Medindia Health News

New Socialist Government Promises To Legalize Gay Marriage Law In France
Obese Have Fewer Complications With Minimally Invasive Operation After Appendectomy
Delhi to Offer Financial Aid To Poor Infected With HIV/AIDS
World of Fashion, Bollywood Join Hands Against Cervical Cancer
Anti-epileptic Drugs Trigger Fracture Risk
Supreme Court Ruling Brings Relief to Healthcare Industry
WHO Urges Indian Government to Come Up With Universal Health Coverage Plan
Healthcare Ruling is Holiday for Sick US Child
Report Says Indigenous Population 23 Times More Likely to Face Jail Terms in Australia
One in 10 British Couples Sleep in Separate Bedrooms to Maintain Strong Relationship
Drug Trial Participants Should be Informed About Study Benefits and Placebo Risks
British Watchdog Claims Terrorist Threat in UK Has Fallen "Markedly" in Recent Years
J (and) K Health Minister Says Rural Posting Compulsory for Government Doctors
Soot Particles from Diesel Fumes Dangerous for Humans
Study Says Most New Pesticides Have Roots in Natural Substances
Hundreds of Lives can be Saved Every Year If People Walk Short Distances
Massive Reduction of Invasive Procedures for Patients With Suspected CAD Possible Via EVINCI Results
Man Asks for KFC Chicken Burger After Waking Up from Eight-Day Coma
Tumor Weighing 15 Kilograms Surgically Removed in a Two-Year-Old Boy
Watching X-Rated Videos Triggered Exploding Headaches in Indian Software Professional
Arsenic Overload Can Be Prevented Depending On What You Eat
Huntington's Disease Research Tool Using Stem Cells Developed
Sleep Deprivation Alters Immune System
Robot That can Improve Listener's Experience
Indian Women Keen to Marry Before Turning 25
Nirodh, the Subsidised Condom to be Repositioned and Promoted in Smaller Cities in India
Simple Device To Detect Breast Cancer Earlier Than Mammography Developed
Rajasthan Atomic Power Station Poses No Radiation Threat
Single "DNA Vaccine" Could Help Smokers Quit

New Socialist Government Promises To Legalize Gay Marriage Law In France

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French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has confirmed to legalize marriage and adoption rights for same-sex couples. "This is a special parade because it is the first time we have a government, a president, a parliament who are in favor of progress," said Nicolas Gougain, spokesman for the the gay rights group Inter-LGBT. Organizers were expecting record levels of attendance from the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual) community at the parade ...

Obese Have Fewer Complications With Minimally Invasive Operation After Appendectomy

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Obese patients who need to have their appendixes removed fare better after a minimally invasive surgical procedure rather than an open operation, a new study finds. While the traditional open operation (appendectomy) and minimally invasive procedure (laparoscopic appendectomy) are known to have similar outcomes for people of normal weight, surgeons at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine found that obese patients had fewer complications ...

Delhi to Offer Financial Aid To Poor Infected With HIV/AIDS

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Delhi became the first state in the country to offer financial assistance to poor people infected with HIV/AIDS. People with HIV/AIDS on anti-retroviral treatment will get Rs.1,000 every month while orphans, destitute or abandoned children infected with HIV/AIDS will be given Rs.2,050. Chief minister Sheila Dikshit distributed cheques to 27 people at the inaugural ceremony of the scheme at the Maulana Azad Medical College. A total of 17 people were ...

World of Fashion, Bollywood Join Hands Against Cervical Cancer

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Famous personalities from the world of fashion and Bollywood unite together to fight against cervical cancer. Actors Kunal Kapoor and Yuvika Chaudhary, singer Shibani Kashyap and Miss India Earth Hasleen Kaur walked the runway to show their support for the cause. Ace fashion designers Namrata Joshipura, Anju Modi and Poonam Bhagat showcased varied collections, which ranged from white angelic anarkali suits to glittering black pants. "It's ...

Anti-epileptic Drugs Trigger Fracture Risk

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Anti-epileptic drugs are more likely to cause spine, collar bone and ankle fractures, reveals a research. John Wark, professor of medicine at the University of Melbourne, said his research revealed new information critical to understanding the higher risk for fractures in people taking anti-epileptic medication. The University of Melbourne study also showed that those taking anti-epileptic drugs had a greater risk of falling down. More ...

Supreme Court Ruling Brings Relief to Healthcare Industry

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The US Supreme Court's ruling upholding President Barack Obama's healthcare reforms brought a sigh of relief not just for millions of uninsured Americans but also to the healthcare industry which had invested a lot in anticipation of the reforms. After three years preparing billions of dollars of investment to implement Obama's Affordable Care Act (ACA), hospitals, doctors, insurers and drug companies were mostly relieved about not facing yet another U-turn in policy. ...

