Health News

Traffic jams ‘triple heart attack risk’

Traffic jams ‘triple heart attack risk’Washington, Mar 14 : Being in heavy traffic triples your risk of heart attack within one hour, warn researchers.

Researchers reported at the American Heart Association's 49th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention that people who have had a heart attack are likely to report having been in traffic shortly before their symptoms began.

Surgeons announce world’s first successful transvaginal nephrectomy using intra-umbilical Tri-port

Surgeons announce world’s first successful transvaginal nephrectomy using intra-umbilical Tri-portWashington, March 14: Doctors at Instituto Medico La Floresta in Caracas, Venezuela, have successfully performed the world’s first live human transvaginal nephrectomy using the Tri-port multi-channel port supplied by Advanced Surgical Concepts Ltd.

Brain scans unravel roots of dyslexia

Brain scans unravel roots of dyslexiaWashington, Mar 13 : Researchers at the University of Maastricht, The Netherlands, have shed light on the roots of dyslexia, a learning disability that affects four to ten percent of the population.

The findings support the notion that the reading and spelling deficit, characterized by an inability to break words down into the separate sounds that comprise them, stems in part from a failure to properly integrate letters with their speech sounds.

Lack of vitamin D may make teens fat

 Lack of vitamin D may make teens fatWashington, Mar 13 : Lack of vitamin D is not only bad for the bones, it may also lead to fatter adolescents, according to a new study.

The study of more than 650 teens age 14-19 has found that those who reported higher vitamin D intakes had lower overall body fat and lower amounts of the fat in the abdomen, a type of fat known as visceral fat, which has been associated with health risks such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and hypertension.

Genetic variations help prevent cervical cancer

Genetic variations help prevent cervical cancerWashington, Mar 13 : Certain gene variations in some women may protect them against cervical cancer, according to scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.

The researchers say that if the presence or absence of such genetic variants is known, doctors can easily tailor treatment strategies.

Virtually all cases of cervical cancer are caused by persistent infections from several of the human papillomaviruses (HPV) - a family of viruses that also cause common skin warts and genital warts.

Kicking the butt before surgery ‘cuts complications risk’

Washington, Mar 13 : Giving up smoking before surgery can almost half the risk of post-op complications, says a new study.

"Smokers are prone to developing a number of complications after surgery, ranging from impaired wound and bone healing to life-threatening pulmonary and cardiovascular problems" said Dr Omid Sadr Azodi from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.

"This is why it is so important to find feasible, financially attractive and effective ways to help patients stop smoking before surgery," the expert added.

During the study, the researchers randomly assigned 117 patients who were due to undergo general or orthopaedic surgery to an intervention and control group.

Pages