kollamogaru, 43 in Bellare, 53 in Subramanya and 73 in Kadaba.

The worst affected villages are, Kamila, Panja, Katta, Guthigaru, Kayambadi of Sullia taluk and Balya, Kadaba, Kottrupadi, Kodimbala, Aiathoor villages of Puttur taluk.

Aiming to tighten its noose around Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) of homoeopathy, ayurveda and allopathy, the Punjab Government on Wednesday banned their advertisements associated with cures for sexual and other ailments and threatened to cancel the licenses of offenders.

The decision of the Punjab Government came from a meeting of heads of medical councils and boards chaired by Medical Education and Research Secretary Jagjit Puri. It’s the Punjab Government’s move to initiate action against all registered medical practitioners of homoeopathy, ayurveda and allopathy who advertise their services via the print, broadcast and outdoor media.

Helsinki  - The Finnish parliament Friday voted not to put warning labels on bottles and cans containing alcoholic beverages.

The proposal had initially been approved in February 2007 by the previous government and due to take effect in 2009.

The proposal was scrapped since the effects of the labels were brought into question, Finnish news agency STT reported.

Washington, Apr 29 : Detox diets may not be as beneficial as you may think for experts have revealed that detox diets, procedures generally don't promote health.

While writing in Harvard Women's Health Watch the experts said that health benefits of widely promoted detox procedures are still to be proven.

Detox diet includes infinite array of diets is available for detoxifying the whole body. However, studies have shown that fasting and extremely low calorie intake common elements of detox diets slows down the metabolism and increase in weight after the dieter returns to normal eating.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer, the 45-year-old Kumud Devi from Bihar underwent mastectomy of her right breast at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) last month (April 3).

But the post-operation pathology report said there she didn’t have breast cancer.

But the AIIMS authorities said that this happened only because of mixing-up of her tissue samples sent to the pathology department.

Oncosurgeon Dr. Anurag Srivastav and his group operated on Kumud Devi on April 3 after her cyto-pathology report told that she had cancer.

In order to boost up its medical services, Apollo Hospitals
has decided to invest Rs 1,000 crore in the next 18 months to set up about 15
hospitals in tier II and III cities in the country.

Speaking on the sidelines of CII’s annual session, the
Apollo Hospitals Group Chairman, Prathap C Reddy said, “The idea is to set up
tertiary hospitals in tier II and III cities, we plan to set up about 15
hospitals in next 18 months with an investment of about Rs 1,000 crore.” He
further said that on average these hospitals would have around 200 beds and in
the next 18 months, the group is looking at 10,000-bed capacity.

Besides expanding its operations in Africa the hospital
chain is once again ready to enter in Sri Lanka.

Munich - Activists said Wednesday they had challenged a European
patent on a method of extracting an anti-bronchitis drug from plants,
and would prove that the method is based on ancient African knowledge.

The dispute before the European Patent Office in Munich involves
the southern African plant umckaloabo, scientific name Pelargonium
sidoides. Umckaloabo drugs extracted from its roots have been in wide
use for a century.

A company, Dr. Willmar Schwabe of Karlsruhe, Germany, has patented a factory process to obtain the extract.

Berlin - The mixing of energy drinks with alcohol, popular amongst partygoers wishing to increase their endurance on the dance floor, is potentially dangerous, the German authorities are to warn, according to a news report Friday.

The German institute for risk evaluation (BfR) believed the cocktail could disrupt cardiac rhythms, cause cramps and damage the kidneys, Der Spiegel magazine reported on its online edition.

Abuja  - The European Commission is set to implement a 15.4 million-euro project in support of immunisation of children in Kano State, north-west Nigeria, an EU delegation said Monday.

The project, the EU Support to Routine Immunisation in Kano (SRIK), aims to reduce child mortality due to prevalent diseases like measles and tuberculosis and as well as eradicate polio from Kano State, it said.

The project would last four years, covering July 2007 to July 2010, and be implemented by a team of experts in close collaboration with the Kano State Ministry of Health, it said. (dpa)

A new study carried out by the German researchers revealed that maintaining higher levels of Vitamin D in the blood may raise the chances of cancer patients’ survival.

The study analyzed 3,299 patients having the risk of death from fatal cancer. However, the higher levels of Vitamin D reduced their chances of death by 55 percent in patients.

The results of the study were released in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Karlsruhe, Germany  - Thousands of German bee-keepers were readying claims for compensation Saturday after scientists traced the cause of mass deaths in bees: a pesticide that coated maize seed.

Vast numbers of the insects were killed in the Rhine valley area of Germany's Baden-Wuerttemberg state by the chemical clothianidin, the Julius Kuehn Institute in the northern city of Braunschweig said.

The loss of swarms has worsened a long-term collapse in bee populations in many parts of the world that is blamed on the varroa mite infesting hives.

Medical care provider Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre has decided to establish another 300-bedded hospital in Mumbai with a total investment of Rs 200 crore, which will be funded through internal accruals.

The construction work at the upcoming hospital is scheduled to begin by the end of this existing year (2008).

Mr. Narendra Trivedi, Lilavati Hospital Vice-President, said, “To mark the 10th anniversary of Lilavati Hospital, we are planning to set up a second hospital and a diagnostic centre in Mumbai.”

Lilavati Hospital is run by the family trust and has the capacity of about 300 beds.

New born children in government hospital at Sambalpur, Orissa will now find Yashoda to take care of them.

While informing the chief district medical officer (CDMO) of Sambalpur, Dr. PK Nayak said, “This is totally a new concept all over the country started for the first time at Sambalpur.”

Abu Dhabi - Sharjah, one of the emirates in the United Arab Emirates, is to impose fines for smoking as a part of an anti-smoking campaign, an official said Saturday.

Salem al-Oies, head of Sharjah's local and agriculture affairs, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that the new smoking fines will be implemented inside closed public and governmental buildings in addition to different modes of transport.

The fines will range from 10,000 to 20,000 dirhams (2,700 to 5,400 dollars). Al-Oies said they will be imposed on smokers of normal cigarettes, cigars and Hookahs.

A new study conducted by UCLA cancer researchers revealed that tobacco smokers can lessen their lung cancer risk by consuming three servings of fruits and vegetables, and drinking green or black tea on a daily basis.

According to the researchers, Flavonoids, a water-soluble pigments, embedded in fruits, vegetables, green and black tea are the key ingredients, which lowers the risk of developing lung cancer. Fruits, veggies lessens lung cancer risk in smokers.

Scientists have discovered a new weapon in the lab to lessen the spread of malaria by blocking up the sexual growth of potentially deadly malaria parasite.

When the mosquito bites an infected person, it gets the gametes, or sex cells, of malaria parasite at the same time that it feasts on the blood.

The gametes carry on the sexual cycle inside the mosquito, and are transmitted in its saliva the next time draws human blood with its needle like proboscis.

Washington, June 10 : A genetic variation in a protein, called tau, is responsible for an earlier age of onset in Alzheimer's disease, according to scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

While earlier it was found that genetic mutations linked with rare, inherited forms of early-onset Alzheimer's disease, can strike people as young as their 30s or 40s, these newly found variants influence an earlier presentation of symptoms in people affected by the more common, late-onset form of the disease.

Alzheimer's disease is characterised amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. While plaques contain a protein called amyloid-beta, the tangles are made of tau.

Sydney, June 10 : A new study has shown that the number of young women hospitalized after binge drinking in Australia has doubled in less than a decade.

The study, conducted by Michael Livingston, a researcher at the Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre in Melbourne, suggested that there was an immediate need for public health interventions such as increased alcohol taxation.

The reports showed that the rate of alcohol-induced hospital admissions for Victorian males and females aged between 16 and 24 had increased substantially over eight years.

Washington, June 10 : Studying an unusual case of a Dutch woman, who retained an essentially normal brain function until her death at the age of 115, experts have come to the conclusion that the assumption that Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia inevitably develop as the people age may not be true.

"Our observations suggest that, in contrast to general belief, the limits of human cognitive function may extend far beyond the range that is currently enjoyed by most individuals, and that improvements in preventing brain disorders of aging may yield substantial long-term benefits," according to a study led by Prof. dr. Gert Holstege of University Medical Centre Groningen, The Netherlands.

A new study has claimed that dyscalculia, a disorder that renders people unable to understand arithmetic or numbers is more common in kids than dyslexia or ‘word blindness.’

The results are based on the study in which the researchers at University College London analyzed 1,500 school children in Cuba through a simple screening test.

The study authors discovered that while 2.5 and 4.3% of kids suffer from ‘dyslexia’, a higher number - 3 and 6 per cent of kids suffer from its mathematical equivalent ‘dyscalculia.’

India’s fast growth in cell phone usage has increased the degree of potential health hazards.

The federal health ministry’s decision to commission the country’s first large-scale study on the effects of radio frequency radiations (RFR) from cell phones is therefore a greeting step.

The truth that the health ministry has awakened to the possible risks of cellphone usage is good news. Indians have been using cellphones for over 10 years, and a study of this nature was long overdue.

Melbourne, June 12 : Back and neck pain is adversely affecting the sex lives of 1 in 5 Australians, according to a new survey.

The nationwide survey has shown that back and neck pain is causing misery in many areas of life for 8 out of 10 Australians.

This kind of pain is a way of life for a worrying number of sufferers, from the moment they wake up.

This means that they suffer from a pain-interrupted sleep, working through discomfort at their office desk, then missing out on the hobbies and sports they love, according to the Panadol Back + Neck Report,

Cape Town - The Cape High Court on Friday issued a ruling preventing a vitamin pill producer from claiming his product was a treatment for AIDS, in a verdict hailed by health advocacy groups.

Ruling on a case brought by the group Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), judge Dumasini Zondi barred vitamin entrepreneur Matthias Rath from claiming his product, VitaCell, was a treatment for AIDS, the South African news agency Sapa reported.

The court also ruled that clinical trials which Rath and his Dr. Rath Foundation were conducting in black townships were unlawful and banned them from carrying out any further trials.

Lusaka, Zambia  - Zambia on Monday reported a drop in its maternal mortality rate from 729 per 100,000 live births in 2001 to 449 in 2007.

Health Minister Brian Chituwo said in the figures contained in the Zambia Demographic and Health Survey provided evidence of good health service delivery.

The survey also showed a decrease in the infant mortality rate from 95 to 70 per 1,000 live births, while the under five mortality ratio declined from 168 to 119 per 1,000 live births.

"Zambia's health indicators is a just cause for celebration but I caution against complacency to the need, not only to sustain these developments but further improve upon them," Chituwo said in Lusaka. (dpa)

A leading professional has warned that people who rely on homoeopathic medicines may be putting their lives in danger due to the alternative system of medicine’s baseless claims of curing diseases.  

Edzard Ernst, Professor of complementary medicine, stated, “Homoeopathic claims are not benign, they are dangerous. (Homoeopaths) have to demonstrate with scientific rigour that their claims work or they have to shut up.”

However, India-based homoeopath S K Dasgupta has refused to buy Ernst's argument.  

A U.S. company has announced that a new oral medication may shortly replace intramuscular injections for people with vitamin B12 deficiency.

Presently, doctors depend upon on shots for patients with a severe vitamin B12 deficiency due to the unfavorable result of oral formulations.

The injections are recommended because capsules are difficult to break down in the digestive tract, and only small amount of the nutrient get absorbed into the blood stream.

A recent study by a Melbourne scientist revealed that soy milk does not cause peanut allergies in kids.

Jennifer Koplin, a PhD student at the University of Melbourne together with the Murdoch Children’s Institute has discovered that there is no connection between soy milk and allergic reaction.

As a part of the study, Koplin collected the information on 690 children, from the Melbourne Atopy Cohort Study, in order to check which allergies they developed, if any.

Each and every child was fed with either dairy milk, soy milk or a hydrolysed milk formula.

Washington, June 20 : Washing fruits and vegetables under cold water does not always remove potentially harmful bacteria off their surface completely because some of them are resistant to the shower and hang on tight, according to experts.

Brendan Niemira of the USDA's Microbial Food Safety Unit in Pennsylvania says that bacteria left on the surface of fruits and vegetables may eventually lead to outbreaks of Salmonella or E. coli in humans.

London, June 23 : A new survey has revealed that most of the modern parents believe that chips are a healthy vegetable.

The survey of 1000 sets of parents has shown that nearly 50 percent of the parents are ignorant of basic nutrition and don't realise that greens cooked as part of a meal count as a portion of vegetable

Though many people considered potatoes to be a vegetable, they did not contain as many nutrients as other vegetables and were more correctly associated with starches such as rice and pasta.

According to the survey led by Department of Health more than a third of said that they believed that a baked potato counted as a portion of vegetables.

Another five per cent identified chips as a vegetable.

Wellington, June 25 : The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) is worried that a Christchurch man has plans to import and sell more than 280,000 cans of an energy drink called Cocaine, despite knowing that the drink contains three-and-a-half times the legal amount of caffeine.

Geoff Allen, NZFSA director of compliance and investigation, says that Cocaine contains 280mg caffeine in each 250ml can, while the law prescribes the upper limit of
80mg per 250ml.

The authority said that they might take action against Geoff Percy, the man planning to sell the beverage, if he breached the law.

A new study conducted by the researchers from several universities in the United States and Norway revealed that consuming one glass of toned milk daily could keep heart healthy by defending it against various grave conditions including stroke and other heart problems.

The research group discovered that adults who had at least one glass of low-fat milk or milk products daily have 37% lower chances of kidney malfunction related to heart disease, as compared to those who drank milk that wasn’t low-fat.

According to a study published on the British Medical Journal website, multiple vaccinations have not sickened British troops deployed to Iraq.

Dominic Murphy and colleagues studied randomly selected and assessed the medical health records of 5000 military personnel (deployed to Iraq since 2003) who were administered tetanus, typhoid and yellow fever. It was concluded that veterans who reported illness were more likely to have remembered receiving multiple vaccinations even when their medical records indicated otherwise.

Recent studies conducted on the possible harmful effects of mobile radio wave radiations have given an all clear to using mobile phones without any tension. The German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel said German Mobile Telecommunications Research Programme (DMF) conducted more than 50 studies from 2002-2008 in co-ordination with the Berlin-based Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) and found no substantial proof to conclude that mobile phones and transmission towers lead to any kind of health risk.

