Globe Health Tours News

May 13: The rapid increase in the rate of pollution create lots of health related problems. A US study has found that inhaling air pollutants that are raised from the traffic will leads to deadly blood clots. Inhaling small particles that originate out of the burning fossil fuels is expected to increase the risk of getting affected by heart disease and stroke.

A study conducted on 2000 people by Harvard School of Public Health identified that air pollution also enhance the development of deep vein thrombosis that leads to blood clots in the legs. Pollutants in air is capable of converting blood as sticky and more likely to clot..

Initially the blood clots form in the legs and will spread to lungs from there they can lodge and develop as potentially fatal pulmonary embolism. Long periods of immobility will increase the risk of Deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Usually passengers who travel for a long time or people who spend lots of time sitting in their office desk are more likely to get affected by DVT.

The pollution rates from the areas where people who are considered as the sample live were analysed by the researchers. People who are exposed to higher level of small particles in the year are more prone to blood clots. According to the report of Archives of Internal Medicine, every 10 microgram per square metre increase in small particulates the DVT risk went by 70%.

While commenting on this the lead researcher Dr Andrea Baccarelli said: “This research give a clear picture about the magnitude of risk posed by air pollution and it emphasise the need for tightening the standards and need to reduce the impact of urban air pollution on human health.”

This study is considered as first of its kind to reveal the link of air pollution and the increased risk of clots in the veins. The prompt air quality legislation is what needed to minimise air pollution.

May 9: A research team led by Imperial College London has found the reason behind high obesity rate among Indian community. A gene sequence carried by them is considered as the reason for their increasing waist line, obesity and risk of type 2 diabetes.

The gene sequence is found to be carried by 50% of the population. The study explains the reason for high level of obesity in Indian Asians, who contribute 25% of the world population and they are expected to contribute 40% of the cardiovascular disease by 2020. On this backdrop this study gains much significance and is expected to pave way for new obesity treatments.

The gene sequence is capable of influencing the gene called MC4R that controls energy levels in the body and determines the food intake and its energy conversion; it has direct influence in determining the unusual form of childhood obesity. The findings of the research showed the presence of the sequence will lead to 2cm expansion in waist line, a 2kg gain in weight and give resistant to insulin that leads to type 2 diabetes.

While commenting on this the lead researcher of the study Professor Jaspal Kooner said: “The gene related health issues are little understood; only few researchers were conducted on this topic. By understanding influence of genes behind health issues such as diabetes and cardiovascular problems will help to know about the genetic inheritance of people and their susceptibility to diseases. Genetic inheritance of a person could not be changed but preventive measures like subjecting them to diet, exercise and finding out new drugs that could effectively cure the disease.”

The British Heart Foundation funded this study. Professor Peter Weissberg its medical director opined that it had long been found that Indian Asians are more vulnerable to cardiovascular problems than white Europeans. This research is important as it gives a clear picture about the health benefits by reducing weight. The cardiovascular and diabetic risk of people of Indian origin could be handled effectively by understanding their gene inheritance.

May 6: Many of the newborn babies need the help of an incubator to keep them healthy, as it keeps the surrounding of the baby warm. In the contrary a new research conducted by the University of Siena had found that the motors used in incubators might create an electromagnetic field in the surrounding area where the babies are kept.

According to the new research the electromagnetic fields emitted by the incubators are found to affect the pulse rate of the new born babies. The Italian research titled the Archives of Disease in Childhood found that the heart rate of the baby get reduced when the incubators are turned on.

The researchers are not sure about the actual health risk arises due to the exposure of electromagnetic fields at a young age, but they suggested modification in the design pattern of incubator.

According to Dr Carlo Bellieni the lead researcher of the study, “We know that the variation in the heart rate is linked to strokes and arrhythmias in adults, how far it affects the young babies is yet to be found. More researchers focussing this topic are needed to get a clear idea about the impact of electromagnetic fields in tiny babies.”

The research had found no hard evidence to prove the actual health risk posed by incubators. While the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority has received no reports of problems with the incubators. Further studies on this topic will help to get a clear picture.

Apr 24: In a significant invention scientists have found three kinds of human heart cells that are extracted from the embryonic stem cells. This will help them in creating functioning heart tissue that helps transplants in the lab. Researchers tested the cells by transplanting it into mice with simulated heart disease and it was found to improve the function of the heart.

