| Long term health risk after gastroenteritis from contaminated drinking water. |
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Bystander Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). |
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Acute gastroenteritis due to E-colli was associated with increased long term risk for high blood pressure, heart and kidney complications according to a BMJ study. About 2000 adults were tracked for 8 years after an episode of gastroenteritis in Canada. The E-colli toxin has possible receptors in kidney which might explain the long term outcome.
Reference - BMJ-2010;341;C020. |
Chest compression alone is as good as CPR with artificial breathing. Since artificial breathing is not required, it will encourage bystander to undertake chest compression without concern. Several lives can be saved by adopting only chest compression.
Reference - NEJM-2010-July |
| Kidney denervation lowers blood pressure in uncontrolled hypertension. |
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Rice intake as risk for development of diabetes. |
Catheter based denervation (removing the nerve supply) of the kidney dramatically lowers blood pressure in uncontrolled hypertension. This was studied in 100 patients who had poor control of blood pressure (more than 160/100) in spite of taking 3 drugs.
Reference - The Lancet - Vol 376, issue 9756, Dec-2010. |
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Substituting brown rice for white rice lowers the risk for diabetes.
Reference –Archives of Internal medicine.2010 - June |
| Almost quarter of bowel cancers could be avoided by lifestyle changes. |
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Pesticide and attention deficit/hyperactive disorder. |
Making simple lifestyle changes decreases colorectal (large intestine) cancer risks. According to a BMJ study, 55,000 middle aged DANES were studied for 10 years. The lifestyle changes recommended were :- not smoking, daily exercise for at least 30 minutes, avoid heavy drinking, eating a healthy diet and waist circumference control less than 40 inches for man and less than 35 inches for woman.
Reference: BMJ-2010; 341; C5504. |
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Children are exposed to orgonophosphorus pesticides primarily found in food and drinking water. These pesticides are harmful to the development of brain. A study in 1138 children shows a possible link between attention deficit / hyperactive disorder to pesticide exposure.
Reference: Pediatrics. June-2010. |
| How much exercise is required to prevent weight gain in middle aged women? |
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Kidney donation is safe. |
34,000 women were studied and it was found that 1 hour of moderate exercise is required daily to prevent weight gain.
Reference: JAMA – 2010. |
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80,000 live donors were studied for more than 10 years and were compared with healthy controls. There was no difference in the long term death or complication rate.
Reference: JAMA. Mar-2010. |
| Pipe and cigar smoking – are they better? |
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Population based benefit of salt reduction. |
There is no safe dose of tobacco. It is harmful in any form. Both pipe and cigar smoking can lead to reduced lung function.
Reference:Annals of internal medicine, Feb-2010. |
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Daily intake of 3 grams of less salt could lower the annual cardiac risk and strokes. It can prevent 60,000 to 1,20,000 cases of heart attacks, 32,000 to 62,000 cases of strokes and 40,000 to 90,000 deaths. This has been estimated in the US population. Even reduction by 1 gram of salt could prevent 15,000 to 32,000 deaths.
Reference: NEJEM. Jan-2010. |
| Top Medical Stories of 2009 |
| BP lowering drugs and prevention of heart disease and strokes. |
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Poor sleep in adults leads to high BP. |
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Reduction in BP of 10mm systolic and 5mm diastolic with any group of drugs reduces the risk of heart attacks & strokes by 22% and 41%. This was shown in a meta analysis of 147 randomized trials involving 4,64,000 patients in U.K.
Reference - BMJ, May-2009. |
Looks like a well known fact but proved only now.
Reference: Archives of Internal Medicine |
| Risk scores to identify people at risk for diabetes who might benefit by intervention. |
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Anti oxidant supplements (vitamin-c, vitamin-e) blunts the effect of exercise. |
Family history of diabetes, hypertension, older ages more than 55, black race, smoker, large waist circumference, short stature, rapid resting pulse and over weight.
People with the above scores have 50% chance of getting diabetes in next 10 years.
Reference – Annals of internal medicine – June-2009. |
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Regular exercise increases insulin sensitivity and decreases the risk of diabetes. If anti oxidant supplement are given (Vitamin-C, Vitamin-E) it blunts the benefit of exercise. Whereas diet rich in fruits and vegetable lowers the risk of diabetes.
Reference –Proc Nata Aca Sci – USA May 2009. |
| Components of Mediterranean Diet which reduces mortality (increase life span) |
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Watching television in childhood leads to high chance of asthma |
- Lower intake of meat
- High consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and mono-saturated fats (Olive oil)
- Moderate consumption of alcohol.
Reference – BMJ, June-2009.
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Young children exposed to television more than 2 hours per day had twice the chance of Asthma compared to other children.
Reference: Thorax Pediatric March 2009 |
| Benefit of red yeast rice |
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Moderate alcohol consumption leads to higher cancer risk in women. |
Treatment option for those patients who cannot tolerate statins (Cholesterol lowering drugs)
Red yeast rice contains naturally occurring lovastatin which lower cholesterol.
Reference – Annals of internal medicine – June-2009. |
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No level of alcohol is safe in women from the stand point of cancer. Even low to moderate consumption is associated with increased risk of several cancers
Reference –Journal of National Cancer institute – Feb 2009. |
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