Americans less healthy than others

WASHINGTON: Americans are in worse health, die earlier and suffer from more disease than residents of other wealthy nations, according to a new study out Wednesday.

The disadvantage spans all ages from birth to 75, said the report, conducted jointly by the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine.

Some details were surprising: even wealthier Americans and those with health insurance were not as healthy as counterparts in other prosperous nations, it found.

"We were struck by the gravity of these findings," said Steven Woolf, professor of family medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and chair of the panel that wrote the report.

"Americans are dying and suffering at rates that we know are unnecessary because people in other high-income countries are living longer lives and enjoying better health. What concerns our panel is why, for decades, we have been slipping behind," Woolf stressed.

The report is the first of its kind to look at a range of illnesses, injuries and behaviors of people of all ages in the United States to run a comparison with counterparts in rich countries such as Australia, Canada, Japan and several countries in western Europe.

Among the countries studied, the United States was in last place or close to last in nine key benchmark areas.

They were: infant mortality and low birth weight; injuries and homicides; teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections; prevalence of HIV and AIDS; drug-related deaths; obesity and diabetes; heart disease; chronic lung disease; and disability.

Many of the health problems disproportionately plague children, the report found.

The United States has the highest infant mortality among rich countries despite the fact that it spends more on health care than any other country.

The report urges authorities to step up efforts to identify and pursue national health goals.

US President Barack Obama's landmark overhaul of the health care system, which aims to provide insurance to the majority of those currently without, is due to come into force next year after being upheld by the Supreme Court. (AFP)

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US regulators approve new TB drug

WASHINGTON: US health regulators said Monday they had licensed a new treatment for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis -- the first such federal approval aimed at tackling the deadly disease in 40 years.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it was approving the drug, named Sirturo, as an alternative treatment for adults suffering from TB when two more powerful medications that are available, isoniazid and rifampicin, do not work.

But the regulator cautioned that the new drug should be used sparingly.

"Sirturo provides much-needed treatment for patients who have don't have other therapeutic options available," announced Edward Cox of the Office of Antimicrobial Products in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

"However, because the drug also carries some significant risks, doctors should make sure they use it appropriately and only in patients who don't have other treatment options."

TB is an infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is one of the world's deadliest diseases. It is spread from person to person through the air and usually affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body such as the brain and kidneys.

Nearly nine million people around the world had TB in 2011, including more than 400,000 suffering from a multidrug resistant form of the disease, according to the World Health Organization.

The FDA said Sirturo will carry a boxed warning to alert patients and health professionals that the drug can affect the heart's electrical activity, which could lead to an abnormal and potentially fatal heart rhythm.

The warning also noted deaths in patients treated with Sirturo and that nine patients who received Sirturo died -- compared with two patients who received a placebo.

Sirturo's manufacturer, Janssen Therapeutics, based in the US state of New Jersey, will distribute the drug from a single source and provide advisory literature to help ensure the new product is used appropriately, the FDA said.

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Space travel can accelerate Alzheimer

WASHINGTON: Long journeys into deep space, including a mission to Mars, could expose astronauts to levels of cosmic radiation harmful to the brain and accelerate Alzheimer's disease, said US research Monday.

The NASA-funded study involved bombarding mice with varied radiation doses, including levels comparable to what voyagers would experience during a mission to Mars, and seeing how the animals managed to recall objects or locations.

Mice that were exposed to radiation were far more likely to fail those tasks -- suggesting neurological impairment earlier than such symptoms typically appear.

"Galactic cosmic radiation poses a significant threat to future astronauts," said Michael O'Banion, a professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center and senior author of the study published in scientific journal Plos One.

"This study shows for the first time that exposure to radiation levels equivalent to a mission to Mars could produce cognitive problems and speed up changes in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer's disease."

NASA is planning manned missions to a distant asteroid in 2021 and to Mars in 2035. A round trip to the Red Planet could take as long as three years.

While space is filled with radiation, Earth's magnetic field generally protects the planet and people in a low earth orbit from such particles. But once astronauts leave orbit they are exposed to a shower of various radiation.

Over the past 25 years, NASA has funded research to determine the potential health risks of space travel, aiming to develop countermeasures and determine whether or not the risks might imperil extended manned missions to deep space.

Several previous studies have shown the potential cancer, cardiovascular, and musculoskeletal impact of galactic cosmic radiation.

But the University of Rochester study examined the potential impact of space radiation on neurodegeneration, and in particular the biological processes in the brain that contribute to the development of Alzheimer's.

The brains of the mice also showed signs of vascular alterations and a greater than normal accumulation of beta amyloid, the protein "plaque" that accumulates in the brain and is one of the hallmarks of the disease.

"These findings clearly suggest that exposure to radiation in space has the potential to accelerate the development of Alzheimer's disease," said O'Banion.

"This is yet another factor that NASA, which is clearly concerned about the health risks to its astronauts, will need to take into account as it plans future missions."

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US regulators approve new TB drug

WASHINGTON: US health regulators said Monday they had licensed a new treatment for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis -- the first such federal approval aimed at tackling the deadly disease in 40 years.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it was approving the drug, named Sirturo, as an alternative treatment for adults suffering from TB when two more powerful medications that are available, isoniazid and rifampicin, do not work.

But the regulator cautioned that the new drug should be used sparingly.

"Sirturo provides much-needed treatment for patients who have don't have other therapeutic options available," announced Edward Cox of the Office of Antimicrobial Products in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

"However, because the drug also carries some significant risks, doctors should make sure they use it appropriately and only in patients who don't have other treatment options."

TB is an infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is one of the world's deadliest diseases. It is spread from person to person through the air and usually affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body such as the brain and kidneys.

Nearly nine million people around the world had TB in 2011, including more than 400,000 suffering from a multidrug resistant form of the disease, according to the World Health Organization.

The FDA said Sirturo will carry a boxed warning to alert patients and health professionals that the drug can affect the heart's electrical activity, which could lead to an abnormal and potentially fatal heart rhythm.

The warning also noted deaths in patients treated with Sirturo and that nine patients who received Sirturo died -- compared with two patients who received a placebo.

Sirturo's manufacturer, Janssen Therapeutics, based in the US state of New Jersey, will distribute the drug from a single source and provide advisory literature to help ensure the new product is used appropriately, the FDA said.

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Identifying pinkeye

Conjunctivitis is an eye infection commonly called pinkeye. It’s very common and is spread easily.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says common symptoms of conjunctivitis include:

Today’s Health Tips

* Swelling and reddening of the whites of the eyes.

* Increased tear production.

* Discharge from the eyes that may be white, green or yellow.

* Eyes that burn, itch or feel sensitive to light.

* A gritty sensation in the eye.

* Crust development on the eyelids or lashes.

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Get heart healthy

If you want to improve your heart health, it may require a long-term commitment to changing your lifestyle.

The American Heart Association offers these heart-healthy suggestions:

Today’s Health Tips

* Replace your bad habits with healthier habits.

* Creating new habits takes time, possibly as long as 90 days.

* Create several small, short-term goals out of one big one.

* Be accountable to a friend you trust.

* Let yourself indulge every once in a while.

* Replace TV with daily exercise.

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Shrink jailed after patient kills oldman

MARSEILLES: A French psychiatrist whose patient hacked an elderly man to death was found guilty of manslaughter on Tuesday in a groundbreaking case that could affect the way patients are treated.

A court in Marseilles said Daniele Canarelli, 58, had committed a "grave error" by failing to recognize the public danger posed by Joel Gaillard, her patient of four years.

Gaillard hacked to death 80-year-old Germain Trabuc with an axe in March 2004 in Gap, in the Alps region of southeastern France, 20 days after fleeing a consultation with Canarelli at Marseilles's Edouard Toulouse hospital.

Canarelli was handed a one-year prison sentence and ordered to pay 8,500 euros to the victim's children, in the first case of its kind in France. Defense lawyers said the ruling would have serious repercussions for treatment of the mentally ill.

"If a psychiatrist lives in fear of being sentenced, it will have very real consequences and probably lead to harsher treatment of patients," said Canarelli's lawyer, Sylvain Pontier.

The court said Canarelli should have requested Gaillard be placed in a specialized medical unit or referred him to another medical team, as one of her colleagues suggested. Her stubborn refusal had equated to a form of "blindness", the court president Fabrice Castoldi said.

