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Repeated exposure to dental X-rays ups thyroid cancer risk

June 4, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

London, June 4 (ANI): Repeated exposure to dental X-rays increases thyroid cancer risk, a new study has revealed.

Analysing 313 cancer patients, scientists from Brighton, Cambridge and Kuwait found the chances of developing cancer rose with increasing numbers of dental X-rays.

“The public health and clinical implications of these findings are particularly relevant in the light of increases in the incidence of thyroid cancer in many countries over the past 30 years,” the Telegraph quoted Dr Anjum Memon, of the Brighton and Sussex Medical School, as saying.

However, Dr Memon was quick to add that the increasing use of sensitive diagnostic techniques does not necessarily account for the entire increase and that other causes warrant investigation. (ANI)

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Minister says Icelandic volcanic ash cloud will not affect Scot human health

April 20, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Edinburgh (Scotland), Apr.19 (ANI): Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond has said that dust from the volcanic ash cloud coming from Iceland presents no risk to health, agriculture or the environment of his country.

He said ongoing analysis of dust samples by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) had identified no current danger to human health.

But, according to The Scotsman, health experts have advised those with respiratory conditions, such as asthma, to keep medication to hand when they are outdoors.

Environmental monitoring, using information from the network of 75 air and 25 radioactivity-monitoring sites across Scotland, is set to continue.

Yesterday, Salmond said: “SEPA”s ongoing analysis of volcanic dust has shown that it contains no harmful material and presents no risk at present to public health, agriculture or the wider environment.”

The First Minister”s comments came after a meeting of the Scottish Government Resilience Cabinet sub-committee (SGoRR). (ANI)

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Pneumonia leading cause of child death in China

March 27, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

London, Mar 27 (ANI): A new study claims that pneumonia is the leading cause of death amongst Chinese children.

The condition accounts for 17 per cent of deaths in under-5s, according to the study.

But the number of children in China who die before reaching the age of five has dropped by 70 per cent since 1990 – from 6.5 per cent of live births to 1.9 per cent.

The research, published in the Lancet journal, was led by the University of Edinburgh.

Harry Campbell, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Edinburgh, said: “Within international health community, China has been a “black box” for the past several decades regarding the information on health problems of its large population, particularly for children and infants. We welcome their immense efforts in recent years to digitalize their health research reports produced during the 20th century by Chinese researchers. We have now learned that health research conducted in China has been of a very high quality. Our study will also bring attention to some neglected causes of child death, such as accidents and congenital abnormalities, on which we had hardly any information from other low and middle income countries.” (ANI)

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Children’s vaccine probed for virus

March 27, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is convening an expert panel to investigate the safety of the rotavirus vaccine Rotarix.

The vaccine’s manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, has identified a virus common to pigs in batches of the drug.

The vaccine is used to prevent rotavirus gastroenteritis, which can cause severe diarrhoea, vomiting and fever in children.

The United States Food and Drug Administration has requested doctors not use the vaccine for the next six weeks until the matter is investigated.

But the TGA says it has not issued similar advice because, based on current evidence, the vaccine is not a threat to public health.

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When buying for others, consumers go for less healthy food items

March 23, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Washington, Mar 23 (ANI): Consumers choose foods that are less healthy when they are purchasing for others, a new study has found.

The study has been published in the Journal of Consumer Research.

In a series of studies on food choice, author Juliano Laran (University of Miami) discovered that consumers exert more self-control when they make choices for themselves.

In one study, participants were asked to make a sequence of four choices from 16 items that were healthy (items like raisins, celery sticks, and cheerios) or indulgent (items like chocolate bars, cookies, Doritos, ice cream, and doughnuts). Half of the participants were asked to choose four items for themselves, while the others were asked to choose four items for a friend.

“When making choices for themselves, participants chose a balance of healthy and indulgent food items,” Laran writes. “When making choices for others, however, participants chose mostly indulgent food items.”

The author conducted another study of real consumers exiting a supermarket, which confirmed the earlier results, and showed that consumers bought equally indulgent items when purchasing for their families, friends, or roommates. A final study showed that consumer choices became more balanced after they were made aware of a healthy goal when making choices for others.

The author suggests that education could help consumers make more balanced choices when they are shopping for others. He also suggests that this phenomenon may be affecting public health.