Despite the studies' all clear signal, skeptics feel that though mobile telephony may be safe as far as we know, but we still do not know everything.

A new study revealed that junk food may lead to heart disease and diabetes in unborn babies.

The researchers at the Royal Veterinary College fed female rats a diet full of crisps, muffins, cheese and other processed foods all through pregnancy and lactation.

The offspring, who were overweight during birth time, were born with a taste for junk food themselves. But even when fed a balanced diet, the junk-food babies had lots of medical problems, which lasted beyond adolescence into adulthood.

The rats had advanced cholesterol and triglyceride levels -- both linked with heart problems. Insulin and glucose present in the blood were also high, which is known to be a reason of type-2 diabetes.

Children are fat or thin not because of the physical activity they do but because their bodies are so programmed. According to a study conducted by a team at Peninsula Medical School in Plymouth on 300 school children which found that the amount of exercise a child does is not correlated with their Body Mass Index. BMI is a calculation of a person’s height and weight used as a measure to see if they are healthy or not.

A new study revealed that a cup of green tea daily improves blood flow, which in turn keeps heart healthy and strong.

Green tea, which is already popular throughout the world, contains antioxidants known as ‘flavonoids’ that defend against cell damage and smoothens the blood flow allowing a more efficient circulation

In a randomized experiment on healthy volunteers, Greece researchers saw the dilation of the blood flow in the artery of the upper arm (brachial artery) on three separate occasions-after taking green tea, caffeine and hot water (for a placebo effect). The dimensions were taken at 30, 90 and 120 minutes after consumption.

Obesity is a major health problem in the world. It has been on the rise in the United States and many other countries. It also gives rise to other problems such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

A review study by University of Cincinnati researchers has established a new finding on weigh loss. It has found that people are more prone to weight loss when they participate in programs, launched by their work site.

A recent study conduced by Canadian researchers revealed that pregnant women with low vitamin D levels may have babies who are more likely to have tooth enamel problems, which can cause tooth decay.

Researchers from the University of Manitoba examined tooth enamel in 135 babies aged between seven and 16 months.

They discovered that 21.6 percent of babies experienced tooth enamel defects and 33.6 percent of them showed signs of early childhood tooth decay.
   

Nand Kishore Yadav, Bihar’s Health Minister, launched this years' 6th round for the eradication of polio campaign. The five day Pulse Polio drive saw a number of government as well as UNICEF officials participating in the campaign, including Dr. A.R. Siddiqui, the UNISEF Polio Coordinator, Civil Surgeon Dr. Pranav Kumar, and Rotary representative Dr. Kanhaiya Prasad.   

Bihar has seen nearly 200 children affected by the polio P3 virus, this year alone and a majority of them are from Samastipur district, with one case of the deadly P1 polio virus being reported from Saran district.

The donation fund of the McGrath Foundation has reached the magic million dollar mark in the honour of cricketer Glenn McGrath’s wife Jane McGrath.

The foundation has managed to gather enough funds after Mrs McGrath’s death (because of breast cancer) and has raised money to recruit three more breast care nurses. Now it will have a total of eleven breast care nurses.

The Federal Government has also made a 12 million election promise to the foundation, after the fulfillment of which, 30 more nurses will be placed around Australia.

According to the team of researchers from Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, Web-based electronic information sources can play a major role in detecting early outbreak of a disease, and thus spread information about it. They gave examples of discussion forums, listervs and news outlets which can contribute a lot in this matter.

The researchers created HealthMap which is a real-time, automated web crawling system that gathers, organizes and disseminates online intelligence related to disease outbreaks.

Washington, July 9 : A new study has shown that more Internet time, more alcohol consumption, and less sleep are contributing to weight gain in teenage girls.

The survey, involving more than 5000 girls between the ages of 14 and 21 years from all 50 states, found that more Internet time, more alcohol consumption, and less sleep resulted in extra weight gain during the study year.

Girls aged 18 years or older who consumed 2 or more alcoholic beverages a week or slept less than 6 hours a night gained more weight than other study participants.

In fact, when combined with Internet use, girls in this group have the potential to gain four extra pounds a year.

A 44-year-old Andrew Thornton from Bradford, West Yorks died after drinking around 10 litres of water in eight hours to soothe pain from gum disease.

Mr. Thornton swallowed five times the suggested daily amount of water and had suffered a heart attack on December 5 last year, as his body rejected the huge intake of fluid.

Andrew’s mother Alice told that he had been vomiting and then drank water on the day he died.

As well as the 10 litres he drank that day, he consumed a similar quantity on each of the previous two days, she added.

Parenthood is a great blessing coupled with a host of responsibilities. The birth of a child brings many changes in the lives of its parents. Hence birth of twins means double responsibilities. The study regarding the mental health of the new parents prove that the parents of twins are mentally stressed as compared to the parents of a single child.

The study also revealed that the mother of twins born through assisted reproductive technology (ART) repot better mental health as compared to the mother of twins conceived naturally, but fathers in both the cases suffered mentally.

Everyone likes to have a tanned body. But the desire to have tanned body is leading many young women in the lap of cancer. Melanoma, the deadliest form of cancer is result of  extreme exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet rays. The early signs of this cancer are pigmented lesions.

The research led by Mark Purdue, of the National Cancer Institute's Division of Cancer Epidemiology & Genetics studied the data regarding the incidences of melanoma in men and women, 15 to 39 years of age.

Mark Purdue said "We observed a 50 percent increase in the annual incidence of melanoma among young adult Caucasian women between 1980 and 2004."

The desire to have tanned skin is pushing many American women in the ditch of skin cancer.

Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, happens due to unprotected exposure to sun. It starts with the appearance of skin lesions. It is basically a cancer, which is related to pigment-producing cells of the skin. People with fair skin have more chances to have this deadly skin cancer. The latest research on melanoma shows 50% growth in the number of women patients of melanoma since 1980.

This time, researchers have conducted a study on the effect of Red wine on health.

The study is conducted by a group led by David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School and National Institute on Aging's Rafael de Cabo.

The research group disclosed that red wine may prove good for healthy life but drinking is not good for longer life. The "magic ingredient" of the alcoholic beverage only improves the quality of life and vigor in old age.

The team led by Dr. Norman Radtke conducted the retinal implant in the visually impaired patients.

The basic technique used in this experimental implant was the implantation of foetal retinal cells and their adjacent retinal pigment epithelium, responsible for nourishing the photoreceptor cells. This implant was done with the hope that the new cells would join forces with the existing retinal cells to improve the falling vision. Ten people suffering from retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration were implanted with retinal cells. These retinal cells were taken from aborted foetuses.

Adults are underestimating the problem of obesity in Britain. Though they are facing the problem of obesity, they are reluctant to accept it. The stigma attached to being obese is a major reason for their denial.

The researchers report in the British Medical Journal has pointed out in a survey that problem of clinically overweight or obese people have increased. This survey is a result of findings of facts between 1999 and 2007.

Dr Ian Campbell has said that people are becoming obese day by day. The average weight and average appearance has become heavier and rounder in general public.

A research has revealed that genes are linked with autism problem in many cases. Autism is a spectrum of disease, which shares three key traits. These traits are patient’s slow speed to develop language, poor social skills, and their stereotyped behaviors over and over again. Autism causes some specific defects that affect a child's ability to learn and remember.

Autism was once a rare problem in US but every 150 children are suffered by it at present. It was disclosed in a report of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

U.K. health authorities are convinced that vaccination for the deadly hospital bug will be available in hospitals within a decade.

A drug to prevent Clostridium difficile (C diff) will be available in three to five years, while a vaccine against MRSA will be available in seven to 10 years.

 Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, the Government's chief medical officer told that these new vaccinations will help to immunize patients against the deadly infections.

Some hopes of adequate treatment of malaria have emerged from Australia. The scientists in the country have found a potential treatment to combat malaria. Malaria is caused by a special female mosquito. It kills around 3 million people every year. Malaria adversely affects the children and pregnant women.

The malaria parasite makes red blood cells too sticky and rigid leading to weak immune system. The new discovery will help in the effective treatment of malaria in the world.

Pesticide Poisoning is a major cause of degradation of human health in agriculture dominated areas in the world. Many people in the world die because of pesticides exposure.

Every year more than 1 million people lose their lives due Malaria. It is caused by a parasite carried by mosquitoes. The health authorities all over the world are working day and night to control this disease. Despite of various measures taken, malaria is still taking several lives every year. The latest research done by the Lakeridge Health Centre in Oshawa revealed a very dangerous fact. The study revealed that chloroquine increases the risk of resistance to other antibiotics. Chloroquine is the cheapest and most widely used drug to cure malaria.

Motherhood is a blessing of God to women. But some women are not fortunate enough to experience this blissful experience. Thirty tears ago , Patrick Steptoe and Professor Robert Edwards  developed in-vitro fertilization treatment to help such women. The success of this technique was marked by the birth of first test tube baby long time back. Since than three million babies have been born with the help of this technique.

Many people in America are not interested in colon cancer screening according to a survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2005.

The report, in this regard, has published in the July issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. An epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta and the study's lead researcher, Dr. Jean Shapiro said screening is very helpful in cancer identification and cancer can also be treated before the development of cancer symptoms.

It is an open fact that today we are living in the world of high pace and cut throat competition. Many of our institutions have undergone a change with the moving times. The most important institution of family seems to have suffered the most. This is truer for the families where both father and mother are working and thus are unable to devote time to their children.

A recent research which was conducted on 2000 parents with the children of the age of 10 or younger, by the UKfamily.co.uk, Disney’s new parenting site; has found some shocking facts about the state of the working mothers, who have young children under seven.

A recent report published in the British Journal of Cancer, has reveled the fact that obese women, who carry extra weight around their stomach, are 70 per cent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer

The research which was carried out by Juhua Luo of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute and colleagues followed more than 138,000 menopausal women in the United States for more than seven years to investigate the links between obesity and pancreatic cancer. The part of this large study was known as Women’s Health Initiative.

Kampala  - Servicemen in the Ugandan armed forces get infected with the deadly AIDS disease at a rate which is up to five times higher than that faced by the country's civilian population, according to government health officials.

Breast –feeding is beneficial for mother and her child. It strengthens the mother-child bond. The study led by Professor Jianfeng Feng has shown that breastfeeding promotes the maternal bond through a biochemical process.

Breast feeding initiates a flood of the hormone oxytocin that releases milk from the mammary gland .This hormone also releases a feeling of love and trust in the mother that ensures the baby's needs are met.

The study showed that oxytocin is also released from the part of the cell called the dendrite which is usually the part of a neurone which receives, rather than transmits information. This collectively leads to enlarged oxytocin production that results in bursts of the hormone released at regular intervals.

Malaria, caused by mosquito bites infect around 500 million people each year out of which one million die because of the lack of access to the medicines. Keeping the fact in mind that poor and needy people are not getting access to the medication, former US president Bill Clinton has taken a lead by signing a deal with six pharmaceutical companies form China and India to lower the price of the anti-malaria drug.

This will make it easier for the ones who are suffering from malaria, but cannot afford the medicines due to high prices.

Artemisinin, an extract from the plant known as wormwood or safewort, long used by the Chinese for their medicines and takes 14-months to produce has been found an affective player in eliminating malaria.

There had been countless efforts by the scientists to find a cure for HIV (Human Immunodeficiency virus), which imposes a great threat to the mankind. Recently, an experimental vaccine, which was supposed to be tried in human beings to see its effectiveness against the HIV virus in US, was cancelled by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Thursday.

The cholesterol pill Vytorin can not achieve its main objective to reduce heart diseases risks according to data released on Monday. Following this the shares of both Merck & Co Inc and Schering-Plough Corp fell down sharply. The use of drug declined as drug was not fount too reliable to cure arterial plaque.

Jalapeno pepper grown in Mexico and processed in Texas could be the possible culprit behind the illness of more than 1,200 people.

Death of two elderly men under unrelated conditions is attributed to Salmonella. Around 229 people were admitted in hospital due to this deadly infection.

Salmonella symptoms appear after 12-72 hours of infection. FDA confirmed the presence of Salmonella saintpaul in the Mexican jalapeno peppers. But the source of contamination is yet to be found.

Some doctors are worried that early finding of a small study, which was conducted on Alzheimer’s patients, in which they were given a popular rheumatoid arthritis drug and showed dramatic improvements, will raise premature hopes among the patients and their family.

The study involved 12 patients who were treated with anti-inflammatory drug Enbrelor etanercept, co-marketed by Amgen and Wyeth, and shortly after showed improved language-recall.

The findings were published in the journal BioMed Central BMC Neurology on Sunday.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a problem in which the upper airway or tissues of the back throat becomes completely or partially blocked while sleeping and leads to interruption in breathing numerous times during the night.

Recently a study, which was carried out by Dr. Virend K. Somers of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and colleagues and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology has revealed an unknown fact that OSA can lead to nighttime heart attacks.

According to the research, the changes which occur in the blood-pressure, nerve and hormones during the OSA are the key factors for the attack to occur. These changes actually block the arteries of heart and trigger the attack.

Broccoli juice can help in beating bladder cancer.

A daily glass of broccoli juice can protect against bladder cancer. It saved life of a 79 years old Brit.

He was diagnosed with bladder cancer since five years. Doctors advised him to get his bladder removed. But instead of following this, difficult advice he made a routine of drinking broccoli juice everyday after recommendation from friends. This stopped the spread of cancer. Even doctors were amazed to see the medical powers of broccoli.

Various studies from time to time have proved the health related benefits of walking. The new research led by Moore-Harrison proved that daily walks decrease the level of disability in the older adults.

A 40-minutes walk daily can give a dimension to the lives of the old people. 26 low –income elders were studied under the research regarding impact of walking on the health of old people.

Under the present study these old people were divided into two groups. The first group met three times a week for four months. This group started with the exercise of ten minutes daily later they increased it upto forty minutes.

There is a ray of hope for patients who suffer from bladder cancer. It has been found that broccoli juice can help to control and heal bladder cancer. Broccoli belongs to cabbage family and is rich in vitamin C. It has properties that boost the human immune system that fight viruses, bacteria and cancer.

HIV/AIDS virus, for which the scientists have not been able to find a proper cure till now, has currently devastated the life of 40 million people around the world. The deadly virus takes over the victim’s immune system slowly grabbing him in the paws of death.

