Nearly one in three children and adolescents with "insulin-dependent" type 1 diabetes have a positive skin test for tuberculosis (TB) and are at risk of developing active TB and spreading the infection to others, according to the results of a study conducted in a TB-endemic area. The researchers said that the observed prevalence of tuberculosis among type 1 diabetes was over 6.8 times greater than the population prevalence.
Reuters.com, August 6, 2009
Recent study finds that, when asthma and symptoms of depression coexist in kids, asthma may become worse. Researchers studied the breathing patterns of 90 asthmatic 7 to 17-year-old boys and girls before and after they watched scenes from the movie ET: The Extraterrestrial. Half of the kids had symptoms of depression, in addition to asthma, while the other half did not. They found that the children with both asthma and symptoms of depression were more likely to show greater airway resistance after watching troubling scenes from the movie.
Reuters.com, August 18, 2009
Obesity increases the risk of prostate cancer recurrence in both black and white men, says a U.S. study that challenges previous research suggesting obesity may be more significant for black men. The author of the study examined the medical records of 1,415 prostate cancer patients who had undergone a radical prostatectomy. They found that race had no influence on the relationship between obesity and the aggressiveness of the cancer. The reason why obesity increases the risk of prostate cancer recurrence isn't clear, but altered hormone levels might play a role.
healthday.com, August 21, 2009
The closer you live to nature, the healthier you're likely to be. For instance, people who live within 1 kilometer of a park or wooded area experience less anxiety and depression, Dutch researchers report. More green space may also be a way for whole communities to become healthier. The study shows that we are a whole organism, and when we get healthy that means our body and our mind get healthy.
healthday.com, October 28, 2009
A new study finds that diet and exercise can keep diabetes at bay for a decade, cutting the risk for the disease by more than a third in the most susceptible people. Research also says that losing weight and exercising can delay or prevent the onset of diabetes more effectively than the prescription drug metformin or a placebo. Lifestyle intervention, even when provided later, also seemed to lower diabetes incidence rate.
healthday.com, October 28, 2009
Most Americans don't eat the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, says a U.S. government study. Surveys from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that only 33 percent of adults meet the fruit consumption target and only 27 percent eat the recommended amount of vegetables. The statistics are worse for high school students -- only 32 percent eat the recommended amount of fruit and 13 percent meet the goal for vegetables.
healthday.com, September 29, 2009
The transcendental meditation technique reduces stress and improves emotional well-being and mental health in older breast cancer patients. The two-year trial included 130 patients at Saint Joseph Hospital in Chicago, aged 55 and older, randomly assigned to either a transcendental meditation group or to a usual care control group. Quality of life was assessed every six months. The women in the study found their meditation practice easy to do at home and reported significant benefits in their overall quality of life.
healthday.com, October 28, 2009
A certain type of meditation may help the brain retain images for short periods, says a new study on visual-spatial abilities. When people view an object, they usually retain a clear picture of it in their visual short-term memory for only a few seconds before the details fade. An experiment by George Mason University researchers, though, found that people who practice Deity Yoga (DY) do much better at visual-spatial tasks shortly after they meditate.
healthday.com, May 21, 2009
1. Use mosquito net when sleeping during daytime; 2. Wear a dress which covers most of the body. Also, there are repellents available, which can be applied on dress materials; 3. Use mosquito coils or repellents (which contain Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or DEET); 4. Use curtains or window nets, which prevent entry of mosquitoes to the house; 5. Use of cream or spray that can be applied on skin. This masks body odour and effectively you are invisible from mosquitoes.
doctor.ndtv.com, 2009
Eating a variety of colourful fruits and vegetables is one way to help keep the body healthy. Health/wellness experts say that in addition to vitamins, minerals and fiber, fruits and vegetables contain phytonutrients, believed to come from the compounds that give these foods their vibrant colours. These phytonutrients provide a wide range of health benefits, including supporting a healthy immune system.
newkerala.com, November 4, 2009
The Department of AYUSH set up a group of experts for suggesting AYUSH interventions which are useful in the prevention / treatment of flu like disease. The group says that viral epidemics come under the “Vaata Kaphaja Jwara” category mentioned in Charak Samhita and other ancient Ayurvedic texts. The outbreaks of Vaata
Kaphaja Jawara are seen in Autumn / spring, in seasonal change and in moderate climatic conditions. Ayurveda has also advised some preventive measures for building immunity and protection from Vaata-Kaphaja
Diseases.
mohfw-h1n1.nic.in, November, 2009
