health $wellness blog

The combination of soaring heat and smothering fine particulate pollution may double the risk of heart attack death, according to a new study of more than 202,000 heart attack deaths in China.To examine the impact of extreme temperatures with and without high levels of fine particulate pollution, the researchers analyzed 202,678 heart attack deaths between 2015-2020 that occurred in Jiangsu province, a region with four distinct seasons and a wide range of temperatures and fine particulate pollution levels. Compared with control days, the risk of a fatal heart attack was observed at the following levels: 18% higher during ­2-day heat waves with heat indexes at or above the 90th percentile increasing with temperature and duration, and was 74% higher during 4-day heat waves with heat indexes at or above the 97.5th percentile. 4% higher during 2-day cold snaps with temperatures at or below the 10th percentile, increasing with lower temperatures and duration, and was 12% higher during 3...

Numerous chronic diseases, including gastrointestinal, inflammatory, and metabolic disorders as well as cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological illnesses, have been linked to alterations in the composition and physiology of the gut microbiome. (1) The negative impact of antibiotics on the gut microbiota has been well-established. Studies have also identified the relationship between multiple groups of drugs and gut micro-biome signatures. Proton-pump inhibitors, metformin, and laxatives show the strongest associations with the microbiome. (2) Impact of Commonly Used Drugs Influencing the Gut Microbiome (3) Proton pump inhibitors: PPIs were among the pharmacological class of agents most strongly linked to a decline in diversity and alterations in the taxonomy of the gut microbiome. Studies have revealed that the relative abundance of up to 20% of bacterial taxa was altered (either decreased or increased) in PPI users compared to non-users. Analysis of faecal samples among PP...

Jammu: Setting a new milestone by opening eye-bank facilities and a corneal transplant centre, the Command Hospital of the Army has helped two elderly persons to regain vision in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district, a Defence spokesperson said on Tuesday.  He said the eyes donated by a deceased person in Katra were retrieved by the Eye Bank of the Command Hospital (Northern Command) and transplanted to give vision to two visually-disabled people. Also Read:Command hospital doctors perform rare surgery to treat Pierre Robin sequence in newborn The spokesperson added that one of the recipients of the organs was a 64-year-old man who had lost vision in both eyes 20 years ago. He started moving around comfortably within a few days of the surgery. Another transplant surgery performed on a 67-year-old woman who had corneal opacity in the right eye for five years has grossly benefitted the recipient, he said. Udhampur district had no corneal transplant facilities un...

USA: Static isometric exercises-the sort that involve engaging muscles without movement, such as wall sits and planks-are best for lowering blood pressure, find a pooled data analysis of the available evidence from clinical trials, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. But ‘cardio’ (aerobic exercise); dynamic resistance training, such as squats, press-ups, and weights; high-intensity interval training or HIIT for short (episodic short bouts of high-intensity exercise interspersed with short periods of recovery at a lower intensity) are all effective, indicate the findings. It may be time to review the current exercise guidelines for the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure, suggest the researchers. Previously published research shows that exercise in general is associated with significant reductions in blood pressure, with aerobic (’cardio’) exercise, such as walking, running, and cycling, the type primarily recommended for managing blood pressure. ...

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are increasingly recognized as causes of skin and soft-tissue infections. They include rapid-growing and slow-growing species. A recent review article published in the Journal of Skin and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (Scientific Journal) has shown that skin infections caused by non-tuberculous mycobacterial or NTM are challenging in many ways, from non-specific presentations, difficulty in microbiological diagnosis, lack of well-defined treatment guidelines, and varying patterns of antimicrobial resistance. The article by Mamatha George from Malabar Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Kerala also highlighted the importance for clinicians to have an in-depth understanding of the condition since the incidence of NTM infections is on the rise. Hospital outbreaks related to contaminated water and in association with surgical and cosmetic procedures have been described. Infections are also associated with immunosuppression. NTM infections ha...

Researchers have found in a new study that Heat wave & high fine particulate pollution may double risk of fatal heart attack. According to a study of more than 202,000 heart attack deaths in China, combination of soaring heat and smothering fine particulate pollution doubled risk of heart attack death. The study has been published today in the American Heart Association’s flagship journal Circulation . “Extreme temperature events are becoming more frequent, longer and more intense, and their adverse health effects have drawn growing concern. Another environmental issue worldwide is the presence of fine particulate matter in the air, which may interact synergistically with extreme temperatures to adversely affect cardiovascular health,” said senior author Yuewei Liu, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of epidemiology in the School of Public Health at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China. “However, it remains unknown if and how co-exposure to extreme temperatures and fine ...

A pair of new studies presented as abstracts today at the American Society of Nutrition (ASN) annual meeting report that daily prune consumption has promising effects on several biomarkers related to cardiovascular health. Conducted in postmenopausal women and men 55 years and older, the studies reveal: In men, long-term prune consumption improved HDL cholesterol and the total cholesterol to HDL ratio, while decreasing oxidative stress and the inflammatory biomarker C-reactive protein (CRP). In older women, long-term prune consumption had no negative effect on various metabolic measures related to heart disease risk including total cholesterol, total triglycerides, fasting glucose, and insulin levels. The results of both studies were presented at the ASN annual flagship meeting in Boston, MA. The ASN convenes researchers, practitioners, global and public health professionals, policymakers and advocacy leaders, industry, media, and other related professionals to advance nutrition...