Researchers crack mystery behind rare bone disorder | |
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Description: New Delhi, Apr 13 (ANI): A latest research has found certain mutation causing ‘dripping candle wax' bone disease. Researchers from National Institute of Health offered important clues about bone development. Melorheostosis, a rare disorder causing excess bone formation that resembles dripping candle wax in X-Rays, causes pain and deformity which can limit function of bones. Researchers conducted study by comparing samples of healthy and affected bones from each participant to ascertain exome. Exome is a portion of genome that is a code for proteins. The analysis revealed that more than 8 out of 15 participants had mutations in the MAP2K1 gene in the affected bone only. The study was able to identify the responsible mutation in half of the patients. The study has been published in journal Nature Communications. Views:5 |
Is weight loss an indicator of cancer? | |
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Description: New Delhi, Apr 12 (ANI): Sudden weight loss is the second highest risk factor for some forms of cancer, according to a study. The study, led by the Universities of Oxford and Exeter, found that unintended weight loss is the second highest risk factor for colorectal, lung, pancreatic and renal cancers. The research analysed the findings of 25 studies, incorporating data from more than 11.5 million patients in total, found that weight loss was linked with 10 types of cancer. The analysis found that unintended weight loss in people over 60 exceeded the three percent risk threshold for urgent investigation in NICE guidelines. In females over 60, the average risk across all sites involved was estimated to be up to 6.7 percent, and in males up to 14.2 percent. Views:23 |
E-cigarette flavor affects a lot more than just taste | |
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Description: New Delhi, Apr 11 (ANI): Turns out, toxins produced by e-cigarettes vary by flavor. According to a Penn State-led study, the flavor of an e-cigarette may affect more than a consumer's taste buds. The team of researchers said that the chemicals that make up different flavors also produce different levels of free radicals, toxins often associated with cancer and other diseases. The researchers analysed popular e-cigarette flavors and the amount of free radicals they produced and found that many of the chemicals used to flavor e-cigarettes increased the production of free radicals, while a few actually lowered it. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can cause damage to healthy cells and have been linked to conditions like inflammation, heart disease, and cancer. Consumers inhale these free radicals when they smoke a combustible cigarette. While e-cigarettes do not give off smoke, they do contain many different chemicals to flavor the e-liquids, which are absent from traditional, or "combustible," cigarettes. The researchers said that while the flavorings are approved for consumption, they aren't evaluated for safety when heated. This study appears in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine. Views:4 |
New blood test can tell if you are at Tuberculosis risk | |
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Description: New Delhi, Apr 10 (ANI): Scientists have found a new blood test that could predict the onset of Tuberculosis (TB) up to two years in advance. A blood test that predicts the development of TB without putting large numbers of lower-risk people through unnecessary preventative treatment is not currently available. Researchers from an international research consortium reported that they developed and validated a blood test that measures the expression levels of four genes that can more accurately predict the development of TB in high-risk patients in Sub-Saharan Africa. The research is published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Views:53 |
Nutrition education improves diabetes, says study | |
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Description: New Delhi, Apr 09 (ANI): According to a recent study, certain diet changes and proper intake of nutrition can make a huge difference to the body of diabetics. According to the study conducted by the researchers from Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, the weight, blood sugars, and cholesterol levels of diabetics can be reduced by educating them about vital nutrients. Researchers conducted classes and taught the patients about different diets with less meat and less fat and cholesterol. The findings are published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Views:59 |
New test offers hope for Alzheimer's sufferers | |
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Description: New Delhi, Apr 08 (ANI): Seems like, a new blood test can be useful to detect people at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. According to a Ruhr University Bochum-led study, the new blood test for Alzheimer's disease can detect early indicators of the disease long before the first symptoms appear in patients. The blood test would, thus, offer an opportunity to identify those at risk and may thereby open the door to new avenues in drug discovery. There is, as yet, no cure for Alzheimer's disease. It is often argued that progress in drug research has been hampered by the fact that the disease can only be diagnosed when it is too late for an effective intervention. Alzheimer's disease is thought to begin long before patients show typical symptoms like memory loss. One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease is the accumulation of amyloid-beta plaques in the patient's brain. The blood test, developed by Klaus Gerwert and his team worked by measuring the relative amounts of a pathological and a healthy form of amyloid-beta in the blood. The researchers suggested that their blood test served as a cheap and simple option to pre-select individuals from the general population for further testing by these more invasive and costly methods to exclude the falsely positive subjects. The findings from the study are published in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine. Views:3 |
World Health Day: Heart failure should be a public concern, says CSI | |
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Description: New Delhi, Apr 07 (ANI): The World Health Day is celebrated every year on 7 April to spread global health awareness, under the initiative of the World Health Organization. Heart failure is a progressive and potentially life-threatening condition and is responsible for silently killing one-third of patients in hospital and one-fourth within three months of diagnosis. On World Health Day 2018, the Cardiological Society of India (CSI) has urged the people to prioritise heart failure as a public health concern. The need of the hour is to develop a comprehensive approach to combat heart diseases in India which is on its way to becoming an epidemic in the country. The CSI has focused on 'Health for all' theme of World Health Day 2018 and calls for taking initiatives on programmes concentrating on screening and detection of symptoms of heart diseases amongst the rural population as such initiatives need to be scaled up across the country. Views:6 |
Experts believe this certain grain of rice may cure cancer | |
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Description: Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Apr 07 (ANI): The hunt to find a cure for cancer has been one of the most prioritised searches the medical world. In Raipur’s Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, experts are studying a certain grain of rice which may help in curing cancer. Views:1882 |
Tobacco product packages to have 'quit-line number' from Sept | |
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Description: New Delhi, Apr 06 (ANI): In a bid to create awareness and curtail the harmful impact of consuming tobacco-infused products and cigarettes, the government on Thursday stated that from September this year, cigarette packets will have a 'quit line' number displayed on them. As per the recent second round of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey conducted in the age group 15 years and above, it was revealed that 61.9 percent of current cigarette smokers, 53.8 percent of current bidi smokers and 46.2 percent of current smokeless tobacco users had thought about quitting because of the warning label on packets of cigarette, bidi and smokeless tobacco. Furthermore, the Ministry stated that before the new set of specified health warnings come into force, the existing warnings on tobacco product packs shall be continued till August 31. Views:2 |
Obesity bumps liver health in kids as well | |
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Description: New Delhi, Apr 05 (ANI): Turns out, obesity impacts liver health in not just adults, but kids as well. According to a new research conducted by the Columbia University Medical Center, gain may have a negative impact on liver health in children as young as 8-year-old. The study found that bigger waist circumference at the age of 3 raises the likelihood that by age 8, children will have markers for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease occurs when too much fat accumulates in the liver and triggers inflammation, causing liver damage. The condition affects an estimated 80 million people in the U.S. and is the most common chronic liver condition in children and adolescents. While the disease is generally symptomless, progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease can lead to cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver and, in some instances, liver cancer. The study appears in the Journal of Pediatrics. Views:5 |