You are here

Search Results for: doctor

Antidepressants May Up Mortality Risk In Lung Disease Patients

Loknath Das, , , , , , , ,

While popping antidepressants may lift your mood, it may turn deadly especially for elderly suffering from obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) — progressive lung disease that causes increasing breathlessness, say researchers. The findings showed that new users of serotonergic antidepressants were at 20 per cent increased risk of death. They may also have 15 per cent higher likelihood of hospitalization including higher rates of emergency room visits, and mortality related to respiratory conditions, as well as death overall versus non-users of the medications. “There are biological reasons why antidepressants could lead…

Here’s How Your Lifestyle Choices Can Affect Ageing

Loknath Das, , , , , , ,

You know those people, the ones who are older than you but act decades younger? They embody the phrase “70 is the new 50.” Actually, in their cases, 70 seems to be the new 30 because they radiate so much youth and energy. These folks may have A+ genetics, which undeniably contributes to their health, but eating nutritious foods, managing stress and making smart lifestyle choices have also been proven to slow the aging process and stave off disease. Graceful aging isn’t about avoiding wrinkles and gray hair; the ultimate…

Foodswitch: The App That Helps You Eat Healthy

Loknath Das, , , , , , ,

Researchers have developed a novel app which can act as a nutritionist at the shopper’s side in the grocery store. Aptly named “FoodSwitch”, the app can help users scan a packaged food’s barcode, quickly see its nutritional rating and identify similar foods that are healthier. “FoodSwitch is unique in that users don’t have to hunt for healthier alternatives. They’re all listed in the app,” Mark Huffman, Associate Professor at Northwestern University in the US said in a statement released by the university. Unlike other nutrition apps, FoodSwitch also asks users…

ICMR drafts rules to manage and treat liver cancer

Loknath Das, , , , , , , ,

Country’s research regulator, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), has issued a draft consensus document for treating the most common type of liver cancer— hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) — that could work as reference point for doctors and caregivers. HCC accounts for 90% of cancers of the liver worldwide, with a growing incidence in most countries. Globally, HCC is the fifth most common cancer (7.5 lakh new cases annually) and is the third leading cause of annual deaths due to cancer (7 lakh deaths each year) after lung and stomach cancer.…

Prediabetes symptoms, don’t ignore warning signs of frequent urination, thirst, fatigue

Loknath Das, , , , , , , , , ,

If you’ve been visiting the loo too often to urinate or are feeling thirsty like never before or experience blurry vision, you might have progressed from prediabetes to Type 2 diabetes. But the million dollar question is what is prediabetes and its symptoms? “Prediabetes is a condition in which the fasting blood glucose level falls between 100 and 125mg/dL. In people with this condition, blood sugar levels increase but not enough to be categorised as Type 2 diabetes,” explains Bangalore-based Dr M Udaya Kumar Maiya, medical director of home healthcare app, Portea Medical.…

This new low-cost plastic sensor can help in early diagnosis of diseases

Loknath Das, , , , , , , , , , ,

Scientists have developed a low-cost sensor made from semiconducting plastic that can be used to diagnose or monitor a wide range of health conditions, such as surgical complications or neurodegenerative diseases. The sensor can measure the amount of critical metabolites, such as lactate or glucose, that are present in sweat, tears, saliva or blood, and, when incorporated into a diagnostic device, could allow health conditions to be monitored quickly, cheaply and accurately. The device, described in the journal Science Advances, has a far simpler design than existing sensors, and opens…