A Blood Test That Predicts How Long You Would Live

Even today with all the advancement in science and technology, doctors are not able to predict how long a person would live, well in advance. Probably the can predict it with some accuracy within a year of his/her death but not as early as 5-10 years.

A recent study published in the journal Nature Communications the researchers are in the process of developing a reliable predictive tool that could pave the path towards predicting life span of a person as early as 5-10 years before time. As per the researchers this would help the doctors design the course of treatment and take important decisions related to them. Like for example doctors could be able to identify between patients in need of medicine or surgery and also help scientists in monitoring the impact of intervention on mortality risk that so without running clinical trials.

Presently, doctors are able to have a fair idea about the general life span of people through their cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Through this study the researching scientists from Leiden University Medical Center of Netherlands as well as Brunel University London researched around identification of biomarkers for managing the same.

The study included 44, 168 participants between the age group of 10 -109 years of which 5512 passed away. The study began by creating mortality metabolic marker followed by

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Monsoon And Child Health Issues

Well, everyone loves the rains, more so the foodies as the season where you hog on hot pakoras or samosas, bhutta or chalebi while sipping on your hot piping tea. Coming to the flip side Monsoon does bring along health hazards in form of illness like Dengue, Jaundice, Cholera, Malaria, thypoid, Gastro-intestinal infections, hepatitis A. Here’s a run-down five of the most common illness viral/bacteria borne, that you need to protect your child from –

Dengue – Caused by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, Dengue mosquitos breed in stagnant water be it flower pots, buckets, tree holes or drums etc. The incubation period is four to seven days after being bitten. The symptoms include high grade fever with decreasing platelet count as well as rashes. To prevent dengue try to keep your body covered as much as possible and use mosquito repellents. Citronella is a good mosquito repellent plant.

Diarrhoea – This is one condition that can be prevented with proper precautions as it is caused because of unhygienic food and water consumption. The best way to prevent it is to drink boiled water and eat home cooked food. Both the types of diarrhea, chronic as well as acute can be managed through appropriate and timely treatment.

Typhoid This is another waterborne condition that is caused by S typhi bacteria. The main reason is poor sanitation. The symptoms include weakness, pain, fever as well as sore throat to name a few. This condition can also be prevented by avoiding street food, keeping your hands clean and keeping yourself hydrated with healthy fluids.

Malaria – This is also a water borne condition that is caused due to the female anopheles mosquito. This mosquito breeds in water logged areas and hence is a common condition in monsoon. The symptoms include fever with chills or shivering, body ache and weakness, etc. The best way to prevent the cause of malaria is to keep surroundings clean especially water tanks.

Jaundice – Jaundice is also a water borne disease that could go serious if not treated properly. This is again a result of consuming contaminated food and water. The symptoms of jaundice include yellow eyes and urine, weakness and liver dysfunction.

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Thunderclap Headache – Know More About This Sudden Intense Painful Condition

This is rare kind of headache that starts suddenly out of the blue and is an experience you won’t forget. The intensity of it is very high, something you would not have experienced ever. It lasts for a while but that few minutes could be to painful. No wonder, it is known to be worst headache in one’s life.

young woman who have a headache

Though many of us might just forget about it once it is gone, it is advisable to get yourself checked if it happens to you because it could be life threatening. Even if it is not, better to visit a doctor. The symptoms of thunderclap headache include-

  1. Sudden high intensity headache
  2. Vomiting or nausea
  3. Headache with neck or lower back pain
  4. Dizziness and losing consciousness
  5. Experiencing the worst ever headache

The intensity of pain of a thunderclap headache can reach its zenith is a matter of 60 seconds. Sometimes it just goes away forever while at times it could last over a period of seven days. There is a difference between thunderclap headaches and migraine but thunderclap headaches that are not categorized as life threatening are considered as a kind of migraine only.