“One of the reasons the population gets more and more obese is that a lot of the food we consume is chosen by other people, like friends throwing a party or parents buying for their children,” Laran writes. “Taking responsibility for their own choices instead of letting others choose could help consumers fight against obesity and lead a healthier lifestyle.” (ANI)

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Goody’s cancerous end prompts 20-pct leap in Scotland smear tests

August 26, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, August 26 (ANI): Scottish officials have noticed a 20 per cent rise in cervical smear tests linking it to Jade Goody’s high-profile battle against the disease.

The British reality TV star, who lost her life to cervical cancer aged 27 earlier this year, left a lasting legacy, prompting tens of thousands of Scottish women to attend examinations.

Authorities observed more than 45,000 cervical smears were processed north of the Border in 2008-09, the highest number for almost a decade.

“The rise in uptake coincides with the HPV immunisation campaign, which promotes the importance of cervical screening, and the very sad illness and death of Jade Goody, who worked hard to raise awareness of cervical cancer,” the Telegraph quoted Shona Robison, Scottish public health minister, as saying.

“This is clear proof that being more open about this illness and the need for screening can and does encourage women to come forward,” Robison added.

The largest increase in tests was recorded among women aged between 20 and 24 with the figures jumping from 50.2 per cent to 56.4 per cent, while for those between 25 to 29 years of age, the leap was from 63.3 per cent to 68 per cent.

NHS statisticians confirmed this “most likely reflects the impact of the publicity surrounding Jade Goody’s death from cervical cancer.”

Elspeth Atkinson, Macmillan Cancer Support’s director for Scotland, said: “It is good news that more women are attending for routine screening and we hope this is a trend that will continue.

“Abnormalities that are detected early by a smear test can usually be treated successfully. This is why it’s also vitally important that women attend any follow up appointments for further tests.” (ANI)

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Swine flu panic subsides in Mumbai

August 18, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Mumbai, Aug 18 (ANI): Movie bugs in Mumbai got to catch their favourite movies, as multiplexes reopened after being shut for three days as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of H1N1 virus.

Multiplexes across Maharashtra, particularly in Mumbai and Pune were ordered to shut for three days by the state government.

Mumbaikars, who have been staying away from crowded places following the swine flu scare, rushed to catch their favourite movies as panic started to subside.

“It’s feeling good. It was closed for few days for the betterment of public health. Now it’s open, it’s good now. We are back in action,” said John Monterio, a moviegoer.

“I am feeling really really good that the theatres have reopened. Now we can actually go and see our favourite movies. It’s a very good feeling,” said Shruthi, another movie bug.

However schools and colleges across Mumbai are closed till August 19.

India recorded its first H1N1 case in Hyderabad in May and since then the virus has spread across the country with dozens of cases from Pune. The latest death toll in India is 28. (ANI)

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Dharamsala reels under acute water shortage

July 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Dharamsala, July 2 (ANI): Residents of Dharamsala are facing a severe water shortage.

People are now relying on mountain spring water for daily use.

However, the spring water is far too less to meet average demand.

Even the famous ‘Dal Lake’ has completely dried up, resulting in the death of fish.

A resident, who had come to fetch water from a spring, said that filling water and then taking it back was quite problematic.

“The water comes after every two days. Sometimes, it doesn’t come for days,” claimed Tilak, a resident.

S K Malhotra, the Superintending Engineer, Irrigation and Public Health, said the late arrival of the monsoon has affected water supply by 20-25 per cent.

“If there is snow in the mountains, then the supply of water would be good. But unfortunately, this year, the amount of snowfall was less. We received minimal rainfall due to which the water supply has fallen by 20 to 25 per cent,” Malhotra added.

He said the State Government has plans to deal with the crisis. (ANI)

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Vitamin D: the best protection against cancer

May 30, 2009 By admin 1 Comment

London, May 30 (ANI): Taking supplements of vitamin D could reduce the incidence of breast cancer by a quarter and bowel cancer by a third, say scientists.

What’s more, the vitamin, sometimes called “bottled sunshine”, should be offered to the population as part of a public health drive, the boffins suggested.

To reach the conclusion, researchers reviewed 2,750 research studies involving vitamin D which show that taking daily supplements of the vitamin could do more for cancer prevention than a library full of lifestyle advice, reports The Independent.

The study, published in the Annals of Epidemiology, involved Professor Cedric Garland and colleagues from the University of California, San Diego.

Vitamin D, made by the action of sunlight on the skin, has attracted increasing attention in recent years as its role in preventing cancer and other conditions including heart disease, diabetes and multiple sclerosis. (ANI)

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Media professionals are the biggest binge drinkers in UK

May 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, May 25 (ANI): People who work in media, publishing and entertainment sectors are the heaviest drinkers in UK, according to a survey by the Department of Health.

