medical news

UAB Medicine introduces Web-based learning and continuing medical education for physicians

UAB Medicine, in collaboration with BroadcastMed, Inc. has launched MD Learning Channel, an online resource that enables medical professionals worldwide to tap into the knowledge and expertise of University of Alabama at Birmingham physicians.

The website at learnmd.uabmedicine.org offers free Web-based learning and continuing medical education for physicians and other medical professionals. It includes video presentations from UAB physicians discussing new research findings, new procedures and changes and developments in diagnosis or treatment of disease. The site primarily focuses on cancer, neurosciences, pulmonary medicine, women and infants services and cardiovascular medicine and will expand to include additional medical specialties in the future.

“UAB physicians and scientists are at the forefront of medicine, scientific research and discovery and advancement of treatments and patient-focused care,” said Physician Marketing Manager Whitney McDonald. “This site provides an easy, convenient way for UAB to help disseminate its incredible wealth of expertise to medical professionals around the world.”

McDonald says the site’s on-demand service enables physicians and medical professionals to learn as their schedule permits.

“By making the information readily available, we hope to further the mission, vision and successes of the UAB Medicine team, while sharing techniques, procedures and evidence-based care in use here to help others care for their patients,” said McDonald. “We hope that the MD Learning Channel will serve as a platform to foster many growth and development opportunities for health-care providers.”

Source: News Medical

8 Tips for Losing Weight After Pregnancy

Load Up on ‘Super Foods’, Find Time to Exercise, Consider Breastfeeding to Help Shed Excess Pounds

Now that your new baby is here, you have a lot to think about: when to feed her, what to do if she cries — and how to get rid of those extra pounds you packed on during your pregnancy.

If you started out at a normal weight and gained the 25-35 pounds your doctor probably recommended, it shouldn’t take you more than a couple of months to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight if you watch what you eat and exercise.
If, on the other hand, you were overweight before your pregnancy or you put on more weight than your doctor advised, it could take much longer — up to a year — to get the weight off. Any baby weight you don’t take off could stick with you for a long time.

“It’s very critical that you do get the weight off, because if you don’t it has been associated with overweight and obesity 15 to 20 years later in life,” says Debra Krummel, PhD, RD, endowed professor in the University of Cincinnati department of nutrition.
And although every new mom is eager to look like her old self again, one of the most important things to remember is to be patient with yourself. Your favorite celebrity might have gone straight from the delivery room into her size 0 jeans, but she may not have done it in a way that was good for her body.

“All the magazines ask, ‘How did she do it?’ The more important question is, ‘Why did she do it?'” says Melinda Johnson, MS, RD, registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association (ADA). “They do this with very, very strict diets, and a lot of them do it by getting back into activity before their body is really ready for it.”

Johnson advocates a more gradual approach to weight loss. “The number one thing new mothers have to have is a certain amount of patience with their body,” she says. “It took nine months to get there. It should take at least that long to get back to their fighting weight.”

With that in mind, here are some tips to help you lose weight after pregnancy and fit back into your old jeans — whatever their size.

Don’t diet.

It may sound strange, but going on an official “diet” could derail your post-pregnancy weight loss goals. Feeling deprived of your favorite foods while you’re already stressed out by your new role as mom could actually cause you to gain weight, Johnson says.

“If you go back to eating healthy and eating for your hunger, most women find that the weight comes off pretty naturally,” she says.

Instead of dieting, she recommends eating a well-balanced variety of foods. Keep different snacks in the house to keep you from feeling hungry and give you energy throughout the day. Apple slices, carrot sticks, and wheat crackers are all good for noshing.
Source: Web md

 

Four California students sickened with meningitis bacteria

An outbreak of disease linked to bacteria that cause meningitis has sickened four students at a major California university, prompting discussions with federal regulators about hastening approval of a new vaccine.

The students, at the University of California at Santa Barbara, were all sickened within a three-week period last month with meningococcal disease, a sometimes fatal illness that can affect the brain or the blood, according to a spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara County Department of Public Health.

The students were stricken by a form of the bacteria that does not respond to the meningitis vaccine currently approved for use in the United States, said the spokeswoman, Susan Klein-Rothschild.

A vaccine known to be effective against this form of meningitis is approved for use in Europe, and Santa Barbara public health officials were in discussions with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about using it to protect students at the California university.