Triggers / Causes

A thunderclap headache is known to be the result of bleeding in the brain or a symptoms of subarachnoid hemorrhage. The life threatening causes for this headache include –

  1. Internal bleeding due to rupture of blood vessel in brain
  2. Ischemic stroke
  3. Hemorrhagic stroke
  4. Inflammation of blood vessel
  5. Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome

The common triggers though could include bowel movement strain, injury, sexual or physical activity as well.

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Nipah Virus Again On The Prowl In Kerala – All You Need To Know

Nipah Virus is again on the Prowl in Kerala. It’s just a year back that this Virus created a Havoc in the state and went on a killing Spree. The Virus with a fatality rate of over 88% killed 21 people of the 23 cases that were registered in Kerala in 2018 and scared the hell out of the citizens. This year already 5 people are suspected to have contracted the NIV and under isolation already. So, primarily, it is a good idea to avoid travel to and around the region where the Nipah outbreak has just started. Also, here’s all you need to know about this deadly condition. The Nipah infection is associated with Pteropus Bats genus as natural hosts and was first discovered in Malaysia and Singapore among pig farmers. It occurred due to close contact with pigs and is also known to spread through infected fruit bats besides humans and others like dogs, cats, rodents and horses as well. Though, the most likely ones are known to be humans, bats and pigs. The mortality rates in pigs is not high inspite of the fact that the infection rate is In India, the first NIV outbreak occurred in Siliguri West Bengal in the year 2001, taking lives of 45 people out of the 68 detected. Then it surfaced again in 2007, killing all the 5 people known to have contracted the virus.

There is no denial that the Nipah Virus is highly fatal and humans contract it through either the body fluids of pigs, exposure to secretion of sick pigs or corpses. Human to Human contraction occurs through body fluids, saliva of the patient and corpse as well. The fruit bat to human infection is known to spread by consuming raw date palm sap that are contaminated through the saliva or the urine of bats. Even livestock that feeds on wild fruits contaminated via bats with NIV.

Nipah infection can be variable as far as symptoms are concerned right from being asymptomatic to getting fata encephalitis or acute respiratory infection. As of now there is no vaccine or treatment available for humans as well as animals. Even the 2018 Annual Review of WHO R&D Blueprint list has a mention that this condition needs an emergency and speedy research as well as development. The only way at present is to make people aware about the risk factors and the precautionary measures to be taken in order to avoid the outbreak.

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Burnout – A Medical Condition Or Not?

Do not misunderstand burnout to be a medical condition says WHO, that erroneously stated that it was a medical condition. The clarification comes as stating it as a “chronic workplace stress that hasn’t been managed successfully”. So, what is burnout exactly and what are the symptoms of this condition that has been termed as permanent stress of work. Let’s explore –

Burnout

Burnout – Definition, Symptoms and Causes

A state of being in permanent stress as a result of work is what Burnout means. It is more of a psychological problem rather than a physical issue. The symptoms usually include work anxiety, aggression and anger outbursts, detachment from work, feeling unworthy, aloofness, mood swings, insomnia, fatigue, stomach ache, appetite loss, breathlessness, headaches, chest pain, drug or alcohol addiction and lack of interest in the job, to name a few . It is a gradual process and not an out of the blue sorts. With time the symptoms worsen.

Risk Factors

People who are workaholics and too much into their work tend to suffer from it and most of them are known to be high achievers at work and perfectionists. Their passion about work is so fueled that they even ignore the symptoms of Burnout.

Behavioral Indications

Burnout is definite to bring in some symptoms like withdrawal from responsibilities, coming late to office and leaving early, slowing down when it comes to work, to name a few. There is a visible difference between Burnout and Stress like stress is about losing energy while burnout is about losing motivation, hope and ideals. It causes anxiety while burnout causes depression and detachment. Stress leads to physical damage while burnout to emotional one.

