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Simple keyhole surgery can halve heart attack risk

August 27, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

Doctors have said that a one-hour operation that could halve the risk of heart attacks in patients with high blood pressure could be available from next year.

In trails patients undergoing the keyhole procedure saw their blood pressure drop by a

fifth within six months — enough to halve the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

A follow-up after 18-months showed no reversal of the condition. The trials proved so successful that some clinics have already made it available privately, and researchers expect the treatment to be made available to tens of thousands of British patients on the NHS.

The procedure severed the nerves, which connect the kidneys to the brain and carry signals to control blood pressure.

Doctors say the operation, which costs just 6,000 pounds, could offer a lasting solution for tens of thousands of British patients whose high blood pressure cannot be controlled by conventional drugs. Although people who undergo the procedure still have to take medication to keep their condition in check, it brings about a drop in blood pressure, which drugs alone have failed to provide.

Further trials will establish whether the technique, known as renal denervation, could also help patients whose bodies will not tolerate conventional blood pressure drugs.

In a study, which involved more than 100 patients across 11 countries, researchers found that the 20 per cent reduction in patients’ blood pressure was still maintained a year and a half after the procedure, with no major side effects reported.

“We are encouraged to see that renal denervation shows substantial and sustained blood pressure reduction in treatment resistant patients,” the Telegraph quoted Dr Murray Esler of Saarland University Hospital in Germany as saying.

“We know the renal nerves play a crucial role in blood pressure elevation and this study shows those nerves can be targeted with renal denervation without major side effects,” Dr Esler added.

The new procedure, first trialled at Barts and the London NHS trust in 2009, involves severing malfunctioning nerves around the kidneys.

The nerves send signals to the brain that tell it that blood pressure is too low, causing the brain to increase it to dangerously high levels.

Doctors correct the fault by threading a wire through the renal artery until it reaches the kidneys, where it lets off a burst of heat to burn the nerves and disable them.

Although the operation is moderately painful, it does not require a general anaesthetic and patients can generally leave hospital on the same day.

Charities have so far funded a small number of procedures for patients in severe need, but doctors involved in the trial said they will lobby NHS commissioning boards to make it available to a limited number of treatment-resistant patients next year.

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Doctors have said that a one-hour operation that could halve the risk of heart attacks in patients with high blood pressure could be available from next year.
In trails patients undergoing the keyhole procedure saw their blood pressure drop by a fifth within six months — enough to halve the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
A follow-up after 18-months showed no reversal of the condition. The trials proved so successful that some clinics have already made it available privately, and researchers expect the treatment to be made available to tens of thousands of British patients on the NHS.
The procedure severed the nerves, which connect the kidneys to the brain and carry signals to control blood pressure.
Doctors say the operation, which costs just 6,000 pounds, could offer a lasting solution for tens of thousands of British patients whose high blood pressure cannot be controlled by conventional drugs. Although people who undergo the procedure still have to take medication to keep their condition in check, it brings about a drop in blood pressure, which drugs alone have failed to provide.
Further trials will establish whether the technique, known as renal denervation, could also help patients whose bodies will not tolerate conventional blood pressure drugs.
In a study, which involved more than 100 patients across 11 countries, researchers found that the 20 per cent reduction in patients’ blood pressure was still maintained a year and a half after the procedure, with no major side effects reported.
“We are encouraged to see that renal denervation shows substantial and sustained blood pressure reduction in treatment resistant patients,” the Telegraph quoted Dr Murray Esler of Saarland University Hospital in Germany as saying.
“We know the renal nerves play a crucial role in blood pressure elevation and this study shows those nerves can be targeted with renal denervation without major side effects,” Dr Esler added.
The new procedure, first trialled at Barts and the London NHS trust in 2009, involves severing malfunctioning nerves around the kidneys.
The nerves send signals to the brain that tell it that blood pressure is too low, causing the brain to increase it to dangerously high levels.
Doctors correct the fault by threading a wire through the renal artery until it reaches the kidneys, where it lets off a burst of heat to burn the nerves and disable them.
Although the operation is moderately painful, it does not require a general anaesthetic and patients can generally leave hospital on the same day.
Charities have so far funded a small number of procedures for patients in severe need, but doctors involved in the trial said they will lobby NHS commissioning boards to make it available to a limited number of treatment-resistant patients next year.
Findings from the study were presented at the European Society of Cardiology congress in Munich.
Path:

Filed Under: Health News Tagged With: blood pressure drop, Blood Pressure Drugs, heart, murray esler, operation, pressure, risk, saarland university hospital

Your farts could cure high blood pressure

July 2, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

London, July 3 (IANS) Though most of us may find it quite embarrassing in case we were caught breaking wind, a new study has in fact suggested flatulence could help patients with high blood pressure.

