Top New Year health resolutions of 2011

THE NEW Year is close and it’s that time of the year to make new year resolutions – the top resolutions of 2011 are learning to ride a bike and losing those extra pounds – say experts.
“Maybe it was the shock of seeing oneself in recent holiday photos, or not being able to fit into desired party attire that causes a vow to lose weight, and for many more it is a medical event such as a heart attack, the threat of diabetes or high blood pressure,” said Dr. Jessica Bartfield at the Loyola University Health System.
“Behaviour change is the cornerstone of healthy, successful weight loss and it takes about three months to establish a new behaviour. At Gottlieb, a team of tried-and-true medical experts can teach you the skills you need to achieve and maintain behaviour change,” she added.
Top weight-loss behaviours from Bartfield and the NWCR:
• Eat breakfast – “Eating within one hour of awakening can boost your metabolism up to 20 percent for the rest of the day,” Bartfield said.
• Weigh yourself once per week - “Monitoring your weight on a weekly basis provides a fairly accurate weight trend and, more importantly, an early detection of any weight regain, which allows you to adjust behaviors accordingly,” Bartfield said.
• Get in one hour of moderate physical activity each day - “Snow shoveling, vacuuming, taking the stairs – you don’t have to run like a hamster on a wheel for 60 minutes. Take three, 20-minute brisk walks, or compile the one hour based on a series of activities,” Bartfield said.
• Watch less than 10 hours of TV per week - “Many argue they don’t have time to exercise, but when I ask them to count the hours they spend watching TV or surfing the Net, they are able to find the time for activities where they are moving instead of sitting,” Bartfield said.
What not to do - Barriers that prevent people from losing weight
• Overestimate amount of physical activity -“Park your car farther away, take the stairs, manually change TV channels – these are all simple ways to get more physical activity and you need to write them down as they are performed to keep yourself honest,” Bartfield said.
• Underestimate caloric intake – Keeping a food journal helps you document the calories you take in.
• Set unrealistic goals - “Patients often set vague and outcome-related goals such as “weigh 150 pounds by summer” or “exercise more.”
Set specific and attainable goals. Instead of trying to get to a certain weight, start by trying to lose 10 percent of your weight – that amount has been shown to have a statistically significant improvement in health and reduction in risk of obesity-related disease.
• Lack of consistency - “Eat at regular intervals seven days per week,” she said.
• Failure to plan for setbacks – “Enlist a trusted friend, or enroll in a program to learn and master the rules of weight loss,” Bartfield said.

Related Topics >> New Year Eve , New Year Deals

Genetic variants can cause Breast Cancer risk

Study suggests ,father's family history of Breast Cancer and Ovarian Cancer generally overlooked by both patients and doctors.

Genetic counsellor Jeanna McCuaig and her co-authors from Toronto's Princess Margaret Hospital  in Toronto and Montreal wrote in commentary in the journal “The Lancet Oncology”, Health care providers may be "unaware that these women might have inherited the mutated gene from their father …and might not routinely collect this information from their patients,"

Women don't recognize a paternal family history of cancer as a risk factor for the diseases, and are unlikely to volunteer the information unless directly questioned.

Women and Men  have 50 per cent risk of passing on mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 tumour suppressor genes, which increase lifetime risk for breast Cancer and ovarian cancer.

The researchers also determined patients were 5 times more likely to be referred with a paternal, than a maternal, family history of breast or ovarian cancer.

A study, led by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, has suggested that genetic variants on chromosomes 10 and 20 may modify risk of breast cancer among women with a BRCA2 mutation.Researchers analysed DNA samples from 6,272 women with BRCA2 mutations in a two-stage genome-wide association study.

The chromosome 10 variant identified in the study, near the gene ZNF365, decreased the risk of breast cancer by approximately 25 percent in women also carrying a mutation of the BRCA2 gene.

Researchers suggested that health care providers should be familiar with general trends in genetic cancers, including:

Diagnosis at younger ages than sporadic cancers.

Several family members over generations might be diagnosed with cancer, particularly rare forms or breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

Diagnosis with many primary type of cancers.

According to a study, about 20 to 30 per cent of the more than 690,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer and nearly 190,000 diagnosed with ovarian cancer in developed countries have had a family history of cancer.

The BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are linked to aggressive hereditary breast cancers, but only account for about 15 per cent of all cases.

Taller men more likely to have Testicular Cancer

Scientists have found Tall men have a higher risk of developing testicular cancer.

An analysis of 13 previous studies, involving thousands of men, found that every extra two inches in height raises the odds of the disease by 13 per cent. It is not yet known what is behind the link, but it may be that the hormones involved in growth help fuel the disease.

Testicular cancer affects some 2,000 men in UK a year and, unlike other cancers, it is most common in the young. Half of cases occur in mens under age of 35, with those aged 25 to 34  are the most likely to be affected.

It is one of the most easily treated forms of the cancer disease, with survivors including seven-times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong and Grand National-winning jockey Bob Champion.

US researchers made the link with height after crunching together data from more than ten studies from around the world. Researcher Dr Michael Blaise Cook,Writing in the British Journal of Cancer, said that genes, nutrition, hormones and other factors that affect height may also play a role in the cancer.

But British cancer experts urged tall men not to worry, saying that the cancer is relatively rare.

Americans unaware of number one cancer killer- reveals survey

MEN AND women worry about prostate and breast cancer, yet the number one cancer killer in the United States – lung cancer – isn't on their radar. According to a survey released by the National Lung Cancer Partnership, Americans know little about lung cancer's causes, symptoms and the number of lives it takes compared to other cancers.

The survey of 1,000 American men and women aged 18 and older found most women were unaware that lung cancer takes more women's lives each year than even breast cancer. And they weren't alone, most men surveyed were unaware that lung cancer takes more men's lives each year than prostate cancer.

"Lung cancer is by far the number one cancer killer in the US, yet the disease isn't on anyone's top call of concern," said Regina Vidaver, Ph.D., Executive Director of the National Lung Cancer Partnership.

"If we're going to catch it early, treat it and give people the best chance for survival, they need to know about lung cancer symptoms, take measures to reduce their risk and talk with their doctor about their health history."

The survey findings include:

* 80 percent of respondents did not know that lung cancer is the number one cancer killer in the United States

* Only 12 percent of respondents said they know the symptoms of lung cancer, which include a cough that won't go away; pain in the back, chest or shoulders that won't go away; shortness of breath;
unexplained wheezing; and coughing up blood, among other symptoms.

* 88 percent of those surveyed did not know that radon was the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that is formed by the natural decay of uranium in rock, soil, and water and can be found in all 50 states.

* Only 6 percent of respondents said they had talked to their doctor about their risk for lung cancer.

* Only 32 percent of those surveyed understood that half of all lung cancers occur in people who have already quit smoking. This lack of awareness of continued risk after quitting smoking may make people less likely to talk with their doctors about symptom recognition.

The survey did reveal some encouraging findings related to lung cancer awareness too. According to the national advocacy organization, 98 percent of men and women recognized that lung cancer does not just affect people who smoke. This finding shows that Americans' perception that only smokers get lung cancer seems to be fading, and further education on lung cancer risk factors such as radon, second-hand smoke and family history of cancer will be crucial to helping people take appropriate measures to protect their health.

"This survey holds both good and bad news about the current state of lung cancer awareness in the United States," said Dr. Vidaver. "Awareness can help decrease cancer death rates, as recent studies have shown, so it's never been more important for Americans to understand that lung cancer is the country's number one cancer killer."

Weight loss journey: Two incentives that do wonders

THE CURRENT high levels of obesity shown in the statistics have made weight control a major health priority throughout world. At the same time, statistics show that the average weight loss just amounts to a mere 5-8 pounds per annum per conventional diet. What is the reason that implementing weight loss is becoming so difficult? There are three reasons to support this difficulty and that need grave attention of everyone.

• First, we lack a sufficiently powerful incentive;
• Second, we let ourselves go hungry;
• Thirdly, we let "bad days" to happen.