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Dealing with it

One of the most effective ways to deal with it is to speak to someone who is very dear or close to you and also is a good listener. This will help you calm down. Try spending quality time with your dear ones. Socialize a bit with the people you are working with, participate in activities in workplace. Indulge yourself into some hobby or outdoor activity or take a break from work. You could be at a phase where you might just have to consider quitting your job and taking a break before you begin again. Alternatively, joining a support community with cause can help you connect with like-minded people and help you de-tress on a regular basis. If nothing else seem to find you a way out it’s never too late to find new friends. With internet at your help finding friends is not a difficult task.

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Madarosis – A Condition That Causes Hair Loss of Eyelashes and Eyebrows

A condition that is as rare as one in 500 people suffering from it, is the condition called Madarosis, that leads to loss of hair of the eyelash and eyebrows. The term was initially coined only for loss of eye lashes but now it is used even for loss of hair of the eyebrow. Known to generally not cause scars this condition can lead to hair loss of one or both eyebrows, but in rare cases it could lead to scarring as well. Madarosis also known to be an alert for complex body diseases both complex body and dermatological.

Also, the role of eyelashes is to protect the eyes from foreign bodies and eyebrows of to protect eye’s bony ridges and hence is critical to the health of the eye.

Madarosis

MADAROSIS SYMPTOMS
The preliminary symptoms is that the eyelashes turn brittle leading to eyelash fall. The symptoms include eyelid itching and burning sensation as well as swelling, thinning as well as hair loss from other parts of the body.

MADAROSIS CAUSES
The condition is said to be caused due to many other underlying diseases and health conditions like Trauma, Burns, Psychiatric condition called trichotillomania, eyelid infection like syphilis, leprosy or herpes, chronic blepharitis and eyelid neoplasm. Even genetic conditions like ichthyosiform erythroderma, ehlers-danlos syndrome, cryptophthalmos as well as ectodermal dysplasia are known to cause madarosis

DIAGNOSIS
The doctor examines the patient physically and checks the scalp, eyebrows and eyelids as well as facial skin. The tests done for the same include skin skin scrapping for fungal infection diagnosis, skin swab for bacterial infections diagnosis, dermoscopy for skin examination with the help of a magnifier as well as blood tests.

TREATMENT
The treatment is based on diagnosis and includes the use of medications, borax for infections, biotin supplements for hair repair, cosmetic treatment like eyebrow tattoos, artificial eyebrows, to name a few.

Home-remedies like opting for a protein rich diet, care with doing and choosing makeup and use of castor oil on the eyebrows and eyelashes could help you get rid of infections.

 

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All You Need To Know About Plantar Fasciitis

One of the most common causes leading to heel pain is plantar. Plantar causes the thick band of tissue that connects the heel bone to your toes and runs through the foot bottom to swell. The pain is of stabbing nature that begins with your first step in the morning. Once you get on your feet and start walking. Though it decreases eventually but can reoccur once you sit for a long time. It is a common problem faced by runners and even obese people who don’t wear proper shoes.

Know About Plantar Fasciitis

Causes
The role of Plantar fascia is to act like shock bowstring that supports your foot arch. The fascia gets small tears if the tension around the bowstring increases significantly. If this continuous on a repetitive basis than it leads to further inflammation and irritation as well.

Risk Factors
Some of the factors that could be the risks for the aforementioned condition include standing for long time at work, obesity, foot mechanics, age as well as certain exercise types.

Symptoms
Stabbing pain at foots base around the heel. The pain is really bad in the beginning when you take your first few steps. The trigger is stagnancy for a long time. It is also known to worsen after exercise.

Treatment
The diagnosis is done on the basis of physical examination and considering the medical history. The treatment includes conservative method, like use of ice pads, stretching as well as resting but require several months. Medications are also prescribed by doctors and surgery if conservative procedures are not working. The surgical and other procedures include Extracorporeal shock wave therapy, injecting steroids, Tenex procedures and surgery as well, when nothing works.

Home Remedies and Lifestyle Changes
To manage your pain, you need to make a few lifestyle changes like using shoes that support, maintain a healthy weight, avoid using worn out shoes, opting for a sport that is low impact and doing arch stretching workout or simple home exercise.

