Yoga May Promote Feelings Of Wellness In Women With Chronic Discomfort

Poor joint and musculoskeletal health are common problems among women that can cause frequent discomfort. However, not all individuals respond to medications that are available to help relieve these problems, and some people develop even worse symptoms as side effects of these drugs.

However, some alternative forms of therapy have been shown to promote feelings of wellness. One of these is yoga, although there is little evidence of what specific aspects of this practice promote feelings of wellness.
A recent study published in the Journal of Pain Research indicated that yoga may help balance levels of cortisol – a stress hormone – in women who experience chronic discomfort.
"Ideally, our cortisol levels peak about 30-40 minutes after we get up in the morning and decline throughout the day until we're ready to go to sleep," said lead study author Kathryn Curtis, a PhD student in York's Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health.
However, Curtis noted that cortisol levels are imbalanced in women who experience chronic discomfort. The study's results showed that participants who engaged in twice-weekly hatha yoga classes experienced more balanced amounts of cortisol and, in turn, feelings of wellness.

Truth About Sugar

A recent study reveals that sugar doesn't melt, it decomposes. The study was led by researchers at University of Illinois.

"This discovery is important to food scientists and candy lovers because it will give them yummier caramel flavors and more tantalizing textures," said Shelly J. Schmidt, a University of Illinois professor of food chemistry."It even gives the pharmaceutical industry a way to improve excipients, the proverbial spoonful of sugar that helps your medicine go down."

In a presentation to the Institute of Food Technologists about the importance of the new discovery, Schmidt told the food scientists they could use the new findings to manipulate sugars and improve their products' flavor and consistency.

"Certain flavor compounds give you a nice caramel flavor, whereas others give you a burnt or bitter taste. Food scientists will now be able to make more of the desirable flavors because they won't have to heat to a 'melting' temperature but can instead hold sugar over a low temperature for a longer period of time," she said.

Candy makers will be able to use a predictable time-temperature relationship, as the dairy industry does in milk pasteurization, to achieve better results, she said.
The scientists determined that the melting point of sugar was heating-rate dependent.
"We saw different results depending on how quickly we heated the sucrose. That led us to believe that molecules were beginning to break down as part of a kinetic process," she said.

Source-ANI

 

Yoga can reduce chronic pain study,finds

A small Canadian study announced July 27 found that practicing yoga twice weekly for eight weeks reduced the symptoms of chronic pain and mental stress in women with fibromyalgia.The study is the first to look at the effects of yoga on levels of the hormone cortisol in women suffering with fibromyalgia. The condition, which predominantly affects women, is associated with chronic pain and fatigue, and symptoms such as muscle stiffness, sleep disturbances, and depression.

Previous research has found that women with fibromyalgia have lower-than-average cortisol levels, which can contribute to pain, fatigue, and stress sensitivity, according to the researchers. In the new study, participants' saliva revealed enhanced cortisol levels following a program of 75 minutes of hatha yoga twice weekly over the course of eight weeks. Also patients reported significant reductions in their pain levels, as well as a mental boost from the yoga practice."Ideally, our cortisol levels peak about 30-40 minutes after we get up in the morning and decline throughout the day until we're ready to go to sleep," said the study's lead author, Kathryn Curtis, a PhD student at York University in Canada. "The secretion of the hormone, cortisol, is dysregulated in women with fibromyalgia."

The study, published in the Journal of Pain Research, and follows another published earlier this year that found that patients with rheumatoid arthritis who practiced yoga showed significant improvements in their symptoms. Earlier this year, a study was published in the Journal of Neuroscience that found that meditation also delivered powerful pain-relieving effects to the brain with even just 80 minutes' training for a beginner in an exercise called focused attention. In the study, the subjects each took four 20-minute sessions to learn how to control their breathing and put aside their emotions and thoughts.

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India, EU reach understanding on seizure of Indian generic drugs at EU ports

India and the European Union (EU) have reached an interim settlement on the long pending issue of seizure of Indian generic drug shipments at the EU ports, en route to Latin American and other countries, on charges of counterfeiting and patents infringement. The settlement will ensure that none of the 27 members of the economic and trading bloc will detain 'Made in India' consignments of generic medicines, which are transiting through EU ports.As per the understanding between the India and the EU, the European Commission will come up with a new Regulation to replace Regulation 1383/2003, under which the EU countries were detaining the Indian generic drugs on charges of counterfeiting and patents infringement.Meanwhile, so long as the EU and its Member States adhere to the principles contained in the Understanding with respect to generic drugs in transit through the EU, India has assured the EU that India will not request the establishment of a dispute settlement panel at the WTO. With the exchange of these letters, India and the EU have reached, for the present, an informal settlement of this dispute. India would watch with interest EU’s further steps in implementing its commitments. India’s options to revive the dispute remain intact in case the EU does not abide by the core principles agreed to in the Understanding. India had initiated dispute settlement consultations on 11 May 2010 at the World Trade Organization (WTO) with the EU on this issue. The dispute was triggered by the repeated instances of detentions/seizure at EU ports, particularly in the Netherlands, of Indian generic drugs destined for export to Latin American and other countries. The detentions were made by invoking the EC’s Regulation 1383/2003 which contains customs procedures for taking action against goods suspected of infringing Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs). These detentions were made during the period October – December 2008 at Schiphol airport, Netherlands. The consignments were initially detained and later, either destroyed or returned to India or allowed to proceed to the destination.The detentions by the customs authorities of these generic medicine consignments were in violation of the obligations of the EU and the Netherlands under Article V of GATT which enshrines freedom of transit of goods through the territory of each contracting party of GATT via the routes most convenient for international transit. The detentions were also inconsistent with the EU and its Member States’ obligations under Articles 41 and 42 of the TRIPS Agreement as these detentions created barriers to legitimate trade, led to abuse of the rights conferred on the owner of a patent, were unfair and inequitable, unnecessarily burdensome and complicated and created unwarranted delays.Moreover, these detentions were inconsistent with certain fundamental obligations of the EU under Article 31 of the TRIPS Agreement read together with the provisions of the Decision of the General Council of August 30, 2003 on the Implementation of Paragraph 6 of the Doha Declaration on the Trips Agreement and Public Health to ensure access to medicines for members of the WTO (“Members”) with insufficient or no capacity in the pharmaceutical sector to enable them to address their public health problems.

India was joined by Brazil in this dispute; Brazil also filed a similar complaint against the EU before the Dispute Settlement Body of the WTO. India and Brazil jointly held two rounds of consultations with the EU on 7-8 July 2010 and 13-14 September 2010 in Geneva. During these consultations, EU acknowledged that some provisions of the EC Regulation 1383 were misinterpreted by the customs authorities while detaining the Indian generic drugs. EU showed willingness to resolve this dispute without resorting to the WTO dispute panel.Thereafter, India engaged in extensive consultations with the EU with the assistance of legal experts. Finally, after several rounds of discussions, India and EU reached an “Understanding” which, inter-alia, contains the principles to guide border enforcement of intellectual property in the EU.

