Tag: Israel

A Gel to ‘Mend a Damaged Heart’

Post author By Mukul
Post date August 12, 2008
No Comments on A Gel to ‘Mend a Damaged Heart’

[amazon_link asins=’B01LX49HQT,B00KM1HVW2,B0745BCTFK,B06XKYCVXB,B071XBXQSD,B01M73V1RD,B0773Q2DR9,B015G3P7ZI,B01N1WEQNT’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’4cf701db-1142-11e8-9689-1733df55d9ae’]

A bowl of hot seaweeds soup may be a sought-after dish, but the marine plants are more than a gourmet’s delight — they could mend a damaged heart.

Scientists for decades have grappled with various ways to block further tissue damage in patients who suffer a heart attack. Now, an Israeli team has developed a gel from seaweeds which could stave off the risk of an additional damage.

According to researchers, the gel when injected into the area of the heart, where the tissue has been damaged by an attack, solidifies — this allows a thick layer of scar tissue to grow, helping the heart to continue working normally.

The gel is made from ordinary brown seaweed and can be injected into the heart using a catheter fed through a vein in the groin.

“What it does is quite remarkable,” British newspaper Daily Mail quoted professor Smedar Cohen, who led the team which developed the gel at Israel‘s Ben Gurion University, as saying.

In trials, 90% of animals injected with the gel survived a heart attack compared to just 40% who received no treatment at all. Trials have started in Germany, Belgium and Israel on people who have suffered a major heart attack. If successful, the substance could hit the market by 2011.

Sources: The Times Of India

Tags Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Daily Mail, Heart Attack, Heart failure, Israel, Seaweed, Smadar Cohen, Times Of India

Featured

Low-Carb Diet Beats Low-Fat Diet

Post author By Mukul
Post date August 8, 2008
1 Comment on Low-Carb Diet Beats Low-Fat Diet

[amazon_link asins=’1548661481,B071ZZJ6GY,1982049219,1983787515,1934193968,1514714671,B00QBA2W86,1530680085,B01HFAQ4GQ’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’6074361e-1c45-11e8-ae02-e3a3c000a0b3′]

A low-carb diet and a Mediterranean-style diet both helped people lose more weight than a traditional low-fat diet in one of the longest and largest studies to compare the various weight-loss techniques.

The low-carb diet also improved cholesterol more than the other two, even though some critics had predicted the opposite result.

The two-year study was done in a controlled environment — an isolated nuclear research facility in Israel, where participants received their lunch at a cafeteria (and did not have easy access to fast-food outlets). Each of the 322 participants was assigned to one of three meal plans:

1. The low-fat diet, which restricted calories and cholesterol and focused on low-fat grains, vegetables and fruits as options.
2. The Mediterranean diet, which emphasized poultry, fish, olive oil and nuts.
3. The low-carb diet, which set limits for carbohydrates and urged dieters to choose vegetarian sources of fat and protein.
Although all three approaches achieved weight loss and improved cholesterol, the Mediterranean diet, and especially the low-carb diet, had the most beneficial effects.

Sources:
Washington Post July 17, 2008
The New England Journal of Medicine July 17, 2008, Volume 359:229-241 (Free Full-Text Article)

Tags Diet food, Health, Israel, Low-carbohydrate diet, Low-fat diet, Mediterranean diet, New England Journal of Medicine, Weight loss

The Vulnerable Lobes

Medical students have always been fascinated by the story of Phineas Gage, a normal, hard working 26-year-old labourer. He became famous in 1848, when an iron rod pierced his skull and brain and exited on the opposite side. He survived this extensive trauma and was physically normal. His life aroused scientific curiosity as physicians suddenly realised that, contrary to popular opinion at that time, all parts of the brain where not essential for life.

