World Asthma Day - 2012

World asthma day 2012 (WAD) falls on May 1^st. The theme for 2012 is “You Can Control Your Asthma”. 

The day is sponsored by the global initiative for asthma (GINA) as an effort to lay emphasis on controlling this chronic disease, bring about greater co-operation between health care groups and health care educators and, to provide better care for asthma patients. 

Various activities ranging from bill boards and stickers to music concerts and health fair will be organized all over the world to spread awareness regarding asthma control and to highlight the steps involved in managing this chronic condition. 

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the airways or the bronchial tubes that carry air to and from the lungs. 

People who are affected with asthma are sensitive to particular irritants such as allergens, exercise, pollens, strong fragrance, or even smoke. Exposure to irritants causes the airways to become inflamed and constricted, thereby minimizing the quantity of air reaching the lungs. 

The most common symptoms of asthma include breathlessness, coughing, tightness in the chest and wheezing particularly in the night or early in the day. When the symptoms worsen the vital organs are denied their share of oxygen supply and this leads to an “asthma attack”. 

Medications usually focus on bringing about immediate relief; on a long-term basis they help to prevent the onset of symptoms. Each individual reacts to allergens differently and, as a result, there is a need to prescribe different doses of various medications to asthmatic individuals, depending upon their need. 

A person’s asthma is said to be under control when his/her symptoms are minimized, when he/she can exercise without breathing difficulties and when his/her lung function tests are normal. 

According to GINA’S global strategy for asthma management and prevention there are four key steps to control asthma - 

• Develop patient /doctor partnership 

• Identify and avoid exposure to risk factors 

• Diagnose and treat asthma. 

• Manage asthma complications. 

Also, under GINA’s strategy, the dose of the medications are increased if the person is ill and is gradually decreased once the illness is controlled. 

Asthma can be controlled. So just breathe easy..! 

Source-Medindia

Beans and Rice Diet Helps to Control Type 2 Diabetes

Beans and rice, the classic food combo in many parts of the world, can reduce postprandial glycemic elevations in people with type 2 diabetes, according to an American study published in the Nutrition journal. 

Diet and lifestyle changes are very important interventions to prevent and control type 2 diabetes. 

Beans are high in protein, omega-3 fatty acids and anti-oxidants, and low in fat. They are also good sources of iron, folate, magnesium and zinc. Earlier studies found that beans have some action similar to the diabetes medication, acarbose. 

It is also known that beans have a low glycemic index (GI) which means they produce a relatively low rise in blood glucose after a meal. However, white rice has a high GI and can cause postprandial glycemic elevations, which damage the tissues and other organs. 

So, to find out if the postprandial glucose values are lowered by beans and rice combo diet, American researchers, Sharon Thompson, Donna Winham, and Andrea Hutchins, compared the glycemic response of beans and rice meals with rice alone in adult type 2 diabetics. 

Data from seventeen men and women, with type 2 diabetes controlled on metformin or diet / exercise, between the ages of 35 and 70 years was analysed in this study. The researchers selected pinto beans (Glycemic Index = 45), black beans (GI = 20) and red kidney beans (GI = 20) and long grain white rice (GI = 80) for their study. Participants received the four test meals in random order. Three meals included pinto beans, black beans or dark red kidney beans along with half a cup of white long grain rice respectively. The amount of beans was standardized to provide 50g of carbohydrates while the weight of the white rice was kept constant. The fourth meal was the control meal which included 180g of steamed long grain white rice. Meals were consumed at breakfast after a 12-hour fast. 

Capillary blood glucose concentrations at baseline and at 30 minute intervals up to 180 minutes following the meal were collected. The results of the study were analyzed statistically. 

The results showed that postprandial glucose concentrations were significantly lower for all three traditional bean and rice meals as compared with the white rice meal. 

The findings are in agreement with other studies that show intermediate responses with mixed meals of high and low GI foods. 

The results also show that - 

• All three test meals reduced the average 2-hour postprandial glucose below 140 mg/dl, the International Diabetes Federation recommended glycemic control goal. 

• Counseling patients to exclude cultural foods like the bean and rice combination may be unwarranted for persons with type 2 diabetes, especially in the U.S., Latin America, and Mediterranean and Middle East countries. 

• The three different beans varieties exhibited significantly different levels of glycemic response. The pinto and black bean and rice combinations produced a lower glycemic response overall than the dark red kidney bean and rice meal. 

The authors suggested that it is important to investigate multiple bean varieties rather than assuming all are the same. 

'Dietary recommendations, materials and counseling should be culturally sensitive and take into account valued traditional foods such as beans, especially when the scientific evidence supports their beneficial role in the diet', concluded the researchers. 