Source:Pharmabiz

Antioxidants may Help Treat Infertility, Erectile Dysfunction

A new analysis suggests that antioxidants could play a significant role in addressing infertility issues in both women and men, including erectile dysfunction.Tory Hagen, in the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, and Francesco Visioli, lead author of the study at the Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Spain, also observed that infertility problems are often an early indicator of other degenerative disease issues such as atherosclerosis, high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. The same approaches that may help treat infertility could also be of value to head off those problems, they said. "If oxidative stress is an underlying factor causing infertility, which we think the evidence points to, we should be able to do something about it," said Hagen, the Jamieson Chair of Healthspan Research in the Linus Pauling Institute. "This might help prevent other critical health problems as well, at an early stage when nutritional therapies often work best," he added. The results from early research have been equivocal, Hagen said, but that may be because they were too small or did not focus on antioxidants. Laboratory and in-vitro studies have been very promising, especially with some newer antioxidants such as lipoic acid that have received much less attention.
"The jury is still out on this," Hagen said.
"But the problem is huge, and the data from laboratory studies is very robust, it all fits. There is evidence this might work, and the potential benefits could be enormous," added Hagen.

Hypnosis as an Alternative to Anesthesia?

Doctors in Belgium are offering hypnosis to patients as an alternative to general anesthesia before conducting minor operations and say that such a step could improve the recovery rate and reduce dependence on pain killers. Doctors at Cliniques Universitaires St. Luc in Brussels have been offering hypnosis since 2003 while another hospital in Belgium has conducted over 8,000 such surgeries.

Doctors in France, Germany and UK too have been conducting surgeries by offering hypnosis rather than general anesthesia. In fact the demand is so high in France that the French Society of Anesthesiologists has created a separate hypnosis branch in their organization.

Source-Medindia

'Alarming' rise in pregnant women strokes: US study

Women rarely have strokes during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth, but researchers have seen a big jump in such events over the past 12 years, according to a US study published Thursday.

A total of 4,085 pregnancy related stroke hospitalizations were documented in the United States in 1994-95, and that number rose 54 percent to 6,293 in 2006-07, said the study in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association."We were alarmed," lead author of the study, Elena Kuklina, told AFP.

"We expected to see some increase but we were surprised by the amount," said Kuklina, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia.While the overall incidence is still low -- just three-quarters of a percent of women in America had a stroke while pregnant or within three months of giving birth in the latest data -- more research is needed to find the cause of the rise, she said.Kuklina said one factor may be that more women are overweight when they become pregnant, which can add to the likelihood of complications from diabetes and high blood pressure."When you're relatively healthy, your stroke risk is not that high," she said.
"Now, more and more women entering pregnancy already have some type of risk factor for stroke, such as obesity, chronic hypertension, diabetes or congenital heart disease," she added.
"Since pregnancy by itself is a risk factor, if you have one of these other stroke risk factors, it doubles the risk."Kuklina suggested that doctors have little guidance in the area because pregnant women are often excluded from clinical trials due to the potential for drugs to harm the fetus.
The data in the study came from a large national database of five to eight million discharges from 1,000 hospitals.

When she searched for published medical literature on the topic, she found discussions of just 11 cases of pregnancy-related stroke, Kuklina said, urging more and better research on pregnant women.

Source:AFP

Sexercise-The Cheap way to burn calories

 Here is some good news for those who struggle to lose weight

A new research has suggested sexercise as a cheaper means to burn calories.

A study has revealed that, women are more inclined to have sex after a long day if they think it will help them lose weight.Research showed that 76 percent of women are more inclined to weave the nocturnal workout into their routines if they think they will burn calories.

And almost two thirds of women who do own gym memberships said they were happier to carry out such activities as having sex and even doing the vacuuming if they thought it would burn as many calories as a traditional workout. ccording to Kerry McCloskey's book, 'The Ultimate Sex Diet', a half-hour session of lovemaking will burn about 150 to 250 calories, and even up to 350 calories, depending on just how active you are. Simply kissing for an hour burns over 200 calories - equivalent to three HobNob biscuits.

"We are burning calories constantly as we go about our day to day business," the Daily Mail quoted Darren Linnell, creator of Aspire drinks who commissioned the survey, as saying.
"It's about being aware of the small things we can do to give us that extra boost," he stated.

Source-ANI

Pain Killer Drug abuse may be a Harbinger of future Heroin abuse

A new study conducted by a group of American researchers states that abuse of painkiller drugs be the earliest signs that a person could abuse illegal drugs such as heroin or cocaine.

Researchers from Drexel University's School of Public Health observed a high risk group of adolescents and found that more than 85 percent of those who admitted abusing injectable or prescribed drugs went on to try heroin.The researchers wrote in the report, which has been published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, that the change from abusing painkillers to heroin took an average of two years.

Lead researcher Dr Stephen Lankenau said that the major source of painkiller drugs came from the families. “Participants were commonly raised in household where misuse of prescription drugs, illegal drugs, or alcohol, was normalized. Access to prescription medications - either from a participant's own source, a family member, or a friend - was a key feature of initiation into prescription drug misuse”, he said.

Nosing Around Nose Jobs

A recent report has scratched the surface of cosmetic surgeries to look deeper into some of the compelling reasons behind such procedures. The report suggests that people who get their nose jobs done could be suffering from some form of mental illness. They could be victims of a condition called as body dysmorphic disorder, a mental condition in which one is unduly worried about minor or perceived bodily defects.
It is quite a serious condition where victims have a history of cosmetic surgeries, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons have issued a warning that cosmetic surgery should not be conducted on patients who show “excessive concern” about their appearance.

Antioxidants For Better Sperm Health

Dietary antioxidants can help maintain male fertility, say Australian researchers. They studied crickets and found that a combination of antioxidants provided the best weapon to boost the health of the male ejaculate.

It was a collaborative research of Dr Maria Almbro and Winthrop Professor Leigh Simmons, from the Centre for Evolutionary Biology at the University of Western Australia and Dr Damian Dowling of Monash University's School of Biological Sciences. The study has been published in the prestigious journal Ecology Letters. Professor Simmons said highly reactive molecules, known as free radicals were waste products of the cellular processes that fuel the body's activities. "These free radicals damage cells if they are not neutralised by antioxidants," he said.

