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Better Oral Hygiene Helps Preveting Preterm Birth

February 28, 2009 By Arun Pal Singh Leave a Comment

A bacteria in mouth might be responsible for early labour.

Improving your oral hygiene can reduce the risk of early preterm labours. Researchers from Case Western Reserve and Yale Universities found that previously undiscovered bacteria usually found in the mouth could be responsible for up to 80 percent of early preterm labors.

This can help phyicians prevent preterm births by encouraging oral hygiene or  prescribing targeted antibiotics.

Average pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks. A birth before 37 weeks is considered preterm. Preterm babies born preterm can suffer from many complications like vision and hearing loss, cerebral palsy, mental retardation. Preterm birth is also an important cause of  death in newborn babies. [Read more...]

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Bergeyella bacterium, oral cleaning, oral hygiene, pretermbirth

Gene Behind Heart Attack Found

February 26, 2009 By Arun Pal Singh Leave a Comment

An researcher  at Duke University Medical School in North Carolina has announced the identifications of a gene or marker associated with early hardening of the arteries.

Ths can help to predict in advance whether someone is at increased risk.

It is believed that if they are able to identify the latent threat, lifestyle and dietary modifications can help the patients before too much damage is done.

The purpose is t identify the vulnerable people before they become a victim of the disease. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Diseases, News Tagged With: arteries, coronary artery, genetic, health, heart attack, neuropeptide Y

Pacemaker To Help Parkinsonism Patients

February 22, 2009 By Arun Pal Singh Leave a Comment

There is a good news for patients of Parkinson’s diseas.

It has been found that Parinson’s funtions were better  who had electrodes implanted in their brains.

The study offers the most hopeful news to date for Parkinson’s sufferers. The technique reduced tremors, rigidity and flailing of the limbs and allowed people to move freely for nearly five extra hours a day.

But the research also revealed higher than expected risks. About 40 percent of the patients who received these “brain pacemakers” suffered serious side effects, including a surprising number of falls with injuries.

The researchers studied 255 people with advanced Parkinson’s at 13 hospitals. After six months, it was found that in the surgery group, 86 out of 121saw improvements in movement, as scored by the neurologists.

In the medication group, 43 out of 134 patients (32 percent) showed improvement.

Filed Under: Diseases Tagged With: brain, brain pacemakers, deep brain stimulation, pacemaker, Parkinson’s patients

New Drug That Mimicks HDL Or Good Cholesterol To Cure Cholestrol Troubles and Clean Arteries

February 22, 2009 By Arun Pal Singh 1 Comment

Body contains two types of cholestrol HDL i.e. high density lipoproteins and LDL i.e. low density lipoproteins.. While LDL has adverse effect on heart, HDL is considered to be beneficial .

Researchers in United States  have developed a synthetic form HDL in an effort to check bad cholesterol.

The compound is manufactured using nanotechnology and contains a tiny core of gold. It is considered to have potential to rid the body of excess bad cholesterol. The  study has been published on in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Health Tagged With: antilipid drugs, cholesterol, HDL, heart attacks, LDL, nanotechnology, statins

Nicotine Gum Effective For Smoking Reduction

February 20, 2009 By Arun Pal Singh Leave a Comment

Smokers who are trying to gradually kick the butt can effectively do so with the help of nicotine gum, says a new study. Nicotine gum has been in use for over 20 years to help smokers quit abruptly.

However, the new study suggests that smokers who wish to quit by slowly reducing their smoking habits can substantially increase their chances to succeed by using nicotine gum to help in cessation.

In a double blind, placebo-controlled study involving more than 3000 smokers,the participants were allowed to choose between 2-mg and 4-mg doses of nicotine gum, with the higher doses generally being selected by heavy smokers.

Within each dose group, participants were then to receive either the active gum or a placebo (a substance which a patient accepts as medicine but has no therapeutic quality), yielding four equal groups. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Health Tagged With: cessation, cigarette, Nicotine gum, placebo control, Smokers, smoking habits, smoking reduction

Numb Feet – Feet That Sleep Often Could Be Early Sign Of Diabetes

February 17, 2009 By Arun Pal Singh Leave a Comment

If yes,  you could be having diabetes

If your foot falls asleep often and there are cuts or bruises on it that have no sensation, take note, as it might be a case of a diabetic foot. The people with diabetes who do not have their sugar controlled well are at risk of deveoping diabetic foot.

How Does Diabetic Foot Develop?

