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Drug to Help Shift Workers Banish Sleep at Work (Go To Top) LONDON: A drug, called Provigil, designed to help people with a particular sleep disorder called narcolepsy, which makes them fall asleep involuntarily, will now help shift workers stay alert and awake during their work. A clinical trial, by the drugs manufacturer Cephalon of West Chester, on 209 shift workers showed that it helps those with "shift work sleep disorder"- excessive sleepiness caused by odd working hours. The trial is part of Cephalon's attempt to expand the range of conditions Provigil can be used for. Ultimately, the company hopes it can be prescribed to treat sleepiness that results from any medical condition, and plans to submit data from this and other trials for approval for such use to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this year. Provigil
could also help prevent accidents common among shift workers, and make
a big difference to soldiers on sustained operations or rescue workers
at a major emergency. How to Tackle Altitude Sickness? (Go To Top) WASHINGTON: If you are headed for the mountains, then chances are that many of you may suffer from altitude sickness due to lower level of oxygen and humidity. This may leave you with a variety of symptoms such as nausea, insomnia, diarrhoea, constipation, headache, shortness of breath, nasal congestion, fatigue, cough, restlessness and rapid heart-beat. So
if you want to minimize altitude sickness, follow the guidelines issued
by Aspen Valley Hospital in the United States. These include eating
lightly and drinking lots of water, getting plenty of sleep, heeding
your body's cues and cut down on your activity level if you experience
any of the above-mentioned symptoms. Aspirin After Bypass Surgery Lowers Risk of Death: Researchers (Go To Top) WASHINGTON: Contrary to popular belief, a new study has revealed that aspirin, when given to heart patients soon after bypass surgery, significantly reduces the risk of death and complications. It is commonly believed that the tablets can trigger immense bleeding, according to a report in Medicine. Researchers
at the Ischemia Research and Education Foundation and other experts
estimate that giving a five per cent aspirin within hours of bypass
surgery could prevent about 27,000 deaths and 51,000 serious complications
annually world-wide. Say 'No' to Aspirin If You Are Under 16 (Go To Top) LONDON: Aspirin has been linked to a rare disease that attacks the brain and liver of under-16-year-olds. A leading drug watchdog has advised parents not to give children under 16 the popular pain-killer. The Medicines Control Agency issued the "safety first" advice because of links between the pain-killer and Reye's Syndrome, which children have a one-in-a-million chance of developing. The drug watchdog is now considering a proposal to make the advice obligatory on all products containing aspirin. Aspirin use is already banned for under-12s because of the connection with the condition which causes brain swelling and damage to the liver. Products affected include Anadin, Disprin, Alka-Seltzer XS and super-markets' own-brand aspirin products, according to a report from BBC. Since
advice was given in 1986 not to give aspirin to under-12s, the incidence
of Reye's syndrome has decreased. Regular Exercise Can Reduce Cancer Risk (Go To Top) LONDON: Researchers at the University of Bristol suggests that regular physical activity could both cut the risk of cancer and also help people who are already being treated for the disease. A combined result of 15 studies on physical activity found that people taking this as part of their job or as a leisure pursuit could substantially cut their risk. The researchers found that exercise can reduce the risk of bowel cancer, and may help prevent breast, prostate, lung and endometrial cancer, reports BBC. Regular exercise reduced the chance of developing bowel cancer by between 40 per cent and 50 per cent. The effect on breast cancer was a 30 per cent reduction in risk, with stronger effects in post-menopausal women. Six out of 11 studies on lung cancer and exercise found a protective effect. Professor Ken Fox, from the department of exercise and health sciences at the University of Bristol was quoted as saying by BBC: "Physical activity is a crucial component of a healthy life-style and we have found a growing body of evidence that indicates its importance in keeping cancer at bay. The evidence of beneficial effects is the strongest for colon cancer." He added: "To reduce their risk of cancer, people should aim to engage in physical activity of at least moderate intensity, for approximately 30 minutes on three or more days a week throughout their life-time." A
scan of 36 studies into exercise for people already diagnosed with cancer
also concluded it was well worth the effort. In particular, the quality
of life of leukaemia, breast, bowel and prostate cancer patients was
improved by exercise. Fatty Acids of Fish Make Cancer Cells Commit Suicide (Go To Top) LONDON: : Fatty acids from fish oils are ingested by cancer cells, making them commit suicide, concludes a new thesis by a Norwegian researcher. In her thesis, Hilde Heimli of the Institute for Nutrition Research at the University of Oslo, Norway, has examined how polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acid is ingested by different leukemia/lymphoma cell lines. The researcher has examined how some types of cancer cells commit suicide in this setting, in other words programmed cell death or apoptosis. If omega-3 fatty acids are to be capable of killing cancer cells, the cells have to contain a certain enzyme, that activate these certain fatty acids. Cancer cells that contain less of this enzyme do not react to fish fat, Heimli noticed. "Polyunsaturated
fatty acids from fish also can initiate a less regulated cell death
called necrosis. The reason for the necrotic cell death is an increased
production of reactive oxygen species in the cells. It is possible to
appose this necrosis by the presence of anti-oxidants such as Vitamin
C and E," says Hilde Heimli. Blood Test for Prompt Diagnosis of Heart Problem (Go To Top) WASHINGTON: Researchers have revealed that a simple blood test is helping doctors to diagnose heart failure at the earliest instead of relying on cumbersome process that can take hours. According to the experts, the new blood test can spot a hormone, called hormone B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), present in elevated levels during heart failure, which means doctors can pinpoint who's suffering from heart disease, how sick they are and what treatment they need immediately.
The blood takes about 15 minutes to administer and read records the
levels of the hormone in the blood. A low level means the heart is working
well. But an elevated level is proof the patient has heart trouble because
the body releases the hormone when the heart is not pumping properly.
The test received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in
November 2000, and is now in use in almost 700 hospital emergency rooms
across the country, says Nadine Padilla, a spokeswoman for Biosite Inc.,
the San Diego company that markets the test. Carcinogen in Crisps and Chips (Go To Top) LONDON: Medical experts have long suspected that crisps and chips contain a potentially harmful chemical. Although they could pin-point the chemical, it is only now that they have discovered how the production of crisps and chips creates the potentially cancer-causing chemical acrylamide. Earlier this year, it was revealed that the foods contained unusually high levels of the chemical, which has been shown to cause cancer and nerve damage in laboratory animals. A team from the University of Reading looked at how the chemical could be formed. They suspected it could be created by a reaction between an amino acid called asparagine, which occurs naturally in relatively high levels in potatoes and other cereals, and sugar.
Tests confirmed that when the amino acid is heated, it does react with
sugar to create acrylamide, a process called the Maillard reaction.
This occurs at temperatures above 1000C (1800F). Acrylamide is a substance
used to produce plastics and to purify water and it is known to be carcinogenic.
Prior to concerns being raised about the chemical's presence in food,
scientists were warning of possible harmful effect on those exposed
to it via their water or job. |
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