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Washington, Jan 4 (IANS) Tuberculosis (TB) which becomes resistent to multi-drugs is not caused by irregular doses, as is widely believed, but by speedy drug metabolism, according to a US study. The body sees drugs as foreign chemicals and tries to rid itself of them, said Tawanda Gumbo, associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern, who led the study. A population of individuals with a genetic trait that speeds the metabolic process has been found in one area of South Africa that has a high rate of multidrug-resistant TB. 'Tuberculosis is a common ailment, accounting for up to three percent of all deaths in many countries,' said Gumbo. 'Although effective therapy exists, there are still cases of treatment failure, and drug resistance remains a threat,' added Gumbo. The results seem to challenge the current approach endorsed by the World Health Organization that relies on directly observed therapy-short-course strategy (DOTS). TB that responds to medication is treated with a cocktail of drugs under the supervision of health care workers. 'Every TB patient is supposed to be watched as they swallow their pills in order to increase adherence and decrease emergence of drug resistance,' said Gumbo. In fact, using computer simulations based on 10,000 TB patients in Cape Town, South Africa, researchers discovered that one percent of all TB patients with perfect adherence to dosage still developed drug resistance because they cleared the drugs from their bodies more quickly. ©Indo-Asian News Service
Tags: Faster Body Metabolism Renders TB Drugs Ineffective
 Want to stave off bowel cancer? Exercise daily, for a new study claims that regular workouts can cut the risk of developing the disease significantly. An international team, led by University of Western Australia and the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, has found people who engage in vigorous physical activity may be protected against types of colorectal cancer. For the study, researchers examined 870 participants who had bowel cancer and a control group of 996 who did not have the disease. Study participants were asked to answer questions about their recreational physical activity, lifestyle, diet, medication and occupation. Team member Terry Boyle said the study confirms previous research that shows the most physically active have a lower risk of bowel cancer than the least active. “It also gives us some clues as to what types of activity are the most effective at reducing bowel cancer risk,” he said. The study found people who performed regular vigorous physical activity over their lifetime had 40 per cent reduced risk of cancer of the distal (lower) colon and rectum. “These results suggest that vigorous activity like jogging, cycling, swimming, tennis, hockey, netball and football may be the most effective physical activities to lower the risk of bowel cancer,” Boyle said. Of the possible mechanisms linking physical activity and colon cancer, there is evidence to suggest that obesity and vitamin D may have a great effect on distal colon cancer than proximal colon cancer, ‘Cancer Causes Control’ journal said. While the link between physical activity and colon cancers remains opaque, this study suggests that lifestyle factors are more strongly tied to distal colon cancer than proximal colon cancer. “This shows that it really is never too late to start being physically active,” Boyle said.
Tags: Exercise Cuts Bowel Cancer Risk Shows Studybowel Cancer Exercise Lifest
 Summer is upon us and that means Boxing-Day sales shopping, celebrations and family getaways. During this busy time, it can be tempting to leave the children in the car while you run a quick errand. However, leaving children unattended in a car, even for a short period, is dangerous and can be potentially fatal.
Did you know that on a typical summer day the average temperature inside a parked car can be 20 degrees hotter than the outside temperature? Large cars heat up just as quickly as small cars, and leaving the windows wound down has little effect on the inside temperature of the car. Young children are more sensitive to heat than adults; their body temperature can rise 3-5 times faster- this means that they have an increased risk of dehydration and heatstroke, as well as more serious outcomes. It is illegal in most states and territories of Australia to leave a child unattended in a car, yet every year, a large number of children have to be rescued by respective state and territory emergency services. These incidents are not always intentional – they can also occur when a parent or carer unintentionally locks the keys in the car while unloading the shopping, or when children gain access to an unlocked car and lock themselves in. Leaving a child unattended in a car is dangerous on any day, whether it be sunny, raining, mild, overcast or a scorching summer day. Follow these car safety tips to help keep your children safe: - Never leave children unattended in a car. If you have to leave the car, even to run a quick errand, take the children with you.
- Get into a routine of looking for your keys when you get out of the car – it can be easy to unintentionally lock your children and keys in the car.
