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Mobile Phones can Now Screen Water for Mercury Contamination

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You can now check whether water has been contaminated with mercury with the help of your mobile phone after researchers at University of Burgos in Spain manufactured a sheet that can change color in mercury-contaminated water. The amount of contamination can be found out by photographing the sheet with a mobile phone. Mercury contamination is a problem that is particularly affecting developing countries. It poses a risk to public health since it accumulates in the ...

Researchers Find Way to Trigger Good Fat in the Body

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A team of Canadian researchers has managed to find a way to fight fire with fire, or in this case fat with fat, by identifying the trigger that can turn muscle stem cells into brown fat, which is a form of good fat that can play a critical role in fighting obesity. This discovery significantly advances our ability to harness this good fat in the battle against bad fat and all the associated health risks that come with being overweight and obese, said Dr. Michael ...

WHO Says 215,000 Children in Somalia in Urgent Need of Healthcare

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The World Health Organization has warned that rising malnourishment in Somalia means that more than 215,000 children in Somalia are in urgent need of healthcare. WHO Emergency Coordinator for Somalia Omar Saleh told journalists in Nairobi Tuesday that there is need to ensure that more people especially those in rural areas can receive health and other humanitarian services, reported Xinhua. "Malnutrition rates in Somalia are still among the highest ...

Quiz on Coffee

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How good or how bad is that cup of coffee you take? Find out the effects of coffee on your health from this quiz.

Foods Rich in Vitamin D3, Omega-3 May Help Prevent Dementia

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Consuming foods that are rich in vitamin D3 and omege-3, such as oily fish, eggs, nuts and wholegrains, could delay or prevent Alzheimer's disease, finds a new research. Writing in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, researchers stated that the foods contain vitamin D3 and omega-3, which can boost the immune system's ability to clear the toxic and deadly plaques, which destroy the brain of Alzheimer's sufferers. They have identified genes and signalling ...

Permanent Stress Significantly Raises Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Men

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Men who suffer from permanent stress are significantly at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, warns a new study. The finding is based on a 35-year prospective follow-up study of 7,500 men in Gothenburg. Since the 1970s, a large population based cohort study has been undertaken at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg to monitor the health of men born in Gothenburg between 1915 and 1925. Using this unique material, researchers ...

Deep Fried and Processed Foods and Sugary Drinks Increase Stroke Risk

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A diet rich in foods like fried chicken, bacon, ham and sweet teas increase the chances of suffering from stroke, according to a study presented at the International Stroke Conference in Hawaii. The study was conducted on more than 20,000 Americans, who included whites as well as African Americans aged 45 years or older. It attempted to study the reason behind the regional and racial differences in the incidence of stroke. The participants included ...

Frequent Dialysis Can Cause Complications to Kidney Disease Patients

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Compared with standard dialysis, frequent dialysis can poses risks for kidney disease Patients, according to a study. The complications are related to repeated access to the blood, requiring patients to undergo more repair procedures to the site through which blood is removed and returned. Frequent hemodialysis requires accessing the blood more often than conventional hemodialysis. This is usually done via a long-lasting site through which blood can be removed and ...

Pesticides in Food Raises Type 2 Diabetes Risk

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A Spanish study has linked pesticide in food, water and air to type 2 diabetes risk. The study, conducted at the University of Granada, has revealed a direct relationship between exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants (COP) in food, air and water and prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in adults, regardless of age, gender and body mass index. These substances tend to concentrate in body fat and might be one of the reasons why obese people are more likely ...

South Asian Autism Network To Hold Conference In New Delhi

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UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will inaugurate a conference of South Asian Autism Network (SAAN) in New Delhi on February 11. Experts from India, Bangladesh, Thailand and eight other southeast Asian countries will deliberate at a day-long conference to identify common challenges. Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by communication difficulties, social and behavioral challenges and repetitive behaviors. Diagnosis is difficult due to use of ...

Blood Transfusions May Be Fatal in Heart Attack Patients

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A meta-analysis involving ten studies has found that there was an increased incidence of all-cause mortality in those patients who had received a blood transfusion while being treated for myocardial infection, or heart attack. Therapeutic methods, such as anticoagulation and anti platelet drugs, have truly been outstanding in treating and improving the clinical outcomes of coronary syndrome. Nevertheless, they are also capable of increasing the risk for bleeding, ...

