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Human Health- New Medical News

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Endocrine disrupters cause low sperm count

Mumbai: Counts of the microscopic sperm are falling and causing mega concern across the globe.One estimate holds that it has fallen by 50% in the last 50 years
Another study from Copenhagen found a newer reason apart from alcohol abuse,smoking and obesity for this decline endocrine disrupters.Many everyday substances such as plastic buckets (or milk bottles) emit chemicals that are similar to estrogen,the female hormone, said Bhargava.It is exposure to the female hormone-like chemicals that could be reducing the sperm count,believe a school of scientists.Commonly used pesticides such as DDT and dioxins have been named as culprits.
Many disagree.Infertility specialist Dr Aniruddha Malpani said endocrine disrupters were just one of the unproven theories floating around to explain falling sperm counts.It is the most famous theory,but it hasnt been proven yet, he said.Rising infertility is a problem for both men and women due to late marriages and delayed child-bearing,he added.
Dr Anjali Malpani gives a statistical break-up of how sperm counts have been falling steadily over the decades.When we started Mumbais first sperm bank two decades ago,we would get donors who would easily have counts of 40-60 million spermatozoa per millilitre, she said.But in 2009-end,the World Health Organization (WHO) revised its definition of normal sperm count to 20 million per ml.So,the Malpani sperm bank rejects donors whose counts are below 15 million per ml.

Admin · Guru

Average BP falls across world,but rises in India

Kounteya Sinha TNN

New Delhi:Blood pressure might be dipping across the world but in India,it has risen.
The World Health Organisation says that the average BP went down by 2.7mm mercury among women globally,while increasing by 2.4mm mercury in India.In men,it decreased by 2.3 mm mercury globally in the past three decades but in India it went up by 2.2 mm mercury.
Nearly 139 million Indians were suffering from high blood pressure at the end of 2008 14% of the global burden of uncontrolled hypertension.
Researchers attending the World Congress on Cardiology said on Saturday that a 25% increase in high BP screening in 19 developing countries,including India,would reduce the number of cardiovascular disease events and deaths that occur each year by up to 3%.

Admin · Guru

50% of Indians unaware they have high BP: Doc

New Delhi: Blood pressure might be dipping across the world but in India,it has risen,according to WHO.
The study by the Harvard School of Medicine found that screening an additional 25% of the population would lead to an increase of more than 10% in the rate of appropriate treatment of hypertension in high-risk individuals.
High BP is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease mortality,causing more than 7 million deaths every year worldwide.The Harvard study presented at the World Congress of Cardiology in Dubai says around 900 million people in developing countries have high blood pressure but only one-third are aware of their disease.Moreover,only 100 million of these people receive treatment,while only 5% of the total are controlled.
Dr Ashok Seth,chairman of Escorts Heart Institute said over 50% people in India dont know they have high BP till incidentally found on a routine health check.The danger is that in many,it presents in the form of severe high pressure called hypertensive crisis which leads to temporary stroke,bleeding in eyes and heart failure.Those with high risk like family history of high BP and heart disease and smokers should get their BP checked at regular intervals.
Dr Deepak Natarajan,head of interventional cardiology at Moolchand hospital told TOI,Very young people are now coming to us with a full blown heart attack.And one of the reasons for this is uncontrolled high blood pressure.Youngsters today have very poor lifestyle triggered by their extremely busy work schedules.India is seeing a massive increase in BP levels which is a huge contributor to stroke and heart attacks.Youngsters must spend at least 30 minutes exercising every day,consume a good amount of fruit and vegetables and reduce their body weight.
Strategies to increase the screening for hypertension could lead to significant reductions in CVD deaths,at costs that are considered to be acceptable according to WHO recommendations, said Dr Thomas Gaziano,assistant professor,Harvard School of Medicine.

Admin · Guru

22 Apr 2012
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
Neha Sharma
neha.sharma@hindustantimes.com

WHY BLAME US IF KIDS DRINK?

Bollywood is outraged. After being blamed for India’s water woes, encouraging smoking and inspiring real life crime, now a new study has held it responsible for the increasing alcoholism among youngsters. According to a study presented at the World Congress of Cardiology in Dubai, on Friday — Alcohol consumption is three times higher in youngsters aged 12-16, who watch Bollywood films. NGOS PHFI (Public Health Foundation of India) and HRIDAY (Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth) interviewed around 4,000 Delhi school children who watched Bollywood movies, to arrive at the findings.