Dr Almbro said sperm were known to be vulnerable to attack from free radicals, and the study had shown that the best defence against sperm damage was to take two antioxidants; Vitamin E and beta-carotene.
Professor Simmons said for most animals, it was typical for females to have the sperm of several males inside them at any given time, competing for the fertilisation of the eggs.
"It is fair to say that the sperm are at war within the female, and we can expect that the most competitive sperm will win the race to the egg. Our study showed that the sperm of males who were fed antioxidants were easily able to outclass the sperm of rival males who were deprived of antioxidants."

Medicine, Miracle or Both? Man Cancer-Free After Hearing God's Voice

Jacob Boger of New Albany, Ind., believes he's living proof that beating cancer sometimes takes more than medicine.

Boger was diagnosed in 2002 at age 26 with stage 4 cancer that was spreading from the upper part of his throat to part of his skull, but he's now cancer-free.

He underwent an aggressive regimen of chemotherapy and radiation, which shrank his tumor, but Boger believes modern medicine wasn't the only thing that came into play.

"I woke up in the middle of the night and felt like God told me to stop taking the treatments," he said.
He listened to the divine advice and when he went for his next MRI, he learned his cancer was gone.
Dr. Renato LaRocca, Boger's doctor and director of the Kentuckiana Cancer Institute in Louisville, Ky., said the odds were against Boger's surviving.
"The probability that he was going to be dead in three to four years was 60 to 70 percent," he said.
LaRocca counseled Boger about the risks of stopping his treatments, but Boger was determined to leave his fate in God's hands.

"I had confidence that my prayers were going to be answered, and that God was a healer and was going to take care of me."

"He understood the risks, but he approached it from the perspective that it was going to be OK," said LaRocca. "Ultimately, it's the patient's choice."

Faith Turned Life Around

Boger lost his mother, father and younger sister to cancer. In addition to the deaths of close family members, LaRocca said when he first met Boger, Boger was a young man living a turbulent life.

After his cancer diagnosis, Boger turned things around and devoted his life to God.
"I had two choices -- give in to this illness or fight the good fight of faith, and I chose to fight the good fight of faith," he said. The chemotherapy treatments made him very sick, ravaged his immune system and left him sterile, but he pointed out that further evidence of God's will were his children -- he has two sons and a third child on the way. Although Boger believes divine intervention worked for him, he would never recommend that anyone stop their treatments. "I've personally ministered to people with cancer and told them don't refuse what doctors are saying -- don't just be ignorant and not go to the doctor," he said. "I tell them to let them confirm that God is moving in their life."
LaRocca said while the four treatments Boger received certainly played a part in his recovery, he can't explain why Boger is still cancer-free nine years later.
"Maybe his immune system woke up, maybe there was a lot of mental and spiritual depression, and once he got that focus, that's what helped, but I never underestimate the power of the mind."
"This guy seems to have struck a great balance between listening to the recommendations of his providers and listening to his inner voice," said Dr. Ashwin Mehta, an assistant professor at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine. Mehta specializes in integrative medicine, a specialty that focuses on treating the body, mind and spirit. He was not involved in Boger's treatment.
Mehta stresses that despite Boger's incredible recovery, patients should not ignore medical advice.

End-Stage Treatment Focused on Comfort, Not Cure

Health care providers give end-stage cancer patients like Boger therapies that focus on either providing symptom relief or a bit more time. They are generally very effective, but they are not designed to cure their cancer. "By stopping that therapy, patients may be forfeiting some time and some symptom management, but they are typically not giving up a cure because oncologists have already deemed that it's an incurable illness," said Dr. Tammie Quest, interim director at the Emory Palliative Care Center in Atlanta. While it's generally not recommended that patients stop therapy unless they can't tolerate it, Quest said the ultimate decision is left to them. "We always want to respect patient autonomy," she said. "There are no right or wrong decisions from the physician's perspective."

Judging by the fact that he's cancer-free and dedicated to a higher purpose, Boger believes he made the right choice. But was his survival medicine or miracle?

"It was absolutely a miracle," he said.

Source:abc News/Health

Yoga cures chronic pain in women

Practicing yoga reduces the physical and psychological symptoms of chronic pain in women with fibromyalgia, a new study has found.

The condition, which predominantly affects women, is characterized by chronic pain and fatigue; common symptoms include muscle stiffness, sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal discomfort, anxiety and depression.
Previous research has found that women with fibromyalgia have lower-than-average cortisol levels, which contribute to pain, fatigue and stress sensitivity.
Lead author, Kathryn Curtis, a PhD student in York's Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health and colleagues found that, participants' saliva revealed elevated levels of total cortisol following a program of 75 minutes of hatha yoga twice weekly over the course of eight weeks.
"Ideally, our cortisol levels peak about 30-40 minutes after we get up in the morning and decline throughout the day until we're ready to go to sleep," she said.
"The secretion of the hormone, cortisol, is dysregulated in women with fibromyalgia."
Cortisol is a steroid hormone that is produced and released by the adrenal gland and functions as a component of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in response to stress.
"Hatha yoga promotes physical relaxation by decreasing activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which lowers heart rate and increases breath volume. We believe this in turn has a positive effect on the HPA axis," says Curtis.

The study was published recently in the Journal of Pain Research.

Indian boy sets Guinness World Record with 34 fingers and toes

A boy from the Bareilly district of India has set a new Guinness World Record for the greatest number of fingers and toes on one human body. The boy, named Akshat, is barely one year old and has a total of 34 fingers and toes.Polydactyly, a genetic disorder, which results in the formation of extra fingers at birth, is a condition that secured Akshat Saxena a berth in the prestigious Guinness book of records.

Constipation and Failure to Thrive: A Homeopathic Success Story

Aaron was only 10 months old when he visited the clinic, accompanied by his parents. Rhonda, (Aaron’s mother) made the appointment because of her son’s battle with constipation practically since birth. She is also concerned because though Aaron has a healthy appetite, he is losing instead of gaining weight. I assure Rhonda that homeopathic treatment can help her son’s health problems.Aaron had colic as a newborn baby. He was gassy as a newborn baby, his stomach constantly gurgling. As a newborn he always needed to be held because he wasn’t comfortable. He would always arch his back in pain because though his belly was full of gas, most of the time he was unable to fart or burp to release it.

Now, at 10 months old, Aaron is now mostly on solid food and eats like a glutton, yet he is losing instead of gaining weight, since the age of 7 months. I tell Rhonda that perhaps Aaron is failing to absorb the nutrients in the food he eats due to an absorption problem.
After the introduction of solid food at 6 months, Aaron has had constipation. Rhonda has tried changing Aaron’s diet, adding more fruits and vegetables, experimenting with cutting out dairy and wheat, but dietary changes haven’t helped. The only thing that has helped are frequent servings of prunes. Rhonda recognizes that prunes are not a permanent solution to Aaron’s problem, and I explain to Rhonda that the administration of the correct homeopathic constitutional remedy will fix his constipation and weight problem.