Delhi To Hold Conference on Traditional Medicine Systems

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India and south east Asian nations will deliberate on ways to strengthen and promote traditional systems of medicine in the region during a two-day conference here Feb 12-13, an official said Friday. "The objective is to promote the traditional and complementary medicine in health care in general and primary health care in particular, and evaluate their integration into national health systems," a health ministry official said. The ministry of health ...

UAE Conducts Over 3,000 Breast Cancer Screenings

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The UAE's annual breast cancer awareness initiative has conducted over 3,000 breast cancer screenings. The Pink Caravan is being organized by the Friends of Cancer Patients charitable organization. After Sharjah, screenings will be conducted in Dubai, Al Ain and Abu Dhabi. Dozens of people, mediamen and volunteers took part in a two-km awareness walkathon, called the "Pink Walk". Participants wore pink outfits to show their solidarity ...

Rio Carnival Parade Kicks Off

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Rio's famed Carnival, a five-day extravaganza that will climax in spectacular weekend parades of top samba schools, was officially kicked off by portly King Momo on Friday, under a shower of confetti. Milton Rodrigues da Silva, the event's symbol of overweight excess, symbolically received a giant key to the city from Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes. "The time has come to hand over my duties to magnificent King Momo so that the city may have fun under his rule," ...

Dangers of Stopping Medication

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In today's fast paced life, people hardly get to focus on their health issues bothering them. To add to it, long queues at the doctor's can take up a sizeable chunk of your time. In such a scenario, a person is most likely to take prescription medications and simple OTC drugs as per his need. However, doing this over a prolonged period of time can be disastrous for health, and can even worsen the existing condition. Discontinuing an antibiotic course right ...

Contaminated Needle Infects 99 Chinese With Hepatitis C

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Repeated use of needles at a private clinic has been blamed for the cause of a hepatitis C infection of ninety-nine people in China, according to officials. The injection were taken in the northeast province of Liaoning, Xinhua reported. The Donggang city government said all patients were hospitalized and are in stable condition. In January, health authorities traced and screened 120 people who had received varicose vein treatment at the ...

Kashmir Sounds Swine Flu Alert

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Kashmir Valley was put on high alert after doctors found H1N1 virus in some parts of the local community. "In 2008-2009, we had 53 cases of H1N1 virus which tested positive for the disease. This was because of people carrying the virus coming from outside or those locals who brought it here after visiting places," said G.M. Qadri, an epidemiologist. "The virus is in parts of our community and we must take adequate precautions to deal with it," he said. ...

Excess Protein Linked to Parkinson's Disease Development

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Overexpression of alpha-synuclein protein disrupts the vital recycling processes in neurons, say researchers. The findings, published in the February 6, 2013 issue of the iJournal of Neuroscience/i, have major implications for more fully understanding the causes and mechanisms of Parkinson's disease (PD), a neurodegenerative movement disorder that affects an estimated one million Americans. "This is an important new insight. I don't think anybody ...

Utah Offers to Run Half the Health Insurance Exchange

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The Governor of Utah, Gary Herbert, made an offer to Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius - that his state would run half the health insurance exchange and the federal government could run the other half. Washington has been trying to get states to run their own health exchanges where small businesses or individuals could shop for their insurance policies and apply for tax credits against their premiums. The federal government is prepared ...

Work Less, Play More to Save the Planet

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Working less and playing more are the key to save the planet, suggests study. The Center for Economic and Policy Research's new report said that the shift from a U.S. work model to a more "European" one, which includes shorter work weeks and more vacation time, could cut as much as half of the expected global temperature rise by 2100. The study claims that scaling back on work hours could bring down greenhouse gases, Fox News reports. Rosnick, ...

Infectious Diseases Kill Over 1000 Chinese

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Aggressive Care Rises Along With Hospice Use: Study

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While more seniors are dying with hospice care than a decade ago, they are increasingly doing so for very few days right after being in intensive care finds a study published Feb. 6 in the iJournal of the American Medical Association/i. The story told by the data, said the study's lead author, is that for many seniors palliative care happens only as an afterthought. "For many patients, hospice is an 'add-on' to a very aggressive pattern of care during the last ...

CDC Recommendations During Meningitis Outbreak Debated By Scientists

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A debate within the public health community surrounding Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for treatment of exposed individuals during last year's fungal meningitis outbreak was highlighted by a pair of commentaries to appear in an upcoming issue of the journal iAntimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy/i. Manuscripts of the commentaries were published ahead of print today on the journal's webpage. "I will try to offer sufficient documentation ...

