In India, a country with a vast population and a diverse socio-economic fabric, healthcare remains fraught with challenges including disparities in access. These socio-economic disparities are deep, and they influence health outcomes. It is imperative to bridge these gaps amid the ongoing epidemiological, nutritional and demographic transitions that are bringing …
ignorance is bliss. This seems to be the state of mind of the Indian government for several environment-related issues, including that of hazardous waste like phosphogypsum (pg). A byproduct of the fertiliser industry, pg is used liberally by the construction industry and its use is promoted by the government What …
for over 20 years, the Paducah uranium processing plant in Kentucky, usa, hid information about radiation levels in the factory from its staff. This was despite the fact that its employees used to collapse on the factory floor or suffered from serious ailments, including leukaemia. These findings have come to …
breastfeeding has a positive effect on the intelligence of babies, besides lowering their risk of developing blood cancer and making them less vulnerable to asthma, going by some recently published reports. Researchers from the University of Kentucky in Lexington, usa , suggest that the intelligence quotient ( iq ) of …
the only cure for severe dioxin poisoning could be eating food meant for dieters. Eating snacks containing a fat substitute called Olestra can speed up the removal of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls ( pcb s ) from the body. Michael MacLachlan of the Baltic Sea Research Institute near Rostock, Germany, …
Mina Bissell of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in California, USA, has long pointed out that micro-environment plays an important role in the development of cancer. Cancer cells, just like any other cells in the body, exist in their own
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health, USA, have recommended that the daily allowance of Vitamin C for human beings should be doubled or tripled because there is evidence of its cancer-fighting ability. Mark Levine, the lead author of the report said the recommendation reflected a growing body of research …
fine ceramic fibres have been in use in a variety of forms since a long time. Finer fabrics are strong, flexible and, unlike coarser fibres, they do not irritate the skin. But in recent times, the question of ceramic fibre use has returned to haunt us as a major health …
Concern over particles That airborne particles kill has been known for a while. But the threat is rising with every scientific discovery There is nothing new about particulate pollution. Yet, scientists are talking about airborne particles today like never before. As science on air pollution developed in response to environmental …
even at low concentrations, airborne particles are lethal: T he great puzzle was if air pollution levels had visibly and measurably been vastly improved, how could they continue to have such detrimental effects on health? By the late 1970s, studies conducted in the us found that health damage was more …
The aiims emergency room daily receives about 150 patients. Over 100,000 patients were examined for the study, which focused on patients with aggravated symptoms of asthma, chronic bronchitis and heart ailments. The study found that tspm was highest in November and December; and, so were the hospital admissions. Number of …
Mexico City is one of the most polluted cities in the world. But air pollution levels in Delhi are several notches higher than Mexico City and steadily rising. The main reason being that while administration in Delhi fails to address the problem, Mexican authorities are making serious efforts to improve …
Despite the mounting evidence on the serious health risks from particulate pollution even at relatively low concentrations, the biological mechanism by which it adversely affects humans is not understood properly. The who estimates that about 500,000 deaths are caused per year throughout the world due to exposure to particulate pollution. …
Studies conducted in USA have revealed that particulate pollution has a serious effect on the life expectancy of people. Let us assume that a serious episode of particulate pollution leads to heart failure in a person aged 70 years who has a previous record of heart problems, but survives the …
• Increased susceptibility to infection from impaired immune defences • Airways inflammation leading to impaired gas exchange and hypoxia (deficiency of oxygen reaching the tissues of the body) • Provocation of alveolar inflammation* by ultrafine particles with the release of mediators that exacerbate underlying lung diseases and increase blood coagulability …
stressful events are inherent to human existence. The death of a loved one, breaking up of an important relationship, losing a job, financial problems and loss of health or independence. All people undergoing such events are at a high risk of developing depression. While such events make life difficult, people …
Marinating a steak before grilling not only improves its flavour and tenderness but also decreases the production of carcinogenic compounds. The latest evidence for this comes from Mark G Knize, scientist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA, as part of a study financed by the National Cancer Institute. Marinating …
Is the incidence of cancer on the rise? The increase is both real and apparent. Every year eight million new cases of cancer are being reported worldwide, according to the latest estimates of the World Health Organisation ( who) , 60 per cent of whom can be found in the …
Those studying tumour cells have no way of knowing all the different mutations that make them divide uncontrollably. Robert Weinberg and colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, have successfully transformed a healthy human cell into a cancer cell by making it express three genes that they know are …
Sosobala Mbatha, South Africa's most famous traditional healer, will share his knowledge of Zulu indigenous medicine with his counterparts in the us . Mbatha has been invited to New York by American Traditional Healers for a series of meetings during which they hope to pool information. "By collaborating with other …
