Excess Iron in brain can develop many diseases – A new study.

Iron overload, usually caused by the genetic condition hereditary hemochromatosis, can cause a wide number of health issues, but this study sheds light on its impact on the brain. 

Research has been conducted by the researchers based on the studied data gathered by the UK Biobank to see if hereditary hemochromatosis and the subsequent iron overload had an impact on the brain. In the study, it was observed that some people with two copies of the HFE gene mutation, meaning they would have hereditary hemochromatosis, had iron buildup in the brain.  While studying the iron deposition seen in the brain's motor circuits. The researchers concluded that the iron buildup in the brain was linked to a higher risk of developing movement disorders.

According to a new study, the iron buildup in the brain may have a higher risk of developing movement disorders like Parkinson's disease But interestingly, the increased risk for movement disorders was only present in males. However, this isn't too surprising, as the iron buildup in males will almost always be more severe due to the lack of mensuration.

These findings hold implications for the further extent of how hereditary hemochromatosis and iron overload can impact the body and how they can lead to movement disorders. But even more importantly, the importance of the findings for medical purposes is especially notable because they can be applied immediately - after all, the safe and approved treatments for iron overload already exist.  

Usually overloading iron in the brain is caused by the genetic condition hereditary hemochromatosis, and develops a wide number of health issues. The findings of this study were published in the peer-reviewed academic journal JAMA Neurology. Before explaining hereditary haemochromatosis, it's important to understand the role of iron in the human body. 

Iron is an essential mineral that the body needs to function, and it is especially prevalent in the human blood. This, in turn, is why the level of iron in the body must be balanced and controlled. The exact amount of iron needed in the body can vary, but it usually tends to be just 4-5 grams of iron, with 2.5 being used to bring oxygen into the blood and the rest being used in cells throughout the body, especially the liver, spleen and bone marrow - the former of which is where the primary iron reserve storage. 

Much research has already been conducted on what happens when iron levels in the body are too low, which is known as iron deficiency, something that is generally more common among those who menstruate due to the loss of blood. 

Further, there is also a significant amount of research that has been done on how to compensate for this, which can be done in the form of iron supplements or making sure one's diet contains a necessary amount of iron. Indeed, food is the main source of iron. But less well-known, especially among the general public, is that it is also possible for the body to have too much iron, which is known as iron overload or hemochromatosis. This can happen in a few days, such as repeated blood transfusions, too much dietary iron, or too many iron supplements. But hereditary hemochromatosis is the most well-known means for this to happen. This condition is genetic and is linked to a specific gene, the HFE gene, and is most common among those of Celtic descent. Both parents would need to have the gene for it to manifest as the condition, similar to other genetic conditions like Tay-Sachs disease. 

Hereditary hemochromatosis essentially causes the body to absorb far too much iron from food, increasing the amount of iron in the body. Unlike iron deficiencies, which can be solved by simply having more iron, iron overloads are harder to solve because humans don't actually have a way to release the excess iron outside of menstruation and pregnancy. In fact, the ability of menstruation and pregnancy to release excess iron from the body is why symptoms appear in people who menstruate much later than in others, really only appearing after menopause. 

However, according to the study, symptoms tend to appear late across the board, with males on average only showing symptoms after the age of 40 and females after the age of 60. When undergoing iron overload, the iron will accumulate in the body, often in the liver, skin, heart, thyroid, pituitary gland, and more. This, in turn, is linked to numerous other symptoms and diseases. These include, but are not limited to: 

·                     Joint and abdominal pain

·                     Liver cirrhosis

·                     Liver cancer

·                     Arthritis

·                     Diabetes

·                     Severe fatigue and weakness

·                     The skin turning bronze or gray color

·                     Abdominal pain

·                     Lack of sex drive

·                     Liver failure

·                     Heart failure

·                     Erectile dysfunction and sexual impotence

·                     Memory fog 

Considering how many of these conditions can be life-threatening, treating hereditary hemochromatosis is very important. 

Treatment-  Blood donation under consultancy with your doctor is the best treatment as any iron overload can simply be prevented by getting phlebotomy (essentially bloodletting, just safely getting rid of blood in comparable amounts to a blood donation) on a regular periodic basis - sometimes just a couple of times a year. Apart from that medications also exist, and diets used to limit iron intake can help as well.

Are you Underweight? Know some healthy ways to gain body weight.

 On health grounds, it is mandatory to maintain a healthy weight. Both underweight and overweight can give adverse effects on the body and may prone to acquire many malnutrition or more nutritional disorders to the body. 