Scientists at Johns Hopkins University, in Bal

timore, Maryland, US, have found that hydrogen sulphide in flatus – informally known as a fart – is also produced by an enzyme in blood vessels where it relaxes them and lowers blood pressure, The Sun reported.

Hydrogen sulphide — a toxic gas generated by bacteria living in the human gut — has been shown to control blood pressure in mice. Those with higher levels of the gas had lower blood pressure than rodents with less.

Researchers at a Chinese university in Nanjing are trying to work out whether this could be used to create a treatment for people suffering from high blood pressure.

Yao Yuyu from the university’s Zhongda Hospital said: “Despite the treatment’s potential, using gas to treat high blood pressure has yet to be tested on humans.

“The effective dosage could prove difficult to establish due to the difference in size between humans and mice.”

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Gas, high blood pressure, hydrogen, Hydrogen Sulphide, johns hopkins university, lower blood pressure, pressure, wind

HIV uses several routes to escape immune system pressure

September 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 19 (ANI): Researchers at the Emory Vaccine Center have shown that HIV relies upon a number of strategies rather than use any preferred escape route to escape immune system pressure.

The human immune system has the ability to temporarily overpower HIV in early infection.

Studies conducted in the recent past have shown that most newly infected patients develop neutralizing antibodies. These are blood proteins that glob onto the virus and would allow patients to defend themselves – if they were facing only one target.

However, the problem occurs when HIV mutates, and disguises itself enough to get away from the antibodies. The virus eventually wears down the immune system into exhaustion.

The Emory team’s findings attain significance as they suggest that even if any scientist succeeds in identifying a vaccine component that can stimulate neutralizing antibodies, HIV’s capacity for rapid mutation could still be a confounding factor.

Dr. Cynthia Derdeyn, associate professor of pathology at Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Vaccine Center and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, says that a single type of neutralizing antibody may not be enough to contain HIV.

“These neutralizing antibodies work really well – they hit the virus fast and hard. But so far, every time we look, the virus escapes,” she says.

During the study, the researchers took blood samples from the participants a few weeks after infection occurred, and then later as two participants’ immune responses continued.

They isolated individual viruses over the first two years of HIV infection, and tested how well the patients’ own antibodies could neutralize them.

“In one patient where we had very early samples, there was evidence that neutralizing antibody came up within weeks, and that’s earlier than what was previously thought,” Derdeyn says.

In both patients, some viruses mutated part of their outer proteins so that after the mutation, an enzyme would be likely to attach a sugar molecule to it.

Though the sugar molecule interferes with antibody attack, this tactic, known as the “glycan shield”, was not observed in all cases.

Other viruses mutated the part of the outer protein that the neutralizing antibodies stick to directly. In both patients, many changes in the virus’ genetic code were necessary for escape.

“We need to understand early events in the immune response if we are going to figure out what a potential vaccine should have in it. What we can show is that even in one patient, several escape strategies are going on,” Derdeyn says.

According to her, that means that in order to be immune to HIV infection, someone may need to have several types of neutralizing antibodies ready to go.

Seeing how the virus mutates will allow researchers to choose the best parts to put in a vaccine, she says.

The results are online and scheduled for publication in the September issue of the journal Public Library of Science Pathogens.(ANI)

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Sharad Pawar says end of season rains will help winter crops

September 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Sep 18 (ANI): Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has said that late end-season rains will help India’s winter crops.

Talking to reporters here on Thursday, Pawar said, “It’s true that because paddy area transplantation has been dropped, but the late rains are very helpful particularly for Punjab, Haryana, Orissa and Chhattisgarh.”