What type of incentive will work best?

There are two means which can be of great help and will never let any one get de-motivated. One is the online weight loss help and other is look for the best weight loss programme. These two ways have smitten people with their positive end- results.

Join the Best weight loss programme. It happens

• To be most effective.
• To be the one that will get most results the fastest.
• To be the one that is the easiest to do.
• To be the one that can be customized as per your needs.

If you ask me, what could be the best one for me, it will be the one that will help lose weight and it fits the general guidelines of good health. There are no magic diet pills, no quick fixes, no secrets and no gimmicks to have an effective way to shed fat. Have your definition of the programme. Look for the one that suits you and is ready to blend it according to your body and budget. It is simple that what works for you is the best. Losing weight requires consistency, and it is mighty hard to stay consistent with a diet and exercise. You need to remain motivated and interact with people who can support you and give you the right kind of suggestions. And the platform where you can find such people easily is online weight loss help. Your friends and relatives will always be not there to support you every time.

Read More >> Health Care Products, Online Health Information

Google launches online health service

GOOGLE HEALTH is online after a year and a half, since Adam Bosworth announced a health product from Google. Google Health proposes to:

• Organise your health information all in one place

• Gather your medical records from doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies

• Keep your doctors up to date about your health

• Be more informed about important health issues

According to the Google Health frequent asked questions (FAQ), “You can store records of current and past medications, allergies, procedures, immunisations, conditions, and test results. You can enter any of this information on your own or you can import your medical records from a list of Google Health integrated partners, such as hospitals or neighbourhood pharmacies.”

Google Health has been designed as a Personal Health Record (PHR), but it is also a bit of a different model. “We believe it's not enough to offer a place where you can store, manage, and share your health information. You need to act on your health information to better manage your health needs on a daily basis. This is why we provide a directory of online health services to you. You must elect to sign up with a service and decide what level of personal data you want to share in exchange for the customised services those companies offer,” was mentioned on Google Health pages.

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Benefits Of Vitamin Supplements

Our race are composite aware organisms. Our vehement organs also tissues yearning a decided make over of opposite exclusive vitamins dominion directive to undertake exceeding cells, ward poison disease, and advance healthy.

We bring about these differentiating vitamins because the foods we eat. In a effect world, we would eat in fact balanced meals that have relevant the applicable price of each vitamin that we need.

But of constitutional we don't forceful credit a enact world. Our groovy schedules take it us eating like crazy chuck also peculiar things that are reduced sources of discriminative vitamins. And of beat ace are especial foods that uncut of smartly consummate not delight in (usually the ones that are the incalculably vitamin rich).

Since our meals don't commit the vitamins that our human race require, we build increasing vitamin deficiencies that often lead to entire sorts of health problems (cardiovascular disease, unaffected channels problems, further same cancer owing to example).

While acknowledged is no buy for since eating a in toto balanced diet, vitamin supplements amenability help us fill agency the nutritional gaps left by tapped eating habits.

And day multivitamin supplements motion powerful really being sundry people, others are preferable served by taking local supplements of special vitamins, including the B vitamins besides vitamins C besides E.

It is strongly recommended that you think over your physician and/or nutritionist to succour make evident which vitamins you should interpolate to your supplement regimen (and equally essential which ones not to take).

Read More >> Health Care Products, Online Health Information

Now Check Breast Cancer with DIY breast cancer scanner kit

A new breast cancer scanner could revolutionise detection of the disease for tens of thousands of women suffering with the disease.The lunchbox sized kit will let women test themselves at home in just minutes.
The scanners can be fitted over the bra and there is no need to apply liquid gel, as used in ultrasound.Any tumours are shown by a red dot on a screen.The device was invented by Prof Zhipeng Wu at Manchester University.Professor Wu believes  scanners are small enough to fit inside a lunch box and could eventually be used at home to allow at-risk women to continuously monitor their own breast health, cutting waiting lists for GP tests.
He said: 'The system is portable and as soon as you lie down you can get a scan - it's real-time. The real-time imaging minimises the chance of missing a breast tumour during scanning.'Other systems also need to use a gel, such as in an ultrasound, to work but with our system you don't need that - it can be done simply in oil, milk, water or even with a bra on.
A university spokesman said: "Not only is this a quicker and less intrusive means of testing, it means women can be tested at GP surgeries, which could reduce waiting times and in some cases avoid unnecessary X-ray mammography.Prof Wu added: "This will benefit millions of women in developed and developing countries bearing in mind one in nine may develop breast cancer.
"It could also be used at home for monitoring of breast health."It could also dramatically improve cancer monitoring and treatment in developing countries.
"Although there is still research to be done, the system has great potential to bring a new way for breast cancer diagnosis."Some 45,000 UK women are diagnosed with the disease each year. It claims around 12,000 lives a year.
A £600 million fund for cancer drugs was yesterday confirmed by Health Secretary UK Andrew Lansley - after speculation the plan faced cutbacks.

Cancer on the rise among Scottish women

Women lung cancer death rates bIncreased by nearly 12% over 10 years.

Lifestyle choices including ladette behaviour are driving up the risk of women developing the cancer disease, while levels among men are falling.

Figures of people diagnosed with cancer in Scotland has been on the increase for some time. According to the new data, 28,638 patients tested positive in 2008, compared with 25,771 in 1998. This is largely because cancer is more common among the elderly population.In shifting age profile into account, there was a 6% drop in the incidence of cancer among Scottish men during the decade to 2008. However, it rises by 4% among women.NHS Scotland statistics division, which conducted analysis, said it is the first time when this significant trend had been seen among women.

Women suffering lung cancer and breast cancer are driving the problem. Death rates from lung cancer in women have increased by nearly 12% over the last decade.Nell Barrie, Cancer Research UK’s science information officer, said: “Breast cancer rates have been increasing for some time. This is partly because of lifestyle factors like alcohol consumption, obesity and the trend to have children later in life, which increases their risk of the disease, but it is also partly because more cases are being picked up through the national screening programme.

“Lung cancer rates in women are also going up in Scotland.Number of men dying from lung cancer will continue to fall in Scotland, while female deaths will increase slightly up to 2014. This is mainly because of historical differences in smoking patterns between men and women.”

Ms Sturgeon said: “Skin cancer is clearly linked to excessive exposure to sunlight or use of sunbeds. Those with alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, a disease that has increased markedly in Scotland in recent years have a significantly increased risk of liver cancer.The incidence of both types of cancer is increasing sharply.

Incidence of skin cancer has also risen sharply,upto 68% in men and 71% in women between 1998 and 2008.People not realising the risks in the past,have to look at the statistics in the coming years to see if the awareness message is getting across.”On a more positive side,new report showed large improvements in the number of sufferers who have survived cancer.We must redouble efforts to change attitudes about making healthy lifestyle choices in Scotland and raise awareness of the serious risks associated with making poor lifestyle choices.

Healthy lifestyle could Prevent cancer risk

Researchers believe making diet and lifestyle changes could prevent bowel cancer.A study published today makes a firm relation between an unhealthy lifestyle, person’s weight and bowel cancer cases, which is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in Wales.

The researchers from Denmark found these recommendations on waist circumference,physical activity,smoking,alcohol and diet could reduce the risk of developing the disease upto 23%.Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in Wales, affecting more than 2,000 people a year.

Researchers from Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, in Copenhagen, said: “Our study reveals the useful public health message that even modest differences in lifestyle might have a substantial impact on colorectal cancer risk and emphasises the importance of continuing vigorous efforts to convince people to follow the lifestyle recommendations.”

The Danish research, which is published by the BMJ today, studied more than 55,000 men and women aged 50 to 64 to examine the relation between healthy lifestyle advice and the risk of bowel cancer in middle-aged people. The participants were followed for 10 years and questioned about their lifestyle habits and diet.

The researchers created a healthy lifestyle index using internationally-accepted public health recommendations from the World Health Organisation, World Cancer Research Fund and the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations.These included being physically active people for at least 30 minutes a day,having no more than 7 drinks a week for women and 14 drinks a week for men,being a non-smoker,having a waist circumference below 88cm for women and 102cm for men and consuming a healthy diet.

