Age, gender affect chances to quit smoking

A study has found that place where you live, your age and whether you're male or female all affect your chances of giving up smoking.
The study, commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and undertaken by the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies (UKCTCS), reviewed published studies from between 1990 and 2007 to establish success rates for the NHS smoking cessation services.
It found that older smokers are more likely than young smokers to successfully quit, some men appear to be more successful at quitting than women despite the fact that more women attend the smoking cessation services, and more disadvantaged groups face greater challenges when giving up smoking.
The findings support other international research that also suggested that while women are highly motivated to quit smoking, men may be more likely to succeed when they access services to help them stop.

Source: The Indian Express. 28-05-2011

Small pox virus may become poor man's atom bomb

Bangalore: The resolution by the World Health Organization (WHO) to hold on to the two last known remaining stocks of the smallpox virus for "crucial research" raises the spectre of bioterrorism, warns a leading Indian virologist.
"If the destruction is delayed indefinitely, the synthesis and preparation of small pox virus as a bio-weapon, by a non-superpower would increase and it may truly become a poor man's atom bomb," says Kalyan Banerjee, former director of the National Institute of Virology in Pune.

The World Health Assembly-WHO's decision-making body-announced Tuesday that it would defer until 2014 any decision on the destruction of the two remaining stocks of the virus since "crucial research" based on the virus remains to be completed.

After smallpox was officially eradicated in 1980, all countries were asked to surrender their stocks of the virus to the WHO to prevent accidental release. Currently the virus is held at two WHO-sanctioned repositories - the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta and a Russian facility in Koltsovo in Siberia.

The debate over whether or not to destroy these two last samples had been going on since 1980. But the WHO has constantly been postponing the date of destruction under pressure from the United States and Russia that wanted to retain the samples until the needed research was complete to develop new drugs and vaccines to counter a potential bioterror attack.

"In my opinion, the world will gain much more by destroying the last traces of the virus than by keeping it," said Banerjee who himself was former member of a WHO advisory committee on smallpox research and now a committee adviser.

"The arguments tendered in favour of retaining the virus appear to be unconvincing," he told IANS. "To put it bluntly, it is the same logic, by which the superpowers continue the possession of the nuclear weapons; they wish to hold on to the smallpox virus as a super bio-weapon."

"The research is being drawn on and on, but research cannot be made a tool or apology for the indefinite retention of the virus," Banerjee said.

The existing vaccine (the classical Lister strain) has a proven record of preventing the spread of the virus and curtailing the epidemic and even if they develop a new vaccine, it cannot be used in the case of emergency, he said. And no live variola virus is necessary to develop new drugs since such studies can be done with monkeypox or mousepox viruses which belong to the same family of variola virus which causes smallpox.

According to Banerjee, the smallpox researchers wished to sequence one strain each of "variola major" and "variola minor" essentially for archival purposes. "But now more than 40 strains have been fully sequenced and if I am correct it is planned to sequence all the strains. The researchers wish to go on and on (without end)."

Another leading Indian virologist agrees. As far as smallpox virus is concerned, "I think we know enough and, all in all, I am in favour of first evolving rules and then destroying (the virus stocks)," said Jacob John at the Christian Medical College in Vellore.

Banerjee argues that continued retention of the smallpox virus no longer serves any essential public health purpose. "As today, the likelihood of small pox virus as a bio weapon by a non-superpower is nil. The destruction of the virus at CDC or Russia would definitely reduce any chance of any mischief by mischief makers. Immediate destruction of the small pox virus is the best policy."

"I firmly believe that not only the small pox virus stocks but also infected materials (like blood, tissues, tissue culture fluids, etc) which have been generated through several years of experimentation should also be destroyed," he said.

Source: Decan Herald, 29-05-2011

Crackers raise pollution 200 times over WHO limits: study

A study carried out by Chest Research Foundation (CRF) has revealed that the burning of firecrackers increases the level of sulphur dioxide 200-fold above the safety limits prescribed by World Health Organisation (WHO). The study highlighted the burning of crackers can worsen the condition of patients with respiratory ailments. Pulmonary specialists in Mumbai are now advising patients to be cautious.

“We had installed an equipment to measure the level of the toxic gases before and after Diwali in Kothrud in Pune last year. It was found that the level of sulphur dioxide increased from a little over zero to five parts per million. This year, we are trying to meaure it in Mumbai,” said Dr Monika Barne, project in-charge of the study.

