Want to live longer? Follow these tips

Physical activity and exercise, which is the key to healthy living, prevents the building up of visceral adipose tissue (the dangerous tummy fat that causes arterial inflammation and hypertension). Research has shown that exercising for just 20 minutes a day can add around two years to your life.

Water: Remember our bodies are 80% of water. So drink plenty of water – the elixir of life. It also helps remove toxins and wastes from your body. Drink at least 2 – 3 litres of water if you want to live longer.

Make good friends: People who have good friends and have strong relationships with their families are believed to be healthier mentally as well as physically than those who cut themselves off from people and are reclusive.

Laugh out: Researchers at the University of Maryland reported that watching 15 minutes of a funny video can improve blood flow to your heart by 50%, which may reduce blood-clot formation, cholesterol deposition and inflammation. Our ancestors were not wrong when they said that laughter is a great medicine. People that tend to laugh 20 minutes a day are less prone to diseases and depressions.

A glass of wine: Research has shown that taking alcohol in moderation is good for your health. It is believed consuming one alcoholic drink per day can add +0.9 years to your life. Moderate intake of alcohol can be beneficial to reducing or even preventing some diseases and health problems.

Source: Wat’s up

“Lifestyle changes makes city dwellers aloof”

With the city dwellers spending a greater time outside the home, either at work, or in traffic or in social networking sites, there is lesser interaction happening with one’s own relatives, said Dr Mahesh R Gowda, consultant physiatrist, Spandana health care.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the national seminar held on Thursday at Jyotinivas autonomous college on “Relationship management- An essential investment fro better living.”

Dr Vijay Nagaswamy, psychiatrist from Chennai who took part in the seminar observed the growth of phenomenal growth of the nation in the last thirty years, “We have seen changes in all spheres; an arranged marriage to the new trend of ‘hook up’ relationships. Increased mobility among the youth has given them greater opportunity to live away from home. There is greater focus on the individual than collective. There is a decrease in frustration tolerance among youth,” said Dr Vijay Nagaswamy.

“Improve interactive skills”

Speaking at the seminar Sr Elizabeth C S, Principal of Jyoti Nivas college said that what is needed for a job seeker is good communication, relationship management skills. “Thirty years ago, a person with excellent technical knowledge would have been hired by companies. But now what is being sought after is the communicative skills of a person and his/her ability to perform as a team player and maintain good relation with people around,” she said.

Source: Times of India

Medical Tourism Market is Expected to Reach USD 32.5 Billion Globally in 2019:

Transparency Market Research is Published new Market Report “Medical Tourism Market (India, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Mexico, Brazil, Taiwan, Turkey, South Korea, Costa Rica, Poland, Dubai and Philippines) – Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 – 2019” The global medical tourism market was valued at USD 10.5 billion in 2012 and is estimated to reach a market worth USD 32.5 billion in 2019 at a CAGR of 17.9% from 2013 to 2019.

Medical tourism is defined as an act of travel of patients from their home country to other destinations for availing medical services. Rise in healthcare costs in developed countries coupled with the availability of high quality medical services at a low cost in developing countries have given a boost to the medical tourism industry. These medical services range from elective procedures such as cosmetic surgeries to complicated surgeries such as cardiac, orthopedics, neurosurgery and others. Significant growth in this industry is due to economic developments in developing countries that in turn has led to the growth in the medical industry and quality of medical services.

Rise in the healthcare expenditure in developed countries coupled with in the growing elderly population has also contributed to the gowth of the medical tourism across the globe. Economic crisis in the U.S. increased the number of uninsured population, consequently further triggering the growth of this market. Recently, there are approximately 50 million uninsured Americans that are willing to travel abroad for affordable and quality medical care. Globalization and improved communication technology act as a catalyst to boost the growth of this industry.

The development of medical tourism industry is based on several factors such as reduced cost of procedures, long waiting time and high demand for cosmetic surgeries. Medical travel is not only witnessed for intricate procedures but is also expanding due to growing demand for cosmetic and dental procedures since these are usually not reimbursed under regular health insurance policies. Patients travelling abroad can save from 30% to 90% on a procedure, including their travel expenditures, as compared to the medical costs in their own countries. Long waiting time is another factor which has substantially boosted the growth of this industry. Patients based in Canada and U.K travel to low cost destinations for their treatments in order to avoid long waiting periods in their own countries and receive timely access to serious ailments.

Medical tourism industry is dominated by the Asian region that has captured the maximum share of the market. This region is highly competitive owing to the presence of technologically advanced medical specialties, less stringent government regulations and attractive locations. Thailand and India are recognized internationally for their high end medical services and receive patients from across the globe. Singapore is renowned for its healthcare infrastructure and receives patients primarily for complex medical procedures. Thailand, India and Singapore accounted for approximately 60% of the total revenue of the Asian region in 2012. The Latin American countries such as Brazil and Mexico attract maximum number of patients from the U.S owing to the geographic proximity and cultural similarities. Similarly, growth in Turkey is witnessed on account of growing demand of cosmetic surgeries.