New Insight into Lifestyle Behaviors and Health Provided By Wearable Cameras

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A collection of studies in a special theme issue of the iAmerican Journal of Preventive Medicine/i concludes that understanding the relationships between lifestyle behaviors and health outcomes can be enhanced by the use of wearable cameras. Three studies report on the latest preventive medicine research using Microsoft's wearable camera, the SenseCam. "Wearable cameras and their associated software analysis tools have developed to the point that they now appear ...

Research: MicroRNA Molecule may Serve as Biomarker And Target for Brain Metastases in Breast Cancer Patients

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According to data published in iCancer Research/i, a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research researchers have identified two molecules that could potentially serve as biomarkers in predicting brain metastases in patients with breast cancer. Currently, most deaths from breast cancer are a result of metastatic disease. New research shows that cancer stem-like cells - commonly defined as cells within a tumor with the capacity to initiate a ...

Mammogram Every 2 Years Has Same Benefit as Yearly Mammogram for Older Women: UCSF Study

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According to a study led by UC San Francisco, among older women, getting a mammogram every two years was just as beneficial as getting a mammogram annually, and led to significantly fewer false positive results. The national study of more than 140,000 women between the ages of 66 and 89 appears online February 5, 2013, in the iJournal of the National Cancer Institute/i. "Screening every other year, as opposed to every year, does not increase the ...

In Young Adults Benefits of CT Outweigh Cancer Risks: Study

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According to a new study published online in the journal iRadiology/i, the underlying medical conditions facing young adults who undergo computed tomography (CT) exams represent a significantly greater health risk than that of radiation-induced cancer from CT. CT utilization has grown approximately 10 percent annually over the last 15 years in the U.S., raising fears of an increase in radiation-induced cancers. However, discussions of radiation-induced cancer ...

35 Percent of Russians Back (Dollar) 100 Fine for Smokers: Opinion Poll

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An opinion poll has said that some 35 percent of Russians support an initiative to introduce a 3,000-ruble ( (Dollar) 100) fine for smoking in public places. The poll by the Public Opinion Foundation found 34 percent said the fine would be too big, whereas 19 percent do not approve of the initiative at all, five percent said the fine was too small and seven percent were undecided. Most respondents (61 percent) said they are against banning smoking lounges at ...

Painful Pinpricks To Be Made History for Malaria Cure By Sugary Solution: Scientists

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The ability to deliver a dried live vaccine to the skin without a traditional needle was demonstrated by scientists. This technique has also shown for the first time that it is powerful enough to enable specialised immune cells in the skin to kick-start the immunising properties of the vaccine was demonstrated by scientists. Researchers at King's College London say although it is an early study this important technical advance offers a potential solution to the ...

Hoping for Coconut-craze Windfall Are Philippine Farmers

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Philippine farmer Liezl Balmaceda has never heard of Madonna. Despite this the US pop star's endorsement of coconut water may help change her impoverished life for the better. After centuries of replenishing Filipinos, the mineral-rich liquid has become a must-have health drink thanks to aggressive marketing by a beverage industry looking to offset soda sales that have lost their fizz. Balmaceda, 33, and her husband process truckloads of coconuts at ...

Scientists Discover A Bug Which Survives by Turning Its Environment to Gold

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Scientists say that a bacteria that protects itself by turning its environment to gold could help in gold extraction. Delftia acidovorans lives in sticky biofilms that form on top of gold deposits, but exposure to dissolved gold ions can kill it. That's because although metallic gold is unreactive, the ions are toxic. To protect itself, the bacterium has evolved a chemical that detoxifies gold ions by turning them into harmless gold nanoparticles. ...

Gum-chewing Habit Might be Behind Fergie's Spectacular Success: Research

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According to research at Japan's Institute of Radiological Sciences, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson's habit of chewing gums is good for the brain, as it speeds up thinking. Professor Andy Smith, of Cardiff University, said may be football managers inadvertently chew gum, but it is a good habit and they are right on track, the Daily Star reports. Ferguson is renown for chewing gums while he is placed at the sidelines during his team's football ...

Breakthrough Made By Scientists Using A New Drug Combo Which can Destroy The Root of Breast Cancer Cells

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Scientists have used a combination of drugs to target cancer stem cells that cause the disease to spread. This had led to a breakthrough in the battle against breast cancer. Current treatments kill only the surface cells in a breast tumour, but scientists now say they can destroy the root, the Mirror reported. They hope that the findings, revealed ahead of World Cancer Day, can be used to help women with advanced and aggressive cancers. Targeting ...