Being overweight can cause obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, and other health conditions and all of these conditions can damage different vital and important internal organs of the body and that can be fatal. On the other hand, if you are underweight, you might face issues such as low blood pressure, anemia, and low immunity among other tiredness, severe muscular pain, and other health conditions. It is, therefore, important that you maintain a healthy weight so that you don’t have health complications. 

Some people thought, that gaining weight is very difficult, however, on the practice ground, it is observed that gaining weight is too easy in comparison to reducing weight.  

Anyway, some people are interested to gain a little weight to look, not like a very thin personality. It is, however, important that you gain weight in a healthy manner and not just include all sorts of food in your diet to gain weight.

[Are you underweight? check regularly]

One more point I would like to add is that the genetic factors are also involved in making the body fatty or slim, although the genetic impact will not give more value if you are determined to maintain yourself healthy, it is seen in many cases that some people diet is very less in comparison to other but have more body weight whereas some are eating more but no gain of the body weight observed. There are many medical terminologies involving these conditions like imbalancing of hormonal secretion from respective glands like pancreatic glands. The pituitary gland, thyroid glands, etc, and to maintain the hormonal balances in the body or make the good function of the respective glad to work well with the appropriate amount of secretion of hormones, health screening followed by doctors consultation is very important. However, I will suggest a few ways that will help you to add some pounds if you are underweight. 

1. Add simple carbohydrates to your diet: If you want to add some extra pounds to your diet, it is recommended that you add a bit of carb to your diet and that could be some potatoes or a bit of rice that could help you add some extra kilos. 

2. Add smoothies and shakes to your diet: Smoothies and shakes have calories in them and consuming them can add to your weight. Also, they have good nutrients in them which is again a healthy option. 

3. Exercise: This might sound weird but yes, exercising is important for weight loss as well. When you exercise, you stop the accumulation of fat and work on muscle building which eventually helps in weight gain. 

4. Get good sleep: When you get good sleep, it helps to improve your metabolism and also helps in muscle gain which eventually adds to the weight.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness program or making any changes to your diet.

 

Eating disorders in children and preventive meausres

Eating disorders are more common in young children and can be seen in any age group. Eating disorders mean problems with the way a child eats. It can be stressful for the parents to deal with the child having an eating disorder as it can impact them mentally and physically children with eating disorders tend to experience adverse effects on nearly every organ in the body thus, timely treatment is key to helping children with eating disorders. 

[Image showing Eating disorders]

According to Dr. Vrushali Bichkar, Consultant Paediatrician and Neonatologist at Motherhood Hospital in Pune's Lullanagar, there are many types of eating disorders that have been seen in children; however, the common and main eating disorders are under  

1. Anorexia Nervosa - This is an eating disorder wherein the weight of the child is below average for their age and height. Children with anorexia have a fear of getting fat or gaining weight. They tend to have a distorted body image, calling themselves “fat” even when very thin. Those with this issue tend to have mental health problems like mood disorders, depression, or anxiety disorders. Symptoms-  Bluish discoloration of the fingers due to a lack of oxygen, hair fall, fatigue, insomnia, fainting, and the absence of menstruation in teenage girls.

2. Bulimia Nervosa - Here, a child engages in episodes of bingeing during which he or she eats too much food and then purges, or tries to get rid of the extra calories. This means self-induced vomiting or excessive exercise, such as running on a treadmill for hours. Those suffering from it have anxiety and self-injurious behaviors. Symptoms-  Stained teeth, calluses on the backs of the hands or knuckles from self-induced vomiting, frequent weight fluctuations, and an irregular menstrual cycle.

3. Restrictive food intake disorder - If a child has this disorder then he/she is unable to or refuses to eat certain foods based on texture, color, taste, temperature, or even the aroma. Symptoms- The child may have weight loss problems, inadequate growth, and nutritional deficiencies. Here, a child may consume only a very narrow range of foods and refuse even those foods if they appear new or different.

4. Binge eating disorder - Having a binge eating disorder means the children will eat large amounts of food but do not attempt to get rid of calories once the food is consumed. Such children can be obese or overweight. 

Symptoms- They tend to have trouble coping with anger, sadness, worry, and stress. They will always feel guilty for eating a lot and not exercising. Causes: According to Dr. Vrushali Bichkar, genetics, stress and pre-existing psychiatric disorders can make a child prone to having an eating disorder. 