During follow up, 678 people were diagnosed with bowel cancer. After looking at how participants managed to keep each of the five lifestyle recommendations, the researchers calculated that if all participants except the healthiest had followed even one additional recommendation, it was possible that 13% of the bowel cancer cases could have been prevented.If all participants had followed all five recommendations, then 23% of the bowel cancer cases could have been avoided.

Dr Rosemary Fox, acting director of the screening division of Public Health Wales, said; “In Wales bowel cancer is the third biggest killer of men and women and around 1,000 people die every year from the disease. However, if it is picked up early, it’s also one of the most treatable forms of cancer“.“Screening aims to detect bowel cancer at an early stage in people with no symptoms. That is why it is so important for everyone aged between 60 and 69 to take up the opportunity to be screened and make it part of their regular health check.”

A second study, also published today, suggests adults with low education should be given access to a decision aid to help them decide whether to take part bowel cancer screening.

Afatinib (BIBW 2992*) Triples Progression Free Survival in Lung Cancer Patients

Boehringer Ingelheim announced promising results from two clinical trials of its investigational cancer compound afatinib (BIBW 2992) presented at the 35^th European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Milan, Italy. Results from the ?LUX-Lung 1? trial suggest that afatinib (BIBW 2992) is highly active in late-stage patients with NSCLC¹, while in the LUX-Lung 2 phase II trial afatinib demonstrated encouraging activity in advanced NSCLC patients that have a mutated EGF Receptor.

Afatinib, which is taken as a tablet, is a next generation inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and human epidermal receptor 2 (HER2) tyrosine kinase (TK) and unlike first generation TKIs irreversibly binds to EGFR/HER2. The compound is under development in several solid tumour types.

The LUX-Lung 1 trial (phase II b/III) compared afatinib to placebo in over 580 patients with advanced NSCLC whose disease has progressed after receiving chemotherapy and a first-generation EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (gefitinib or erlotinib) ? results showed¹:

• Even though the LUX-Lung 1 trial did not meet the primary endpoint of prolonging overall survival (OS), afatinib significantly extended the time before the tumour progressed; specifically it led to a three-fold extension of progression-free survival (PFS, key secondary endpoint) from 1.1 months to 3.3 months over placebo.
• The PFS benefit was apparent as a robust effect across all patient subgroups and has been confirmed by independent review.
• There was a significantly higher rate of tumour control or shrinkage in those patients who took afatinib (disease control rate: 58%) versus those taking placebo (disease control rate: 19%); also independently verified.
• Afatinib significantly improved the lung-cancer related symptoms cough, dyspnea (shortness of breath) and pain, and delayed the time to deterioration of cough, individual dyspnea items and chest pain significantly.
• There were no new or unexpected safety findings; the main side effects were diarrhea and rash.

The results of LUX-Lung 1 in a special patient population whose cancers probably have a high incidence of EGFR mutations have substantially contributed to better understanding of the biology of these tumours. Conclusions from the trial will be relevant for the design of further clinical studies, which will evaluate further patient populations and their mutation status.

Lung cancer is the most common and most deadly form of cancer in the world, accounting for 1.6 million new cancer cases annually and 1.4 million deaths² from lung cancer. Lung cancer remains an area of high unmet need, especially in its advanced stages where it is particularly aggressive and patients have limited treatment options. No approved therapy is currently available for patients with advanced lung cancer who have failed chemotherapy and progressed after treatments with EGFR TKI.

?In clinical practice, it is of high relevance to patients to have improvement in key lung cancer related symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath and pain? commented Dr Vera Hirsh, investigator of the trial, and Chair of the Lung Cancer Committee, McGill University, Canada. ?Furthermore, the time to deterioration, meaning the time before the symptoms get worse, was significantly extended for some of these symptoms in the LUX Lung 1 study.?

This is the first time that a compound has demonstrated in a controlled study, a clinically meaningful improvement in PFS in patients with NSCLC who have progressed on first generation EGFR TKIs.

Encouraging results were also presented for LUX-Lung 2, a phase II trial studying patients with advanced NSCLC who harbour EGFR mutations. This result shows that the use of afatinib led to a high rate of tumour size reduction (overall response rate of 61%) and a long delay in the progression of cancer by over 1 year (PFS of 14 months)³. These results help to underline afatinib?s potential benefit as a first or second line treatment in patients with EGFR mutations. Two phase III trials, LUX-Lung 3 and LUX-Lung 6 are currently underway to further evaluate afatinib as a first-line treatment in this patient group.

?Both of these recent trials demonstrate the promise of afatinib as a next-generation treatment option in NSCLC patients in different settings? says Prof. Klaus Dugi, Senior Vice President Medicine at Boehringer Ingelheim. ?We are convinced that afatinib could provide a benefit for patients with NSCLC, and we remain fully committed to its ongoing development in lung cancer and in other solid cancer types.?

Afatinib?s clinical trial programme: LUX Trial Programme

The LUX-trial programme is a comprehensive and robust programme that comprises more than ten trials conducted across the globe, investigating afatinib in a variety of different solid tumour types, including NSCLC, breast and head and neck cancer.

LUX-Lung 1 is a phase III trial investigating afatinib plus best supportive care (BSC) versus placebo plus BSC in NSCLC patients who were previously treated with chemotherapy and first generation EGFR-TKIs, erlotinib or gefitinib.

LUX-Lung 2 is a phase II trial evaluating afatinib in NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations, either chemotherapy naïve or after one line of chemotherapy.

In two further ongoing global phase III trials, LUX-Lung 3 and LUX-Lung 6, the efficacy and safety profile of afatinib is compared to standard chemotherapy for first-line treatment of NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations in different geographical regions.

Another trial, LUX-Lung 5, is a global phase III trial in patients previously treated with erlotinib or gefitinib. This is the first randomised phase III trial investigating whether patients who initially benefit from treatment with afatinib alone may further benefit from afatinib beyond progression when given in combination with chemotherapy.

Further indications

Additionally, Boehringer Ingelheim has recently commenced a phase III clinical trial evaluating afatinib in advanced breast cancer (LUX-Breast 1).

Afatinib is also being investigated in head and neck cancer, glioblastoma and colorectal cancer.

Afatinib & BIBF 1120*: the two front-runner molecules within Boehringer Ingelheim?s investigational oncology portfolio

Apart from afatinib, Boehringer Ingelheim?s late stage oncology portfolio includes BIBF 1120, also in phase III development for the treatment of patients in two different indications, advanced NSCLC and ovarian cancer.

BIBF 1120 is a triple angiokinase inhibitor that acts on three growth factors simultaneously: vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) and fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) ? all crucially involved in the formation of blood vessels, which supply tumours with nutrients and oxygen needed for the cancer to grow.

Notes to editors

About lung cancer

Lung cancer is the world?s most common cancer and kills more people than any other cancer.In 2008, approximately 1.6 million new cases of lung cancer were diagnosed worldwide, with 1.4 million people dying from the disease.²

About breast cancer

There are more than one and a half million cases of breast cancer diagnosed each year⁴. It is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women worldwide, resulting in more than 500,000 deaths per year. Breast cancer accounts for around a third of all cancers diagnosed in women, making it the most commonly diagnosed tumour type in females⁵.

About head and neck cancer

Head and neck cancer can occur in over 30 different places in any of the tissues or organs in the head and neck⁶ and is the sixth most frequently occurring cancer worldwide⁷. Most head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinomas⁸ over 90% of which express EGFR⁹ which is critical for tumour growth.¹⁰

About ovarian cancer

Each year approximately 204,000 new cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed in women worldwide, with an estimated 125,000 dying of the disease each year¹¹. One of the greatest challenges in the management of ovarian cancer is that the majority of cases are not found at an early stage¹¹ (when definitive cure is possible by surgery) since the tumour usually causes only non-specific symptoms, commonly attributed to non-serious causes.