CD4+T lymphocytes, also called CD4 T cells, are considered to be the “brains” of the immune system and helps it to fight against the harmful attacks , but the merciless HIV/AIDS virus attacks on these cells and thus worsening the condition of the patient.

It was sheer negligence of a nurse and a doctor in a nursing home in Hooghly that took lives of two women. These women died after a wrong injection given by nurse on the prescription of the doctor. Police has arrested the doctor and the nurse.

The new bill passed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has banned the use of trans fats in restaurants and bakeries. This bill is the result of efforts of various health authorities which have been campaigning against the use artificial fat in food substances. Trans fat is linked to many heart diseases. All the health associations in U S have applauded California’s effort to protect health of its citizens.

Accepting the advice of National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) quickly came up with revised sex education syllabus yesterday. On Tuesday, the NECRT, in a meeting with NACO, decided to remove the ‘objectionable’ contents and images from the books prepared to teach “sex education” to the teenage students.

New Delhi, July 31 : The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today gave its approval for the setting up of four metro blood banks as centres of excellence in transfusion medicine.

The blood banks would be set up at a cost of Rs. 468 crores out of which Rs. 228 crore will be a part of the ongoing National AIDS Control Programme-III (NACP-III).

These centres will be located at New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.

Each centre will ensure 24-hour availability of blood and is designed to meet the highest standards of safety.

The survival story of Supratim Dutta is an uncommon story of a common man. A normal morning in the life of HCL executive turned into a battle of life. He was going to his office early morning on July 12 in a taxi. His driver fell asleep at the wheel and rammed the vehicle into a Delhi Metro Construction site at Ghitorni, on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road in south Delhi. A 5 feet long iron bar pierced through the bonnet of the car, impaled Dutta’s chest and fixed him to his car seat. Dutta called up his family and friends who took him to hospital. The iron rod had to be cut with iron cutter to release him.

Elderly people are always more prone and sensitive at getting diseases, since they have a weak immune system which cannot effectively fight with the virus attacks. Until recently, it was thought that Flu vaccines can protect the older people from Flu and pneumonia, but this thought as per the researchers is false.

A recent Australian study revealed that a daily dose of garlic lowers high blood pressure as efficiently as anti-blood pressure medications.

High blood pressure has affected a large number of people all through the world. Without successful treatment, it can result into heart attacks and strokes.

Physicians usually suggest sufferers to lower their daily consumption of salt, reducing body weight and becoming fit, despite taking medications if needed to lower blood pressure levels to the safe level of 140/90.

A recent study revealed that the herb, Boswellia serratawas, also known as Indian Frankincense can lessen the symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Boswellia serrata was enriched with 30% AKBA (3-O-acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid), which is an anti-inflammatory material that works by suppressing the 5-lipoxygenase enzyme. The latter is significant in the regulation of the body's reaction to swelling.
 

Medical service provider Fortis Health Care has decided to establish a medical institute that will also have a cancer research hospital, in Punjab with an initial investment of Rs 100 crore.

Fortis Healthcare CEO Shivinder Singh stated, “We have submitted a detailed plan to Punjab Government to upgrade the healthcare services in the state, which includes setting a medical education centre that would include nursing school, OPD centre and a large cancer hospital.”

The Department of Health of England will officially circulate letters to all parents informing them about the obesity level of their wards. The department of health has shown commitment to control the ever growing epidemic of obesity among its nationals.

Estrogen when combined with antipsychotic drugs can reduce psychotic symptoms of Schizophrenia in women, said researchers. The study published in the August issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry articulated that when women with schizophrenia were given an estrogen patch accompanied by their regular antipsychotic drugs they showed fewer signs of delusions and hallucinations than those who were given a placebo.

All medical experts have recommended that mothers should breastfeed their babies for at least six months.

The recent research by UK researchers suggested that babies who are breastfed have lower cholesterol levels in later life.

This research also showed that breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer in nursing mothers.

It is very easy to gain weight but it is very hard to lose extra pounds. Most dieters live in fear of gaining extra pounds once they leave prescribed diet schedule.

According to the researchers from Britain’s University of Liverpool, a dietary supplement can save people from unwanted pounds after they go off their weight-loss plans.

The study showed that the dietary supplement alpha lipoic acid can “lock in” the benefits of a six-month weight loss program if taken after the diet is completed.

AIDS has taken 25 million lives since 1981. Many teams of the medical experts and reformers are working in different parts of the world, day and night, to fight this deadly virus.

According to statistics, the number of people with HIV virus is increasing. The five day conference was organized in Mexico City with a purpose to unite the efforts of people throughout the world against this deadly virus. The 17th International AIDS conference concluded in Mexico City on Friday.

The test results of 13 persons from Air Batu village in North Sumatra, who were recently admitted in hospital with flu like symptoms, have been found negative for bird flu.

The death of three persons and admission of these patients triggered the suspicion of bird flu in the region. Medical experts believed that these people were affected with bird flu virus.

The success of recent tests related to HIV drug has offered a hope of development of a successful HIV medication. The scientists at Tuberculosis Research Centre (TRC) conducted clinical trials for a vaccine to prevent AIDS.

The researchers at TRC have reported success during the fist phase of the tests for new medication. These medical trails are result of efforts of TRC, which is affiliated to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI).

Indian Health Minister, Anbumani Ramadoss passed a controversial statement by saying that the fight against AIDS will be significantly advanced when homosexuality is legalized in the country.

The minister feels that the fight against the deadly virus could be advanced if the government doesn’t consider homosexuality as a crime and encourage gays and lesbians to come out of the closet.

Presently, under section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, having sex with the same gender is a criminal act as it is “against the order of the nature.”

The recent U.S research has disclosed that maintaining a healthy lifestyle can cut one’s stroke risk by about 80 percent.

During the study, the investigators focused on the following five healthy lifestyle factors including regular exercise, healthy diet, limited intake of alcohol, no smoking and maintenance of weight.

The research team led by Hui Liu studied the effects of marriage on the health of men and women.

The recent study by researchers from Michigan State University showed that marriage has more health benefits for men as compared to women.

Researchers also found out that the difference between health standards of never-married and married men is decreasing. But it is also a fact that married men are still healthier than singles.

The researchers analyzed the data collected from 1.1 million people between ages of 25 and 80 in 32 years. The study subjects were married, widowed, divorced, separated, and never married.

The researchers also found that health of singles is improving.

AIDS is a deadly incurable disease. People suffering from AIDS are looked down upon by the people. In India, a person suffering from AIDS is ranked as sinner by others. In some parts of India, people under grip of this virus are treated like untouchables.

AIDS patient is sometimes devoid of basic human rights. Despite of various campaigns started by government to correct the misconceptions linked with this disease, AIDS patient is still treated with contempt. People suffering from AIDS can’t live a normal life due to various social stigmas attached to AIDS.
 

Researchers claim that recent research can help in finding successful cure of dementia.

Researchers from Nottingham University have artificially reproduced a common form of dementia. Researchers affirm that present study has given better understanding of dementia.

Researchers have genetically produced the first-ever mouse model with the type of brain degeneration seen in Lewy body disease and Parkinson's disease. A large number if people suffer from this condition.

Lead researcher, Prof John Mayer said, "This mouse model is the first platform to understand how the brain cell deterioration takes place. We will use this model to identify targets for new drugs to slow or prevent the disease."

A recent study has shown that deficiency of vitamin D can lead to occurrence of chronic pain in women.

The study also showed that low levels of vitamin D have no connection to chronic widespread pain in men.

The researchers analyzed the data collected from 7,000 men and women, all aged around 45. The study subjects were from across England, Scotland and Wales.

The recent report presented by Ontario Medical Association has shown that that the increasing amount of pollution will take several lives in Canada.

Researchers did a national analysis to asses the impact of smoke on public health. Researchers also claim that increasing pollution will also adversely affect the national economy. Researchers used a model to calculate the number of deaths and health care costs.

The new studies has exposed that the stress could also give rise to allergies other than the already known fact that the negative side effect of stress on the human body starts with the heart disease and ends with cervical cancer.

In May, a group of researches from Harvard Medical School present at the American Thoracic Society’s 2008 International Conference in Toronto said that the women who were stressed during the time of pregnancy were more likely to give birth to babies who have more chances of high level of Immunoglobulin E or IgE, an immune system chemical linked to allergic responses.

Very first community milk bank of the world has started its operations the Makati city of Philippines. It is one of the first milk Bank in the entire world where about 200 mothers donated their milk in small quantity. The launch of this milk Bank is a fruit of the efforts of Mr. Sen. Pia S. Cayetano who is a strong promoter of breastfeeding. The idea of this milk Bank is suggested by the Compañero Rene Cayetano Foundation. Makati City Health Department has also supported this new idea and offered all type of help for its establishment.

The recent research has shown that difference in sex affects asthma.

The study researchers from Harvard Medical School have found that boys are able to shed their asthma symptoms when they reach their teens.

The scientists also found that percentage of boys shedding symptoms of asthma in teens is much higher than girls. But, it is also a fact that Boys suffering from asthma are more likely than girls to wheeze in childhood.

Today the country’s largest commercial bank, State Bank of India (SBI), took a noble step by launching a loan product for the poor heart patients. The name of the loan product is ‘SBI Hrudaya Suraksha Scheme’ and is meant for only those patients who are undergoing the treatment of cardiac at Narayana Hrudayalaya in Bangalore.

Muhammad Yunus, founder, Grameen Bank of Bangladesh and Nobel Laureate for peace in 2006, launched the loan product.

A panel of doctors from AIIMS will probe into the infant trial death cases. It has appointed a five-member committee on Tuesday. It will probe the deaths of 49 babies at the institute during clinical trials over the past two-and-a-half years. The team is directed to submit its report within a week. The union ministry of health has supported the institute in this matter. It has directed the institute to make a panel of doctors following pressure by some political parties on baby death issue.

A research has found that the short women with long slender legs are most attractive.

This research is done by a team of Brunel University. It was established that the symmetry of the body decide the attractiveness of body and face. The research team used three dimensional scans of body shape to get the accurate outputs.

Lead researcher Dr. William Brown said that the shorter and slimmer women are naturally attractive. Their long legs, curvy figures and larger breasts add their beauty.

Harare - Striking hospital doctors in Zimbabwe vowed to stay off the job until government acceded to their demands for better pay conditions to help cushion them against the effects of 11.3 million per cent inflation.

The nationwide strike began Wednesday over the doctors demands to be paid in foreign currency instead of the nearly worthless Zimbabwe dollar.

Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (HDA) chairman Amon Siveregi told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa the doctors would continue the industrial action until government came to the table.

A recent study has claimed that to get an idea about a man’s temperament, study his face closely.

The study says that if a man has a rounder face, he might be more aggressive too.

The reason, which the international team has put forward is that if male sex hormones, testosterone are produced in abundance, the face gets rounder too, thus the behavior of men which depends upon testosterone gets more aggressive.

According to statistics, approximately half of population in UK suffers from back pain.

The recent research in Britain has shown that a 100-year-old relaxation method known as 'Alexander Technique' is very helpful in curing chronic back pain.

Under this technique, patients learn proper ways of sitting, standing and walking. It has been named after its founder, Australian actor Frederick Matthias Alexander.

Medical experts around the world advise regular intake of fruits for healthy body. Intake of fruits is considered essential for the proper growth of children.

A recent report by the School Food Trust has shown that one in seven British kids don’t eat fruits.

The report also showed that 1.7 million kids in the UK never ate fruits.

According to health recommendations children should eat five fruits in a day.

Researchers from Stanford University have devised a method that could help in reducing side effects of chemotherapy. Researchers also claim that this method will increase effectiveness of chemotherapy.

Researchers affirm that the use of carbon nanotubes in chemotherapy for cancer patients has shown great results. Moreover, with the help of this method, same work can be accomplished with less amount of medicine.

Nanotubes can deliver drugs to tumor cells more precisely as compared to existing treatments. As medicine is directly injected into tumor cells so there are less chances of spilling of medicine into healthy cells.

The study done by researchers at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School has shown that boys grow out asthma when they reach adulthood.

Researchers analyzed the data collected from 1,041 children, aged 5 to 12 years with mild to moderate persistent asthma. These children were given different doses of methacholine depending of severity of the asthma.  Annual spirometry tests with methacholine to measure the responsiveness of their airways were done. Researchers found that amount of methacholine required for boys increased with the passage of the time while dosage remained standard for girls for more time. This study showed that asthma was getting better in boys.

Hong Kong - A 7-year-old girl has become the third child to die of a mystery illness in Hong Kong, government officials said Friday.

The girl, who was admitted to hospital on August 8 with encephalitis or brain inflammation, died Friday.

Two other girls, aged 9 and 3, died last week with myocarditis, inflammation of the heart, and blood poisoning.

A fourth child, a 3-year-old boy, is also in a critical condition with sepsis and encephalopathy - blood poisoning and brain abnormalities.

Health officials are already conducting an investigation into the cause of the illnesses, however it is not yet known whether one single virus or different viruses are responsible.

London, Aug 23 : A group of British medical experts have carried out the world''s first operation using a robot to repair a condition that kills 7,000 people a year.

The condition, called an abdominal aortic aneurysm, involves a key artery that pumps blood around the body from the heart weakening and swelling and can go undetected until the section bursts, which is often fatal.

The team at St Mary''s Hospital in central London, have carried out the first operation to repair an aneurysm using a 400,000 pounds worth robot.

The US researchers have developed a new method of scanning joints that could disclose the warning signals of the aching condition.

According to researchers, the MRI scan mainly searches low levels of the chemical glycosaminogycan that assits cartilage in joints hold the water, which makes it hard and stretchy.

Actually, the deteriorating and collapse of the cartilage that cushions the moving parts of joints, plays a crucial role in the development of osteoarthritis, which is common in the over-40s age group throughout the world.

Companies are finding new ways to offer better services to their customers. Boots healthcare has come up with the idea of drive-through pharmacy. In drive-through pharmacy people will be given prescription on one window and will collect prescribed medicines from other window. The first drive through pharmacy in UK was opened on Wednesday.  

A former McDonald's restaurant in Colchester was converted into drive through pharmacy. Officials from Boots healthcare are convinced that this store will offer comfort to mothers who don’t want to leave kids alone in car and elderly. People will get medicine quickly from this store as compared to other normal stores.