Treatment: “Psychotherapy, nutrition education, medical monitoring, and medications in some cases can help children with eating disorders,” suggested Dr. Vrushali Bichkar. 

Preventive measure - Dr. Vrushali Bichkar advised, “As parents, you need to speak to your child about unhealthy eating habits, encourage the child to eat healthy foods, maintain an optimum weight, exercise daily, sleep well and stay stress-free. Try to help your child to build a healthy body image, do not body shame the child. Do not diet around the child as he/she will feel that it is alright to skip healthy foods or even starve. So, make sure that your child gets all the essential nutrients from the diet.”

Make your children healthy and stay safe...

 

Healthy cardiovascular lifestyle may reduce risk of stroke- Recent Medical Outcome

As we know Genes and lifestyle factors together play a role in stroke risk. According to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association. "People at high risk for stroke, adopting a healthy cardiovascular lifestyle may significantly lower the risk of stroke in their lifetime" According to Senior study author Myriam Fornage, Ph.D., FAHA, professor of molecular medicine and human genetics at the Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas, Health Science Center, Houston, a well-managed, modifiable risk factors, especially the treatment of hypertension, can noticeably lower an individual's risk of stroke,"     

"He confirmed that they may be able to mitigate the lifetime risk of stroke by modifying other risk factors and that regardless of genetics—whether you have a high polygenic risk score or low polygenic risk score—maintaining good cardiovascular health decreases the lifetime risk of stroke. So, modifiable risk factors are crucial in preventing stroke." For the study, researchers reviewed data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, a community-based study of more than 11,500 white and Black adults over the age of 45, who had no history of stroke at enrollment. Study participants were followed for 28 years; 45% were men, and 55% were women.         

Researchers estimated the lifetime risk of a first stroke according to levels of genetic risk based on a stroke polygenic risk score. Polygenic risk scores were derived from over 3 million genetic variants, or single-nucleotide polymorphisms, across the whole genome. Participants were categorized as having either low, intermediate, or high genetic risk based on an analysis of how many stroke-related single-nucleotide polymorphisms they had.  

The researchers investigated the potential impact of the American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7.  Life's Simple 7 scores are a composite measure of seven modifiable cardiovascular disease risk factors: smoking status, physical activity, healthy diet, body mass index, total cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose levels. Cardiovascular health is categorized as optimal, average, or inadequate based on each participant's total score of ideal cardiovascular health components according to Life's Simple 7. For this analysis, Life's Simple 7 scores were combined with the polygenic risk score to estimate lifetime stroke risk.     

This study used the American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 metrics, which were established in 2010. On June 29, 2022, the organization expanded and relaunched the recommendations to Life's Essential 8, adding sleep as an additional component of heart health."

This is the first step in using genetic information to identify people who may be at higher risk for stroke, and also in motivating people to make lifestyle changes for cardiovascular disease prevention," Fornage said. "This type of study shows us the possibilities for the future. Polygenic risk scores are not used clinically at this point; however, this may be the first step towards achieving personalized risk information to be used in lifestyle and health change. Having optimal cardiovascular health is crucial in stroke prevention."     

The authors note that one major limitation of the study is that a polygenic risk score is a tool that needs improvement before it can be used broadly. The tool was developed and validated only among people who are white, which means it cannot be used to predict stroke risk accurately in people from diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds. 

The outcome of the study: 

1. At age 45, study participants with the lowest polygenic risk scores had the lowest lifetime risk of stroke, 9.6%. The lifetime risk of stroke was 13.8% for participants with an intermediate polygenic risk score and 23.2% for participants with a high polygenic risk score. 

2. Those with both high genetic risk for stroke and low cardiovascular health had the highest lifetime risk of stroke score of 24.8%. 

3. Across all polygenic risk score categories (low, intermediate, and high), people with optimal cardiovascular health had the most significant reduction in lifetime risk of stroke. Participants who had a high polygenic risk and optimal cardiovascular health were observed to mitigate their lifetime risk of stroke by up to 43%, compared to those with inadequate cardiovascular health. This translated into about six additional years without a stroke.

Recent study on Covid - 19 patient : Sore throat, dry cough may persist for long time even after recovery...

The campaign for booster doses to prevent from covid - 19 has been speeding up as the omicron virus has become the dominant variant in circulation. It has been seen the infection is very much involved with the upper respiratory tract infection, sore throat, and irritation. 

