Morning Health Talk:
“Depression is prevalent globally and now resistance exercises have been advised, if you have depression.”
New Delhi, September 20, 2018:
A study in published in the June issue of JAMA Psychiatry has found that people with mild to moderate depression who performed resistance training two or more days a week saw “significant” reductions in their symptoms, compared with people who did not. The findings also suggested that resistance exercises may be even more beneficial for those with more severe depressive symptoms.
There is good news for patients with polycystic kidney disease, one of the leading causes of kidney failure. So far, there has been no cure. But for the first time, there is hope: tolvaptan now has been approved by US FDA. It blocks the thirst hormone, vasopressin and blocks the cyst from forming more fluids.
Good news for grass root health care workers. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved enhancement of Honorarium to Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs) and Performance Linked Incentive to AWHs Under Anganwadi Services (Umbrella ICDS Scheme)
Watch out for pollution news. Research focused on long-term health problems after exposure to pollution will be in the spotlight at the upcoming European Respiratory Society International Congress 2018.
Some tips for GPs: Botox can help people who have trouble speaking clearly after a stroke and the evidence does not support the use of aspirin as monotherapy for the prevention of thromboembolic events in patients with AF. A baby born in in Southern Asia is 9 times more likely to die in the first month than a baby born in a high-income country.
Countries need to urgently accelerate their response to end TB, including drug-resistant TB. Fewer people fell ill and died from tuberculosis (TB) last year but countries are still not doing enough to end TB by 2030, warns the World Health Organization (WHO) in its 2018 Global TB Report. Although global efforts have averted an estimated 54 million TB deaths since 2000, TB remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease.
Power cuts are common in many Asian countries. Do you know that if there is a power cut for > 4 hours then all perishable foods including meat, poultry, fish, eggs and left overs in your refrigerator needs to be discarded. It may be one reason of high number of food poisoning cases seen in these countries.
Asian medical professionals need to be concerned about Rabies, which is estimated to cause 59 000 human deaths annually in over 150 countries, with 95% of cases occurring in Africa and Asia. Due to widespread underreporting and uncertain estimates, it is likely that this number is a gross underestimate of the true burden of disease. 99% of rabies cases are dog-mediated and the burden of disease is disproportionally borne by rural poor populations, with approximately half of cases attributable to children under 15.
Dr KK Aggarwal
Padma Shri Awardee
President Elect CMAAO
President HCFI