Dr Sujeet Rajan, consultant chest physician at Bombay Hospital, said, “Over the last few years, we have seen increasing cases of asthma and COPD requiring emergency hospitalisation. I am sure that the levels of sulphur dioxide will be compounded multiple times in Mumbai as compared to Pune.”

He said a lot of fresh patients, without any prior history of respiratory ailments, may also have wheezing and breathlessness problems post Diwali. Such a trend, says Dr Rajan, is especially prevalent in pediatric cases. He advises moderate use of firecrackers and preventive medication. Opthalmologists in the city are also cautioning children in particular. “Every year, we see 10-12 chidlren losing their eyesight post Diwali beacuse of firecrackers,” said Dr TP Lahane, ophthalmologist and dean of JJ Hospital, Byculla.

Source: Indian Express, 4-11-2010

Doctor advocates use of coconut oil

Kasaragod: Coconut oil in diet lowers serum cholesterol, B.M. Hegde, senior physician and former Vice-Chancellor of the Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, has said.

He was addressing the ‘International conference on coconut biodiversity for prosperity' at the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) here on Tuesday.

People should use coconut oil or coconut milk extensively in their diet rather than going for other products in the market. The nutritional value of coconut is high, he said.Coconut oil contains the ‘healthy and weight reducing' form of saturated fat. Rats fed with tender and mature coconut water showed beneficial reduction in cholesterol parameters, Mr. Hegde said.

A session on ‘Coconut and health' was chaired by Romulo Arancon Jr., executive director, Asia Pacific Coconut Community (APCC), Indonesia. As many as 25 foreign delegates and scientists from the Ayurveda College, Kotakkal; Amritha Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi; Central Food technological Research Institute; Defence Food Research Laboratory; Indian Institute of Spices Research; and the Kerala Agricultural University took part.

A workshop on ‘Organic farming in coconut' was chaired by P. Rethinum, former executive director, APCC.

Source: The Hindu, 27-10-2010

eco crystal water treatment

The opinion people have about water quality and water filters are as varied as the myths and questions. Ecocrystal provides answers to some myths related to water. You may wonder whether there is any regulation in drinking water in India. Yes, Indian standard has a specification for potable drinking water. In January 2003, Drinking Water Regulation TVO came into effect. For the first time the guidelines took into consideration the fact that pollutants can find their way into drinking water between the time it leave the water works and the time it arrives at the point of use.

You may also want to know is boiling water absolutely safe. The answer is no. Some elements in water beyond certain limit are very harmful for human body. For example, calcium, nitrate, sodium, mercury, or lead is very much harmful for human body when consumed from water sources. Boiling does not remove these harmful elements from the water. Hence these elements have to be filtered before drinking. Some people wonder what filtration of water means. Filtering water means removing all harmful elements from water by filtration process, where only water is allowed to pass and the harmful element remain outside the filter.

Source: The Hindu, Dated: 22.03.2010

Kerala must realise damages from Coca-Cola: House panel

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:The Assembly Committee on Petitions has called upon the Kerala government to assess the socio-economic damage sustained by the people of Plachimada on account of the operation of the Hindustan Coca-Cola unit there and take steps to realise compensation from the company. In its 11th report tabled in the House on Thursday, the Committee said the main loss sustained by Plachimada arose from Coca-Cola's ‘unjustified' extraction of groundwater that could have been used by several generations in the area. “The Committee understands that the people in the area had sustained economic, social and health-related devastation on account of water pollution, fall in water needed for farming and health-related problems,” the Committee said.

Better water level now : The Committee, which went into questions such as level of water in nearby draw-wells at the time of closure of the company and the change in the level five years later, said the report submitted to it by the Palakkad district unit of the Groundwater Department showed that the water level in the wells in the neighbourhood, which was very low at the time of closure of the company, had improved significantly after the closure. The Committee said that it was informed by officers of the Groundwater Department that a 14-member high power committee constituted by the government had received compensation claims totalling Rs. 203,20,72,410.

Source: The Hindu, Dated: 19.03.2010

Students develop eco-friendly engine

Thiruvananthapuram: A group of Mechanical Engineering students of the Sarabhai Institute of Science and Technology here have developed an electromagnetic engine that promises a clean alternative to fossil fuel-powered vehicles. The students, V. Jayaram, Chanthu S. Krishnan, Akhilesh S.S. Nair and Sreejith P.S., modified a 60 cc sprayer engine to demonstrate the electromagnetic principle. The engine operates on the repulsive force between two magnets, one embedded in the piston and the other on top of the cylinder.