The study was conducted by a team of scientists from the US, UK and Canada and the findings were published in the science journal named Nature. These cells were found to play a vital role in repairing the damaged heart cells. The cells were created by providing embryonic stem cell cultured in a mixture of growth factors and other molecules involved in development.

By giving the right growth factors at the right time, they allowed the cells to grow as three different types of immature cardiac cells. Cardiomyocytes, vascular smooth muscle cells and endothelial cell are the three cells that form important part of heart muscle.

According to Dr Gordon Keller, researcher from the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine in Toronto, “The findings of the research give a clear indication about the effectiveness and accuracy in which the different kinds of heart cells can be effectively used in scientific and basic research. If developed further, the findings of the research will help in repairing the damaged heart cells of patients who are suffering from heart attack.”

While responding to this the associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, Jeremy Pearson said: “The study also raises the level of hope that in the future stem cells will be used effectively to mend damaged heart cells in patients.”

This research comes as a great relief to numerous heart patients.

Apr 17: A US based research conducted on mice has found that the growth of tumours gets increased to two fold when it is subjected to exercise. On the backdrop of the research there were concerns raised against the benefits of exercise in prostate patients. Increased blood flow to the tumour is considered as the main reason for that, but the researchers also encouraged the patients to do exercise to stay active as inactive lifestyle will raise the risk of other diseases.

According to Dr Lee Jones, researcher at Duke University, “The study came to the findings that exercise will lead to speeder tumour growth than those leading inactive lifestyle. On the other hand exercise is an effective way to improve treatment as it allows easy supply of drugs to prostate tumours that usually have low blood supply. The findings of the study will help to improve the prostrate cancer treatments more effectively than before.”

As part of the research the research team implanted 50 human prostate tumours into mice and placed half of them in cages to deny them exercise, while some of them were allowed to run half a mile a day. By analysing the growth of the tumours the researchers came to this conclusion.

While commenting on this a Duke researcher, Dr Stephen Freedland said: “Basically the situation is completely different in human prostate cancer. So the result should be interpreted carefully. For the sake of experiment mice were injected with aggressive tumours that develop uncontrollably but patients will not have same kind of situation.”

He further added that: “Exercise helps to reduce the risk of several chronic ailments like cardiovascular problems, diabetes and obesity. So it can also be effectively used for improving the health of prostate cancer patients.”

In a nutshell exercise will do no harm to the health and it will help you stay active.

Apr 16: An interesting study conducted by the US researchers revealed that diabetic retinopathy the main cause of vision loss in the United States is also an indication of heart failure. As part of the study the researchers observed 1000 middle aged people with type 2 diabetes for nine years and found that those persons with retinopathy had more than a 2.5 fold risk of heart failure than those without diabetic retinopathy.

On the wake of the findings, Dr Hector O. Ventura, director of the cardiology residency program at the Ochsner Health System in New Orleans and the co-author of the study, suggested that the diabetic retinopathy patients should have to be more careful about the chances of developing heart failure.

Some studies conducted earlier have also revealed the connection between heart failure and diabetic retinopathy. But the new study gains significance as it focussed on diabetic retinopathy patients by eliminating those having kidney disorder and coronary heart disease that is considered as the major risk factor for heart failure.

While commenting on this Dr. Ventura said: “While diagnosing retinopathy the possibility of it being linked to heart failure has not been considered. In future the retinopathy patients will also be referred to cardiologist. According to the research retinopathy can also provide a clear indication of the damage of endothelium, the delicate inner lining of blood vessels.”

“The interesting thing about this study is its association with strong or mild degree of eye disease. It considered both of them very seriously. The study is the first of its kind to find the link between micro vessels problems and the increased risk of heart failure,” said Dr. Nancy Sweitzer, director of the heart failure program at the University of Wisconsin.

This research is an alarm bell for those who are affected by diabetic retinopathy.

Apr15: An increasing rate of air pollution is creating lots of health related issues. The findings of a new research are a clear evidence for this. The study has found that high level of air pollution and it’s after effects are considered as the main reason behind increasing rate of deaths from pneumonia in recent years in England.

The research was conducted by a team of experts from the University of Edinburgh. The study focussed on the influence of pollution in the death level of people in 352 local authorities between the years 1996 and 2004. The research also hinted that social factors also have a role to play in this.