The implementation of various measures which were announced by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik six months ago, have not been implemented till now and thus has agitated doctors working in public hospitals in Orissa. That is why; approximately 3000 doctors have decided to protest against the delay of the implementation of rules by following a mass resignation on August 27.

An unfortunate incident occurred at Siddharth Hospital in Goregaon on Thursday, when two patients died with complications after they had been injected with injections either for malaria or leptospirosis.

Other six patients, who were also injected with either of these two experienced chills and vomited.

Maghu Renu Yadav a 20 year old was among the ones who died. She was supposed to be discharged on Thursday afternoon as she already had recovered from fever.

A life of a girl was saved from marrying a HIV+ man, when he was tested positive for the test just before the days of their marriage at Chinnamanur in Theni district. This simple rule has been made mandatory by the govt. under which the couple has to undergo an HIV detection test just before they are about to get married, if they want to hold marriage in some marriage hall.

This marriage of 21-year old Autorickshaw driver, which was scheduled to be held on Thursday, at the Chinnamanur Maravar makkal (Community) Mandapam, was called off since the boy was detected with HIV+.

Amitabh Bachchan, who is considered to be the “God” of bollywood industry, might be busy performing in Britain in the ‘Unforgettable Tour’, but still the superstar took time to undergo a diabetes test in Leicester, just to support the cause of health awareness.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday discussed some points related to public health and medical facilities during a function. He laid the foundation stone of Jorhat Medical College at Jorhat in Assam. He also flagged off a Mobile Medical Unit in the first day of his two-day visit to Assam. He appreciated the efforts of the state government. He congratulated the state Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for his valuable efforts to set up a medical college in Assam. He hoped that the vision of CM to open three medical colleges will materialize soon.

The Public health officials of Canada linked 6 deaths to the bad quality of meat. The outbreak of a deadly bacterial disease is expected to come from tainted ready-to-eat meat produced by Maple Leaf Foods. The director-general of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is investigating the matter.

Two people are found suffered from dangerous ailment Listeriosis. It is a sort of food poisoning which can adversely hit the elderly, newborns, pregnant women and people with chronic medical conditions. The detectable symbols of disease are fever, headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

A non-profit group raised an issue regarding the deaths of 49 children during clinical trials of new medicines in AIIMS during the last two-and -a-half years. This group believes that the children enrolled for the clinical tests were from poor families. The Uday Foundation for Congenital Defects and Rare Blood Groups had sought information about the trials through a freedom-of-information request.

The hospital denied that children involved in the trails had poor socio-economic background. Moreover the children enrolled for the trials represented the "prevailing mix" of patients treated at the premier institute AIIMS on Tuesday said that the drugs used in the trials were found safe in earlier studies and "not known" to have fatal complications.

On Monday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi announced to pay of Rs. 5 lakhs to each victim, who had been undergoing treatment of eye cataract surgery and complained of blurred vision post surgery, during the eye camp at Perambalur.

Karunanidhi further said the Government would conduct a detailed inquiry into the matter. He also said that all patients who currently are being treated would get a monthly pension of Rs 400.

The patients complained to the administration that they have been given expired eye drops during the eye operation, which was conducted in a camp organized by a private Joseph Institute of Ophthalmology on July 28. Sadly, six victims lost their eyesight completely yesterday.

Having traditional English breakfast could be harmful to your health as it may expose you to a risk of bowel cancer. The food which contains fried eggs, sausages, bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes has about 700 calories and people who have this diet are 63% more prone to get into the risk of bowel cancer.

People who eat more fry-ups with bacon and sausages have more risk of bowel cancer. Consumption of processed meat will get into higher risk of bowel cancer. About two third risk of bowel cancer is increased after eating 150g of such diet in a day and if you eat about 50g the risk is increased by a fifth.

Country’s premier medical institute, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Tuesday said that the drugs, which were used on the 49 children, were found to be “safe” and the children were also not selected from a particular socio-economic group.

Suffering from a controversy over the reports of deaths of 49 children during clinical trials of new medicines in the premier institute during the last two-and -a-half years, AIIMS said that all the studies had undergone scientific scrutiny and had all the required regulatory and ethical approvals.

According to report of the institute the infants died because they had "high-risk and serious disease conditions.

After the great research on the new born baby’s brain, it has been concluded that they remember certain repeated words patterns, thus “Daddy” and Mommy,” which they get to hear, really often are mostly the first words they speak.

University of British Columbia post-doctoral fellow Judit Gervain and a team of researchers from Italy and Chile used the latest optical brain imaging techniques, to review the brain activities of 22 newborns. They did it by exposing these little babies to a recording of made-up words.

The researches has mixed the words without repeating syllables  like “mubage”and “penaku” with words having repeated syllable such as “mubaba” and “penana.”

Doctors at GG Hospital, Chennai brought first Indian frozen egg cell baby into this world on Wednesday. The baby boy, weighing 2.5 kg was born after an elective caesarean in the 36th week of pregnancy. The mother was healthy and will be nursing the baby from Thursday. This incidence has given hope to many childless couples.

Frozen egg cell procedure is an artificial reproduction method. In this method the egg cells from a woman are frozen and later fertilized to yield a foetus. However in this case a frozen egg cell from a donor was fertilized with his father's sperm cell. It was then implanted in the mother.

Here’s good news for the chewing gum eaters. According to a recent research done in an Australian university, chewing gum can reduce the stress as well as anxiety.

The study conducted at Swinburne University in Melbourne by Professor Andrew Scholey said that chewing gum helps to reduce the anxiety and/or acute psychological stress.

Apart from this, the study also maintained that chew gum eaters are able to perform multi task activities as compared to the no chew gum eaters.

On Friday, World Health Organization (WHO) claimed that children of the deprived suburbs of Glasgow have less life expectancy than that of children in India, children in poor parts of Glasgow other than not having proper health facilities have high mortality rate due to social factors.

WHO came on this conclusion after three year analysis of social determinants, which put forward the fact that more than genetic factors, the social factors were responsible for huge variation in ill-health and life expectancy around the world.  

Average weight of an 11-month-old baby is somewhere between 13 lbs and 15 lbs, but an 11-month-old baby in Colombia weighs 61 lbs.

Doctors in Colombia are trying to find reason behind unusual weight of this baby. Child’s mother, Milena Orosco de Agudelo added that her son’s unusual growth started when he was just two months old.  

Psychosis treatment drugs can lead to increased risks of stroke. It is found by top Researchers in the UK. The research team was headed by Ian J Douglas of London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. 

The team also discovered that people who suffered from dementia and use antipsychotics are at double risk as compared to those without dementia. The physicians have started research in 2002 on the increased risks of stroke for regular taker of atypical antipsychotic drugs. Antipsychotic drugs are used to control psychotic symptoms in patients.

The officials of American Academy of Otolaryngology believe that the earwax is necessary for good health.

It is advised not to remove it from ears. Earwax has lubricating and antibacterial properties, which can prove good for health.

The national guidelines in this regard are released by the American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.

Earwax is a water-soluble mixture of secretions. It is found in the outer third of the ear canal. It lubricates the ear canal besides performing cleaning and antibacterial actions in human beings.

Motherhood is not an easy task. Taking care of kids and home along with a job can be very stressful. A recent poll conducted by a website has shown that frequency of drinking in mothers is increasing. Mothers are taking help of alcohol to cope up with stress. This survey, conducted by website Netmums included 3,000 mothers. This survey showed that 49% mothers drink three or four nights a week at home.

81% surveyed women said that they drink to relax after the stressful day. 86% women accepted that they were drinking too much.

The city police arrested five persons involved in the inter-State kidney transplant racket involving lakhs of rupees. Commissioner’s Task Force DCP V.B. Kamalasan Reddy told a press conference that the investigations involved eight city corporate hospitals where the accused got kidney transplanted for 23 persons falsely claiming that the donors were their relatives and family members.  

According to the A.P. Transplantations of Human Organs Act, “An Authorisation Committee comprising the Director of Medical Education as its chairman has to authorise donation of kidneys by persons other than family members of recipients.” The donors constituted mostly form Khammam, W.G. and R.R. Districts.

On Monday, morning over 80 percent government doctors participated in the strike, which badly affected all the government hospitals. The strike was called off after the government promised to fulfill their demands.

APGDA had instructed the doctors to take mass casual leave and paste it on the notice boards at the entrance. Due to the strike no patient was admitted, no surgeries were conducted, except for the emergencies, pregnant women had to wait and were sent away after being given only the medicines where as at the teaching hospitals, the outer patient wards were without doctors.

When, later in the day, the Health Minister S Chandrasekhar gave assurance that their demands would be accepted within a week, the strike was postponed.

A latest discovery by the researchers’ has led to the conclusion that there is the hand of ‘divorce gene” behind increasing number of divorces and break-ups.

According to the researchers, this gene play a very vital role in determining as to how the brain reacts to a chemical, which is most important for a man and a woman to develop a relationship.

The Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mr. Anbumani Ramadoss announced, on Tuesday, that private as well as public offices can no longer have separate rooms for smoking as the official prohibition on smoking in public places would be imposed rigorously from October 02.

On the sidelines of a function, Mr. Anbumani said, “From October 2, the government would introduce the no smoking policy in all indoor establishments.”

Regular exercise including brisk walking can help improve memory in older people and delay the onset of dementia, says an Australian study. Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study articulates that the results even though they were modest, were as good if not better than those seen with the use of drugs to help boost mental function in Alzheimer’s disease.  

Net user should be ready for new disease namely "discomgoogolation".

The psychologists said that "discomgoogolation" is a sort of anxiety faced by some disconnected web individuals. It is caused when a net addicted user can not access internet or he is facing the problem of disconnection again & again.

Discomgoogolation can affect the general activities of human body. It can also lead to high level of blood pressure and increased brain activity in some cases.

Use of Viagra on a seven year old girl indicated that the drug has non-sexual, therapeutic uses.

Natalie Archibald of Musselburgh, Edinburgh another girl of this age suddenly collapsed when she opened her presents on Christmas Day two years ago.

When taken to a hospital by her parents, the doctors thought that she was over excited and treated her to calm her down.

When Natalie recovered she was never the same again as she suffered fits from exhaustion and sometimes was not even able to breathe normally.   

London, Sept 4 : A pair of twins who have spent over seven years suffering from leukaemia have finally recovered from the disease completely, and returned to school

Katie and Chelsea Young, 11, had contracted the disease within weeks of each other even though the chances of both getting it were nine million to one.

Their family feared that one or both of them could die.

However, upon their recovery, there was no one happier than their mother Sheena, 42, who for the first time felt "fantastic" as she waved them off to school.

A new study has claimed that girls who tend to be closer to their fathers are most likely to choose men who look like their fathers, while boys who are closer to their mums, tend to choose women who resemble their mothers too.

The researchers have recently found out that this trait get inhibited in the genes itself. The matching of someone’s facial features to one’s opposite sex parent and to choose him or her as life partner is called “sexual imprinting.”

Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh stressed the importance of public-private partnerships in health sector to cope up with the increasing demands on healthcare. He added that public sector can’t cope up with the healthcare requirement of huge country like India.

While inaugurating the first of Apollo’s Reach Hospitals at Karim Nagar via tele-link, Dr. Singh said it was the beginning of a new saga of enterprise and adventure to ensure provision of reliable, affordable and accessible care to all areas. With telemedicine at its core, the Apollo Reach Hospital model was an ideal example of an effective outreach programme. He expressed the hope that such efforts would multiply.

Muenster, Germany - A fad for vampire teeth means health troubles ahead, a health insurer warned Monday in Germany, where lovers of spooky Gothic music have been filing their canine teeth into sharp points.

KKH, an insurer in the northern city of Muenster, said filed teeth lacked their natural enamel and were likely to be hit by caries or to break off at the tip.

The music fans wear black clothing and make-up so that they look like scary people with a thirst for fresh blood.

A recent research has found a connection between contamination in womb and obesity. This study showed that exposure of pregnant women to some chemicals can adversely affect the baby. Exposure of mother to pollution increases the chances of obesity in kids even before their birth.

The study done by scientists at Barcelona’s Municipal Institute of Medical Research showed that children who are exposed to pesticide in the womb will have double risk of obesity.

In this study, the researchers measured levels of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in the umbilical cords of 403 children born on the Spanish island of Menorca. HCB is still found in food and environment although it is banned globally.

Attraction towards the opposite sex is a very complex phenomenon. However, a new research has suggested that expressing your feelings to the one whom you like can actually boost up your relationship. Just a simple phrase “I like you” can actually make your partner feel more attracted towards you and it can be further enhanced with eye contact and smile. The findings had been proposed by Dr Ben Jones, psychologist at Aberdeen University.

The psychologist for his study took 230 men and women, and found pout that social cues play a very vital role in attraction. Theses social cues indicate you as to how much others fascinate about you.

These findings which will be published in Psychological Science will also be showcased at the BA Festival of science and Liverpool.

A recently conducted study indicates that an athlete runs lower risk of exercise-induced asthma when he sweats more. "The same mechanism that makes you sweat controls airway secretion," Dr. Warren Lockette, head of the clinical investigation explained at Naval Medical Center in San Diego. The report was published in Chest (September).

As per findings of a new study, pollution is a factor that determines whether a child is fat or not before he or she is born.  The research highlights: Exposure to common chemicals before birth, increases the chances that a baby becomes overweight or obese.

Research has established that overweight men - particularly those who gain weight during adulthood, and surprisingly even those who are not clinically overweight based on their BMI (Body Mass Index) - are in the ‘high risk’ zone when it comes to colon cancer.

Britain’s ‘The Telegraph’ newspaper recently carried an interesting report about an anti-wrinkle face cream that has become a huge hit – surprisingly, it is ‘venomous as it is strikingly similar to the venom of an Asian snake.

Gwyneth Paltrow is reportedly a supporter of this ‘Planet Skincare’ daily moisturizer, the makers of which claim that the cream can actually ‘stuns’ the skin in the same way as a snake bite does, thereby resulting in facial smoothness.

Wrinkles are symbol of old age. Sometimes wrinkles hide the youthful spirit of the person. Nobody likes to loose youthful look due to wrinkles. Various types of anti-wrinkle surgeries and treatment like cosmetic surgeries and Botox injections have developed from time to time. Treatment like Botox injections and other anti-wrinkle surgeries are painful as well as costly.