The brain controls the physical functions of the body, determines our intelligence, memory, personality and ability to respond to change. It has four paired lobes. Of these, the parietal, temporal and occipital lobes have well elucidated mapped areas for functions like sight, speech, hearing and movement. The frontal lobes (through which the rod pierced Gage), situated just behind the forehead, are responsible for subtle psychological functions like mental maturity, recognition of social norms of behaviour, emotional development and appropriate responses to society.

English: Four brain lobes frontal lobe(red) pa... — English: Four brain lobes frontal lobe(red) parietal lobe(orange) temporal lobe(green) occipital lobe(yellow) and insula(purple) is also shown. others are Brain stem(black) Cerebellum(sky blue). Polygon data are from BodyParts3D maintained by Database Center for Life Science(DBCLS). ???: ????? ???(??) ???(?????) ???(??) ???(??) ??? ?????? ? ??(??) ??(??) ????????Database Center for Life Science(DBCLS)???????BodyParts3D??? (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The frontal area of the brain is protected to some extent by the skull bones. However, damage to the frontal lobes can occur as a result of accidents. Surgery may be performed on the frontal lobes to remove cysts or tumours, to treat intractable epilepsy, or very rarely for psychiatric disorders. The effects of injury to the frontal lobes are often subtle and difficult to pinpoint as the IQ (intelligence quotient) may remain normal. There may be weakness without actual paralysis, inability to perform sequential movement (like dressing for work), lack of flexibility and spontaneity, poor attention and difficulty in expressing thoughts lucidly despite increased talking. Sexual habits may change with promiscuity or disinterest or socially inappropriate behaviour. The entire personality of the individual may change, making him or her unpleasant, obnoxious and intolerable.

The brain fibres in the frontal lobes mature as we grow older and develop fully around the age of 25. Genetic defects or injury in the uterus, during birth or within this time frame, can result in faulty connections, inadequate development and poor release of brain chemicals like dopamine. This can cause learning disabilities, antisocial personalities and sometimes even major psychiatric illnesses like schizophrenia. Also the size of our brain, particularly of the frontal lobes, shrinks over time. This affects important human abilities such as planning, reasoning and problem solving.

Not all brains age or deteriorate at the same rate. Part of this process is genetic and the degeneration sets in at a certain chronological age triggered by an in-built biological alarm. This apparently inevitable mental decline is further influenced by environmental factors, which can be modified favourably.

The concept of retraining ageing brain circuits has been gaining popularity. There are DVDs and books available on brain exercises. The numbers game Sudoku is in almost every newspaper. Retraining the frontal lobes can also be done quite simply by memorising passages or poetry from books. Repetition of a task makes performance rapid and more efficient with less room for error, as the cascading chemical reactions in the brain then occur on accustomed pathways. Older adults who regularly participate in cognitive activity improve their memory, speed of thought and attention span. This helps them to efficiently manage their day-to-day activities and their finances. The benefits of brain training can be enhanced by regular physical activity.

Look after your brain as it is the only one you have.

* Protect it from injury by wearing seat belts and using helmets.

* Do not hit anyone on the head (this particularly includes corporal punishment).

* If anyone has had an accident or brain surgery, tolerate their idiosyncrasies, changes in personality, unreasonable anger and emotional outbursts.

Sources: The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

Tags 1971 in film, Accident, Amygdala, Anatoli Bugorski, Antisocial personality disorder, Archives of General Psychiatry, Brain, Executive functions, Frontal lobe, Functional magnetic resonance imaging, Guinness World Records, Insanity defense, Israel, Phineas Gage, Rail transport, Russian language, Wikipedia

News on Health & Science

Breakthrough in allergy, asthma therapy

Post author By Mukul
Post date July 17, 2007
No Comments on Breakthrough in allergy, asthma therapy

[amazon_link asins=’B01H108DKU,B06XV8314L,B06W2KJ1LQ,B00CFB00PM,B01H108DXC,B01K8XBMUU,B00Q9WD852,B00A5EAYWA,B01AJBAL7G’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’fcfefca2-ff82-11e7-9ef8-31d3904d7179′]

Researchers working on two European Union-funded research projects have unravelled the structure of a key enzyme that can trigger allergies and asthma, giving hopes for more effective therapies, said the European Commission.