WHO Urges Indian Government to Come Up With Universal Health Coverage Plan

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The Indian representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) has urged the government to come up with a universal health coverage plan in order to reduce the burden on the common man. Talking to media persons after WHO and the health ministry released a joint Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS), Menabde said universal health coverage should be among the government's priorities in order to reduce the burden on the common man. "We ...

Healthcare Ruling is Holiday for Sick US Child

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Three-year-old Violet cried "happy holidays" when saw her parents cheering in front of the TV when news on US healthcare reform broke on Thursday. Violet suffers who suffers from a rare and severe form of epilepsy. and Her mother, Julie Walters, laughed and said yes, it was indeed a holiday, for the family would no longer have to worry about how their daughter would keep health insurance coverage for her costly, lifelong condition. "We are jumping for ...

Report Says Indigenous Population 23 Times More Likely to Face Jail Terms in Australia

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A new report by an international minority rights group has warned that native Aboriginal kids in Australia are 23 times more likely to spend time in jail compared to their non-indigenous counterparts. The London-based rights organisation, Minority Rights Group International, said that Aboriginal children face more risk as federal government programs are falling short to address extreme hardship within the communities. Indigenous Australians are also ...

One in 10 British Couples Sleep in Separate Bedrooms to Maintain Strong Relationship

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More than 10 percent of British couples attempt to maintain the romance in their relationship by sleeping in different bedrooms, a new study reveals. In addition, a third of couples take separate holidays from one another, and over a fifth often have "time out" to do separate things, such as stay with friends. It also emerged that 39 percent of couples believe their relationship is healthier because they have independence in their home life, Daily Mail ...

Drug Trial Participants Should be Informed About Study Benefits and Placebo Risks

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Volunteers participating in clinical trials for new drugs should be informed about potential benefits or the drugs and possible side effects of taking placebos, a University of Southampton study reveals. Placebos are traditionally thought of as 'inert' pills, given in trials to act as a yardstick or constant by which to measure the effects of new 'active' drugs, known in clinical trials as the 'target treatment'. However, placebos themselves have been shown to ...

British Watchdog Claims Terrorist Threat in UK Has Fallen "Markedly" in Recent Years

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Bees could soon become more dangerous to humans lives than terrorists in Britain after a new report by a terrorism watchdog reveals that the number of lives lost to terrorist attacks in the country were comparable to deaths caused by bee stings. David Anderson, a barrister who serves as the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, pointed out in his report that risk from extremists has fallen "markedly" in recent years. "During the 21st century, ...

J (and) K Health Minister Says Rural Posting Compulsory for Government Doctors

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Jammu and Kashmir health minister has confirmed that a rural posting is compulsory for government doctors in the state in order to provide better access to medical facilities for people living in far-flung areas. "I have made a minimum posting of 10 years in rural areas compulsory for every doctor in the state or else they will not get service benefits at the time of retirement," Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma told IANS in an interview. His department ...

Soot Particles from Diesel Fumes Dangerous for Humans

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Apart from being an environmental polluter, a new study has revealed that soot particles present in the exhaust fumes of diesel vehicles, coal power stations and wood fires pose a serious health risk to humans. Every time we breathe, we inhale these tiny particles in the atmosphere. Now researchers have for the first time shown that more than half of all inhaled soot particles gets stuck in the lungs. The figure is higher than for most other ...

Study Says Most New Pesticides Have Roots in Natural Substances

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A new study published in the Journal of Natural Products reveals that two out of three new pesticide ingredients can be obtained from natural substances produced by plants and animals. Charles L. Cantrell and colleagues point out that there have been many analyses of the impact of natural products - substances produced by living plants, animals and other organisms - on the production of pesticides. None, however, has ever looked at the impact of natural products ...

Hundreds of Lives can be Saved Every Year If People Walk Short Distances

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Nearly 200 lives and over 200 million euros can be saved in the Spanish region of Catalonia every year if people start walking short distances instead of taking car or a motorbike, a new study reveals. Researchers from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB), headed by Catherine Perez from the Healthcare Information Systems Service, have estimated the yearly economic benefits from a reduction in death rates by substituting ...

Massive Reduction of Invasive Procedures for Patients With Suspected CAD Possible Via EVINCI Results

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The prevalence of "significant" coronary artery disease in patients with chest pain symptoms is lower than expected in Europe, preliminary findings from the EVINCI study show. In as much as 75% of this population an accurate non-invasive screening could avoid unnecessary and costly invasive procedures. The three year multicentre European trial will define the most cost effective strategy for diagnosing patients with suspected coronary artery disease. The ...

Man Asks for KFC Chicken Burger After Waking Up from Eight-Day Coma

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A 26-year old man in Britain, who was in coma for eight days, woke up and asked his family members to bring him a KFC chicken burger. Sam Boughen had undergone two liver transplants before contracting an e.coli infection and a lung disease which turned so serious that the doctors had to ask his family members to prepare for the worst as the treatment was putting more pressure on his new liver while a tracheotomy meant that he could communicate with his family only through ...