However, a paradigm shift in the market is seen owing to strong competition among the players of this industry. Malaysia is poised to have a significant growth in this market and is likely to emerge as a fastest growing country in terms of medical tourism with a CAGR of over 25% from 2013 to 2019. This advent in Malaysian medical tourism market is due to cost advantage over Thailand and Singapore. Moreover, rise in popularity of Malaysian region is attributed to many factors such as advanced healthcare infrastructure, highly skilled professionals, visa benefits and others. Additionally, robust government support for promotion of Malaysian medical tourism has propelled the growth in this nation.

Moreover, increase in the government initiatives and growing inclination of private sector hospitals towards medical tourism is further supplanting the growth of this market. Key healthcare providers in this industry include Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd., Bumrumgrad International Hospital, Bangkok Medical Center, Prince Court Medical Center and others.

The Medical Tourism market is segmented as follows:

The global medical tourism market is segmented into the following categories:
Medical Tourism Market, by Geography
India
Overview
Cost Comparison of Procedures
SWOT Analysis
Government Support
India Inbound Medical Tourism (No. of patients)
India Medical Tourism: Top Revenue Contributing Country (%) (2012)
Thailand
Singapore
Malaysia
Mexico
Brazil
Turkey
South Korea
Taiwan
Prospective Countries
Costa Rica
Poland
Dubai
Philippines

Source: Information Week

New candy eats ‘bad’ bacteria in the mouth, benefitting teeth

Our mouths are a delicate balance of good and bad bacteria. When we clean our teeth, the aim is to knock out cavity-causing bacteria, while allowing beneficial oral bacteria to thrive. Now, researchers have developed a sugar-free candy, which contains dead bacteria that bind to bad bacteria, potentially reducing cavities.

The importance of good oral health has been emphasized by doctors for years. Poor oral health has been linked to many conditions, from Alzheimer’s disease to pancreatic cancer, not to mention cardiovascular disease.

To promote better oral health, a team from the Berlin-based firm Organobalance GmbH, Germany, created a new candy, which they claim reduced levels of ‘bad’ bacteria in study subjects’ mouths.

Their research was published in Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins.

They note that after we eat, bacteria on the surface of the teeth release acid, which can dissolve the tooth enamel, leading to cavities.

The most common strain of this “bad” bacteria is called Mutans streptococci. However, the researchers say that in previous studies with rats, another bacteria called Lactobacillus paracasei has been shown to reduce levels of the cavity-causing bacteria, decreasing the number of cavities in the rodents.

The team, led by Christine Lang, believe that by binding with M. streptococci, the L. paracasei bacteria prevent this bad bacteria from reattaching to the teeth, causing it to get washed away by saliva.

Candy ‘significantly lowered’ bad oral bacteria levels
In a pilot trial involving 60 subjects, Lang and her team tested whether their sugar-free candy, which contained heat-killed samples of L. paracasei DSMZ16671, reduced levels of bad oral bacteria.

One-third of the subjects ate candies with 1 mg of L. paracasei, while another third ate candies with twice this amount (2 mg). The final third served as a control group and ate candies that were similar in taste but that contained no bacteria.

In total, all subjects ate five candies during the 1.5-day study. They were not allowed to perform any oral hygiene activities during this time, and they were also not allowed to consume coffee, tea, wine or probiotic foods.

Results showed that nearly 75% of the participants who ate candies with the good bacteria had “significantly lower” levels of Mutans streptococci in their saliva than before, compared with the control group.

Additionally, the subjects who ate candy with 2 mg of L. paracasei had a reduction in bad bacteria levels after eating only one piece of candy.

The researchers write:

“We think it remarkable that this effect was observed after exposure to only five pieces of candy containing 1 or 2 mg of dead L. paracasei DSMZ16671 consumed in 1.5 days.”

They say that by using dead bacteria, they avoided problems that live bacteria might have caused. They also note that the L. paracasei does not bind with beneficial oral bacteria, which is why this is a better cavity prevention method than other probiotics.

“Additionally,” they add, “sugar-free candies stimulate saliva flow, a benefit to oral health.”

Source: Medical News Today

Cause of infant deaths from SIDS identified

Researchers have claimed that babies dying from Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) have brain stem abnormalities regardless of whether they were exposed to risks like suffocation or co-sleeping.

The researchers analysed the brain stems of 71 infants who had died suddenly and unexpectedly over 11 years.
The study found that all the babies who died had abnormalities of four neurochemicals in the brain stem, located at the skull’s base and connects the brain to the spinal cord.