Experimental Antibiotic Cream Very Effective in Treating Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

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An experimental antibiotic cream can be very effective in treating patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and has very few side effects, a joint study conducted French, Tunisian and U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) researchers. CL is a parasitic disease that causes disfiguring lesions, with 350 million people at risk worldwide and 1.5 million new cases annually, including U.S. military personnel serving abroad and the socio-economically ...

Older Readers Require Less Effort in Reading from E-Devices

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A joint study conducted by researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University, Georg August University Gottingen and the University of Marburg has found that even though older readers dislike reading from new generation of e-reader devices, it requires less effort from them compared to reading on paper, according to a report published in the journal PLOS ONE. In the past, surveys have shown that people prefer to read paper books rather than on e-readers or tablet computers. ...

CDC Report Highlights Increase in Number of Mothers Opting to Breastfeed

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A new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that the number of mothers who opt for breastfeeding has increased in the US but added that more needs to be done to support them. According to the report, the number of mothers who breast-fed their infants rose to 74.6 percent in 2008, compared to 70.3 percent in 2000. More importantly, the number of mothers who continued to breast feed their babies until they are six months old rose from ...

Synthetic Marijuana Causes Stroke and Paralysis in Teenage Girl

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Seventeen-year-old Emily Bauer, from Cypress, Texas is now blind and paralyzed after smoking synthetic marijuana. She suffered severe strokes after smoking the fake drug. She and her friends had bought the fake marijuana from a local gas station in December. Emily complained of a shooting headache just 15 minutes after she had smoked it and felt she was going to pass out. She suffered many strokes that sent her into a psychotic state and police had ...

Child Stroke Survivors More At Risk Of Developing Epilepsy, Seizures

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Infants and children who have had suffered from stroke may later have seizures and around 13 percent of them will develop epilepsy within two years, finds a new research. Bleeding into brain tissue is a type of stroke called intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Each year, an estimated 6.4 newborns and children per every 100,000 in the United States suffer strokes. About half of the strokes are hemorrhagic, typically caused by rupturing of weakened or malformed blood ...

Older Bikers More Likely to Suffer Severe Injuries in Accidents

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A new study published in the journal Injury Prevention reveals that older riders who get involved in a motorbike crash were three times more likely to suffer severe injuries compared to young bikers. Older riders involved in a crash are up to three times likelier than younger bikers to suffer severe injuries, it says. Researchers delved into a US national database for figures of motorcycle collisions between 2001 and 2008, involving people aged over 20, ...

Different Connections in Brain Make Us Think and Behave Uniquely

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Researchers have discovered that the differences in the physical connections of the brain are responsible for making people think and behave differently from one another. Researchers reporting in the February 6 issue of the Cell Press journal iNeuron/i shed new light on the details of this phenomenon, mapping the exact brain regions where individual differences occur. Their findings reveal that individuals' brain connectivity varies more in areas that relate ...

CUMC Researchers Identify Protein Defect Which Could be Responsible for Non-Familial Parkinson's

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A protein trafficking defect present in the brain cells may be responsible for non-familial forms of Parkinson's disease, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC). The defect is at a point of convergence for the action of at least three different genes that had been implicated in prior studies of Parkinson's disease. Whereas most molecular studies focus on mutations associated with rare familial forms of the ...

Heavy Metal and Punk Music Linked to Troubled Teens

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A new study conducted by Dutch researchers has found that teenagers who are interested in listening gothic, punk, heavy metal and hardcore dance music are more likely to go astray. According to the study, lovers of "deviant" music by age 12 were "more engaged in minor delinquency in late adolescence," the Daily Telegraph reported. The bad behaviour, which includes shoplifting, vandalism, fighting and graffiti spraying, peaks at about 16 then withers ...

Quarter of Skiers With ACL Tear can be Treated Without Surgery

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A new study conducted by Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City and published in the journal Knee Surgery Sports Traumatology Arthroscopy reveals that one in four recreational skiers who suffer from anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury when hitting the slopes do not require surgery. "Some patients who tear their ACL while skiing can get away without surgery. Their ligament heals by itself, they will have stable knees, and they will be able to do whatever ...

Eating More Fruits, Vegetables Help Protect Kidneys

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Chronic kidney disease patients with too much acid build-up can protect their kidneys by adding more fruits and vegetables in their diet, says a new finding. Western diets that are based in animal and grain products are highly acidic and can lead to metabolic acidosis, when too much acid builds up in the body, a condition that can cause rapid breathing, confusion and lethargy. Severe cases can lead to shock or death. This is particularly common in patients ...

NHRC Asks Madhya Pradesh Government to Pay Compensation for Fluorosis-Hit Kids

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The Madhya Pradesh government has been asked by the National Human Rights Commission to pay Rs 10,000 each for each of the seven children who suffered from fluorosis after drinking water. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) also called for a compliance report from the state chief secretary along with a proof of payment to the victims. The NHRC took cognizance of a complaint of a human rights activist that 29 children became physically handicapped ...

New Brain Areas Linked With Panic Attacks and Fear Identified

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While the brain region known as amygdala has long been associated with panic attacks or fear, researchers have now identified other areas of the brain that can also be linked with such sensations. "This research says panic, or intense fear, is induced somewhere outside of the amygdala. This could be a fundamental part of explaining why people have panic attacks," said John Wemmie, senior study co-author and associate professor of psychiatry at Iowa University. ...

Researchers Move a Step Closer Towards Development of Artificial Human Organs

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Researchers have managed to create clusters of stem cells with the help of 3D printing, paving way for the development of artificial human organs, which can be used in transplants. In the short term, the technique could be used to generate tissue for drug-testing currently carried out on animals. The 3D printing technology relies on an adjustable "microvalve", which builds up layers of human embryonic stem cells. Such cells, which originate ...

'Star Trek' Headband Could A Boon For Migraine Sufferers

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Scientists have developed a band, resembling like a device from 'Star trek,' which they claim to prevent migraines when worm across the forehead for twenty minutes a day. The device known as Cefaly - which "looks like something out of Star Trek" - delivers electric impulses to the supraorbital nerve that controls sensation in and around the eye, the Daily Mail reported. A study found that those who used it were suffering about a third fewer debilitating ...

25-year-old Wears Dentures Due to Soft-drink Addiction

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William Kennewell, 25, from Australia enjoyed drinking cola more than water. Courtesy this habit, in the place of sparkling white permanent teeth, what he has is a full set of dentures. His consumption of sugary soft drinks was anywhere between six and eight liters and this habit went on for three years. He almost became a soft drink addict and the effects began to show on his teeth. Initially he suffered severe tooth decay which led to blood poisoning. ...

Social Networking Sites Useful In Preventing HIV, STDs

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A new research has suggested that social networking sites could act as an effective tool in preventing HIV infection among at-risk groups. In a study published in the February issue of the peer-reviewed journal iSexually Transmitted Diseases/i, researchers found that African American and Latino men who have sex with men voluntarily used health-related Facebook groups, which were created by the study's investigators, to discuss such things as HIV knowledge, stigma ...

Appalling Treatment of Patients Shows WB Lacks Proper Medical Facilities

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The lack of medical infrastructure in West Bengal is once again in the news after reporters photographed almost 100 women, who had been sterilized, being made to sit in an open field after undergoing their operation. According to reports, two doctors at the Manikchak rural health center in Malda district performed around 50 operations each, sterilizing the women. The women were then carried out to the open field even though they were unconscious as there was no room ...

Moderate Drinkers Underestimate Amount of Alcohol They Consume

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A new study conducted by the Department of Health in Britain found that moderate drinkers underestimate the amount of alcohol they drink by as much as 40 percent. The study also reveals that two in three people have no intention of cutting down on their drinking even though nearly 80 percent of the moderate drinkers are aware of the health risks associated with drinking and know that they often exceed the safety limits. The daily recommended limit of alcohol is 3-4 ...

Promoting Low-Calorie Foods on Menu may Increase Profit Margin for Restaurants

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Food available in restaurants is often found to be unhealthy and containing high amount of calories. While many studies have urged cutting down the calorie content in restaurant food in order to provide healthy choices to the customers, researchers at Hudson Institute have come up with a new conclusion which may catch the attention of restaurant owners quicker: profit. According to the study, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, those restaurant chains that ...

Traditional Southern Diet Linked to Increased Risk of Stroke

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Researchers at University of Alabama have found that regularly eating traditional southern diets can increase the risk of strokes. Researchers led by Suzanne Judd analyzed the diets of more than 20,000 whites and African Americans who were over 45 years of age. The participants were asked a number of questions regarding their health and diet between 2003 and 2007 and the researchers found that people who eat southern food six times a week were 41 percent more likely ...