 

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Dystonia – All You Need to Know About This Common and Complex Condition

Though not a very common condition in India, it is the third most common condition in the USA behind Parkinson’s disease and tremor. Around 2.5 lac people there are known to be suffering from this condition. As far as the age group for this condition is concerned, there is none and can affect anyone from a child to old people irrespective of races, religion or ethnicities.

A deep part of the brain that helps to control movement is known as basal ganglia. The condition is a result of abnormal functioning of this part. This part is responsible for management of movements of the body and prevention of unwanted movements. But, if you are suffering from dystonia and you lose control over the movement management causing repetition of movements, positions and postures besides twisting as well. Not only can it affect the different parts of the body like the legs, trunk, arms and face, it can also affect your vocal cords.

DYSTONIA

This condition can adversely affect your daily routines disrupting one of many of the functions. For example if dystonia affects your neck then you will experience difficulty even in eating, chewing and swallowing. In-spite of it not being a life threatening condition it does tend to cause embarrassment and depression in many, thus resulting into emotional distress. As a result there are many support groups working to help people work on their mental health even though separate treatment for mental health is needed in-order to cope up with the challenges that that condition brings along.

AGE GROUP DIVISION
Dystonia is known to affect different age groups right from the age 0 to that of 20 and older. The Childhood onset of the condition is known to begin between 0 – 12 years, while adolescent onset stars around 3-20 years and adult onset starts above 20 years of age.

SYMPTOMS
At times this condition is not easily diagnosed and could be mistaken as stress or some sort of psychological disorder. Diagnosis therefore is not easy. In its initial stages dystonia symptoms are arise only after specific tasks or movements but when it advances it can also occur during rest period. As it affects the same group of muscles it leads to repetitive movement over time. The process of development is generally slow and the symptoms are confined to local region. Different types of dystonia exhibit different symptoms like for example blepharospasm dystonia shows symptoms like repetitive and blinking at speed, eye irritation and sensitivity to light. Even as far as progress of the different condition in dystonia are concerned they vary from people to people. In some people it might be a gradual progression while in some a speed one. In some it could be all plateaus. In its advanced form it could lead to a lot of postural issues and deformities, torso contortions, involuntary rhythmic movements and more.

Treatment
Either medication or surgery or botox injections are used for treatment purpose. They could be used separately or in conjunction with each other. Botox as well as medications do help in blocking the communication between the nerve and the muscle and slow down the abnormal postures and movements

 

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Medical College Admission 2018 – MBBS-MS-MD-PhD

With the onset of summer in India, students start getting ready for their board exams and even start head hunting for colleges in India to pursue their dream careers. Well, Indians are slowly evolving and the mindset of medical stream or medicine being the only choice to succeed in Life is slowing fading away from the minds of many educated souls. Having said that, there is still a major chunk of parents in India who feel that the first career choice is nothing better than medicine. True to a certain extent for it offers a career path that is so rewarding since ages.

Now that it’s time of the year when parents of students aspiring a career in medicine are shortlisting or have already shortlisted medical colleges as per their choice, let talk about a possibility that stands out in health education.
RRMCH is an endeavor of Moogambigai Charitable and Educational Trust, established in 1992 with an objective of bringing about academic excellence in Karnataka. RRMCH has a holistic approach towards education and gives equal importance to extracurricular activities together with academics.

MBBS Admissions 2018-19

Spread across a wide spanning campus of 25 acres, the college and hospital are nestled in South West Bangalore. An institutional member of the International Medical Sciences Academy, IMSA, a global body that aims in upgrading medical standards around the world, RRMCH is also recognized by the MCH and is affiliated to RGUHS.

RRMCH has a 1300 bed hospital which provides an easy window for practical learning besides digitally equipped classrooms, auditorium, Bank, intensive care unit, Central research laboratory with state of the art facilities to name a few. The laboratory in collaboration with renowned international institutions carries out numerous research programs. Furthermore, RRMCH also houses a medical museum, that showcases over 300 dissected specimens and 1000 plus models of pathology and anatomy. No wonder it is a NAAC A Accredited college and a leader in health education in Bangalore.

