The health ministry has drafted a national action plan for Hepatitis C for ensuring that there is no discrimination on the basis of a patient suffering from Hepatitis and to reduce morbidity and mortality due to the viral disease. People who underwent surgery or blood transfusion for any reason before 2002 will be screened for Hepatitis C in a new drive by the government.
The step has been initiated, as before 2002, blood samples at the blood banks were not examined thoroughly, a senior health ministry official said.
The screening programme is expected to start from March, the official said.
The number of such people who have undergone surgery or blood transfusion before 2002, ranges between 60 lakh to 1.2 crore.
People who are diagnosed with Hepatitis C would undergo treatment free of cost, he said.
“The population that would be focused include those who received blood transfusion or underwent surgery before 2002, injection drug users, people receiving repeated blood transfusions (thalassemics and hemophiliacs), those living with HIV and attendees of STI clinics, among others,” the official said.
The test facilities are available from primary health centres to district hospitals and the government plans to open 100 more centres for carrying out such tests, he informed.
The ministry has also drafted a national action plan for Hepatitis C for ensuring that there is no discrimination on the basis of a patient suffering from Hepatitis and to reduce morbidity and mortality due to the viral disease.
The action plan is expected to be rolled out this year.
“The objective is to increase awareness and take promotive prevention measures through various stakeholders and to capacitate the health sector response to viral Hepatitis, including early diagnosis, management and surveillance,” the official said.
Viral Hepatitis are mainly of four types — water and foodborne A and E, and bloodborne B and C, and like HIV/AIDS, bloodborne viral hepatitis has stigma attached to it.
According to rough estimates, 6-12 million suffer from Hepatitis C in India, and close to 35,000 people succumb to the infection each year.
Hepatitis C symptoms sometime may take 10 to 12 years to come to the forefront.
00seshunarayanahttps://imedworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MedWorks-Logo-02-300x300.pngseshunarayana2020-08-03 12:52:572020-08-03 12:52:57People who are diagnosed with Hepatitis C would undergo treatment free of cost
Mice were used to check the effect of a so-called “Western diet”: high in fat, high in sugar, and low in fiber. The animals consequently developed a strong inflammatory response throughout the body, almost like after infection with dangerous bacteria.
“The unhealthy diet led to an unexpected increase in the number of certain immune cells in the blood of the mice, especially granulocytes and monocytes. This was an indication of an involvement of immune cell progenitors in the bone marrow,” Anette Christ, a postdoctoral fellow in the Institute of Innate Immunity of the University of Bonn explains.
Bone marrow progenitors for major immune cell types were isolated from mice fed a Western diet or healthy control diet and a systematic analysis of their function and activation state was performed.
“Genomic studies did, in fact, show that the Western diet had activated a large number of genes in the progenitor cells. The genes affected included those responsible for proliferation and maturation”, explains Prof. Dr. Joachim Schultze from the Life & Medical Sciences Institute (LIMES) at the University of Bonn and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE).
After four weeks, the mice were switched to a cereal diet, the acute inflammation disappeared. What did not disappear was the genetic reprogramming of the immune cells and their precursors: Even after these four weeks, many of the genes that had been switched on during the fast food phase were still active.
“It has only recently been discovered that the innate immune system has a form of memory”, explains Prof. Dr. Eicke Latz, Director of the Institute for Innate Immunity of the University of Bonn and scientist at the DZNE. “After an infection, the body’s defenses remain in a kind of alarm state, so that they can respond more quickly to a new attack.” Experts call this “innate immune training”. In the mice, this process was not triggered by a bacterium, but by an unhealthy diet.
Long-Term Consequences of Inflammatory Cells
The scientists were further able to identify the responsible “fast food sensor” in immune cells. They examined blood cells from 120 subjects. In some of the subjects, the innate immune system showed a particularly strong training effect.
In these subjects, the research team found genetic evidence of the involvement of a so-called inflammasome. Inflammasomes are key intracellular signaling complexes that recognize infectious agents and other harmful substances and subsequently release highly inflammatory messengers. How exactly the NLRP3 inflammasome recognizes the exposure of the body to Western-type diets remains to be determined.
Interestingly, in addition to the acute inflammatory response, this also has long-term consequences for the immune system’s responses: The activation by Western diet changes the way in which the genetic information is packaged. The genetic material is stored in the DNA and each cell contains several DNA strands, which together are about two meters long. However, they are typically wrapped around certain proteins in the nucleus and thus many genes in the DNA cannot be read as they are simply too inaccessible.