The patient is observed to see very normal except for the aforesaid symptoms but after a couple of days of infection, mild fever up to 101 Foernheit has been seen with severe calf muscle pain and body pain. The fever is seen subsidizing within 4 days by using paracetamol tablets under a doctor's prescription along with some other supplementary medicines for boosting the immune. It has also been seen that an affected person with Omicron virus is prone to invite some other seasonal as well as post covid infection.

Dry cough and throat irritation has been seen to persist in the patient suffering from Omicron virus. The upper respiratory tract is very much affected. It has been practically observed to the patient once the fever is subsidized they gradually start coughing with or without sputum. People who are about 40 years of age have been found with severe wheezing complaints along with severe sinusitis. 

As we know that after Covid-19, the immune system of the patient becomes very weak and there are many chances of other diseases in which cold-like symptoms are very common due to the growth of the bacteria in the respiratory tract and around the throat region. 

The persisting cough and growing bacteria may cause disturbance in the regular and routine life, although, this is not taken as important significance among the doctors and left out without considering to give treatment; however, if the cough and wheezing symptoms persist and throat infection or irritation is still there, it would be better to approach a physician, who may give some antibiotics along with immune boosting tablets to stop the growth of the harmful bacteria in the respiratory tract and lungs. 

The long-term cough should not be left untreated, it might convert into some other respiratory diseases, so, be aware, and take care of your health. 

Stay healthy, stay safe...      

Loss of 'Y' Chromosome in Men and Risk of Heart Failure

The Y chromosome is one of the two sex chromosomes in humans (the other is the X chromosome). The sex chromosomes form one of the 23 pairs of human chromosomes in each cell. The Y chromosome spans more than 59 million building blocks of DNA (base pairs) and represents almost 2 percent of the total DNA in cells. Geneticists have discovered that all human embryos start life as females, as do all embryos of mammals. About the 2nd month, the fetal tests elaborate enough androgens to offset the maternal estrogens and maleness develops.'Y' Chromosomes are also known as sex determination chromosomes.

[Chromosomes pairs in Female & Male]

According to the results of a study published in Science, it is presumed that the loss of the Y chromosome in white blood cells can cause fibrosis in the heart resulting in impaired heart function and develop severe cardiovascular disease in men; however, the causal relationship with CVD and Y chromosome is still not clearly identified. 

This study established a causal relationship when investigators from Uppsala University used the gene-editing tool, CRISPR, to generate mouse models with mLOY in their white blood cells. They found that mosaic loss of Y (mLOY) caused direct damage to the animals’ organs and that mice with mLOY had shorter survival than mice without mLOY. 

“In the mouse models used in the study, the mouse 'Y ' chromosome was eliminated to mimic the human mLOY condition and had analyzed the direct consequences that this had,” Lars Forsberg, associate professor at the department of immunology, genetics, and pathology at Uppsala University, said in a statement. “Examination of mice with mLOY showed increased scarring of the heart, known as fibrosis. We see that mLOY causes fibrosis which leads to a decline in heart function,” Forsberg said. Investigators also were able to corroborate the causal effect in mice via epidemiological studies in humans. They found that mLOY was a new significant risk factor for death from CVD in men. 

They found that men with mLOY in their blood at the start of the study displayed an approximately 30% increased risk of dying from heart failure and other types of CVD during the 11 years of follow-up. “ It has also been seen that men with a higher proportion of white blood cells with mLOY in the blood have a greater risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. 

This observation is in line with the results from the mouse model and suggests that mLOY has a direct physiological effect also in humans,” Forsberg said. These studies were performed using data from the United Kingdom Biobank, a database with genomic and health information from half a million normally aging individuals aged 40 to 70 years at the start of the study. 

The study described the mechanism by which mLOY in the blood causes disease in other organs and further identifies a possible treatment. Additionally, mLOY in a certain type of white blood cell in the heart of mice, called cardiac macrophages, stimulates a known signaling pathway that leads to increased fibrosis. When the research blocked the pathway, the pathological changes in the heart could be reversed. 

“The link between mLOY and fibrosis is very interesting, especially given the new treatment strategies for heart failure, pulmonary fibrosis, and certain cancers that aim to counteract the onset of fibrosis. Men with mLOY could be a patient group that responds particularly well to such treatment,” Forsberg said.

Diabetes patient has more risk to Tuberculosis....

The National Institute of Health has confirmed that a diabetic patient has more risk of tuberculosis than a common person. The NIH Scientist and Scientific Director,  ICER stated that diabetes can increase the risk of TB and vice versa. Both diseases can pace up each other's occurrence, the scientist confirmed. 

