Is multi-tasking bad for your brain?
Multi-tasking has rapidly taken over our lives, to the point where we look woefully lax if we’re doing just one thing at a time.
We think nothing of texting while also watching television, surfing the internet and talking to our family.
Indeed, drug companies are busy developing products to enhance our mental efficiency so that we can do even more.
Overload: Ironically, doing many things at once can make us less efficient
But scientists are discovering that today’s mania for cramming everything in at once is creating a perilous cocktail of brain problems, from severe stress and rage in adults to learning problems and autism-like behaviour in children.
It also, ironically, often makes us less efficient. Advances in medical-scanning technology mean we can now watch what happens in the brain when people try to perform more than one complex task at a time. And the news isn’t good.
The human brain doesn’t multi-task like an expert juggler; it switches frantically between tasks like a bad amateur plate-spinner.
The constant effort this requires means that doing even just two or three things at once puts far more demand on our brains compared with if we did them one after another
Saturday, May 31, 2014
What should we die from? Healthy Natural Death BMJ 2014;348:g3380
Views & Reviews
What should we die from?
BMJ 2014; 348 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g3380 (Published 27 May 2014)
Cite this as: BMJ 2014;348:g3380
Respond to this article
Recent rapid responses

Re: What should we die from? Healthy Natural Death
30 May 2014
In this world everyone requires a healthy natural death at any age. Each and every country should give a healthy environment and healthy food for a healthy community and population at all ages and for both sexes. Everyone should adopt a healthy lifestyle to live a healthy long life. Cost effective investigation and treatment of disease with the end result of definite cure will definitely gives us the healthy natural death which we all want.
Competing interests: None declared
Mohaamed A Aleem, Neurologist
Kapv Govt medical college MGM Govt hospital ABC hospital Trichy 620018 Tamilnadu India, Kapv Govt medical college MGM Govt hospital ABC hospital Trichy 620018 Tamilnadu India
What should we die from? Healthy Natural Death
Views & Reviews
What should we die from?
BMJ 2014; 348 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g3380 (Published 27 May 2014)
Cite this as: BMJ 2014;348:g3380
Respond to this article
Recent rapid responses

Re: What should we die from? Healthy Natural Death
30 May 2014
In this world everyone requires a healthy natural death at any age. Each and every country should give a healthy environment and healthy food for a healthy community and population at all ages and for both sexes. Everyone should adopt a healthy lifestyle to live a healthy long life. Cost effective investigation and treatment of disease with the end result of definite cure will definitely gives us the healthy natural death which we all want.
Competing interests: None declared
Mohaamed A Aleem, Neurologist
Kapv Govt medical college MGM Govt hospital ABC hospital Trichy 620018 Tamilnadu India, Kapv Govt medical college MGM Govt hospital ABC hospital Trichy 620018 Tamilnadu India
Thursday, May 29, 2014
World No Tobacco Day - 31 May 2014- Raise taxes on tobacco
World No Tobacco Day - 31 May 2014
Raise taxes on tobacco
The global tobacco epidemic kills nearly 6 million people each year, of which more than 600 000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke. Unless we act, the epidemic will kill more than 8 million people every year by 2030. More than 80% of these preventable deaths will be among people living in low-and middle-income countries.
Key facts
Tobacco kills up to half of its users.
Consumption of tobacco products is increasing globally, though it is decreasing in some high-income and upper middle-income countries.
Leading cause of death, illness and impoverishment
The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing nearly six million people a year. More than five million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while more than 600 000 are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.
Approximately one person dies every six seconds due to tobacco, accounting for one in 10 adult deaths. Up to half of current users will eventually die of a tobacco-related disease.
Nearly 80% of the more than one billion smokers worldwide live in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of tobacco-related illness and death is heaviest.
Tobacco users who die prematurely deprive their families of income, raise the cost of health care and hinder economic development.
In some countries, children from poor households are frequently employed in tobacco farming to provide family income. These children are especially vulnerable to "green tobacco sickness", which is caused by the nicotine that is absorbed through the skin from the handling of wet tobacco leaves.
Gradual killer
Because there is a lag of several years between when people start using tobacco and when their health suffers, the epidemic of tobacco-related disease and death has just begun.
Tobacco caused 100 million deaths in the 20th century. If current trends continue, it may cause one billion deaths in the 21st century.
Unchecked, tobacco-related deaths will increase to more than eight million per year by 2030. More than 80% of those deaths will be in low- and middle-income countries.
Second-hand smoke kills
Second-hand smoke is the smoke that fills restaurants, offices or other enclosed spaces when people burn tobacco products such as cigarettes, bidis and water pipes. There are more than 4000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, of which at least 250 are known to be harmful and more than 50 are known to cause cancer.
There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke.
In adults, second-hand smoke causes serious cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, including coronary heart disease and lung cancer. In infants, it causes sudden death. In pregnant women, it causes low birth weight.
Almost half of children regularly breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke in public places.
Over 40% of children have at least one smoking parent.
Second-hand smoke causes more than 600 000 premature deaths per year.
In 2004, children accounted for 28% of the deaths attributable to second-hand smoke.
Every person should be able to breathe tobacco-smoke-free air. Smoke-free laws protect the health of non-smokers, are popular, do not harm business and encourage smokers to quit.
Over 1 billion people, or 16% of the world's population, are protected by comprehensive national smoke-free laws.
Taxes discourage tobacco use
Tobacco taxes are the most cost-effective way to reduce tobacco use, especially among young people and poor people. A tax increase that increases tobacco prices by 10% decreases tobacco consumption by about 4% in high-income countries and by up to 8% in low- and middle-income countries.
Even so, high tobacco taxes is a measure that is rarely used. Only 32 countries, less than 8% of the world's population, have tobacco tax rates greater than 75% of the retail price. Tobacco tax revenues are on average 175 times higher than spending on tobacco control, based on available data.
Indian Scenario
Experts predict 1.5 million smoking deaths in India by 2020
There are approximately 275 million tobacco users in India. Tobacco use accounts for nearly half of all cancers among males and a quarter of all cancers among females and it is estimated that there will be 1.5 million tobacco-related deaths annually by 2020
World scenario
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on countries to raise taxes on tobacco to encourage users to stop and prevent other people from becoming addicted to tobacco, ahead of “World No Tobacco Day” on May 31.
Raise taxes on tobacco
It is estimated that by increasing tobacco taxes to about 50 per cent, all countries would reduce the number of smokers by 49 million within the next three years and ultimately save 11 million lives based on 2012 data.
Today, every six seconds someone dies from tobacco use, tobacco kills up to half of its users. It also incurs considerable costs for families, businesses, and governments, while treating tobacco-related diseases like cancer and heart disease is expensive.
And as tobacco-related diseases and death often strike people in the prime of their working lives, productivity and incomes fall.
Raising taxes on tobacco is the most effective way to reduce use and save lives, determined action on tobacco tax policy hits the industry where it hurts.
High prices are particularly effective in discouraging young people (who often have more limited incomes than older adults) from taking up smoking.
Its also encouraged that the existing young smokers to either reduce their use of tobacco or quit altogether.
Price increases are two to three times more effective in reducing tobacco use among young people than among older adults.
Tax policy can be divisive, but this is the tax rise everyone can support, as tobacco taxes go up, death and disease go down.
WHO also calculates that if all countries increased tobacco taxes by 50 per cent per pack, governments will earn an extra 101 billion dollars in global revenue.
These additional funds could and should be used to advance health and other social programmes.
Conclusion
Tobacco use is the world’s leading preventable cause of death.
Experts predict 1.5 million smoking deaths in India by 2020
Tobacco kills nearly 6 million people each year, of which over 600,000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke.
If no action is taken, tobacco will kill over 8 million people every year by 2030, over 80 per cent of them among people living in low and middle income countries. Tobacco taxes are the most cost-effective way to reduce tobacco and tobacco products uses.
Raise taxes on tobacco
The global tobacco epidemic kills nearly 6 million people each year, of which more than 600 000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke. Unless we act, the epidemic will kill more than 8 million people every year by 2030. More than 80% of these preventable deaths will be among people living in low-and middle-income countries.
Key facts
Tobacco kills up to half of its users.
Consumption of tobacco products is increasing globally, though it is decreasing in some high-income and upper middle-income countries.
Leading cause of death, illness and impoverishment
The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing nearly six million people a year. More than five million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while more than 600 000 are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.
Approximately one person dies every six seconds due to tobacco, accounting for one in 10 adult deaths. Up to half of current users will eventually die of a tobacco-related disease.
Nearly 80% of the more than one billion smokers worldwide live in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of tobacco-related illness and death is heaviest.
Tobacco users who die prematurely deprive their families of income, raise the cost of health care and hinder economic development.
In some countries, children from poor households are frequently employed in tobacco farming to provide family income. These children are especially vulnerable to "green tobacco sickness", which is caused by the nicotine that is absorbed through the skin from the handling of wet tobacco leaves.
Gradual killer
Because there is a lag of several years between when people start using tobacco and when their health suffers, the epidemic of tobacco-related disease and death has just begun.
Tobacco caused 100 million deaths in the 20th century. If current trends continue, it may cause one billion deaths in the 21st century.
Unchecked, tobacco-related deaths will increase to more than eight million per year by 2030. More than 80% of those deaths will be in low- and middle-income countries.
Second-hand smoke kills
Second-hand smoke is the smoke that fills restaurants, offices or other enclosed spaces when people burn tobacco products such as cigarettes, bidis and water pipes. There are more than 4000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, of which at least 250 are known to be harmful and more than 50 are known to cause cancer.
There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke.
In adults, second-hand smoke causes serious cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, including coronary heart disease and lung cancer. In infants, it causes sudden death. In pregnant women, it causes low birth weight.
Almost half of children regularly breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke in public places.
Over 40% of children have at least one smoking parent.
Second-hand smoke causes more than 600 000 premature deaths per year.
In 2004, children accounted for 28% of the deaths attributable to second-hand smoke.
Every person should be able to breathe tobacco-smoke-free air. Smoke-free laws protect the health of non-smokers, are popular, do not harm business and encourage smokers to quit.
Over 1 billion people, or 16% of the world's population, are protected by comprehensive national smoke-free laws.
Taxes discourage tobacco use
Tobacco taxes are the most cost-effective way to reduce tobacco use, especially among young people and poor people. A tax increase that increases tobacco prices by 10% decreases tobacco consumption by about 4% in high-income countries and by up to 8% in low- and middle-income countries.
Even so, high tobacco taxes is a measure that is rarely used. Only 32 countries, less than 8% of the world's population, have tobacco tax rates greater than 75% of the retail price. Tobacco tax revenues are on average 175 times higher than spending on tobacco control, based on available data.