What is a Constitutional Homeopathic Remedy?

Constitutional homeopathic remedies are prescribed by classical homeopaths. Although Naturopaths have some limited training in prescribing homeopathic remedies, only classical homeopaths have enough training (a full 4 years) to prescribe constitutionally. Constitutional homeopathic prescribing for chronic health complaints is extremely powerful and complex and must be regarded with the utmost respect. Homeopathic remedies are made from something in the natural world such as a plant, mineral or animal. Constitutional homeopathic remedies are given one at a time and never in combination. The remedies are prepared in such a way that they are non-toxic and gentle on the body. They stimulate the body to heal itself. Remedy selection is based on the homeopathic principle that “like cures like” – that is, a substance that would cause symptoms in a healthy person is used to cure those same symptoms in illness. For example, one homeopathic remedy which might be used in a person suffering from insomnia is coffea, a remedy made from coffee.

The Follow-up Consultations

6 weeks after the administration of the homeopathic constitutional remedy, noticeable improvement had taken place. Despite cutting down on the prunes, Aaron’s stool softened and he had much less straining during bowel movements. He has also stopped losing weight.

2 months after the first follow-up, Aaron continues to do well on his constitutional homeopathic remedy. His digestion and bowel movements are normal, and his body has filled out. He looks chubbier and he is gaining weight. Also, because constitutional homeopathy addresses the whole person, the remedy also got rid of Aaron’s patches of eczema. This result was obtained using only the correct constitutional homeopathic remedy without any dietary changes.

About the Author:

Sonya McLeod , BA, DCH Sonya was born and raised in Vancouver, BC, Canada. She graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Arts degree. After giving birth to her second child, Sonya came down with allergies and fatigue so severe that she was no longer able to care for her young children properly. ...

how to treat diabetic patients through homeopathy

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (formerly non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus) appears to be prevalent at ‘epidemic’ levels in many places, including Iran, mainly due to changes in life style, but also because of better diagnosis and improved longevity.

Higher prevalence occurs in Asians, men, and the elderly (18% in men over 80 in Liverpool).
Most are over 40 years but teenagers are increasingly getting type 2 Diabetes Mellitus mainly as a matter of obesity due to physical inactivity, having unhealthy fast foods and soft drinks.
Diabetes mellitus type 2 has now become a global health problem and challenge. More than 340 million people, more than the U.S. total population, are known to suffer from the monstrous syndrome, according to the latest report announced by WHO.
Once it starts showing its symptoms, patients get so much anxious about the disease and its life threatening consequences.

- Cause:

Decreased insulin secretion and insulin resistance is associated with obesity, lack of exercise and calorie excess.
There is about 80% concordance in identical twins, indicating stronger genetic influence than in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.
Typically progresses from a preliminary phase of impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose.
Maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is a rare autosomal dominant form of Diabetes Mellitus affecting young people with a positive family history.

- How to start the curative plan

1. Case taking:

A thorough case taking is done by listening to the patient carefully and taking down the case in his own words. Then the prominent symptoms are derived and converted to rubrics in English language.

The main and more significant, mostly mental and general physical symptoms are then repertorized by homeopathic software, Radar being a well known diagnostic tool internationally.
2. Analysis is done before selecting proper remedy The next step is to analyze the rubrics presenting a certain number of remedies.
Homeopath puts an end to the process by selecting the most similar remedy to the patient’s character and personality traits.
3. Proper remedy is prescribed and taken by patient
We must not discharge the patients’ anti diabetic agents, primarily, if he is already taking them.
There are several methods to cure diabetic patients by homeopathic remedies as a complementary method; here I would like to present one of them which has shown to be more effective in calming anxious diabetic patients, normalize their lab values, cure and decrease expected complications;

a. Syzygium: One of the most useful remedies in curing diabetes mellitus. No other remedy leads to so marked degree of diminution and disappearance of sugar in the urine.

- The main symptoms are as follows:
Prickly heat in upper part of the body; small red pimples itch violently. Great thirst, weakness, emaciation, very large amount of urine, high specific gravity. Old skin ulcers , Diabetic foot ulceration.

- How to prescribe Syzygium?

It can be given in three different potencies; mother tincture, 2x and 3x. 3-5 drops of the remedy is taken by patient, preferably 20-30 minutes before meals,TDS(three times a day).

- How to prescribe the similar remedy?

The selected remedy after software analysis, is said to be taken as follows; depending on the patient sensitivity and vitality and age, 1-3 drops of the remedy with 30c potencyis said to be taken by him, TDS, 20-30 minutes after meals.
To increase the curative power and decrease the possibility of aggravation the remedy should be shaken vigorously 8, 10 or 12 times after taking the first dose.

- How to check FBS and Hgb A1c, and other lab values?

FBS or FPG is said to be controlled regularly along mostly with post prandial blood sugar after 2 hours.
Kidney function tests like urine analysis, creatinine , urea and uric acid, serum albumin are recommended to be done monthly. Hgb A1c is ordered to be checked seasonally.

- What about diet and exercise plan?

Diabetic patients are said to follow a regular diet and exercise plan. Choosing healthy foods including veggies, fruits, whole grain bread, low fat dairies and not taking artificial sugars, and sweeteners, are the main nutritional rules. Walking, jogging, swimming and doing other aerobic exercises 5 times a week for 30 minutes is recommended to be followed, as well.
It not only lowers blood sugar, but also keeps the patients’ happy, healthy, fitness , mental activity and lowers the chance of being affected by diabetes complications.

- Conclusion:

If diabetic patients follow the above mentioned diet and exercise plan, check the lab values regularly and use homeopathic remedies along with their anti diabetic agents under the control of their homeopath physicians, they will:
* Lower risk of diabetes complications
* Normalize their fasting blood sugar and Hgb A1c and other lab values
* Enhance their mental activity
* Enjoy a better life with higher quality

So let us think homeopathic to live a longer, healthier life.

By :Seyedaghanoor Sadeghi M.D. & homeopath

Source:Tehran Times

Time to draw the line

Insurance companies' latest move to include alternative forms of treatment, such as ayurveda, is unfortunate in the extreme. Traditional medicines will promote quackery in general, when the need is to provide people access to scientifically proven medical treatments. While practitioners of traditional medicine practices may invoke historical and cultural continuity, this form of treatment is not medically ideal.

