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Unnecessary surgery is not new in medicine. Stenting, knee replacements, hysterectomies are often found to be unnecessary on second opinion.  "We found that the discrepancy in opinions (between the patient's doctors and the second opinion-giver) was highest in heart problems at 55%," said Dr Shome. Knee replacements and hysterectomies were second at 48% while infertility was third on the list with 45% discrepancy in opinions. "We have doctors seeking opinions if they themselves are asked…

There’s no such thing as ‘detoxing’. In medical terms, it’s a nonsense. Diet and exercise is the only way to get healthy. But which of the latest fad regimes can really make a difference? This article looks at the facts. If toxins did build up in a way your body couldn’t excrete, you’d likely be dead or in need of serious medical intervention. “The healthy body has kidneys, a liver, skin, even lungs that are detoxifying as we speak,” he says. “There is no known way – certainly not through detox…

Tony Horton, of P90X and 10-Minute Trainer fame who, as of this summer, is now 56 says a better goal is to be in great shape, healthy, and very active after fifty. That's totally doable! This issue Horton says is, "sustaining the motivation and discipline" to stick to your plan. He says you need to have three things in place. First you need a purpose. If you want a better life, physical movement is the "on switch." Secondly he says you need to plan all your workouts in…

People who eat a high-protein diet during middle age are more likely to die of cancer than those who eat less protein, a new study finds. However, for people older than 65, a moderate protein intake may actually be beneficial, and protect against frailty, the researchers said. The researchers looked at more than 6,000 people ages 50 and older, and followed them for 18 years. They found that people ages 50 to 65 who ate a diet rich in animal proteins during middle age were more…

More than 2.1 billion people, or nearly 30% of the global population, are overweight or obese. Excess weight leads to about 5% of worldwide deaths. On current trends, almost half of the world’s adults will be fat by 2030. Over the past three decades, according to a study in the Lancet, a medical journal, no nation has slimmed down. But a new study from the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), the consultancy’s research arm, offers some hope. It looks at 74 anti-obesity measures around the…

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The government has ordered a cut of nearly 20 percent in its 2014/15 healthcare budget due to fiscal strains, putting at risk key disease control initiatives in a country whose public spending on health is already among the lowest in the world. Two health ministry officials told Reuters on Tuesday that more than 60 billion rupees, or $948 million, has been slashed from their budget allocation of around $5 billion for the financial year ending on March 31. India spends…

Yoga has roots as an ancient mind-body practice that incorporates physical, mental and spiritual elements. Originating in India, yoga has been proven effective in numerous studies to improve cardiovascular risk factors, with a reduction in the risk of heart attacks and strokes. When compared with no exercise, yoga was associated with significant improvement in each of the primary outcome risk factors measured: Body mass index (BMI) reduced by 0.77 kg/m2 (measured as a "mean…

It is important that the physician is kept updated about the natural remedies a diabetic is trying out. When managing blood sugar levels becomes a daily battle that tests one’s will and wits, a little help on the side certainly helps. Herbs, spices, botanicals, Chinese herbs, fish oil therapy, chromium picolinate — the list can be endless, not to mention the innumerable diabetes “supplements” available over the counter. Complementary and alternative medicines for diabetes are immensely…

Detox is a marketing ploy. Our body does it without any help from expensive products or regimens, says Medical Nutrition Therapist, Registered Dietitian and Diabetes Educator Ujjwala Baxi. “Consume this detox supplement and your colon will be clearer than ever, and free from toxins built up in the form of unexcreted wastes, which has been sitting in the pockets of your colon over the last 10 years.” This was the claim made by a naturopath to one of my friends. She…

Death stared at me up close this year, says cancer survivor Minakshi Ray. What did that teach her about life? As I sit back and take stock of how 2014 treated me, I would say, it was a mixed bag. There have been losses and gains. I don't mean material losses or gains, rather I will remember the year in terms of the emotional journey. Following my battle of survival against breast cancer, my perspective on life has changed completely. The biggest realisation that has dawned…