Diabetes is a disease in which blood sugar levels go unchecked because of  lack of   adequate insulin. THese people have high levels of blood sugars in their blood. This results in a relatively concentrated blood flowing through the vessels. This state if prolonged and untreated, could damage the capillaries – a process called microangiopathy. Also it affects the nerve endings leading to decreased sensations. Because of relatively low sensitivity, the patients cannot recognize the small pricks and traum which go unnoticed. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Diseases Tagged With: diabetes, diabetic foot, foot circulation, Foot fall asleep, numb feet

Cigarette Smoke Can Disfigure Your Heart

February 17, 2009 By Arun Pal Singh Leave a Comment

Prolonged cigarette smoke exposure can perk up levels of a stress hormone in the heart that can effect in  potentially reshaping the left ventricle, according to new research conducted on rats.

In a Chicago University (Illinois) study, a five-week exposure to cigarette smoke was associated with the activation of enzymes called mitogen-activated protein kinases that govern cell growth and survival in heart muscle.

Activation of these enzymes may be a key event in cigarette smoke-induced heart injury. [Read more...]

Filed Under: News Tagged With: cancer, Cigarette smoke, heart disease, mitogen activated protein kinase, muscles, smoking

Scientist Finds Skin Cancer Vaccine In Animal Experiments

February 6, 2009 By Arun Pal Singh Leave a Comment

vaccine-skin-cancerAn Australian scientist has become successful with   a breakthrough which could pave the way for a skin cancer vaccine, reports said on Sunday.

Tests of the vaccine on animals has proved successful and that human trials could begin as soon as next year.

Frazer, the scientist who developed vaccine  in animals said a skin cancer vaccine could be available in five to 10 years.

It would be used on children aged between 10 and 12 to prevent them from developing skin cancer.

Skin cancer causes about 1,600 deaths in Australia each year.

The new vaccine would target papillomavirus, a common infection which can turn abnormal cells into cancer.

Frazer is  a University of Queensland researcher and had earlier deloped the cervical cancer vaccine

However, the vaccine may not be able to  prevent all skin cancers and should not be considered as alternative to preventive measures to reduce exposure of te sun to the skin

Filed Under: News Tagged With: pappiloma virus, skin cancer, sunburn, vaccine for skin cancer

Alcohol Containing Mouthwash May Cause Oral Cancer

February 6, 2009 By Arun Pal Singh Leave a Comment

mouthAustralian health experts have issued a warning that top-selling mouthwashes can cause oral cancer. They have urged to pull this off the shelves.

The experts issued the warning after investigating latest scientific evidence linking alcohol-containing mouthwashes to the deadly disease.

The investigation concludes that there is now sufficient evidence’ that “alcohol-containing mouthwashes contribute to the increased risk of development of oral cancer.”

The mouthwash contains ethanol, which is believed to allow cancer-causing substances to permeate the lining of the mouth more easily and cause harm.

Acetaldehyde, a toxic byproduct of alcohol that may accumulate in the oral cavity when swished around the mouth, is also believed to be carcinogenic.

Listerine contains as much as 26 percent alcohol.

Lead review author Michael Mc-Cullough said alcohol-containing mouthwash should be reclassified as prescription-only and must carry written health warnings.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: acetaldehyde, alcohol, carcinogenic, health, Mouthwash, oral cancer, toxic

Infecting Mosquitoes With Bacteria To Fight Dengue

February 6, 2009 By Arun Pal Singh Leave a Comment

mosquito_dangue_malariaIn an endeavor to curb disease like Malaria and Dengue, scientists have been racing to genetically engineer mosquitoes to become resistant to the fevers that plague millions around the world, as an alternative to mass spraying of insecticides.

A  less complicated approach of breeding mosquitoes to carry an insect parasite that causes earlier death is being studied.

After, a  mosquito encounters dengue or malaria, it usually  takes two weeks of incubation before the insect can spread that pathogen by biting someone.

It is also known that one type of fruit fly often is infected with a strain of bacterial parasite that cuts its lifespan in half. The scientists infected the mosquito species that spreads dengue-called Aedes aegypti-with that parasite breeding several generations in a controlled laboratory.

Mosquitoes born with the parasite lived only 21 days even in cozy lab conditions compared to 50 days for regular mosquitoes.

This new research has been reported by University of Queensland in the journal Science. The study funded by American billionaire Bill Gates.

It may provide an inexpensive approach to dengue control.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: bacteria, dengue, infection, malaria, Mosquitoes, plague

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