Unhealthy eating causes some of these normally hidden pieces of DNA to unwind, similar to a loop hanging out of a ball of wool. This area of the genetic material can then be read much easier as long as this temporary unwrapping remains active. Scientists call these phenomena epigenetic changes. “The inflammasome triggers such epigenetic changes”, explains Dr. Latz. “The immune system consequently reacts even to small stimuli with stronger inflammatory responses.”
Dietary Change in The Community
These inflammatory responses can, in turn, accelerate the development of vascular diseases or type 2 diabetes. In arteriosclerosis, for example, the typical vascular deposits, the plaques, consist largely of lipids and immune cells.
The inflammatory reaction contributes directly to their growth because newly activated immune cells constantly migrate into the altered vessel walls. When the plaques grow too large, they can burst, leading to blood clotting and are carried away by the bloodstream and can clog vessels. Possible consequences: Stroke or heart attack.
“These findings, therefore, have important societal relevance”, explains Latz. “The foundations of a healthy diet need to become a much more prominent part of education than they are at present. Only in this way can we immunize children at an early stage against the temptations of the food industry. Children have a choice of what they eat every day. We should enable them to make conscious decisions regarding their dietary habits.”
Reference Anette Christ, Patrick Günther, Mario A.R. Lauterbach, Peter Duewell, Debjani Biswas, Karin Pelka, Claus J. Scholz, Marije Oosting, Kristian Haendler, Kevin Baßler, Kathrin Klee, Jonas Schulte-Schrepping, Thomas Ulas, Simone J.C.F.M. Moorlag, Vinod Kumar, Min Hi Park, Leo A.B. Joosten, Laszlo A. Groh, Niels P. Riksen, Terje Espevik, Andreas Schlitzer, Yang Li, Michael L. Fitzgerald, Mihai G. Netea, Joachim L. Schultze, Eicke Latz. ‘Western Diet Triggers NLRP3-Dependent Innate Immune Reprogramming.’Cell (2017). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2017.12.013.
00seshunarayanahttps://imedworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MedWorks-Logo-02-300x300.pngseshunarayana2020-08-03 12:49:532020-08-03 12:49:53Western Diet Triggers Immune System To Be More Aggressive
A mechanism that deals with communication between neurons and immune cells with regard to pain have been discovered. This has helped identify a new method of treating neuropathic pain in mice, which could be more safe and effective than current treatments comprising of opioids and antiepileptic drugs. Neuropathic pain is a type of chronic pain that is usually caused by an injury to nerves, but the pain persists long after the injury has healed. Neuropathic pain may occur after surgery or a car accident, or in some cases when a limb has been amputated. Currently, the only available drugs for neuropathic pain are either opioids or antiepileptic medication. Opioids, like morphine and tramadol, are highly addictive and the NHS have recently raised concerns about the prescription of these drugs, due to opioid overdoses more than doubling in the last decade.
In the US an opioid ‘epidemic’ has recently been declared due to the rising number of deaths linked to these drugs. In contrast, antiepileptic medication is not addictive but is often accompanied by a whole host of unpleasant side effects such as dizziness, fatigue, nausea and weight gain. However, people with neuropathic pain have very little choice when it comes to other treatment options because the cause of neuropathic pain is so poorly understood.
Using cellular and mouse models of neuropathic pain the authors studied a cluster of neurons in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG), which are part of the sensory neurons that play an important role in communicating pain information to the brain. They found that after nerve injury, pain neurons in this area released very small biological particles containing microRNA-21. These particles were then taken up by surrounding immune cells, ultimately leading to local inflammation and neuropathic pain.
The authors showed that when they blocked DRG pain neurons from releasing microRNA-21 in particles, this had an anti-inflammatory effect at a cellular level, which prevented neuropathic pain from occurring in mice. The advantage of this method is that these particles, containing agents that block microRNA-21, do not infiltrate the brain and lead to side effects.
In humans, a similar method could be applied to block pain neurons from releasing microRNA-21 in particles, which would prevent neuropathic pain from occurring. If successful, this would be the first drug to target neuropathic pain in specific areas without side effects, which is in stark contrast to the non-specific painkillers currently available.
Fortunately, similar treatments are already being trialed in cancer patients receiving immunotherapy, making the application to other conditions like neuropathic pain highly feasible.
Professor Marzia Malcangio, senior author from the Wolfson Center for Age-Related Diseases at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, said ‘If new treatments based on the findings of this study, targeting microRNA-21, could be designed for patients with neuropathic pain this could provide a brand new avenue for drug treatment. Our next steps are to explore whether the same mechanism applies to other chronic pain conditions.’