Gaillard had already been forcibly committed to a secure hospital on several occasions for a series of increasingly dangerous incidents.

The victim's son, Michel Trabuc, said he hoped the case would set a legal precedent.

"There's no such thing as zero risk, but I hope this will move psychiatry forward and, above all, that it will never happen again," he said.

Gaillard was not held responsible for his actions and was freed under medical supervision.

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Diet, exercise can help control diabetes

NEW YORK: One in nine people with diabetes saw their blood sugar levels dip back to a normal or "pre-diabetes" level after a year on an intensive diet and exercise program, in a new study.

Complete remission of type 2 diabetes is still very rare, researchers said. But they added that the new study can give people with the disease hope that through lifestyle changes, they could end up getting off medication and likely lowering their risk of diabetes-related complications.

"Kind of a long-term assumption really is that once you have diabetes there's no turning back on it, and there's no remission or cure," said Edward Gregg, the lead author on the report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The research, he told Reuters Health, "is a reminder that adopting a healthy diet, physically-active lifestyle and reducing and maintaining a healthy weight is going to help manage people's diabetes better."

His team's study can't prove the experimental program - which included weekly group and individual counseling for six months, followed by less frequent visits - was directly responsible for blood sugar improvements.

The original goal of the research was to look at whether that intervention lowered participants' risk of heart disease (so far, it hasn't).

But the diabetes improvements are in line with better weight loss and fitness among people in the program versus those in a comparison group who only went to a few annual counseling sessions, Gregg's team reported Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

IS IT COST-EFFECTIVE?

About eight percent of people in the United States have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. The new study included 4,503 of them who were also overweight or obese.

People randomly assigned to the intensive program had diet and exercise counseling with a goal of cutting eating and drinking back to 1200 to 1800 calories per day and increasing physical activity to just under three hours per week.

After one year, 11.5 percent of them had at least partial diabetes remission, meaning that without medication their blood sugar levels were no longer above the diabetes threshold. That compared to just two percent of participants in the non-intervention group who saw their diabetes improve significantly.

People who'd had diabetes for fewer years were more likely to have blood sugar improvements, as were those who lost more weight or had stronger fitness gains during the study.

However, less than one-third of people whose diabetes went into remission during the program managed to keep their blood sugar levels down for at least four years, the researchers found.

"Clearly lifestyle intervention is good for people with diabetes," said Dr. John Buse, a diabetes researcher from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.

"The question is how cost-effective is it, what are the long-term consequences (and) how would it really compare with alternative approaches like bariatric surgery and drug therapy?" Buse, who wasn't involved in the new study, told Reuters Health.

Dr. David Arterburn, from Group Health Research Institute in Seattle, said some studies of weight-loss surgery, for instance, have found two-thirds of people who start out with diabetes have complete remission.

Arterburn, who co-wrote an editorial published with the new study, said anyone with diabetes - or at high risk - should consider either lifestyle interventions or surgery, if they're eligible, to reduce future health risks.

Gregg said his team was working on a cost-analysis of the current program, but that it was fairly "resource-intensive."

"If people have access to the support to make these sorts of changes, they may have the benefits that we've seen here," he said. But, "What we should remember is that more modest changes in lifestyle are also effective."

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If you wake with neck pain

If you wake up most mornings with pain in the neck, it may be time to evaluate your pillow.
The Harvard Medical School suggests how to improve your position during sleep, and how to choose the right pillow:

Today’s Health Tips

* Opt for a soft down pillow, but be sure to replace about once annually.

* Consider using a memory foam pillow that will mold to the shape of your neck.

* Make sure your pillow isn’t too high or too stiff.

* If your pillow is flat, use a higher pillow under your neck for more support.

* Use a properly fitted horseshoe-shaped pillow if you’re resting in a car, train or plane.

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Some foods risk genetic colon cancer

NEW YORK: Among people who have a genetic susceptibility to colon cancer, those whose diets are heavy in junk food have an even higher risk, according to a new study.

"These patients have this very high risk because of this (genetic) mutation they have, but it might be that they could reduce the number of (tumors) by having a more healthy lifestyle," said Akke Botma, the lead author of the study.

Botma's study is just the first to find a link between certain foods and a higher colon cancer risk in this group, and it can't prove that the diet is to blame.