RRMCH offers undergraduate and post graduate course in medicine which include undergraduate, post graduate, doctoral programs and paramedical as well as super specialty courses.

MBBS – RRMCH offers MBBS course of 4.5 years plus 1 year compulsory rotating internship

MD – Doctor in Medicine program can be done in subjects namely Anatomy, Anaesthesia, Bio-Chemistry, Community Medicine, Dermatology, Forensic Medicine, General medicine, Microbiology, Pathology, Paediatrics, Pharmacology, Physiology, Psychiatry, Radio Diagnosis and Respiratory Medicine.

MS – RRMCH offers MS in subjects namely ENT, General Surgery, OBG, Opthalmology and Orthopaedics.

PhD– RRMCH offers PhD in Physiology course

Paramedical Courses – Paramedical courses under RRMCH include Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology, Operation Theatre Technology, X Ray Technology, Health Inspection, Ophthalmic Technology and Medical Record Technology

Super Specialty Courses – RRMCH also offers super specialty courses in DM – Cardiology, MCH in Urology, Plastic Surgery and Pediatric Surgery and super specialty course in Neurology.

Well, if you are also one of those parents of students looking out to make it big in the world of medicine, RRMCH definitely is one of the institutions that can help you pave the way to success in the healthcare arena. Medical college admission for the year 2018-19 are now open at RRMCH.

Contact for more info: 

No.202, Kambipura, Mysore Road,
Bengaluru-560 074.

Phone: 2843 7444/ 2843 7777
Fax       : 080-2843 7393
E mail id:enquiry@rrmch.org
info@rrmch.org

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Another Step Towards Preventing Heart Disease – A Vaccine To Lower Cholesterol Levels

The word cholesterol has always been able to raise eyebrows of people because the rising levels of cholesterol is a factual indicator of growing heart disease. While there has been a lot of research and development in the field of cardiac study, here is some further news around the same. Well, lowering cholesterol for a healthy heart is a known fact. We all know how high levels of low density lipo-protein (LDL), also known as bad cholesterol can lead to a stroke due to atherosclerosis or the build up of plaque in the arteries thereby clogging them.

Now, we have this vaccine named Ato4A that has the ability to lower cholesterol levels in the body. It is a cholesterol lowering vaccine by nature and its role is to induce the antibodies production against an enzyme by name PCSK9 responsible for preventing the LDL cholesterol clearance from blood. It apparently attacks the PCSK9 enzyme and reduces the buildup of LDL cholesterol.

Preventing Heart Disease

The vaccine has already been experimented on mice. After feeding the mice with high cholesterol based western food for a while in order to increase atherosclerosis. The findings clearly showed some amazing results.
While the total lowering in cholesterol was a whooping 53%, the reversal of the atherosclerotic damage to blood vessels was a startling 64% and reduction in the biological markers of blood vessel inflammation by 21-28%. The researchers also found that the antibodies were functional throughout the study with increased levels of concentrations towards the end of it.

The PROCESS
Now, the PCSK9 protein is responsible for blocking the LDL cholesterol receptors. Due to this our body fails to get rid of this Cholesterol from blood. When the vaccine Ato4a is injected in the body it starts producing antibodies that in turn block the PSCK9’s function. As a result the activity of LDL cholesterol receptors increases.

A notable difference though between the conventional vaccines and Ato4A is that usually the antibodies in conventional vaccines are only specific to foreign bacterial and viral proteins. While Ato4A induces antibodies against body proteins.

Thus, as per researchers the next step was to take the study forward to human beings and see how the results fare. If it works then surely, this discovery of sorts is going to help fight heart diseases and stroke more effectively in the times to come.

Dr. H. P. Prabhuswamy, MBBS, MS, M. CH, FICC, FIACS, Cardiac Surgery, Professor & HOD, Dept. of CTVS, RRMCH and team conducted a Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery.