Asian Lite News Archive

Category: Health

  • A steady heartbeat more prone to stress

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    If you have a steady heartbeat when you worry about something that may or may not happen, you might be more susceptible to stress, says a study. According to new research from Concordia University, those who exhibit a less variable heartbeat when they started worrying were more likely to be highly stressed later on. “At…

  • Cameron offers 7-day GP services

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    Prime Minister David Cameron said if the Conservatives win the next general election, his government will provide GP services seven days a week by 2020, The prime minister has unveiled a further £100m from April 2015 for a fund set up last year to improve flexibility. Mr Cameron said: “People need to be able to see their GP…

  • NHS deserves a better treatment

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    I marched 300 miles recently because I believe in the NHS and which is the best system in the developed world. In the coming few months I hope there will be more clarity from the Labour Party on how they plan to save the NHS. They must not count on the blind faith just because…

  • Congress criticise Modi over drug pricing

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     West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Sunday attacked the Narendra Modi-led central government over its drug pricing policy and accused the BJP of spreading communalism by facilitating the RSS to get a foothold in the state. Hitting out at the central government’s decision to withdraw powers of the drug pricing authority to cap prices…

  • India staring at heart disease epidemic

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    Poor lifestyles, rich diet and little physical activity have led to an “epidemic of heart disease” in India and the only way to check this looming threat is through better awareness and preventive measures, health experts say. According to government data, the prevalence of heart failure in India due to coronary heart disease, hypertension, obesity,…

  • Why Asians have increased risk of heart disease

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    A genetic mutation that occurs predominantly among people of East Asian descent disables a common metabolic protein called ALDH2, encoded in the gene, and leads to an increased risk of heart disease and poorer outcomes after a heart attack, says a study. “It is the first time ALDH2 has been shown to play a role…

  • Hydration vital during pregnancy

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    During pregnancy most women are likely to pay more attention to living healthy and eating a healthy diet, but it is also important to keep a check on the key element during pregnancy – hydration. When pregnant or breastfeeding, a woman’s water requirements are higher than usual and that is why water is needed to…

  • S. Asians in Canada face health risk

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    South Asians, including people from India, living in Canada have a higher rate of heart disease and double the rate of diabetes compared with Caucasian people, says a study co-authored by an Indian-origin researcher. South Asians – people from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh – comprise about three percent of the Canadian population.…

  • Variation in heartbeats good

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    Researchers have devised a new way to better understand the relationship between heart rate variability (HRV) and health – a step that could enable better monitoring technologies for athletes and medical professionals. The “lub-dub” pattern of the heart that speeds up or slows down as our activity increases or decreases is not as regular. The…

  • New book about dementia

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    New book aims to spread awareness about dementia With over 40 lakh dementia patients in India, there is an urgent need to educate people on how to look after suffering family members and, in some cases, even reverse the symptoms, author Minakshi Chaudhry whose book on dementia was presented to President Pranab Mukherjee said. “A…

  • NHS facing brain drain crisis

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    Several NHS Trusts in Britain are heading for crisis and senior doctors and nurses seeking lucrative post in the Middle East and Australia The National Health Services (NHS) in Britain is facing a brain drain crisis as more and more senior doctors seeking permission to take lucrative jobs in the Middle East, Australia and New…

  • Obese people fail to recognise weight

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    If you are fat, chances are that you would underestimate the size of your kids and vice versa, says a study. People of normal weight make this mistake less often. “The failure to recognise abnormal weight occurs more often among overweight or obese mothers and children,” said lead author Tracy Paul from the Weill-Cornell Medical…

  • Long working hours bad for heart

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    The longer the work hours or overtime you put in, the higher your chances of developing coronary heart disease within 10 years, says an alarming study. Working more than a 40-hour week has already been linked to stress, dissatisfaction and compromised health. Now, new research on 8,350 Korean adults has found that it may also…