Film fraternity, however, trashes the study. “I can’t possibly see any connection between the two. Isn’t Bollywood becoming too convenient a punching bag? People need to use their imagination and resources better,” says Milan Luthria, who directed 2011 blockbuster, The Dirty Picture. “I don’t think Bollywood is to blame. There are a lot of other factors that

lead to alcohol consumption. It is most easy to blame the film industry. Why don’t people see the good things in our films?” asks filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, who showed actors drinking in his 2008 film, Fashion. Filmmakers insist that their films give a social message. “Maybe the buying power of those youngsters who watch Bollywood at multiplexes is more. Though I believe cinema is a very strong tool of social message. Bollywood is very often unfairly held responsible for things which have many more sociological issues,” says filmmaker Onir Anirban. Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma says, “Bollywood imitates changing trends in people and the reverse is never true. Sex, violence, alcohol and tobacco existed in abundance long before a movie camera was invented.” Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt adds, “Since its birth, movies have been society’s punching bag. Blaming everything on the movies is absurd. Drinking among kids has increased because of more complex reasons.”

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47% of global measles deaths in India

With 65,500 Deaths In 2010,Indias Record Is Poorer Than Africa,Says WHO-Led Study

Kounteya Sinha TNN

New Delhi: Nearly half of all deaths due to measles globally occurred in India in 2010.
While mortality due to measles dipped from 5.35 lakh in 2000 to 1.39 lakh globally in 2010,India recorded 47% of those deaths in comparison to 16% of global deaths in 2000.
New research by the World Health Organization (WHO),Penn State University and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that while globally,measles mortality fell by 74% between 2000 and 2010 that is still short of the 90% target,in India the numbers dipped by 26% during the same period.
Published in the British medical journal,The Lancet,the study blamed Indias relatively low measles vaccine coverage (74%) as the reason why the disease remained a major cause of death in the country.
Saying that India lags behind even Africa (76%),the study spearheaded by Dr Peter Strebel,department of immunization,vaccines and biologicals of WHO says Delayed implementation of accelerated disease control in India stalled momentum towards the 2010 global measles mortality reduction goal.
India in 2010 recorded nearly 30,000 new cases of measles,and recorded 65,500 deaths.The study added,Our findings suggest that the goal of reducing measles mortality by 90% from 2000 to 2010 has not yet been met.The highly infectious nature of measles virus requires maintenance of very high levels of population immunity through high routine coverage.Measles remains widespread in India because of delayed implementation of mass vaccination campaigns.We expect planned vaccination rounds targeting 134 million children and the introduction of a routine second dose in some states of India during 201113 to substantially reduce measles mortality by 2015.
Union health ministry officials say India has introduced the second dose of measles vaccine in 2010.India started giving a second dose of vaccine to children through routine immunization in 21 better performing states where coverage for measles vaccination was more than 80%.In the remaining 14 high-risk states,we are carrying out the campaign in a phased manner.These 14 states also include second dose of measles vaccination under the routine immunization programme,six months from completion of the campaign, a ministry official said.
According to him,the second dose is expected to prevent estimated 60,000-100,000 child deaths annually.Rhe WHO study says measles mortality has been reduced by more than three-quarters in all regions of the world except in south-east Asia.Dr Strebel had earlier said that anti-measles efforts had suffered from inadequate funding and lack of political commitment since 2008.
In 2007,investigators reported that the global goal to reduce measles deaths by 50% by 2005,compared with 1999,had been achieved.Later,WHO member states decided on a more ambitious target of 90% reduction between 2000 and 2010.Endemic transmission of measles virus was interrupted in the Americas in 2002 and four of the remaining five WHO regions (all except south-east Asia) have set target dates for measles elimination by 2020 or earlier.