- Use ‘pay at the pump’ service stations where possible, as this will allow you to stay close to your vehicle.
- Lock cars and secure keys when at home to prevent children from playing inside the car.
Children may also become uncomfortable and restless when traveling in a hot car, particularly on long trips. Consider the following tips when setting out on your family holiday this summer to ensure your children are comfortable and safe, and that the journey is enjoyable for the whole family: - Cool your car down as much as possible before strapping your children in.
- Provide plenty of cool water and fluids throughout the journey.
- Dress children in lightweight and easy fit clothing.
- When planning a long journey, consider traveling in cooler times of the day.
- Plan to stop every 2 hours so all passengers can have a rest from traveling.
- Use a visor or sunshade to protect children from the sun through the car windows.
These tips will help to keep your children safe, but what should you do if you notice another child left unattended in a car? - Immediately call 000.
- Provide the operator with your location, the vehicle registration number, the approximate age of the child and the condition of the child.
- If the car is unlocked, open the doors and shield windows with a blanket or whatever object is handy and wait for emergency services. Alternatively, safely try to remove the child from the vehicle if you are concerned about the child’s condition- and remember, every second counts.
For more information on the dangers of leaving children unattended in cars, and on safe travel tips, contact your local Kidsafe office www.kidsafe.com.au. And remember, child safety is no accident!
Tags: Children Can Suffer Brain Damage If Left In Hot Car
Washington, Jan 3 (IANS) A quarter of severe asthma attacks could be averted if only patients took their prescribed medication regularly, according to a new study by the Henry Ford Hospital “Our findings demonstrated a relationship between medication adherence and asthma events in a manner that accounts for the changing patterns of inhaler use over time,” says study co-author Keoki Williams, an Internal Medicine physician and associate director of Henry Ford’s Center for Health Policy and Health Service Research. Henry Ford researchers say this is the first time that asthma medication use has been tracked closely over time and related to the likelihood of severe asthma attacks More than 20 million Americans suffer from asthma, which accounts for nearly half a million hospitalizations in the US annually, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) medication is the most effective treatment for controlling symptoms and preventing attacks, which can lead to a visit to the emergency department or hospitalization or death if left untreated.
Tags: Regular Medication Can Ease Severe Asthma Attacks
 Scientists have made a major breakthrough that could soon see human sperm grown in the laboratory.
The development opens up the possibility of infertile men being able to father their own children rather than using donor sperm. Researchers in Germany and Israel were able to grow mouse sperm from a few cells in a laboratory dish. In a world first a team headed by Professor Stefan Schlatt, at Muenster University in Germany, were able to grow sperm by using germ cells. These are the cells in testicles that are responsible for sperm production. Scientists grew the sperm by surrounding the germ cells in a special compound called agar jelly to create an environment similar to that found in testicles. Prof. Mahmoud Huleihel, who also grew the sperm at Israel's Ben Gurion University in Beersheba, said: "I believe it will eventually be possible to routinely grow human male sperm to order by extracting tissue containing germ cells from a man's testicle and stimulating sperm production in the laboratory." The findings of the sperm trial have been revealed in a major scientific journal published by Nature. Now the scientists who made the discovery have begun experiments that will hopefully lead to the 'Holy Grail' - human sperm grown outside a man's body. Stephen Gordon, a leading NHS male infertility consultant, praised the breakthrough. He said:"This is an amazing development that could revolutionise fertility treatment and allow every man to be a natural father. "Infertile men naturally want to be the father of their child but at present have to accept that can't happen. With the mouse discovery, that could now be a possibility." Professor Richard Sharpe, one of the UK's top fertility scientists, based at Edinburgh University, who hopes to work on the project, said: "This is a significant step forward towards making human sperm." The problem of male infertility has grown over the last 50 years and has been matched by huge decrease in sperm counts in men. Some of this has been attributed to environmental factors such as pollution and female hormones appearing in plastic packaging. Mr Gordon, a urologist, who practises at Epsom Hopsital, Surrey, said: "Even with our latest microsurgical techniques there are still thousands of men - who are otherwise healthy -who can't naturally father babies and rely on sperm donation." Professor Huleihel said his team were now working 'as quickly as possible' to reproduce their success in mice to help infertile men. "We have already applied the same tests as we did with mice in the laboratory, using human cells, but as yet have not had success. We are confident that if it can be done in a mammal such as a mouse it can be done in humans. "We are experimenting with a number of different compounds to get the germ cells to grow into sperm. And we believe it will be possible. And, hopefully, soon." The sperm production breakthrough is reported in the Asian Journal of Andrology this month. Professor Huleihel added: "We were able to produce viable sperm that could have been used to create baby mice. The sperm appeared healthy and were not genetically damaged. "It has taken us several years to reach this stage so a technique to create human sperm won't come overnight but we have started that research already after our success with mice." In an attempt to speed up the search for a way of making human sperm Professor Huleihel's team is about to start talks with Professor Richard Sharpe at Edinburgh University. Professor Sharpe said: "What this research shows is that it will be possible to make human sperm outside the body. The germ cells just need the right environment. That's the tricky part getting them to think they are in the testes Professor Sharpe believes that one novel way may make.it possible. He proposes using a live mouse as a 'host' to make human sperm. He said: "What you would do is take some human testicular tissue with germ cells and place that under the skin of the mouse and use it to incubate the cells. "You could then extract any sperm and use it in fertility treatment. But we would have to demonstrate that there were no mouse cells present in the extracted sperm if we were to use this technique and I believe that's possible." Mr Gordon, who also treats infertile men at the private New Life Clinic, said: "Hundreds of millions have been poured into research into female infertility but research into male infertility attracts relatively little interest. "There will be a lot of infertile men hoping this research succeeds and that in future they won't have to rely on a sperm donor to have child." Before human sperm grown in a laboratory could be used in fertility treatment it would have to be licensed. But researchers like Professor Sharpe believes that this hurdle will be overcome. He said: "The main thing that would have to be proved is that the sperm was not genetically damaged and was the same as sperm produced in the testes. Similar checks are already carried out on eggs and embryos used in women's fertility treatment."
Tags: Scientists Succeed In Growing Sperm In Lab Dish
Ashish Gaur TNN
Indore: Allopathic doctors here and eight other cities in India have conducted clinical drug trials for ayurvedic and herbal remedies on patients, ignoring Indian Council of Medical Research ethical guidelines. The drugs tested include ophthalmic medicine Opthacare and a novel herbal molecule.
Two Indore doctors had carried out the trial for drug manufacturers at their private clinics in Indore while the others did it in various parts of the country. The trials were done on patients suffering from chronic conjunctivitis migraine. Opthacare was tested on 116 patients. Another 214 patients were given the herbal molecule by allopathic doctors across nine cities.
The drug trial came to light after Congress MLA Pratap Grewal asked a question in the Madhya Pradesh assembly about herbal medicine clinical trials conducted by allopathic doctors. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said allopathic and government doctors had tested herbal eye drop Opthacare on 116 patients. The trial was conducted at private clinics. So, the government did not tell the assembly if ICMR guidelines were followed.
The trials did not include any competent Ayurveda, Siddha or Unani physician as co-investigator at any stage. ICMR guidelines say any allopath conducting a clinical trial of an Ayurvedic or other herbal drug on patients should have a co-investigator from those disciplines.
ICMR guidelines say: “It is essential such clinical trials (using Ayurveda or herbal drugs) be carried out only when a competent Ayurveda, Siddha or Unani physician is a co-investigator... It would neither be ethically acceptable nor morally justifiable if an allopathic physician, based on references in ancient literature of…traditional systems of medicine, carries out...evaluation…without any concept or training in these systems of medicine.
Tags: Docs Flout Norms With Ayurvedic Drug Trials
 India Cites Age-Old Texts To Deny Firm’s Claim On Healing Cold
Kounteya Sinha TNN
New Delhi: India has foiled an attempt by a British pharmaceutical company to claim a patent on using ginger for the treatment of cough and cold.