  • Eat chikoo to fight cancer

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    The sweet and succulent chikoo or Sapota fruit, a popular ingredient for desserts, could well be the answer to halt cancer from spreading, according to a study by Indian scientists. Researchers have now shown methanolic (alcoholic) extracts of the whole fruit possess certain active phytochemicals (plant-derived compounds) that can trigger a sequence of orchestrated events…

  • Daily meditation may reduce migraine

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    For those suffering from migraine attacks, daily meditation might be a good idea for instant relief. During a small study, researchers assessed the safety, feasibility and effects of a standardised meditation and yoga intervention called mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in adults with migraines. Nineteen adults were assigned to two groups with 10 receiving the MBSR…

  • India to stem health crisis

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    Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan is planning to convert health issues into community movement Health Minister Harsh Vardhan stressed upon turning health issues into a social and community movement, saying that the “power of belief” has gone a long way in taking on health challenges. “My mantra for success is to find a way to…

  • Ethnicity dictates heart disease risk

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    A man’s likelihood of accumulating fat around his heart might be better determined if doctors were to consider his race and ethnicity as well as where on his body the excess fat is deposited, new research shows. Higher volumes of fat around the heart are associated with greater risk of heart disease. “So if you…

  • People’s March to Save NHS

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    Prof. Rajan Madhok walked 300 miles along 23 cities over 22 days as a member of the People’s March to Save NHS. He is sharing his experiences with Asian Lite readers.  I, along with a group of people of all ages and all parts of the country, walked from Jarrow to London in support of the People’s…

  • Veggies prone to Vit B12 deficiency

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    Shweta Sharma says vegetarians prone to vitamin B12 deficiency Nupur De swore by a vegetarian diet which she said helped her keep “healthy and fit”. But what she did not know until recently was that such a diet could result in vitamin B12 deficiency which, health experts say, is a common condition among Indians. Thirty-two-year-old…

  • E-Cigarettes Could Save lives: Report

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    E-Cigarettes could potentially save 54,000 premature deaths  every year in the UK if all smokers switched to e-cigarettes, experts say. Researchers in London have dismissed recent health warnings over e-cigarettes as “misleading,” saying they have the potential to save tens of thousands of smokers every year. For every million British smokers who give up tobacco products…

  • Childhood obesity may cause asthma

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    It is more probable that childhood obesity contributes to asthma rather than the other way round, says a study. For years, doctors have known that there is a link between childhood obesity and asthma, but have found it difficult to determine which condition tends to come first, or whether one causes the other. “The relationship…

  • Fat belly will increase BP risk

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    People with fat around their abdominal area are at greater risk of developing hypertension (high blood pressure) when compared to those with similar body mass index (BMI) but fat concentrations elsewhere on the body, says a study. “Having centrally located fat when you look in the mirror tends to correlate with higher levels of fat…

  • Shun coffee and switch to tea

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     If you have to choose between tea or coffee, it is probably better to drink tea for its antioxidant benefits.  According to a large study, drinking tea reduces non-cardio-vascular (CV) mortality by 24 percent. “Coffee and tea are important components of our way of life. We investigated their effects on CV mortality and non-CV mortality…

  • Apollo launches eACCESS

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      Apollo Hospitals launched ‘eACCESS’, a new initiative in the delivery of critical care services. It can help a critical care team housed at a command centre to complement the physical activities that happen within an ICU and ensure that patients are monitored continuously on a 24×7 basis, the hospital management said.This initiative in collaboration with…

  • Can Ebola strike India?