To begin with, there is absolutely no scientific basis for the supposed efficacy of traditional medicines. Often, their basic principles run contrary to the established axioms of medical science. More worrying, however, is that these medicines fail to adhere to quality and standards tests for production. Not surprisingly, even the WHO doesn't currently recommend these practices. This is when the UN agency has been at the forefront of the worldwide efforts to explore the potential of traditional medicine systems. The EU ban on the sale of ayurvedic and other herbal medicines as a response to growing concern over their adverse effects is another case in point. On top of it all, traditional medical practitioners may not be certified or licensed.Compare this to conventional medicines, which undergo rigorous and controlled lab tests to meet international standards. Most importantly, their regimens are prescribed by properly trained and registered doctors. Given that ayurvedic treatments are cheaper compared to allopathy, insurers can discriminate in claims and reimbursements, pushing more and more people towards unproven remedies. Besides, ayurveda's inclusion may lead to demands for similar recognition for other traditional therapies such as faith healing or treatment by witch doctors. It's time to draw the line somewhere.

Source:TNN

Sri Lanka becoming a model and hub of development in Asia

Despite the hopes and boasts of Sri Lanka becoming a model and hub of development in Asia, the lack of a national health policy, a national policy on food and nutrition and a national medicinal and drugs policy among other health issues have made Sri Lanka a sick nation. Most of us are sick most of the time and hospitals are crowded like market places, though the richer people of the country have access to the marvelous methods of modern medicine. Earlier this month, a big international exhibition and sale of herbal medicines was held at the BMICH in Colombo. The wide range of relatively low cost herbal medicines displayed in more than 1,000 stalls, showed the vast scope of the ancient, time-tested healing process of Ayurveda and the need for Sri Lankans to make more use of it. Unfortunately in recent decades most of us have been conditioned or virtually forced to depend far too much on allopathy or Western medicine which to a large extent has degenerated from a vocation or a profession to a deadly business. That form of medicine is no doubt effective, but we need a national health policy whereby the roles of Ayurveda, Allopathy, Homeopathy and Acupuncture are outlined and the people are given a balanced awareness so that they could choose the form of treatment they need for a particular ailment. As for Ayurveda, we know the story of the Buddha and his physician Jeewaka. The physician had asked the Buddha whether there were any plants without medicinal value. The Buddha told him to go out and carry out a test and see. After weeks, the physician came back saying he could not find a single plant without medicinal value. With such a treasure around us it is so ridiculously tragic that we often go for counterfeit or counter productive chemical drugs at high prices.

July is almost coming to an end and Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena appears to have again broken his repeated promise that legislation for a National Medicinal Drugs Policy (NMDP) to provide quality drugs to all people at affordable prices would be presented in parliament by July. A comprehensive draft for this vital legislation was worked out after several rounds of discussion among all stake-holders and presented to the then Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva as far back as July 2005.

If the minister’s latest excuse is that he was far too busy with the polls campaign in July the people hope that he will have no excuse in August and act like a statesman in taking an important step, to give top priority to the restoration of the health service where the well-being of patients is given top priority.

Source:Daily Mirror Lanka

Happiness Quotient

The first set of well-being indicators has been created to enable the British government to evaluate the quality of life of Britishers.The research which took the opinion from online questionnaires found that happiness changed according to age. While children were happy with eat outs, games and friends, the youth lay more emphasis on stylish clothes, music, fast food and alcohol to give them a taste of happiness. The older lot gave more emphasis on health, finance, job stability and satisfaction to experience happiness.

“People of all ages highlighted the importance of family, friends, health, financial security, equality and fairness in determining well-being”, said a well-known statistician.

Source-Medindia

 

Childhood Stress Induced obesity Reduced by Stronger Social net safety programs

Social safety net programs that reduce psychosocial stressors for low-income families ultimately lead to a reduction in childhood obesity, a research by a University of Illinois economist has indicated Craig Gundersen, a professor of agricultural and consumer economics at Illinois, said food and exercise alone are not to blame for the extent of obesity among children in the United States. Psychosocial factors, such as stressors brought about by uncertainty about the economy, income inequality, and a fraying social safety net also must be considered, he said.
"Energy-in, energy-out is important, but energy imbalance isn't the only thing leading to overweight status among children," said Gundersen, the executive director of the National Soybean Research Laboratory at Illinois. "We also know that people have very different ways of responding to the same amount of food intake and exercise, and one of the factors that may influence how people react to eating and exercise is through the amount of stress they're under," added Gundersen.
"As a society, we're always looking for different ways we can address public health issues, whether it's reducing food insecurity or reducing obesity," he said. Although there have been many different ways to reduce obesity, what we've found is that stress is a leading cause of obesity among children. So if there's any way we can reduce stressors from a policy standpoint, that will also have the effect of reducing obesity," he added.

Moden Life Stress and the Impact on Food Pattern

Earlier, we used to spend a whole hour for lunch but now most of us are so stressed by modern life that we have little time to sit down and enjoy a meal. According to a survey conducted for French cheese specialist President, Britons are now under so much pressure at home and at work that they spend just 39 minutes a day eating.For many, the lunch hour has given way to a quick sandwich at the desk - which is forced down in an average of just 12 minutes and 49 seconds. Breakfast is an even quicker affair, lasting only 7 minutes and 20 seconds. And dinner takes just 19 minutes - making a total of 39 minutes and nine seconds a day for meals. Half of us are so busy that we sometimes skip lunch altogether, with women more likely to do so than men. Eating has become a purely functional routine for three-quarters of adults, who scoff food so quickly they cannot enjoy it or appreciate the taste. And almost half, 45 percent, are so distracted by other tasks while eating that they do not notice if they are full, merely eating until they are finished.

But it seems the quick meals are forced on us by circumstances rather than choice, the survey found.

"We now live in a very food-orientated society, where food documentaries, celebrity chefs and cook books have never been more prolific," the Daily Mail quoted psychologist Dr Richard Woolfson, from President, as saying.

Seventh and Eighth Bases of DNA Discovered

The seventh and eighth bases of DNA has been discovered by scientists.

These last two bases, called 5-formylcytosine and 5 carboxylcytosine, are actually versions of cytosine that have been modified by Tet proteins, molecular entities thought to play a role in DNA demethylation and stem cell reprogramming.Thus, the discovery could advance stem cell research by giving a glimpse into the DNA changes, such as the removal of chemical groups through demethylation, which could reprogram adult cells to make them act like stem cells. "Before we can grasp the magnitude of this discovery, we have to figure out the function of these new bases," senior study author Yi Zhang, Ph.D., Kenan Distinguished Professor of biochemistry and biophysics at UNC and an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, said.

"Because these bases represent an intermediate state in the demethylation process, they could be important for cell fate reprogramming and cancer, both of which involve DNA demethylation," Zhang explained.

Last year, Zhang's group reported that Tet proteins can convert 5 methylC (the fifth base) to 5 hydroxymethylC (the sixth base) in the first of a four step reaction leading back to bare-boned cytosine.