Media professionals consume an average of 44 units a week, almost twice the recommended maximum amount of three-to-four units a day for men, and two-to-three for women.

On the other hand, teachers and drivers were found to be the UK’s most moderate drinkers, consuming an average of 24 units per week.

The research, conducted by YouGov, on behalf of the Department of Health, questioned 1,400 people.

The poll revealed that IT workers drank an average of 34 units a week, followed by service sector workers at 33 units.

Those associated with finance, insurance and real estate get through an average of 29 units.

The survey also found that almost 50 percent of people working in education said that they monitored their drinking, as compared to 29 percent who worked in media and IT.

Almost one third of media and IT workers and a quarter of those in the finance sector said they sometimes felt pressurised to drink by their colleagues.

“After-work drinks are often part of working life,” Sky News quoted public health minister Dawn Primarolo as saying.

She added: “It’s tempting to just go for ‘a swift one’, even when you know your body needs a rest. But, one can quickly turn into many. Regularly drinking more than your daily limits can have a serious knock-on effect on your long term health.” (ANI)

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Weight worries make teens more vulnerable to suicide attempts

May 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, May 19 (ANI): Obese teens or those who see themselves as overweight are more likely to attempt suicide, finds a new study.

In the study involving 14,000 high school students, researchers found that teens who believed they were overweight were at greater risk for suicide attempts than those who didn’t believe so.

“Our findings show that both perceived and actual overweight increase risk for suicide attempt,” said lead study author Dr Monica Swahn, associate dean for research at the College of Health and Human Sciences and an associate professor in the Institute of Public Health at Georgia State University.

And the association was as strong for boys as for girls, contrary to what the researchers had originally expected.

The study also showed that teens with a BMI that indicated they were indeed overweight were more likely to be at risk for suicide attempts.

“This is a major concern since more and more children and youth are becoming overweight and obese,” said Swahn.

Hatim Omar, M.D., chief of the Division of Adolescent Medicine at the University of Kentucky, said his own experience has led him to believe that perceived obesity does increase both depression and suicide risk.

“Teens are vulnerable because of their development and any actual or perceived changes in their lives, including weight issues, can potentially increase the risk of depression or suicide,” he said.

The researchers suggest that understanding the associations can help in the development of appropriate strategies for suicide prevention.

“We cannot only focus prevention strategies on those who are overweight and who are concerned about their weight but we also need to include youth who feel that they are overweight even though they may not be,” Swahn added.

The study appears in Journal of Adolescent Health. (ANI)

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Non-smokers ‘live longer, have healthy lives’

May 9, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, May 9 (ANI): Non-smokers have longer life with lesser chances of getting heart disease as compared to smokers, according to a 30-year follow-up study.

The study, which included 54,000 men and women in Norway, was presented in Stockholm at EuroPRevent 2009.

Smoking, say the investigators, is “strongly” related to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality from various causes.

According to investigator Professor Haakon Meyer from the University of Oslo and Norwegian Institute of Public Health, the study’s results provide a picture of the long-term, absolute “real life” risk.

Behind his conclusions lies a far-reaching follow-up study which began in 1974 with an invitation to every middle aged man and woman (aged 35-49) living in three counties of Norway to take part in a basic cardiovascular screening examination.

Over the next three decades deaths were recorded by linkage to the Norwegian population registry and, between 2006 and 2008, those surviving responded to a follow-up questionnaire. This allowed division of the participants according to their smoking status – never-smokers, ex-smokers, current smokers of 1-9 cigarettes a day, 10-19 cigarettes a day and more than 20 cigarettes a day (the last group referred to as “heavy smokers”).

Results showed that, from the original 54,075 participants, 13,103 had died by the time of follow-up. But it was a significant finding that, of these, 45 percent of the heavy-smoking men had died during the 30 years, compared to just 18 percent of the never-smokers.

Similarly, 33 percent of the heavy-smoking women had died, but only 13 percent of the never-smokers.

“These results show what a tremendous impact smoking has on mortality. We are talking about very high numbers of people,” Meyer said.

A similar pattern was seen in the cardiovascular incidence rates reported in the follow-up questionnaire. There were also strong associations found between smoking and stroke and diabetes. (ANI)

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Brazil blames Mexico for delay in information on swine flu

May 3, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Brasilia – The Brazilian government complained Monday that Mexican authorities took too long to inform other countries of its swine flu outbreak. Brazil has so far not reported any cases of swine flu, the Health Ministry said.