00seshunarayanahttps://imedworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MedWorks-Logo-02-300x300.pngseshunarayana2020-08-03 12:44:282020-08-03 12:44:28New Mechanism That Helps Devise Treatment For Chronic Pain In the Nerves
Cell phones have long surpassed being a just a device to make calls and receive messages. Our dependency on its numerous features has got us enslaved. Today, almost all of us can’t survive without our indispensable communication gadget. And it has gone a step further, whether single or not, mobile phones have becoming a sleeping companion to people globally. There’s hardly any of us who goes to bed without it. Despite health warnings of radiation, we still keep it next to our faces near the pillow or at the most, within an arm’s reach on the bed side table. Well, it’s time to change all of that…
Health warnings Recently, the California Department of Health warned that the public need to keep their mobile phones several feet away from them to reduce health risks and radiation exposure. The state released guidance for reducing exposure to cell phone radiation, surrounded by mounting evidence that mobile use may be linked to cancer, attention, mental health and reproductive health issues. Using low frequency radio signals to transmit information, cell phones put us at risk of unhealthy radiation, especially when streaming or downloading large files.
Though research has not definitively proven cell phone radiation is dangerous, there have been enough studies linking the two to exercise caution, especially for children. The California statewide notice issued warnings that citizens should make some distance between their mobiles and their bodies. The radio frequency (RF) energy cell phones use to transmit information are at the bottom of the radiation totem poll, but research suggests that our frequent, close-range exposure to cell phones may be enough to endanger us.
“Keeping a phone directly on the body has never been a good idea,” says Dr Devra Davis of the Environmental Health Trust. In fact, cell phone makers themselves seem to agree. Apple, for example, includes an ‘RF exposure’ notice in the iPhone’s settings. Health studies have shown evidence that mobile phone exposure may cause tumours in the brain or ears, where the body is frequently in contact with the gadget. Though research on RF’s effects on children specifically is fairly limited, many psychologists have already warned that cell phone use may be linked to poorer attention, mental health and sleep for adolescents.
International studies “have show that men who keep their phone in their pockets the longest have lowest sperm count, with most damage,” says Dr Davis. “Many people keep their phones in their pockets for hours a day, especially in the summer with thinner exposures will be far greater,” she adds. Contemporary cell phone signals use “the weakest signals, but strength of the signals is not an issue when comes to biological effect. It’s not the power, it’s the irregular nature of signal,” says Davis.
Experts speak Dr Ramakant Deshpande, oncologist, Asian Cancer Institute, says, “Ionisation can impact children; studies have shown it’s effects on the central nervous system is higher. Children have greater exposure to cellphones and this needs to be reduced to avoid any long term health hazards.”
Radiation from cellphones have the potential to cause cancer; there has been an increase in benign tumours but not all cancers. Cellphones are very useful in daily life and it is not possible to completely stay away from them. It is suggested that a balance should be maintained and cellphones have to be used with care and precaution, cautions Dr Deshpande.
Reproductive health Dr Bandita Sinha, gynaecologist and infertility specialist, World of Women clinic, says that cell phone radiation can be harmful and will affect fertility, although there are no studies that prove the statistics of this radiation and its impact. However, it is advisable to keep cell phones several feet away from one’s body.
“If cell phones are kept closer to one’s body for a longer period, it can have harmful effects. As radiation affects brain and can also lead to hormonal imbalance, it also affects the menstrual cycle. Using cell phones for a longer period of time can impact sleep, long term sleep disturbances cause menstrual irregularities. Using a laptop on the lap regularly will lower sperm count,” warns Dr Sinha.
What to do? Dr Deshpande recommends keeping cell phones away during bedtime and it should be switched off. Reducing the cell phone exposure time is better especially for children, putting in air plane more may not necessarily be helpful.
00seshunarayanahttps://imedworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MedWorks-Logo-02-300x300.pngseshunarayana2020-07-31 18:32:562020-07-31 18:32:56Stop sleeping with your cell phone
Oral cancer refers to the cancers that occur in the mouth, lips, tongue, cheeks, palate or throat and are among the most common forms of cancers in India. In fact, oral cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men. India bears the largest burden of oral cancers in the world, with an incidence of around 11.28 percent in Indian men.
It is important to propagate that oral cancer is also a highly preventable and treatable disease if detected early. Incidentally, over 80% of all oral cancers can be attributed to tobacco usage.
