Heena Sharma Blog

Green tea may reduce the risk of obesity and a number of inflammatory biomarkers linked with poor health, a study conducted in mice suggests. Mice fed a diet of two per cent green tea extract fared far better than those that ate a diet without it, according to the study published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. The finding has prompted an upcoming study of green tea's potential benefits in people at high risk of diabetes and heart disease. The benefits seen in the study appear to stem from improved gut health, including more beneficial microbes in the intestines of the mice and less permeability in the intestinal wall -- a condition typically called "leaky gut" in people. "This study provides evidence that green tea encourages the growth of good gut bacteria, and that leads to a series of benefits that significantly lower the risk of obesity," said Richard Bruno, the study's lead author and a professor at The Ohio State University...

Smoking may damage the immune response against melanoma and limit patients' survival chances, according to a new study. Melanoma patients with a history of smoking cigarettes are 40 per cent less likely to survive their skin cancer than people who have never smoked within a decade after their diagnosis, according to the study, published in the journal Cancer Research. Other researchers have reported that smoking have adverse effects on the immune system, but it is not yet known which chemicals are responsible for this. "The immune system is like an orchestra, with multiple pieces. This research suggests that smoking might disrupt how it works together in tune, allowing the musicians to continue playing but possibly in a more disorganised way," said lead researcher Julia Newton-Bishop, Professor at the University of Leeds. Smoking could directly affect how smokers' bodies deal with the melanoma cancer cells, said the researchers. "Overall, these ...

A new research on the types of bacteria living in babies' noses offered clues as to why some recover quickly from their first cough or cold , while others suffer for longer. The study, conducted by the researchers at the University Children's Hospital of Basel, suggested that babies who have a wide variety of different bacteria living in their noses tend to recover more quickly from their first respiratory virus, compared to those who have less variety and more bacteria from either the Moraxellaceae or Streptococcaceae family. The findings of the study are published in the Journal of ERJ Open Research. The researchers stated that their findings do not offer an immediate solution to help babies recover more quickly from coughs and colds. However, the results helped scientists understand the importance of the bacteria living in the respiratory tract, and how they influence infections and long-term conditions such as asthma. Read More Business Standard

In a first, an oral immunotherapy drug derived from peanut protein could help build tolerance and eliminate potentially deadly reactions in children and adolescents with severe peanut allergies. The study showed that controlled ingestion of the medication, called AR101, derived from peanut protein, could build tolerance as well as reduce severe allergy symptoms . "Almost 6 million American children are currently living with a life-threatening food allergy," said Christina Ciaccio, Associate Professor from the University of Chicago in the US. "Every three minutes a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency room, contributing to the total annual cost of caring for children with food allergy to nearly $25 billion. Despite this, not a single treatment for food allergy has been approved by the FDA," she said. However, the drug "is not a quick fix, and it doesn't mean people with peanut allergy will be able to eat peanuts when...

It is well known that second hand smoke from cigarettes is a risk to anyone who suffers from asthma . But a new research showed that it's possible for both children and adults with uncontrolled asthma to find their symptoms worsening due to cannabis allergy and exposure to marijuana smoke . A new research, conducted at the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, analysed the livelihood of people smoking marijuana and how it affects the health of people around them. "A 6-year-old boy suffering from severe asthma had family members who frequently smoked marijuana in the house," said Bryce Hoffman, lead author of the study. "Even though family members didn't smoke marijuana in the same room as the child, he was exposed to traces of smoke and plant material. It was not clear why his asthma was so severe and not responding to aggressive asthma therapies until we determined he was allergic to cannabis. After the cannabis was removed from the...

Turns out, the usage of marijuana by kidney donors has no measurable effect on the outcome of kidney transplants for donors or recipients. A new study in Clinical Kidney Journal reviewed living kidney  transplants performed between January 2000 and May 2016 in a single academic institution. Donor and recipient groups were each divided into two groups by donor marijuana usage, comparing the outcomes of the transplants using a variety of tests. Researchers reviewed 294 living donor medical records, including 31 marijuana using donors. They also reviewed 230 living kidney recipient records, including 27 cannabis-using kidney recipients. The use of grass in the United States has been steadily increasing over the last 10 years. Marijuana use has more than doubled between 2001 and 2013, with 54.1 per cent of adolescents claiming to have initiated its use by the age of 21. There is a shortage of kidneys available for transplantation. As of 2018, there are nearly 100,00...

Including almonds in the diet may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in people with type 2 diabetes, researchers have found. According to the International Diabetes Federation, diabetes currently affects over 425 million people worldwide, and more than 72.9 million cases were reported in India in 2017. A study, published in the Journal of Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, on 50 Indians with type 2 diabetes and elevated cholesterol levels, found that substituting whole, unroasted almonds for 20 calories in a well-balanced diet significantly improved measures of heart health linked to type 2 diabetes. Another study, published in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism, looked at the effect of including 60 grammes of almonds a day on maintenance of blood sugar levels and cardiovascular disease factors among 33 Chinese participants with type 2 diabetes. While the almond diet offered better overall nutritional quality, neither diet -- with or without al...