Indian Scenario
Experts predict 1.5 million smoking deaths in India by 2020
There are approximately 275 million tobacco users in India. Tobacco use accounts for nearly half of all cancers among males and a quarter of all cancers among females and it is estimated that there will be 1.5 million tobacco-related deaths annually by 2020
World scenario
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on countries to raise taxes on tobacco to encourage users to stop and prevent other people from becoming addicted to tobacco, ahead of “World No Tobacco Day” on May 31.
Raise taxes on tobacco
It is estimated that by increasing tobacco taxes to about 50 per cent, all countries would reduce the number of smokers by 49 million within the next three years and ultimately save 11 million lives based on 2012 data.
Today, every six seconds someone dies from tobacco use, tobacco kills up to half of its users. It also incurs considerable costs for families, businesses, and governments, while treating tobacco-related diseases like cancer and heart disease is expensive.
And as tobacco-related diseases and death often strike people in the prime of their working lives, productivity and incomes fall.
Raising taxes on tobacco is the most effective way to reduce use and save lives, determined action on tobacco tax policy hits the industry where it hurts.
High prices are particularly effective in discouraging young people (who often have more limited incomes than older adults) from taking up smoking.
Its also encouraged that the existing young smokers to either reduce their use of tobacco or quit altogether.
Price increases are two to three times more effective in reducing tobacco use among young people than among older adults.
Tax policy can be divisive, but this is the tax rise everyone can support, as tobacco taxes go up, death and disease go down.
WHO also calculates that if all countries increased tobacco taxes by 50 per cent per pack, governments will earn an extra 101 billion dollars in global revenue.
These additional funds could and should be used to advance health and other social programmes.
Conclusion
Tobacco use is the world’s leading preventable cause of death.
Experts predict 1.5 million smoking deaths in India by 2020
Tobacco kills nearly 6 million people each year, of which over 600,000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke.
If no action is taken, tobacco will kill over 8 million people every year by 2030, over 80 per cent of them among people living in low and middle income countries. Tobacco taxes are the most cost-effective way to reduce tobacco and tobacco products uses.
World No Tobacco Day - 31 May 2014Raise taxes on tobacco
World No Tobacco Day - 31 May 2014
Raise taxes on tobacco
The global tobacco epidemic kills nearly 6 million people each year, of which more than 600 000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke. Unless we act, the epidemic will kill more than 8 million people every year by 2030. More than 80% of these preventable deaths will be among people living in low-and middle-income countries.
Key facts
Tobacco kills up to half of its users.
Consumption of tobacco products is increasing globally, though it is decreasing in some high-income and upper middle-income countries.
Leading cause of death, illness and impoverishment
The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing nearly six million people a year. More than five million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while more than 600 000 are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.
Approximately one person dies every six seconds due to tobacco, accounting for one in 10 adult deaths. Up to half of current users will eventually die of a tobacco-related disease.
Nearly 80% of the more than one billion smokers worldwide live in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of tobacco-related illness and death is heaviest.
Tobacco users who die prematurely deprive their families of income, raise the cost of health care and hinder economic development.
In some countries, children from poor households are frequently employed in tobacco farming to provide family income. These children are especially vulnerable to "green tobacco sickness", which is caused by the nicotine that is absorbed through the skin from the handling of wet tobacco leaves.
Gradual killer
Because there is a lag of several years between when people start using tobacco and when their health suffers, the epidemic of tobacco-related disease and death has just begun.
Tobacco caused 100 million deaths in the 20th century. If current trends continue, it may cause one billion deaths in the 21st century.
Unchecked, tobacco-related deaths will increase to more than eight million per year by 2030. More than 80% of those deaths will be in low- and middle-income countries.
Second-hand smoke kills
Second-hand smoke is the smoke that fills restaurants, offices or other enclosed spaces when people burn tobacco products such as cigarettes, bidis and water pipes. There are more than 4000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, of which at least 250 are known to be harmful and more than 50 are known to cause cancer.
There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke.
In adults, second-hand smoke causes serious cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, including coronary heart disease and lung cancer. In infants, it causes sudden death. In pregnant women, it causes low birth weight.
Almost half of children regularly breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke in public places.
Over 40% of children have at least one smoking parent.
Second-hand smoke causes more than 600 000 premature deaths per year.
In 2004, children accounted for 28% of the deaths attributable to second-hand smoke.
Every person should be able to breathe tobacco-smoke-free air. Smoke-free laws protect the health of non-smokers, are popular, do not harm business and encourage smokers to quit.
Over 1 billion people, or 16% of the world's population, are protected by comprehensive national smoke-free laws.
Taxes discourage tobacco use
Tobacco taxes are the most cost-effective way to reduce tobacco use, especially among young people and poor people. A tax increase that increases tobacco prices by 10% decreases tobacco consumption by about 4% in high-income countries and by up to 8% in low- and middle-income countries.
Even so, high tobacco taxes is a measure that is rarely used. Only 32 countries, less than 8% of the world's population, have tobacco tax rates greater than 75% of the retail price. Tobacco tax revenues are on average 175 times higher than spending on tobacco control, based on available data.
Indian Scenario
Experts predict 1.5 million smoking deaths in India by 2020
There are approximately 275 million tobacco users in India. Tobacco use accounts for nearly half of all cancers among males and a quarter of all cancers among females and it is estimated that there will be 1.5 million tobacco-related deaths annually by 2020
World scenario
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on countries to raise taxes on tobacco to encourage users to stop and prevent other people from becoming addicted to tobacco, ahead of “World No Tobacco Day” on May 31.
It is estimated that by increasing tobacco taxes to about 50 per cent, all countries would reduce the number of smokers by 49 million within the next three years and ultimately save 11 million lives based on 2012 data.
Today, every six seconds someone dies from tobacco use, tobacco kills up to half of its users. It also incurs considerable costs for families, businesses, and governments, while treating tobacco-related diseases like cancer and heart disease is expensive.
And as tobacco-related diseases and death often strike people in the prime of their working lives, productivity and incomes fall.
Raising taxes on tobacco is the most effective way to reduce use and save lives, determined action on tobacco tax policy hits the industry where it hurts.
High prices are particularly effective in discouraging young people (who often have more limited incomes than older adults) from taking up smoking.
Its also encouraged that the existing young smokers to either reduce their use of tobacco or quit altogether.
Price increases are two to three times more effective in reducing tobacco use among young people than among older adults.
Tax policy can be divisive, but this is the tax rise everyone can support, as tobacco taxes go up, death and disease go down.
WHO also calculates that if all countries increased tobacco taxes by 50 per cent per pack, governments will earn an extra 101 billion dollars in global revenue.
These additional funds could and should be used to advance health and other social programmes.
Tobacco use is the world’s leading preventable cause of death.
Tobacco kills nearly 6 million people each year, of which over 600,000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke.
If no action is taken, tobacco will kill over 8 million people every year by 2030, over 80 per cent of them among people living in low and middle income countries, experts warned.
Raise taxes on tobacco
The global tobacco epidemic kills nearly 6 million people each year, of which more than 600 000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke. Unless we act, the epidemic will kill more than 8 million people every year by 2030. More than 80% of these preventable deaths will be among people living in low-and middle-income countries.
Key facts
Tobacco kills up to half of its users.
Consumption of tobacco products is increasing globally, though it is decreasing in some high-income and upper middle-income countries.
Leading cause of death, illness and impoverishment
The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing nearly six million people a year. More than five million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while more than 600 000 are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.
Approximately one person dies every six seconds due to tobacco, accounting for one in 10 adult deaths. Up to half of current users will eventually die of a tobacco-related disease.
Nearly 80% of the more than one billion smokers worldwide live in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of tobacco-related illness and death is heaviest.
Tobacco users who die prematurely deprive their families of income, raise the cost of health care and hinder economic development.
In some countries, children from poor households are frequently employed in tobacco farming to provide family income. These children are especially vulnerable to "green tobacco sickness", which is caused by the nicotine that is absorbed through the skin from the handling of wet tobacco leaves.
Gradual killer
Because there is a lag of several years between when people start using tobacco and when their health suffers, the epidemic of tobacco-related disease and death has just begun.
Tobacco caused 100 million deaths in the 20th century. If current trends continue, it may cause one billion deaths in the 21st century.
Unchecked, tobacco-related deaths will increase to more than eight million per year by 2030. More than 80% of those deaths will be in low- and middle-income countries.
Second-hand smoke kills
Second-hand smoke is the smoke that fills restaurants, offices or other enclosed spaces when people burn tobacco products such as cigarettes, bidis and water pipes. There are more than 4000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, of which at least 250 are known to be harmful and more than 50 are known to cause cancer.
There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke.
In adults, second-hand smoke causes serious cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, including coronary heart disease and lung cancer. In infants, it causes sudden death. In pregnant women, it causes low birth weight.
Almost half of children regularly breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke in public places.
Over 40% of children have at least one smoking parent.
Second-hand smoke causes more than 600 000 premature deaths per year.
In 2004, children accounted for 28% of the deaths attributable to second-hand smoke.
Every person should be able to breathe tobacco-smoke-free air. Smoke-free laws protect the health of non-smokers, are popular, do not harm business and encourage smokers to quit.
Over 1 billion people, or 16% of the world's population, are protected by comprehensive national smoke-free laws.
Taxes discourage tobacco use
Tobacco taxes are the most cost-effective way to reduce tobacco use, especially among young people and poor people. A tax increase that increases tobacco prices by 10% decreases tobacco consumption by about 4% in high-income countries and by up to 8% in low- and middle-income countries.
Even so, high tobacco taxes is a measure that is rarely used. Only 32 countries, less than 8% of the world's population, have tobacco tax rates greater than 75% of the retail price. Tobacco tax revenues are on average 175 times higher than spending on tobacco control, based on available data.
Indian Scenario
Experts predict 1.5 million smoking deaths in India by 2020
There are approximately 275 million tobacco users in India. Tobacco use accounts for nearly half of all cancers among males and a quarter of all cancers among females and it is estimated that there will be 1.5 million tobacco-related deaths annually by 2020
World scenario
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on countries to raise taxes on tobacco to encourage users to stop and prevent other people from becoming addicted to tobacco, ahead of “World No Tobacco Day” on May 31.
It is estimated that by increasing tobacco taxes to about 50 per cent, all countries would reduce the number of smokers by 49 million within the next three years and ultimately save 11 million lives based on 2012 data.
Today, every six seconds someone dies from tobacco use, tobacco kills up to half of its users. It also incurs considerable costs for families, businesses, and governments, while treating tobacco-related diseases like cancer and heart disease is expensive.
And as tobacco-related diseases and death often strike people in the prime of their working lives, productivity and incomes fall.
Raising taxes on tobacco is the most effective way to reduce use and save lives, determined action on tobacco tax policy hits the industry where it hurts.
High prices are particularly effective in discouraging young people (who often have more limited incomes than older adults) from taking up smoking.
Its also encouraged that the existing young smokers to either reduce their use of tobacco or quit altogether.
Price increases are two to three times more effective in reducing tobacco use among young people than among older adults.