Planet Skincare has developed an anti-wrinkle face cream, which gives smooth skin without wrinkles. This cream is a boon for those people who want skin without wrinkles but can’t afford or desire a treatment like Botox injections and other anti-wrinkle surgeries

Disease-free gums can help in reducing risk of heart disease and stroke. Studies have shown a link between gum disease and increased chances of heart disease or a stroke. But the reason behind this association was not known. A recent research has discovered the possible reason link between gum disease and heart disease

Professor Greg Seymour said that a number of theories have been put forward to explain the link between oral infection and heart disease. Chronic infections have been associated with a disease that causes "furring" of the arteries, called atherosclerosis, which is the main cause of heart attacks.

Happy dreams as well as nightmares, represent the activity of sub-conscious brain, when humans are asleep. A recent study has shown that women undergo a higher frequency of nightmares during sleep than  men. This study further showed that women remember their nightmares more vividly as compared to men. This study was conducted by researchers at the  University of the West of England, U.K.

Various studies have proved the healing power of touch. A subtle stroke, gentle pat on the back and tight hug are signs of appreciation as well as human bonding. Such gestures activate pleasure hormones in body. Recently, researchers based at the University of Gothenburg, found that such gestures also possess healing power. Another study by the Swedish researchers has shown that the healing power of touch helps in relieving p.

The study showed that gentle stroking activates pleasure nerves or C-tactile fiber nerves that teem up the skin, thus stopping other fiber nerves from delivering messages of pain to the bra

A recent study led by Dr. Peter Rohdewald of the University of Munster in Germany has shown that the pine bark extract helps in reducing knee arthritis pain. The research revealed that Pycnogenol, a bark extract from the French maritime pine tree, may help reduce overall knee osteoarthritis symptoms. Lab. studies have shown that the pine bark extract has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Togo's Health Ministry made an official announcement about the outbreak of bird flu in the West African nation of Togo for the first time since last year.

Andhra Pradesh State AIDS Control Society (APSACS) has decided to come up with an Adolescence Education Programme (AEP) from September 15 in the state.

The main motive of the AEP programme will be to spread the awareness regarding AIDS among the adolescents. For this purpose, the programme will cover nearly 16,160 high schools and different colleges across the state.

AEP aims to reach 22 lakh young people across the State this academic year.

Number of dengue cases has crossed the 200 mark in Delhi.

Mr. V K Monga, MCD Public Health Committee Chairman said, "Twenty-one more patients tested positive for the virus today taking the number of afflicted persons to 209 this season."  

Civic bodies claim that further increase in number of dengue cases is speculated because September and October are normally considered as peak months for the spread of dengue, the number of cases are only expected to rise.

A recent research has shown that a combination of low-level exercise with a body-building supplement can increase the level of activeness in elderly. This research was done by the researchers at the Manchester Metropolitan University.

A study conducted by the researchers at King’s College London has led them to yet another ‘goodness’ associated with the wonderful calming and soothing agent – lavender. Known for soothing headaches and aiding sleep, the scent of lavender is also effective in lowering anxiety levels of people visiting dentists, that too in a jiffy!

Researchers concluded that the 340 dental patients exposed to lavender oil scent immediately became less anxious about their treatment. The anxiety levels of these patients were practically measured by the way of a questionnaire handed over to them while they were awaiting their scheduled dental check-up.

COPD is a progressive lung condition, a bane of smokers and former smokers. It is characterized by emphysema and chronic bronchitis, leading to obstruction in air flow to the lungs. A recent research shows that a substance found in broccoli may limit the damage which leads to serious lung disease.

At least 80 malnurished infants have died in the tribal belts of Satna and Khandwa districts of Madhya Pradesh. Though the BJP govt is refuting the charges by the NGOs working in these blocks a Unicef report suggests that “malnutrition could be one of the reasons”.

An international survey conducted in 13 countries suggests that 9 out of 10 http://www.topnews.in/files/Diabetic-Children.jpg " alt="Diabetic Children Need Support And Social Care" title="Diabetic Children Need Support And Social Care" width="130" height="94" align="left" />children with diabetes lack support at school. The number of diabetic children — even type 2 diabetes, has increased worldwide. Recent statistics show that more than 200 children develop diabetes every day in the world. The disease not only affects the children physically but also has severe mental, economic and social implications on the children as well as their parents.

The ‘No. 1 Haryana’ campaign, which is currently being aired on cable networks across the state, is likely to be hit hard by the threat due to a potential enemy – mosquitoes. Following the recent cases of dengue and cholera, malaria too has joined the ‘league’ with over 28,000 confirmed cases recorded of late from different places throughout the state.

This high number of confirmed cases has surpassed the figure of 23,278 cases, recorded in Uttar Pradesh. Despite this, the health department, still asserts that this outbreak is yet to take the shape of an epidemic.

In U.K, thousands of people suffer from osteoarthritis in knee, which can be painful for the patients. Some of the UK surgeons were still carrying out the operation, against national guidance, which is not beneficial for the patients .New England Journal of medicine study showed surgeons were misguided who still relying on the operation technique.

According to a Canadian doctor, after surgery there is no difference in the symptoms of a patient. Physiotherapy and painkillers provide the same result.  
 

Determined to continue with the efforts to curb the practice of smoking in public places, the Health Ministry plans to extend ‘The Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules 2008’ to almost all public venues, by ‘Gandhi Jayanti’ – October 2. Though parks and roads have been excluded from the banned places list, strict fines will be imposed at the places where smoking has been banned – and, the Bollywood movies too fall in this category!

Presently, the law does not allow a pregnant woman to undergo an abortion if she has passed the period of over 20 weeks. The only exception is when there is a serious risk to the life of the mother.

State AIDS Control Society has expressed anguish over the incidence of unprotected sex in IT companies and call centres. As a corrective measure, it plans to install condom vending machines at the campuses. Call centers and BPO’s have already been contacted to persuade them to co- operatein the venture. "This is under process. The machines will be installed soon," APSACS project director Chandravadan said here recently.

A 35 year old woman suffered a paralytic stroke after having sex with her boy friend. A case repost published in Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease revealed that the stroke paralyzed many functions of the woman’s left side and her speech became slurred as she had lost sensation on the left side of her face.

According to doctors birth control pills increase the risk of blood clots. Sexual intercourse can cause pressure changes in the heart and enable the clot to travel through the hole from the right atrium to the left one.

In the case of the present patient, the doctors found a small clot formed in one of the veins in her thigh. It broke loose and moved to heart's upper right pumping chamber.

It has been suggested that taking more exercise and eating the right kind of food, helps in increasing the levels of an enzyme, which guards against the damage to cell due to aging.

Professor Dean Ornish, from the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in California along with his team, desired to know if the improvements in the diet and living habits had any reverse effects.

 30 men, who were in the ‘low risk of prostate cancers’ category, were asked to participate in a three month trial with change in their life style.

According to a new research of the consumer habits of the nation, only 12% of the British people are able to hit the target recommended by the experts. Global market insight group TNS found in the study that 12% people eat five portions of fruit and vegetable in a day, and other 12%people do not eat any portion of fruit and vegetable.

The study, titled ‘Health of Britain – Perspective on Nutrition 2008’found the differences between age, gender and social class .On an average, people in Britain eat two and a half portion of fruit and vegetable in a day.

The Chinese health Ministry had reported the death of one more infant on Monday. The authorities however failed to give any details about the death.

Earlier last week, one infant had died from kidney stones in the northwest Gansu Province of Xinhua. Due to the expanding food safety scandal in the country, nearly 500 babies have been reported sick by the tainted formula within a period of few days. Out of these nearly 102 belong to northwest region of Gansu alone.

According to a report published by Xinhua news agency the second infant died due to the contaminated infant milk powder, manufactured by the Sanlu Group, based in the northwest region of Gansu province. The police had so far arrested two traders for selling up to 3 tonnes of contaminated milk.

A recent study has shown that combination of Avastin with gemcitabine-cisplatin chemotherapy improves the time lung cancer patients live without progression of the disease. This combination also increased the tumor response rate by 70 percent as compared to treatment with chemotherapy alone. This study was led by Christian Manegold of Heidelberg University in Mannheim, Germany.

Avastin approved in several countries as a treatment for colorectal, lung, breast and kidney cancer. This drug works by directly inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor, a key mediator of the growth of new blood vessels. The lack of blood vessels prevents oxygen from reaching the tumor cells and they die.

SK Setia, DPI (schools), introduced comprehensive AEP (Adolescent Education Programme), to be implemented from October onwards, in all senior secondary and secondary schools of the city. The programme will be implemented in collaboration with State AIDS Control Society, Chandigarh. Under this programme, red ribbon clubs would be established in schools.

Sleep Apnea in men, is also linked to erectile dysfunction(ED). A recent research by researchers from the University of Louisville, has offered a hope regarding treatment of erectile dysfunction(ED). In patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), ED is linked to the chronic intermittent hypoxia—oxygen deprivation (CIH) experienced during these episodes of obstructed breathing.

Dr. David Gozal, professor of pediatrics at the University of Louisville, said: “Even relatively short periods of CIH … are associated with significant effects on sexual activity and erectile function.”

Case of Niketa Mehta brought Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act under public eye. The 37-year old MTP Act, allows termination of pregnancy from 12 to 20 weeks, if two medical practitioners are of opinion that “there exists a substantial risk that, if the child were born it would suffer from physical or mental abnormalities so as to be seriously handicapped.”

Melbourne, Sept 17 : Consuming alcohol can be good for your heart, but you have to be a lazy smoker with an aversion to fruit and vegetables to reap the full benefits, suggests a Brit researcher.

UK’s leading researcher on the link between health and behaviour, the Australian expatriate Michael Marmot, found that smokers with the worst diets and poorest exercise habits could consume as many as 14 standard drinks a week, and still cut the risk of having a heart attack, stroke or other form of cardiovascular disease.

Greater quantities were less beneficial, though still better for those people than being teetotal.

Melbourne, Sept 17 : An increasing number of women in generation Y age group have become a victim of chlamydia, a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can cause infertility, according to a sexual health researcher, who describes it as a "little epidemic".

Researcher and lecturer Dr Melissa Kang said the rates of chlamydia infections have significantly increased in the Gen Ys over the past decade.

The cases of chlamydia has quadrupled from 1999 to 2007 and the most affected were young women aged 20 to 24

The cases increased from 335 per 100,000 people in 1999, to 1300 per 100,000 people in 2007.

Women and girls aged between 15 and 19 had the second highest rate and young men aged 20 to 24 the third.

Washington, Sept 17 : A team of scientists from Yerkes National Primate Research Center and the Emory Vaccine Center has reached a step closer to determining why SIV and HIV infection leads to AIDS in some primate species but not others.

Studying the mangabeys, the natural hosts for the AIDS viruses that remain healthy despite SIV infection, the researchers have found that their immune systems are activated to a significantly lower extent during the infection than are the immune systems of rhesus macaques.

The researchers say that this difference may explain why SIV and HIV infection leads to AIDS in some primate species but not others.

Lahore, Sept 17 : Despite the social dogma associated with sex, people in Pakistan use 130 millions condoms annually, says a new survey.

Among the many available methods to curb unwanted pregnancies, condoms still remain the preferred choice of contraception in Pakistan, reveals a study by Green Social Marketing, an organization working towards improving female healthcare in the country.

“Immediate pregnancies and low time periods between childbirth can cause high blood pressure and excessive bleeding during the next pregnancy, which claims around
30,000 lives each year in Pakistan,” the Daily Times quoted Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Secretary General Dr Samrina Hashmi, as saying.

An Italian study carried out on 574-people aged 55-years and older reveals migraine sufferers are at risk of potentially fatal blood clots in the veins, blood clots that can dislodge travelling to the heart and lungs. Of the study participants, 111-were found to be suffering from migraines for the past 5-years.  Along with a review of their medical records, they also underwent high resolution ultrasounds, a scan for atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries.  As compared, of a total of 21 people with migraine, 35-people without had one or more instances of venous thrombosis.  Further, contrary to the current theory, the study revealed migraine sufferers were not more likely to suffer from arteriosclerosis or hardening or narrowing of the arteries, compared to others.

A study published in the latest edition of the ‘Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry’ reveals that researchers have found that beer, red wine and caffeinated drinks like coffee contain high levels of chemicals, similar to ‘oestrogen’, which is linked to male fertility. It is being believed that gulping down excess of beer, red wine or even coffee could lower the ‘sperm count’, though drinking in moderation may not be all that damaging.

Roche, the Swiss drugmaker and a partner with Genentech on the blockbuster cancer treatment, said that its Phase III trial data showed ‘Avastin’, in combination with ‘gemcitabine-cisplatin’ chemotherapy, could improve the time cancer patients can live without the disease progressing, thereby indicating a positive trend to ‘extended’ survival. The details of this study were presented at the European Society of Medical Oncology in Stockholm.

Research shows that the majority of Britons fail to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.  National consumer habits reveal, only 12% of the population manage to hit the five-a-day target, while another 12% do not eat any portion of fruit and vegetables.

TNS, a global market insight group finds of the average 2.5. portions eaten a day, there are significant difference between age groups, gender and social class who eat fruit and vegetables.

Leaving five children dead in Mingli and one in Afti village, Marwah Tehsil in the mountainous, Kishtwar district has been hit by a deadly measles epidemic, affecting dozens of others.

Measles, which also goes by the name of rubella, is a highly contagious though rare respiratory infection caused by a virus.  Causing skin rash all over the body and flu-like symptoms that include fever, cough, and runny nose, it is not always fatal if treated in time.

An Italian study carried out on 574-people aged 55-years and older reveals migraine sufferers are at risk of potentially fatal blood clots in the veins, blood clots that can dislodge travelling to the heart and lungs.

A new in cosmetic surgery, it is now possible to reduce fat rolls and bulges that form on ones’ back, as a direct consequence of the ageing factor.  The American Society of Plastic Surgeons concede that this will allow women past their prime to wear form-fitting outfits unselfconsciously, if they so desire.

In order to address the health related problems of those living in the rural areas, Novartis India, has come up with a programme named as “Arogya Parivar.”