The electromagnet on the cylinder head is powered by a battery that can be charged using solar panels. The engine is controlled by an electronic gadget that acts as the accelerator. “We have demonstrated that any petrol or diesel powered engine can be modified for electromagnetic propulsion. Such a modified engine will be free of noise and air pollution. The cost of modification may range between Rs.20,000 and Rs.30,000,” says Jayaram.

The team took about two years to design the engine. The students were guided by F.P. Joshua, Professor, and D. Praveen Kumar, Assistant Professor. “Electromagnetic engines are more efficient than servo motors and permanent magnet DC motors,” says Jayaram. He said the electromagnetic engine had the potential to revolutionise the automobile industry. “Once the engine is suitably modified, the fuel tank, timer chain, camshaft, air filter, fuel injection system and exhaust mechanism can be dispensed with, thereby freeing up space and reducing the weight of the vehicle considerably,” he added. The students are planning to file a patent application for the design.

Source: The Hindu, Dated: 19.03.2010

Campaign against hazards of tobacco

KANNUR: Concerted efforts to create public awareness about the health hazards of tobacco use and law enforcement to discourage smoking in public places were highlighted at a workshop on tobacco control here on Tuesday. The district-level workshop of stakeholders in tobacco control, including Health Department staff, police and excise officials and members of voluntary organisations here, stressed the urgency of driving home the anti-tobacco message to alert the public to the health hazards of smoking and other uses of tobacco. Collector V.K. Balakrishnan inaugurated the meet organised by the Kerala Voluntary Health Services, Kottayam, and the Academic and Technical Education Development Society, in association with the District Medical Office with the support of the Voluntary Health Association of India, New Delhi.

He said that manpower being one of the major resources of the country, the health hazards caused by tobacco and alcohol consumption would adversely affect the country's potential for immense economic growth. District Medical Officer P.C. Sreedharan said that social and economic issues of tobacco use were also important. The beedi industry of the region that once employed thousands of people was now thinking about rehabilitating its workers. Rehabilitation of beedi workers should also be part of the discussion of the health hazards. Deputy Superintendent of Police Sunil Kumar said the police would extend all assistance to the anti-smoking campaign. Deputy DMO R. Ramesh and Nirmal Raj of ATEDS were among those who spoke at the workshop.

Source: The Hindu, Dated: 17.03.2010

Campaign against lead poisoning

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Quality Council of India (QCI) has decided to launch campaigns in schools and hospitals in the State to create awareness on lead poisoning, QCI principal adviser Thuppil Venkatesh has said. At a press conference here on Wednesday, he said representatives of the QCI had met Education Minister M.A. Baby and Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy to discuss the implementation of the programme, focusing on the area of lead poisoning amongst women and children. — Staff Reporter

Source: The Hindu
Online edition
Thursday, Feb 25, 2010

Health issues of mineral water supplied in jars

Beware of Rose river fever

Australia's Rose River Virus may be spreading viral fever in Tamil Nadu. It could spread easily to Kerala if preventive measures are not taken.

Source: Mathrubhumi
Saturday, February 06, 2010

‘Four plus’ to check epidemic outbreak

Express News Service
First Published : 02 Feb 2010 12:48:00 AM IST

ALAPPUZHA: The Health Department in the department here has started steps for implementing a year-long project, ‘Four Plus’, an intensive drive for the prevention of the spread of malaria, dengue fever, chikungunya and leptospirosis in the district.

District medical officer Khairunnisa on Monday said the drive would focus on monitoring the diseases and their vectors.

“We will deploy field staff for conducting the activities planned in the project in association with various government departments. Public participation is a must for the execution of the initiative, she said.

Apart from the Health Department, National Rural Health Mission(NRHM), Local Self Government, Social Welfare, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Water Resources and Public Works and the Kerala Cleanliness Mission and the Kudumbasree Mission are part of the drive.A meeting of the heads of the departments will be convened soon for taking necessary steps.

The execution of the initiative will be started by this month and the project will cover all the parts of the district.

The State Government has completed all the steps for allotting the financial assistance for carrying out the project, she said.

Source: expressbuzz.com

Indian state Kerala attracts health tourists

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- The southern Indian state of Kerala, popularly known as "God's own country", enjoys its embellishment with tranquil backwaters, tempting beaches and super lush green coconut groves.

Every year thousands of tourists from across the globe come here to explore the serene beauty of this southern Indian state. Of late, Kerala has attained a pride of place in the field of ancient Indian medicine or "Ayurveda". Rightly thus, medical tourism is the new facet of Kerala's tourism industry.

Although Ayurveda evolved centuries ago in India, it is only in the recent years that it has become a huge selling point for Kerala's tourism industry.

