MPA

India to benefit from pharma companies' move

The decision by 39 pharmaceutical companies to drop a historic case in South Africa has far-reaching consequences for India and other developing countries, according to leading non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The 39 companies had challenged a South African government order that legalized use and import of generic medicines free from patents. The pharmaceutical companies, which inc...

Pesticide impairs male reproductive function

According to the May issue of the journal Epidemiology, high levels of DDT found in some Mexican workers suggest that pesticide can impair male reproductive function. The human body metabolises DDT to DDE. An international team of researchers took blood samples from 24 men aged 16 to 28 who had not been exposed to DDT in their work. In these men the high DDE levels correlated to low leve...

Double impact vaccine

The virus strain which produces the measles vaccine is effective for another purpose - fighting lymphoma, a group of cancers that originate in the lymphatic system. The Scientists from Mayo clinic department of molecular medicine have found that the measles vaccine virus caused remission of lymphoma in mice injected with human cells containing the cancer.// Adele Fielding, lead...

Doctors not to accept gifts from drug companies

The American Medical Association(AMA) is spending a lot of drug-company money to tell doctors not to accept large gifts from drug companies. The AMA says it makes sense to involve the industry in a campaign that's also designed to inform drug makers about what is considered unethical behavior. // At issue are the myriad freebies, ranging from pens and notepads to free dinners and tri...

Medicis Pharmaceutical company enters pediatric market

Medicis is the leading independent pharmaceutical company in the United States focusing primarily on the treatment of dermatological conditions. Based in Wilmington, Mass., Ascent is a pharmaceutical company primarily dedicated to the specialty of pediatrics. Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation and Ascent Pediatrics, Inc. today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agre...

Sense of smell impaired in alcoholics

A study published in the March issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research reported that alcohol abuse can dampen the sense of smell. Researchers from the University Clinics of Innsbruck studied the sense of smell in 30 alcoholics and 30 healthy people who were matched for age, gender and smoking status. They used "Sniffin' Sticks", which are pen-like devices that...

Chennai AIDS Campaign Highlights The Social Neglect Faced By Victims

A workshop held recently in Chennai has brought out the wide spread ignorance of the general public regarding modes of HIV transmission to the spotlight.// A one-day workshop was organized by the Chennai branch of Family Planning Association of India to create awareness regarding the prevalence and spread of HIV. Multipurpose Health Workers (MPHWs) working in the Urban Health Posts (U...

Raids Conducted In Hospitals And Pharmaceutical Companies

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of India on Monday conducted raids in various hospitals and pharmaceutical companies across the four Indian cities Delhi, Bangalore, Trivandrum and Goa. //The CBI officials feel that they have collected important information in connection with buying of sub-standard medical equipments from Pharmaceutical companies. The CBI officials feels that man...

Campaign Against Witchcraft In Orissa

Sundergarh (Orissa): Witchcraft is still practiced in many parts of the world including the poor Indian state of Orissa. Now a rationalist is trying to educate people and tell them how this is practiced//. Narendra Naik, the President of Federation of All India Rationalists Association, is presently on a 13-day campaign in the villages of Orissa to spread awareness against witchcraft....

Omega-3 fatty acids impair immunity

Taking large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids may be unwise for those with weakened immunity.Researchers at the University of Missouri, Columbia, have been studying omega-3s for many years now and know that one of their effects is to damp down inflammation. That's why fish oils - rich in omega-3s - often benefit those with arthritis, a painful inflammatory condition of the joints. Yet the i...

Comparison between warfarin and aspirin

According to a new study, it shows that warfarin and aspirin are equally effective in stroke prevention in the majority of patients at risk. Aspirin prevents blood clotting by stopping platelets from clumping together, while warfarin acts on the levels of blood clotting proteins. So both are known to help prevent blood clots in the brain that lead to strokes. Till date, it has been though...

Sniff to compatibility

Researchers have ascertained that women sniff out men whose body odour is similar to that of their fathers. The theory implies// that a man who smells similar to a woman's father is likely to have a compatible immune system. The natural odours that all humans produce are called pheromones. They are influenced to a degree by a cluster of genes related to the immune system called the Maj...

Campaign aims to simplify OTC drug labels

Americans buy about five billion over-the-counter drugs each year to treat routine health problems. The number has increased as more and more drugs have made the switch from prescription to over-the-counter status. But many Americans, particularly senior citizens, misuse over-the-counter drugs because the lettering is too small. Consumers have also complained that words like "indications,...