According to the findings of a recent research, acute kidney injury (AKI) is linked with a higher risk of developing dementia. The findings will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2018 at the San Diego Convention Center. AKI, an abrupt decline in kidney function, often arises after major surgeries or severe infections, and it is associated with long-term health problems including the development of chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease. AKI is also associated with acute neurologic complications, but the long-term consequences of AKI on brain health are unclear. To study the issue, Jessica Kendrick of University of Colorado School of Medicine and her colleagues analysed information on 2082 patients without a prior history of dementia from an integrated health care delivery system in Utah. Patients had a hospital admission between 1999 and 2009. During a median follow-up time of 5.8 years, 97 patients developed dementia. More patients with AKI developed de...

A recent study found that a wide range of both IV thrombolysis (IVT) and mechanical thrombectomy (MT) rates in ischemic stroke patients, who smoke marijuana , indicates the need for further improvement of access to acute recanalization therapies in many regions. Researchers at the University of Toronto presented the results of a study evaluating the use of the drug rivaroxaban versus acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) to prevent strokes in patients with an enlarged left atrium of the heart. The results showed some potential benefit from rivaroxaban but caution was urged. "We are seeing a very intriguing signal here, and it has biological plausibility, but it is going to require independent validation before making any changes to practice recommendations," said researcher Dr. Gladstone. The statistics also showed a rise in stroke incidence among marijuana users while overall stroke prevalence remained stable. A five-year study of hospital statistics from the Unit...

Kapalbhati is a part of Pranayam kriya where one forcefully exhales rapidly and in short bursts. Practitioners claim that it helps in cleaning lungs and in exercising the abdomen muscles. It is, therefore, recommended for reducing tummy fat. The word Kapalbhati means skull illumination. Yogis claim that practicing it cleans the brain and gives a shining quality to a person's appearance. Modern science may give credence to this claim. Researchers have known since 1941 that nanoparticles (10-30 nanometers which are almost 10-20 times smaller than those emitted in cigarette smoke), can directly reach the brain by breathing through the nose and bypassing the blood-brain-barrier (BBB). However, this field of research remained dormant till the 1990s when scientists, alarmed by rising environmental pollution, revisited the early research and started discovering the harmful effects of toxin invasion of brain through breathing. Read Complete Article

Hormone therapy for prostate cancer can go either way, while some patents withstand the therapy, others outwit a standard hormone therapy, causing cancer to spread. A recent study explores the reason behind this. The research also points to a simple blood test that may help doctors predict when this type of hormone therapy resistance will occur. The study also explores how prostate cancer can sometimes withstand and outwit a standard hormone therapy, causing the cancer to spread. The findings also point to a simple blood test that may help doctors predict when this type of hormone therapy resistance will occur. Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in men, behind lung cancer, killing nearly 30,000 in the U.S. each year, according to the American Cancer Society. In its early stag s, the most common type, adenocarcinoma, is curable and generall ey responds well to therapies, including those that target androgen (a male sex hormone that stimulates ...

A novel brain network that links pain in Parkinson's disease (PD) to a specific region of the brain has been revealed by scientists. Health News : A novel brain network that links pain in Parkinson's disease (PD) to a specific region of the brain has been revealed by scientists. The research has revealed why a subset of neurons in part of the brain called the subthalamic nucleus is a potential target for pain relief in PD, as well as other diseases such as dementia, motor neuron disease and Huntington's, and certain forms of a migraine. People with PD often report unexplained pain such as burning, stabbing, aching, itching or tingling sensations that are not directly related to their other PD symptoms. Treatment with deep brain stimulation in the subthalamic nucleus can help with the movement-related symptoms of PD, but recent studies have shown it also reduces pain. The way it does this, however, is currently unclear. Lead author Arnaud Pautrat sai...

Having your last meal before 9 pm or at least two hours before going to bed could lower the risk of  breast  and  prostate cancer , suggests a new study. Compared to those who have supper after 10 pm or those who go to bed right after meal, people who take their evening meal before 9 pm or wait at least two hours before going to sleep have approximately 20 per cent lower risk of those types of cancers, the findings showed. "Our study concludes that adherence to diurnal eating patterns is associated with a lower risk of cancer," said lead author Manolis Kogevinas from the Barcelona Institute for  Global Health  (ISGlobal) in Spain. "The findings highlight the importance of assessing circadian rhythms in studies on diet and cancer," Kogevinas added. For the study, published in International Journal of Cancer, the team analysed data from 621 cases of prostate cancer and 1,205 cases of breast cancer, as well as 872 male and 1,321 female controls. A...