Ayurveda or the "Science of Life" is practiced sincerely in this divine state of Kerala. No doubt, a tour to Kerala takes you to the enchanting backwaters and divine greenery; but Ayurveda is one such element that lets you a lifetime opportunity to be reborn in the lap of nature.

"Ayurveda is a complete treatment of physical, mental and spiritual well-being. This kind of medical treatment involves use of natural elements like tree bark, leaves, milk, curd, medicated oil, herbal powder and herbal pastes, which do not have any kind of side effects. Any treatment is applied to a person on the basis of his nature, age, body system and the severity of the disorder," Kerala Tourism Department Deputy Director Suresh Kumar P.G. said.

Kerala is globally becoming the leading destination for medical tourists. Health tourism in Kerala is an upcoming field, which combines benefits through the medical expertise alongwith the memorable holidays in the lap of the nature away from the hectic city life.

The numerous resorts in the state have drawn out specific plans ranging from a few days to even three weeks.

Going back in time, Ayurveda is believed to be originated in India more than 10,000 years ago and it boasts of being the oldest healing science in existence. The best part with this medicinal science is that it does not cause any side effects and, therefore, can be consumed or applied for a long duration.

The ancient science of Ayurveda is credited to Lord Dhanvantari who is considered as the physician of gods in Hindu mythology. It is believed that Lord Dhanvantari received this science from Lord Brahma, who classified it into various branches that deal with various medicinal systems.

According to Suresh Kumar, "a person is seen in Ayurveda as a unique individual made up of five primary elements. These elements are ether (space), air, fire, water and earth. Just as in nature, we too have these five elements in us. When any of these elements find imbalance in the environment, they will in turn have an influence on us. The foods we eat and the weather are just two examples of the influence of these elements."

When the monsoons make a grand entry into Kerala, tourist resorts and ayurvedic spas get all ready with rejuvenating health packages. According to ayurveda specialists, the monsoon season is the best time for treatments as the atmosphere remains dust-free and cool, which helps open the pores of the body to the maximum.

"This makes the body more receptive to herbal oils and other ayurveda medicines. Ayurveda believes in the treatment of not just the affected part, but also the individual as a whole. It is considered a natural way to refresh oneself by eliminating all toxic imbalances from the body and thus regain good health," Suresh Kumar said.

Source: Xinhua News Agency
URL: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/indepth/2010-02/03/c_13161585.htm

Environmental index: State in 'more sustainable' class

An Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) that maps the ability of States to remain ecologically sustainable while pursuing development has ranked Kerala in "more sustainable" category.

ESI is a powerful tool that can be used to identify priorities; a state might be facing several environmental changes such as water pollution, air pollution and loss of forest and biodiversity. Using ESI it can be determined which of these issues needs the most urgent attention. It can be effectively used to formulate targeted policies and to allocate funds more rationally, within states and within sectors.

State of Kerala

2009 Rating: 61-80 

ESI Score : 61.53 | GDP / Capita (Rs.‘000) : 41,182

State & Society's Response: 0.30

Impact on Human Health: -0.62

State/Quality of Environement :0.48

Driving Force: 0.54

Pressure on Ecosystem: -0.08

Find more details at http://www.greenindiastandards.com/kerala.php?stateid=16

High blood pressure among youth

Over the last two years, heart check up conducted at the Heart House on people above 25 years has indicated that 40 per cent of the people have high blood pressure, 37 per cent have high cholesterol and 25 per cent have diabetes.

These findings were presented by Jabir A., secretary of Cardiological Society of India, Kerala chapter, at the year’s annual conference held here on Sunday.

The Hindu, November 2nd , 2009

Matsyafed develops chitone capsules to counter obesity

Matsyafed, (Kerala State Cooperative Federation for Fisheries Development Ltd.) has developed chitone capsules, a natural chitosan product that can be used to counter obesity/overweight and high blood cholesterol level.Commercial production has already begun at the chitosan plant of the Matsyafed at Neendakara in Kollam.The over-the-counter (OTC) chitone capsules will hit Indian markets by early December 2009.The plant has capacity to produce 1.5 lakh capsules a day. Conventionally, chitosan is extracted from the exoskeleton of arthropods, including shell fishes.