According to Boston Children’s Hospital and Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health’s Dr Jhodie Duncan, the research suggests that the abnormality leaves the toddlers unable to adequately respond when faced with a stressor while sleeping.
He said that if a pillow goes over a healthy infant’s face, their brain usually detects changes in oxygen levels and initiates response, so that the baby can turn its head and continue breathing. However, babies with the abnormality did not “respond properly” in the same situation, which lead to their death, News.com.au reported.

The next possible step of the research team would be to see if a blood test can be developed to be used as an early screening tool to identify infants at risk of sudden and unexpected death in their first year.
The research has been published in the journal Pediatrics.

Source: Yahoo news

Grape seed Extract Kills 76% of Leukemia Cancer Cells in 24 Hours

A new study by Indian origin researcher has revealed that the synthesis of the most active component of grape seed extract, B2G2, encourages the cell death known as apoptosis in prostate cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed.

“We’ve shown similar anti-cancer activity in the past with grape seed extract (GSE), but now we know B2G2 is its most biologically active ingredient which can be synthesized in quantities that will allow us to study the detailed death mechanism in cancer cells,” Alpna Tyagi, PhD, of the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, said.

Previous studies have shown the GSE effectiveness against cancer cells and have also shown its mechanism of action. However, Tyagi said that until recently, they didn’t know which constituent of GSE created this effect. This naturally occurring compound, GSE, is a complex mixture of polyphenols and also so far it has been unclear about the biologically active constituents of GSE against cancer cells.

Eventually the group pinpointed B2G2 as the most active compound, but, “it’s expensive and it takes a long time to isolate B2G2 from grape seed extract,” Tyagi says.

The current study reported the success of this effort, including the ability to synthesize gram-quantity of B2G2 reasonably quickly and inexpensively.

The study also showed anti-cancer activity of synthesized B2G2 similar in mechanism and degree to overall GSE effectiveness.

The study was published in the journal Nutrition and Cancer.

Source: Zee news

 

Tummy `clock` tells us how much to eat

Scientists have found the first evidence that the nerves in the stomach act as a circadian clock, limiting food intake to specific times of the day. The discovery, by University of Adelaide researchers , could lead to new information about how the gut signals to our brains about when we’re full, and when to keep eating.

In the University’s Nerve-Gut Research Laboratory, Dr Stephen Kentish investigated how the nerves in the stomach respond to stretch, which occurs as a consequence of food intake, at three-hourly intervals across one day. “These nerves are responsible for letting the brain know how much food we have eaten and when to stop eating,” said Kentish, who is the lead author of the paper.

“What we’ve found is that the nerves in the gut are at their least sensitive at time periods associated with being awake. This means more food can be consumed before we feel full at times of high activity, when more energy is required,” Kentish added.

“However, with a change in the day-night cycle to a period associated with sleeping , the nerves in the stomach become more sensitive to stretch, signalling fullness to the brain quicker and thus limiting food intake.

“This variation repeats every 24 hours in a circadian manner, with the nerves acting as a clock to coordinate food intake with energy requirements ,” he said. So far this discovery has been made in lab studies, not in humans. “Our theory is that the same variations in nerve responses exist in human stomachs , with the gut nerves being less sensitive to fullness during the day and more sensitive at night,” he said.

Source: Deccan Chronicle

Real-Time Flu Forecast Predicts Outbreaks in Each US City

real-time-flu-forecast-predicts-outbreaks-each-city_1

Borrowing ideas from weather forecasting, researchers have developed a system to predict, weeks in advance, when a city will see the peak of its seasonal flu outbreak.

A reliable flu forecast could limit an outbreak by informing people and health officials so they can step up protective measures, the researchers said.

The researchers tested the model on 108 cities across the United States during the 2012-2013 flu season, and found they could accurately predict the timing of the influenza peak in more than 60 percent of the cities two to four weeks in advance, on average, according to the study, published today (Dec. 3) in the journal Nature Communications.
Source: Live Science

Sleep disturbances linked to poor quality of life in obese

A new research has showed that poor sleep quality is strongly associated with mood disturbance and lower quality of life among people with extreme obesity.

Results show that 74.8 percent of participants were poor sleepers, and their mean self-reported sleep duration was only six hours and 20 minutes.

Fifty-two percent of study subjects were anxious, and 43 percent were depressed. After controlling for age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, and obstructive sleep apnea, sleep quality and daytime sleepiness were significantly associated with mood disturbance and quality of life impairment.

“There was a clear association between the sleep problems such as short sleep duration and the psychological disorders and with quality of life,” Dr. G. Neil Thomas, from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, said. “These associations remained significant even after adjusting for a range of potential confounders.

