Health

Washington, July 29: An analysis of rare genetic disorders in which children lack some genes from one parent shows that maternal and paternal genes engage in a subtle tug-of-war well into childhood.

This striking new variety of intra-family conflict is the latest wrinkle in the two-decades-old theory known as genomic imprinting, which holds that each parent contributes genes that seek to nudge his or her children’s development in a direction most favourable.

Washington, July 29: Smokeless tobacco products, as used in Europe and North America, do not seem to increase cancer risk, according to the latest research.

A comprehensive analysis has shown that snuff as used in Scandinavia has no discernible effect on the risk of various cancers.

Products used in the past in the US may have increased the risk, but any effect that exists now seems likely to be quite small.

Peter Lee and Jan Hamling, from PN Lee Statistics and Computing Ltd of Britain, carried out the analysis of 89 studies from the US and Scandinavia.

Kuala Lumpur, July 29: An average Malaysian eats the equivalent of 26 teaspoons of sugar a day. Doctors say this is leading to a rise in the number of diabetics in the country.

This is worrying health planners who want the government to discourage advertising of food products, particularly those aimed at children.

Health officials believe the sugar content in a product should be mentioned on the label in red, orange or green.

Atlanta, July 29: Swine flu has been hitting pregnant women unusually hard, so they are likely to be among the first group advised to get a new swine flu shot this fall.

Pregnant women account for 6 percent of U.S. swine flu deaths since the pandemic began in April, even though they make up just 1 percent of the U.S. population.

Washington, July 29: The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday silver-colored dental fillings that contain mercury are safe for patients, reversing an earlier caution against their use in certain patients, including pregnant women and children.

“While elemental mercury has been associated with adverse health effects at high exposures, the levels released by dental amalgam fillings are not high enough to cause harm in patients,” the FDA said, citing an agency review of roughly 200 scientific studies.

London, July 29: If the current swine flu pandemic behaves like the 1918 flu, anti-viral treatment may not be very effective in the case of those above 65, according to the latest research.

Researchers found that, in this situation, it would not significantly reduce mortality among them and could lead to an increase in resistance.

Stefano Merler, from the Bruno Kessler Foundation in Italy, worked with researchers from the Instituto Superiore di Sanit?o model the effect of anti-viral treatment on the spread of influenza.

Beijing, July 29: The number of young Chinese picking up smoking habit has more than doubled from previous years, despite health education convincing them not to smoke, a Chinese newspaper reported Wednesday.

A survey conducted among 40,000 students in Beijing showed 17 percent of students at the primary and secondary level smoked cigarettes last year, up from 7 percent from 2005.

London, July 29: International cancer experts have moved tanning beds and other sources of ultraviolet radiation into the top cancer risk category, deeming them as deadly as arsenic and mustard gas. For years, scientists have described tanning beds and ultraviolet radiation as “probable carcinogens.”

Bangalore, July 29: How about some rib-tickling theatre and delectable dishes thereafter? Come August and that’s what many Bangaloreans will do every weekend for six months.

The brainchild of Hubli-based theatre troupe Guru Samste, Bangaloreans will be entertained with some of the most hilarious Kannada plays along with the best of south Indian cuisines under one roof.

Guru Samste has joined hands with popular city-based south Indian restaurant Maiya’s to come up with Bangalore’s very own supper theatre christened ‘Maiya’s Rangavali’.

Pune, July 29: Two more schools in Pune reported swine flu cases among their students as the number of H1N1 infections in the city went up to 66, an addition of six during the day.

With detection of fresh cases, Maharashtra has recorded 101 cases of the viral pandemic, health officials said on Tuesday.

In Pune, Balshikshan and Spring Dale schools were added to the list of four educational institutions already hit by the spread of the infection. The authorities, who have closed down the four schools, were yet to take a decision on shutting down the two newly-affected schools.

Washington, July 29: Health experts from Oxford University have revealed that despite stringent efforts cigarette packaging styles are still misleading consumers over health hazards.

Most of the smokers believe that cigarettes are less hazardous when the packs display words such as “silver” or “smooth,” have lower numbers incorporated into the brand name or have lighter colours or pictures of filters on the pack.

Noida, July 28: Five people were arrested here Tuesday for allegedly marketing expired medicines worth Rs.3 million, police said.

During a check, a tempo carrying expired drugs was seized from Phase II Noida. The seized medicines had expired in 2007.

Five people — Kunal Sharma, Anil Kumar Yadav, Jahid Ali, Ikramuddin and Abdul Hakim — were arrested and several expired drugs were recovered from their possession, a police officer said.

Bhopal, July 28: One would expect the enrolment of children in primary schools to increase with the implementation of the midday meal scheme. This, however, has not been the case in Madhya Pradesh. In fact, a drop in students has been recorded, according to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report for 2007-08.