“There would not be any pressure on food grains supply, as the stock position was good,” Pawar added.

Meteorological Department has said that since June 1, monsoon rains have been 20 percent below normal and heavy showers in the past week have reduced the total seasonal deficit by three percentage points.

Met department said the country can expect heavy rains for at least another week, but the withdrawal of the monsoon, which usually begins to wind down in early September, would be delayed.

A surge in food prices unexpectedly pushed the annual change in India’s wholesale price index into positive for the first time since late May, putting pressure on the central bank to bring forward an exit from its easy monetary policy.

The annualised wholesale price index rose by an unexpected 0.12 percent in the year to September 5, compared with the previous week’s 0.12 percent fall and analysts’ forecast of a 0.08 percent decline.

The food articles sub-index rose an annual 15.4 percent, up from the previous week’s 14.8 percent rise, as a dry spell hit nearly half of India’s districts, hurting summer crops and prompting the government to take steps to raise supplies. (ANI)

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Weight loss can prevent kidney disease progression in obese patients

September 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Sept 18 (ANI): Shedding extra pounds can preserve kidney function in obese people with kidney disease, according to a new study led by Indian origin scientist from Cleveland Clinic.

Weight loss can improve a number of health problems, like it can improve control of diabetes, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and reduce the effects of heart disease.

During the study, Dr Sankar Navaneethan, and his colleagues analysed the studies that examined the effects of weight loss interventions in obese kidney disease patients.

It showed that weight loss attained through diet and exercise reduces proteinuria (excess excretion of protein in the urine-a hallmark of kidney damage) and may prevent additional decline in kidney function in obese patients with kidney disease.

Studies also showed that surgical interventions normalize the filtration rate of the kidneys in obese patients with high filtration rates (a risk factor for the development of kidney disease).

While the findings imply that weight reduction may prevent the progression of kidney disease in obese kidney disease patients, the authors noted that there were only a small number of studies available for analysis and additional high-quality long-term studies on this topic are needed.

The study appears in Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology. (ANI)

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Tibetans living-in-exile surprised over China’s opposition to Dalai Lama’s visit

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Gangtok, Sep 17 (ANI): Members of the exiled Tibetan community living at Gangtok said China’s opposition to the Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh is “surprising”.

The Dalai Lama plans to visit Arunachal Pradesh soon. China has claimed part of Arunachal as its territory.

The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader’s aide said the Dalai Lama would be in Arunachal Pradesh state in the second week of November.

The intended visit has already sparked off controversy. China claims about 90,000 sq km of Arunachal Pradesh as part of its territory.

The Dalai Lama’s travel plan was announced a week after the completion of his visit to Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by Beijing. China denounced the trip.

“This time round when they (Chinese Authorities) are making some kind of pressure or some kind of opposition to the upcoming visit of his holiness to Arunachal Pradesh it is really very surprising.

Why would they complain when the government of India has no problem in his holiness visiting Arunachal Pradesh? So why should people of republic of china have some problem?” said Zimba Bhutia, Tibetan youth committee member.

“Chinese authorities have always been against the trip of Dalai Lama. So I think that they should know why Dalai Lama has been there. Dalai Lama has been welcomed by the people of Arunachal Pradesh as the spiritual and a Buddhist monk,” said Dhondup Dorjee, Tibetan welfare officer of Sikkim.

A visit to Arunachal Pradesh could now draw further attention to China’s treatment of Tibetan activists and the Dalai Lama’s calls for cultural and religious freedoms and autonomy. (ANI)

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Oz women under constant pressure to be ‘yummy mummies’

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Melbourne, Sept 16 (ANI): The hype created by celebrity yummy mummies like Angelina Jolie and Jessica Alba has put women under pressure to lose weight quickly after giving birth, reveals a new Australian study.

The study conducted by Deakin University showed that more than one in four women are “usually or always dissatisfied” with their post-baby body.

Researcher Lucia Bongiorno said that the hype created by celebrity yummy mummies has also contributed to an unrealistic ideal.

“People are obsessed with celebrity babies and celebrity pregnancies,” the Courier Mail quoted her as saying.

“Babies have become a must-have sort of item,” she added.