Tax policy can be divisive, but this is the tax rise everyone can support, as tobacco taxes go up, death and disease go down.
WHO also calculates that if all countries increased tobacco taxes by 50 per cent per pack, governments will earn an extra 101 billion dollars in global revenue.
These additional funds could and should be used to advance health and other social programmes.
Tobacco use is the world’s leading preventable cause of death.
Tobacco kills nearly 6 million people each year, of which over 600,000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke.
If no action is taken, tobacco will kill over 8 million people every year by 2030, over 80 per cent of them among people living in low and middle income countries, experts warned.
66th AAN Philadelphia USA 2014
Attended 66th. 2014 annual meeting of American Academy of Neurologist at Philadelphia Pennsylvania USA
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Increase In Night Blood Pressure Increase the Risk of Brain and Heart Attack
Nighttime blood pressure was associated with a risk of adverse clinical outcomes.
For every 10-mm-Hg increase in nighttime systolic blood pressure, the risk of cardiovascular outcomes was increased 25%.
There has been some suggestion that nighttime blood pressure is the most predictive of cardiovascular events and maybe the best target for antihypertensive therapy.
Nighttime Hypertension at the Risk of MI and Stroke.
Individually, each 10-mm-Hg increase in blood pressure assessed during nighttime, daytime, and clinic was associated with a 25%, 20%, and 11% increased risk of MI and stroke, respectively. However, after adjustment for multiple confounding variables, including age, gender, diabetes, smoking status, and drug treatment, among others, only the nighttime measurement of blood pressure was predictive of MI and stroke.
Future Research
At present, there are ongoing clinical trials testing whether treating nighttime blood pressure reduces cardiovascular events when compared with treating daytime or clinic blood pressure, but as yet the answer to that question is unknown.
It is not yet known why nighttime blood pressure is more predictive of clinical outcomes compared with the other two measurements.
One of the possibilities is that nighttime hypertension is a marker for something else. "For example, usually the blood pressure drops because the sympathetic tone declines at night. But we know that too much sympathetic tone increases stroke and heart-attack risks. So maybe elevated nighttime blood pressure is just a marker for elevated sympathetic tone? Another possibility is that when the vessels dilate at night and patients maintain high blood pressure in the face of dilated nighttime arterioles, it could be they are exposing their brain and heart to an increased blood-pressure load. These are just some of things that might be going on.
For every 10-mm-Hg increase in nighttime systolic blood pressure, the risk of cardiovascular outcomes was increased 25%.
There has been some suggestion that nighttime blood pressure is the most predictive of cardiovascular events and maybe the best target for antihypertensive therapy.
Nighttime Hypertension at the Risk of MI and Stroke.
Individually, each 10-mm-Hg increase in blood pressure assessed during nighttime, daytime, and clinic was associated with a 25%, 20%, and 11% increased risk of MI and stroke, respectively. However, after adjustment for multiple confounding variables, including age, gender, diabetes, smoking status, and drug treatment, among others, only the nighttime measurement of blood pressure was predictive of MI and stroke.
Future Research
At present, there are ongoing clinical trials testing whether treating nighttime blood pressure reduces cardiovascular events when compared with treating daytime or clinic blood pressure, but as yet the answer to that question is unknown.
It is not yet known why nighttime blood pressure is more predictive of clinical outcomes compared with the other two measurements.
One of the possibilities is that nighttime hypertension is a marker for something else. "For example, usually the blood pressure drops because the sympathetic tone declines at night. But we know that too much sympathetic tone increases stroke and heart-attack risks. So maybe elevated nighttime blood pressure is just a marker for elevated sympathetic tone? Another possibility is that when the vessels dilate at night and patients maintain high blood pressure in the face of dilated nighttime arterioles, it could be they are exposing their brain and heart to an increased blood-pressure load. These are just some of things that might be going on.
Increase In Night Blood Pressure Increase the Risk of Brain and Heart Attack
Nighttime blood pressure was associated with a risk of adverse clinical outcomes.
For every 10-mm-Hg increase in nighttime systolic blood pressure, the risk of cardiovascular outcomes was increased 25%.
There has been some suggestion that nighttime blood pressure is the most predictive of cardiovascular events and maybe the best target for antihypertensive therapy.
Nighttime Hypertension at the Risk of MI and Stroke.
Individually, each 10-mm-Hg increase in blood pressure assessed during nighttime, daytime, and clinic was associated with a 25%, 20%, and 11% increased risk of MI and stroke, respectively. However, after adjustment for multiple confounding variables, including age, gender, diabetes, smoking status, and drug treatment, among others, only the nighttime measurement of blood pressure was predictive of MI and stroke.
Future Research
At present, there are ongoing clinical trials testing whether treating nighttime blood pressure reduces cardiovascular events when compared with treating daytime or clinic blood pressure, but as yet the answer to that question is unknown.
It is not yet known why nighttime blood pressure is more predictive of clinical outcomes compared with the other two measurements.
One of the possibilities is that nighttime hypertension is a marker for something else. "For example, usually the blood pressure drops because the sympathetic tone declines at night. But we know that too much sympathetic tone increases stroke and heart-attack risks. So maybe elevated nighttime blood pressure is just a marker for elevated sympathetic tone? Another possibility is that when the vessels dilate at night and patients maintain high blood pressure in the face of dilated nighttime arterioles, it could be they are exposing their brain and heart to an increased blood-pressure load. These are just some of things that might be going on.
For every 10-mm-Hg increase in nighttime systolic blood pressure, the risk of cardiovascular outcomes was increased 25%.
There has been some suggestion that nighttime blood pressure is the most predictive of cardiovascular events and maybe the best target for antihypertensive therapy.
Nighttime Hypertension at the Risk of MI and Stroke.
Individually, each 10-mm-Hg increase in blood pressure assessed during nighttime, daytime, and clinic was associated with a 25%, 20%, and 11% increased risk of MI and stroke, respectively. However, after adjustment for multiple confounding variables, including age, gender, diabetes, smoking status, and drug treatment, among others, only the nighttime measurement of blood pressure was predictive of MI and stroke.
Future Research
At present, there are ongoing clinical trials testing whether treating nighttime blood pressure reduces cardiovascular events when compared with treating daytime or clinic blood pressure, but as yet the answer to that question is unknown.
It is not yet known why nighttime blood pressure is more predictive of clinical outcomes compared with the other two measurements.
One of the possibilities is that nighttime hypertension is a marker for something else. "For example, usually the blood pressure drops because the sympathetic tone declines at night. But we know that too much sympathetic tone increases stroke and heart-attack risks. So maybe elevated nighttime blood pressure is just a marker for elevated sympathetic tone? Another possibility is that when the vessels dilate at night and patients maintain high blood pressure in the face of dilated nighttime arterioles, it could be they are exposing their brain and heart to an increased blood-pressure load. These are just some of things that might be going on.
New Drugs For DMD
Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Beneficial in DMD

Recent study indicate that drugs such as tadalafil and sildenafil that inhibit phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) may represent a promising new treatment strategy for boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
Functional sympatholysis, a protective mechanism that matches oxygen delivery to metabolic demand, is impaired in patients with DMD, producing functional muscle ischemia despite corticosteroid and/or cardioprotective therapy. Researchers now report that tadalafil alleviates this ischemia in a dose-dependent manner.
Sildenafil, another PDE5 inhibitor, replicated the effect of tadalafil, strongly supporting PDE5 inhibition as the mechanism of action.

Recent study indicate that drugs such as tadalafil and sildenafil that inhibit phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) may represent a promising new treatment strategy for boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
Functional sympatholysis, a protective mechanism that matches oxygen delivery to metabolic demand, is impaired in patients with DMD, producing functional muscle ischemia despite corticosteroid and/or cardioprotective therapy. Researchers now report that tadalafil alleviates this ischemia in a dose-dependent manner.
Sildenafil, another PDE5 inhibitor, replicated the effect of tadalafil, strongly supporting PDE5 inhibition as the mechanism of action.
Friday, May 23, 2014
Healthy dietary choices in midlife to prevent dementia in later life.
Healthy dietary choices in midlife to prevent dementia in later life.
Recent study used a healthy diet index based on the consumption of a variety of healthy foods such as vegetables, berries and fruits, fish, and unsaturated fats from milk products and spreads. Unhealthy foods included sausages, eggs, sweets, sugary drinks, salty fish, and saturated fats from milk products and spreads. The results showed that those who ate the healthiest diets at the average age of 50 had an almost 90% lower risk for dementia in a 14-year follow-up study compared with those whose diets were least healthy. In a separate analysis, they found that a high baseline intake of saturated fats was associated with lower cognitive and memory functions and an increased risk of being diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment in a 21-year follow-up. Even in ApoE-4 positive individuals, higher saturated fat intake caused an increased risk for dementia compared with those whose diets favored vegetable oils, oil-based spreads, and fatty fish. Finally, they found that consuming 3-5 cups of coffee daily reduced the risk for dementia compared with consuming less or more.
Recent study used a healthy diet index based on the consumption of a variety of healthy foods such as vegetables, berries and fruits, fish, and unsaturated fats from milk products and spreads. Unhealthy foods included sausages, eggs, sweets, sugary drinks, salty fish, and saturated fats from milk products and spreads. The results showed that those who ate the healthiest diets at the average age of 50 had an almost 90% lower risk for dementia in a 14-year follow-up study compared with those whose diets were least healthy. In a separate analysis, they found that a high baseline intake of saturated fats was associated with lower cognitive and memory functions and an increased risk of being diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment in a 21-year follow-up. Even in ApoE-4 positive individuals, higher saturated fat intake caused an increased risk for dementia compared with those whose diets favored vegetable oils, oil-based spreads, and fatty fish. Finally, they found that consuming 3-5 cups of coffee daily reduced the risk for dementia compared with consuming less or more.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Neurology of Casual Sex In Young People
Sexuality has always intrigued the human imagination and continues to do so. Sex for ages has been a driving force of human instincts and dominates our rational actions. The rational mind therefore seeks some pertinent questions, How do we select a partner? Why do we engage in sex? How does sex shape up a relationship? We live in a society, which encourages young people to explore and experiment with their sexuality, even before they are mature enough to form their identities. Sexuality today is a choice of the young to be “The COOL ONE” among their peers. What remains a constant source of worry for parents and doctors is the rising number of teenage pregnancy and scores of sexually infected young people.

The Teenage Sex Connection
A new research indicates, our interest in sex is built in our brains. Modern neuroscience research has uncovered some startling new information about how sex affects our brains. Sex is an appetizer that every human yearns for in his life. Why sex sells? Why is it so pervasive in our society?
Most of us are unaware what our complex, three-pound brain has to do with our sex life.
Until just a few years ago, scientists, psychologists, and physicians had little in the way of research and data to connect the dots. They knew instinctively, just as countless generations of sexually experienced people did, that sex is more than just a physical experience. They knew it engaged the mind in powerful, if largely unknown, ways. But they had no way of really knowing what was happening in the brain when people experienced love, passion, lust, sex, or other emotions and activities.
