Heart and Cardio-vascular

Signs to watch for and how to prevent it. By family practitioner and paediatrician Dr Gita Mathai  What is childhood obesity? Children older than two years and less than 19 years need to have their BMI (Body Mass Index) calculated when they visit their physician either for immunisation or during annual check-ups. BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the height in meter squared. You can also measure BMI at home. The values for height can be entered in the website below. It…

The former world No 7 is giving a new face and voice to the millions who struggle with anxiety disorders. The toughest battles of Mardy Fish’s tennis career have been at far closer range: inside himself. Fish, 33, spent time as the highest-ranked American man during a career which took him as high as No7 in the ATP rankings in 2011. He worked tirelessly on his fitness during his late-career rise, transforming his diet and body to become lighter and more agile. But his career resurgence derailed…

Statin therapy appears to increase the risk for type 2 diabetes by 46%, even after adjustment for confounding factors, a large new population-based study concludes. The majority of people in this new study were taking atorvastatin and simvastatin, and the risk for diabetes was dose-dependent for these two agents, the researchers found. Nevertheless, senior author Markku Laakso, MD, from the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital, told Medscape Medical News: "Even if…

MARCH 3, 2015 19-year-old Darren Lou has known for years what he wants to do with his life.  Not only does he plan to be a doctor, he knows exactly which field he hopes to specialise in: Endocrinology, the study of the human body’s endocrine system, which deals with hormones and how it affects metabolism and growth, among other things. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes three years ago, Darren hopes to help other patients like himself. Dealt a second blow a year later when a pre-enlistment…

By Julien Salaberry Feb 24, 2015 The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) has released a lengthy white paper on the past decade of VC funding for the biotech sector. Its headline finding is that venture funding for biotech R&D fell by 21% between the five-year period before the financial crisis (2004-2008) and the subsequent five years (2009-2013).  More interesting, however, is where the big funding cuts are occurring. Namely, in areas of the largest medical need. For…

Just 20 minutes of brisk walking a day may be all it takes to lessen a sedentary person's risk of early death, says a new study. The researchers also found the risk of early death due to lack of exercise is double that posed by obesity and does not necessarily depend on being obese or overweight. Prof. Ekelund says the study delivers a simple message: "just a small amount of physical activity each day could have substantial health benefits for people who are physically inactive." However,…

Enjoy the Lunar New Year festivities without compromising your health. By Nutritionist Kohila Govindaraju. It’s that time of the year again, the most significant few days in the Chinese calendar – the Lunar New Year. It’s a time to get together with friends and family and eat, drink and be merry... in a health-conscious way.  First up, the Reunion Dinner on New Year’s Eve, when families gather around a sumptuous meal. A part of the meal is Lo Hei, when everyone gathers…

However bad you thought smoking was, its much worse. A new study adds 5 more diseases to the existing 21 diseases and 60,000 more deaths to the existing toll of half million deaths attributed to tobacco in United States alone. Death rates of smokers are 2-3 times higher than those who have never smoked and they die a decade earlier than smokers. Stopping smoking helps reduce risk over time. In addition to existing hazards of lung cancer, artery disease, heart attacks, chronic lung disease…

Dr Shital Raval answers all that you want to know about oral contraceptives, how they work, when you should use them, side effects, do they increase the risk of cancer? What are Oral Contraceptives? Oral contraceptives are hormonal preparations that may contain progesterone or combination of oestrogen and progestin. The combination drug prevents pregnancy by inhibiting the release of the hormones - luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) from the pituitary…

A significant study links berry consumption with improved heart health. You can’t get the same benefit from a pill or supplement. The finding comes from a new study led by Dr. Eric Rimm, associate professor at the Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School. “The sooner people start the type of diet that includes a higher intake of blueberries and strawberries, the better,” Dr. Rimm says. “The people with heart benefits had three or more servings of a half a cup of…