They told that diabetes even can worsen the situation while treating TB patients. There is an increased risk of TB replace even after being cured in the presence of diabetes. Diabetics can give the worst effect in treating TB patients said the scientist. 

In Chennai, a pioneer study has been conducted by Professor M. Vishwanathan, Diabetic Research Centre (MVDRC) has shown that over fifty percent of the people with TB are either Diabetics or pre-diabetics. ICER- INDIA, MVDRC, and ICMR-NIRT have also done studies on whether TB can trigger the onset of diabetes in TB patients. Dr. Babu explained, " TB can triger a process called stress-induced hyperglycemia and hence increase diabetes risk n non-diabetic individuals".

He further added that several studies including many of his clinical trials have shown the impact of diabetes on TB. TB may also increase the chances of developing severe complications with diabetics. 

Researchers told that TB is curable but it may take a longer time and more intensive care more than a couple of years even after completing treatment. It is also told by them that the lungs of the TB patient recover more slowly due to expansive damage to the lungs caused by the TB bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis responsible for damaging the lungs. Diabetes is a chronic disease in which either the pancreas does not produce a sufficient amount of insulin or the body organs do not effectively utilize the insulin produced in the body.  

  

Be aware, these drugs may reduce your sex desire…

As we know sex is one of the most beautiful and marvelous gifts that nature has blessed us with. Not only for procreation and increasing pedigree but sex is also considered the best way to feel the extreme ecstasy of the entire being and feel the intimacy with your loved one. 

{Avoiding intimacy}

Have you ever felt suddenly dropped down in the desire for sex with your partner? There are many physical and mental factors involved and among them the major and most common factor is drugs. Doctors always prescribe medicine by taking your clinical history and for certain limits but making a habit of taking medicines on your own as self-medication is very dangerous, it may affect the potency of the sexual organs resulting in disagreement of the sexual desire each other. 

These drugs are- 

Blood Pressure Medications: Blood pressure medications are used to lower the pressure of blood inside blood vessels so the heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood throughout the body. While high blood pressure in itself can lead to sexual dysfunction, many drugs used to treat this condition also can increase sexual difficulties. In men, the decreased blood flow can reduce desire and interfere with erections and ejaculation. In women, it can lead to vaginal dryness, a decrease in desire, and difficulties achieving orgasm. 

Birth Control Pills: Condoms for men are considered to be the safest and most effective contraceptives with no side effects. But many men refuse to wear them as it reportedly reduces the pleasure and the feel. Hence, women have to take up the responsibility with oral contraceptives, or birth control pills. These pills can lower levels of sex hormones affecting the libido and desire for sex. 

Anti-depressants:   Anti-depressants provide much relief in the condition of depression but unfortunately can lower the libido. The most common symptoms of anti-depressants related to loss of libido are loss of interest in sex, delayed orgasm, delayed ejaculation or no orgasm, no ejaculation at all, and erectile dysfunction in men. 

Statins and Fibrates: Statins and fibrates are used to treat the condition of high cholesterol. These drugs limit the availability of cholesterol and mostly interfere with the production of testosterone, estrogen, and other sex hormones. Few studies about the side effects of statins and fibrates have concluded that both classes of drugs may cause erectile dysfunction.  

Benzodiazepines: Benzodiazepines, commonly known as tranquilizers are used to treat anxiety, insomnia, agitation, and muscle spasms. The sedative and muscle-relaxant properties of benzodiazepines affect sexual interest, excitement, and sensation. They may also interfere with the production of testosterone. The most common side-effects of benzodiazepines are weakened orgasms, painful sexual intercourse, erectile dysfunction, and ejaculation problems. 

Antihistamines: Antihistamines are mainly used to control symptoms associated with allergic reactions, such as incessant sneezing and running nose. Antihistamines can cause erectile dysfunction or ejaculation problems in men and vaginal dryness in women. 

Proscar: Proscar is used to treat enlarged prostate. The active ingredient in Proscar is finasteride, which prevents testosterone from converting into its active form. Lack of testosterone means a lack of libido. 

PsychiatricMedicinesAntipsychotics: These are used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other serious psychiatric conditions. Antipsychotics block dopamine, a brain chemical that regulates emotional responses and the brain’s reward and pleasure centers. They also increase levels of the hormone prolactin, which can lead to erectile dysfunction, reduced libido, and difficulties achieving orgasm. Antipsychotics block the action of acetylcholine, which can lead to problems in all areas of sexual function. 

