Toll free helpline number for TB patients in Punjab

Punjab government on Friday said it will launch a toll free helpline number to reach out to tuberculosis patients across the state. Any suspected patient can call or even give a missed call on the helpline number and government health workers will contact the person to check the status of TB as well as provide medical intervention, state Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jayani said here.

Anybody who dials helpline number 1800116666 or gives a missed call will get desired information. He also said if the problem is of serious nature, the caller would be given the number of concerned District TB Officer (DTO) for further investigation.

Yoga tips for weight loss: Five ways to slim down your tummy and thighs!

Yoga is considered as one of the the best and simplest ways for weight loss. The best thing about yoga is that it can be practised by people of any age as it is equally good for any age group. Even pregnant women are recommended to do Yoga because it can be healthful during the period as long as they take certain precautions.

Stress has been linked to many health problems including gaining weight. Yoga, which is believed to be a good stress buster, will not only help you stay in shape, but will also reduce your risk of getting certain diseases. Losing weight and staying fit can help boost a person's self-esteem and decrease stress levels.

BACTERIA IN THE BONE

The relief on Nanda Patil's face is easy to spot. Although a walker stands next to her at all times, it's not a symbol of assistance. It's affirmation that Patil can walk. It's the first time in eight years that the Kolhapur resident has been able to walk. In 2007, Patil, now 58, first experienced pain in her left knee. Over the years, the soreness worsened, leaving her unable to stand on her feet. When treatment with local doctors led nowhere, desperate, Patil's husband Shivaji sought help from a quack, who he claims slammed a brick into her knee to induce movement. "Last year, a relative suggested that I consult specialists in Mumbai," says Patil.

New way of preventing diabetes-linked blindness

Blocking a second protein linked to blood vessel growth, along with one that is already well-known, could offer a new way to treat and prevent a blinding eye disease caused by diabetes.

Diabetic eye disease occurs when the normal blood vessels in the eye are replaced over time with abnormal, leaky, fragile blood vessels that leak fluid or bleed into the eye

By: Indo-Asian News Service | New York | Published on:May 26, 2015 12:40 pm

Blocking a second protein linked to blood vessel growth, along with one that is already well-known, could offer a new way to treat and prevent a blinding eye disease caused by diabetes, say researchers, one among them of Indian-origin.

Diabetic eye disease occurs when the normal blood vessels in the eye are replaced over time with abnormal, leaky, fragile blood vessels that leak fluid or bleed into the eye, damaging the light-sensitive retina and causing blindness.

Food inspectors order Nestle India to recall batch of Maggi noodles, say product has excess lead

The Food Safety and Drug Administration in Uttar Pradesh said high lead content was found during routine tests on two dozen packets of instant noodles Maggi, manufactured by Nestle in India. (Reuters File Photo)

Food inspectors have ordered Nestle India to recall a batch of Maggi noodles from shops across the country, saying the product contained dangerous levels of lead.

Have 4 eggs a week to slash risk of diabetes

Including 4 eggs to your diet per week could help reduce risk of developing diabetes, finds a new study.

University of Eastern Finland researchers were surprised to learn that eggs, which are high in cholesterol, could cut the risk developing Type 2 diabetes by nearly 40 per cent, the Daily Express reported.

It may be due to nutrients, that improves the way the body metabolises sugar and help to dampen down inflammation which leads to chronic illness.

Govt to launch cleanliness awards for health facilities

New Delhi, May 14 (PTI) The government is set to announce a scheme under which public health facilities will be awarded based on their performance on various parameters, including sanitation, cleanliness and infection control.

Health Minister J P Nadda will launch the initiative to award public health facilities, 'Kayakalp', tomorrow and also release 'Swachhata' guidelines for these facilities.

Health Ministry officials said that this initiative was the Ministry's contribution to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet project 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan'.

Elaborating on the objectives of the initiative, health officials said it is aimed at promoting cleanliness, hygiene and infection control practices at public healthcare facilities.

Simple exercises can help control snoring

New York: If snoring is hampering your partner's sound sleep, simple mouth and tongue exercises can do wonders.

Researchers have found that these exercises can reduce frequency of snoring by 36 percent and total power of snoring by 59 percent.

"This study demonstrates a promising, non-invasive treatment for large populations suffering from snoring, the snorers and their bed partners, that are largely omitted from research and treatment," said Barbara Phillips, medical director, sleep laboratory at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in the US.

Diet or exercise, what cuts diabetes risk?

Diet or exercise, what cuts diabetes risk? (Getty Images)

Though people often think of the benefits from exercise, calorie restriction and weight loss as interchangeable, they may all actually offer distinct and cumulative benefits when it comes to managing Type-2 diabetes risk, says new research.

"On the surface, it may seem obvious, and yet there are a lot of people who believe that if they maintain a healthy weight, it doesn't matter what they eat," said Edward Weiss, associate professor at Saint Louis University in the US.

And others have an appropriate food intake but do not exercise.

"This study says you can be healthier, if you exercise and eat the right amount of food. There is more to be gained by including both approaches in your life," Weiss noted.

The study enrolled sedentary, overweight, middle-aged men and women, who were assigned to one of three groups designed to reduce weight by six-eight percent through calorie restriction, exercise or a combination of both.

Researchers recorded the participants' insulin sensitivity levels, a marker for diabetes risk that measures how effectively the body is able to use insulin.

The investigators found that both exercise and calorie restriction had positive effects on insulin sensitivity.

Most interestingly, the group that did both saw two times the improvement in insulin sensitivity than either of the single-approach groups.

The study suggests that both exercise and calorie restriction have additive beneficial effects on glucoregulation -- the steady maintenance of glucose, or sugar, in the body.

The study was published in the journal Diabetes Care.

Source - times of india

Diabetes accelerates brain ageing, reveals new study

A new study has indicated that brains of people with type 1 diabetes show signs of accelerated ageing that correlate with slower information processing.

Image for representational purposes only.

A new study has indicated that brains of people with type 1 diabetes show signs of accelerated ageing that correlate with slower information processing.

The study conducted at University of Pittsburgh Schools indicate that clinicians should consider screening middle-aged patients with type 1 diabetes for cognitive difficulties.

Senior author Caterina Rosano, MD, MPH, associate professor in Pitt Public Health's Department of Epidemiology, said that severity of cognitive complications and cerebral small vessel disease which can starve the brain of oxygen is much more intense than they expected, but it can be measured in a clinical setting. Rosano continued that further study in younger patients is needed, but it stands to reason that early detection and intervention such as controlling cardiometabolic factors and tighter glycemic control, which help prevent microvascular complications also could reduce or delay these cognitive complications.

The people with type 1 diabetes were all participants in the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications Study.

The MRIs showed that 33% of the people with type 1 diabetes had moderate to severe levels of white matter hyperintensities (markers of damage to the brain's white matter, present in normal aging and neurological disorders) compared with 7% of their non-diabetic counterparts.

On three cognitive tests that measure abilities such as information-processing speed, manual dexterity and verbal intelligence, the people with type 1 diabetes averaged lower scores than those without the condition. Among only the participants with type 1 diabetes, those with greater volumes of white matter hyperintensities averaged lower cognitive scores than those with smaller volumes, though the difference was less pronounced.

Lead author Karen A Nunley, Ph D , postdoctoral fellow in Pitt Public Health's neuroepidemiology program said that people with type 1 diabetes were living longer than ever before, and the incidence of type 1 diabetes was increasing annually.

The research will be published in the May 19 issue of the journal Neurology.

Source - DNA