Although the study involving 346 mothers of infants aged 1-12 months compare themselves with their peers with babies and child-free friends, they felt the most pressure to lose post-baby weight from the media.

Moreover, some fathers also pressured their partners not to gain too much weight while pregnant and to lose it quickly after giving birth.

Bongiorno said while mums compared themselves most to peers, their peers were also likely to be influenced by the same media images.

“Both mothers and their peers with new babies, when confronted by media pictures of celebrity mothers such as Bec Hewitt, are saying ‘I’ve got to look like that’,” she said.

“But celebrity mothers typically have nannies and personal trainers … the average mother doesn’t. So such an expectation is unfair on themselves,” she added.

The study will be presented at the Australian Psychological Society conference in Darwin. (ANI)

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Changes in humidity, temperature may trigger asthma among kids

September 15, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 15 (ANI): Changes in humidity and temperature may trigger asthma among kids, suggests a report.

Published in the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the report says that such weather changes have been found to result in a rise in Emergency Department (ED) visits for paediatric asthma exacerbations.

“We found a strong relationship between temperature and humidity fluctuations with pediatric asthma exacerbations, but not barometric pressure,” said Dr. Nana A. Mireku, an allergist at Dallas Allergy Immunology private practice in Dallas, formerly at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit.

“To our knowledge, this is the first study that demonstrated these correlations after controlling for levels of airborne pollutants and common aeroallergens.

“Our study is also one of the few to examine the possibility that the weather one or two days before the asthma exacerbation may be as important as that on the day of admission, as the additional ED visits occur one to two days after the fluctuation,” she added.

The authors of the report write that patients experiencing an asthma attack often complain that weather fluctuations are a major trigger.

Dr. Mireku said: “the latest National Institutes of Health guidelines list ‘change in weather’ as a possible precipitating factor for asthma, but no previous studies have really examined this potential trigger in a rigorous fashion.”

According to the report, the retrospective 2-year study was performed at a large urban hospital of 25,401 children visiting the ED for an asthma exacerbation.

The researchers collected data on climactic factors, pollutants and aeroallergens on a daily basis.

They used time series analysis to evaluate the relationship of daily or between-day changes in climactic factors and asthma ED visits, controlling for seasonality, air pollution and aeroallergen exposure.

The effects of climactic factors were evaluated on the day of admission and up to five days before admission.

The researchers found that a 10 percent daily increase in humidity on a day or two before admission was associated with approximately one additional ED visit for asthma.

The authors write that between-day changes in humidity from two to three days prior to admission were also associated with more ED visits.

Daily changes in temperature on the day of or the day before admission increased ED visits, with a 10 degree F increase being association with 1.8 additional visits.

“Asthma is the most common chronic illness in childhood. Allergists have long known that weather conditions such as extremely dry, wet or windy weather can affect asthma symptoms. This study further defines the role of temperature and humidity on children’s asthma and confirms the importance of working with patients to identify the source of their symptoms and develop treatment plans that help prevent them,” said allergist Richard G. Gower, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). (ANI)

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Viagra laced fruit juices flowing in Malaysia!

September 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Kuala Lumpur, Sept 14 (ANI): After being detected in coffee mixtures and sweets, Viagra has now been found in fruit juices.

After raiding more than 30 retailers and distributors dealing in the fruit juice, enforcement officers from the Health Ministry in Malaysia seized several hundred thousand ringgit worth of the product.

This followed after the ministry sent samples of the product for tests which confirmed the presence of sildenafil, reports The New Straits Times Online.

Sildenafil citrate, sold as Viagra, Revatio and various other trade names, is a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction.

According to a Health Ministry source, this was the first time they had encountered a case where sildenafil had been mixed with fruit juices.

The mixture is potent and deadly to people suffering from heart disease and high blood pressure.

“It was brought to our attention after several people complained to the ministry about the suspicious fruit juice,” the source said.

“The producer and distributor had claimed that the fruit juice had been produced from selected natural herbs which could improve sexual performance of men and women,” the source added.

Following test results, investigations were conducted to identify retailers and distributors involved in selling the fruit juice.