Stay Healthy, stay safe...

Woman of above age 40 should make MAMMOGRAM- an important part of master health check up...

It has been seen that the ladies especially home maker ladies are not taking care well about their health. The lacunae have been seen from both sides husband and wife. The husband should induce their partner to make a compulsory check-up when a lady is 40 or above the age of 40 as there are many chances of an imbalance of body hormones that directly impact the health of a woman. 

[A technician performing a Mammogram]

Whole-body health check-up is highly recommended for everyone based on age. They are below 40, the master health check can be done every third of the year but after 40 it is yearly recommended. Among the health checkup, mammogram screening nowadays becomes the most important part of the lady after the age of 40. 

Though there are many reasons to develop breast cancer but avoiding breastfeeding the child and untouchability to their mate in order to maintain their physical fitness is most common. Wearing tight bras and chudidar round the clock is also very harmful, especially for working ladies. At least 5-7 hours, of free and loose wear is highly required to maintain the body in natural conditions. The food style is also one of the important reasons to get an issue like breast cancer.    

If you plan to get a master health check-up and you are a lady, also touching age 40 or above, please have a breast screening. The Mammogram is nowadays easy, simple, and takes just a few minutes to give you smily life.

Why it is too important to have Mammogram? 

1. Finding breast cancer early reduces your risk by 25-30% or more

2. Self-exams can’t detect early cancer. While you should always conduct regular breast self-exams, a mammogram is still necessary. It can detect cancer up to three years before a lump in the breast can be detected manually.

3. About 1 in 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer in their lives, and about 85% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history. At this time, routine screening is not done for males, however. If you have a family history, find a lump, or have a concern, consult your doctor.

4. Your risk increases with age. Age is the strongest risk factor. Most women develop breast cancer after 50. As you age, it becomes increasingly more important to have a mammogram each year.

5. Regular mammograms help your doctor monitor your breasts. Changes in breast tissue can alert radiologists to early signs of breast cancer.  

6. It’s a simple procedure. While a mammogram may cause brief discomfort, it’s a very quick procedure. Most women will be in and out of the office in less than an hour. This is a small investment when it comes to saving your life.      

Important precautions are taken before going for a mammogram -

• Don’t use deodorant before your mammogram. Avoid using deodorants, antiperspirants, powders, lotions, creams, or perfumes under your arms or on your breasts. Metallic particles in powders and deodorants could be visible on your mammogram and affect the clarity of the image.
• Be sure to tell your technician if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. In general, women will not be able to receive a mammogram at this time, but your physician can order an alternate screening method, if necessary.
• Timing if tender: For many women, breasts are most likely to be tender the week before and the week during your period. Typically, this is not the most comfortable time for a mammogram.
• Dress for success: You will be given a gown and asked to remove neck jewelry and clothing from the waist up. To make this easier, wear a two-piece outfit that day.
• Know your history: Be prepared to tell your technician the date of your last menstrual cycle, if you have had previous breast biopsies or surgery or if you are experiencing any problems.
• Choose a certified facility: Choose a facility that is not only certified but one that performs thousands of mammograms each year. Ask if your scan will be read by a board-certified radiologist.

 

IIT Madras developed an AI tool for personalised cancer diagnosis

According to the World Health Organization, cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and accounted for nearly one in six deaths in 2020. 

Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of cells that can occur due to mutations in oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes or both. However, not all mutations necessarily result in cancer. Current cancer treatments are known to be detrimental to the overall health of the patient. Knowledge of the genes responsible for the initiation and progression of cancer in patients can help determine the combination of drugs and therapy most suitable for a patient's recovery. The tool, described in a peer-reviewed journal Frontier in Genetics, is based on a machine learning model that classifies genes as tumor suppressor genes, oncogenes, or neutral genes. 

According to the researchers of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, an Artificial Intelligence-based tool that can predict cancer-causing genes in an individual has been developed, paving the way for devising personalized cancer treatment strategies. According to researchers of IIT, Madras, it would be a great tool to diagnose severe life-threatening diseases cancerin coming days. 

The tool named 'PIVOT' is designed to predict cancer-causing genes based on a model that utilizes information on mutations, expression of genes, and copy number variation in genes and perturbations in the biological network due to an altered gene expression. The tool, described in a peer-reviewed journal Frontier in Genetics, is based on a machine learning model that classifies genes as tumor suppressor genes, oncogenes, or neutral genes. 