Speaking on this with the reporters on Wednesday, Ranjit Shahani (Vice Chairman and MD- Novartis India) said, “By 2010, we would like to cover 50 million patients, in the rural areas of the country, through Arogya Parivar.”

He further said that the company has launched the medicines for tuberculosis, mother and childhood malnutrition, respiratory and gastro-intestinal problems.

The programme at present has been launched in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The company plans to extend this programme to other parts of the country in the future.

A study conducted on heart patients has shown that tiny particles in the air, black carbon and sulphur dioxide found in heavy vehicle polluted area can cause severe damage to the heart by increasing the ST-segment depression, which disrupts the supply of blood to the heart.

The TamilNadu government, in a joint venture with the Emergency Management and Research Institute have launched an integrated emergency service to attend to all medical, fire and police emergencies.

One of the first ever public/private ventures, set up at the cost of 70 crores, will have the facility available in the city and its suburbs. It aims at covering the entire state by the yearend, said the health minister M R K Paneerselvam.

The TamilNadu government, in a joint venture with the Emergency Management and Research Institute have launched an integrated emergency service to attend to all medical, fire and police emergencies.

One of the first ever public/private ventures, set up at the cost of 70 crores, will have the facility available in the city and its suburbs. It aims at covering the entire state by the yearend, said the health minister M R K Paneerselvam.

The increasing number of cerebral palsy cases among infants has lead to more researches in medicine. According to a study conducted by UK based medical experts, Antibiotics have a great role in increased number of cerebral palsy cases. 

The increasing number of cerebral palsy cases among infants has lead to more researches in medicine. According to a study conducted by UK based medical experts, Antibiotics have a great role in increased number of cerebral palsy cases. 

Pregnant females undergoing tests, like CVS or amniocentesis, for the detection of the Down’s syndrome, are at higher risk of miscarriages.

As per a study conducted, by the Charity Down Syndrome Education International, around two babies without Down's syndrome, were lost in the process of preventing the birth of three with Down's. Besides CVS, questions have been raised, on the risk involved on pregnant women, undergoing ultrasound scan.

A new study has revealed, that high levels of testosterone in Men and women, makes them more attracted, towards feminine faces and masculine men respectively.

Study included, a series of tests, involving 70 women and 30 men, and their testosterone levels were measured on each occasion. Study also revealed that the attitude and choices changed, depending on the level of the testosterone in body. 

Participants were shown pairs of masculine and feminine faces for a month. They were asked about which version of the same face was most attractive. To measure testosterone levels, participant’s saliva was taken. 

On Wednesday, the officials revealed that Britain has categorized nine types of problem drinkers that include people who are depressed solo tipplers to extreme boozers. This initiative to identify problematic drinkers has been taken to deal with the country’s notorious binge-drinking culture.

In England’s northwest, the typical meaning of a night out is “getting drunk heavily.” So the authorities are aiming to set an information campaign here to change the attitude of people.

There are many types of problem drinkers which include de-stress drinkers, community drinkers, hedonistic drinkers macho drinkersand re-bonding drinkers.. To understand them better, let us see their definitions-

* De-stress drinkers- those who use alcohol to calm down at the end of a hard day.

A recent study has put forward a fact that women, who work on part time or casual and contract jobs are almost 10 times more likely to face sexual harassment than those who work on permanent positions.

During the process of their research, Anthony LaMontagne, of VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing tried to examine the possibility of sexual harassment in different types of jobs.

The recent survey, conducted by Synovate's Global Omnibus, confirmed the public support to the anti-smoking law in public spaces that would be implemented from Oct 2. Majority of the people interviewed under the recent survey, were appreciative of government’s efforts to save people from hazards of second hand smoking. The survey was commisioned by the Healis Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health. Approximately 1030 persons from age group 15-64 were interviewed between August 9 and August 24, 2008. The survey covered 4 major cities of India- Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Delhi.  

A recent research has shown that intake of paracetamol increases the risk of developing symptoms of Asthma. The research was carried out by the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network. Other painkillers didn’t show the similar effect. Researchers found out that use of paracetamol once a week triples the risk of suffering from asthma symptoms.

A recent study has shown that antibiotics given to women in premature labour can be harmful to the babies. Researchers in UK found that the antibiotics given to delay premature birth increase the chances of cerebral palsy in babies. Cerebral palsy is the result of the failure of a part of the brain to develop before birth or in early childhood or brain damage. It can cause physical impairments and mobility problems. One in 400 births is affected by it. Infections during pregnancy or infancy can cause cerebral palsy.

Researchers in U.S. claim that they have developed a new method to identify genes that might affect human health. Researchers from Translational Genomics Research Institute or TGen believe that the new method is faster and less expensive as compared to existing methods for the identification of genes. The TGen researchers found a way to index portions of nearly 3 billion-base human genetic code, making it easier for scientists to zero in on regions most likely to show variations in genetic traits. The method involves the use of bar codes, not unlike those found in grocery stores. The study was led by David Craig, the associate director of the institute's neurogenomics division.

The recent case of a native of Bihar, suffering from Aids, has highlighted one aspect of the discrimination faced by people suffering from Aids in India. Earlier this year, this man suffering from Aids was told that he needs “second line of ARV drugs” as “first line of ARV drugs” was not working for him.

Decrease in the superbug MRSA, has bought the appreciation for the government. Health Protection Agency (HPA) reported that superbug MRSA cases had halved between 2004 and 2008. HPA collects the reports of both MRSA and Clostridium difficile infections.

According to Gordon Brown, some of the imposed initiatives like deep-cleaning of wards, bare-below-the-elbows policy etc, had been controversial, but they have helped make the progress.

Quarterly report of HPA's on MRSA articulates 836 cases, between April and June 2008. There is 14% decrease in the previous three months and a drop of 36% from the same quarter last year. Government claims that, since 2004, MRSA infections have now dropped by 57%.

A study carried out by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), on breast augmentation procedures, found that advertisements promoting unfeasibly large breasts among women have greatly increased four-fold in the past five years to more than 26,000 in 2007.

According to Prof Graham Taylor, head of genomic services at Cancer Research UK's, the new test for hereditary breast cancer developed, basically focuses on smaller area of the gene code, reducing costs up to 99 per cent. Test will now, cost just £10 from early next year, besides slashing the waiting time for the results to one week.

The 2008 guidelines, which is the latest of a new set of guidelines issued every five years, lays stress on pinpointing prediabetes. It recommends to both, the doctors and patients, to take aggressive steps to prevent Type 2 diabetes. In the prediabetes condition, the patient’s blood sugar levels go up and the patient has less tolerance to blood sugar. According to Ellen Macolmson, President and CEO of Canadian Diabetes Association, "Research has shown that long-term damage to the body, especially the heart and circulatory system, may already be occurring before a diabetes diagnosis." 

Previously conducted studies and research had indicated, people with aortic valve disorder have higher mortality rate. But with the advancement in medicinal technology, these patients have a similar life span as those with a normal heart. 

These patients have a bicuspid aortic valve which means their valve has only two flaps (cusps) that open and close, instead of the normal three. It is also the most common disease that inflicts the adult population. 

In a significant move by the Ministry of Health, the pharmacists of BC have been given power to renew a doctor’s prescription, alter the drug dosage and substitute the drugs with new ones. According to, B.C. Health Minister George Abbott, the legalities were formalized in the spring with the cooperation of the B.C. Pharmacy Association and the B.C. College of Pharmacists. He also denied earlier media reports saying that customers would be forced to pay for each renewal.

With the aim to provide paramedical, medical and nurses training courses at its upcoming Apollo Aragonda Health Knowledge City in Andhra Pradesh, the Apollo Hospitals Group, on its 25th anniversary, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indira Gandhi National Open University. The project, which will require an investment of Rs 1,000 crore over the next five years will be located on 100 acres. 

The results of a short term trial comparing experimental drug Ustekinumab with existing Enbrel carried out on 902-patients and presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress in Paris, indicate the superiority of Ustekinumab over Enbrel in treating moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. 

The 12-week trial saw one group of patients given one short of Ustekinumab at the start with a booster shot four weeks later, while other patients received two shots of Enbrel each week. 

A clinical trial of Amgen’s experimental bone drug on 7,800 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis showed a 68% reduction in the risk of spinal fractures in women with osteoporosis. Denosumab has been found to also reduce the risk of hip fractures by 40% and the risk of all non-spinal fractures by 20%. 

A recent study by the researchers at University of the West of England has shown that an accommodation in a bustling locality can lead to “fewer friends”. This study was led by Joshua Hart of the University of the West of England, Bristol. This study supports result of the previous study that showed that the weight of traffic beside a person's home can determine their quality of life.  

The Health Minister Vishwajit Rane inaugurated ‘The Clinic on Wheels’ for the diabetics in the state. These clinics will be equipped with all state of the art facilities to detect diabetes and offer treatment along with educational material to offer to spread awareness about the effects of the disease and how early diagnosis of high sugar levels can prevent complications at a later stage. 

Farmers are being criticized for an outbreak of the deadly bluetongue virus, among cattle in North Wales this week. There are confirmed reports, of two cases of BTV8 strain of bluetongue at a farm near Ruthin, on Tuesday. 

Bluetongue is characterised by changes in the mucous linings of the mouth and nose, and the coronary band of the foot, but it is not harmful to humans at all. 

Although vaccination for BTV8 is available, but BTV1 has no vaccination and can prove fatal. 

Playground myths about sex are misleading teenagers. According to a recent survey conducted by Department for Children, Schools and Families on 500 children aged 11 to 14, most of the children had misconceptions about sex. 

The most popular among theses misconceptions include – that first time sex does not make you pregnant, it is unhealthy for a boy with an erection not to have sex, condoms can be re used after washing, you cannot get pregnant standing up and tampons make you lose virginity. 

Geneva, Sept 21 : In its latest Annual Malaria Report, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the disease killed nearly one million people worldwide in 
2006.

According to the report, most of the dead were children below five, and African countries were mostly affected. A total of 109 countries were prone to malaria in 2008, with 45 being in Africa, the Washington Times quoted the WHO report as saying.

Manila - The World Health Organization (WHO) expressed satisfaction on Sunday with the response of the Chinese government in containing the spread of the tainted infant milk that has already killed at least four babies in China.

Shigeru Omi, outgoing regional director of the WHO Western Pacific Office which covers Asia and the Pacific, said that the WHO and the Chinese government are working closely to address the problem.

According to the latest information from the WHO, some 6,244 children in China have suffered health problems after being fed with infant milk contaminated with melamine

Melamine is used as a binding agent and coating for particle, fibre and laminated boards in furniture. It is also used to make fertilizer.

Beijing - China's top leaders have urged officials across the country to respond to the growing scandal over tainted milk after one government department said it had received more than 100,000 complaints about dairy products, state media said on Sunday.

The government has ordered a complete overhaul of the dairy industry after tainted milk powder killed at least four infants and sickened some 6,200 others.

Vice Premier Li Keqiang on Saturday visited a hospital treating babies stricken by melamine-laced milk powder in the northern province of Hebei, where many of the cases of melamine-related illness were recorded.

A patient, suffering from Aids, was refused treatment by Mumbai’s prestigious JJ Hospital because he was not Maharashtrian. The patient, a native of Bihar, approached the JJ Hospital in Mumbai for “second line of ante-retroviral (ARV) drugs”.

A Bihar hospital had told him that the “first line of ARV drugs” was not working for him so he needs “second line of ARV drugs”. He bought the drugs worth Rs6,000 from open market as the treatment is not available in any Bihar government hospital. Soon he ran out of money for treatment. Bihar Network of People with HIV+ (BNP+) advised him to approach JJ Hospital in Mumbai for free treatment. JJ Hospital refused him treatment saying that the medicines were available “only to Maharashtrians”.

A new rapid test for the human papillomavirus (HPV), for use in regions with scarce resources has been reported to be 90 % accurate as compared to current methods in use.

HPV is the primary cause of cervical cancer and the new vaccine has been developed by Qiagen NV in partnership with PATH, with funding from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
 

While, Baroness Mary Warnock, a medical ethics expert has been advocating euthanasia for people suffering from dementia for several years now, Alzheimer’s charities term her remarks as ‘insensitive and ignorant’.  

Talking to BBC, Lady Warnock said that more research is required to establish whether people with Alzheimer’s and dementia are mentally competent to decide whether they preferred to die, than be a burden on their families and the National Health Service.

The Chinese Health Ministry announced in a statement, released late on Sunday, that the number of children affected by consuming contaminated milk products has doubled, with about 12,900 in hospital and 104 of them seriously ill. This has reportedly been one of the worst product safety scandals in years.  

More than 80 percent of the sick were reported to be under age two. Hitherto, four deaths have been blamed on toxic milk powder causing kidney stones and agonizing complications.

Flowers are the symbol of happiness and greetings and a recent study carried out by a team of German Researchers has put forward the fact that sleeping with flowers in your bedroom will give you the experience of sweet dreams.  

The team used 15 female volunteers to reach this conclusion, and they analyzed their sleep for full 30 days.  

Kerala Law Reforms Commission has presented a proposal, which recommends that euthanasia or mercy killing should be made legal in the state. The proposal also suggests deletion of Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code which holds attempt to suicide as an offence. The panel was headed by retired Supreme Court judge V.R. Krishna Iyer. 

Gandhi Jayanthi Day or Oct 2 will see implementation of anti-smoking law in public places. The law prohibits smoking in public places. The law has been made to save people from adverse effects of second-hand smoking. Violators of the law will be fined Rs 200.

According to sources, dropout rate among girls is increasing at alarming rate. 

CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) at Ottawa has warned people prone to allergies due to egg, milk, and soy, to not consume certain products produced, by Baltic Bread Products of Hamilton. 

Baltic Bread bakery products with expiring dates up to and including Sept. 21 2008 are of major concern, as most of these products contain egg, milk and soy which are not displayed on the label. 

Italian researchers have reported that a variation of the gene for the vitamin D receptor plays a role in the development of melanoma, a serious and life threatening form of cancer as it’s involved in cell growth and death. 

More than 4200 walkers and runners participated in the annual ‘Komen Maine Race for the Cure’ on Sunday. The annual event sustains breast cancer survivors and raises money for education, screening and treatment programs for breast cancer. This years event saw an all time high of more than $250,000 being collected in donations. 