Check for >> Breast Cancer Disease , Cancer Care News

Adulterated honey curse for diseases like cancer

AN INTERESTING fact that has come to light during the discussions with various stakeholders is that in order to meet the growing demand for honey, companies are selling artificial honey having large sugar contents giving the end product a honey like flavour.

A lot of cases have been brought into light where local honey sellers added sugar to honey and claimed that it was procured directly from the hive. Such activities are done at a large scale by various honey manufacturing companies.The companies, many a times misguide the consumer by claiming that the packaged product is pure and is collected directly from the source like forests et al. As the demand for honey grows it may also be noticed that the companies are unable to satisfy the needs of the consumer as deforestation takes place on a large scale.

A study on effects of mobile phones and towers on honey bees has revealed that they emit electromagnetic waves that may wipe out honey bees. These waves interfere with the navigational skills of the worker bees and as a result they fail to reach their home destination. Without the worker bees, the beehives are left only with the queen and the eggs resulting into a total collapse. As per Hindu mythology, honey is essential part of our life from child birth to death, it is used for treatment and other religious rituals.

Lord Shiva is given honey bath during rudraabhishek ceremony and honey is used for preparing chranamrit for offering prasad to gods and goddesses on various occasions. Prepared through natural process by the honey bees it was always considered pure. It is used as antibiotics for indigestion even without the prescription of doctors. Honey mixed with grounded almonds is used as scrub for face.

It is effective for dressing heavily infected wounds and gives better results than conventional ointments and dressings. It is used for treatment of throat infection, tooth decay, cough and eye diseases. Honey contains a variety of antioxidants which may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer diseases.

A recent research conducted by Center for Science and Environment shocked lakhs of people in the country when it found presence of antibiotics in company manufactured honey which if taken for a long period can lead to blood related diseases and liver injury in about a dozen brands of honey sold in our country. These substances could damage blood, kidneys, liver, bones and teeth. Moreover they create resistance in the body to prescribed antibiotics.

What is more shocking is that some honey manufacturing companies which have a presence in India are also equally well recognised companies overseas. Earlier an article published in a British medical journal pointing out presence of superbug having resistance to all antibiotics in patients, who have got operated in Indian hospitals was described as a conspiracy against Indian health tourism. But the findings by the Centre headed by Sunita Narayan, who has taken on powerful Cola lobbies for its findings of presence of pesticides in cold drinks cannot be taken lightly.

Apart from the leading honey producing indigenous firms, antibiotics have been found in two brands of imported honey. As usual the release of findings sent shock waves in the honey industry and they came out with denials defending their products describing antibiotics as natural.

It is worth mentioning here that most of the developed countries have banned or regulated the presence of antibiotics in honey. Indian firms manufacturing honey for export are also following these standards as they fear a chance of facing rejection of their products but unfortunately these companies are dumping local markets with honey having antibiotics as there are no regulations.

Export Inspection Council of India and Agriculture and processed food products export development authority under the commerce ministry regulates and monitors the standards for money meant for export but for domestic market it is left to the mercy of the companies.The CSE lab is said to have tested as many as a dozen leading brands of honey sold in national capital made by Indian companies Dabur, Himalya, Patanjali, Baidyanath and Khadi as well as two foreign companies namely Nectaflor and Capilano based in Switzerland and Australia.

The foreign companies sell their products having antibiotics in India taking advantage of our policy. The tests have revealed high level of six harmful antibiotics in eleven samples with only the Indian Hitkari brand coming out clean. Antibiotics like ampicillin, oxytetracycline, and ciprofloxacin were found in the honey sold in the Indian markets. It is believed that antibiotics are fed to bees for preventing diseases and increase honey production to meet the growing demand. Besides, the bees collect honey from the flowers of various crops which are sprayed with pesticides.

Check for >> Breast Cancer Disease , Cancer Care News

Religious leaders pledge equality for people living with HIV

ACKNOWLEDGING THE significant influence that faith-based groups have on general public, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder, Art of Living Foundation, along with high-level religious leaders from all faiths, who attended the two-day interfaith summit on HIV and AIDS, jointly announced a ‘declaration’ to remove stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV. The summit concluded with a pledge to undertake the responsibility of working tirelessly to remove all forms of roadblocks, isolation and marginalisation of people living with and affected by HIV.
Munisri Jinesh Kumarji, Sri Jain Shvetambar Terapanth Sabha, Avtar Singh Makkar , Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee, Golden Temple, Amritsar, Ervad Noshir Dadrawala, Center of Advancement of Philanthrophy, Dryuhannon Mar Dios Corus, Metropolitan of Chennai, Syed Ghulam Kibria Dastagir, President, Anjuman Syed Zadjan, Ajmer Dargah Sharif, Swami Dharmavallabh Das, Swami Narayan Gurukul, His Holiness Phrakhrupipipsutatorn, AIMA, Thailand and Param Poojya Asaram Bapu signed the declaration and advocated for an AIDS free India.
Leaders across faith groups pledged to utilise their sacred scriptures and traditions to actively promote these messages and talk openly about key issues on HIV and AIDS during religious discourses in their communities. They also promised to work in partnership with organisations and networks of people living with HIV, the government, non-government organisations (NGOs) and other partners to enable a stigma-free environment to access HIV services in healthcare settings and defend their fundamental freedoms and human rights.

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Pregnancy Tips : Smoking causes Ectopic pregnancy risk

Scientists have revealed female smokers have a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy - a condition affecting around 30,000 people in UK every year.

Ectopic pregnancies occur when a fertilised egg becomes implanted outside the womb, usually in the fallopian tubes.In a study University of Edinburgh researchers concluded that female smokers who have had experienced an ectopic pregnancy have raised levels of the protein PROKR1 in their fallopian tubes.Increased presence of PROKR1 is thought to hinder the transfer of eggs to the uterus by preventing the muscles in the fallopian tube walls from contracting.Cotinine in cigarette is responsible for the harmful levels of the protein.

According to a study published in the latest edition of the American Journal of Pathology,Smoking is thought to increase the risk of an ectopic pregnancy by up to four times.The egg implants itself in the fallopian tube instead of the womb in 98% of cases. This can cause the tube to rupture and affect a woman's ability to conceive in future.

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Diksha Ohri

Diksha Ohri

 

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Pregnancy tips:Cut Preeclampsia during early Pregnancy

Preeclampsia is the leading cause of maternal death threatening life of both mother and child.This condition begins in early Pregnancy with under development of the placenta,often not revealing symptoms until the second half of pregnancy.To develop effective treatment and prevention strategies one need to be able to start treatment in early pregnancy.

Gaining weight during pregnancy is a real struggle for many new mothers.But dropping about 4 kg weight between pregnancies may help many women diagnosed with Preeclampsia during the first pregnancy to avoid a recurrence the second time around.

Preeclampsia, caused by high blood pressure, protein in the urine and swelling during pregnancy , kidneys and the body's blood clotting system. Researchers still don't know why some of the  women develop preeclampsia and some don't but being overweight or obese appears to be a risk factor.

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Thousand pregnant women dies every day:India Tops

According to latest reports for Millennium Development Goals, pregnant women dying has decreased by 34% from an estimated 5,46,000 in 1990 to 3,58,000 in 2008.

Number of women worldwide who die from complications during pregnancy and childbirth has decreased 34 percent in the past 20 years.India’s maternal mortality rate (MMR) has been declined  by 59% since 1990, but still records 63,000 maternal deaths in a year.In Asia, number of maternal deaths is have dropped from 3.15 lakhs to 1.39 lakhs.

Maternal mortality rate resulting 2.3 percent annual rate of decline is still lesser than half for MDG goal of reducing ratio by 75% from 1990 to 2015.Of those 1,000 pregnant women who died in 2008, 570 lived in sub-Saharan Africa, 300 in South Asia and five in high-income countries.

By reaching women in rural areas and poorer households, women from ethnic minorities and indigenous groups, and women living with HIV and in conflict zones it can be reduced further.

