Exercise May Help Parkinson’s Disease Patients

Exercise may help improve gait, balance and reduce risks of falls in individuals living with Parkinson’s disease, researchers say. Parkinson’s Disease — a neurodegenerative disease that impacts movement, often including tremors — affects nearly seven to 10 million persons around the world, according to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. Despite the progressive nature of the disease, people living with Parkinson’s disease can expect to improve their physical condition by being more physically active, the researchers said. “Exercise should be a life-long commitment to avoid physical and cognitive decline, and our research…

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Smoking may harm HIV patients more than the virus itself

Smoking may harm HIV patients more than the virus itself ( Ineke Kamps/Getty Images) Among people living with HIV who smoke cigarettes, smoking may shorten their lifespan more than HIV itself, warns a study by an Indian-origin researcher. “A person with HIV who consistently takes HIV medicines but smokes is much more likely to die of a smoking-related disease than of HIV itself,” explained study author Krishna P. Reddy of the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. The study suggests that making smoking cessation a priority and finding effective…

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Stool transplant can help patients with gastric ailments.

Stool transplant can help patients with gastric ailments. (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images) Stool transplants are being used to treat those with serious gastric ailments. Three years ago, Manas Shukla was a newly-married 33-year-old ready to enjoy the prime of his life. But a di agnosis 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…

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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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New hope for patients with deadly brain tumour

Non-invasive gene therapy could treat brain tumour (Fatine El Hassani/Getty Images) Researchers have found a potential new way of stopping one of the most aggressive types of brain tumour from spreading, which could also lead the way to better patient survival. Glioblastoma, which is one of the most common types of malignant brain tumours in adults, grow fast as well as spread easily. The tumour has threadlike tendrils that extend into other parts of the brain making it difficult to remove it all, the study from the University of Southampton…

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Performance Boosting Hormone May Help Patients With Mental Disorders

Individuals suffering from bipolar disorder or depression treated with a hormone best known to boost performance in sportspersons may also improve their cognitive functioning, a study has found. The hormone erythropoietin (EPO), mostly produced by the kidney, is essential for the production of red blood cells. EPO gives the blood a greater capacity to carry oxygen, and is thus used as a performance-enhancing drug by the sportspersons, the study said. The findings showed that EPO had beneficial effects on patients’ verbal memory, attention span as well as planning ability. The…

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