UK scientists on verge of curing HIV?

UK scientists on verge of curing HIV? A British man could become the first person in the world to be cured of HIV using a new therapy designed by a team of scientists from five UK universities. The therapy is combining standard antiretroviral drugs with another one that reactivates dormant HIV and a vaccine that induces the immune system to destroy the infected cells. Antiretoviral drugs alone are highly effective at stopping the virus from reproducing but do not eradicate the disease, so must be taken for life. The 44-year-old…

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Poop comes to the rescue of patients

Stool transplants are being used to treat those with serious gastro ailments. Three years ago, Manas Shukla was a newly-married 33-year-old ready to enjoy the prime of his life. But a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis left him struggling with bloody diarrhoea several times a day. “It left me weak, depressed and I couldn’t even work properly,” recalls Shukla, who runs his own business in Delhi. Eventually he got relief from a very unlikely source – another man’s poo. Shukla underwent fecal microbiota transplant or FMT. This involves taking one person’s…

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Moderate Alcohol Consumption May Increase Risk Of Atrial Fibrillation

Moderate alcohol consumption may change the structure of the heart in ways that increases the risk of atrial fibrillation leading to a stroke, a study suggests. Atrial fibrillation is a known risk factor for stroke and the irregular pumping of blood can lead to clots, which may travel to the brain and cause a stroke. “There is growing evidence that moderate alcohol intake may be a risk factor for atrial fibrillation, the most common heart rhythm disturbance in the world, but the mechanism by which alcohol may lead to atrial…

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Belly Fat May Increase Risk Of Heart Diseases

Increasing stomach fat — also known as the “hidden fat” in abdomen — can lead to worsening heart disease risk factors, according to a study. The study adds to the growing evidence that regional fat deposits are harmful and further suggested that the density of the stomach fat (measured by CT scan) is important. Previous studies have shown that people who carry excess abdominal fat around their midsection tend to face higher risks of heart disease compared to people who have fat elsewhere. In general, the higher the fat content,…

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98% Indians Unaware of Life-Saving Technique During Heart Attack

Around 98 per cent Indians are not trained in basic life-saving technique of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) during sudden cardiac arrest, shows a survey conducted by Lybrate, an online doctor consultation platform. In India, sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a major cause of death due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and shockingly 60 per cent of the people who suffer an SCA succumb to it even before they reach hospital. The survey conducted in 20 Indian cities among the age group of 25-50 showed that less than two per cent of the…

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Over 90% Of World Breathing Bad Air

Nine out of 10 people globally are breathing poor quality air, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, calling for dramatic action against pollution that is blamed for more than six million deaths a year. New data in a report from the UN’s global health body “is enough to make all of us extremely concerned,” Maria Neira, the head of the WHO’s department of public health and environment, told reporters. The problem is most acute in cities, but air in rural areas is worse than many think, WHO experts said. Poorer…

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