Tumor Weighing 15 Kilograms Surgically Removed in a Two-Year-Old Boy

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Doctors in Mexico claimed that they have removed a massive tumor weighing more than 15 kgs in a two year old boy who at the time of the surgery weighed less than 12 kgs. The surgery took place at the La Raza Medical Center in Mexico City with doctors managing to remove the benign tumor, covering the right side of his body from his armpit to his hip. after a 10-hour operation. La Raza's Dr Gustavo Hernandez said that the boy, from northern state of Durango, ...

Watching X-Rated Videos Triggered Exploding Headaches in Indian Software Professional

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A case study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior reveals that a 24-year old software professional in India developed blinding headaches every time he watched x-rated videos. The man, who was unidentified, claimed that he suffered "severe, exploding" headaches within 10 minutes of watching any x-rated videos and this went on for over a period of two years before he decided to quit watching such scenes in order to avoid the headaches. Researchers from ...

Arsenic Overload Can Be Prevented Depending On What You Eat

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Millions of people worldwide are exposed to arsenic from contaminated water. We are all exposed to arsenic via the food we eat. New research has demonstrated that people who ate more dietary vitamin B12 and animal protein had lower levels of arsenic (measured by deposition in toenails). The research was published in BioMed Central's open access journal iNutrition Journal/i. Total dietary fat, animal fat, vegetable fat and saturated fat were also all associated ...

Huntington's Disease Research Tool Using Stem Cells Developed

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Cedars-Sinai scientists have joined with expert colleagues around the globe in using stem cells to develop a laboratory model for Huntington's disease. This model allows researchers for the first time to test directly on human cells potential treatments for this fatal, inherited disorder. As explained in a paper published June 28 on the ICell Stem Cell/I website and scheduled for print in the journal's Aug. 3 issue, scientists at Cedars-Sinai's Regenerative ...

Sleep Deprivation Alters Immune System

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Sleep deprivation has the same effect on the immune system as experiencing physical stress, according to a new study. Researchers in the Netherlands and United Kingdom compared the white blood cell counts of 15 healthy young men under normal and severely sleep-deprived conditions. The greatest changes were seen in the white blood cells known as granulocytes, which showed a loss of day-night rhythmicity, along with increased numbers, particularly at night. "Future ...

Robot That can Improve Listener's Experience

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A robot that can recommend songs, dance to the beat and keep the music pumping based on listener feedback has been developed by researchers. The smartphone-enabled, one-foot-tall robot, called Shimi, is billed as an interactive "musical buddy." "Shimi is designed to change the way that people enjoy and think about their music," Professor Gil Weinberg, director of Georgia Tech's Center for Music Technology and the robot's creator, said. Shimi ...

Indian Women Keen to Marry Before Turning 25

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A recent survey has revealed the mindset of young Indian women who are keen to tie the knot before they turn 25. Conducted by online matrimonial portal Jeevansathi.com, the survey said Tamil Nadu had registered the maximum increase of 19 percent in the last two years followed by Delhi which had witnessed a 14 percent increase - from 32 percent in 2010 to 46 percent in 2012. "Some 64 percent of girls in Kerala, 54 percent in Gujarat ...

Nirodh, the Subsidised Condom to be Repositioned and Promoted in Smaller Cities in India

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Intense marketing of the well known subsidised condom, deluxe Nirodh, is all set to begin in a bid to reposition the product and save the brand from fading out. The move came after it was found that costlier condoms are cornering a major market share. This triggered the government's AIDS control department to go in for a major re-branding. This meant re-launching the two-decade old brand with customised features, attractive packaging and easy accessibility. ...

Simple Device To Detect Breast Cancer Earlier Than Mammography Developed

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A simple and cost effective imaging device for breast tumor detection based on a flexible and wearable antenna system has been developed by Indian origin researchers at the Indiana University. The team based in the Integrated Nanosystems Development Institute (INDI) pointed out that their system holds the promise of much earlier detection than mammography. INDI's Kody Varahramyan and colleagues, Sudhir Shrestha, Mangilal Agarwal, Azadeh Hemati and Parvin ...

Rajasthan Atomic Power Station Poses No Radiation Threat

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A top nuclear authority assured Friday that Rawatbhata's Rajasthan Atomic Power Station Unit-5 poses no radiation threat as there was no radioactive leakage into the environment. On June 23, there was an incident of Tritium uptake due to an inadvertent rise in Tritium levels in a small area of the containment building of Unit-5, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) executive director N. Nagaich said. "The incident occurred during a modification ...

Single "DNA Vaccine" Could Help Smokers Quit

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Scientists have developed a "genetic vaccine" which they claim will halt nicotine cravings and could even be used to stop children starting the habit. Just one jab could provide life-long protection against nicotine cravings and it could eventually be used to vaccinate children to stop them ever getting hooked. The vaccine, being developed at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, has so far been tested only on mice, but research involving people ...