The messenger chemical dopamine makes a person feel good when he or she does something exciting or rewarding. Dopamine, therefore, has great influence over human behavior. The official term for what dopamine does is “reward signal” that is, when we do something exciting, dopamine rewards us by flooding our brains and making the brain cells produce a feeling of excitement or of well-being.
The danger, of course, is that if young people have been receiving a dopamine reward of good feelings from dangerous behavior such as driving too fast, smoking, sex, and others, they can feel compelled to increase that behavior in order to achieve the same good feeling.
Oxytocin is released into the woman’s brain when two people touch each other in a warm, meaningful, and intimate way.
The oxytocin then does two things increases a woman’s desire for more touch and causes a bond to develop with the man she has been spending time in physical contact with. Oxytocin, however, is values-neutral. Much like dopamine, it is an involuntary process that cannot distinguish between a one-night stand and a lifelong soul mate.
There is a warning here for young people, particularly young women. If a young woman becomes physically close to a man, it will trigger the bonding process, creating a greater desire to be near him and, most significantly, place greater trust in him. Then, if he wants to escalate the physical nature of the relationship, it will become harder and harder for her to say no. The adolescent girl who enters into a close physical relationship may therefore find herself, because of the normal effect of her brain hormones, desiring more physical contact and trusting a male who may be using manipulative pledges of love and care only to get her to have sex.
The inability to bond after multiple sex encounters is almost like tape that loses its stickiness after being applied and removed multiple times. With the aid of MRI; scientists have made an important discovery about the brain’s growth and maturation. The part of the brain that controls the ability to make fully mature judgment, decisions is not physically mature until an individual reaches their mid-twenties. In other words, the part of a brain that is responsible for complex assessments about future consequences and responsibility is still growing throughout the teen years and into their mid-twenties.
An obvious question is that if skin-to-skin or sexual contact causes such bonding, why don’t more of these young couples stay together? And the truth is that a few do. The healthy progression of relationship strengthens the brain cell connections associated with “attachment” of one person to another, helping to ensure the permanence of the relationship that finds its healthiest expression with sexual consummation in marriage. Then a relationship that is an early intense romantic relationship breaks up it is felt in the same brain centers that feel physical pain and can actually be seen on brain scans. Like any other powerful experience, an intense romantic relationship molds the mind.
A selfish and manipulative person may have an intense desire to have sex with another person. To accomplish that goal, they may lie about being in love. It is important to know the desire someone has for sex can exist without any feelings of caring, love, or romance. This is something that takes some life experience to recognize, which is why even young adults still need guidance.

Love or Infatuation?
What can we possibly learn from neuroscience about something as indefinable and personal as love? One of the most startling findings of all in this brain research about love and lust is that they are each handled distinctly differently by the brain. Recent studies showed certain brain centers to light up in subjects as a result of being shown pictures of their beloved. These patterns of brain activity were distinctly different from the brain activity associated with lust as shown by other experiments. While it is normal for a human being to have lustful sexual urges, lust in the context of a loving married relationship is certainly normal. The acting on lustful urges alone is out of sync with human nature. This is critical to understand if we are to be emotionally healthy, and an understanding that is necessary for a future that is as free of problems as possible. To practice sex out of sync is to ignore the fact that healthy human behavior demands the integration of all of what we are body, mind, emotions, and spirit.

We humans have a built in desire for attachment. Every time a person has sexual intercourse or intimate physical contact, bonding takes place. Whenever breakups occur in bonded relationships there is confusion and often pain in the brains of the young people involved because the bond has been broken. Becoming sexually active and having multiple sexual partners can damage an individual’s ability to develop healthy, mature, and long-lasting relationships. This seems to especially hold true for a future healthy and stable marriage. The term “post-traumatic stress disorder” describes the condition that results from these and other traumatic experiences. Research has shown that adolescents are uniquely vulnerable to the impact of stress and this is exactly the time when rape, date rape, and sexual coercion are most likely to happen. Warning sign for parents and mentors to watch for in young people is involvement in risky behavior such as alcohol, marijuana, or tobacco abuse. Adolescents involved in these behaviors are more likely to initiate sex early and to have an increased number of sexual partners.
Humans have a built-in desire for attachment. When we exercise the choices that tie us to others we are at our most human. However, because of immaturity, poorly directed peers, the pressure of society, the attraction of sex to which they are prematurely exposed, abuse, and a myriad of other factors, young people can become involved in behavior patterns that are destructive. In fact, as we have seen, the likeliest outcome of premarital sex is simply more premarital sex.
YOUNG PEOPLE ARE FULL OF HOPE
They want to be accepted and truly valued for who they are. They need authentic relationships that are stable and loving in character. Teens fear being alone and not belonging. They fear that they may not actually measure up. Life is difficult enough without the added challenges discussed on these pages. An individual who is forewarned about the consequences of a decision or behavior tends to avoid. It can perhaps pave the way to a better life in the future. This information is not offered as a moral statement.
Sex is more than a bodily urge. Its implications on a relationship are far greater than what the teenage minds can consider. Sexual choices need to be weighed. Decisions considered: for relationships in the teenage years may sound an extra load of baggage and the cycle of broken hearts and rebound relationships easy to be dealt with but in the longer run the consequences of a broken heart, untended relationships and tarnished soul will remain to haunt the life forever.


The Teenage Sex Connection
A new research indicates, our interest in sex is built in our brains. Modern neuroscience research has uncovered some startling new information about how sex affects our brains. Sex is an appetizer that every human yearns for in his life. Why sex sells? Why is it so pervasive in our society?
Most of us are unaware what our complex, three-pound brain has to do with our sex life.
Until just a few years ago, scientists, psychologists, and physicians had little in the way of research and data to connect the dots. They knew instinctively, just as countless generations of sexually experienced people did, that sex is more than just a physical experience. They knew it engaged the mind in powerful, if largely unknown, ways. But they had no way of really knowing what was happening in the brain when people experienced love, passion, lust, sex, or other emotions and activities.
The messenger chemical dopamine makes a person feel good when he or she does something exciting or rewarding. Dopamine, therefore, has great influence over human behavior. The official term for what dopamine does is “reward signal” that is, when we do something exciting, dopamine rewards us by flooding our brains and making the brain cells produce a feeling of excitement or of well-being.
The danger, of course, is that if young people have been receiving a dopamine reward of good feelings from dangerous behavior such as driving too fast, smoking, sex, and others, they can feel compelled to increase that behavior in order to achieve the same good feeling.
Oxytocin is released into the woman’s brain when two people touch each other in a warm, meaningful, and intimate way.
The oxytocin then does two things increases a woman’s desire for more touch and causes a bond to develop with the man she has been spending time in physical contact with. Oxytocin, however, is values-neutral. Much like dopamine, it is an involuntary process that cannot distinguish between a one-night stand and a lifelong soul mate.
There is a warning here for young people, particularly young women. If a young woman becomes physically close to a man, it will trigger the bonding process, creating a greater desire to be near him and, most significantly, place greater trust in him. Then, if he wants to escalate the physical nature of the relationship, it will become harder and harder for her to say no. The adolescent girl who enters into a close physical relationship may therefore find herself, because of the normal effect of her brain hormones, desiring more physical contact and trusting a male who may be using manipulative pledges of love and care only to get her to have sex.
The inability to bond after multiple sex encounters is almost like tape that loses its stickiness after being applied and removed multiple times. With the aid of MRI; scientists have made an important discovery about the brain’s growth and maturation. The part of the brain that controls the ability to make fully mature judgment, decisions is not physically mature until an individual reaches their mid-twenties. In other words, the part of a brain that is responsible for complex assessments about future consequences and responsibility is still growing throughout the teen years and into their mid-twenties.
An obvious question is that if skin-to-skin or sexual contact causes such bonding, why don’t more of these young couples stay together? And the truth is that a few do. The healthy progression of relationship strengthens the brain cell connections associated with “attachment” of one person to another, helping to ensure the permanence of the relationship that finds its healthiest expression with sexual consummation in marriage. Then a relationship that is an early intense romantic relationship breaks up it is felt in the same brain centers that feel physical pain and can actually be seen on brain scans. Like any other powerful experience, an intense romantic relationship molds the mind.
A selfish and manipulative person may have an intense desire to have sex with another person. To accomplish that goal, they may lie about being in love. It is important to know the desire someone has for sex can exist without any feelings of caring, love, or romance. This is something that takes some life experience to recognize, which is why even young adults still need guidance.

Love or Infatuation?
What can we possibly learn from neuroscience about something as indefinable and personal as love? One of the most startling findings of all in this brain research about love and lust is that they are each handled distinctly differently by the brain. Recent studies showed certain brain centers to light up in subjects as a result of being shown pictures of their beloved. These patterns of brain activity were distinctly different from the brain activity associated with lust as shown by other experiments. While it is normal for a human being to have lustful sexual urges, lust in the context of a loving married relationship is certainly normal. The acting on lustful urges alone is out of sync with human nature. This is critical to understand if we are to be emotionally healthy, and an understanding that is necessary for a future that is as free of problems as possible. To practice sex out of sync is to ignore the fact that healthy human behavior demands the integration of all of what we are body, mind, emotions, and spirit.

We humans have a built in desire for attachment. Every time a person has sexual intercourse or intimate physical contact, bonding takes place. Whenever breakups occur in bonded relationships there is confusion and often pain in the brains of the young people involved because the bond has been broken. Becoming sexually active and having multiple sexual partners can damage an individual’s ability to develop healthy, mature, and long-lasting relationships. This seems to especially hold true for a future healthy and stable marriage. The term “post-traumatic stress disorder” describes the condition that results from these and other traumatic experiences. Research has shown that adolescents are uniquely vulnerable to the impact of stress and this is exactly the time when rape, date rape, and sexual coercion are most likely to happen. Warning sign for parents and mentors to watch for in young people is involvement in risky behavior such as alcohol, marijuana, or tobacco abuse. Adolescents involved in these behaviors are more likely to initiate sex early and to have an increased number of sexual partners.
Humans have a built-in desire for attachment. When we exercise the choices that tie us to others we are at our most human. However, because of immaturity, poorly directed peers, the pressure of society, the attraction of sex to which they are prematurely exposed, abuse, and a myriad of other factors, young people can become involved in behavior patterns that are destructive. In fact, as we have seen, the likeliest outcome of premarital sex is simply more premarital sex.
YOUNG PEOPLE ARE FULL OF HOPE
They want to be accepted and truly valued for who they are. They need authentic relationships that are stable and loving in character. Teens fear being alone and not belonging. They fear that they may not actually measure up. Life is difficult enough without the added challenges discussed on these pages. An individual who is forewarned about the consequences of a decision or behavior tends to avoid. It can perhaps pave the way to a better life in the future. This information is not offered as a moral statement.