“More than 30 simultaneous raids were carried out nationwide. Officers were also concerned that the retailers and distributors would hide their stocks as the product had also been sold via direct selling,” the source said.

“At the raid at the company’s headquarters in Subang Jaya, three marketing officers and the store caretaker were questioned by authorities,” the source added.

Investigations revealed that the fruit juice had been in the local market for the past six months and had received good response from consumers.

The consumer needs to mix the powder with water before drinking. (ANI)

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Taliban now terrorise 80% of Afghanistan after eight years of war: Report

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Kabul, Sep. 11 (ANI): Almost eight years after the war began in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the 9/11 carnage, the Taliban insurgency has spread across 80 percent of the country.

The violent incidents this week have drawn attention to the deteriorating security situation of northern Afghanistan, which had largely remained peaceful so far, the Christian Science Monitor reports.

The northern provinces are facing difficult times as heavy insurgent activity has spread to 80 percent of the country – up from 54 percent two years ago, the report says.

The militants’ focus has shifted to northern parts following continuous pressure from their Pakistani counterparts to attack NATO’s second supply route situated here, it adds.

“[Militants] have been trying to widen the ground for the insurgency in Afghanistan and now they have got momentum. The militants are eager to target this route to prevent a smooth supply chain from northern Afghanistan,” the report quoted Waliullah Rahmani, executive director of the Kabul Center for Strategic Studies, as saying.

Last week’s airstrike targeted two fuel tankers headed to supply NATO troops in Kabul that had been hijacked by the Taliban.

Although the increase in violence is only a recent phenomenon, the conditions had worsened long ago, the report says.

The violence can be linked to districts with large Pashtun populations, whose grievances the government has failed to address – making them sympathetic to the Taliban, who share their ethnicity and language, it adds.

“The districts which are turning violent are those which have had a very recent history of abuses against the Pashtuns.

The government has allowed these conditions to go unaddressed and this is now being addressed by the population by giving shelter to the Taliban and other insurgents,”the report quoted Prakhar Sharma, the head of research at the Center for Conflict and Peace Studies, as saying.(ANI)

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Stay-at-home parents ‘most stressed workers’

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, September 12 (ANI): Parents who stay at home and look after the household are the most stressed out, a new UK study claims.

According to a research conducted by Mindlab Organisation, mothers or fathers who do household chores are more frazzled than those with traditionally high-pressure jobs, like city trading, teaching or nursing.

Stress levels were investigated in British adults as per their “work” roles – stay-at-home parents, taxi drivers, teachers, nurses and city dealers.

The conclusion was reached by measuring levels of the stress hormone cortisol throughout an average working day.

It was found that stay-at-home parents proved to be the most under pressure. Nurses ranked second in the list, followed by the traders, then teachers and finally, taxi drivers.

A bio-monitoring equipment was used to measure and record the heart rate and skin conductance.

The participants were connected to the equipment and tested over a seven-hour period.

Also, samples of saliva were taken at crucial junctures during the day to measure cortisol, which is a direct indicator of stress.

“The key here is the degree of control each of these professionals feel able to exercise over their lives,” the Daily Express quoted Dr David Lewis, who was part of the research, as saying.

“Stay-at-home parents receive little or no specific training and are furthermore typically isolated from other adults for much of the day,” he added.

Psychologist Jenni Trent Hughes said: “The answer is simply to be selfish and take some time out. After 21 years of running around after the family, pets, supermarket and the house, women have earned it.

“If you’re not taking care of your- self then how can you properly take care of anyone else?

“If you’re ratty or short-tempered, tired or at your wits’ end how can you possibly be the best you can be for your partner, children, family and last but definitely not least yourself?” (ANI)

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Out of form Bopara wants to be England’s main man

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Sep 11 (ANI): Ravi Bopara, who has been struggling with his batting form, remains convinced that he will become an international star despite a desperate struggle against Australia.

He has already been dropped from England’s Test team and is now in danger of relinquishing his place in the one-day team.

The Essex batsman was speaking up for England’s under pressure one-day side after three miserable performances in the past week that have handed Australia a 3-0 lead in the NatWest Series.

According to The Sun, Bopara knows he has no alternative other than to fight and discover some form from somewhere, or to lose the series by a humiliating margin, perhaps even a dreaded 7-0 whitewash.