The discussions come after federal officials agreed to allow Princeton University in New Jersey to administer the European vaccine, Bexsero, after eight students there were diagnosed with similar infections since March.

Meningitis, which causes the brain and spinal cord to swell, is spread through coughing and exchanges of saliva, and people living in dormitories or other crowded living quarters are especially at risk.

The most severe cases can result in death, hearing loss, brain damage, kidney disease or amputation of limbs.

In the Santa Barbara cases, one student has been permanently disabled, Klein-Rothschild said, declining to provide further details on the case, citing privacy issues.

To prevent additional cases, Santa Barbara public health officials will provide the antibiotic Cipro to students and others who may have been exposed to the bacteria. Students will also be taught to recognize and respond quickly to signs of infection, which include fever and headache.

In addition, the university is suspending social events by fraternities and sororities, saying the parties put too many students in close quarters and could cause the outbreak to spread further.

Students and faculty can also protect themselves by maintaining good hygiene and nutrition, and getting plenty of sleep during the highly stressful exam period, which begins this month, Klein-Rothschild said.

Bexsero, a new vaccine made by Swiss drugmaker Novartis, is designed to protect against serogroup B, a strain of meningitis that is not as common in the United States as it is in other parts of the world, Reynolds said.

source: Yahoo News

New data backs promise of long-acting Sanofi insulin

An improved version of Sanofi’s diabetes drug Lantus is better than the old one at controlling blood sugar levels and comes with fewer hypoglycemic events, new late-stage trial data showed on Tuesday.

The treatment is one of several drugs Sanofi is betting on to defend its No.2 spot on the world’s $42 billion diabetes market as its superstar product Lantus, the world’s most prescribed insulin, will lose patent protection by 2015.

The long-acting insulin, known as U300, requires less frequent or lower dosing than Lantus and offers a more consistent insulin release. It is similar to Novo Nordisk’s Tresiba (degludec), also in development.

Analysts expect Sanofi to seek regulatory approval for U300 in the United States and Europe next year and for the drug to reach global sales of $872 million by 2017, according to forecasts compiled by Thomson Reuters Cortellis.

The detailed Phase III results unveiled at the World Diabetes Congress in Melbourne showed U300 was better than Lantus at controlling blood sugar lows at night, a common side effect in diabetics treated with insulin.

The drug also lowered the incidence of hypoglycemic events at any time of the day across the six-month study period.

U300 met its goal in three other Phase III clinical trials, showing similar blood sugar level control as Lantus in patients with type 2 diabetes not previously treated with insulin and uncontrolled on oral medication, as well as in patients with type 1 diabetes already treated with insulin.

Lantus, also known as insulin glargine, was developed in the 1990s and is currently Sanofi’s top-selling drug. It reaped around 5 billion euros ($6.78 billion) in revenue last year.

Sanofi needs a successor for the drug and is also developing a pen-shaped device, known as LixiLan, that combines Lantus with Lyxumia, another diabetes treatment belonging to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 analogues.

The successful launch of both U300 and LixiLan could strengthen Sanofi against rival drugs such as Novo Nordisk’s Tresiba (degludec) and IDegLira, a combination of Tresiba and Victoza.

Novo Nordisk, the global leader in diabetes, faced a setback earlier this year when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked for further clinical studies for Tresiba, delaying its potential launch on the world’s largest pharmaceutical market until 2017 at the earliest.

Source: Reuters

Two in five kids don’t have right BMI: Survey

Two out of five kids in India were found not to have the right Body Mass Index (BMI) levels, according to a health and fitness survey which covered 77,669 children in 176 schools across the country.

The children were in the age group of 7-17 years from 176 schools in 68 cities and 17 states. The fitness parameters were measured over a period of 24 months.

The parameters included flexibility, lower and upper body strength, abdominal strength and BMI which evaluates a person’s body weight in proportion to the height.

“In a comparative study between boys and girls, it was found that 66 percent girls have healthy BMI scores compared to 59 percent boys. The primary causes for higher BMI are sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy eating habits and little or no play,” the report said.

It also states that high BMI is a direct indicator of the onset of obesity which can lead to several health problems including type 2 diabetes, heart ailments and high blood pleasure as early as adolescence.