Sex is more than a bodily urge. Its implications on a relationship are far greater than what the teenage minds can consider. Sexual choices need to be weighed. Decisions considered: for relationships in the teenage years may sound an extra load of baggage and the cycle of broken hearts and rebound relationships easy to be dealt with but in the longer run the consequences of a broken heart, untended relationships and tarnished soul will remain to haunt the life forever.

Friday, May 16, 2014
Alcohol Gives Short term Joy Long term sorrow and Lifetime Illness
India is one of the largest producers of alcohol in the world and contributes to 65% of production in the South East Asia Region and nearly 7% of imports into the Region. The precise estimate in unrecorded alcohol production is not clearly known.
The alcohol beverage industry contributed an estimated Rs 216 billion in 2003 – 04 to the State exchequer and constituted nearly 90% of the State excise duties. This revenue generation is one of the important sources of revenue for the states.
Alcohol policies promoted to date have been primarily with a view to increasing taxes and not from a public health point of view. The public health importance of alcohol control has been totally neglected in formulating policies and programmes.
Consumption Patterns
35% of adult men and 5% of women consume alcohol - 70 million alcohol users, 12 million of whom are alcohol dependent. More than 50% of regular users fall into the category of hazardous drinking.
Alcohol use is high in poor communities, contributing to increasing expenditure on alcohol and increasing resources spent on managing alcohol related problems.
The average age of starting alcohol use has reduced from 28 years during the 1980s to 17 years in 2007.
Health Consequences
Despite the use of alcohol over centuries, the health consequences of alcohol have not been comprehensively documented in India due to absence of good reporting systems and surveillance procedures. Based on the available data, it can be estimated that alcohol contributes to a substantial proportion of mortality - approximately 20% of premature mortality in men. Alcohol users have a higher incidence of mortality, hospitalization and disabilities due to injuries. Nearly one third of night-time road traffic injuries and deaths can be attributed to alcohol use. 25% of suicides have been linked to alcohol consumption. Around one fourth of violence and abuse against women and children has been linked to chronic alcohol use.
Among hospitalised stroke subjects, long-term alcohol use has been recorded in 25% of total subjects. Linkages of alcohol use to specific types of cancer in the Indian region have been well established. A significant relationship has been established between alcohol use, risky sexual behavior and increased risk of HIV-AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases in the Indian region, as sex associated with alcohol is more often associated with no protection and multiple sex partners. Alcohol dependents constitute a major burden in the majority of health care settings at secondary and tertiary levels.
The social consequences of alcohol use have largely had an effect on personal life, workrelated areas and on family relationships. Out of 9,938 women surveyed in rural, urban and urban slum areas across 7 cities in India, 26% reported experiencing spousal physical violence during their marital physical life. Women whose husbands regularly consumed alcohol were 6 times more likely to suffer violence. A five state study for the Planning Commission of India, in 2004, found that deaths attributable to alcohol-related domestic violence ranged between 12 and 33%.
Social Costs of Alcohol Use
The report recognizes that the direct and indirect impact of alcohol on the economics of society has been difficult to gauge with the available data. It was observed that the social costs of alcoholism far exceeded the revenues generated from alcohol. Based on a small sample of alcohol dependents it was estimated that the losses were to the tune of Rs 18.39 billion compared with the revenue of Rs 8.46 billion.
In a recent study it has been estimated that Indians might be losing an estimated Rs 244 billion due to different impacts of alcohol, while the revenue generated by the government is approximately Rs 216 billion. The report raises the question ‘are we losing more than we are gaining?’'
The Response
Efforts to address the growing problem of alcohol have been extremely limited in the Indian region due to several reasons: greater attention to the revenues generated from alcohol, increasing publicity favouring consumption of alcohol, penetration of alcohol into semi-urban, rural and transitional towns and cities, changing lifestyles and liberalized values among youth. In addition, the non-availability of good quality data, lack of a central coordinating agency, and nonrecognition of health, social and economic consequences of consumption, compounded by the publicity given to the health benefits of alcohol, due to J-shaped association of alcohol and cardiovascular health and the impact of globalization, have all contributed to the problem. Consequently, initiatives, including policies required for addressing alcohol control, have been relegated to the periphery and even those implemented have not been systematically evaluated.
Some specific responses to this complex problem include the following: establishment of de-addiction centres under the Ministry of Health and counseling centres under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, greater emphasis on management and rehabilitation of alcohol dependents, increasing resources towards management of crime and stepped-up judicial efforts, health education programmes across the country, especially for drinking and driving, limited community-based interventions and increasing outreach activities by non-governmental organizations.
On the policy front, a few attempts have been made in the past but no systematic evaluation has been done to identify the effectiveness of the following initiatives: prohibition, tax increases over a period of time on almost all types of alcoholic beverages, control of illicit production of alcohol, programmes to check drinking and driving to reduce road traffic injuries, prescription of legal ages for drinking (which vary across different states), fixing of timing of sales in alcohol selling outlets, packaging changes (smaller sachets, labeling etc), a ban on advertising and encouragement for the manufacture of low alcohol drinks.
Barriers of Effective Alcohol Control Policies
Apart from the influences of rapid globalization, industrialization, urbanization and media influences at macro and micro levels, several other barriers that have contributed to the failure of policy include: conflicts between the Centre and the State on issues with regard to production, distribution, taxation and sales, emphasis on the revenue gains and promotional aspects of alcohol use, increasing emphasis on other addictive drugs, nonrecognition of alcohol and its effects on major public health problems, non-recognition of alcohol as a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases and injuries and greater importance given to tertiary prevention as compared to primary and secondary prevention efforts. Other factors include: the absence of a rational and scientific alcohol control policy based on a public health approach; inadequate training of health professionals to recognise early alcohol-related health problems and timely and effective interventions for cessation of use; stigma associated with chronic alcohol use; non-recognition of the economic impact of alcohol-related problems; absence of an inter-sectoral approach; selective attention to doubtful and marginal health benefits; non-availability of good quality population-based data through well-designed studies at national and local levels and the emergence of social drinking in a major way.
Towards Solutions
The report recommends that policy should focus on both supply and demand reduction as well as on the development of a rational and scientific alcohol control policy specifically outlining what is to be done and by whom. A rational taxation policy needs to be evolved without compromising the public health aspects of alcohol control. Uniform excise policies that discourage smuggling, adulteration and undocumented consumption needs to be promoted across states. Appropriate media-related policies with regard to promotion and advertising should be developed in a systematic way. Human resource development and capacity strengthening across the sectors of health, police, law, welfare, excise, transport and several other sectors should be undertaken for policy formulation, programme development and implementation along with evaluation. Most importantly, a public health approach of identifying the problem, understanding the determinants, implementing interventions and evaluating what works should be the focus of future programmes at all levels.
The legal age of drinking should be specified in a uniform manner across all the States of India. This should not be less than 21 years. A consensus has to be evolved with regard to location and timings of alcohol sales and vending in all the states and has to be implemented in totality by the enforcing agencies. Screening for alcohol should be introduced in all emergency room departments of government hospitals, medical colleges and apex institutions. Prevention of drinking and driving should be given high priority and necessary capacity strengthening of police and health functionaries along with infrastructure supply should be given importance.
Early detection of alcohol-related problems should be given high importance and necessary capacity strengthening of doctors and NGOs should be undertaken. Early interventions for vulnerable populations like children, women and disadvantaged communities should be encouraged. Health promotion efforts (not health education alone) should be given importance in control of alcohol problems. Life skills training across educational institutions especially in 8 - 12 grades of education should be introduced in a systematic manner covering alcohol and other risk factors for emerging non-communicable diseases and injuries. Targeted and focused education programmes with clear information on reducing consumption of alcohol, along with the dangers of increasing alcohol use, should be introduced. Community empowerment programmes to understand, identify and recognize alcoholrelated problems through local civil society agencies should be strengthened. Research and surveillance should be strengthened across medical colleges and apex institutions along with developing a research agenda for the future.
Alcohol causes one in 20 deaths globally every year, according to the World Health Organisation
Alcohol kills 3.3 million people worldwide each year, more than AIDS, tuberculosis and violence combined, the World Health Organisation said on Monday, warning that booze consumption was on the rise.
Including drink driving, alcohol-induced violence and abuse, and a multitude of diseases and disorders, alcohol causes one in 20 deaths globally every year.
This actually translates into one death every 10 seconds.
Alcohol caused some 3.3 million deaths in 2012, WHO said, equivalent to 5.9 per cent of global deaths (7.6 per cent for men and 4.0 per cent for women).
In comparison, HIV/AIDS is responsible for 2.8 per cent, tuberculosis causes 1.7 per cent of deaths and violence is responsible for just 0.9 per cent.
More people in countries where alcohol consumption has traditionally been low, like China and India, are also increasingly taking up the habit as their wealth increases.
"More needs to be done to protect populations from the negative health consequences of alcohol consumption.
Drinking is linked to more than 200 health conditions, including liver cirrhosis and some cancers. Alcohol abuse also makes people more susceptible to infectious diseases like tuberculosis, HIV and pneumonia.
Most deaths attributed to alcohol, around a third, are caused by associated cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
Alcohol-related accidents, such as car crashes, were the second-highest killer, accounting for around 17.1 per cent of all alcohol-related deaths.
China, India drinking more
Binge drinking is especially damaging to health, the WHO pointed out, estimating that 16 per cent of the world's drinkers abuse alcohol to excess.
While people in the world's wealthiest nations, in Europe and the Americas especially, are boozier than people in poorer countries, rising wealth in emerging economies is also driving up alcohol consumption.
Drinking in populous China and India is rising particularly fast as people earn more money, the WHO said, warning that the average annual intake in China was likely to swell by 1.5 litres of pure alcohol by 2025.
Still, Eastern Europe and Russia are home to the world's biggest drinkers.
Russian men who drink consumed an average of 32 litres of pure alcohol a year, according to 2010 statistics, followed by other Western countries including Europe, Canada, the United States, Australia and South Africa.
On average, every person above the age of 15 worldwide drinks 6.2 litres of pure alcohol in a year, according to the report.
Counting only those who drink though, that rises to 17 litres of pure alcohol each year.
But far from everyone indulges. Nearly half of all adults worldwide have never touched alcohol, and nearly 62 per cent say they have not touched a drink in the past year.
Abstinence especially among women, is most common in low-income countries, while religious belief and social norms mean many Muslim countries are virtually alcohol free.
The alcohol beverage industry contributed an estimated Rs 216 billion in 2003 – 04 to the State exchequer and constituted nearly 90% of the State excise duties. This revenue generation is one of the important sources of revenue for the states.
Alcohol policies promoted to date have been primarily with a view to increasing taxes and not from a public health point of view. The public health importance of alcohol control has been totally neglected in formulating policies and programmes.
Consumption Patterns
35% of adult men and 5% of women consume alcohol - 70 million alcohol users, 12 million of whom are alcohol dependent. More than 50% of regular users fall into the category of hazardous drinking.