A recent German research has shown that the type of scent we inhale when we are asleep, determines the type of dreams during sleep. A positive smell can affect dreams in a positive way while negative smells make dreams negative. Earlier studies have shown affect of external stimulation, such as sound, pressure or vibration on the content and the emotional tone of dreams. The research was conducted by Professor Boris Stuck and his team from the University Hospital Mannheim.  

A recent ongoing research by Australian researchers has offered a distinct hope to people suffering from hearing loss. Researchers led by Bryony Coleman, at the Eye and Ear Hospital, are conducting world-first research into the potential of stem cells to regrow the nerves that connect the ear to the brain. 

Researchers believe that if the present research is successful, it could help in restoring hearing to those who are totally deaf. Researchers added that this technique could also be used to improve the quality of hearing in people with cochlear implants.

A team of researchers led by Professor Mark Huycke has discovered connection between a common gut bacterium and colon cancer. Researchers believe that this bacterium plays a key role in development of colon cancer. Enterococcus faecalis is harmless in the vast majority of people but research has shown that it can produce harmful chemicals.  

Mumbai: With an intention to strengthen the healthcare network in the city, Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has decided to open up a medical college in Mulund, a north-eastern suburb of mumbai. With a 300 bed hospital, the college will enroll nearly 50 MBBS students in its first batch in 2009.  

From the last two decades, cell phones have become a necessity for everyone. Most of the consumers for these gadgets are the youngsters. But a new study has revealed that the use of cell phones can be dangerous for the mental health of youngsters.  

A study by Lincolnshire-based Hewitt Associates has estimated 9 percent rise in job-based health insurance for US workers in 2009. It is also estimated that the cost of health care benefits for companies is going to increase by 6.4%. 

This will result in employees having to pay more for health cost. The increase for companies will reflect upon the employees pocket as well. The average annual premium insurance cost per employee will be increased from $8,331 up to $8,863. 

A recent research has shown that turmeric may help in reducing the size of a haemorrhagic stroke. Turmeric, a bright yellow aromatic spice with bitter taste is found in every Indian home. It is used in everything from cooking to holy rituals to cures of various aliments. It is commonly used for treatment of inflammatory and digestive disorders in Ayurvedic as well Chinese medicine. Turmeric, which is also called curcumin is the root of a tropical plant related to ginger.

Helping Bihar flood victims proved deadly for Chandrakant Patil, a 25-year-old resident doctor at the King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital in Mumbai. He lost his life while helping others. He and his group went to Bihar to give medical aid to victims of flood. He was killed by the lightning while 4 other doctors had a lucky escape. The team of doctors was struck by thundershowers and lighting when they were about to wind up for the day at the relief camp. Death of their teammate has shocked the team of 40 doctors who went to Bihar on September 15.

A recent US research has shown that pistachios nuts can help in lowering cardiovascular disease risk. The number of people suffering from cardiovascular diseases is increasing at an alarming rate. Sedentary and tense lifestyles, along with faulty eating habits, increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The research has shown that only handful of pistachios nuts can help in lowering cardiovascular diseases risk. But intake of these nuts in large amount can adversely affect health. The pistachio nut is one of the oldest edible nuts on the planet.

A recent study has shown that massage therapy can help advanced cancer patients. This study showed that massage can help in relieving the pain as well as mood change in advanced cancer patients. Depressed mood is one of the most common problems in cancer patients. However benefits were not long-lasting. This research showed that massage therapy could be used as a safe way to ease cancer patients' pain. This study was led by Dr. Jean S. Kutner of the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine.  

A recent study has shown that presence of “friendly” bacteria in the gut can help stop the development of type 1 diabetes. Researchers believe that exposure to some forms of bacteria might help to prevent the onset of type 1 diabetes, which often develops in childhood, where the immune system launches an attack on cells that produce insulin. 

Researchers said that the results of a clinical study to be presented next month have shown that the blockbuster inhaled lung drug Spiriva, which is marketed by Pfizer and Boehringer Ingelheim reduces heart risk. These findings are contradictory to the conclusion reached earlier by pooled analysis of past studies, which said that Spiriva or tiotropium raised the risk of heart attack, stroke and death from heart disease.

Seoul - South Korea on Thursday banned the import of Chinese milk and milk powder products and recalled two snacks found to contain the chemical melamine, which has caused kidney damage to thousands of Chinese babies.

The Korea Food and Drug Administration ordered the recall of Misarang Custard cake from China and Milk Rusk cookies imported from Hong Kong after some of the products on South Korean store shelves were found to contain melamine.

A new Italian study suggests that eating a small piece of dark chocolate daily, protects the heart from heart disease and inflammation, which is a good news for chocoholics. Dark chocolate has richest flavanol levels, that is good for heart. Milk chocolate has a much lower flavanol level.

Flavonoids, through the production of nitric oxide, help in relaxing the blood pressure and allow blood to flow more easily.  

A new study finds that the young women are no more likely to have recurrences than the older women with the breast cancer.
 
Dr. Aruna Turaka, a fellow in the departmentof radiation oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, said, earlier the presumption was that the women aged 40 and younger, diagnosed with DCIS, were more likely to have it recur. Now she found it otherwise while presenting her new study in an annual meeting in Boston on Wednesday at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.  
 

A new study finds that the young women are no more likely to have recurrences than the older women with the breast cancer.
 
Dr. Aruna Turaka, a fellow in the departmentof radiation oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, said, earlier the presumption was that the women aged 40 and younger, diagnosed with DCIS, were more likely to have it recur. Now she found it otherwise while presenting her new study in an annual meeting in Boston on Wednesday at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.  
 

A recent study has shown intake of soybeans and legumes can improve artery function in people who have suffered a stroke. The study has shown that isoflavone, a chemical found in soybeans, chickpeas, legumes and clovers is highly beneficial in working of arteries in stroke patients. This study was conducted by Professor Hung-Fat Tse, William MW Mong Professor in Cardiology and Academic Chief of the Cardiology Division in the Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong and his team.

Studies from time to time have proved various health benefits offered by the red wine. Red wine can help in keeping the heart healthy. It is also beneficial in curing some kinds of cancer. Recent research has added one more point in long list of health benefits of red wine. This research has shown that red wine can offer protection against radiation. Researchers in U. S. have found that red wine contains resveratrol, a natural antioxidant which may protect against radiation exposure. This study was led by Dr. Joel Greenberger, a radiation oncologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Hair color not only gives one a new look it can boast confidence and social life of women. Recent study by Nottingham Trent University proves that hair color affects the confidence level and mood of the women. Researchers found that women who color their hair in shades from platinum to strawberry enjoy increased confidence at work and better sexual experiences at home. In the present research, researchers studied the effect of hair colouring on a woman’s mood and well-being.  

Last one year has witnessed a boost in number of parents preserving umbilical cord blood stem cells of children. Hridesh Jaiswal, centre head of Life Cell International, a pioneer in the concept of umbilical cord blood stem cell banking in India, which has been in Chandigarh since 2005, added that the increase has been due to various awareness campaigns regarding the technology, with doctors and counsellors educating the to-be parents of various benefits.

Liraglutide is a new diabetes drug in the same class as Byetta, which cuts the blood sugar and lowers weight of people with early type 2 diabetes. Liraglutide requires one injection per day, where as Byetta requires two injections in a day. Liraglutide is a laboratory made version of GLP-1 (glucagons-like peptide),a harmone produced by the body.
  

On Thursday, it was the last day for the people to comment on federal proposed rule that could allow the doctors and other health care workers to refuse to participate in abortions on moral grounds. Many medical associations including the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics and 13 state attorneys general have come out to oppose the rule

A recent study has shown that swimming in chlorinated pools increases the risk of asthma. More than 300 million people around the world are affected by asthma. Symptoms of asthma are wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing and chest tightness. The study was done by researchers of the Catholic University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium. 

Millions of people around the world take antidepressants to deal with the stressful life. Numerous tensions of personal as well as professional life are forcing men to take help of antidepressants to lead a normal life. Recent research has shown that intake of antidepressants has negative effect on the fertility of men. Researchers found that common antidepressants can damage sperm which decreases the chances of becoming a father. This research was done by Peter Schlegel and his team at Cornell Medical Centre in New York. 

In the last few decades, incidences of eczema in infants have increased in developed countries. Eczema is a painful condition. It is believed that diet of children could be the reason behind this increase. A recent research has offered a way to decrease the risk of eczema. Researchers have found that if children are given a diet containing fish before the age of nine months the chances of developing eczema decreases.

Recently U.S. researchers have developed a method for generating "induced pluripotent stem cells" (iPS cells) without the side effects. This new research has shown that iPS cells can be grown using viruses that do not integrate themselves into the hosts' genome, bypassing a problem that has undermined the success of previous iPS cells. This study was done by Matthias Stadtfeld from Massachusetts General Hospital and colleagues.

US’ Centre for Disease Control has classified diabetes as a chronic, incurable disease. Diabetes increases the risk of several diseases. According to statistics, 57 million Indians will be affected by diabetes by 2025. Indian researchers have identified a genetic variation strongly linked with diabetes in India. The study was conducted by researchers from the New Delhi-based Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, or IGIB, and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, also in the Capital.

Studies have shown various health benefits offered by fish oil. A recent study showed that intake of fish oil supplement regularly can boost the mental faculties of the child. But this study was criticized by various experts.

In this study, researchers analyzed the data collected from 3,000 students in Britain. These students were given fish capsules everyday for a period of six months leading up to their exams. The results of these children were compared with the other children who were not given the supplements. 

Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) has organized a re-orientation programme for doctors of ayurveda in Mumbai. This programme has been organized with an aim to equip is doctors of ayurveda with knowledge of newer technological practices in the field of gynaecology and obstetrics. This six-day programme was started on September 22. 

Various studies have shown contribution of pollution in increased risk of numerous diseases. Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, allergens, and air pollution leads to various problems in human beings. Pollution could be harmful for all age groups but it is deadly for health of small children and elderly. 

Earlier study showed that substances called heterocyclic amines (HAs) found in cooked meat and fish at high temperatures increased risk of breast cancer in mice. During recent research, Swedish researchers said that HAs don't appear to boost a woman's risk of developing breast cancer after menopause. 

In this study researchers examined whether HA consumption was related to breast cancer, and whether omega-6 PUFA intake played a role in this relationship, in women enrolled in the Malmo Diet and Cancer study. 

Jakarta - Indonesia's Food and Drug Monitoring Agency has confirmed melamine had been detected in 12 food products from China, including cookies, candies and drinks, the health ministry and media reports said Saturday.

Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari said the country's Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) had found that 12 out of 19 China-based dairy products on sale in the country tested positive for melamine.

Among the poisonous ingredient melamine were found in Oreo stick wafer and M&Ms, Snickers and Guozhen formula milk, she said.

It is commonly believed that women are protected from heart attacks and require higher risk factor for disease development. But present day scenario is entirely different from this established notion. According to statistics, the number of coronary diseases in women have increased by 300 percent in the last five years. World Heart Day was celebrated on 28 September. Throughout the country, various seminars and discussions were organized.

A recent study has shown that frequent use of talcum powder by women on their private parts can be extremely dangerous. Researches found that women who use talc on private parts have 40 per cent risk of develop ovarian cancer. This study was done by Dr Maggie Gates and her colleagues at Harvard Medical School.

A recent study has found a herbal treatment for impotency in men. Researchers have found out that the soft green heart-shaped leaf of the horny goat weed can be successfully used in place of the common anti-impotency pills. This study was led by Mario Dell'Agli, at the University of Milan.

It is difficult enough to stand in a dark room for a few seconds but 3 days in the dark is an unimaginative situation. An Australian woman is suffering from a peculiar problem of temporary blindness. 21 year old; Natalie Adler is unable to open her eyes continuously for three days and is not able to shut them the following three days. 

Doctors believe that she may be the only person in the world to be suffering from such a problem.

Natalie is persistently having such a problem since she was 17 years old. She reminisces one Sunday she woke up with swollen eyes before an English exam, after which her eyes started showing instability. The doctors gave her Botox injections around her eyes to enable her to see for 5to6 days a week. 

As the saying goes, a few sips of brandy or wine can do no harm. It was also believed by some Europeans that giving alcohol to children will, make them responsible drinkers in adulthood. 

But recent studies have revealed just the opposite. Giving alcohol to children may result in them becoming heavier drinkers in later life. The study states, alcohol may bring about certain changes in the brain of a child leading to an urge to drink and in teenagers alcohol can be related to pleasure and euphoria.

Possessive British parents, who in order to safeguard their children from street dangers, confine them to four walls of the house, are actually exposing them to the dangers associated with the net. 

This comes from a latest survey conducted by co-author Dr Leslie Haddon, of the EU Kids Online project, who claims that keeping children at home for longer duration of time can actually lead to dangerous online situations. The kids incredibly increase their time spending on the internet. 

A recent study at Wroclaw University in Poland showed that attractiveness for female bodies increases in winter for men. In other words women's bare body in winter is more desirable. Researchers said that the reason behind this difference of choice depending on seasons is not clear.

According to a report by WebMD, an extract from a plant called horny goat weed may help the 50 per cent of men aged over 40 who suffer from erectile dysfunction. Italian researchers are testing the alternative to Viagra that they're calling 3,7-bis-(2-hydroxyethyl)-icaritin. In simple words it is called "horny goat weed."

According to a new research, breastfeeding is good not only for babies but for mother also. Dr. Rachel Thompson of the World Cancer Research Fund recommends breastfeeding for a year over the course of a women’s life.  

For years, women have been told that breastfeeding is best for babies because it gives them immunity from ill health in later life. But now, it seems, the practice is good for mothers too.  

According to the researchers from Oxford University, people who really have faith in God can ease pain. Karl Marx had famously said, “Religion is the opium for people.” 

To understand the power of faith healing, the researchers at the Oxford University conducted a study on 24 people, in which 12 Roman Catholics and 12 atheists. They all were “tortured” with a series of electric shocks as they studied two paintings – Virgin Mary and Leonardo da Vinci’s Lady With An Ermine.  

The most awaited drug, a polypill is ready for human trials. This polypill named as the Red Heart pill, is a combination of four effective medicines. The human trials for this pill will start this week. Researchers who made the pollypill believe that this drug has potential to half strokes and heart attack related deaths. The aid for the polypill reaserch were provided by the Wellcome Trust and the British Heart Foundation. The four drugs combined in this pill are aspirn, statin to lower cholesterol, an ACE inhibitor and a thiazide to counter high blood pressure.