“I don’t doubt my ability. It is just a case of getting my game in order. There is a lot to come from me yet. A big score can turn it round. I’ve made a few 40s and 50s but I want to go out and win games for England,” Bopara said.

“I don’t want to get scores that just do enough to give England a chance, I want to seal the win. I’m desperate to do that but not over-desperate because that’s when things can go wrong.

“I want to be the main man for England. I would love to go out at Lord’s on Saturday and smack the Aussies around. I still think we can pull this series out of the fire – England normally respond well when we are down,” he added.

Since scoring three tons in three Test innings against West Indies earlier this year, Bopara has been struggling with the bat. (ANI)

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Bopara, Shah accused of playing to keep their England places

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Sep 11 (ANI): Indian origin England Batsman Ravi Bopara and his teammate Owais Shah have been accused of playing for their places rather than for the team, as the team trails Australia 0-3 in the seven match ODI series.

Gloucestershire coach John Bracewell, who is the game’s most sought-after one-day theorists, questioned the tactics applied by Bopara and Shah.

“I don’t think that either Bopara or Shah are playing to the talent that got them selected,” The Telegraph quoted Bracewell, as saying.

“They’re playing for their places. And I think they’re playing with too much responsibility on batting for too long. They should be getting as many as they can as quickly as they can for as long as they can. It’s as simple as that.

“They look as though they’re trying to build an innings and through that they’re missing opportunities and applying pressure to their own team,” he said.

“When you analyse their individual skills they’re a pretty good team. But I don’t think they play to a selfless pattern. I think they play to a reselection pattern. If I do all right today I’ll get picked tomorrow,” Bracewell added.

Bracewell believes that England’s conservative batting has allowed Australia to seize the initiative in this series.

If it is to be wrested back, he argues, Andrew Strauss and his men need to “take a punt” whether that means using their power play earlier in the innings or rethinking their whole approach to batting. (ANI)

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Cooperative factories must help in ensuring sugar availability: Pawar

September 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Sep 10(ANI): Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Thursday urged cooperative sugar factories to play a more pro-active role and shoulder the responsibility of importing more raw sugar, not only for better utilization of their processing capacity, but also to fulfill their obligation of providing adequate and affordable sugar to the nation.

Addressing the 50th Annual Meeting of the General Body of National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Ltd. here, Pawar said the government has already taken steps to assist sugar factories to further help sugarcane farmers to improve productivity as well as sucrose content in sugarcane by way of soft loans at four per cent per annum from SDF.

Pawar said that in view of the significant drop in sugarcane production, there isn’t for increasing sugarcane producing area immediately. The Central Government has also decided to give a one time short term loan assistance from SDF at four per cent per annum for the purchase of inputs like seed, fertilizers and pesticides.

“The loan given to the sugar factories has to be passed on to the farmers at not more than four per cent interest in cash or kind, before March 31, 2010,” Pawar added.

Pawar also requested the delegates to assess their individual capability and capacity to pay during 2009-10 sugar season and give remunerative price to the farmers, keeping in view the long term requirement of sugarcane.

This will encourage them to increase acreage under sugarcane as well as invest more in the sugarcane crop by way of inputs like fertilizers and pesticides, he added.

Pawar further requested the sugar factories to utilize modernization and expansion loans before investing in projects for utilizing the by-products.

The minister also talked about two important aspects -increased availability of sugarcane by way of improvement in productivity as well as recovery of sugar and controlling the cyclical nature of the sugarcane and sugar economy- which need to be addressed not only by the Government, but also by the sugar factories as well as the sugarcane farmers.

Stating that the country is reeling under pressure of high sugar prices along with lack of availability of sugar, not only in the domestic market, but also in the international market, Pawar discussed some unprecedented steps taken by the Government to supplement the domestic production of sugar and also ensure availability of sugar to the more vulnerable sections of the society.

He expressed hope that these steps would not only increase availability of sugar in the market within September, 2009, especially during the festival season, but also have a positive impact in controlling the sugar prices. (ANI)

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Men with high levels of bone lead 6 times more likely to die from heart disease

September 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Sept 10 (ANI): Men with high levels of lead in bones are six times more likely to die from heart disease, according to a new study.

