By Rema Nagarajan in Times of India
Several doctors from all over India and across disciplines are joining hands to fight against the menace of unnecessary investigations. The Society for Less Investigative Medicine (SLIM), which was initiated last year by a few cardiologists in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, is now becoming a national society.
SLIM will start off by putting together a list of what investigations ought not to be done in normal circumstances…
World No Tobacco Day is on May 31. Cancer survivor Vandana Gupta (VG), the founder of V Care, a support service for cancer patients and their families in India, talks about the urgent need to protect your kids and family members from the widespread scourge of tobacco use. Plus, what to say to kids who think smoking is cool. PE: Your organisation, V Care, offers support to different types of cancer patients. What are the specific challenges pertaining to …
The risk was especially high among men who started using supplements before age 25, those who used multiple supplements, and those who used them for years. A new study links taking muscle-building supplements, such as pills and powders with creatine or androstenedione, with an increased risk of testicular cancer. Moreover, says study senior author Tongzhang Zheng, the associated testicular germ cell cancer risk was especially high among men who started using supplements before age 25,…
AstraZeneca Plc’s type 2 diabetes drug Onglyza showed an increased risk of death in an analysis by U.S. regulators of a clinical trial on the heart effects of the treatment. Please review with your doctor if this risk applies to you Food and Drug Administration staff said their analysis of deaths in the trial suggested patients using Onglyza experienced “significant or near-significant” increases in death from all causes, not just heart problems. The FDA staff didn’t find an increase…
Quality of life and Autonomy are important criteria in a patient's choice Dr. Gawande stresses that for most people, there comes a time when the quality of those years becomes more important than the absolute quantity. Research shows that older adults are less concerned with safety and more worried about losing their autonomy. The desire to consider quality of life over quantity can conflict with some of the practices of modern medicine. But it’s entirely consistent with the core values of the…
Glatzer, who suffered from ALS – also known as Motor Neuron Disease – and directed 'Still Alice' with the help of a text-to-speech iPad app mounted on his wheelchair, had developed respiratory problems and gone into cardiac arrest days before the ceremony. He recovered to celebrate Juliana Moore’s win with the champagne his husband had smuggled into the hospital. But on Tuesday, four years after he was diagnosed with the condition, he died aged 63. 'Still Alice' stars Moore as an Ivy League…
Dick Lee has been a caregiver for his father, who was diagnosed with dementia a year ago. SINGAPORE: Singer-songwriter Dick Lee was on Tuesday (Mar 17) named ambassador for Singapore’s Alzheimer’s Disease Association (ADA) for a year, as the association celebrates its 25th anniversary. "It has been difficult seeing my father struggle with symptoms of dementia," said Mr Lee. The most trying moment he faced was when his father "shut down overnight" after a mild stroke that left the senior Mr…
The study found that three in 10 type 2 patients in Singapore had diabetes before turning 40. Younger patients also fared poorly in terms of glucose control, hypertension and cholesterol management compared to older patients. Hence, doctors said it is timely that a new drug called JANUMET XR was approved by the Health Sciences Authority last year to help patients with type 2 diabetes maintain their blood sugar level. Currently, patients require multiple drugs for blood sugar control. But…
Provides respite care for Alzheimer's patients who suffer from "sundowning". Many with Alzheimer's are at their most active after dark. A New York care facility has launched an after-hours camp-style program to entertain them until the morning—and help their caregivers get some sleep. For months, Ortiz would sleep during the day and be up much of the night wandering around the apartment. Her daughter was too afraid to sleep—afraid her mother might fall and hurt herself or even try to leave…