The fourth edition of Edusports annual school health and fitness survey of school going children in urban India was conducted by EduSports, a school sports and physical education company.

According to the survey, children in all five regions of the country were deemed equally unfit with unhealthy BMI scores of 37 percent (central), 39 percent (east and north), 37 percent (south) and 38 percent (west).

Encouraging schools to increase their physical education periods, and proposing a structured sports programme as a solution, Saumil Majumdar, CEO and co-founder of Edusports said: “A structured sports programme is the way forward, if any change in the fitness levels of children is desired. It is disheartening to witness an unhealthy generation that is otherwise ahead of its time.”

“The alarming fitness standards that have emerged in our annual study, again prove that physical activity/sports in schools should be viewed as an important part of the curriculum for the overall development of a child,” he added.

Source; News Track India

First toll-free helpline for disabled launched

Now help is only a phone call away for people with speech and hearing disabilities in the eastern part of the country with the launch of a toll-free helpline Tuesday, the first in this region.

Ushering the International Day of People with Disability, Bengal Speech and Hearing Aid Pvt. Ltd. (BSHPL), the largest chain of clinics for hearing and speech disability patients in this part of the country, kicked-off the venture here.

“Previously the disabled were not able to access information due to lack of such measures. But now with the helpline, they can get any information they want,” said audiologist and speech language pathologist Somenath Mukherjee, managing director, BSHPL.

The Persons With Disability Act (PWD), 1995 extends equal status and opportunities for participation of people with different abilities.

However, due to a dearth of information, the speech and hearing-disabled people have not been able to exercise their rights.

“For anyone seeking any kind of help in the form of information on treatment, clinics and even information regarding the rights provided by the PWD Act of 1995, this toll-free number would come as a form of genuine assistance,” said Mukherjee.

The helpline number is 180030001620.

The relatives and friends of people with speech and hearing disability can call and enquire on their behalf.

Source: Business Standard

 

Obama launches $100 mn HIV cure initiative

President Barack Obama announced Monday the US will shift $100 million into research efforts in the next three years aimed at curing HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus).

Obama launched the HIV Cure Initiative at a White House event to mark the World AIDS Day, which was observed Sunday, Xinhua reported.

“Today I’m pleased to announce a new initiative at the National Institutes of Health to advance research into an HIV cure. We’re going to redirect 100 million dollars into this project to develop a new generation of therapies,” Obama said.

He said the US should be at the forefront of new discoveries into how to put HIV into long-term remission without requiring lifelong therapies or eliminate it completely.

According to a White House statement, although several individuals appear recently to have been cured of HIV through aggressive therapy, these approaches are “too toxic or premature to apply beyond the research setting”.

However, these cases provide clues to explore for possible new treatments and this new investment will catalyse further research into this area, and could lead to a new generation of therapies to improve outcomes for people living with HIV, the statement added.

Source: the pioneer

The Daniel plan—a new diet from the Bible

Some Christian participants say a trimmer waistline is just a side effect of a fast they do for religious reasons, but others follow ‘The Daniel Plan’ or the ‘Daniel fast’ to become healthier so they can better serve God.
Looking to slim down in the new year? Perhaps it’s time you tried the “God diet.”

Christians looking to strengthen their relationship with God and adopt a healthier lifestyle are seeking out diets and fasts inspired by the Biblical prophet Daniel.

In the Old Testament, Daniel, who was being held captive by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, decides not to follow the monarch’s diet of wine and meat. Instead, he and his companions eat nothing but vegetables and drink only water for 10 days.

Daniel 1:15 states that, at the end of the period, the men looked healthier than those who had eaten the king’s food.

“He understood God wanted him to live a healthy lifestyle so he could serve God no matter where he was located,” reads the website for Rick Warren’s official Daniel Plan. “Healthy living requires faith as the foundation, trusting that God’s way is the best way, while following his prescription for your health.”

Warren is the pastor of the Saddleback Church in Southern California. He and his mega-church advocate a long-term version of “The Daniel Plan,” which begins with giving up proceessed foods, sugar, caffeine and alcohol for 40 days, according to The Atlantic.

His version of the Daniel diet, as outlined in his forthcoming book “The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life,” eventually permits followers to eat dairy and meat.
It also has a large online community to help followers remember “the essentials,” namely faith, food, fitness, focus and friends.