By eliminating the use of tobacco and following healthy lifestyles, you can significantly reduce your risk of oral cancer.
According to, Aparna Dhar, Medical Geneticist and Genetic Counselor, CORE Diagnostics, here are 5 measures you must take:
-Quit tobacco in all its forms
More than 50 percent of oral cancers in India are attributable to smokeless tobacco products. Referred usually as gutka or khaini in India, smokeless tobacco increases the risk of oral precancerous lesions and oral cancer between 2-fold and 15-fold. Unfortunately, gutka products are being packaged and marketed as safer products today, with youngsters increasingly falling for them. Let not the packaging befool you, tobacco in any form is a ready form of cancerous poison.
-Quit or minimize use of alcohol
Excessive alcohol consumption is another risk factor for oral cancer. It is advisable to limit your alcohol intake to a minimal level. Not only will this prove to be good for your liver and heart, but it also reduces your risk of oral cancer. Do not drink more than one drink per day if you’re a woman or two drinks per day if you’re a man.
-Use skin protection
Excessive exposure to the sun is also linked to increased risk of cancer in the lip area. To reduce this risk, you must try to limit your exposure to sunlight and other sources of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This does not mean you must avoid the sun altogether. However, it is advisable to stay out of the sun particularly between10 am and 4 pm when sunlight is strongest. Also, use sun protection cream as well as lip balm with a minimum of SPF 30.
-Undergo preventive examinations
Early detection and regular preventive examination are key to surviving oral cancer. It is important to thoroughly examine your mouth regularly to be able to spot any abnormal growth or lesion. Also, make sure to undergo regular oral cancer screening by your dentist. Regular examinations by a dentist can help detect oral cavity cancer and some oropharyngeal cancers at an early stage. It is also important to maintain good oral hygiene as people with poor oral hygiene are at a higher risk of oral cavity cancer.
– Eat a balanced diet, rich in fruits and vegetables
A diet rich in vitamins and minerals is a potent weapon against cancer as it contains antioxidants that keep the body healthy. A diet low in fruits and vegetables and a vitamin A deficiency is considered to increase the risk of oral and oropharyngeal cancers. It is therefore advisable to consume generous servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
00seshunarayanahttps://imedworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MedWorks-Logo-02-300x300.pngseshunarayana2020-07-31 18:30:552020-07-31 18:30:55Majority of oral cancers can be prevented! Here’s how
Scientists have developed a single blood test that can help in the early diagnoses of eight common cancer types and helps identify the location of the disease. The test, called CancerSEEK, is a unique noninvasive, multianalyte test that simultaneously evaluates levels of eight cancer proteins and the presence of cancer gene mutations from circulating DNA in the blood.
The test is aimed at screening for eight common cancer types that account for more than 60 per cent of cancer deaths in the US, researchers said.
Five of the cancers covered by the test currently have no screening test.
“The use of a combination of selected biomarkers for early detection has the potential to change the way we screen for cancer, and it is based on the same rationale for using combinations of drugs to treat cancers,” said Nickolas Papadopoulos, professor of oncology and pathology at Johns Hopkins University in the US.
According to the study published in the journal Science, CancerSEEK is noninvasive and can, in principle, be administered by primary care providers at the time of other routine blood work.
The investigators initially explored several hundred genes and 40 protein markers, whittling the number down to segments of 16 genes and eight proteins.
They point out that this molecular test is solely aimed at cancer screening and, therefore, is different from other molecular tests, which rely on analysing large numbers of cancer-driving genes to identify therapeutically actionable targets.
In this study, the test had greater than 99 per cent specificity for cancer.
The test was used on 812 healthy controls and produced only seven false-positive results.
It was evaluated on 1,005 patients with nonmetastatic, stages I to III cancers of the ovary, liver, stomach, pancreas, esophagus, colorectum, lung or breast. The median overall sensitivity, or the ability to find cancer, was 70 per cent and ranged from a high of 98 percent for ovarian cancer to a low of 33 per cent for breast cancer.
For the five cancers that have no screening tests -ovarian, liver, stomach, pancreatic and esophageal cancers -sensitivity ranged from 69 per cent to 98 per cent.
“Many of the most promising cancer treatments we have today only benefit a small minority of cancer patients, and we consider them major breakthroughs,” said Bert Vogelstein, professor of Oncology at Johns Hopkins University.
“This test represents the next step in changing the focus of cancer research from late-stage disease to early disease, which I believe will be critical to reducing cancer deaths in the long term,” said Vogelstein.