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the University of Michigan School of Public Health found that bone lead was associated with a higher risk of death from all causes, particularly from cardiovascular disease.

“The findings with bone lead are dramatic,” said Marc Weisskopf, assistant professor of environmental and occupational epidemiology at HSPH and lead author of the study.

“It is the first time we have had a biomarker of cumulative exposure to lead and the strong findings suggest that, even in an era when current exposures are low, past exposures to lead represent an important predictor of cardiovascular death, with important public health implications worldwide,” he added.

During the study, the researchers examined 868 participants in the Department of Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study, a study of aging in men that began in 1963. Blood lead and bone lead were analyzed using X-ray fluorescence.

The results showed that the risk of death from cardiovascular disease was almost six times higher in men with the highest levels of bone lead compared to men with the lowest levels.

The risk of death from all causes was 2.5 times higher in men with the highest levels of lead compared to those with the lowest levels.

According to the authors, there are a number of mechanisms, such as increased oxidative stress, by which lead exposure may result in cardiovascular mortality.

They also note that, in addition to high blood pressure, exposure to lead has been associated with widened pulse-pressure (an indicator of arterial stiffening) and heart disease.

Given that bone lead may be a better biomarker of cumulative lead exposure than blood lead, it may be the best predictor of chronic disease from exposure to lead in the environment.

The study appears in journal Circulation. (ANI)

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A Q Khan’s nukes to Iran claims hold no ‘official status’: Pak diplomat

September 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Sep.10 (ANI): Hours after disgraced Pakistani nuclear scientist Dr AQ Khan claimed that Pakistan had helped Iran acquire the nuclear technology with the aim to jointly emerge as a ‘strong bloc’ in the region, a Pakistani diplomat has out rightly rejected Khan’s claims.

Spokesman of the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, Nadeem Kiyani, said Khan’s statement has no ‘official status’.These are the views of a person who has been rendered ineffective, and his network has been completely shut up,” The Nation quoted Kiyani, as saying.

Kiyani said Islamabad does not want proliferation of nuclear technology in the region and is doing everything to keep a tab on such activities.

Meanwhile, a proliferation expert has said that Dr. Khan has many secrets regarding the transfer of nuclear know-how’s to other countries, but is not willing to disclose the details.

“Khan has ‘always threatened to tell more, perhaps who authorised the transfer of designs and samples of technology, if not more, to several states,” said Stephen Cohen, a proliferation expert at the Brookings Institution.

Referring to the television interview in which Khan had disclosed that he provided nuclear details to countries like Libya and Iran with an aim to counter international pressure and ‘neutralize’ Israeli power, Cohen said: “Khan appeared to hold back a lot in the interview.” (ANI)

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Noisy roads up high BP risk

September 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Sept 10 (ANI): Individuals living near noisy roads are at greater risk of developing high blood pressure, according to a new study.

The study has been published in BioMed Central’s open access journal Environmental Health.

Theo Bodin worked with a team or researchers from Lund University Hospital, Sweden, to investigate the association between living close to noisy roads and having raised blood pressure.

He said, “Road traffic is the most important source of community noise. Non-auditory physical health effects that are biologically plausible in relation to noise exposure include changes in blood pressure, heart rate, and levels of stress hormones.

“We found that exposure above 60 decibels was associated with high blood pressure among the relatively young and middle-aged, an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke”.

To reach the conclusion, Bodin and his colleagues used health survey questionnaires for 27,963 people living in Scania in southern Sweden and related this information to how close the respondents lived to busy roads. Modest exposure effects were generally noted in all age groups at average road noise levels below 60 dB(A). More marked effects were seen at higher exposure levels among relatively young and middle-aged people, whereas no effects at higher levels were discerned in the oldest age group (60 – 80 years old).

Speaking about this age-effect, Bodin said, “The effect of noise may become less important, or harder to detect, relative to other risk factors with increasing age. Alternatively, it could be that noise annoyance varies with age”.(ANI)

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Scientists develop robotic hand that ‘restores sense of touch’

September 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Sept 10 (ANI): The first robotic hand to give amputees a sense of touch has been created by Swedish scientists.