GRIM PICTURE

Globally,measles mortality has fallen 74% between 2000 and 2010,but falls short of the 90% target
Estimated global measles mortality decreased from 5.35L in 2000 to 1.39L in 2010
India called a concern as it recorded 47% of estimated measles mortality in 2010 followed by the African regions 36%
Southeast Asia,excluding India,accounted for 8% of measles deaths in 2010
Indias relatively low measles vaccine coverage (74%) is blamed for measles remaining a major cause of deaths in the country 1 billion doses of vaccine were delivered through mass vaccination campaigns in the last decade Measles,a highly infectious viral disease,begins with fever and is followed by cough,running nose,conjunctivitis and rashes all over the body Measles spreads through contact with fluids from a persons nose and mouth and is 90% contagious Fatality rate from measles in developing countries is 10%

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Girls attain puberty at 10,not at 12-13 yrs,reveals study

Says 18 Years Clearly No Longer Signifies Adulthood

Kounteya Sinha TNN

New Delhi: Now,girls are reaching puberty two years earlier.The age of attaining sexual maturity for a girl,when she changes physically,hormonally and sexually has globally dipped to 10 from 12-13 years earlier.This is particularly so in urban India.
A study published in the Lancet on Wednesday says the age of 18 years clearly no longer signifies adulthood.
According to it,the earlier onset of puberty has widened the window of risk associated with adolescence.It said previous generations of parents viewed the physical changes of puberty as being of greatest significance,with raging hormones being blamed for much of adolescent bad behaviour.
Professors Susan Sawyer and George Patton (Murdoch Childrens Research Institute,Melbourne and University of Melbourne) say,Puberty is increasingly recognized as a significant physiological event that catapults adolescents into higher risk for a range of health-related behaviours like mental disorders and substance use.
The paper says impact of brain maturation is as relevant as hormonal maturation.Scientists in the study say brain maturation across adolescence continues till at least 24 years.
Dr Rajiv Chhabra,chief of paediatrics at the Artemis Health Institute,agrees with the findings.He said the phenomenon is leaving girls with well-developed bodies,which theyre not emotionally equipped to handle.
Premature puberty is becoming common among girls in India.Lifestyle and dietary changes could be fuelling this trend.Vegetables and eggs containing hormones like oxytocin can hasten puberty.Earlier,we would tell parents to teach a girl the concept of menstrual cycle when she turns 13.Now,we ask parents to talk about it to their 10-yearold daughters, said Dr Chhabra.
Cancer specialist Dr Bhavna Sirohi said early puberty increases the risk of breast cancer manifold.
Early menarchy would mean increased duration of exposure to hormones like estrogen.This increases their chances of breast cancer, added Dr Sirohi.A link between obesity and early puberty is clear,researchers say.They add that chemicals that mimic hormones and are found in pesticides and cosmetics could also be playing catalysts.
The chemicals are called endocrine disrupters because they disrupt the hormones and glands that control the reproductive system.A survey by the Federation of Obstetrics' and Gynecologists Society of India (FOGSI) said over four in five girls in cities are reaching puberty around 11 years or lesser.An earlier study had said on an average,girls start to menstruate,called menarche,during their 12th year about four months earlier than their moms.A second study found menstruation began three months earlier.Both studies were reported in the journal Pediatrics.That amounts to shaving one month every decade off the average age of menarche,researchers pointed out-. There are some 1.8 billion adolescents (those aged 10-24 years) in the world today,comprising more than a quarter of the worlds population.
The research paper says that the health status of this age group has improved far less than that of children aged under 10 years in the past 50 years.

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50 ஆண்டுகளில் ஆண் மலடு அதிகமாகும்: எச்சரிக்கை