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    Sreeparna Chakrabarty looks into the new threat to India Is an overcrowded India with a weak health infrastructure a sitting duck for the kind of Ebola epidemic which has struck four West African countries? Yes, feel medical experts in both the government and the private sector. Ebola has so far claimed nearly 1,500 lives in the…

  • WHO snubs e-cigarettes

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    The World Health Organisation (WHO) says there should a ban on the use of e-cigarettes indoors and that sales to children should stop, BBC reported. In a report the health body says there should be no claims that the devices can help people quit smoking – until there is evidence to support this. WHO experts…

  • UK unveils organ donor scheme

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    NEW UK STRATEGY TO MATCH WORLD CLASS PERFORMANCE IN LIVING DONOR KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION  A new strategy to achieve world class performance in living kidney donation – Living Donor Kidney Transplantation 2020 – a UK Strategy – is launched.  It sets the agenda for increasing living donor transplants, from 18 transplants per million population to 26 transplants per million population.. The…

  • Men too prone to breast cancer

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    Shweta Sharma says men are too prone to breast cancer Last November, Kunal Makhija (name changed) noticed a small swelling in his left breast. The swelling, which appeared as a “painless lump”, gradually increased in size within four months and was soon diagnosed as breast cancer – a disease more common among women. Though rare, incidents…

  • Obesity sparks 10 types of cancers

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    Obesity puts people at greater risk of developing 10 of the most common cancers, according to research in the Lancet medical journal. Scientists calculated individuals carrying this extra weight could contribute to more than 12,000 cases of cancer in the UK population every year. They warn if obesity levels continue to rise there may be…

  • Erosion of NHS values

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    Prof. Rajan Madhok says the NHS’s current arrangements for delivering race equality have been found seriously wanting. Best practice needs to be implemented in appointments, education, rewards and discipline April was one of the most eventful months of my professional life in the NHS. We had a judicial review case that the British Association of Physicians…

  • INTERVIEW: AIIMS Director M.C. Misra

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    MC Mishra tells Rupsh Dutta that AIIMS to have new OPD, mother-child care center soon Aimed at providing better health facilities to the thousands of patients who flock to AIIMS every day, the premier health institution soon plans to set up a new 400-bed mother-and-child centre with upgrated facilities, along with a 200-bed surgical centre…

  • Ebola arrives in Europe

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    Ebola outbreak reaches the European shores as the first case was confirmed in Spain.  Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said the crisis gripping Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone would only get worse and warned there was no overarching strategy to handle the world’s worst outbreak of the disease. Spain has been preparing to accept Europe’s first…

  • Everybody benefits from Pilates

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    We all have health issues, and more so, when you reach a stage where you hesitate to disclose your age to either friends or colleagues. Health experts across the globe keep insisting on eating the right kind of food, body posture and sleeping pattern. Anjana Parikh speaks to Nisha Srivastava, a certified Pilates instructor, about…

  • Health myths

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    From drinking eight glasses of water everyday to eating food before going to bed helps in storing fat are some of the health guidelines that doctors suggest time and again, but experts bust such health and body myths that has been the part of our lifestyle since ages.Experts at Nature’s Best nutrition, an online bodybuilding…

  • BRAVE RIYA INSPIRES ASIAN DONORS

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    ‘I’ve always wanted to join medical school to become a lifesaver but here I am instead fighting, every day, to save my own life’. An appeal to find a lifesaving bone marrow donor for 21 year old Riya Dandekar has inspired a surge of support from Asians living in Birmingham. On the 10th March 2014,…

  • NHS chief asks staff to shed weight

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    Overweight doctors and nurses would be told to slim down to set a good example to patients under plans being considered by the NHS, the Guardian reported. Burgers and chips in hospital canteens would be swapped for healthier options and staff would take part in weight loss competitions, the NHS England chief executive, Simon Stevens,…

  • ‘Five Portions’ to lower death risk

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    Five daily portions of fruit, vegetables lower death risk Add a substantial amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet – at least five portions – and live your life disease free. According to a new study, higher consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of mortality from all causes, particularly…

  • What makes you a pessimist?