Alcohol use is high in poor communities, contributing to increasing expenditure on alcohol and increasing resources spent on managing alcohol related problems.
The average age of starting alcohol use has reduced from 28 years during the 1980s to 17 years in 2007.
Health Consequences
Despite the use of alcohol over centuries, the health consequences of alcohol have not been comprehensively documented in India due to absence of good reporting systems and surveillance procedures. Based on the available data, it can be estimated that alcohol contributes to a substantial proportion of mortality - approximately 20% of premature mortality in men. Alcohol users have a higher incidence of mortality, hospitalization and disabilities due to injuries. Nearly one third of night-time road traffic injuries and deaths can be attributed to alcohol use. 25% of suicides have been linked to alcohol consumption. Around one fourth of violence and abuse against women and children has been linked to chronic alcohol use.
Among hospitalised stroke subjects, long-term alcohol use has been recorded in 25% of total subjects. Linkages of alcohol use to specific types of cancer in the Indian region have been well established. A significant relationship has been established between alcohol use, risky sexual behavior and increased risk of HIV-AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases in the Indian region, as sex associated with alcohol is more often associated with no protection and multiple sex partners. Alcohol dependents constitute a major burden in the majority of health care settings at secondary and tertiary levels.
The social consequences of alcohol use have largely had an effect on personal life, workrelated areas and on family relationships. Out of 9,938 women surveyed in rural, urban and urban slum areas across 7 cities in India, 26% reported experiencing spousal physical violence during their marital physical life. Women whose husbands regularly consumed alcohol were 6 times more likely to suffer violence. A five state study for the Planning Commission of India, in 2004, found that deaths attributable to alcohol-related domestic violence ranged between 12 and 33%.
Social Costs of Alcohol Use
The report recognizes that the direct and indirect impact of alcohol on the economics of society has been difficult to gauge with the available data. It was observed that the social costs of alcoholism far exceeded the revenues generated from alcohol. Based on a small sample of alcohol dependents it was estimated that the losses were to the tune of Rs 18.39 billion compared with the revenue of Rs 8.46 billion.
In a recent study it has been estimated that Indians might be losing an estimated Rs 244 billion due to different impacts of alcohol, while the revenue generated by the government is approximately Rs 216 billion. The report raises the question ‘are we losing more than we are gaining?’'
The Response
Efforts to address the growing problem of alcohol have been extremely limited in the Indian region due to several reasons: greater attention to the revenues generated from alcohol, increasing publicity favouring consumption of alcohol, penetration of alcohol into semi-urban, rural and transitional towns and cities, changing lifestyles and liberalized values among youth. In addition, the non-availability of good quality data, lack of a central coordinating agency, and nonrecognition of health, social and economic consequences of consumption, compounded by the publicity given to the health benefits of alcohol, due to J-shaped association of alcohol and cardiovascular health and the impact of globalization, have all contributed to the problem. Consequently, initiatives, including policies required for addressing alcohol control, have been relegated to the periphery and even those implemented have not been systematically evaluated.
Some specific responses to this complex problem include the following: establishment of de-addiction centres under the Ministry of Health and counseling centres under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, greater emphasis on management and rehabilitation of alcohol dependents, increasing resources towards management of crime and stepped-up judicial efforts, health education programmes across the country, especially for drinking and driving, limited community-based interventions and increasing outreach activities by non-governmental organizations.
On the policy front, a few attempts have been made in the past but no systematic evaluation has been done to identify the effectiveness of the following initiatives: prohibition, tax increases over a period of time on almost all types of alcoholic beverages, control of illicit production of alcohol, programmes to check drinking and driving to reduce road traffic injuries, prescription of legal ages for drinking (which vary across different states), fixing of timing of sales in alcohol selling outlets, packaging changes (smaller sachets, labeling etc), a ban on advertising and encouragement for the manufacture of low alcohol drinks.
Barriers of Effective Alcohol Control Policies
Apart from the influences of rapid globalization, industrialization, urbanization and media influences at macro and micro levels, several other barriers that have contributed to the failure of policy include: conflicts between the Centre and the State on issues with regard to production, distribution, taxation and sales, emphasis on the revenue gains and promotional aspects of alcohol use, increasing emphasis on other addictive drugs, nonrecognition of alcohol and its effects on major public health problems, non-recognition of alcohol as a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases and injuries and greater importance given to tertiary prevention as compared to primary and secondary prevention efforts. Other factors include: the absence of a rational and scientific alcohol control policy based on a public health approach; inadequate training of health professionals to recognise early alcohol-related health problems and timely and effective interventions for cessation of use; stigma associated with chronic alcohol use; non-recognition of the economic impact of alcohol-related problems; absence of an inter-sectoral approach; selective attention to doubtful and marginal health benefits; non-availability of good quality population-based data through well-designed studies at national and local levels and the emergence of social drinking in a major way.
Towards Solutions
The report recommends that policy should focus on both supply and demand reduction as well as on the development of a rational and scientific alcohol control policy specifically outlining what is to be done and by whom. A rational taxation policy needs to be evolved without compromising the public health aspects of alcohol control. Uniform excise policies that discourage smuggling, adulteration and undocumented consumption needs to be promoted across states. Appropriate media-related policies with regard to promotion and advertising should be developed in a systematic way. Human resource development and capacity strengthening across the sectors of health, police, law, welfare, excise, transport and several other sectors should be undertaken for policy formulation, programme development and implementation along with evaluation. Most importantly, a public health approach of identifying the problem, understanding the determinants, implementing interventions and evaluating what works should be the focus of future programmes at all levels.
The legal age of drinking should be specified in a uniform manner across all the States of India. This should not be less than 21 years. A consensus has to be evolved with regard to location and timings of alcohol sales and vending in all the states and has to be implemented in totality by the enforcing agencies. Screening for alcohol should be introduced in all emergency room departments of government hospitals, medical colleges and apex institutions. Prevention of drinking and driving should be given high priority and necessary capacity strengthening of police and health functionaries along with infrastructure supply should be given importance.
Early detection of alcohol-related problems should be given high importance and necessary capacity strengthening of doctors and NGOs should be undertaken. Early interventions for vulnerable populations like children, women and disadvantaged communities should be encouraged. Health promotion efforts (not health education alone) should be given importance in control of alcohol problems. Life skills training across educational institutions especially in 8 - 12 grades of education should be introduced in a systematic manner covering alcohol and other risk factors for emerging non-communicable diseases and injuries. Targeted and focused education programmes with clear information on reducing consumption of alcohol, along with the dangers of increasing alcohol use, should be introduced. Community empowerment programmes to understand, identify and recognize alcoholrelated problems through local civil society agencies should be strengthened. Research and surveillance should be strengthened across medical colleges and apex institutions along with developing a research agenda for the future.
Alcohol causes one in 20 deaths globally every year, according to the World Health Organisation
Alcohol kills 3.3 million people worldwide each year, more than AIDS, tuberculosis and violence combined, the World Health Organisation said on Monday, warning that booze consumption was on the rise.
Including drink driving, alcohol-induced violence and abuse, and a multitude of diseases and disorders, alcohol causes one in 20 deaths globally every year.
This actually translates into one death every 10 seconds.
Alcohol caused some 3.3 million deaths in 2012, WHO said, equivalent to 5.9 per cent of global deaths (7.6 per cent for men and 4.0 per cent for women).
In comparison, HIV/AIDS is responsible for 2.8 per cent, tuberculosis causes 1.7 per cent of deaths and violence is responsible for just 0.9 per cent.
More people in countries where alcohol consumption has traditionally been low, like China and India, are also increasingly taking up the habit as their wealth increases.
"More needs to be done to protect populations from the negative health consequences of alcohol consumption.
Drinking is linked to more than 200 health conditions, including liver cirrhosis and some cancers. Alcohol abuse also makes people more susceptible to infectious diseases like tuberculosis, HIV and pneumonia.
Most deaths attributed to alcohol, around a third, are caused by associated cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
Alcohol-related accidents, such as car crashes, were the second-highest killer, accounting for around 17.1 per cent of all alcohol-related deaths.
China, India drinking more
Binge drinking is especially damaging to health, the WHO pointed out, estimating that 16 per cent of the world's drinkers abuse alcohol to excess.
While people in the world's wealthiest nations, in Europe and the Americas especially, are boozier than people in poorer countries, rising wealth in emerging economies is also driving up alcohol consumption.
Drinking in populous China and India is rising particularly fast as people earn more money, the WHO said, warning that the average annual intake in China was likely to swell by 1.5 litres of pure alcohol by 2025.
Still, Eastern Europe and Russia are home to the world's biggest drinkers.
Russian men who drink consumed an average of 32 litres of pure alcohol a year, according to 2010 statistics, followed by other Western countries including Europe, Canada, the United States, Australia and South Africa.
On average, every person above the age of 15 worldwide drinks 6.2 litres of pure alcohol in a year, according to the report.
Counting only those who drink though, that rises to 17 litres of pure alcohol each year.
But far from everyone indulges. Nearly half of all adults worldwide have never touched alcohol, and nearly 62 per cent say they have not touched a drink in the past year.
Abstinence especially among women, is most common in low-income countries, while religious belief and social norms mean many Muslim countries are virtually alcohol free.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Aspirants throng medical college as applications sold out on Day 1
May 15, 2014, 03.47AM IST TNN[ R Gokul ]
TRICHY: The first day of issuance of application forms for the MBBS course at the KAP Viswanatham Government Medical College (KAPVGMC) here witnessed a tremendous response with the aspirants queuing up in large numbers to get hold of the forms as a first step of achieving their dream of becoming doctors.
Compared to last year, the number of downtrodden rural students seeking MBBS admission rose this year, as they want to utilize the opportunities available for them.
A Thangarajan, a parent from Ariyalur said that financially backward people have a desire to make their children become doctors. "Though we are not financially sound, the marks scored by my son in SSLC brought him good education in a private school. In the Plus Two, he scored 1100 marks with a cut-off of 184.5. We hope he will get a seat in the government college or under the government quota in a self-financing medical college," said Thangarajan.
On the first day on Wednesday, as many as 894 applications, which included 627 for general category and 267 for SC/ST category, were sold out. To buy the forms, the aspirants other than SC/ST are required to bring a demand draft (DD) for Rs 500 favouring of 'The secretary, selection committee, Kilpauk, Chennai- 10'. However, some students, who brought the DDs in the name of the director of medical education (DME), were turned down by the college.
The applications will be issued on all weekdays from 10 am to 5 pm except Sunday till May 30.
KAPVGMC was upgraded with 50 seats in addition to 100 seats in MBBS course during the 2013-14 academic year. The increase of seats helped realize the dreams of many medical aspirants last year. Moreover, some of the dejected students from a private medical college in Thiruvallur were also given seats in this college after the former was denied permission to conduct the courses due to lack of facilities.