All of the people in the study had Lynch syndrome, a genetic disorder that predisposes people to cancer at younger ages and that affects up to one in 660 people.

In Western countries, colorectal and endometrial cancers are the dominant cancers to turn up in people with the syndrome, while in Asia it's mostly stomach cancer, Botma said.

Up to 70 percent of people with Lynch syndrome will develop colon cancer. Among people without Lynch syndrome, such cancers are thought to be influenced by diet, particularly alcohol and red and processed meat, the authors note in their study, published in the journal Cancer.

Botma and her colleagues at Wageningen University in the Netherlands contacted 486 people with Lynch syndrome from a national database of families with inherited risks for cancer.

At the beginning of the study they surveyed the participants about what they ate, and they ranked each person on whether he ate low, medium or high amounts of foods within four dietary categories.

The food groups included one that was dominated by fruits, vegetables and whole grains; another that was high in meat and coffee; a third dietary group that resembled a Mediterranean diet - fish, leafy greens, pasta, sauces and wine; and a fourth group that was heavy on fried snacks, fast food and diet soda.

Botma and her colleagues found that, over 20 months of follow up, 56 of the participants -- or 12 percent -- screened positive for tumors in the colon, a precursor to cancer.

Of the four dietary groupings, only the junk food category showed any link with a different risk for developing colon tumors.

Of the 160 people who scored low on the junk food diet, 17 developed tumors, while 18 out of the 160 people who ate the most junk food developed tumors.

The numbers initially seemed similar, but after taking into account smoking and other risk factors, the researchers determined that those in the high junk food group were twice as likely to develop colon tumors.

HOW TO MANAGE RISKS?

"It's hard to say why" junk food is linked with a greater risk for these tumors, said Dr. Mala Pande, an instructor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston who was not involved in the research.

She said some researchers have suggested that high fat might have something to do with it, but it's impossible to conclude that from this study.

Although the findings are too preliminary to be used in making dietary recommendations to people with Lynch Syndrome, the study was valuable in launching research into the possible role of certain foods on cancer risk, said Christopher Amos, a professor at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College.

"People with Lynch Syndrome are at higher risk, and we'd really like to know how to manage their risks better," Amos, who was not part of the study, told Reuters Health.

Certain foods have been shown to be linked with different types of cancer, but many of those studies contradict each other and sow confusion.

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Getting a tattoo?

Tattoos may be popular forms of body art and expression, but they pose a number of potential health problems, the US Food and Drug Administration says.

Here’s the agency’s list of potential tattoo risks:

Today’s Health Tips

* An infection from a dirty needle.

* An allergic reaction to inks used.

* Development of scar tissue.

* Formation of granulomas (bumps) near the tattoo.

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We live longer, with more illness: study

LONDON: The world has made huge progress fighting killer infectious diseases, but as a result we now lead longer and sicker lives, with health problems that cause us years of pain, disability and mental distress.

This "devastating irony", as researchers describe it, is the main conclusion of a five-year study that forms the most comprehensive assessment of global health in the history of medicine, according to the journal publishing the research.

The Global Burden of Disease study, led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at Washington University, finds that countries face a wave of financial and social costs from rising numbers of people living with disease and injury.

Among other findings are that while malnutrition has dropped down the rankings as a cause of death and illness, the effects of excessive eating are taking its place. Smoking and alcohol use have also overtaken child hunger to become the second and third leading health risks, behind high blood pressure.

Over three million deaths globally were attributable in 2010 to excess body weight, more than three times as many as malnutrition.

"We've gone from a world 20 years ago where people weren't getting enough to eat to a world now where too much food and unhealthy food - even in developing countries - is making us sick," said Majid Ezzati of Imperial College London, one of the lead researchers.

However, the major health problems now are diseases and conditions that don't kill, but make us ill. We now live longer with more health problems that cause pain, impair mobility, and prevent us seeing, hearing and thinking clearly.

"Very few people are walking around with perfect health, and as people age, they accumulate health conditions," said Christopher Murray, the IHME's director. "This means we should recalibrate what life will be like for us in our 70s and 80s. It also has profound implications for health systems as they set priorities."