Pharmaceutical companies are targeting patients

TV viewers are right if they are feeling bombarded by commercials. Drug company advertising aimed at ordinary people instead of doctors tripled in the U.S. between 1996 and 2000 to nearly $2.5 billion a year. Advertisements targeting consumers account for 15% of U.S. spending to promote medications, up from almost 9% in 1996.// Spending that targets doctors - including visits from sale...

Sex timing has no impact on risk of Birth defects

Researchers have found no bond between when a couple has sex and any subsequent risk of birth defects such as Down syndrome. Animal studies have suggested that the timing of sex might increase the risk of birth defects in offspring.// Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston told the press that they haven't yet confirmed o...

Abbott Laboratories to buy Biocompatibles' cardiovascular stent business

Abbott Laboratories said it has agreed to acquire the cardiovascular stent business of Biocompatibles International PLC for $234.5 million in cash. Abbott said the deal will strengthen its portfolio of products and will expand its international presence in the vascular business for polymer-coated stents - tiny metal tubes that keep blood vessels open.// Abbott has been the exclusive U...

Impact on Lung function based on exposure

According to a new study, the the functionality of lungs can be well analysed based on the things we are exposed to in our early days. Scientists have long known a test called forced expiratory volume in 1 second, or FEV 1, //is an effective measure of lung function and predictor of morbidity and death. While FEV 1 tends to decline with age, investigators have speculated factors like expo...

Comparing Breast surgery techniques

After a long period of study, it shows little difference in outcome between radical and more conservative breast surgery. The radical mastectomy - total removal of the breast and the nodes under the armpit// - is far less often done nowadays as a treatment for breast cancer. Surgeons are more likely to opt for a simple mastectomy or even a lumpectomy, which just removes the lump and conse...

Comparing heart disease treatments

Researchers in their recent study compare between bypass surgery and stenting for treatment of heart disease. There are two treatment options for blocked coronary arteries. //Bypass surgery involves grafting a new vessel in place of the blocked section. Stenting involves introducing a metal device into the artery to keep it opened up. Researchers in Germany assigned a group of 200 patient...

Identifying brain lesions with impaired consciousness

According to a new study it is indicative that systolic blood pressure is a good indicator for diagnosing brain lesions in patients with impaired consciousness. This means doctors may now have a better way// to estimate patients, as opposed to using expensive and time-consuming imaging technology. Researchers studied the vital signs of 450 patients who were admitted to an emergency roo...

Personality Impacts Arthritis

The personality of a patient can have a major impact on how susceptible they are to long-term problems from rheumatoid arthritis, according to new research. The published study explains doctors need to pay attention to factors// not related to the disease when they screen at-risk patients. There is no doubt being diagnosed with a chronic, disabling disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis...

Smoking impairs protective reflex in throat

Researchers at the Medical college of Wisconsin have recently shown that smoking leads to damage of the protective reflexes in the throat area. A one-way valve keeps stomach acid from flowing back into the hroat and smoking causes damage to the// pharyngoglottal closure reflex, which closes off the vocal chords if fluid enters the area, a condition known as reflex disease. Ten smokers...

SARS impact could be devastating

With a severe blow by SARS, the economies of several countries are forecast to shrink in the second quarter. More than five million foreign workers, from Filipina maids to Indonesian laborers and Vietnamese plantation workers, oil the wheels of commerce in the region, sending home in excess of $20 billion each year to their families. Studies show most of those families used the remittance...

Marriage does not have much impact on life satisfaction

It is widely believed that people who get married lead a happier life than people who are lonely. But the impact of marriage seems to be more complex than this, according to a long-running population study in Germany. Researchers in Germany have found that marital status has no impact on that general life satisfaction. on contrary to what was believed life satisfaction tends to stay const...

Pain of Denial Compared to Physical Pain

If you never experienced the rejection of being picked last for a sports team, chances are you've experienced the pain of a broken heart or being turned down for a date. //Whatever the social snub, researchers say the pain of denial is not just in our heads. According to researchers, the brain seems to respond to the pain of hurt feelings in the same way as physical pain. To...

Comparing Psoriasis Treatments

A new study shows two common treatments for psoriasis -- methotrexate and cyclosporine -- are equally effective in relieving symptoms of the disease.// Researchers in Amsterdam studied nearly 90 patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Half of the patients were given methotrexate, and the other half were treated with cyclosporine. Researchers evaluated the side effects and effective...

Breastfeeding not found to have an impact on weight of the child.