But try as they might, the researchers could not continue the reaction on to the seventh and eighth bases, called 5 formylC and 5 carboxyC.
The problem, they eventually found, was not that Tet wasn't taking that second and third step, it was that their experimental assay wasn't sensitive enough to detect it.

New data from SANBS reinforces 5 years of success preventing HIV & hepatitis transmission from donated blood

The South African National Blood Service (SANB, South African national blood bank) announced new data showing that the security of South Africa's blood stocks by application of nucleic acid testing (nucleic acid testing, NAT) significantly from Novartis for the study of donor blood for HIV and hepatitis has increased. The data provide further evidence of the success of activities to prevent the spread of HIV and hepatitis through infected blood transfusions, whose fifth anniversary was recently celebrated.

The data confirm not only a remarkable success story of public health, but are also an evidence that nucleic acid tests each individual blood donation (individual donor testing, ID-NAT) - in contrast to the testing of pools of several donors - the most sensitive method available for Detection of HIV type 1 (type of virus was 99.6% of all HIV infections), hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B virus (HBV) in blood donors are.

"Before the introduction of nucleic acid test was the transmission of HIV and hepatitis through blood donations are not uncommon in South Africa," said Ravi Reddy , chief operating officer of SANB. "Since the introduction of ID-NAT, we have eliminated this risk down, and no reports of HIV-1- infections caused by transfused blood or blood products transfused survived. The safety of patients in South Africa has thus increased. I hope that this will also serve as a model for other countries. "
Since 2005, SANB has 3.8 million blood donations for HIV-1 RNA, HCV RNA and HBV DNA with the Procleix Ultrio Novartis Diagnostics test on the TIGRIS system Procleix investigated for NAT screening of blood. Since NAT is a highly sensitive method for detection of viral genetic material (DNA and RNA) are so active infection can be detected, not capture the conventional serological tests may. This shortens the time between infection and detection of possible infection. Furthermore, detection is possible even in chronic infections with very low viral loads. The full integration and automation of all steps of the NAT method, which can only with the Procleix TIGRIS system will take place, allowing an efficient workflow for laboratories that perform tests daily a large number of samples. SANB leads in all samples and serological tests for the detection of an immune response to infection (anti-HIV, anti-HCV and HBsAg) by.
SANB The results show that the Procleix Ultrio Novartis Diagnostics test identified 6487 HIV-1-positive units of donor blood. In 96 of these units could HIV-1 with serological tests and the HIV p24 antigen test can not be proven. In addition, 3007 units were hepatitis B-positive, of whom 346 were not identified as positive in serological tests. 250 units were hepatitis C positive, 5 of which were not positive in serological tests. These infected blood units were considered negative and a transfusion was made available to if they had not been removed after the NAT test from the blood components.
According to UNAIDS in 2007 there were 5.3 million people with HIV infection in South Africa, representing a national HIV prevalence rate of 11%. This increased the risk of infected blood in blood stocks. It is estimated that one of 600 infected blood donations in South Africa with HIV-1.
"As in other countries do not know anyone with HIV or hepatitis infection from their infection or the risk of contamination of blood stocks with HIV and hepatitis. Therefore it is imperative that our blood screening program uses a test method that helps us blood to be as safe as possible, "said Reddy." The data show that this goal through individual donation testing using NAT screening in South Africa could be achieved. "
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that infcts cells of the human immune system, rendering it ineffective or impair its function. The most common HIV-type HIV-1, which is easily transferable.
HIV-1 for the majority of all cases of AIDS, and is responsible for 99.6% of all HIV infections. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 5-10% of all HIV infections worldwide have been through infected blood transfusions or infected blood products transmit.

SANB is a non-profit organization that blood transfusions' from vein to vein "in 8 of the 9 provinces in South Africa possible. The SANB collects annually 780 000 blood units (100% on voluntary basis) and has two testing centres ( Johannesburg and Durban ), seven blood processing centres and 79 blood banks that supply more than 1,000 hospitals and clinics. SANB is from the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS, South African national system of accreditation) accredited.

Source:Pharmabiz

Dieting Has No Long-Term Impact on Weight Loss

Researchers from the Medical Research Council in Britain have found that dieting is a poor way of reducing weight and majority of the dieters regain the lost weight as soon as they stop the diet.

The long term study involved more than 25,000 men and women with over 5,300 being born in 1946 while over 20,000 were born in 1958.The researchers found that both groups of people gained weight, with men gaining weight steadily throughout their lives while women tend to put on the pounds when they enter mid-thirties. The researchers said that very few people managed to get their weight back to normal while dieting had no long term impact on weight loss. Instead of dieting, the researchers recommended staying away from fattening food.

Source-Medindia

No extra fund for ayurvedic, homeopathy colleges in Gujarat

The state government has no legal obligation to fund the increase in the number of teaching and non-teaching staff in grant-in-aid ayurvedic and homeopathy colleges in Gujarat as per the norms of the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM), the Gujarat High Court has recently ruled. A division bench of Chief Justice S J Mukhopadhaya and Justice J B Pardiwala passed the judgment while acting on a group of petitions moved by certain ayurvedic and homeopathic colleges in Gujarat.
The petitioners are all grant-in-aid colleges which alleged that the government was not sanctioning posts in their colleges as per norms prescribed by the CCIM, New Delhi. This, they added, was depriving them of allotment of students and continuation of recognition granted by the CCIM.

These colleges had argued that they were being provided 100 per cent grants by the state government as per the latter’s resolutions in 1981 and 1986.

They said that under a Central Act, they are bound to follow the norms framed by CCIM which, they added, has increased the number of staff members for the member colleges but the state government was refusing grants for the sanctioned staff while adhering to the set-up sanctioned in 1981 and 1986.

Arguing that the state government’s action in not sanctioning the increased staff strength was illegal and unconstitutional, these colleges demanded a direction to it to sanction the same and provide the additional fund.

The state government, however, opposed the plea saying it was not against these colleges increasing the staff strength as per the CCIM norms, but argued it was under no legal obligation to provide fund for the salaries of the additional staff. The state government argued that while it would continue to provide 100 per cent grants for the setup of the colleges as sanctioned in 1981 and 1986, these colleges could pay salaries for the additional staff with the amount collected from students as annual fees.

Dismissing the petitions by the colleges, the court said, “We are of the view that the government has made its stand very clear that it is not against fulfilling the requirement, as laid down by the CCIM and Central Council of Homeopathy, but the same is to be complied with by the institutions from the funds they are getting from every student by way of fees.”

Source:Indian Express

Ayurveda, unani treatments under mediclaim umbrella

Till some time back, health insurance policies used to cover only allopathy treatment while ayurveda, homeopathy, naturopathy and unani treatments were left out of the ambit. Despite having a comprehensive health insurance plan in place, individuals who preferred such systems had to pay out of their own pockets.