They further add – 'While promoting traditional foods is a non-pharmacological way to manage type 2 diabetes, knowing which beans are most effective can help improve dietary adherence with an appropriate cultural twist'. 

Source: Thompson SV, Winham DM, Hutchins AM. Bean and rice meals reduce postprandial glycemic response in adults with type 2 diabetes: a cross-over study. Nutr J. 2012 Apr 11;11(1):23. http://www.nutritionj.com/content/pdf/1475-2891-11-23.pdf 

Source-Medindia

Mylan Launches First Generic Version of Lescol Capsules

Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. has received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) forFluvastatin Capsules USP, 20 mg and 40 mg, the first generic version of Novartis' Lescol® Capsules. This product is indicated for the treatment of both familial and nonfamilial hypercholesterolemia and mixed dyslipidemia. It is also indicated for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.[1]

Pursuant to a settlement and license agreement with Novartis, Mylan was granted a license permitting launch prior to the expiration of the pediatric exclusivity associated with U.S. Patent No. 5,356,896, which expires on June 12, 2012.

Lescol Capsules had U.S. sales of approximately $27.9 million for the 12 months ending Dec. 31, 2011, according to IMS Health. Mylan has begun shipping its generic version of this product.

Currently, Mylan has 172 ANDAs pending FDA approval representing $100.2 billion in annual sales, according to IMS Health. Forty of these pending ANDAs are potential first-to-file opportunities, representing $25.7 billion in annual brand sales, for the 12 months ending Dec. 31, 2011, according to IMS Health.

Mylan Inc. ranks among the leading generic and specialty pharmaceutical companies in the world and provides products to customers in more than 150 countries and territories. The company maintains one of the industry's broadest and highest quality product portfolios supported by a robust product pipeline; operates one of the world's largest active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturers; and runs a specialty business focused on allergy, respiratory and psychiatric therapies. For more information about Mylan, please visit www.mylan.com. For more information about generic drugs, please visit www.ChoosingGenerics.com.

[1] Fluvastatin should not be used in patients with hypersensitivity to any component of this medication, patients with liver disease, women who are pregnant or may become pregnant or mothers who are breast feeding.

SOURCE Mylan Inc.

Drinking Water Improves Exam Grades

Drinking a glass of water before exams can boost your exam grades, suggests study. 

A new study found that students who took a drink, such as water, coffee or cola, before taking an exam did up to 10 per cent better than those who did not - the difference between a grade. 

It is unclear why a drink should help, but one theory suggests that information flows more freely between brain cells when they are well hydrated. 

Researchers said that drinking water may also calm nerves, while those who became thirsty during test time could be more easily distracted, the Daily Mail reported. 

The study, which looked at hundreds of university students, compared whether they took a drink into the exam with their final marks. 

The students' overall academic ability was then factored in, to ensure that the results were not skewed by the possibility that smarter students are also more thirsty. 

Those who arrived armed with drinks did around 5 per cent better on average. But the improvement was even more marked among those just starting out at university, whose results improved by as much as 10 per cent - the difference between being awarded a first-class degree and a 2.1, the annual conference of the British Psychological Society's heard. 

The type of drink did not change the results, meaning the students' performance could not be put down to caffeine or sugar. 

"The results imply that the simple act of bringing water into an exam was linked to an improvement in the students' grades," said researcher Chris Pawson, from the University of East London. 

Dr Mark Gardner, of Westminster University, added that it was not clear why the greatest improvement was seen in new students. 

However, it could be they were the most anxious, or having newly left home were more prone to wild nights out and so in greater need of hydration. 

Earlier research from the University of East London has shown that children aged between seven and nine who drank water did better on tests of visual attention and memory. 

Source-ANI

Is Meat Intake Associated With Allergies?

Can meat in diet increase the chances of suffering from allergies like rhinoconjunctivitis in pregnant women? A study from Japan suggests that the answer is probably 'yes'. 

Rhinoconjunctivitis is an allergic reaction which is characterized by the presence of 'rhinitis' and 'conjunctivitis'. Allergic rhinitis or inflammation of the mucus membrane of the nose results in symptoms of stuffy and runny nose. Allergic conjunctivitis, or inflammation of the membrane lining the eye, results in itching and watering of the eyes. 

An allergy can be caused by nearly anything and everything under the sun, including the sun. Food also causes allergy. Common causes of food allergy are milk and eggs. Some studies have suggested that a high fat intake could predispose to allergic reactions. 

A recently published study examined if the type of food eaten is associated with rhinoconjunctivitis in Japanese pregnant women. The study was conducted on 1745 pregnant women between the fifth and thirty-ninth week of pregnancy. 

Each participant had to fill in a questionnaire regarding their diet intake over the previous month. They also had to report their body weight and height for the calculation of body mass index. 