Cancer, being a complex disease, cannot be dealt with in a one-treatment-fits-all fashion. As cancer treatment increasingly shifts towards personalized medicine, such models that build toward pinpointing differences between patients can be very useful," said a Doctor, Core Member, RBCDSAI, IIT Madras, in his statement. 

The new tool was able to successfully predict both the existing oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes like TP53, and PIK3CA, among others, and new cancer-related genes such as PRKCA, SOX9, and PSMD4. The researchers built AI prediction models for three different types of cancer including breast invasive carcinoma, colon adenocarcinoma, and lung adenocarcinoma." The research area of precision medicine is still at a nascent stage.

PIVOT helps push these boundaries and presents prospects for experimental research based on the genes identified," informed by a Research Scholar, IIT Madras. The team is planning to extend PIVOT further to many more cancer types. The team is also working on a list of personalized cancer-causing genes that can help in identifying the suitable drug for patients based on their cancer profile.

Standard sleep hours of an adult for a healthy brain - New study...

Everyone is now running a competitive robotic life due to their lifestyle and a regular schedule from the day starting. The shift working many multinational companies is also playing important role in disturbing routine activities. 

In the ancient period, it was said as a proverb that “Boycott Nature means the reduction of the life.”  It is very true and we can’t ignore this. Due to activities using digital gadgets including mobile, computers, and other digital media, sound sleep has left away the majority of the people of the world, especially in developing countries. 

[Importance of sound sleep]

A new study has just revealed the standard sleep duration for a healthy brain. As we know that sleep is very important for our health. A new study result has been published in the journal Nature Aging just revealed standard sleep time to have probably the healthiest brain. 

To determine the sleep time necessary for a healthy brain, Christelle Langley, from the Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge University (United Kingdom) and researchers from Fudan University (China) came to analyze data from the UK Biobank of approx. Five lakhs people aged 38-73. The latter had been questioned about their sleep habits, mental health, and well-being. On top of that, about 40,000 people provided brain imaging data and genetic data. 

The results thus show that after the age of 40, the optimal duration of sleep is 7 hours is highly recommended. We also learn that shorter sleep time was directly associated with impaired cognitive performance, such as information processing speed, memory, problem-solving ability, and visual attention.  Of course, this optimal period of 7 hours of sleep implies sleeping in good conditions. Episodes of awakening during the night can for example impact the optimal efficiency of the brain. 

The researchers further add that the results show the importance of having a regular sleep pattern. The researchers then conclude: “7 hours of sleep per night is the optimal amount to maintain good cognitive performance. Finding ways to improve sleep in the elderly could therefore be crucial in helping them maintain good mental health and avoid cognitive decline, especially for patients with psychiatric disorders and dementias.” According to them, the association between insufficient sleep and cognitive decline is caused by the disturbance of deep sleep.

Stay healthy, stay safe...

Natural way to Kidney cleaning at regular period - a small but effective home remedy...

 " Quality of the food and lifestyle is directly related to the quality of body health" Yes, have you ever heard in Hindi " Jaisa khaye Ann (food), waisa hoye Mann (Body and thought). Now, It has commonly been seen due to hectic life schedules, people are not able to take care of their bodies to provide a healthy and balanced diet as a result, many youths also suffer many life-threatening diseases related to nutrition. 

Actually, bad nutrition or malnutrition has been referred to as a disorder for some time in the medical terminology in the local languages but practically it is not a disorder but a wrong and regular routine and our day-to-day activities which lead us toward severe disease that was absolutely based on junk food or food that is full of taste enhancer but not fit for our body. 

As we know that taste is the major criterion to justify food quality since ancient times but at that time too, many Vaidyas are addressing to maintain their routine in a healthy manner and for that, they develop many Naturopathic methods cleansing our essential live body part-time to time and that method not only cleaning the live organ but also boosting their capacity to work. Now once again, we have to come back to follow our Vaidyas, Munis, Sidhhar, Gurus, etc. Because quality and hygiene both become anti words to each other and complementary. It has been seen that the entire world changing the farming style as an organic crop is not sufficient to fulfill the requirement of ordinary people and is costly in comparison to normal crop harvesting. The chemical and fertilizers also a key role to disturb the pathways of the life cycle and part of that the taste enhancer is playing a major role in enhancing the taste of even those foods that our body actually does not requires due to their natural poor quality but by enhancing the taste, people will eat even more than the regular diets. These are only the trailer of regular life nowadays. There are so many reasons apart for that and disturbing the health of young citizens. 