The study, as the largest systematic effort to quantify world health levels and trends, involved more than 480 researchers from 302 institutions and 50 countries. It was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and published as seven papers in The Lancet medical journal on Thursday.

Experts compared the study's scope and importance for future health and medical research with the vast project to map the human genome in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

"It's that kind of order of magnitude that we're talking about here," said Peter Piot, a professor of public health and director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

"This is the most comprehensive assessment of human health in the history of medicine," Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet, told reporters. "(It) provides the foundation for an urgent review of current priorities in health."

The research found that of 52.8 million deaths globally in 2010, chronic diseases took the highest tolls. About 12.9 million deaths were due to stroke and heart disease - conditions exacerbated by eating and drinking too much, smoking and taking too little exercise - and eight million were from cancer.

HIV/AIDS killed 1.5 million people in 2010, and tuberculosis, another infectious disease, killed 1.2 million.

While child mortality has decreased, there has also been a startling 44 percent increase in the number of deaths among adults aged 15 to 49 between 1970 and 2010. This is partly because of increases in violence such as homicide and traffic accidents and the AIDS epidemic, the researchers said. (Reuters)

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C-section babies may become overweight

NEW YORK: Children born via cesarean section are slightly more likely than babies delivered vaginally to become heavy or obese, according to a new review of studies.

The results don't prove that c-sections cause kids to put on weight, but Dr. Jianmeng Liu, one of the authors of the study and a professor at Peking University Health Science Center in China, said the link between the delivery and obesity is important to keep in mind.

"The potential health burden of obesity and other diseases associated with c-section births should not be neglected, even if its impact is modest, particularly given" how often births happen that way, Liu told Reuters Health in an email.

Previous research has tied c-sections to a variety of untoward health outcomes in children, including asthma, allergies and diabetes (see Reuters Health reports of February 5, 2009 here: reut.rs/js7tcW and September 18, 2008 here: reut.rs/m5Kpji).

Liu said that the relationship between the type of delivery and obesity among kids hasn't been as clear (see Reuters Health reports of January 30, 2012 here: reut.rs/xxjBgo and May 12, 2011 here: reut.rs/mv2kS5).

The research team collected the results from nine studies that included more than 200,000 people.

People were 33 percent more likely to be overweight or obese if they were born by c-section, researchers report in the International Journal of Obesity.

Nearly 70 percent of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese. A 33 percent increase from that number would mean that 93 percent would be heavy.

The risk for childhood obesity in particular was somewhat higher - about a 40 percent increase over kids born vaginally.

Nearly one in five kids aged six to 11 is obese in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Liu said the increase in risk was modest, but that it persists into adulthood. When the researchers looked just at the studies on adults, they found that those who were born surgically were 50 percent more likely to be obese than those who were born vaginally.

WHY THE LINK?

It's not clear why c-section births are tied to a better chance of being heavy.

One possibility relates to the bacteria babies are exposed to when they are delivered vaginally, which might affect the way they process and store food, said Liu.

Additionally, Liu added, researchers have suggested that c-sections are linked with a lower concentration in the umbilical cord of a hormone important in regulating weight and with a reduced rate of breastfeeding, "both of which are reported to be associated with an increased risk of later obesity."

Babies who are larger than normal are also more likely to be born via cesarean, but most of the studies Liu's team analyzed took into account birth weight.

Cesareans have become increasingly popular, and in the U.S. now one in four babies is born through a c-section.

Liu said there's been concern that some of these are unnecessary, and given the potential negative impacts on children the unneeded ones should be curbed.

"In clinical practice, (the) potential adverse impact of c-section should be considered by medical staff, and non-medically indicated elective c-section should be somewhat avoided, where possible," Liu said. (Reuters)

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Docs defeat leukemia with modified HIV

NEW YORK: US doctors say they have saved a seven-year-old girl who was close to dying from leukemia by pioneering the use of an unlikely ally: a modified form of the HIV virus.

After fighting her disease with chemotherapy for almost two years and suffering two relapses, the young girl "faced grim prospects," doctors at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia said.

So in February this year they agreed to take her on in an experimental program that fought fire with fire.

Helped by a genetically altered HIV virus -- stripped of its devastating properties that cause AIDS -- doctors turned the girl's own immune cells into a superior force able to rout the "aggressive" leukemia.