The participants filled in details regarding any episode of rhinoconjunctivitis in the past one year. Rhinitis was said to be present if the participants suffered from sneezing or a runny or blocked nose when they did not suffer from a cold or flu. The participants also had to report if the episode was accompanied with itchy or watery eyes. 

Rhinoconjunctivitis was as common as nearly 26% in the study population. It was more common in women who had a high intake of meat. However, the researchers were unable to demonstrate any association with fat intake. This is in contrast to some of the previously published studies. 

Meat intake had also been associated with other allergic conditions in the past like eczema. How meat can lead to allergies is not clear. The study also has a number of methodological limitations, which could have interfered with the final results. 

This Japanese study indicates that meat intake in pregnant women could be associated with rhinoconjunctivitis. Further studies are necessary to check if these results could be applied to the general population. 

Reference: 

1. Yoshihiro Miyake et al. Dietary meat and fat intake and prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis in pregnant Japanese women: baseline data from the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study. Nutrition Journal 2012, 11:19 doi:10.1186/1475-2891-11-19 

Source-Medindia

 

Genes from algae can help blind mice regain their sight.

Geneticists are experimenting with algae genes that produce light sensitive proteins by putting them into the retinal cells of mice. They hope that with more success they can figure out how to cure vision problems in humans! People with retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration have damaged photoreceptors that prevent their eyes from transforming light into electrical impulses that get sent to the brain. This results in blindness. Scientists hope that they can use this gene to increase the light sensitivity of people’s eyes and reverse the effects of blindness. So far, the treatment has worked on mice. Blind mice improved their performance in mazes after the treatment. 

Certain kinds of unicellular algae produce a protein called Channelrhodopsin-2 that helps them find light. Scientists have used the gene that produces that protein in a “tame” virus. They then injected that virus into the blind mice’s retinas. The virus transferred the gene to the retinal cells, and the gene produced the protein in the mice’s eyes. Overall, it was a huge success. The mice were able to see their way through mazes faster, there were no signs that the virus spread to any part of their bodies outside of their retinas, and the effects of the treatment are expected to be permanent, so they won’t need to do it again. 

You can read more about this discovery in this article.

Is Daydreaming is good for you?

Although it has been derided in the past as infantile, neurotic or failing to be mentally disciplined, neurologists have discovered that daydreaming - and more specifically, wandering mind - is vital for certain brain functions. They've found that a wandering mind can be protective and even help you stay on course for longer term goals. 

A wandering mind helps the brain unfocus from repetitive, menial tasks. For example, driving down an empty highway, or jobs where the only requirement is to push a button at a certain time. There's also an 'incubation effect,' that happens when the mind wanders. If you're doing your homework and you can't think of how to answer a question; your get distracted and your mind wanders, your brain still processes the information and may come up with the answer later. 

It's not all good, of course. If your mind wanders while you're reading a book, you'll probably not get any information from it. If you let yourself daydream too much on a highway, you'll get into an accident. However, their studies found that for creative tasks, people need their mind to wander; however, they also need to have enough awareness to catch the creative ideas before they leave the mind.

Drug Patent Expirations for the week of April 8, 2012

Tradename	Applicant	Generic Name	Patent Number	Patent Expiration
MULTIHANCE MULTIPACK	Bracco	gadobenate dimeglumine	4,916,246	Apr 10, 2012
MULTIHANCE	Bracco	gadobenate dimeglumine	4,916,246	Apr 10, 2012
LESCOL XL	Novartis	fluvastatin sodium	5,354,772*PED	Apr 11, 2012
LESCOL	Novartis	fluvastatin sodium	5,354,772*PED	Apr 11, 2012
COMBIVENT RESPIMAT	Boehringer Ingelheim	albuterol sulfate; ipratropium bromide	5,405,084	Apr 11, 2012
*Drugs may be covered by multiple patents or regulatory protections. See the DrugPatentWatch database for complete details.

Understanding Heart Disease- Animation

                         

NIPER Ph.D. JOINT ADMISSION TEST - 2012

Detailed information for NIPER Ph.D. Joint Admission Test  


Admission to Ph.D. Programme for 2012-13 (Advt. No. 7/2012)  

Pharmacy Robotic Dispensing lead to Bacterial contamination of Drugs

              

So-called robotic drug dispensers can be contaminated with dangerous bacteria, a new report says.

During routine screening, staffers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina discovered Bacillus cereus bacteria in drug samples dispensed by a robot used to prepare intravenous medications in a sterile environment.

This potentially harmful type of bacteria is resistant to many commonly used disinfectants, including alcohol. Contamination of intravenous drugs with this bacteria can cause serious problems, including potentially life-threatening bloodstream infections in patients, the study authors said.