These policyholders can now breathe easy as some insurance companies have started including such alternative forms of treatment under their cover, especially ayurveda. "Ayurveda being the most prevalent of the alternate systems, we have designed a product to cover treatments under ayurvedic hospitalization," says S S Gopalarathnam, managing director, Cholamandalam MS General Insurance.
While some insurers only offer it under their group policies, others have started offering the facility to individual health insurance seekers. PSU insurer New India Assurance and standalone health insurance provider Star Health and Allied Insurance are other insurance companies that have started covering ayurvedic treatments under individual policies. ICICI Lombard General Insurance covers it under government scheme and Future Generali Insurance offers it to corporate group insurance buyers from which employees of the covered company can benefit. "Our policies as such do not cover any other line of treatment other than allopathy. However, in group policies, if requested for we do offer tailor-made packages to corporate clients to cover ayurvedic treatment subject to certain conditions," explains Shreeraj Deshpande, head, health insurance, Future Generali.
How did this need to cover alternative forms of medicine in health insurance arise? Gopalarathnam, explains, "During various focus group discussions with customers and agents, we found that for chronic ailments like spondilytis, arthritis and epilepsy, many people preferred alternate streams of treatment such as ayurveda, siddha and homeopathy etc."
Though the coverage has been expanded, there are curbs on the amount and situations under which it can be claimed.
New India Assurance's extends cover to individuals undergoing treatment with the help of Ayurvedic, homeopathic and Unani systems of medicine. "Such claims will be covered only to the extent of 25% of sum insured. Also, they need to have availed of the treatment at a government hospital to be eligible for the claim," informs Segar Sampathkumar, deputy general manager, New India Assurance.
Similarly, Star Health also covers non-allopathic treatment, except Naturopathy, costs under its Unique Health Insurance Policy, "up to 25% of sum assured or a maximum of Rs 25,000 per occurrence, per year."
Chola Individual Health line Insurance policy provides coverage for ayurveda during hospitalization, prior and post hospitalization. A policy holder can get treated in any of the government registered ayurveda hospitals across the country and claim if hospitalized for more than 24 hours.
Naturopathy treatments are excluded in all policies, while few cover unani and homeopathic. This is because other forms of treatments have no standard treatment protocols and highly varied costs thus making it difficult to actuarially compute the cost to be covered.

Even under ayurveda, select procedures are covered to ensure people do not misuse a policy for a basic rejuvenation procedure. "We do not cover the unani system of medicine. Under ayurveda, hospitalization for panchkarma (five actions) meant to purify the whole body by eliminating accumulated toxins, is covered on a case to case basis," explains Deshpande. It is important to note that there is no standalone cover available for covering alternative treatments. You will have to buy a standard health insurance cover from these select insurers and others who start offering the non-allopathic coverage. Before you head for alternative treatment and make a claim, see whether the treatment is listed in the insurance policy document. Insurers are particular about the specific treatments covered. "Snehan and Swedan are payable only when these procedures are done as a part of pre-panchkarma preparation. Comfort treatments involving steam bath/sauna/oil massages are excluded," Deshpande adds. Similarly Gopalarathnam says, "We have identified about 40 common ailments for which ayurvedic treatments are prevalent and widely used, which we cover for treatment across any government registered hospitals."

Source:TNN

 

Anticholinergic Medications Raise Risks for Seniors

Many medications frequently prescribed for seniors have anticholinergic activity. New research suggests that anticholinerg drugs are risky for older people.

Many medications show anticholinergic activity--they block or inhibit acetylcholine, a key neurotransmitter in the brain and nervous system.These medications are prescribed for many diseases, including gastro-intestinal conditions, uro-genital disorders, respiratory problems, heart conditions, Parkinson's and other nervous system disorders, and others.There is a growing body of evidence that anticholinergic medications are risky for older people, especially when a patient takes more than one.A new study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society finds that the more anticholinergic drugs seniors take, the more likely they are to suffer cognitive impairment and premature death.
"One of the issues is that as we age, we tend to be prescribed more medicines which have an anticholinergic effect, increasing the overall burden," says Ian Maidment, a pharmacist for the UK's National Health Service and one of the study's authors.
How many anticholinergic meds do seniors take?
Maidment and his colleagues studied 13,400 men and women over the age of 65 who were participating in a long-term UK study of cognitive functioning and ageing.

The researchers calculated patients' anticholinergic loads by totaling the contribution of each of their medications. Each medication was rated on a scale from 0 to 3 depending on its anticholinergic impact.

About half of the participants were taking at least one drug with possible anticholinergic activity (score of 1), while 508 were taking one or more drugs with definite anticholinergic impact (scores of 2 or higher).

Multiple meds--multiple risks
Taking one or more medications with definite anticholinergic activity was associated with cognitive decline.
However, the most striking finding was that 20 percent of the seniors with anticholinergic medication scores of four more died during the two-year study, compared to just 7 percent of those who were not taking any anticholinergic drugs.
There was a linear relationship between anticholinergic load and the risk of dying. For every additional point earned, a patient's risk of dying within two years went up by 25 percent.
"As far as the authors are aware, this is the first team to identify a link between mortality and anticholinergic burden," the authors write,
The researchers point out that this finding does not mean that the anticholinergic medications caused these patients' deaths. In many cases, the drugs were prescribed to treat life-threatening conditions. "This finding should be treated with caution," they write, "because medications with possible anticholinergic effects are used for many diseases, such as hypertension and congestive heart failure."
Still, the link between anticholinergic load and the risk of dying remained even when the researchers used statistical techniques to account for pre-existing medical conditions.

The authors emphasize that elderly patients should not stop taking any prescribed medication because of this study. However, they recommend that patients schedule regular medication reviews with their physicians to determine if their anticholinergic medications are necessary.

##This information is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice.

Reference: C. Fox et al., Anticholinergic medication use and cognitive impairment in the older population, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, June 24, 1011.

Diabetes and Hypertension Screening Program for Slum Dwellers Launched

Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad launched a screening program in New Delhi that will see slum dwellers in the capital city being tested for hypertension and diabetes. Stating that all pregnant women and those over 30 years of age will be screened, Azad said that early detection of diabetes and hypertension will be helpful in curbing the spread of the diseases.

The program was launched from the Talkatora Stadium with both Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Delhi Health Minister AK Walia also present.

Azad revealed that the program will be screening over 5 crore slum dwellers with over 20 testing units deployed at the stadium. “The WHO and UN has taken note of the gravity of diabetes and hypertension. We will screen five crore persons before September 2011 when UN General Assembly will hold a special session to discuss means and measures to control these diseases”, he said.