The enzyme, termed LTC4 synthase, is part of a complex process that leads to the production of leukotrienes, which cause allergic symptoms, and motors the inflammatory reaction, which causes asthma attacks.

Some of the existing medicines block the effect of this enzyme after the process has taken place. Thanks to these latest findings, scientists will now be able to tailor new molecules that block LTC4 before it can act.

click & see

The breakthrough was published in the leading scientific magazine Nature on Sunday.

The two projects, named EICOSANOX and E-MeP, are headed by professors from Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm and received 20 million euros ($27 million) of funding from EU’s research programme.

The EU-funded teams have developed the highest ever resolution picture of the structure of LTC4 synthase. This greater clarity of the structure of the enzyme means that scientists now have a much better understanding of how it is formed and how it works. This knowledge can then be used to develop more effective therapies.

Scientists from around the world have been working on unravelling the structure of LTC4 synthase and the results of two such projects are described in Nature this week.

The European team, however, has managed to produce the highest resolution information, therefore providing a much better template for drug design.

Source:The Times Of India

Tags African Union, European Commission, European Union, European Union Association Agreement, Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Hanan Ashrawi, International law, Israel, Member of the European Parliament, Ramallah

Health Problems & Solutions

Few Health Questions and Answers

Post author By Mukul
Post date June 6, 2007
No Comments on Few Health Questions and Answers

Q: Regarding weaning food. Many varieties are available in the market. What do you recommend I start with?

Weaning can begin with simple preparations like powdered rice cooked in water and milk with a little sugar .

[amazon_link asins=’B006XISCNA,B0070767DU,B005MI648C,B01M0TUN2D,B00BUBNZC8,B002KGHUL4,B00PK3WFJ6,B01JA8W6E0,B001EU8IPY’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’cc39feaf-1b47-11e7-81d3-4fe8cbbdcfce’]

A: Weaning should not be started till at least the 120th day. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends breastfeeding exclusively for six months. Homemade preparations are superior to the packaged, ready-to-eat premixes available in the market. You could begin with powdered rice cooked in water and milk with a little sugar and no salt. The consistency should be like that of breast milk. Start with one feed, gradually increasing the number after a week or so.

Careful dosage :
Q: How is the dosage of medicine for children calculated? My mother says I can give my daughter, aged seven, half a tablet of the usual adult medicines.

A: Dosage of medicine for children has to be carefully calculated based on the body weight; it is not a matter of giving one tablet to an older child and half to a smaller one!

[amazon_link asins=’B000YT3V5S,B01M6CFAV0,B01LX0MBN5,B01JU1ALBM,B01LXAEN1E,B01N5EU5J3,B01LMPY9B2,B01N1ZEKVM,B01JU19KYG’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’146b971f-1b48-11e7-af4c-058ceeb81a4f’]

In case of Paracetamol, the dosage is 10-15 mg/kg/dose every 4-6 hours. For many antibiotics, it is 20 or 40 mg/kg/day while for others it is 8 mg/kg/dose. Consult a paediatrician who will weigh the child and assign the dosage appropriately. Do not self-medicate.

Unlatching baby
Q: My baby sucks so hard at my breast that I am unable to pull his mouth loose when needed. Please advise....click & see

A: Pulling yourself backwards or trying to pry the child loose will not work. Instead, insert your little finger into the corner of his mouth to reduce the suction effect. His mouth can then be pried loose.

[amazon_link asins=’B002KGHUL4,B00BUBNZC8,B01M0TUN2D,B006XISCNA,B0070767DU,B005MI648C,B00PK3WFJ6,B001EU8IPY’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’5d6b0819-1b48-11e7-ab32-f752d86ada49′]

Master check-up
Q: I am a 50-year-old woman. I want to have a master health check-up. What tests should I ask for?