Indian Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad says "maternal health is at extreme for all of us because life begins from here. I am aware that a large number of maternal deaths take place in India, which can be prevented. By preventing the delays in health care and by addressing the causes of maternal mortality like unsafe abortions, a lot of avoidable maternal deaths can be prevented."

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Pregnancy Tips :Don’t use Pills for sickness in Pregnancy

Pregnant ? thinking of taking something to avoid the dreaded morning sickness,don’t do this adviced from scientists who studied medicines and other remedies aimed at curing the condition.

Their conclusion is that no reliable treatment exists to prevent morning sickness. Some claiming to do so even have unpleasant side-effects, they say.

The exact causes of morning sickness are unknown but up to 85 per cent of pregnant women experience nausea, with half of those suffering vomiting.

Some turn to acupuncture, vitamin B6 and ginger but these will do little, the researchers add. In fact, ginger causes heartburn in some women.

‘A number of studies appeared to show benefits but in general the results were inconsistent’ said lead researcher Dr Anne Matthews, of Dublin City University’s school of nursing.

‘It was difficult to draw firm conclusions about any one.

‘We were also unable to obtain much information about whether these treatments are actually making a difference to women’s quality of life.’

She added: ‘The difficulties in interpreting the results of the studies highlight the need for further trials.’

One of the few treatments that led to slight improvements was acustimulation, where mild electrical stimulation is applied to acupuncture pressure points.

Source: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/840264-pills-useless-for-sickness-in-pregnancy

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Pregnancy tips for women

PREGNANCY IS regarded as one of the most important time in a woman's life. This is a period wherein a pregnant woman needs to carefully follow her physician's advice. The advice eventually land up helping the mother and the new born. The rule of the thumb is, whenever a woman gets the first signs of being pregnant woman needs to ensure that good prenatal care is undertaken which will be good for both mother and the baby.

It is highly adviced that regular checkups be conducted without missing out on even one appointment. In rare cases, if problems are detected, an early solution to the problem will yield better results.

One of the best advices that physicians give is quitting cigarettes before getting pregnant and definitely when pregnancy is detected. Passive smoking too, takes a serious toll on the unborn's health and so preventive measures need to be taken to ensure that the surroundings are absolutely smoke free. Same goes with alcohol, it has not yet been proven that intake of alcohol, even in small quantities in any way, helps the baby. It is best if these two things are kept at a bay.

The best way in which both the mother as well as the baby will keep themselves healthier is exercising. The amount of time spent in exercising shows its results directly in the labour room where the woman has to struggle less, reduces the need of going in for cesarean and above all, it helps the woman in getting back to her pre-pregnancy shape.

Talking to your physician will help a great deal as he/she will be guide you on the type of food that has to be eaten and a favorable position in which a woman has to sleep. Eating food high in fibre, folates, iron and calcium is likely that a physician might recommend. Drinking plenty of water too helps, minimum 6-8 glasses on a daily basis.

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Pregnancy Tips to have baby girl

Reducing salt and having diet of beans and hard cheese gives mothers better chance of giving birth to girl child, shows research.

The right combination of food and the timing of sex are the key factors in determining whether it's a boy or a girl, the UK's Mail on Sunday reported.

Mothers should cut foods containing sodium and potassium-rich food such as olives, bacon, salami, smoked salmon, potatoes, blue cheese, meats, bread and pastries.

Calcium-rich foods include yogurt, hard cheese, rhubarb, spinach, tofu, almonds, oatmeal, broccoli and oranges. Brazil and cashew nuts, whole wheat cereals, figs and beans are packed with magnesium.

Scientists from Maastricht University in Holland, also say the chances of having a daughter are boosted if couples have regular sex but not on days immediately before or after ovulation.

The findings come after a five-year study involving 172 Western European women aged from 23 to 42 who had all previously given birth to boys but wanted girls.Almost 80 per cent of the women who stuck to the diet ended up giving birth to girls.

Source: heraldsun.com.au

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UNICEF Reports Increase in Maternal and Child Health Indicators in India

The Coverage Evaluation Survey 2009 (CES-2009), a nationwide survey covering all States and Union Territories of India, commissioned by UNICEF was conducted during November 2009 to January 2010.

The CES shows significant increase in major indicators for maternal and child health including immunization and reaffirms the positive results of the strategies adopted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) for the Reproductive and Child Health Programme.

Maternal health

Janani Suraksha Yojana has changed the scenario of institutional delivery in the country. The CES results show that when compared to data of NFHS-III, which provides the figures for 2005-06, beginning of NRHM, certain important parameters of maternal health have shown impressive increases:

Institutional delivery has increased from 40.7 % to 72.9 %

Safe delivery by skilled birth attendants has increased from 48.2% to 76 %

Mothers who had 3 or more Ante Natal Check-ups has also increased from 50.7 % to 68.7%.

In the so called backward states such as Madhya Pradesh institutional delivery has increased from 29.7 % to 81%, in Orissa where institutional delivery has increased from 38.8 % to 75.5%, in Rajasthan from 32.2 % to 70.4 %, in Bihar from 22.0 % to 48.3%, in Chhattisgarh from 15.7% to 44.9% and in Uttar Pradesh this has increased from 22.0 % to 62.1 %.

Child Health

There has been a considerable improvement in Child Health indicators as compared to NFHS III (2005 -06)

· The proportion of children with diarrhoea in the last two weeks who received ORS has increased from 26 % in NFHS III to 53.6 in CES 2009

· The proportion of children with Acute Respiratory Infection in the last two weeks who were given advise or treatment has increased from 69% in NFHS III (2005-06) to 82.6% in CES 2009

· The number of children breast fed within one hour has increased from 24.5 % in NFHS III (2005 -06) to 33.5 % in CES 2009

Additionally the CES findings in some of the high focus states show substantial change in two critical child health indicators:

Oral Rehydration Solution Use/Oral Rehydration Therapy (increased fluids for diarrhoea)

§ Orissa (54.8 % in NFHS III to 69.0 % in CES)

§ Chhattisgarh (46.4 % in NFHS III to 68.3 % in CES)

§ Jammu & Kashmir (46.6 % in NFHS III to 79.8 % in CES)

Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) care seeking in any health facility

§ Madhya Pradesh (51.5 % in NFHS III to 75.9 % in CES )

§ Jharkhand (67.0 % in NFHS III to 70.9 % in CES)

§ Bihar (70.2 % in NFHS III to 82.9 % in CES)

§ Orissa (76.5 % in NFHS III to 79.4 % in CES)

§ Chhattisgarh (66.8 % in NFHS III to 85.0 % in CES)

§ Jammu & Kashmir (71.6 % in NFHS III to 83.7 % in CES)

The Coverage Evaluation Survey shows a significant change in newborn care practices which are important in preventing infections and hypothermia and absence of these practises contribute substantially to Infant Mortality Rate. For instance:

· 86.0% of the newborn had their cord cut with a sterilized/new blade

· 43.6% of newborn were not given bath immediately.

· 74.3% of children were wiped dry and wrapped

· The Proportion of newborn checked within 24 hours is 65.6%

Routine Immunization

The full immunization coverage at the national level has also increased to 61.0% as per CES (Coverage Evaluation Survey) 2009 from 43.5 % in NFHS-3 (2005-06). Of the 23 states that have shown improvement in full immunization coverage when compared to NFHS -3 (2005-06), 9 states have shown improvement in full immunization coverage of 20 -30 %; and similarly in 6 states the improvement has been between 10-20%. The large states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Bihar, Assam, Karnataka, Maharashtra has shown improvement of full immunization coverage of more than 15 % as compared to NFHS-3. These improvements have been due to the various NRHM initiatives including strengthening of the immunization programme.

The findings of the survey are a testimony to the positive results of the RCH –II Programme and the efforts being made under National Rural Health Mission.

Source: pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=65506 (Press Release)

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Dengue rises in Commonwealth Games city

The national capital Delhi is gripped under dengue fever. The toll of dengue patients is reportedly increasing on daily basis giving fear to Delhi's civic bodies to curb it before Commonwealth Games. The month has reported around 800 cases.