London, July 28: The National Supervisory Committee for Combating Swine Flu (H1N1 virus) has not issued any resolution demanding resident expatriates to produce a medical clearance certificate that proves they are not infected with H1N1 virus upon returning to the country, a senior health official affirmed today.

“The news about this issue is completely untrue,” Dr. Ali bin Shuker, Director of the Ministry of Health and Chairman of the Technical Health Committee for Combating Swine Flu, emphasised.

Geneva, July 28: A total of 816 people died of swine flu worldwide, with most of the deaths occurring in South America, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday.

So far, 707 people have died in the Americas, 44 in South-East Asia, 34 in Europe, 30 in the Western Pacific region and one in the Eastern Mediterranean region, the UN agency said.

In addition, more than 20 countries such as Afghanistan, Belize, Bhutan, Botswana, Haiti, Namibia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Solomon Islands, among others, have confirmed swine flu cases since July 6.

Chandigarh, July 28: A 23-year-old resident of Punjab’s Patiala town, admitted to a Chandigarh hospital, has tested positive for the influenza A (H1N1) virus.

Officials said the patient from Patiala, about 70 km from here, had returned from Thailand last week. On Friday, he approached doctors at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here with complaints of fever and cold.

Patna, July 28: At least 21 students of a school at Khemanbigha in Nalanda district fell ill soon after having their mid-day meal, officials said Tuesday. Their parents told police that a lizard was found in the food.

‘They are suffering from food poisoning but after initial treatment they are out of danger,’ said a doctor at the hospital where the children have been admitted after their meal Monday.

Various such cases have been reported in Bihar in the last one month.

London, July 28: Researchers may be able to predict future severe cardiac events in patients with known, stable coronary artery disease (CAD), by measuring calcium levels, according to a new study.

CAD is a condition in which plaque, consisting of cholesterol, calcium, fat and other substances, builds up inside the arteries that supply blood to the heart.

When plaque builds up in the coronary arteries, blood flow to the heart is reduced and may lead to arrhythmia (irregular or erratic heart beats), heart attack or heart failure.

Moscow, July 28: Specialists plan to begin clinical testing of a new vaccine from the A(H1N1) flu by August 20, Oleg Kiselev, Head, National Flu Centre of the World health Organisation has said.

“The schedule of work to create the vaccine from the highly pathogenic A(H1N1) flu virus has been approved by the Ministry of Health and Social Development and has been complied strictly,” Kiselev said on Monday.

“The first Russians from the at-risk group will be vaccinated from the new flu before October 1,” he added.

London, July 28: Farmers in India are using the “cuddle chemical” oxytocin to boost plant growth, particularly of pumpkins and cucumbers.

Oxytocin is known to affect social behaviour in humans, as well as facilitating birth and breastfeeding, reports New Scientist magazine. However, the precise mechanism by which an animal hormone might stimulate plant development remains unclear.

Bangalore, July 28: President Nikolas Sarkozy, known to be a fitness enthusiast, was diagnosed with Near-Syncope on Sunday, after being rushed to hospital following a spell of dizziness. Doctors linked it to fatigue and exercise on a humid day.

“It is called Syncope when a person feels very giddy and loses consciousness. A near black out is called Near Syncope,” explains Dr Ravi Kishore, an electro-physiologist with the Syncope Clinic in Bangalore. President Sarkosy is in his 50s, but Syncope, according to Dr Kishore, can occur to a person in any age group.

Chicago, July 28: Obesity-related diseases account for nearly 10 percent of all medical spending in the United States or an estimated $147 billion a year, US researchers have said.

They said obese people spend 40 percent more — or $1,429 more per year — in healthcare costs than people of normal weight.

“It is critical that we take effective steps to contain and reduce the enormous burden of obesity on our nation,” Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told a news conference at a CDC obesity meeting where the study was presented.

Dhaka, July 28: Bangladeshi authorities said Tuesday they had found traces of a toxic chemical in paracetamol syrup believed to have killed two dozen children in the past six weeks.

Health Minister A.F.M Ruhul Haq said investigators had found diethyl glycol in the locally produced syrup.

“We conducted two tests on the paracetamol syrup and each time we found diethyl glycol. It’s a toxic chemical used in the textile and leather dyeing industries. It damages your kidneys if you consume it,” the minister told AFP.

Washington, July 28: : Tiny ovarian tumors lurk in the Fallopian tubes for an average of four years before they grow large enough to be detected, researchers revealed on Monday in a study that explains why diagnosis usually comes too late to save a woman’s life.

They said they were trying to find ways to improve testing for the cancer, one of the deadliest because it is so hard to detect before it has spread.

Sydney, July 28: Long-term consumption of soy products dramatically cuts down the risk of ischemic stroke, according to new research.

Ischemic stroke is the most common kind of stroke, caused by an interruption of the blood flow to the brain.

The research found people who consumed 50 grams of soy products a week reduced stroke risk. Those who ate between 50 to 300 grams of soy had a greater drop still, while those consuming 300 grams or more a week had the most health benefits.