[amazon_link asins=’B01BJV2XZI,B01K8DPJDQ,B01K8B13NS’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’cfb63737-1b48-11e7-bdcf-b174d4ceed17′]

A: You need the following tests in addition to the regular ones offered as part of the check-up

Get your weight and height measured to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI). This should be between 25 and 27. A high BMI indicates obesity and places you at risk for diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, osteoporosis and cancer

Blood tests to screen for diabetes, cholesterol and triglycerides

A bone densitometry if you are post menopausal

A pap smear for cervical cancer

Breast evaluation by mammogram and monthly self-examination

Dental check-up

Eye check-up

The normal values are usually noted on the side. If any of your results are not in the normal range, please follow it up with the concerned consultant. If the follow-up of check-up is not done adequately, your money is wasted.

Facial hair
Q: I am a 23-year-old woman. My problem is that I have a moustache. I think it was there earlier but of late it has become very noticeable. My mother says I should leave it alone. However, I feel self-conscious. What should I do?

A: Please check with an endocrinologist/dermatologist/gynaecologist if you have other associated symptoms like menstrual irregularities or more-than-normal hair on your arms and legs. In the meanwhile, you can always go to a beauty parlour and have the hair on your upper lip removed by threading or waxing. Hair-removing creams can cause allergies. Also, please avoid shaving.

Foul odor
Q: I have terrible body odor in summer. Please help.

A: Perspiration is odourless. The smell arises due to the action of skin bacteria on the sweat. To avoid this .

[amazon_link asins=’B00KTYOUNA,B00QSBH5M6,B00Q5E4JE8,B01LYCSJM8,B01ACWSU20,B01I9INJ98,B01M9DP25F,B01LYV1BHX,B001446JG0′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’1fde8ab4-1b49-11e7-ac95-3b97c09d9bb8′]

Wear cotton clothes which will allow the sweat to evaporate and not trap it inside

Bathe twice a day with Neko soap. The bacterial cell wall is destroyed by this soap

Do not apply the soap directly. Use a loofa or wash rag

Avoid talcum powder

Use a deodorant stick or spray.

Nagging cough
Q: I have diabetes and hypertension. Both are well controlled with diet and medication. I have a terrible hacking cough though. I have seen several doctors but to no avail all they have done is take X-rays and prescribe antibiotics. I do not have fever or sputum so I donâ€™t think I need these antibiotics.

A: Some anti-hypertensive medications cause cough. You can try adding Vitamin C 500 mg at night to your current medication. Also, you can take a cough suppressant like codeine linctus. Avoid exposure to allergens such as incense sticks, cigarette smoke and mosquito repellents (mats, coils as well as liquids). Take steam inhalation twice a day.

[amazon_link asins=’B008X8O0LQ,B004UNYE7S,B06XWLK75T,B00P5VLW38,B008X8O35Y,B06XWK29MT,B00E1NWG04,B008X8O2QE,B00YVETA8Y’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’581ce35a-1b49-11e7-95cf-6d2619e4719b’]

Tummy trouble
Q: My stomach sticks out, making me look very ugly. Will a tummy trimmer work?

A: Spot reduction of the stomach alone is not possible unless you opt for liposuction. You need to go on a diet, exercise and reduce weight overall. In the process, you can also tone up your stomach with crunches or a trimmer.

[amazon_link asins=’B01AXMH3IQ,B01N6V6GLF,B014YQI8FY,B01IBIZHF0,B019YZB2IK,B000UVVX28,B00T41USLC,1605298204,B005VRLT6Q’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’af1f5cb7-1b49-11e7-a5b7-79d54c223797′]

Answered by :Dr Gita Mathai ,paediatrician with a family practice at Vellore.India

Published in the Telegraph (Kolkata,India)