00seshunarayanahttps://imedworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MedWorks-Logo-02-300x300.pngseshunarayana2020-07-31 18:28:322020-07-31 18:28:32Single blood test may detect eight types of cancer
Scientists have created a robot which can be implanted into a baby’s body to treat a rare birth defect that affects the food pipe.
The prototype robotic implant, developed by the researchers at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital in the US, encourages tissue growth in babies.
The robot is a small device which is attached to the oesophagus by two rings. An incorporated motor then stimulates the cells by gently pulling the tissue.
Using two types of sensors – one to measure the tension in the tissue and another to measure tissue displacement – the robot monitors and applies tissue traction depending on the tissue properties.
The robot’s function is inspired by the Foker technique of correcting the oesophageal atresia which involves manually pulling the tissue slowly using sutures over a period of time. “Doctors have been performing the Foker procedure as they realised that tissue lengthening can be achieved by pulling on the tissue,” said Dana Damian, from University of Sheffield.
However, it is unknown how much force should be applied to produce tissue lengthening.
Although the technique is one of the best standards, sometimes the sutures surgeons attach to the oesophagus can tear which can result in repetitive surgeries or scar tissue can form that can cause problems for the patient in the future.
“The robot we developed addresses this issue because it measures the force being applied and can be adapted at anytime throughout the treatment,” said Damian.
“With it being implanted in the patient, it means they have – in effect – a doctor by their side all the time, monitoring them and changing their treatment when needed,” she said.
Oesophageal atresia is a rare genetic disease which affects about one in 4,000 babies born in the US and Europe.
It occurs when the upper and lower parts of the oesophagus do not connect, which means food can not reach the stomach.
Some of these cases are characterised by a gap between three and 10 cm between the oesophageal stubs, called long gap oesophageal atresia.
The treatment of these cases using Foker technique can start as early as three months old and can take months.
Usually, the patient is sedated during the treatment to ensure the sutures in place do not tear.
The study suggests that with this robot, babies would be free to move around and be allowed to interact with their parents while undergoing treatment, taking away some of the stress from both parties.
The implant is powered by a control unit which remains outside of the body, attached to a vest. This means that doctors can monitor the patient without impacting on the baby’s routine.
00seshunarayanahttps://imedworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MedWorks-Logo-02-300x300.pngseshunarayana2020-07-31 18:26:092020-07-31 18:26:09New robotic implant in infants can help treat rare birth defect of food pipe
Over 11, 500 kilometers away from her hometown in Kerala, PhD student Juby Mathew is seen neck-deep in work at the laboratory of Ferrier Research Institute in Wellington, New Zealand.
Juby is the only Indian in Professor Gavin Painter’s research group that is works on discovering vaccines to life-threatening illnesses. Juby in particular is involved with the development of a breast cancer vaccine candidate.
The research on breast cancer vaccine has been underway since 2013, and recently the institute was able to conduct the vaccine trials on animals. Over $5,00,000 are being invested on vaccine research.
“Professor Gavin Painter’s group has done leading-edge research in the field of cancer vaccines. To be part of such a highly experienced team is invaluable. I am also part of a wider ecosystem of people, which includes interactions with immunologists at the Malaghan Institute and lots of different high-tech start-ups that are situated on the Callaghan Innovation site. I hope to make a world where no one dies of cancer,”Juby told dna.
Worldwide, more than 500,000 women died of breast cancer in 2011, and incidence rates are increasing in most countries including India. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) estimates that there were 1.5 lakh new cases of breast cancer in India in 2016. Some 70,000 indian women estimatedly died due to breast cancer in 2012 and that number will increase to 76,000 by 2020.
The institute says that before conducting the trials on humans, they ought to be absolutely convinced about it’s potential safety and efficacy and hence more research is required before trials on humans are undertaken.
The vaccine has been trialled on several animals and how it works is well understood within these animal models. It has triggered significant reduction in tumour size over an extended period of time. It has also been used in vitro (outside of the human body) with human blood and has shown promising results. Patients with malignant breast cancer who have not undergone any recent treatment that may influence the results of the trials. Current treatments like chemotherapy and radiation are harsh on patients.
“The vaccine has been successful in several different animal species and the next step is clinical trials on humans. To be given permission for human clinical trials is a big step; it means that there is a high likelihood that the treatment will be effective for humans because permission is only given in cases which show significant potential and an expected high probability of success. Although all the cell types are the same in humans as in these animal trials, cell distribution and prevalence is different and therefore, more research must be done to collect more evidence that the vaccine would have the same efficacy in humans as in other animal species,”said a spokesperson from the institute.