When pressed against an object the 40 sensors in the Smarthand get activated. It also has four motors, which move the thumb and fingers.

They stimulate nerves in the arm to activate the appropriate part of the brain. This allows patients to feel objects they are holding, reports Sky News.

“It’s a feeling I have not had in a long time,” said Robin af Ekenstam, the first amputee to try the hand.

“When I grab something tightly I can feel it in the fingertips. It’s strange since I don’t have them any more! It’s amazing,” he added.

The motors are connected to nerves in the arm that once moved Robin’s real digits. Thanks to the “hand”, he’s able to pick up a plastic water bottle, without crushing it, and pour himself a drink.

Professor Goran Lundborg, a surgeon at Malmo University Hospital, said the artificial hand was a significant advance.

“If you find the right spot the correct areas of the brain cortex will be activated. If you put pressure on the index finger of the artificial hand then the index finger area of the brain will be activated,” he said.

The research is funded by the European Commission. (ANI)

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S. African athlete Semenya tries to gloss over gender controversy

September 10, 2009 By admin 1 Comment

Johannesburg, Sep.9 (ANI): South African athlete Caster Semenya has completed her transformation from gender troubled sporting champion into national celebrity with a photo shoot in the country’s leading gossip magazine.

While the controversy rumbles on over whether the teenage runner is really male or female, her handlers have sought to end the debate with the aid of a costume change, make up and some studio lights.

With the front cover headline: “Wow, look at Caster now!” You magazine proudly boasts that it has turned her from “power girl” into “glamour girl” and apparently, “she loves it”.

Inside, the 800 m world champion – whose gender is being tested by the international athletics authorities – says the whole issue is a joke.

“It doesn’t upset me. God made me the way I am and I accept myself. I am who I am and I’m proud of myself,” The Sun quoted Semenya, as saying.

In the magazine, Semenya poses in skinny jeans, stilettos and a black and white evening dress.

News that the athlete would have to undergo testing was leaked before the 800m final at the world championships in Berlin, putting her under enormous pressure.

Following her victory, the ruling African National Congress seized upon her case to score political points, with left-wing firebrands such as Winnie Madikizela Mandela and ANC Youth League president Julius Malema accusing the athletics authorities of racism.

They have also sought to use Semenya to stir up populist feeling against what is seen as the right wing of the ANC, represented by Trevor Manuel, President Jacob Zuma’s planning chief.

Semenya received a heroine’s welcome in her home village in South Africa’s impoverished Limpopo province at the end of August, with VIPs and a 200-strong crowd singing a version of the Communist Party anthem, which included the lyrics: “My mother was a kitchen girl, my father was a garden boy, that’s why I’m a champion, that’s why I’m a champion.”

The cover shoot has reignited the debate in South Africa over the athlete’s appearance, with radio talk shows inundated with callers.

The 18-year-old has refused to be drawn on what she is going through at present, telling the magazine: “I don’t want to talk about the tests – I’m not even thinking about them.” (ANI)

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Winehouse found in bed with ex-hubby by dad

September 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, September 8 (ANI): Amy Winehouse’s father Mitch is reportedly fuming after learning his singer daughter got back in bed with her druggie ex-husband.

Mitch, who suffers from heart problems and high blood pressure, was said to be raging after Amy’s security guard told him that she was with former jailbird Blake Fielder-Civil.

The former cabbie, who holds Blake responsible for his daughter’s previous drug addiction, apparently threw his former son-in-law out of her London house but not without an alleged threat to “punch his lights out.”

“Mitch hates the fact he’s reappeared – it’s making him ill. It’ll force him into an early grave,” the Sun quoted a source as saying.

“Blake begged Mitch not to hit him when he chucked him out. Mitch was absolutely furious, he still is. He can’t believe Blake has wormed his way back into his daughter’s life,” the source added.

The source further said: “He thinks it’s the worst scenario for Amy. Just when she’s starting to sort herself out, the man responsible for dragging her into the gutter is crawling back into her life.

“Mitch is praying history doesn’t repeat itself. He is dreading the day he finds his daughter is back on hard drugs because of him. He’s worried sick.” (ANI)

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