According to the authors, the potential role of sleep in the health and well-being of individuals with severe obesity is underappreciated. The results suggested that the early detection of disturbed sleep could prevent the potential development and perpetuation of psychological problems among people with extreme obesity.

The study was published in the journal Sleep.
Source: dna India

Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Brain Damage, Says Study

A recent study, published by researchers from the University of Kentucky, in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine, suggests that low levels of vitamin D may cause brain damage.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin present in few natural foods, including fatty fish, cheese and egg yolks; a variety of foods, meanwhile, are artificially fortified with vitamin D, including milk, cereals and margarine. Vitamin D manufacture can also be achieved endogenously, when rays of light strike the skin. This photochemical process triggers the production of vitamin D3 (a.k.a. cholecalciferol) from its precursor, 7-dehydrocholesterol.

Vitamin D confers a number of benefits, ranging from promotion of calcium absorption in the gut, maintaining serum calcium and phosphate levels, as well as bone growth and remodeling. On top of this, vitamin D regulates a number of genes that are involved in cell division, differentiation and an essential form of programmed cellular death (apoptosis). It is thought that vitamin D serves a variety of roles in inflammatory processes and could even serve neuromuscular and immune functions.

The Rat Research Models
The latest scientific research suggests that the vitamin may serve a critical role in protecting the brain from free radical-induced damage. The researchers used a series of rat models to test the influence of differing concentrations of dietary vitamin D. A total of 27 male rats were divided into three separate groups; one group was fed a diet that contained low concentrations of vitamin D (100 IU/kg food), another was used as a control (1000 IU/kg food) and the final group received a diet enriched in the vitamin (10,000 IU/kg food).

The trial began as the rats hit middle-age and lasted for a period of four to five months. The research group measured the level of oxidative and nitrosative stress in a specific part of the rat brains, located in the posterior cortex.

Intriguingly, the group found an elevation in the level of a reactive nitrogen species, called 3-nitrotyrosine, in those rats that had received inadequate levels of vitamin D. Nitrotyrosine is considered a marker of cellular damage and inflammation and has been found to be elevated in a number of pathologies, including inflammatory diseases, lung disease, sepsis and atherosclerosis.

The researchers believe that the increase in nitrotyrosine is caused by disruption of a protein complex (NF-?B) that is recruited during cellular stress. In addition, after performing redox proteomics, a number of proteins in this region of the brain were found to be damaged in those rats that were provisioned low vitamin D diets.

When examining the real-world affect that this vitamin D deficiency had on the rats, the research team established that subjects provided with an abundance of the sunshine vitamin excelled in cognitive performance tests. Specifically, when investigating learning and memory capacity, rats given diets consisting of 100 IU/kg of food were found to lag behind the other two groups, significantly.

The Future
Allan Butterfield was the lead author of the latest study, who works as a professor in the UK Department of Chemistry and as the director of the Center of Membrane Sciences, faculty of Sanders-Brown Center on Aging. Also acting as the director of the Free Radical Biology in Cancer Core of the Markey Cancer Center, Butterfield briefly discussed his research endeavors and what they could mean for elderly populations.

“Given that vitamin D deficiency is especially widespread among the elderly, we investigated how during aging from middle-age to old-age how low vitamin D affected the oxidative the oxidative status of the brain… Adequate vitamin D serum levels are necessary to prevent free radical damage to the brain and subsequent deleterious consequences.”
This problem is exacerbated in developing countries, where food nutrition is problematic. Likewise, individuals that inhabit regions that receive little sunlight and those who work indoors for long periods are also prone to deficiency, as are elderly people who lead sedentary lifestyles.

In the past, prior scientific studies have implicated hypovitaminosis D in Alzheimer’s disease, with a number of researchers suggesting its use as a biomarker of disease progression. A recent study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, entitled Low serum vitamin D concentrations in Alzheimer’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis, found there to be low serum vitamin D levels in Alzheimer’s patients, relative to controls.

Meanwhile, a study produced by Lu’o’ng and Nguyen, which explored the beneficial role of vitamin D in Alzheimer’s patients, found that its absence could trigger mood problems and cognitive impairment. They also point to evidence that links vitamin D deficiency to a number of proteins that are adversely affected in Alzheimer’s disease pathology.

Aside from neurological disease, a number of studies have linked deficiency of the vitamin to the development of cancers and cardiovascular pathologies. Osteomalacia and rickets, witnessed in adults and children, respectively, are commonly documented complications of vitamin D deficiency, causing softening and bowing of bones.

In concluding, Butterfield recommends people consult their general practitioners to determine their vitamin D levels, eat food enriched in vitamin D and get a minimum of 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure every day; he also suggests individuals prone to deficiency should ask their doctor for advice about taking vitamin D supplements.

Source: Guardian express