WHEN LESS than a month is left for a big event like Commonwealth Games to be hosted in the heart of India, Delhi is already gripped by the scourge of dengue fever. The toll of dengue patients is reportedly increasing on daily basis putting fear among the people and Delhi’s civic bodies, who are rushing to curb it before games. This month has reported around 800 cases. In fact, some of hospitals have denied admitting more patients as they are not able to manage large numbers.

Although MCD is taking every possible step to avoid converting dengue into epidemic, but financial crunch has limited its approach to few areas. Now the precaution remains in the hands of common man, who needs to recognise and identify certain symptoms before raising any alarm about it.

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Pregnancy Tips: Decongestant in pregnancy reduces risk of premature birth

The results of a new study indicate that the use of over-the-counter decongestants during pregnancy cuts the risk of premature births.

 

"The more we can learn about what could potentially cause preterm birth would help our understanding in how to stop it," Hernandez said.
The study found that women who took decongestants in their second or third trimesters had a roughly 58 percent less risk of preterm delivery compared to women who didn't use decongestants during their pregnancy.

(The finding was observed only for women without preeclampsia.)
"Medication use is a major concern for pregnant women and generally, when medications are found to have effects on the fetus, they're usually found to have adverse effects," Hernandez said.
"This was surprising in that a potentially beneficial effect was found," she added.

Yet Hernandez said more research is needed to see if there is an actual cause and effect relationship between decongestant use and preterm birth and if so, what element in the decongestant is producing this outcome.
The study is published online ahead of print in the journal Birth Defects Research Part A: Clinical and Molecular Teratology.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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NDM Superbug: A conspiracy against Indian health tourism

SUPERBUG CONTROVERSY has been hitting the media headlines for past one month. The debate is going on whether it was a conspiracy against Indian health tourism or excessive use of antibiotics. The report published in latest issue of British medical journal, Lancet Infectious Diseases stated that antibiotics have proved so far ineffective in case of a bacterial gene, named New Delhi Metallo-1 or NDM, which was found in patients travelling to south Asia for medical treatment. It has ignited a controversy in Indian medical circles.

The report has stated that NDM is becoming more common in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan and is also being imported to Britain and other countries in patients returning after treatment from these countries. The issue has caught the attention of ruling as well as Opposition parties,  who have joined hands in describing it as a big conspiracy against Indian health tourism which is growing at a fast pace. D Raja of Communist Party of India has described it a conspiracy of developed countries.

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Gulam Nabi Azad quickly described the report as motivated and conspiracy against Indian health tourism. Its naming after New Delhi has raised suspicion about the motives of the authors of the report. Union Health Minister for state Dinesh Diwedi speaking on the issue has stated that it is a global phenomenon and we are concerned about it adding that it is certainly not area or country specific. The director general of Indian Council of Medical Research, V M Katoch has also clarified that there is no basis to all the rumours spread due to the report.

Undoubtedly Indian health tourism is growing. A large number of foreigners from Britain and other countries are visiting India for availing health facilities which are cheaper. According to confederation of Indian Industries, Indian health tourism was pegged at Rs 1500 crore six years back and it is increasing every year. Foreigners visit India for surgery, heart by pass and bone replacement. The treatment in India is cheaper as compared to Western countries.

But at the same time instead of crying wolf at the warning,  we should treat it as a blessing in disguise and take corrective and preventive measures. We are in the habit of underplaying our weaknesses under the cover of patriotism. Recent outbreak of dengue cases in the national capital is the example of this trend as the figures of dengue victims are being underplayed instead of finding out the reasons for its outbreak. The issue of excessive and irrational use of antibiotics should not be downplayed under the cover of describing it as conspiracy against Indian health tourism.

Pharma companies have vested interest in promotion of their products. They approach the doctors with gifts and other, offers who in turn prescribe antibiotics to the patients.

Even the World Health Organisation virtually endorsing the report has advised that countries should be prepared to implement hospital infection control measures to minimise the spread of multi-drug-resistant strains and to reinforce national policy on use of antibiotics.

Karthikeyan Kumarasamy, researcher of University of Madras and co-author of the controversial report while agreeing with the objections raised by the report advising patients not to visit India for treatment has advocated the need of a uniform antibiotic policy.

There should be a registry of hospital-acquired infections and hospitals should be asked to declare the morbidity or mortality due to such infections. Presence of hospital induced infections can’t be denied. Even, V M Katoch has admitted that there is irrational use of antibiotics and no hospital-infection control registry. National antibiotics policy should be formed so that strong antibiotics should be prescribed to the patients having severe infections.

Antibiotics should be sold only on prescription of a qualified doctor. Hospitals should be asked to ensure proper cleanliness and isolation of infectious patients. Dr Anoop Mishra, director and head of department of diabetes of Fortis Hospitals says that physicians should restrict irrational use of drugs. Dr Camilla Rodrigues, consultant microbiologist who has discovered superbug in Mumbai’s Hinduja Hospital also feels that high-end antibiotics should be used with discretion.

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Gulam Nabi Azad has alleged that Lancet’s report tracing origin of superbug to India was manipulated by foreign pharma firms. Foreign pharma firms are active in taking and destroying Indian generic medicines industry and health tourism. Multinational pharma companies are buying Indian generic medicines and drug manufacturing companies even at exorbitant prices. Not only this they are also trying that patent over several medicines which is going to be expired in next two or three years should be extended for some time.

Although Minister of state, Department of Commerce and Industry, Jyotiraditya Scindia while replying to a question in Lok Sabha denied that no proposal has been received from the European Union Agency for extension of patent protection by another five years.

Basudeb Acharya had asked if there is any such proposal and what is the reaction of the government and the generic medicine manufactures and the corrective steps taken by the government in this regard to thwart such attempts. Minister has stated that since no proposal has been received from the European Union Agency in this regard hence question of corrective measurers does not arise.

They may not have formally put any proposal to the government. But it is being learnt that they are lobbying hard for achieving their purpose. It is interesting to mention here that as many as 61 drugs worth over eighty billion dollars are going off patent between 2011 and 2013. Pharma companies have made representation to the Prime Minister Dr manmohan Singh.

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Gulam Nabi Azad while confirming this has told that his ministry will no way support the increase in patent period of life saving drugs and medicines for over twenty years. Prime Minister’s Office according to the sources has sought the views of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Commerce on the issue.

Indian Drug Manufacturers Association, president, N R Munjal had also opposed any such move adding that they will not allow it as it will be tremendously detrimental to the health of our generic drug industry. Standing committee of the Parliament headed by Amar Singh in its report tabled in the house recently has expressed deep concern over the way the multinational pharma companies are acquiring Indian generic drugs and medicines companies and asked the government to take such steps so that these companies remain in Indian hands.

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Pregnancy Tips :Cup of coffee a day okay during pregnancy

Pregnant women who worry that drinking a little coffee could put them at risk of a miscarriage can rest easy: the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has issued a new guideline saying some caffeine is okay.

In a statement released Wednesday, the College said moderate caffeine consumption doesn't appear to cause miscarriage or preterm birth. However, it added that it remains unclear whether high levels of caffeine consumption are linked to miscarriage.

For years, women have been getting mixed messages about whether they can have any caffeine during pregnancy. In fact, many pregnant women cut out caffeine the minute they find out they are expecting, because of worries about miscarriage.

But Dr. William H. Barth, Jr, chair of the Committee on Obstetric Practice said in a statement Wednesday that after reviewing the scientific evidence to date, daily moderate caffeine consumption doesn't appear "to have any major impact in causing miscarriage or preterm birth."

Moderate caffeine consumption is considered less than 200 mg of caffeine per day. That equates to about 12 ounces of coffee. Eight ounces of caffeinated tea and most 351-ml soft drinks have less than 50 milligrams of caffeine; 1.55-ounce chocolate bars have less than 35 milligrams, according to information cited in the new report.