The chitosan used for commercial production of chitone capsules by Matsyafed is extracted hygienically from exoskeleton of fresh marine prawns, crabs and lobsters.The federation has an agreement with the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Kochi, for technical collaboration for extraction of chitosan and quality control in the production of chitone capsules.The extracted chitosan is subjected to de-acetylation, a molecular re-arrangement process for removing the acetyl group to form unsaturated molecules of chitosan with a highly positive ionic structure and a very strong chelating property.Several studies, clinical as well as toxicological have proven that chitosan is the most efficient and safe fat-absorbing fibre present in nature.These studies have revealed that chitosan is a non-toxic, well tolerated effective natural product that helps to achieve weight reduction, normal BP and blood cholesterol reduction (LDL).The federation is getting tremendous response from drug distributors across the country to market the product. It will finalise a few dealers shortly, at the national level.The federation will also market chitone capsules through the outlets of cooperative federations in the State.With the finalisation of this mutli-layer dealership network, the federation could ensure availability of this dietary supplement in all parts of the State.

The Hindu, 30th October 2009

India declares itself free from bird flu

India has declared itself free from the notifiable Avian Influenza (H5N1). The notification was issued to the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) on October 22.A country can declare itself free from birdflu, if there is no outbreak for three months. With the declaration, the country can hope to revive its poultry trade.India notified the outbreak of Avian Influenza (H5N1) in Assam (18 epicentres), West Bengal (11) and Sikkim (1) between November 2008 and May 2009.

The last outbreak in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal was notified on May 27, 2009. There has since been no further outbreak.The control measures adopted included stamping out the entire poultry population, including destruction of eggs, feed, litters and other infected materials, in a radius of 3-5 km around each location, restrictions on the movement of poultry and poultry products to and from the area of outbreak, disinfection and cleaning up of infected premises. The final disinfection process was completed on June 8, 2009.Surveillance was carried out throughout the country as per Article 2.7.12.4 of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code (2008). Surveillance around the area of outbreak since the completion of the operation (including culling, disinfection and clean-up) and surveillance in the rest of the country has shown no evidence of the presence of the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1).

It is, however, emphasised that the surveillance against Avian Influenza will have to be continued throughout the country, especially in vulnerable areas bordering the infected countries and in areas visited by migratory birds.In a communication to the States, the Union government has said the declaration should not lead the States into complacency and they must maintain vigil against the disease.

The Hindu, 27th October 2009

Breast cancer rate on the rise in young women

The annual risk of women developing breast cancer has been going up in the State steadily since early 90s and unfortunately, it is the women in the younger age group — less than 35 years — who seem to be the most susceptible.The number of new patients who registered for breast cancer treatment at the Regional Cancer Centre here in 2008 was 1,600. In 2007, this figure was 1,200. And shockingly, about 20 per cent of these cases were women who were below 35 years.The annual incidence rate of breast cancer in Kerala is 31 per one lakh population, which is on par with the national average.The International Breast Cancer Awareness day is observed on October 18. Oncologists have one message to convey to women — regular self examination of the breasts is one of the most simple and effective methods for the early detection of breast cancer, which is completely curable if picked up early. Regular self examination and screening tests like mammography is something that women in the 30 plus group should necessarily adopt, for facilitating early detection and treatment of breast cancer.

Even though the awareness about the importance of self examination for the early detection of breast cancer has gone up, doctors at the RCC seldom saw patients in the early stages, Beela Mathew, Additional Professor of Radiation Oncology at RCC, said.The RCC is observing October as ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Month,’ and a special screening clinic for women above 30 will function here for the whole month.The clinic has screened about 200 women so far and two cases of breast cancer were newly detected, Dr. Mathew said.The RCC plans to make the breast cancer screening clinic a regular feature, depending on the demand for screening.According to a study report by the World Cancer Research Fund and American Cancer Research Institute released in 2007, there is enough evidence to believe that body fat plays a crucial role in the development of breast cancer.The report suggested that maintaining a healthy weight and breast feeding at least up to six months are protective against breast cancer.

The Hindu, 17th October 2009

Mosquitos and Kerala

Source: Mathrubhumi, 20th August 2009

Awareness rally

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: One of the five car rallies that the Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya is organising as part of its nationwide health education programme — My India Healthy India 2009 — is from Thiruvananthapuram. The others are from Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Lucknow and Dehradun. The rallies are meant for educating the people on five major areas of health — general health, lifestyle diseases, de-addiction, maternal and women’s health and child health.

The Thiruvananthapuram rally will be inaugurated by Uthradam Tirunal Marthanda Varma, head of the erstwhile Travancore Royal Family at the Karthika Thirunal Theatre on August 16.

The rally is bound for Mumbai. A team of doctors accompanying the rally will conduct health programmes.

Source: The Hindu, Sunday, Aug 16, 2009
URL: http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/16/stories/2009081657590200.htm