It may be recalled that a team of members from the Medical Council of India (MCI) last week inspected the college and the hospital to check whether the facilities to conduct 150 seats were available. The inspection was considered to be crucial for the recognition. Dr M A Aleem expressed hope that they would get the recognition
Sunday, May 11, 2014
International Nurses Day 2014- Nurses: A Force for Change – A vital resource for health.
International Nurses Day(IND) is celebrated around the world every May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth.
The IND theme for 2014 is: Nurses: A Force for Change – A vital resource for health.
India is facing serious problems in health care sector due to lowest number of hospital beds, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and healthcare workers with the distribution of population.
Hospital Beds, Nurses, Doctors availability in India vs World
The World Health Statistics say that, India ranks one of the lowest in comparison with the ratio of hospital beds to population.
As per the recent statistics from World Health Organisation(WHO)
, India is just having 12 hospital beds, 6 Doctors and 13 Nurses per 10,000 people, this is far below the world average 30 hospital beds, 15 Doctors and 28 Nurses per 10,000 people. This indicates India is far behind the US, UK, China and Brazil.

Hospital beds, doctors and nurses ratio is shown in the above is comprising of all healthcare centers, district hospitals, general hospitals, nursing homes, mid-tier and top-tier private hospitals.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Neurology of Internet Addiction
Current research points to the potentially devastating effects of Internet addiction, especially in adolescents. Internet addiction disorder (IAD), especially those addicted to Internet gaming, tend to have certain brain abnormalities.
Changes in Brain Blood Flow
Internet addiction is also associated with changes in brain blood flow.
Increased blood flow is actually seen in the areas of the brain involving reward and pleasure centers, and decreased blood flow is observed in areas involved in hearing and visual processing.
The prevalence of IAD among youth is about 26.3%,which is huge and that is actually more than alcohol and illicit drug use disorders.

The criteria for this condition include the loss of control over Internet use, resulting in marked distress, preoccupation, mood changes, tolerance, withdrawal, and functional impairments of social, occupational, and academic performance. Another proposed criterion is spending more than 6 hours a day on nonacademic, nonbusiness Internet use for more than 6 months.
The recent research shows a significant correlation between IAD and mental health problems, including depression, suicidal behavior, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, as well as alcohol and illicit drug use disorders. Some studies show that IAD may increase suicide attempts in the presence of depression.
Dopamine Changes
Internet addiction is also linked to dopamine changes. Studies indicate that prolonged Internet use leads to a reduction in dopamine transporters, the effects of which are stagnation of dopamine in the synaptic cleft. That the resulting excess dopamine causes stimulation of adjacent neurons, which may result in a euphoric effect. A state of reduced levels of dopamine transporters is seen in substance use disorders and other addictive behaviors also.
The duration and degree of Internet addiction appear to be correlated with activation of the "out of body" or disembodiment-related areas of brain. Internet addicts also have enhanced reward sensitivity and decreased sensitivity to monetary loss. This may make them indifferent to the consequences of their behavior, which can include psychological, social, and work difficulties.
Despite the increased prevalence, the basic epidemiology and pathophysiology of IAD is unclear.
To date, very few neuroimaging studies have been performed to investigate the brain structural and functional changes with Internet addiction among the at-risk population of adolescent. This is unfortunate, because youth represent "our future generation."
Screening for IAD among adolescents with mental health problems is important, given the increasing prevalence of suicidal behavior in this age group. Physicians can use various Internet addiction scales to screen for IAD.
There are not yet any guidelines for treating this condition. However, considering its significant correlation with depression, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may alleviate symptoms, according to some studies.
South Asian countries have some detox centers for Internet addiction that use some psychotherapeutic interventions.
Internet Is Here to Stay
The Internet is here to stay. just a few years ago, studies on Internet use encompassed only PC (personal computer) use, with the explosion of iphones, instant messaging, and other new technologies, the Net affects almost every aspect of daily life.
It's important for us to study the effects of the connectedness that we experience, especially the effects on younger people.
Changes in Brain Blood Flow
Internet addiction is also associated with changes in brain blood flow.
Increased blood flow is actually seen in the areas of the brain involving reward and pleasure centers, and decreased blood flow is observed in areas involved in hearing and visual processing.
The prevalence of IAD among youth is about 26.3%,which is huge and that is actually more than alcohol and illicit drug use disorders.

The criteria for this condition include the loss of control over Internet use, resulting in marked distress, preoccupation, mood changes, tolerance, withdrawal, and functional impairments of social, occupational, and academic performance. Another proposed criterion is spending more than 6 hours a day on nonacademic, nonbusiness Internet use for more than 6 months.
The recent research shows a significant correlation between IAD and mental health problems, including depression, suicidal behavior, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, as well as alcohol and illicit drug use disorders. Some studies show that IAD may increase suicide attempts in the presence of depression.
Dopamine Changes
Internet addiction is also linked to dopamine changes. Studies indicate that prolonged Internet use leads to a reduction in dopamine transporters, the effects of which are stagnation of dopamine in the synaptic cleft. That the resulting excess dopamine causes stimulation of adjacent neurons, which may result in a euphoric effect. A state of reduced levels of dopamine transporters is seen in substance use disorders and other addictive behaviors also.
The duration and degree of Internet addiction appear to be correlated with activation of the "out of body" or disembodiment-related areas of brain. Internet addicts also have enhanced reward sensitivity and decreased sensitivity to monetary loss. This may make them indifferent to the consequences of their behavior, which can include psychological, social, and work difficulties.
Despite the increased prevalence, the basic epidemiology and pathophysiology of IAD is unclear.
To date, very few neuroimaging studies have been performed to investigate the brain structural and functional changes with Internet addiction among the at-risk population of adolescent. This is unfortunate, because youth represent "our future generation."
Screening for IAD among adolescents with mental health problems is important, given the increasing prevalence of suicidal behavior in this age group. Physicians can use various Internet addiction scales to screen for IAD.
There are not yet any guidelines for treating this condition. However, considering its significant correlation with depression, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may alleviate symptoms, according to some studies.
South Asian countries have some detox centers for Internet addiction that use some psychotherapeutic interventions.
Internet Is Here to Stay
The Internet is here to stay. just a few years ago, studies on Internet use encompassed only PC (personal computer) use, with the explosion of iphones, instant messaging, and other new technologies, the Net affects almost every aspect of daily life.
It's important for us to study the effects of the connectedness that we experience, especially the effects on younger people.
Neurology of Love Addiction
"Love addiction," a condition characterized by severe pervasive and excessive interest toward a romantic partner, may actually be a form of attachment disorder, new research suggests."There is an urgent need for a better conceptualization of love addiction from a nosological and neurobiological perspective.
love addiction is defined as a pattern of maladaptive behaviors and intense interest toward one or even more romantic partners at the detriment of other interests and resulting in a lack of control and significant impact on functionality.
Although it can occur simultaneously with substance dependence or sex or gambling disorders, it can also be considered an addiction behavior itself, a part of a mood or obsessive-compulsive disorder, or even a part of erotomania.
"It is thought that love addiction affects as many as 3% of the population. And in certain subsets of young adults, it may even go up to 25%" .
Individuals who are most at risk for the condition include those with an immature concept of love, a maladaptive social environment, or high levels of impulsivity and anxiety; are anxious-ambivalent or "seductive narcissists"; or have structural affective dependence.
In love addicted patients analysis showed that a picture of a participant's "beloved" elicited activation in the brainstem, the right ventral tegmental area (VTA), and the caudate nucleus regions in the brain. These areas have been shown to be central to the brain's reward, memory, and learning functions and have been implicated in substance abuse. In addition, addiction and attachment disorders share overlapping neural circuits, through the VTA to the nucleus accumbens.
Love Molecules
There are four possible "molecules of love" include dopamine (which incites desire and facilitates repetition of love behavior), oxytocin (which mediates social behavior), the opioid hormone (which activates pleasure sensations), and vasopressin (which affects protective behaviors). All these molecules need further study.
love addiction is defined as a pattern of maladaptive behaviors and intense interest toward one or even more romantic partners at the detriment of other interests and resulting in a lack of control and significant impact on functionality.
Although it can occur simultaneously with substance dependence or sex or gambling disorders, it can also be considered an addiction behavior itself, a part of a mood or obsessive-compulsive disorder, or even a part of erotomania.
"It is thought that love addiction affects as many as 3% of the population. And in certain subsets of young adults, it may even go up to 25%" .
Individuals who are most at risk for the condition include those with an immature concept of love, a maladaptive social environment, or high levels of impulsivity and anxiety; are anxious-ambivalent or "seductive narcissists"; or have structural affective dependence.
In love addicted patients analysis showed that a picture of a participant's "beloved" elicited activation in the brainstem, the right ventral tegmental area (VTA), and the caudate nucleus regions in the brain. These areas have been shown to be central to the brain's reward, memory, and learning functions and have been implicated in substance abuse. In addition, addiction and attachment disorders share overlapping neural circuits, through the VTA to the nucleus accumbens.
Love Molecules
There are four possible "molecules of love" include dopamine (which incites desire and facilitates repetition of love behavior), oxytocin (which mediates social behavior), the opioid hormone (which activates pleasure sensations), and vasopressin (which affects protective behaviors). All these molecules need further study.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Fruits And Vegetables Intake Lower Stroke Risk
Eating more fruits and vegetables may help lower the risk for stroke worldwide.
For every 200 g per day increment of fruits and vegetables, the risk for stroke fell by 32% and 11%, respectively as per recent study.
Higher intake of fruits and vegetables (together and separately) were inversely related to stroke risk.
The average serving was calculated as 77 g for vegetables and 80 g for fruits. "A linear dose-response relationship was found, the more consumption of fruit and vegetables, the better for stroke prevention. Stroke risk decreased by 32% (relative risk, 0.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.56 - 0.82) and 11% (0.89; 0.81 - 0.98) for every 200-g increment in daily fruits and vegetables, respectively.
Apples and Oranges
"Two hundred grams of fruit per day may sound a lot, but this would represent 2 medium-size apples or a large 1 and a half".
"citrus fruits, leafy vegetables and apples/pears were found inversely associated with risk of stroke. However, the effect of other types of fruit and vegetables on stroke risk still needs to be confirmed."
A recent bulletin from the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that increasing individual fruit and vegetable consumption to at least 600 g daily could cut the burden of ischemic stroke by 19% worldwide.
There are several biological mechanisms might explain the inverse association. It shows that an increase in fruits and vegetables consumption can lower blood pressure and also improve microvascular function". Favorable effects on other cardiovascular risk factors, including body mass index, cholesterol, inflammation, and oxidative stress, were also seen.
"Higher fruits and vegetables consumption increases micronutrient, carbohydrate, and fiber intakes, and possibly reduces fat intake. Nutrients such as potassium, folate, antioxidants (vitamin C, β-carotene, and flavonoids), and fiber have been shown to be significantly associated with a reduced risk for stroke".