இயற்கைக்கு எதிராக மனிதர்கள் மாறிவருவதால் இன்னும் 50 ஆண்டுகளில் விந்தணுக்கள் உள்ள மனிதர்களை பார்ப்பது அபூர்வம் என்று அதிர்ச்சிகரமான தகவலை ஆய்வாளர்கள் வெளியிட்டுள்ளனர். தாமதமான திருமணங்களும், குழந்தை பிறப்பை தள்ளிப் போடுவதும் விந்தணு குறைபாட்டிற்கு காரணம் என்கின்றனர் மருத்துவர்கள்.
உலகெங்கும் மருத்துவ துறையில் உள்ள மிக முக்கிய பிரச்னையாக உருவெடுத்திருப்பது குழந்தையின்மை பிரச்னை தான். குழந்தையின்மைக்கு பெண்கள் தரப்பில் பல காரணங்கள் இருந்தாலும் ஆண்கள் தரப்பில் முக்கிய காரணமாக விளங்குவது போதுமான விந்தணுக்கள் இல்லாததே.
சமீபத்தில் எடுக்கப்பட்ட ஆய்வின் படி மனிதனின் விந்தணு எண்ணிக்கை ஆண்டுக்காண்டு குறைந்து கொண்டே வருவதையும் இது கட்டுப்படுத்தப்பட வில்லையானால் 50 ஆண்டுகளில் போதிய விந்தணுக்கள் உள்ள மனிதர்களே இருப்பதே கடினம் என்று தகவல் வெளியாகியுள்ளது.
குறைபாட்டிற்கு காரணம்
விந்தணு குறைபாட்டுக்கு காற்று மாசுபடுதல், ஜங்க் உணவுகள், சுற்றுப்புற மாசு, உடல் பருமன், ஸ்டரஸ் என்று சொல்லப்படும் மன உளைச்சல் போன்றவை முக்கிய பங்கு வகிக்கின்றன. ஸ்காட்லாந்தில் எடுக்கப்பட்ட ஆய்வின் படி புகைத்தல், குடித்தல், உடல் பருமனோடு நாம் உபயோகப்படுத்தும் ப்ளாஸ்டிக் பொருட்கள் மூலம் வெளியாகும் ஈஸ்ட்ரோஜனை ஒத்த வேதியியல் பொருட்கள் மூலமும் விந்தணுக்கள் குறைகின்றன என்கிறது.

விந்தணு வீழ்ச்சி

இது குறித்து ஆய்வு மேற்கொண்ட மருத்துவர் பார்கவா, சராசரியாக ஓராண்டுக்கு 2% ஆண்களுக்கு போதுமான விந்தணு குறைந்து கொண்டே வருகிறது என்றும் இப்படியே போனால் 50 ஆண்டுகளில் போதுமான விந்தணு கொண்ட ஆண்களை பார்ப்பதே அபூர்வம் என்கிறார். மேற்கத்திய நாடுகளில் விந்தணு வீழ்ச்சி 90களிலேயே உணரப்பட்டது என்றும் அவர் கூறியுள்ளார். இந்தியாவுக்கும் இது பொருந்தும் என்று கூறியுள்ள பார்கவா ஹைதரபாத்தை சேர்ந்த தலை சிறந்த மருத்துவர்களில் ஒருவர் என்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

இயற்கைக்கு எதிரான நிலை

தாமதமான திருமணங்களும் குழந்தை பிறப்பை தள்ளி போடுவதும் விந்தணுக்கள் குறைவதற்கு முக்கிய காரணங்கள் என்கிறார் மருத்துவர் மல்பானி. ப்ளாஸ்டிக் பொருட்கள் உபயோகிப்பதன் மூலம் விந்தணுக்கள் குறைகின்றன என்பது நிரூபிக்கப்படவில்லை என்று கூறும் அவர், விந்தணுக்கள் பழைய படி மனிதனிடத்தில் வளமாய் இருக்க வேண்டுமெனில் மனிதன் இயற்கையான வாழ்வுக்கு திரும்ப வேண்டும் என்பதே.

இயற்கை வேளாண் விஞ்ஞானி நம்மாழ்வார் கூறியதைப்போல மண்ணில் அளவிற்கு அதிகமான ரசாயன உரங்களைப் போட்டு மண்ணை மலடாக்குவதாக கூறியுள்ளார். மண் மலடானால், மனிதர்களும் மலடாவார்கள் என்று கூறி நாடுமுழுவதும் விழிப்புணர்வு பிரச்சாரம் மேற்கொண்டு வருகிறார். இன்றைய இளம் தலைமுறையினர் இதை புரிந்து இயற்கையோடு இசைந்து வாழ்ந்தால் மட்டுமே எதிர்காலத்தில் சந்ததிகள் உருவாக முடியும் என்பது சமூக ஆர்வலர்களின் கருத்தாகும்