Other versions of the Bible-based diet call for a 21-day fast modeled after Daniel 10:3, during which he abstained from bread, wine and meat.
This Daniel fast has been described as “a vegan diet with even more restrictions.” Participants stay away from “pleasant foods” like breads, sugars and sweets, all animal products and alcohol.

“Fasting is for spiritual purposes, and when using the Daniel Fast you will benefit physically along with the benefits to your soul and spirit,” Susan Gregory, the author of “The Daniel Cure: The Daniel Fast Way to Vibrant Health,” writes on her website.
So are these so-called “God diets” work as a way to drop some unwanted pounds?
Sarah Neumann, of Ypsilanti, Mich., told The Atlantic that she followed the diet with her church a few years ago for religious reasons, and the weight loss was a secondary effect.
“Since the experience I’ve lost a lot of weight just from learning how to have more self-control,” she said.
Registered dietician Leslie Bonci told The Atlantic that the faith element makes diets like the Daniel fast more successful.
“Everybody needs their dangling carrot,” she said. “We don’t always do ‘I just want to eat better.’ There has to be some other motivation. If that motivation is a higher power, fine.”

Source: Daily News

 

Enjoy the goodness of Fenugreek this winter

Fenugreek (methi in Hindi) is a popular winter vegetable in India. It is also used as herb and as a spice. Protein, potassium, Vitamins A, B, B3, C, and E, and phytoestrogen are some of the nutrients packed inside this plant.

1. Although women are advised not to consume it during pregnancy as it induces premature labour, it is very useful for them in general as it helps in lactation, breast enlargement, reducing menstrual pain, treating hormonal and reproductive disorders.

2. It helps in treating patients with diabetes and heart disease as it reduces the blood sugar levels and cholesterol.

3. It is also used to treat asthma, bronchitis, arthritis, skin problems, sore throats and gastrointestinal inflammation.

Source: Zee News

 

Top 5 reasons to indulge in a chocolate treat

Are you keeping a distance from indulging in your favourite chocolate treat, only because all that you are worried about is putting on those extra pounds? Surely, you are not aware of the wonders that a piece of chocolate can do to your health.

Hold on; don’t jump on to grab a bar of chocolate yet. Your favourite milk chocolate or white chocolate may not give you the desired benefits. It’s the dark chocolate, that is power packed with health benefits and when taken in moderation can actually help keep your heart healthy, improve brain power and even help maintain a slimmer figure. There are 5 Proven Reasons You Should Be Eating More Dark Chocolate. Here are the top excuses that make when indulging in a chocolate treat:

Keeps heart healthy: Dark chocolate (containing at least 60% cocoa solids) helps protect against cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and strokes.

Flavanols present in cocoa produce a chemical in the body called nitric oxide which helps relax blood vessels making it easier for blood to pass through them. Moderate consumption of dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure, “bad” LDL cholesterol and the risk of heart diseases.
Improves brain power: The antioxidants in dark chocolate help improve blood flow to the brain, thus enhancing your cognitive ability. In a study published in online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, researchers found that drinking hot chocolate did help older people keep their brains healthy and their thinking skills sharp. Helps deal with mood swings: Dealing with terrible mood swings? Bite on a chocolate.

Chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), the same chemical our brain creates when one falls in love. The magnesium content in chocolate aids relaxation; anandamide- a neurotransmitter- helps regulate mood, and phenylethylamine raises endorphin levels making you feel happier.
Helps manage weight: Unlike the popular assumption that eating chocolates can lead to weight gain, consuming dark chocolate in moderation can actually help you keep your BMI (body mass index) in check.

Chocolates boost metabolism, thus balancing out the calorie intake. Rich in fiber, it can actually help keep you full for long, so you’ll eat less. Chocolates may even reduce cravings for sweet, salty and fatty foods. May help fight diabetes: According to a study, eating dark chocolate improves the body’s ability to metabolise sugar.

The team concluded that flavanol was responsible for the effect because it neutralised potentially cell-damaging substances known as oxygen free radicals. However, commercial chocolates don’t have the same effect as they are high in calorie and fat content.

Despite all the health benefits of dark chocolates, researchers warn people to be careful about chocolate consumption. Anything in moderation would do no harm, so dig your way into the favourite dark chocolate treat.

Source: Journey Line