In this case, which occurred in 2010, no patients were harmed, the researchers said.

Further investigation traced the contamination to the machine's washing station and its associated tubing. This washing station is not considered a sterile part of the robot and the manufacturer does not specify a formal cleaning and maintenance procedure, the study authors noted.

They suggested that the current cleaning and maintenance recommendations for the robot need to be strengthened.

"To our knowledge, this is the first published report of a pharmacy robot being contaminated withBacillus with resultant contamination of intravenous drug product," the study authors wrote.

They said their findings highlight the importance of routine screening of medication prepared by robotic dispensers, which are becoming increasingly common in hospitals.

The study appeared in the journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.

More information

For more on Bacillus cereus visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

World Health Day - 7 April

World Health Day

Every year, World Health Day is celebrated on 7 April to mark the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948. Each year a theme is selected for World Health Day that highlights a priority area of concern for WHO.

World Health Day is a global campaign, inviting everyone – from global leaders to the public in all countries – to focus on a single health challenge with global impact. Focusing on new and emerging health issues, World Health Day provides an opportunity to start collective action to protect people's health and well-being.

World Health Day 2012

• Ageing and health: Good health adds life to years
  The topic of World Health Day in 2012 is Ageing and health with the theme "Good health adds life to years". The focus is how good health throughout life can help older men and women lead full and productive lives and be a resource for their families and communities. Ageing concerns each and every one of us – whether young or old, male or female, rich or poor – no matter where we live.

World Health Day 2011

• Antimicrobial resistance: no action today no cure tomorrow
  We live in an era of medical breakthroughs with new wonder drugs available to treat conditions that a few decades ago, or even a few years ago in the case of HIV/AIDS, would have proved fatal. For World Health Day 2011, WHO launched a worldwide campaign to safeguard these medicines for future generations.

Previous World Health Days

• Overview of the past World Health Days
  Each year a different theme is selected that highlights a priority area of concern for WHO.

source: http://www.who.int

There are fake bus stops that exist just to distract dementia patients in case they wander from their care home!

A known issue with Alzheimer's patients is that they sometimes wander off from the care facilities. A nursing home in Germany came up with an interesting solution to the issue. The problem is that the patients can wander really far and get hurt or feel scared and alone. The first place people go often is the bus stop. So, a nursing home decided to create a fake bus stop in front of it. 

The idea was that when the patient would wander off, he or she would sit at the bus stop and wait for a bus. The staff would eventually see them out there. In the beginning, the neighbors thought it was a real bus stop. The staff had to go to the stop and explain to them all that it wasn’t real and explain its purpose. Since then, though, the fake bus stop has been a great idea. When people get really upset, sometimes the nursing staff will take the patients to the bus stop, because they are convinced they need to get home to their family. The staff sits with the patient until they calm down and forget what they are doing and then return to the nursing home. It has changed the entire atmosphere of the nursing home. Pretty cool idea!

There's a rare disorder that turns your muscles into bone!

It's called Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP). It's a really rare disorder that affects between 1 and 2 million people in the world. What it does is it gradually replaces muscle and connective tissue, like joints and ligaments, with bone. The most obvious effect is that it restricts movement.

The process usually starts in early childhood and the first signs of the extra-skeletal bones being formed are with the neck and shoulders. People with this disorder also develop eating and breathing problems due to bone restricting the proper function of these processes. The disorder is genetic in nature and it results from a mutation in a specific gene.

One of the telltale signs of people born with the disorder is their toes and thumbs. People with FOP are generally born with big, malformed toes and short thumbs. Any fall or injury is dangerous because it causes abnormal muscle swelling and makes the bone-turning process even faster.

Drug Patent Expirations for the week of April 1, 2012

Tradename	Applicant	Generic Name	Patent Number	Patent Expiration
BROVANA	Sunovion	arformoterol tartrate	6,068,833	Apr 3, 2012
BROVANA	Sunovion	arformoterol tartrate	6,866,839	Apr 3, 2012
BROVANA	Sunovion	arformoterol tartrate	6,589,508	Apr 3, 2012
BROVANA	Sunovion	arformoterol tartrate	5,795,564	Apr 3, 2012
ALTACE	King Pharms	ramipril	5,403,856	Apr 4, 2012
TRITEC	Glaxosmithkline	ranitidine bismuth citrate	5,407,688	Apr 4, 2012
ALTACE	King Pfizer	ramipril	5,403,856	Apr 4, 2012
TRITEC	Glaxosmithkline	ranitidine bismuth citrate	5,403,830	Apr 4, 2012
*Drugs may be covered by multiple patents or regulatory protections. See the DrugPatentWatch database for complete details.

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