The vaccine will trigger activation of natural killer T-cells that directly destroy the tumour cells, according to the team’s hypothesis.
“The vaccine is based on ‘Immunotherapy,’approach, which works by helping the body’s immune system recognise cancer cells and to fight them. Immunotherapy vaccines introduce chemicals to the body which activate the immune response, allowing the body to effectively fight off the cancer by itself,”the spokesperson further said.
Casualties 70,000
Indian women died of the cancer in 2012
76,000
Number of women estimated to fall victim to it by 2020
00seshunarayanahttps://imedworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MedWorks-Logo-02-300x300.pngseshunarayana2020-07-31 18:22:192020-07-31 18:22:19Indian scholar helps break ground on research for breast cancer vaccine
Restoring testosterone in older men to normal level through gels, patches, or injections may lower their risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from any cause, says a large study co-authored by an Indian-origin researcher.
The study also found that men who were treated but did not attain normal levels did not see the same benefits as those whose levels did reach normal.
“It is the first study to demonstrate that significant benefit is observed only if the dose is adequate to normalise the total testosterone levels,” said corresponding author of the study Rajat Barua, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Kansas in the US.
“Patients who failed to achieve the therapeutic range after testosterone replacement therapy did not see a reduction in (heart attack) or stroke and had significantly less benefit on mortality,” Barua noted.
The findings may sway the ongoing debate over testosterone therapy’s benefits and risks, especially for the heart.
So far, the medical community lacks results from any definitive clinical trial that might provide clear guidance.
Meanwhile, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued guidance earlier in 2015 advising clinicians about the over-use of testosterone therapy, and pointing to a possible increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
The new study looked at data on more than 83,000 men with documented low testosterone, all age 50 or above, who received care between 1999 and 2014.
The researchers divided the men into three clinical groups: those who were treated to the point where their total testosterone levels returned to normal, those who were treated but without reaching normal, and those who were untreated and remained at low levels.
The average follow-up across the groups ranged from 4.6 to 6.2 years. The sharpest contrast emerged between those who were treated and attained normal levels and those whose low testosterone went untreated.
The treated men were 56 percent less likely to die during the follow-up period, 24 per cent less likely to suffer a heart attack, and 36 per cent less likely to have a stroke.
The exact reasons for testosterone’s apparent benefits for the heart and overall survival are not known. Possible explanations, the researchers said, could involve body fat, insulin sensitivity, lipids, blood platelets, inflammation, or other biological pathways.
The study was published online in the European Heart Journal.
00seshunarayanahttps://imedworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MedWorks-Logo-02-300x300.pngseshunarayana2020-07-31 18:17:242020-07-31 18:17:24Testosterone therapy may help older men live longer
Scientists have developed a smart baby pillow that can prevent and even correct mild cases of flat head syndrome, caused when infants repeatedly lie on their backs to sleep. Babies are born with highly malleable skulls, and therefore receiving constant pressure on a particular part of their head may lead to some positional flattening or molding of the head. Although this does not harm brain development nor cause any lasting appearance problems, simple practices, like placing them in different positions over the course of each day, can easily prevent a baby from developing an asymmetrical skull shape. “We came up with the idea to help new parents who are in drastic need of sleep. We wanted to help them relax and rest at least when their babies are asleep,” said scientists from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea, who developed the device. The smart baby pillow is designed to help induce the correct sleeping posture, thereby preventing babies from developing flat head syndrome. It features an embedded air volume control system, as well as the image-based soft tactile sensor. “A soft tactile sensor has been applied to monitor the position of a newborn’s head in real time,” said Tae Hun Chung from UNIST. “We have also added a system that automatically controls the volume of air in the pillow for a perfectly symmetrical skull. This saves the trouble of attempting to change a newborn’s head in different positions every 1 to 2 hours,” said Chung. The team plans to commercialize the product and later expand into the medical device market. “The device itself would certainly be a great help for those stressed-out parents,” said HyeWon Cho from UNIST. “By allowing mothers to have some relaxation time, it can also help prevent or treat symtoms of postnatal depression and anxiety,” Cho said.
00seshunarayanahttps://imedworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MedWorks-Logo-02-300x300.pngseshunarayana2020-07-31 18:14:152020-07-31 18:14:15New smart pillows may prevent flat head syndrome in babies