The ACOG Committee on Obstetric Practice also investigated how caffeine affects risk of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) during pregnancy. After reviewing the evidence, they say they found no clear proof showing caffeine might restrict fetal growth.

But they added that while there is no definitive evidence that caffeine increases the risk of IUGR, more study is needed to better understand this relationship.

The Committee Opinion "Moderate Caffeine Consumption During Pregnancy" appears in the August issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Source: www.ctv.ca/CTVNews

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Pregnancy Tips :Pregnancy safe for cancer survivors

BARCELONA - WOMEN who survive breast cancer and have children afterwards don't appear to be at any higher risk of dying from cancer, a new study says.

Doctors have long worried pregnancy might spark hormonal changes in breast cancer survivors that could spur the disease's return, and many breast cancer patients are counselled against getting pregnant after they recover.

In research presented on Friday at a European breast cancer conference in Barcelona, experts said pregnancy in women who have been treated for breast cancer is safe and does not seem to be linked with the disease's recurrence.

Among women in the general population, those who have early and multiple pregnancies have a lower risk of getting breast cancer than women who don't.

Dr. Hatem Azim of the Institute Jules Bordet in Belgium and colleagues analysed results from 14 previous trials that followed more than 1,400 pregnant women with a history of breast cancer. Those women became pregnant several months to several years after finishing treatment. Dr. Azim and colleagues compared those women to more than 18,000 women who had had breast cancer and were not pregnant.

'I hope this changes what doctors tell their patients,' Dr. Azim said. 'There's no reason to tell women who survive breast cancer not to get pregnant.' – AP

Source: straitstimes.com

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US FDA approves controversial contraceptive pill Ella

THE US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday approved the controversial “morning-after” pill 'Ella'. The contraceptive medicine extends the post-sex pregnancy prevention for upto five days. The medicine developed by French company Laboratoire HRA Pharma is already available in Europe since May 2009.

The drug which is issued only on subscription is a progesterone agonist/antagonist that is thought to work by inhibiting or delaying ovulation, according to a statement from the FDA. The approval for this drug came after an agency advisory committee unanimously supported ella's approval in June. Other agencies that backed FDA's decision included 'Planned Parenthood'.

The side affects associated with Ella are similar to that of other emergency contraceptives, pointed out the FDA. Some of the symptoms are headache, abdominal pain, nausea, pain/discomfort during menstruation (dysmenorrhea), fatigue and dizziness. Although it prevents pregnancy, the drug is not recommended for women, who are pregnant or for women who are breast-feeding.

After reviewing the medicine, the FDA in a statement said, the safety and efficacy of Ella were demonstrated in two phase clinical trials. One study was a prospective, multi-center, open-label, single-arm trial conducted in the United States; the other was a randomized, multi-center, single-blind comparator-controlled trial conducted in the United States, United Kingdom and Ireland.

But like many other medicines available, Ella too has its own detractors. Experts believe that the drug works by delaying the ability of ovaries to produce an egg. However, opponents note that progesterone is also required to help the womb prepare for an already fertilized egg -- raising the possibility that the drug works similarly to RU-486, which prevents a fertilized egg from implantation in the womb.

The group's President Cecile Richards said in a statement that every woman deserves every option available to prevent an unplanned pregnancy, and there are many reasons why a woman may face the risk of unintended pregnancy, from failure or improper use of birth control to sexual assault. The FDA's approval of this new form of emergency contraception gives women one more option.

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Pregnancy: Are you ever too old to conceive?

WHEN IT comes to late pregnancy, the option is never off the table. However, women above the age of 40 will need both luck as well as health to conceive. Furthermore, women above 45 will need not only health and luck, but also wealth.

Women can't always rely on luck or wealth to conceive, hence, it is advisable to do so before the age of 45. In today's cut throat career marathon, more and more women are delaying pregnancy. Women have started conceiving their first child in their early 40's.

With regards to pregnancy in older women, there is some good as well as bad news. The great news is that when women between the age group of 30-35 do conceive and stay pregnant past the first trimester, the outcome is most likely to be a good one. But unfortunately, increasing age is often accompanied by an increased risk in miscarriages.

Even though, there have been tremendous advancements in medicine, the consensus on the best period to conceive has never changed. Medical experts have remained adamant and have constantly stated that the safest time to conceive is during the earlier part of a woman's reproductive life.

Women, who read celebrity magazines are often inspired by several stories of movie stars, who have had children in their late 40's. This fake inspiration has in fact urged the American Society for Reproductive Medicine that most women can't expect to remain fertile for that long.

Women just simply need to come to terms with the fact that regular periods do not necessarily indicate fertility.

But what does bind women, who conceive during their early or late 20's and women in their late 30's? The answer is simple, yet absolutely necessary. Prenatal vitamins is a must for any expecting mother. A prenatal vitamin is as necessary for our babies as the air that we breathe.

Pregnancy is a critical time. Every required precaution and prenatal vitamin must be taken so that your baby has a healthy start in life.

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Morning walk curbs risk of heart disease

A new study by scientists from University of Buffalo suggests that simple morning walk  to school can reduce stress reactivity in children during the school day, curbing increases in heart rate and blood pressure that can lead to cardiovascular disease later in life.

The researchers found that children who took a simulated walk to school later experienced smaller elevations in systolic blood pressure, heart rate and perceived stress while taking a short exam than children who had gotten a simulated ride to school.

Cardiovascular reactivity -- including changes in heart rate and blood pressure due to stress -- is associated with the beginnings of cardiovascular disease in children, and atherosclerosis -- the dangerous build-up of cholesterol, calcium, fat and other substances in artery walls -- in adults.

"The cardiovascular disease process begins in childhood, so if we can find some way of stopping or slowing that process, that would provide an important health benefit," said James Roemmich, UB associate professor of pediatrics and exercise and nutrition science and senior investigator on the study, which he completed with graduate students Maya Lambiase and Heather Barry.

"We know that physical activity has a protective effect on the development of cardiovascular disease, and one way it may be doing so is by reducing stress reactivity," he added.

Roemmich said because it’s not known how long the protective effect of a bout of exercise lasts, parents and educators should promote active play time throughout the day.

"If it only lasts a couple of hours, then it would be most beneficial if a child walked or biked to school, then had recess during school, as well as a break at lunch, so they had opportunities for physical activity throughout the day," Roemmich said.

"This would put them in a constantly protective state against stressors that they''re incurring during the school day, whether that be taking an exam, trying to fit in with peers or speaking in front of classmates," Roemmich added.

Roemmich said his study is the first to show that moderate-intensity exercise can reduce children’s cardiovascular reactivity during later, stressful activities. The research builds on his earlier work, which demonstrated that higher-intensity interval exercise could afford similar protection in children.

The study appears in the August 2010 issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

Swine flu scares grips state

Four new swine flu cases were detected in the state on Wednesday. Among the 10 samples sent for H1N1  test to the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), four were detected positive. Of whom one each was from city-based Kalinga Hospital, Apollo Hospital and Kar Clinic while the fourth case was from VSS Medical College and Hospital, Burla.

It was a case of twin tragedy for the Sethi family here on Wednesday. Barely minutes after swine flu victim, assistant commercial tax commissioner, Harihara Sethi, was cremated at Swargadwar in Puri, his 27-year-old daughter, succumbed to the same disease in a private hospital here.

In another incident, wife of Bargarh BJD president, died of the flu at VSS Medical College and Hospital in Burla on the same day.

Manini Manaswini, a lecturer in a private engineering college, was admitted to Apollo Hospital here on August 6. She came with complaints of fever and cough but later developed acute respiratory complaints. Suspecting swine flu, her swab sample was sent for tests. It was detected positive. She was kept on ventilator but she succumbed to the virus attack after midnight.

"I had taken the body of my father for cremation when I got news of my sister's death. What's more tragic is that I did not get a vehicle to take the body as neither the hospital staff nor any ambulance driver helped us," said Suvendu Mohanty, son of Sethi.