Emily Whitehead was the first child and is one of only a handful of people in total to be given what's officially known as CTL019 therapy. The hospital stressed this could not yet be called "a magic bullet."

However in her case at least the success was dramatic.

First, millions of the girl's natural immune system cells were removed. Then the modified HIV virus was used to carry in a new gene that would boost the immune cells and help them spot, then attack cancer cells that had previously been able to sneak in "under the radar," the hospital said on its website.

Finally the rebooted immune cells were sent back in to do their work.

"The researchers have created a guided missile that locks in on and kills B cells, thereby attacking B-cell leukemia," the hospital said.

Pediatric oncologist Stephan Grupp, who cared for the girl, explained Tuesday that there was never any danger of AIDS during the process.

"The way we get the new gene into the T cells (immune cells) is by using a virus. This virus was developed from the HIV virus, however all of the parts of the HIV virus that can cause disease are removed," he said in an email.

"It is impossible to catch HIV or any other infection. What's left is the property of the HIV virus that allows it to put new genes into cells."

During the treatment, Emily became very ill and went into the intensive care unit, underlining how risky the procedure can be. However, drugs that partly block the immune reaction were administered, without interfering with the anti-leukemia action, and she recovered, the hospital said.

The result was "complete" and best of all, the doctors say, the boosted immune shield continues "to remain in the patient's body to protect against a recurrence of the cancer."

"She has no leukemia in her body for any test that we can do -- even the most sensitive tests," Grupp told ABC television. "We need to see that the remission goes on for a couple of years before we think about whether she is cured or not. It is too soon to say."

Emily's parents Kari and Tom told the hospital that the success of the operation has changed their world. Instead of chemotherapy that made the girl lose all her hair, she is now back in school, walking her dog Lucy and playing soccer. "T cell therapy was really the only option left for Emily," Tom said.

Grupp said on the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia website that cell therapies might eventually replace the more costly, painful bone marrow transplant treatment, a standard last-ditch defense against cancer.

"I've been meeting with families to discuss bone marrow transplant for 20 years," he said.

"In almost every meeting, I say that bone marrow transplant is very hard and that if we had an alternative for children at that point in treatment, I would be delighted to put myself out of business. And for the first time, we're seeing how that might actually happen." (AFP)

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Treating bronchitis

Bronchitis is a viral or bacterial infection that causes inflammation of the bronchial tubes, making breathing more difficult.

The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute recommends these steps to help cope with bronchitis:

Today’s Health Tips

* Get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids.

* Adults may want to take aspirin for fever; acetaminophen (never aspirin) for children.

* If your doctor suspects you have a bacterial infection, he or she may prescribe an antibiotic. An antibiotic will not help a viral infection, the most common cause of bronchitis.

* Run a humidifier or sit in a steamy bathroom to help open the airways.

* If your doctor approves, take a medication to control cough and inflammation.

* Avoid exposure to things that irritate your lungs, especially tobacco smoke.

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Enlist a dietician

If you’re having trouble making healthy food choices or getting to your ideal weight, a registered dietitian can help.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says a dietician can:

Today’s Health Tips

* Create a tailored eating plan and offer advice that fits your needs.

* Assist in managing a chronic condition, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

* Assist in managing food allergies and intolerances.

* Work with you to create a safe and effective long-term plan to lose weight.

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Handling food during pregnancy

Women are more susceptible during pregnancy to food-borne illness, which also can harm the unborn baby, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says.

The academy offers these food safety suggestions for pregnant women:

Today’s Health Tips

* Wash your hands frequently.

* Make sure you keep raw meat separate from ready-to-eat foods.

* Always cook food thoroughly until it reaches the appropriate temperature.

* Quickly refrigerate any leftovers to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.

* Avoid potentially risky foods, such as raw or undercooked eggs or meat, unpasteurised milk and raw fish.

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Why eat lean meat?

Meats are good source of complete protein, the University of Michigan Health System says. But eating meat loaded with fat can negate any of the nutritional benefits.

That’s why it’s important to choose leaner cuts, the health system says, citing these beneficial results:

Today’s Health Tips

* They’re loaded with complete protein.

* They’re rich in iron.

* They’re a good source of B vitamins, particularly B12.

* They contain less saturated fat than higher-fat cuts of meat.

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Shoes too tight?

You’re not doing your feet any favours by wearing shoes that are too small.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says shoes that are too tight may lead to these medical problems:

Todya’s Health Tips

* Bunions or hammertoes.

* Corns.

* Toes that cross over each other.

* Ingrown toenails.

* Complications from diabetes that you may not feel due to poor sensation in the feet. These problems may include blisters or sores that can trigger serious infections.

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High BP, sugar, unhealthy food among major causes of heart diseases: experts

MKRMS seminar
LAHORE: Health experts term sugar, smoking, unhealthy food, environment change and other environmental hazards as major causes of heart diseases while a lack of sufficient allocation of resources by the government are contributing to the rapid spread of such diseases in the country.

“Prevention is the best remedy against the heart diseases, which otherwise are enormously increasing in Pakistan,” observed medical experts while speaking at a seminar on “Increasing rate of heart diseases - causes and prevention” organised by the Mir Khalilur Rahman Memorial Society at a local hotel.

Prof Dr Nadeem Hayat Malik said cardiac diseases had turned into an epidemic, which had been affecting the elderly and young alike. He termed heart diseases more dangerous than dengue and other diseases. He believed that lifestyle of the people had transformed dramatically during the last 60 years and food full of carbohydrates replaced the simple meals while inactivity had increased due to technology which had contributed to an increase in heart diseases in the country.

“The ratio of heart diseases in developing countries, including Pakistan, is the highest in the world,” he said.

He said that presently, every fourth person was suffering from complications of narrow arteries, which might cause heart attack any time. He said rapid urbanization had also caused an increase in heart diseases as the people experienced sudden change in environment and their lifestyle. Besides, the people were forced to take adulterated food due to lack of government’s check on provision of food to the public. Cigarettes were cheaper than medicines, he added, adding that the people’s lack of ability to bear the cost of treatment was also a major social and economic problem, which was not helping in the control of heart diseases at all. He said the ratio of heart diseases had witnessed a 40 percent decrease in the developed countries since 1970, which had made it possible through healthcare facilities and treatment services. However, proper control over risk factors could prevent 80 percent chances of contracting the heart disease.

“An early diagnosis helps in better treatment of heart diseases,” he said, adding that symptoms of heart diseases, included interruption in breathing, pain in lower jaw, stomach and chest, heavy sweat, pale complexion, etc. He said that hospitalisation within one hour of heart attack enhanced chances of a survival by up to 80 percent.

Prof Dr Azizur Rehman said the prevalence of heart diseases was increasing in Pakistan which was affecting the young as well.

“The trend of less food and heavy physical exertion has reversed in our part of the world during the past few decades which are causing heart and other diseases,” he said, adding that every diabetic would also suffer from heart disease sooner or later. However, he said, control of sugar and blood pressure, abstinence in food intake, regular exercise and use of medicines as prescribed by the physician could help control a lot of complications of heart ailments.

Dr Amber Malik said the ratio of deaths due to heart diseases was high in women, adding that blockage of arteries for 20 minutes resulted in heart attack. She said that according to a study, 67 percent women remained unaware of their ailment, adding that the chances of heart diseases increased with the growing age in women.

“Obesity is also a major factor of heart diseases, which needed to be treated seriously to avoid them,” she added.Prof Dr Aizaz Ahmad Mand said that kidney diseases also affected the heart, therefore, kidney diseases should also be controlled among the people.

“Up to 12 percent people in Pakistan are suffering from kidney diseases,” he said and added that some diseases were not diagnosed at initial stages as most of the symptoms were outside kidneys. He said that there was need to get proper treatment of kidney diseases which affected every organ in the body.

“Excessive intake of painkillers also affected kidneys,” he added.Dr Farzeen stressed the need to save the younger generation from the fast food mania and bring them back to homemade food to avoid heart and other diseases, adding that brown sugar, canola oil, olive oil, etc., should be used. Dr Arshad Humayun, Dr Daniyal Nagi, Sabir Ghauri and others also spoke on the occasion. MKRMS Chairman Wasif Nagi hosted the seminar while Kashan Haider, Ali Imran and Shahzad Rauf assisted him.

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