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    Cannot see thing turning out to be all right? A hyperactive habenula, half the size of a pea in the brain that tracks predictions about negative events, could be the key, a study suggests. A hyperactive habenula could cause people to make disproportionately negative predictions, the study suggests. Brain scans from 23 healthy volunteers showed…

  • Big B to join Kick the Butt

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    After polio, Big B open to associate with anti-tobacco campaign Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who has been long associated with campaigns for polio eradication in India, won’t mind working on anti-tobacco projects too. The “Bhoothnath Returns” star has been actively campaigning for polio eradication since 2002 and was appointed a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador with a focus…

  • ‘I hate my tummy’

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    Stomach most hated body part: ResearchStomachs have been voted the most hated part of the body by the British, followed by love handles and bingo wings, according to new research by non-surgical treatment clinic, CosmeDocs. When it comes to their worst features, almost a third of Britons voted for their stomachs, followed by the dreaded…

  • Tips for childhood cancer survivors

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    Healthy lifestyle key for childhood cancer survivors Following a healthy lifestyle may lower childhood cancer survivors’ risk of developing the metabolic syndrome, says a study. Adults who had cancer as children are known to be at increased risk for the metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that increases the likelihood of developing heart disease…

  • Drink tea to keep slim

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    Drinking tea can be beneficial mentally, emotionally, socially and physically. Scientific research testifies to the health benefits of all kinds of tea, which not only help with beauty factors but also weight loss and hydration of skin, reports femalefirst.co.uk. Experts at the Tea Advisory Panel (TAP), which provides objective information about tea, have enlisted the…

  • NHS trusts in doldrums

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    Nineteen NHS trusts have been referred to ministers after auditors raised concerns about their financial health, BBC reported. The 19 trusts are: Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust; Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust; Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust; George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust; Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust;…

  • RPS elects Ash Soni as president

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    Mr Ashok ‘Ash’ Soni OBE FRPharmS was elected President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society  by members of the RPS Assembly. Mr Sultan Dajani MRPharmS was re-elected as Treasurer. Commenting on his election, Ash Soni said: “This is a hugely exciting time for the profession with many changes and innovations underway. The RPS is the champion…

  • Dr Bhugra to chair Mental Health forum

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    Dr Dinesh Bhugra, who has served as Chair of the Mental Health Foundation for three years, has been appointed President of the Foundation , replacing Sir William Utting. Dr Bhugra, who is Professor of Mental Health and Cultural Diversity and Honorary Consultant at the Maudsley, said: ‘I am delighted to be taking up the position of President…

  • Meat scandal hits more cities

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    A suspect meat scandal in China engulfed Starbucks and Burger King on Tuesday and spread to Japan where McDonald’s said a Chinese supplier accused of selling expired beef and chicken had provided 20% of the meat in its chicken nuggets, The Guardian reported. As Chinese authorities expanded their investigation of the Shanghai-based company Husi Food,…

  • Heart attacks kill younger women faster

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    Aakriti Gupta, an Indian-origin researcher at the Yale School of Medicine, has found that women have longer hospital stays and are more likely than men to die in the hospital after a heart attack. “Younger women are a vulnerable yet understudied group with worse cardiac risk profiles and worse outcomes after a heart attack as…

  • Encephalitis toll in Bengal crosses 50

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    With six more people dying of encephalitis here since Saturday night, the vector-borne disease has claimed altogether 51 lives in northern West Bengal over the past 18 days, health officials said Sunday. Six patients admitted to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) died between Saturday night and Sunday evening, the facility’s assistant Superintendent…

  • Daily aspirin may not benefit all

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    A daily low-dose aspirin is widely prescribed to prevent cardiovascular disease. Now, a new study claims that gene variations in some individuals may modify the cardiovascular benefits of aspirin, leading to slightly harmful effects. According to researchers, a common genetic variation in the gene for catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) may alter aspirin’s benefit. COMT is a key…

  • How marijuana shrinks tumours

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    Marijuana’s success in shrinking tumours has remained a mystery till now. Researchers have now revealed the existence of previously unknown signalling platforms which are behind the drug’s success in arresting tumour growth. The main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis could reduce tumour, the researchers noted. They found that two cell receptors in particular were responsible for…