Supriya Mishra, wife of the Bargarh district BJD president Pravat Aditya Mishra, died of the H1N1 virus on Wednesday. Supriya was admitted to a private nursing home at Burla, a couple of days back after she fell ill. When her swab test report confirmed H1N1 positive, a team of doctors visited the patient and shifted her to the medical college. She was kept in an isolated ward on ventilator for observation and died on Wednesday morning.

This was the third death due to swine flu in the last 24 hours. As many as seven people have died of the flu since July. A total of 42 swab samples have been tested since July, out of which 17 have been positive.

Swine flu deaths have sent panic waves across the state. Even doctors do not feel safe inside hospitals due to lack of adequate vaccination facilities. In many hospitals, physicians and staff complained of shortage of masks and gloves.

Ironically, the deaths have not spared Bargarh, the state health minister's home town. The minister, who was scheduled to visit Sambalpur and Bargarh on Wednesday, cancelled his trip. "I called off my tour because I felt I was more needed in Bhubaneswar. I have instructed senior heath officials to be alert and keep a close watch," said health minister Prasanna Acharya.

Swine Flu claims 8 lives in Pune

Pune, which is considered as the epicentre of Swine Flu in India, has once again seen a surge in Swine Flu deaths. At least 8 people died of Swine Flu in the city in the last two days.

The Swine Flu death toll in Pune since August 2009, has gone up to 331 - the highest in the country. The latest victims included a 10-month-old baby.

At least 46 people tested positive for Swine Flu in Pune on Wednesday. The latest Swine Flu positive cases and casualties have alerted the medical authorities. They have urged people to take precautions to avoid H1N1 infection.

Facial Skin Care Tips : How to Use a Facial Mask

Gaining excess weight during pregnancy may risk baby's life

ACCORDING TO reports published in the medical journal, The Lancet, a group of American scientists have said that adding pounds during pregnancy has adverse effects on the yet to be born baby. Earlier, in studies which were conducted on the same topic, scientists were not able to detect the link between a mother's weight gain and the baby's health. However, the latest study found that the actual excess weight of the mother is having a direct effect on the growing foetus.

The studies which were carried out this year comprised a team of researchers from Boston Children's Hospital and Columbia University, in New York. The exercise was conducted on a group of women, who had conceived twice and found out that for every kilogram that a mother gains the weight of the baby increases by seven grams. The study included more than 5,00,000 women, all of whom  had conceived twice.

It was also found that women, who had put on 24 kilograms at the time of pregnancy had, on an average heavier babies than the women who gained weight between eight to ten kilograms. It was concluded that the heavier the baby at birth will have greater obesity related problems for the rest of his life. Meanwhile, women who gained 24 kilograms were twice as likely to have a baby that weighed more than 4 kilograms at the time of birth.

The research, which was led by authors Dr David Ludwig and Dr Janet Currie said “Because high birth weight predicts body mass index later in life, these findings suggest that excessive weight gain during pregnancy could raise the long-term risk of obesity-related disease in offspring. "High birth weight might also increase risk of other diseases later in life, including asthma, atopy, and cancer.”

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Indian research on fibroids gets awards

TODAY, INDIANS are aware that fibroids are on the rise and are affecting around 25 million women in India. The Indian research, which Dr Prakash Trivedi has done, has revealed the cause for fibroids, which no one in the world knew before. This is a breakthrough research done for the first time in the world for which Trivedi recently was acknowledged by the national award. Trivedi’s research has been acknowledged in United States and Australia. Along with Dr Kumud Tamaskar, National Award winner for original research in infertility, he has released a book on ‘Infertility Dilemma’s Expert’s Final Verdict’ given to the Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Society of India (FOGSI) as a publication for all gynaecologists.

The surgical techniques used for laparoscopic removal of fibroids is usually as follows: Trivedi’s laparoscopic technique of small five mm ports makes separation of fibroids of big size and multiple in number can be separated easily. With less bleeding, a dilute vasopressin is infiltrated as 20 units in 100 ml of saline to achieve a vascular plane. Most important is the fact that Trivedi’s endosuturing technique from same side, like in open surgery, is now being followed at more than 157 centres in the world making suturing safe and meticulous for next pregnancy.  

The new promising research study suggests that incidence of fibroids can be increased in first degree female relative having fibroids, type of diet, excess weight, excess blood pressure etc. New unknown facts surfaced for the first time in world, found by an Indian gynaec endoscopist and In-vitro Fertility (IVF) consultant and showing a strong relation of fibroids contributing to infertility, especially by production of prolactin and aromatase locally leading to local hyper estrogenaemia. A strong relation was found between infertility in patients having fibroids more than five centimetres in size and more than three years of no conception. Apart from direct obstruction of tubal ostia, distortion of the tubo-ovarian anatomy and artificial of lengthening distance sperm has to travel to fertilise the oocytes.

Laparoscopic removal of fibroids increased the pregnancy rate to 42 per cent and decreased the abortion rate to five per cent without increasing the rate of uterine scar rupture on pregnancy, but increasing the need of doing elective caesarean section, especially due to removal of large and multiple myomas. In the IVF-ICSI group laparoscopic myomectomy of more than five centimetres in size prior increased the pregnancy rate to 38 per cent and specially, in the donor oocyte IVF to 50 per cent.

Also, the unnecessary feared uterine scar rupture after the laparoscopic myomectomy is disproved in the hands of experts. The future probably holds a promise in drugs, which are good aromatase inhibitors, which may further be extremely useful to reduce the size of the fibroid, arrest the growth and may even reduce a incidence of surgical removal of fibroids.

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Teenage pregnancy, western world & the social reforms

THIS WEEK Sarah Palin’s (The Republican VP nominee for the 2008 USA Election) teenage daughter gave birth to a baby boy. The new born has bought cheers to the family, and to the Republicans.

Teenage pregnancy is harmful for the health of mother and to the health of to-be-born baby (I assume that I need not specify figures & facts in support of this claim as this is an undisputed issue, if any reader disputes it, I can provide figure and facts). We have seen campaigns by “social activists” & “human rights organizations” to root out such evils from our world. But irony is that, though such evils are getting condemned in underdeveloped world (thanks to the effort of social reformers), such evils are getting celebrated in developed world.

The conservative groups in the USA have praised Palin’s daughter for upholding traditional values by deciding to have the baby instead of having an abortion. The Republican leadership, who faced a crashing defeat in 2008 Presidential elections, is also happier as it hopes to strengthen its base amongst the conservatives. The USA government has continued to distance itself from controversial topic, as always.

I am just wondering, if the western world would have reacted in the same way, if this event would have happened in some other part of the world. What if this “teenage pregnancy” would have been witnessed by the daughter of an Asian, African or Middle-Eastern national leader? What if the celebrated teenage mother was either Hindu or Muslim instead of being a Christian. Would the reaction of western society have been the same? I think that this same section which has termed the incidence as “act of upholding the traditional values” would have pounced upon “with allegations of violating the basic human rights and not protecting the women health”.

If there was an American economic interest in that region, the USA government would have even contemplated a strong military action to protect the human rights freedom in that country.

I hope that Indians have not forgotten the “social reforms” which were implemented in India during the “British Rule”. The “child marriage” was declared illegal. This was a great leap forward for the social progress of our country. But one should really suspect the motives of “British Rule”. Why were the “social reforms” forced upon to the Indian Society in form of “Legal Bindings” rather than “social awareness campaigns”. Was it just to humiliate the feeling of Hindu Masses? If not, why the Western world has not implemented any controversial “social reforms” (those reforms which contradict with their religious beliefs) in their own society?

If Hindus, or Muslims (or any other religion, tribe of sect) do something unscientific (some thing which can be disputed by science - in this case medical science), the western world takes upon them the responsibility of educating the “Backward Regions of the World”. But when Christians (which is the major religion in West) do some thing unscientific (like promoting and celebrating the ideas of teenage pregnancy), it is celebrated by the same western world as “an act of upholding the traditional values”. This is the irony of human kind, we always follow double standards - one set for our own culture, religion & country, another set for all others.

Read More >> Pregnancy Tips, Pregnant Woman