NicholasJohn Larkins,London,filed a patent application (no. GB2436063), titled, “Pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of excess mucous production”, on March 16, 2006, at the British patent office. It claimed the usefulness of ginger (Zingiber officinale) and kutki plant (Picrorhiza kurroa) for the treatment of cough andlung diseasestobeits novel and unique finding.
However, Indians have been gulping down steaming hot a d r a k c h a i to cure a bad cough or cold for centuries. The department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) intervened and provided evidence from age-old ayurveda and unani books, dating back to the 18th century, which spoke about ginger and kutki being used alone or in conjunction with other ingredients for the treatment of cough, bronchial asthma and lung diseases.
“Within a periodof twoweeksof India providing evidence, the five-year-old attempt to pirate India’s traditional medicinalknowledgewasstruckdown by theUK patentofficein 2011,” a health ministry officialsaid.Thebooksthatwere referredto as evidence by CSIR included I l a a j- a l-A mr a a z (18th Century), B h a i s a j y a R a t n av a l i and B h a r a t a B h a i s a j y a R a t n a k a r a (1000 BC), B ay a a z-e-K a b i r(1938 AD), M u h e e t-e-A z a m (19th century) and K h a z a a i n-a l-A d- v i afrom the 20th century.
“India throughtheTraditionalKnowledgeDigitalLibrary (TKDL)submittedits prior art evidences on April 25, 2011. The examiner terminated the patent application before grant,” added the official. Ginger has been a popular Indian home remedy for treating cough and cold. Ginger tea consumedhotisknown to provide reliefto the throat. At times, it is mixed with lemon and honey. The high concentration of vitamin C in the drink improves resistance levels, lowers toxicity of the infection and reduces duration of the cold.
Till about 10 years ago, about 2,000 wrong patents concerning indigenous systems of medicine were being granted annually at international level due to lack of evidence provided by India. TKDL has been a real boon for India. Over 2.26 lakh rare medical formulations which were part of the ancient Indian texts have been dug out, transcribed, documented and digitized into the path-breaking TKDL to protect them from bio-pirates.
This includes 1.22 lakh unani, 90,000 ayurveda and15,000 Siddha formulations, which have been transcribed by the department of AYUSH and CSIR from ancientIndian textswritten originally in Sanskrit, Arabic, Urdu, Persian and Tamil.
Tags: UK Co Bid To Patent Ginger Cure Foiled
 Rohit PS TNN
Hyderabad: The Charminar Ayurveda Hospital building is in a precariously dilapidated condition but no renovation work has been undertaken by the authorities. It is also not being shifted from the premises of the Nizamia General Hospital, which was allegedly supposed to be a ‘temporary’ location.
Ayurveda Hospital’s dispute with its twin Unani Hospital and students of Unani College is decades old. The outpatient block of the government Ayurveda hospital occupies the east wing of the Nizamia hospital, while a good portion of the building is used for the 100 bed in-patient Ayurveda wards.
 “While both the practices are parallel and important, the expansion of the Unani practice has been kept in abeyance because of lack of space. We will shortly be expanding into a 250-bed hospital but it will be very difficult without additional space. The place now occupied by Ayurveda hospital was given only on a temporary basis but the hospital has not moved out yet despite several relocation options given to them,” said a practitioner from Unani Hospital. The Unani college students are more vocal in expressing their protests. “Ayurveda go back” scribbled over the walls, amply portrays their resentment.
AYUSH officials point out that though many alternatives were considered to relocate the Ayurveda hospital, none of them was liked by the management. “We have checked locations near Mallepali, Dabeerpura, and Madina in the recent past, but none of these locations suited us. There have been no orders from the government though this matter has come up now and then,” said S Sudha, additional director for Ayurveda, AYUSH.
The Ayurveda staff maintain that the hospital has to stay at its current location because the practice has been established there. “The practice of Ayurveda has become just as popular as Unani here. Unani and Ayurveda systems supplement each other. The Charminar hospital is unique because both these systems are present here which benefits the patient. If one system cannot treat the patient, he can always seek treatment through the other system,” said a staffer at the hospital.