A recent research has shown that intake of alcohol before the age of 15 can make children alcoholics in the adulthood. Hence parents who allow their teenage children to take alcohol in a hope to teach them a responsible relationship to alcohol, are unknowingly making their children future alcohol addicts. This research was done by researchers at researchers of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) in USA.  

Japanese researchers found a genetic variant which could be responsible for narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that causes sudden sleeping episodes even after normal nighttime rest. People suffering from this disorder suffer from "sleep attacks" without any warning during any normal activity. This is an uncommon condition. Approximately one out of 600 Japanese suffer from narcolepsy.

Two biggest stars of Bollywood, Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan will be seen together in Vivek Sharma's forthcoming film 'Kal Kisne Dekha'. The movie will introduce producer Vashu Bhagnani’s son Jackie Bhagnani and Manmohan Desai’s granddaughter Vaishali Desai. Sajid-Wajid will give music for the film. Moreover 15 stars will give special appearances. Two of these actors are Juhi Chawla and Rishi Kapoor.  

New York - The United Nations was seeking 20.2 million dollars to help Syria combat the worst drought in four decades, which has affected more than 1 million people there, the UN said Wednesday.

The money will go to help those affected for six months - predominantly herders and subsistence farmers who are at risk of losing their livelihoods and threatened by malnutrition, the UN humanitarian office said.

A new study by University of Rochester Medical Centre suggests that pain is not a symptom of arthritis but it is a cause of the condition.

The Biological Pyschiatry study done by researchers from the Cambridge University showed that chemical imbalance in brain could be the real reason behind antisocial behavior in boys. In this research, researchers also found differences in the brain chemistry in youths with behavior problems when they were under stress. This study was led by Dr Graeme Fairchild and Professor Ian Goodyear.

In a recent research, doctors from the American Heart Association have found an association between heart disease and depression. Researchers found that people who have experienced a heart attack or suffered bypass are more likely to be depressed. According to statistics, more than 80 million people in the US suffer some form of heart disease. In the research report, researchers have urged medical experts to check signs of depression in patients suffering from heart diseases.

Smoking is nor good for smoker neither the people around him. Various studies have proved adverse effects of second-hand smoking on health of people who don’t smoke. The recent research has added one more adverse effect to the long list of harms due to exposure to second-hand smoke. In the recent research, researchers found that smoking by parents can trigger nicotine dependence symptoms in kids. It is believed that people who don’t smoke cannot experience nicotine dependence. 

According to statistics, around eight million over the age of 40 suffer from erectile dysfunction. It is believed that 3.2 million men prefer to suffer in silence than face the embarrassment of telling their GP about erectile problems. Some of these men turn to unreliable online sources to solve their problem. The new online services started by Lloyds pharmacy will be helping such men who find it difficult to discuss their problems with a medical expert.

According to a new study thousands of women need operations because of high heels. They cannot walk properly after wearing high heels for years. High heels eventually leave them down at the heel. Ultimately they walk to the podiatrist’s parade with bunions, corns, trapped nerves, bent toes and disfigured feet because of spindly stilettos and towering wedges. 

According to a new study, if a father spends more time with his child, then the child become more intelligent and successful in life. The level of intelligence and the professional career that a child develops depends on many factors like education, peer group, home and the external environment in which they grow up.

On Wednesday, Centre told the supreme court that the doctors of all states either in government hospitals or in private hospitals should not refuse the treatment of HIV/AIDS(PLHA). 

The bench consisting of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice Ashok Bhan and Justice P. Sathasivam said that all states should implement the Centre’s instructions. 

According to statistics, every year stroke takes the life of more than 10 million people. A new study has shown that patients having stroke may suffer no or only slight impairment if they are given clot dissolving drugs within four and a half hours. Initially the useful limit for giving these drugs was 3 hours. 

This study was led by Professor Dr. Werner Hacke, Medical Director of the Neurology Clinic at Heidelberg University Hospital. 

According to statistics, colorectal cancer kills 630000 people worldwide each year. Nearly1.2 million people are affected by it. In the recent study, researchers have found that the gene related to hormone adiponectin can significantly decrease the colon cancer risk. The research was done by the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Earlier studies suggested that Vitamin C supplements were beneficial for cancer patients. A study also showed that high doses of vitamin C through IV-injection can slow cancer growth by 50%. 

But a recent US study showed that Vitamin C is not beneficial for cancer patients as it reduces the effect of a range of anti-cancer drugs on cancer cells. This study was done by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Nearly 300,000 people are affected annually by oral cancer. Patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma, a form of oral cancer have a low five-year survival rate and a high rate of recurrence especially when the cancer has metastasized in lymph nodes located in the neck. It is also a fact that often mouth cancer is not detected until it's in the late stages. 

Legendry Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar is all set to join a new team. Yes, you heard it right. 

In order to create awareness about hand washing behaviour among parents and school children, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has decided to take the services of Sachin Tendulkar. UNICEF has declared October 15, as global hand washing day. 

According to an activist, people who are suffering from AIDS are not allowed to visit the United states. 

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) puts HIV in the list of communicable disease that restricted the HIV infected people from entering the country.

The Department of Homeland Securities (DHS) in U.S. is going to carry out a new regulation that relaxes restrictions on issuing US visas to the visitors who are HIV-positive. 

A recent study has shown that hypnosis can help in reducing hot flashes among breast cancer survivors. Hot flashes are a significant problem for many breast cancer survivors. This study was done by Dr. Gary Elkins of Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and his team.

In the recent research, researchers have found out a common genetic variant that could be partly blamed for poor reading ability.

One of the top brands in organic teas and supplements market, Organic India, is now ready to flavor Indian consumer’s cup with new and enriched flavors of Tulsi.

The company has announced the launch of five premium blends of Tulsi tea in Indian market. The five blends are Tulsi Tea Jamine, Tulsi Tea India Breakfast, Tulsi Tea Sweet Lemon, Tulsi Tea Sweet Rose, and Tulsi Tea Mulethi.

The company claims that newly launched products are stress-relieving, refreshing and energizing. These are abundant in antioxidants, caffeine-free, support healthy digestion, and act as powerful adaptogen.

Paris - French virologists Luc Montagnier and Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, who were awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize for Medicine, will always be associated with the discovery of the retrovirus that causes AIDS.

In 1982, Montagnier headed a team at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, of which Barre-Sinoussi was a member, that was asked for assistance in establishing the possible viral cause of a mysterious new syndrome, AIDS.

Hanoi  - A plunge in local milk consumption due to fears of melamine-tainted Chinese milk threatens to drive Vietnamese farmers out of the dairy business even though their milk is safe and clean, local officials and farmers said Monday.

"I will have to sell my cows if things do not change in a few weeks," said Nguyen Thi Hanh, a dairy farmer in the Hanoi suburb of Gia Lam.

Local media report dairy factories have ceased buying milk from farmers because they are unable to sell it.

A new tablet is set to go under clinical trials this week. This tablet ‘polipill’ from Indian Drug Company Dr. Reddy, can reduce the risk of death due to heart attacks. It is a cheap drug to protect against heart disease and stroke. 

A bad news for people who have extra marital affairs. Scientists have found that an extra marital can cost not only your marriage but it can be fatal for you. The strain of juggling married life and a secret lover causes stress and tension for the cheating partner, which can lead to serious headache or migraine, which could cause a fatal aneurysm or ballooning in a blood vessel in the brain.

Doelf Bachmann, at the age of 38 became the first angioplasty patient in the world to undergo balloon angioplasty on September 16, 1977. He enjoys being the posterboy of angioplasty. He has visited the world as a living advertisement of the angioplasty. Now Bachmann visits Mumbai at the behest of the organizing committee of the International Conference of Coronary Artery Disease, which is also observing 20 years of angioplasty in India. Dr.

In last 24 hours, eight children died due to suspected water-borne diseases in the Murshidabad district, raising the toll to 25 in the last seven days. 

Doctors in sub divisional hospitals were on leave for Durga Puja, due to which cases were referred to the Berhampore Sadar Hospital, resulting in overcrowding. At the Sadar hospital patients were lying on the floor and sharing beds with others, undergoing utter negligence, explained Superintendent Bhaskar Samanta.

A number of children, in the age group of one to one and a half year, belonging to rural areas had been admitted in very serious condition. 

According to a new study, there should be some extra safety controls in microwave ovens to prevent children from opening them and being burned by hot food. In the study, published by University of Chicago Medical Center, researchers in the October 2008, recommends extra protections, like locking mechanism and stepped up warning campaigns, to reduce accidental injuries to children while removing food from microwave oven. 

According to a new study a single injection of chemotherapy drug can help cure a common type of testicular cancer in many patients. The researchers at Southampton University say that chemotherapy drug carboplatin is commonly used to treat ovarian and lung cancer. Researchers have found that carboplatin injection can effectively cure early stage seminoma with fewer side effects and the patients resume their normal lives much more quickly than radiotherapy.

According to a new study U.S and Dutch scientists have identified two genes and confirmed the involvement of a third gene in increasing the risk of higher levels of uric acid in gout, a common and painful form of arthritis.  

The researchers from the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research found that all three genetic variations, taken together, were linked with up to a 40-fold increased risk in developing gout.

Doctors at the Apollo Hospital have carried out a liver transplant on Sivojit Paul, a seven-month-old child from Kolkata, to treat a rare liver problem known as Biliary Atresia, in which there is no link between the intestine and the liver to excrete the bile. 

Sivojit became the youngest Indian child ever to go through a liver transplant.

The liver transplant was performed in September by a group of 20 doctors chaired by Dr. Subhash Gupta, senior consultant with the hospital. 

When men age, they can develop various kind of problems related to prostate gland. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate is one of the common problem experienced by men. According to statistics it is experienced by 50% of men above 60 years. 

Recent Scottish survey has shown that various misconceptions and beliefs regarding long-acting hormonal contraception are stopping women to use them. According to medical experts, hormonal contraception is best form of contraception. This survey showed that most women harbor false notion like weight-gain, adverse effect on fertility due to this kind of contraception. These contraceptives are suggested by medical experts because of their reliability and fewer side effects.

A recent research has shown that mentally ill people smoke more as compared to general population. This study showed that instances of smoking have been halved in general population of Australia in last 20 years but there has been no major change in smoking rates in people with psychiatric disabilities. This study was led Kristen Saxone-Moeller from the University of Melbourne's Melbourne School of Population Health.

According to the survey released on Tuesday, on an average, families in Punjab spend 44.9% of their income on health problems and the families in Haryana spend 40% of their income on health expences.  

The survey, conducted by National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) and Max New York Life Insurance, found that "in Punjab, for an average household income of Rs.77,325, the annual health expenses are Rs.34,729, which is 44.9 percent of the income".

To protest the “state government’s apathy,” doctors in Maharashtra state have declared that they will go on a token strike on Friday towards their security concerns. As in the last two weeks in Malad and Chembur areas of Mumbai and at Beed and Akola in Maharashtra, four attacks have been taken place where medical practitioners have been assaulted

Doctors from IMA, General Physicians Association, Association of surgeons, Association of Medical Consultants, doctors practicing Ayurveda, Homeopathy and Unani will take out a silent march from the Government Dental College to the Collector’s office.

At the Apollo Hospital doctors have conducted a liver transplant on a seven- month-old child Sivojit Paul from Kolkata. He was born with a rare disorder, called biliary atresia, in this condition there is no connection between the liver and the intestine to excrete the bile.

Sivojit was brought to the Indraprastha Apollo hospital when he was only six months old. The liver transplant was performed last month by a team of 20 doctors led by Dr Subhash Gupta, senior consultant with the hospital. His father Indrajit Paul, a lawer, donated his liver parts for the surgery. It was a 16-hour long surgery to give a new lease of life to Sivojit Paul. He was the youngest child to undergo such a surgery in India.

Phnom Penh - Sir Elton John, British superstar and heavyweight activist in the fight against HIV/AIDS, has told a US magazine he is planning a visit to Cambodia.

Sir Elton and partner David Furnish have raised more than 150 million dollars for projects to assist people living with the virus through the Elton John Aids Foundation since it was set up in 1992.

"This year, we look forward to traveling to Cambodia to visit projects in that country," Kansas City-based Camp Magazine quoted Sir Elton as telling journalist and gay rights activist Mark Segal.

Dresden, Germany - Bird flu has returned to Germany, with the H5N1 influenza virus breaking out among farm ducks in the eastern state of Saxony, officials said Thursday.

It was the first proven appearance of the disease this year in Germany. Officials were preparing to slaughter the whole flock of ducks at Goerlitz, near the Polish border.

According to a new study, consumption of red wine may reduce the risk of lung cancer in people, who had ever smoked and who drank at least a glass of red wine daily.

The study, published in ‘Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention’, found red wine contained compounds such as resveratrol and flavonoids, which may be protective against lung cancer.

For study, Chao and her colleagues looked at 84,170 men aged 45to 69 years old covered by Kaiser Permanente California health plans. 210 cases of lung cancer were identified from that data.

The FDA has told the Laboratory Corporation of America that it is illegally marketing to detect ovarian cancer at its earliest stage by a blood test. 

According to a warning letter posted Wednesday on F.D.A.’s Website, also said that the test ‘OvaSure’ was designed, developed, and validated by investigators at Yale University and not LabCorp.

A recent at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research has given a new insight about the development of breast cancer. Researchers have made two crucial findings related to functions for Notch in breast tissue. 

Dr Toula Bouras and colleagues found that the mechanism by which inappropriate expression of the Notch pathway may contribute to breast cancer. 

Researchers found that the Notch helps in restricting breast stem cell number hence when Notch is 'switched off ', there is a resultant expansion in breast stem cells. 

The new study led by Dr. Linda Ganzini, from Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center showed a loophole into the Death with Dignity Act was passed by the state in 1997. Researchers say that the Oregon's physician-assisted suicide law may not adequately protect the one in four terminally ill patients with clinical depression.

Researchers studied the data collected from 58 state residents with a terminal illness, usually cancer or ALS. These study subjects had requested assistance in dying, either directly from a physician or through an advocacy organization.