“In such cases as these there cannot be such a delay in notification. Brazil has a habit of not hiding serious public health cases,” said Agenor Alvares, general director of the public Agency for Health Surveillance (Anvisa).

“They have been having cases since March, and we only found out Friday,” Alvares complained.

At least 149 people have died of the flu in Mexico in recent weeks. Of these, 26 were confirmed cases of swine flu.

Alvares took part in a meeting of the Permanent Emergency Cabinet that was created over the weekend by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to deal with the evolution of the new flu virus.

While there was no evidence of swine flu in Brazil, the Permanent Emergency Cabinet decided Monday to buy 100,000 masks to be handed out at airports to people coming in from North America.

According to the authorities, about 7,000 people arrive in Brazil every day from Mexico, Canada and the United States.(dpa)

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New virus is not ‘swine flu’, Paris-based health organization says

May 3, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Paris – The virus currently circulating in Mexico and the United States and which has killed at least 20 people is not swine flu, the Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) said Monday. “The virus has not been isolated in animals to date. Therefore, it is not justified to name this disease swine flu,” the OIE said in a press statement.

The virus “includes in its characteristics swine, avian and human virus components,” the OIE said, and urged that it be called “North American influenza,” after its geographic origin.

The OIE said it was “urgent” that scientific research be carried out to determine the susceptibility of animals to what it said was a “new virus.”

If animals were susceptible, “virus circulation could worsen the regional and global situation for public health,” the organization said.(dpa)

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Philippine health chief blasted for torching tainted peanut butter

April 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Manila – Environment groups on Monday lambasted the Philippines’ health secretary for supervising the burning of thousands of bottles of salmonella-tainted peanut butter. The Ecological Waste Coalition criticized Health Secretary Francisco Duque for supervising the incineration of the contaminated products last week in Taguig City in metropolitan Manila.

The group said the disposal was a violation of the Clean Air Act, which prohibits the burning of materials that emit toxic and poisonous fumes.

“By openly circumventing the law in this case, the Department of Health has become party to the unnecessary and untenable propagation of a formidable public hazard,” the group said.

Von Hernandez, Greenpeace South-East Asia director, said the incineration was outrageous “when you consider that it was the health secretary involved in violating a measure intended to safeguard public health.”

The peanut butter bottles were recalled from local supermarkets after tests by the Health Department showed these were contaminated with salmonella. (dpa)

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Cumulative lead exposure may impair women’s cognition in later years

March 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, March 29 (ANI): Cumulative exposure to lead at levels likely to be experienced in community settings may have adverse consequences for women’s cognition in their later years, according to a study.

The study, supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, was conducted with a view to examine biomarkers of lead exposure in relation to performance on cognitive tests given to older women.

Lead exposure is measured in two ways-blood lead level, which is a reading of recent lead dosage; and bone lead level, which is a cumulative measure of lead exposure over many years.

The current study involved the assessment of bone lead levels in the tibia and the patella.

The researchers said that the analysis of all cognitive tests combined showed that levels of all three lead biomarkers were associated with worse cognitive performance, with the association between bone lead and letter fluency scoring dramatically different from the other bone lead/cognitive score associations.

They said that even though the levels of patella and blood lead were linked with worse cognitive function, their findings were statistically significant only for tibia lead, which typically reflects longer-ago exposures than patella lead.

Based on their observations, the researchers came to the conclusion that lead exposures in the distant past might be more important than relatively recent exposures in influencing cognitive function in older women.

“The identification of modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline may provide important clues for delaying or even preventing dementia,” wrote first author Jennifer Weuve and colleagues.

The study has been published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP).

The journal’s editor-in-chief, Dr. Hugh A. Tilson, said: “Findings in this study are important because of their long-range consequences on the public health of an aging generation. Impaired cognition and cognitive decline in older women are associated with heightened risks of dementia, physical disability, hospitalisation and reduced quality of life in later years.” (ANI)

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‘Extreme beer’ craze leaves UK alcohol campaigners worried

March 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, March 28 (ANI): British alcohol campaigners are worried about the effects of the so-called “extreme beer” movement on public health.

The word of caution comes after the launch of a generation of fuller-flavoured ales named Punk IPA, Speed Ball, and O8 that contain mind-blowing alcohol contents.

The speciality bottles, with their intense flavours and alcohol contents of up to 12 per cent, can contain 10 times as much hops as a traditional pint.