Many drinks and beverages also give bad effects on the body by disturbing the real nutritional value required for a normal life. It has been seen over the decades that a majority of people are suffering from skin, lungs and kidney diseases, the cardiovascular has come 4th place and the diabetics on fifth place as per my opinion and regular experiences. No one wishes to cook their own food at home but depends on many food supply agencies, hotels, restaurants, etc. The hotel, restaurant, and food agencies can control our hunger but the question is whether is it really healthy? I am leaving this question to my readers and expecting your views through comments or email. Now I have some small trick rather you can say a food like a recipe that is actually experienced by me for my family as well as many patient and working well. Same I would like to share you all. If a few people also get benefits, I will be thankful so, let us come to the point. The provided method is not harmful, it will work as an energy booster but help to clean your essential live organs of the body many kidneys and liver up to some extent. 

You have to do very small work in the morning just like preparing tea. What do you do? Just take 50 - 100 g fresh coriander plant, clean well along with roots, and chop it coarsely. Take 500 ml of drinking water in a pan ad a small finger size fresh ginger by crushing it and a pinch of edible salt. Boil this ingredient in sim flame for 15-20 minutes. Allow to slightly cool and then filter it in a cup and drink in lukewarm condition. This one cup of tea is weekly once enough. For best result, you may tell it to bedtime also. This smart drink will clean your kidney and liver and you will feel very energetic too. This is found to control triglycerides in the body and sugar level is also controlled., so very small work and best result. Everyone can try it as it has no side effects but if any person suffering from any life-threatening disease, chronic or acute, it would be better to consult their physician before using this drink

Enjoy life with good health.

Stay healthy, stay safe...

    

Monkeypox virus, symptoms and its safety measures…

It is a viral infection, which is found mainly in Central and West African countries. For the first time in the year 1958, this viral infection was found in monkeys. The disease was first detected in humans in 1970. Nigeria had the largest outbreak of monkeypox in 2017, with 75% of its patients being male. 

[The image shows a baby is affected by Monkeypox virus] 

The virus enters the body through the eyes, nose, and mouth after coming out of the patient's wound. Apart from this, monkeypox can also be spread by the biting of animals like monkeys, rats, and squirrels or by touching their blood and body fluids. According to experts, you can also fall prey to this disease by not eating properly cooked meat or eating the meat of an infected animal.  

The symptoms of monkeypox can appear from the 5th day to the 21st day of infection. Initial symptoms are flu-like. These include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, shivering, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes. After this, the rash starts to appear on the face, which also spreads to other parts of the body. During infection, this rash goes through many changes. Eventually, they fall off like a scab, just like smallpox. 

Professor Jimmy Whitworth of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said in a conversation with the news agency Reuters – International travel was closed for a long time due to the Corona epidemic. Now after the abrupt removal of restrictions, people are moving to and from African countries. Maybe that's why cases of monkeypox are coming to the fore. The world battling the corona epidemic is now increasingly vulnerable to monkeypox. 

The disease has spread to 15 countries within just 15 days. After Belgium on Monday, Britain has also made a 21-day quarantine period compulsory for monkeypox patients. At the same time, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that even one case of this disease in any country will be considered an outbreak. On the other hand, India has also become alert seeing the rapid spread of monkeypox. 

On Monday, the Municipal Corporation of Mumbai prepared a 28-bed isolation ward at Kasturba Hospital for suspected patients of monkeypox. However, not a single case of this disease has been found in the country so far. 

Cases of monkeypox have been reported in the UK, USA, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Australia, Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, Israel, Austria, and Switzerland. In just 2 weeks, the number of cases has crossed 100. However, not a single death has been reported from this disease so far. 

The concern of the central government regarding the monkeypox has also increased. In view of the rapidly spreading infection, an alert has been issued to the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The Health Ministry has directed the officials of airports and seaports to immediately isolate any sick travelers who have returned after traveling to monkeypox-affected countries and send samples to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune for testing. 

According to the WHO, a rare infection like monkeypox usually gets better on its own, but it can prove to be serious in some people. Such people include young children, pregnant women, and people with very weak immunity. 

Children younger than 5 years are more prone to it. The WHO is also concerned that most people who are confirmed with monkeypox have no connection to African countries. Actually, this virus is mostly found in Central and West African countries. It is common to find cases in countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and DR Congo.

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