Admin · Guru

Insulin costs 115 less,but diabetics pay old price

Pushpa Narayan TNN

Chennai: Diabetics in Tamil Nadu can now legally get a 10ml vial of insulin for Rs 115 less,but many medical stores continue to sell it at the printed maximum retail price (MRP).
Pharmaceutical companies brought down the price of insulin after April 1,when Tamil Nadu government exempted insulin from value added tax (VAT).But with no new labels,the old MRP remains on the vials.
On March 27,the states commercial taxes and registration department issued an order exempting all types of insulin from VAT from April 1,2012.Insulin is an enzyme that helps diabetes patients keep sugar levels under control.Nearly 17% of people in Chennai and more than 12% in rural areas are diabetics.
Pharmaceutical companies including Novo Nordisk,Sanofi-Diabetes (Aventis),Wockhardt,Eli Lilly and Biocon told TOI that they had stopped charging VAT for chemists and distributors on all insulin products sold in Tamil Nadu.But the MRP printed on these product packs continued to be inclusive of VAT as it was being packed across the country.We are evaluating the feasibility of printing the MRP in line with the revised tax structure in Tamil Nadu.We have told doctors,chemists and distributors about the revised prices.We have also released advertisements in newspapers, said a spokesperson from Sanofi- Diabetes.
The difference between MRP and the revised rates vary with the kind of product and the manufacturer.Sanofi-Diabetes,for instance,makes 13 insulin products,among which the price difference varies between 10 and 115.On Friday,a leading pharmaceutical chain sold Lantus Starter Kit (cartridge 3ml) at 2400 as on MRP,while the company had slashed it to 2285.71.Another medical store quoted 584 for Glaritus manufactured by Wockhardt,while the company sources said the price has been revised to 555.I knew there was a price reduction.But I didnt suspect anything wrong when I bought the medicine because I didnt pay more than the MRP.It was only later that I realised that I couldve got it for less, said a diabetic from Virugambakkam.
Directorate of Drugs Control officials said such complaints should be filed with the commercial taxes department as it was a violation of Tamil Nadu Value Added Tax Act,2006.
All India Organisation of Chemists and Drugs Educational Trust Trustee Srinivasan R has written to chief minister J Jayalalithaa to direct manufacturers to print retail prices for tax exempted medicines as retail price in Tamil Nadu. He also suggested that the chemists should be asked to display price list furnished by the manufacturer for the consumers.
The Drug Prices Control Order makes it clear that no person shall sell any drug at a price exceeding the price specified in the current price list or price indicated on the label of the container or pack thereof,whichever is less.

Admin · Guru

Doctors sound the alarm on natural supplements

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: When a corporate executive landed in Hiranandani Hospital here with palpitations,doctors first checked his heart.When tests ruled out any cardiac problem,they found an unlikely culprit green tea.After talking to him,we realised he had had over a dozen cups of green tea in a few hours, said cardiologist Ganesh Kumar.
Some brands of green tea contain caffeine,which boosts heart rate.Green tea is supposed to a natural agent to control blood pressure and weight,but everything has to be consumed in the right measure, Dr Kumar added.
As the natural or herbal revolution gains in popularity,doctors believe its time to sound a health warning,especially to patients already on various allopathic medications.Studies have shown that seemingly harmless supplements can have dangerous side-effects when consumed in excess.The healthy spice,garlic,is a natural way to keep blood pressure in check,but it may not always be right for those taking blood-thinning pills;it could worsen bleeding disorders.

SIDE-DEFECTS

Garlic can keep BP in check but can worsen bleeding disorders Saw palmetto,which is extracted from berries,control hair fall but cause hormonal side-effects Chondroitin,which is derived from hooves of cattle,helps osteoarthritis patients,could worsen bleeding during operations

Admin · Guru

Natural does not indicate safe: Study

The latest edition of Alternative and Complementary Therapies has pharmacist Catherine Ulbricht from Massachusetts General Hospital spelling out the potential dangers of mixing herbal supplements and therapeutic agents;their interaction can diminish or increase drug levels. Natural does not equal safe, she said in the article.If something has therapeutic action in human body,it can also cause a reaction or an interaction.
Her article lists out common examples such as an increased risk of significant bleeding associated with garlic,ginkgo,ginger,and saw palmetto supplements;decreased blood sugar as a result of cinnamon,whey protein,and others;hormonal effects of dong quai and saw palmetto;and elevated blood pressure caused by hawthorn and green tea.
A study by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons in 2006 showed that many harmless supplements could have dangerous sideeffects.An article in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery found approximately 55% of plastic surgery patients (compared to 24% of the general public) took supplements but did not tell their surgeons.Chondroitin is often used to treat osteoarthritis.People using chondroitin may suffer from bleeding complications during surgery,particularly when used in combination with doctor-prescribed blood-thinning medications, the piece said.

Admin · Guru

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