While beer writers and aficionados have welcomed them, alcohol campaigners have complained that drinkers may be unaware of the strength of the new products.

They say that a single 330ml bottle of which is enough to make an adult exceed their daily recommended alcohol intake.

Alcohol Concern complained that BrewDog-the microbrewery that makes Punk IPA, Rip Tide and Hop Rocker-appears to be targeting young people.

“The marketing reminds me very much of alcopops,” the Independent quoted its Chief Executive Don Shenker as saying.

“It looks to me like they’re going for the 18 to 25-year-old category. They should make prospective customers aware that it’s a different type of beer by putting the alcohol units on the label. At 10 per cent, a 330ml bottle would be four units – the recommended daily amount for a man,” he added.

BrewDog’s head brewer, Martin Dickie, denied encouraging irresponsible drinking.

“There’s no way someone can drink 20 a night. It’s probably the least economic way of buying alcohol. You can get a bottle of vodka for 5 pounds,” he said.

He further said that his products were meant to be enjoyed by friends in their own homes.

“You can sit down with two or three friends and open two or three bottles. It’s much more relaxed and you are able to savour the beer,” he said. (ANI)

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Majority supports ant-smoking law in public places: study

March 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

The survey conducted by Pasumai Thayaagam, Voluntary Health Association of India and Healis Sekhasaria Institute for Public Health in December showed the public favor to the anti-smoking law imposed by the government.

1026 respondents in the age group of 15-64 in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata were interviewed between December 8 and 23 last year. Most of the study subjects were from the lower and middle income groups.

Data analysis showed that 98 per cent people favored anti-smoking law in public places, including workplaces, restaurants and bars. 92 per cent people regarded exposure to second-hand smoke as a serious health hazard. 99 per cent said that the government should enforce the anti-smoking rules.

Mumbai tops the list when it comes to “strongly favoring” the regulations with 98 percent followed by 92 per cent in Chennai and 93 per cent in Kolkata. Delhi got the last place with 90 percent in the survey.

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Cabinet approves Indo-Swedish healthcare

February 11, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Feb 11 (ANI): The Union Cabinet today gave its approval to the proposal of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for the signing of an MoU between India and Sweden for bilateral cooperation in the field of healthcare and public health.

Sweden has a long history of development cooperation with India and since the mid 1960s, when SIDA was established. India became one of the main recipients of Swedish assistance.

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss and Sweden’s Minister for Elderly Care and Public Health, Maria Larsson met during the Swedish Minister’s visit to India during May 4 to 5, 2008 and on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly on May 20 at Geneva.

Based on these discussions, a draft MoU for the two countries to cooperate in the field of healthcare and public health was drawn up and sent to the Government of Sweden for consideration.

This MoU is expected to be signed during the visit of the Swedish Secretary of State at the end of February. (ANI)

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Trusting journalists can give your health a boost!

January 22, 2009 By Rajesh Leave a Comment

Washington, Jan 22 (ANI): Individuals with high levels of trust in the mass media tend to be healthier, according to a new study of people from 29 Asian countries.

The research has been reported in the open access journal BMC Medicine.

A group of researchers led by Yasuharu Tokuda from St. Luke’s International Hospital and Takashi Inoguchi from Chuo University, both in Tokyo, used data from a survey of 39,000 people to investigate the relationships between trust and self-reported health.

Tokuda said, “This study is the first to analyze this relationship. Our findings suggest that mass media programs can contribute towards better health, especially among those people who have trust in mass media. The media need to recognize the importance of their important social role in terms of public health”.

Slightly over 50 percent of the Asian participants reported that they ‘trust a lot’ or ‘trust to a degree’ in mass media.

The group that reported being healthiest were young, married, high-income, and highly-educated women with a high trust in interpersonal relations as well as in the healthcare system and mass media.

People in Brunei reported the highest levels of health, while those in Turkmenistan had the lowest opinion of their own wellbeing. People in the Maldives reported the highest level of trust in mass media while Hong Kong residents were the most cynical.

According to Tokuda, “One potential pathway from high trust in mass media to better health is increased acceptance of health-related messages and the resultant dissemination of good behavior related to health throughout communities”. (ANI)

Filed Under: Entertainment News Tagged With: analyze this, asian countries, better health, BMC, chuo university, dissemination, good behavior, healthcare system, Hong Kong residents, interpersonal relations, journalists, mass-media, open access, pathway, public health, social role, st luke, takashi inoguchi, tokuda, wellbeing