Aicohol And Cancer
"Responsible drinking" has become a 21st-century mantra for how most people view alcohol consumption. But when it comes to cancer, no amount of alcohol is safe.
Alcohol is causally related to several cancers.
The Risk Is Dose-Dependent
The more alcohol that a person drinks, the higher the risk. The alcohol/cancer link has been strengthened by the finding of a dose/response relationship between alcohol consumption and certain cancers. A causal relationship exists between alcohol consumption and cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, colon-rectum, liver, and female breast; a significant relationship also exists between alcohol consumption and pancreatic cancer.
Links have also been made between alcohol consumption and leukemia; multiple myeloma; and cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, and skin, but fewer studies have looked at these relationships and more research is needed to establish a confirmed association. For bladder, lung, and stomach cancers, the evidence for an alcohol-cancer link is conflicting.
Alcohol is causally related to several cancers.
The Risk Is Dose-Dependent
The more alcohol that a person drinks, the higher the risk. The alcohol/cancer link has been strengthened by the finding of a dose/response relationship between alcohol consumption and certain cancers. A causal relationship exists between alcohol consumption and cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, colon-rectum, liver, and female breast; a significant relationship also exists between alcohol consumption and pancreatic cancer.
Links have also been made between alcohol consumption and leukemia; multiple myeloma; and cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, and skin, but fewer studies have looked at these relationships and more research is needed to establish a confirmed association. For bladder, lung, and stomach cancers, the evidence for an alcohol-cancer link is conflicting.
MCI team visits MGMGH
MCI team visits MGMGH
May 9, 2014, 12.58AM IST TNN[ R Gokul ] Times of India
TRICHY: A team from the Medical Council of India (MCI) made a surprise visit to the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) on Thursday.
The inspection was crucial to assess whether the additional 50 MBBS seats granted for the KAP Viswanatham Government Medical College (KAPVGMC) attached to MGMGH, should be continued. The college was originally sanctioned 100 seats and 50 seats were added last year.
The MGMGH, the premier hospital for the poor from many surrounding districts, was inspected by a team of three doctors NC Nath, Hemanth Deshmuku and BK Bezbaruaha. Barring some discrepancies, the hospital cum medical college came across as a clean and efficient facility.
The team began its inspection at the hospital around 9 am. Dean Dr P Karkuzhali, medical superintendent Dr A Kanagasundaram, and vice-principal of KAPVGMC Dr MA Aleem besides Dr Ravi, Head of radiology department accompanied the team. The inspection was video-graphed by the hospital
The issue of application forms for admission to the MBBS course, is expected to begin next week at KAPVGMC. At this juncture, the MCI visit to check whether the standards laid down by the MCI were followed is considered vital. Since KAPVGMC was started in 1997, the college had been functioning with 100 seats in the MBBS course. In 2013, the MCI approved increase of the seats by 50 with a view to produce more medicos to meet the demand for doctors. The college admitted 150 students for the 2013-14 academic year.
The team inspected the infrastructure, the number of patients, bed facilities in the hospital and adequate books, hostel facility in the college. The team also made a headcount in the college. The increase in the number of patients has sometimes resulted in a situation of people staying in corridors.
In addition to the MBBS course, KAPVGMC offers post-graduate courses in medicine (4), surgery (4), anaesthesia (4), obstetrics and gynaecology (2), bio-chemistry (2) and paediatrics(2). This is the second visit of the MCI team in two months. On April 15, a two-member team visited the paediatrics department in the hospital and the college to accord recognition to two-post graduate seats.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Today Is World Malaria Day
TIRUCHI, April 25, 2014 The Hindu
Today is World Malaria Day
By Deepika Muralidharan .
Something as simple as a mosquito bite can lead to the life threatening disease malaria. With World Malaria Day being observed on April 25, here is some information that one should be aware of, to prevent and control the spread of the disease.
World Malaria day was instituted in 2007 by WHO with the aim of highlighting the need for continuous investment and political commitment for malaria control and elimination. The theme for 2013-2015 campaign is: “Invest in the future. Defeat malaria”.
According to WHO, malaria kills an estimated 6,27,000 people every year. In 2013, 97 countries had ongoing malaria transmission. Malaria is caused by a parasite called plasmodium, which is transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes.
While malaria can affect everyone, persons who are at high risk of getting infected are those with low immunity. These include children aged below five, pregnant women, especially in their first trimester, and those infected with HIV/AIDS, according Dr. S. Srinivas, general practitioner, Vijaya Hospital.
Identifying the symptoms is the first step in curing the disease. “Cardinal symptoms of malaria include periodic chills, shivering and headache followed by fever and sweating and usually appear within 10 days after a mosquito bite,” says Dr. M.A. Aleem, vice principal, K.A.P. Viswanatham Government Medical College. The disease can be diagnosed by a blood examination or a kit called the rapid card test, says Dr. M.S. Ashraf, member, Tamil Nadu Medical Council.
“There are multiple species of the parasite that cause malaria and identifying the species that caused the disease is of primary importance in treatment. This is difficult, especially in rural areas, unless a proper sample is taken at the proper time. In such situations, a well trained microbiologist or pathologist is the only one who can do the tests correctly,” he says.
“Timely intervention helps in prevention of the deaths due to malaria. Prevention is always better than bottled cure,” says Dr. Aleem.
So how does one prevent the disease? Malaria can be contained by controlling the breeding of mosquitoes, which spread it. “An important step to be taken is to prevent stagnation of water in and around dwelling places. For children, special care must be taken by dressing them in full sleeved clothes while travelling, especially in buses and using a blanket while sleeping,” said Dr. Aleem. The female anopheles mosquito, which causes malaria, is most active during dawn and dusk and one has to be extra careful at these times, according to Dr. Srinivas. He said that use of insecticide treated nets helps to reduce malaria by 50 percent and is effective up to 100 metres of its surroundings. Indoor residual spraying of insecticide also helps to control the mosquitoes.
P. Revathi, District Malaria Officer (DMO) in charge, rattles down some statistics: “In 2013, the Tiruchi district had 63 cases, all of which were from persons in nearby districts,” she said.
Stave off summer diseases
Stave off summer diseases: doctors
R Gokul,TNN | Apr 29, 2014, 05.16 AM IST Times of India
TRICHY: As summer heat intensifies people run the risk of seasonal diseases like sore throat, fever, conjunctivitis, chicken pox etc. Many are opting for both allopathic and siddha treatment to get relief. Doctors here advise people to take precautionary measures to ward off heat and thereby heat-induced diseases.
Trichy city recorded extreme heat in the last few days with temperature inching towards 40 degree Celsius. On Monday, Trichy recorded 38 degree Celsius. Normally, such high temperature is felt by May. But in the past couple of years, temperature almost peaks even by early April. Heat is accentuated as sunlight reflects from the sand in Cauvery and Kollidam rivers after both went dry.
Strangely, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) has so far not witnessed any rise in illness cases due to summer heat, said Dr Kanagasundaram, its medical superintendent. Nevertheless, doctors here advise people to take precautionary measures.
Dehydration is common at this time when temperature crosses 35 degrees C on a daily basis. As quality of water supplied in summer is severely compromised chances of diarrhoea are high. "Heat-related diseases like dehydration, vomiting and diarrhoea can be prevented only by drinking pure water. The incidence of typhoid fever and jaundice may increase due to unhygienic water and inflow of tourists. Earlier, people used to consumer butter milk and tender coconut which prevented heat-related issues. But people in cities consume less hydrating food," said Dr Kanagasundaram.
The chances for chicken pox and small pox too are high in summer. Though, most people opt for traditional medicines to cure these diseases the treatment works out for those who have adequate immunity power. "Our hospital witnesses a few cases of chicken pox in summer. But people affected by heat-related problems want siddha treatment. While treatment is a remedy, people should try to lead life in the natural way," Dr S Kamaraj, government medical officer, ESI Hospital.
Dr M A Aleem, vice principal of KAP Viswanatham Government Medical College, attributed the increasing temperature as a man-made phenomenon. "The temperature increases due to widespread cutting of trees and rising vehicular pollution. Atmospheric temperature is going up every year and the duration of summer prolongs, but the duration of winter decreases. Hence, people should take extra care to protect their health," said Aleem.
People are advised to use cotton dresses and stay away from congested places. "People should avoid using tight-fitting dresses which may cause prickly heat problems. Staying in ventilated places also helps to avoid heat," said Dr Aleem.
Drinking plenty of pure boiled water, fruit juices, coconut water and water-rich fruits like watermelon will stave off heat-related diseases
.
R Gokul,TNN | Apr 29, 2014, 05.16 AM IST Times of India
TRICHY: As summer heat intensifies people run the risk of seasonal diseases like sore throat, fever, conjunctivitis, chicken pox etc. Many are opting for both allopathic and siddha treatment to get relief. Doctors here advise people to take precautionary measures to ward off heat and thereby heat-induced diseases.
Trichy city recorded extreme heat in the last few days with temperature inching towards 40 degree Celsius. On Monday, Trichy recorded 38 degree Celsius. Normally, such high temperature is felt by May. But in the past couple of years, temperature almost peaks even by early April. Heat is accentuated as sunlight reflects from the sand in Cauvery and Kollidam rivers after both went dry.
Strangely, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) has so far not witnessed any rise in illness cases due to summer heat, said Dr Kanagasundaram, its medical superintendent. Nevertheless, doctors here advise people to take precautionary measures.
Dehydration is common at this time when temperature crosses 35 degrees C on a daily basis. As quality of water supplied in summer is severely compromised chances of diarrhoea are high. "Heat-related diseases like dehydration, vomiting and diarrhoea can be prevented only by drinking pure water. The incidence of typhoid fever and jaundice may increase due to unhygienic water and inflow of tourists. Earlier, people used to consumer butter milk and tender coconut which prevented heat-related issues. But people in cities consume less hydrating food," said Dr Kanagasundaram.
The chances for chicken pox and small pox too are high in summer. Though, most people opt for traditional medicines to cure these diseases the treatment works out for those who have adequate immunity power. "Our hospital witnesses a few cases of chicken pox in summer. But people affected by heat-related problems want siddha treatment. While treatment is a remedy, people should try to lead life in the natural way," Dr S Kamaraj, government medical officer, ESI Hospital.
Dr M A Aleem, vice principal of KAP Viswanatham Government Medical College, attributed the increasing temperature as a man-made phenomenon. "The temperature increases due to widespread cutting of trees and rising vehicular pollution. Atmospheric temperature is going up every year and the duration of summer prolongs, but the duration of winter decreases. Hence, people should take extra care to protect their health," said Aleem.
People are advised to use cotton dresses and stay away from congested places. "People should avoid using tight-fitting dresses which may cause prickly heat problems. Staying in ventilated places also helps to avoid heat," said Dr Aleem.
Drinking plenty of pure boiled water, fruit juices, coconut water and water-rich fruits like watermelon will stave off heat-related diseases
.
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