Apart from this debate, the major concern for the Ayurveda practitioners is the dilapidated condition of the outpatient block. The dangerous state of the building came to fore when a dome collapsed and killed a woman last year. Although restoration of the heritage structure was sanctioned and inaugurated after the chief minister’s visit to the Unani Hospital, works are yet to begin. Meanwhile, in the wake of the mishap, a sum of Rs 8 lakh was sanctioned for repairs in the outpatient block to arrest leakage and prevent the ceiling from caving in, but the works are going on at a slow pace. With hardly any change in the situation the officials have been forced to shift classes to the Eraggada hospital.
Sudha says that owing to the bad state of building and lack of adequate facilities, medical practice has also dwindled. “The outpatient building has been closed for one year now. We shifted our students to Erragadda hospital. After the mishap, we also had to shift the out-patient ward to another location on the premises,” she said.
Apala Naidu, the superintendent of Ayurveda hospital, said that the repair works will be completed in about a month’s time. “Students in Eraggada hospital have been protesting to return to Charminar,” he said, adding that Ayurveda practice cannot move out because no such decision has been taken by the government.
Tags: Ayurveda Faces Unani Rage
Docs Raise Objections To Act Durgesh Nandan Jha TNN
New Delhi: The dentist practising in a one-room set-up across the road or the neighbourhood doctor who doles out medicines for fever and chills may be covered under a Central law soon. The Directorate of Health Services (DHS), Delhi Government, is mulling the implementation of Clinical Establishments Act 2010, to regularize clinics and diagnostic centres across the capital. The existing law, Delhi Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1953, covers only 24X7 nursing and hospitals which deal in the allopathic system of medicine.
State health minister A K Walia, who has held several rounds of meetings with the parties concerned, including Indian Medical Association (IMA), said that medical practitioners have opposed certain provisions of the Act and a consensus will be reached soon.
A senior official in DHS said, “There is ambiguity on whether the Central Act notified in August 2010 is applicable to Delhi as it is a Union territory. Sub-section 1 of Section 56 of the Act says the ‘provisions shall not apply to the states in which the enactment specified in the Schedule — The Delhi Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1953 — is applicable. We have requested the law ministry to clarify.”
He said that once enacted the law would help in standardizing services and charges. “Today, there is no system for quality check in diagnostic laboratories and small clinics. Any qualified medical professional can start a clinic without the requisite number of trained nurses or paramedical staff. But under the new act, they will have to follow the minimum requirements for facilities and manpower. There is provision for maintenance of records and reporting to the regulatory body which will help in getting correct estimates about the epidemiology of diseases in a certain part of the city. For example, notified diseases like dengue and chikungunya are not reported by small nursing homes and clinics. This proves to be an impediment in identifying the affected population and initiating measures like anti-larval operations,” he said.
The Act also mentions heavy penalties up to Rs five lakh against defaulters. Those practising homeopathy, ayurveda and other alternative systems of medicine will also be
covered under the law. The Act makes it mandatory that no one who is brought in an “emergency medical condition”, to any doctor/hospital can be turned away or denied appropriate treatment.
However,medical practitioners have raised objections against the heavy penalties proposed and provisions like stabilizing critical patients. “How can a single doctor stabilize such a patient? Who will stand for the doctor if the patient’s relative claim medical negligence and approach the court? Such patients must be sent to a hospital having the requisite facility”, said Dr D R Rai, secretary general,IMA. He said that the minimum standards proposed under the new Act will mean disqualification of 50% of the existing facilities. “Doctors are already covered under more than 40 laws. The Bill would give regulators excessive authority,” he added. CLINICAL CALL Main features of Clinical Establishments Act, 2010
All hospitals, nursing homes, daycare centres, diagnostic labs and clinics run even by single doctor should be registered
Any recognized system of medicine, including homoeopathy, unani and ayurveda, will be under the Act All such centres should fulfil minimum standards of facilities and have trained hands
Centres will have to maintain records of all patients treated and send these to the authority concerned
Punishment
For first-time offenders fine up to 10,000 For second-time
offenders fine up to 50,000 Any subsequent
offence — fine up to 2L Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Union territories have already adopted the Act Benefits Check on quackery Standardization of services & charges
Tags: Govt May Adopt Stringent Law To Regularize Clinics
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