Source-Medindia

Chief of the biggest of Yoga Guru Ramdev's business enterprises Balkrishna used fake university degrees to get a passport

Yoga guru Ramdev’s right hand man and the chief of the biggest of his business enterprises Balkrishna used fake university degrees to get a passport, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe has found out, media reports said on Monday.Two cases have been lodged against the key Ramdev aide after the federal agency found that the Balkrishna’s enrolment numbers on the two degrees from the Sampurna Nand Sanskrit University belonged to another student.
The two degrees that Balkrishna apparently fudged were a high school degree issued in 1991 'Purv Madhyma and a Sanskrit degree issued in 1996 'Shastri', neither of which figure in the university's records, officials said.
Ramdev-controlled Patanjali Yogapeeth Trust has denied that charges and asserted that the passport was indeed valid. “He got his passport about 12-13 years back. Why is the government now raising questions about it,” Trust spokesperson S K Tijarawala was quoted as saying.
Balkrishna had come under the scanner after he signed a secret deal with the government, allegedly on behalf of Ramdev, to call off a hunger strike protest that the yoga guru had planned in New Delhi to protest against government corruption.
When Ramdev did not call of the ‘fake’ hunger strike, the government went public with the Balkrishna’s letter that promised the withdrawal of the strike that left both the yoga guru and his aide egg faced.
Later the same night on June 5, police raided Ramdev’s protest campaign and forced the yoga guru back to his headquarters in Haridwar after declaring the strike illegal for not having obtained the correct permissions.

Later the Supreme Court also pulled up Ramdev and his associates for obtaining a permission for a yoga cam for 5,000 people while he hosted over 50,000 people at the Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi hollering anti-government slogans.

Source:IBNS

Federation of Chemists & Druggists in Karnataka urges state govt to act on quacks

Federation of Chemists and Druggists in Karnataka has sent in a proposal to the state government to take action on the quacks practising in the state and also look into the norms at the time of granting pharmacy outlets licenses across the state.

In a memorandum to the minister of health and family welfare, Ashokswamy Heroor, vice president of the Federation of Chemists and Druggists in Karnataka stated that there are 81,000 registered MBBS doctors, 12,000 ayurveda qualified practitioners and 4,500 homoeopathy specialists in Karnataka. But the number of quacks practising are more than qualified medical professionals. Therefore a serious action is mandated against those treating patients with non-medical qualifications.
The government should look at auditing the clinics even in the remote locations of the state to ascertain the number of doctors practising without medical degrees.
In order to curb the practice of quackery, the Supreme Court had passed a judgement on October 8, 1998, to identify the quack doctors. As per the order, Director of Health and Family Welfare department had issued a circular No. MDL, 14:2000-01 dated November 4, 2000. Karnataka government passed a notification No. HFW215/PIM-2007 dated December 13, 2007 to control the quack doctors to register Ayurveda Board, District Ayush officers and District Family welfare officers.
According to Heroor, despite these government orders to swoop down clinics and arrest the violators, not much could be achieved to control the practising of quacks.
He called upon the state government to increase the number of officers which would help empower committees in drugs control department covering designation of drugs inspectors assistant drug controller and deputy drug controllers.
Another issue is the proliferation of unsafe and ineffective medical devices in the market which are increasing the threat of infection transmission. Further, there is also inappropriate prescription and irrational use of drugs resulting in drug resistance and adverse drug reaction which the state government needs to address as these issues are impacting as a huge economic burden on the patient population, pointed out Heroor.
With reference to the pharmacy trade, he has proposed to the state drugs control department, there was need to ensure that permanent addresses of the registered pharmacists made available.
Even during the election process at the State Pharmacy Council, ballot papers were misused and addresses were not updated. Heroor stated that there needs to be a permanent residence proof records like voter ID or other government approved submissions for the same.
According to the vice president of the Federation of Chemists and Druggists in Karnataka, who is also the president of the Koppal District Chemists and Druggists Association and president Indian Pharmaceutical Association, Gangavati, stringent norms and constant surprise checks would help to keep quacks at bay. A regular vigil on hospital practices would help control unethical tasks, he added.

Source:Pharmabiz

Chinese medicine to be effective in battling certain symptoms of Parkinson's disease

A new Hong Kong study found Chinese medicine to be effective in battling certain symptoms of Parkinson's disease, and lessening side effects from the drugs used to treat the condition.

Researchers at Hong Kong Baptist University said Gouteng, a traditional Chinese herb used to treat hypertension, helped patients better communicate and made them less prone to depression and sleeping difficulties

 "There is no cure for Parkinson's right now, but the study showed Chinese medicine can help treat the disease," a university spokesman told AFP Thursday.

Parkinson's is a progressive motor-system disorder which usually affects people over the age of 50, although it can strike earlier, often causing severe symptoms including body trembling, stiffness and loss of balance.

The condition is usually treated with a drug called levodopa, which the brain converts into dopamine to relieve the symptoms, but it can also cause nausea and hallucinations.

The Baptist University study found that patients who took Gouteng together with levodopa experienced fewer side effects from the drug while showing a marked improvement in their communication skills.

Li Min, an associate professor who led the study, said the findings could also help boost the profile of Chinese medicine.

"They provide not only pharmacological proof of the efficacy of Gouteng in treating Parkinson's disease, but will also help promote the effectiveness and safety of Chinese medicine to the international medical arena," she said.

Li -- whose team has applied for a US patent -- told the South China Morning Post that she expects the herb would start being used to treat the disease after the second phase of the study in 2013.

Source-AFP

Test Can Predict If Your Baby Is a Genius Within 5 Minutes After Birth!

A test administered to babies at 1 and 5 minutes after birth could predict their academic success.
Scientists have claimed that how a baby performs in Apgar health tests immediately after birth dictates how well they will do in school. The Apgar test rates the newborn's health on a scale of one to 10 and how much medical attention the child needs.

Researchers compared the school exam results of 877,000 Swedish teens with the Apgar scores of their infancy.
They found a link between an Apgar score of below seven and lower intelligence in later life.
"It is not the Apgar score in itself that leads to lower cognitive abilities, Dr. the Daily Mail quoted Andrea Stuart, an obstetrician at Central Hospital in Helsingborg, Sweden, as telling Msnbc.
"It is the reasons leading to a low Apgar score (including asphyxiation, preterm delivery, maternal drug use, infections) that might have an impact on future brain function," she added.
The test, developed by American Dr Virginia Apgar in 1952, checks an infant's heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, skin color and reflex irritability (each on a two-point scale). A score of 8 or above is considered healthy.
The largest ever study to look at the link between cognitive ability in teenagers and the Apgar test appears in next month's issue of the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology

Source-ANI