Previous studies have suggested breastfeeding may help ward off obesity as children get older.// The theory, though, has been inconclusive, with limited long-term data available on breastfeeding and weight of children into adolescence. Researchers conducted long-term studies aimed at clarifying the situation. In both, investigators followed more than 2,000 children for 18 years to see ho...

Support Services found to Dramatically Impact Pediatric Health Care

A new study shows providing behavior and development support to existing health care dramatically improves the quality of pediatric health care and parenting practices.// Researchers from the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health followed nearly 6,000 children from 15 sites which was designed to bridge the gap between families and physicians. It places specialists in the pediat...

Problems Of a Growing Company

A growing waistline is bad for your health, but now a new study says a growing business could also be bad for your health.// When a company downsizes, it often has a negative health impact on workers. Clearly, the workers are concerned about their job and their future. But new research surprisingly shows when a company expands quickly, workers also have health problems. Workplaces that...

Women With Diabetes At Increased Risk Of Developing Cognitive Impairment

Mental decline usually associated with age, might affect women with diabetes or pre-diabetes more than men say researchers according to a recent study .// The study shows elderly women with pre-diabetes or diabetes have worse cognitive performance and are at an increased risk for developing cognitive impairment, including dementia. Risk of developing cognitive impairment among women wit...

Pollution Found To Impair Lung Development

Environmental pollution is second only to smoking as a risk factor for mortality. As lung function decreases, the risk of respiratory disease and heart attacks increases. Healthy lungs usually stop developing at age 18,// gradually losing lung function by 1 percent every year after age 20. According to a study headed by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, children wh...

The Impact of Stress Early In Life

A recent study shows significant stress early in life such as parental separation can pose lifelong impacts depending on the timing of the stress// exposure. Studies in the past have shown that stressful events early in life can cause social and behavioral problems that carry on into adulthood. The new research suggests this is not necessarily the case, but that the timing of the event c...

Home-based Treatment For Eczema More Effective Compared To Hospital Care

A home-based treatment for hand eczema is just as effective at treating the condition in hospital say researchers according to // a new study. Eczema is an inflammatory condition of the skin, which causes redness, itching and scaling. Researchers examined 158 patients with moderate to severe chronic hand eczema for more than one year. About half the patients followed a home-based program...

Sleepiness May Be Associated With Visual Impairment

Latest research shows that people who have optic nerve damage might be at an increased risk of a sleep disorder.// For the study researchers involved 25 people with visual impairment. The participants had their sleep-wakefulness cycles followed for 14 days, and their results were compared with those of 12 young subjects with normal sight. It was discovered that those with optic nerve dis...

Environmental Factors Found To Have An Impact On The Sex of A Child

A latest study shows that its not just a man’s sperm but environmental factors that could have an impact on the sex of a child . The study shows environmental pollutants could be changing the ratio of sperm carrying the X or Y chromosomes.// Specifically, the research finds there’s a slight increase in the number of sperm bearing the Y chromosome in men exposed to pollutants. Researchers...

Environmental Factors Found To Have An Impact On The Sex of A Child

A latest study shows that its not just a man’s sperm but environmental factors that could have an impact on the sex of a child . The study shows environmental pollutants could be changing the ratio of sperm carrying the X or Y chromosomes.// Specifically, the research finds there’s a slight increase in the number of sperm bearing the Y chromosome in men exposed to pollutants. Researchers...

Botox for children with neurological impairments

Botox may be used to treat the problem of severe drooling by children suffering from neurological conditions// like cerebral palsy. Children suffering from cerebral palsy and other similar diseases have no cognition and hence do not have the control over the salivary reflex. This condition often leads to sores, and other physical discomfort apart from being a constant problem for paren...

Cancer survivors may have cognitive impairment

People who have survived cancer may have higher risks of having cognitive// impairment , suggests a new study. Researchers from University of Southern California had found that patients who survived cancer treatment to live a long life have twice as much risk as their healthy counterparts of having cognitive dysfunctions. Researchers have studied 702 survivors of cancer and...

Burning energy and its impact on health during exercise can be of genetic origin

People may be reacting to varying degrees of energy loss during aerobic exercises and this may be due to their // genetic predisposition. How our bodies react to exercise programs is genetic in origin and may decide lot of reactions to exercising like the level of blood glucose in the body etc. According to the research paper publishing the works of scientists from Washington Universit...

Regular Use Of Cocaine Can Impair Brain Functions

Cocaine addiction can severely affect brain functions like learning and impulsive behavior.// The research, which was published in the latest issue of New Scientist, said that it would help shed light on the impulsive behavior seen in addicts. . Neuroscientists Yuriori Goto and his team at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who conducted the study, had electrical...