The researchers estimated number of deaths in each area and compared that with the national average and the figures were cross checked with the pollution level to measure the influence of pollution in death rate. During the period of observation 386,374 people died of pneumonia but that has regional variations.

Lewisham in London had the highest number of death per head while Berwick on Tweed experienced the lowest. The 35 local authorities have the highest rates of pneumonia and it also has highest rates of cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and rheumatic heart disease.

While commenting on this Professor George Knox the author of the report said: “In general high mortality rates are observed in the areas with high level of pollution. The main cause of death is due to pneumonia. Increasing number of vehicle and its harmful smoke are the main source of air pollution.”

The research team expects the annual number of excess deaths to those attributed to pollution will surpass the 1952 London smog that took the life of 4000 people. Meanwhile the lung specialists feel that a further research is needed to bring more clarity before finalising the link between pneumonia and exhaust fumes.

Apr 9: Cardiovascular diseases remain as the main health threat for people from all over the world. In an attempt to find the origin of the heart attack symptoms scientists have found that mothers who develop pre-eclampsia in pregnancy will give birth to babies who will develop risk of cardiovascular disease in later part of their life.

Pre-eclampsia is a common pregnancy related complication that arises due to problem in placenta that minimises the amount of oxygen the foetus receives. This will affect the growth of the baby and damages its cardiovascular, metabolic and endocrine systems.
The research was conducted by a team of expert from the University of Cambridge. They analysed the impact of oxygen shortage in foetus growth by conducting tests using pregnant animals.

While commenting on this the lead researcher of the study Dr. Dino Giussani of University of Cambridge said: “Our research found that the lesser amount of oxygen in the womb will play a vital role in determining the development of the foetus in short and long run. The lesser amount of oxygen is found to activate early symptoms of heart disease.”

He further added that: “By including nutrients such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E, selenium and lycopene in the mother’s diet we can reverse the damage caused by lack of oxygen. This will effectively restrict heart disease as the vitamin therapy brings in preventive medicine into the womb.”

This research gains much significance as heart attack is considered as the most common reason of death in the UK, with 40 per cent of the people dies from heart attack. According to an estimate 2.6 million people are affected by cardiovascular diseases in the UK alone. In every two second one person is affected by it. By eliminating the early symptoms of the disease in near future we can minimise the threat posed by cardiovascular disease.

Apr 1: Doctors find it difficult to treat elderly patients who are suffering from high blood pressure. But a new study has revealed that treating patients above 80 years of age for high blood pressure will effectively reduce the risk of heart failure and even death due to cardiovascular disease.

While commenting on this the professor of medicine at Yale University School of Medicine, Dr. Harlan M. Krumholz said: “On the backdrop of increasing number of elder population due to the lack of proper information about the ways to treat them. Doctors feel difficult while treating older patients and they also feel hesitant to give aggressive treatment. Many doctors consider them as too old to treat. If the patient is more than 80 years old the doctors feels better to give mild treatment.”

Dr. Harlan was not involved in the study. The findings of the study were published in the New England Journal of Medicine on the eve of the annual meeting at the American College of Cardiology at Chicago. As part of the study the research team comprising international experts choose 3845 people over 80 years of age with blood pressure. They are treated using diuretic to minimise the blood pressure.

After two years long therapy the researchers found that the systolic blood pressure among the patients taking diuretic was 15 mmHg lesser than patients getting placebo. The diastolic pressure was 6.1 mmHg that is also lower than placebo patients. The systolic and the diastolic pressure are the top and bottom in reading respectively.

The researchers also noticed that the risk of stroke among the elder patients who are treated for blood pressure has seen 30 per cent decrease and the number of death rate from stroke also decreased by 39 per cent when compared with patients getting placebo.
The death from cardiovascular diseases has also decreased, the heart failure has also seen 64 percent decrease.

The study also found that there is a 21 percent decrease in the death rate from all causes. The findings of the new study allow doctors to give aggressive treatment for the elderly patients who are suffering from high blood pressure.

Mar 31: A sleepless night will affect the mood of all of us. But a new research has revealed that women who missed a good night’s sleep will get grumpier than men. The findings of the research revealed that poor sleep will also affect the overall health of women than in men and it will increase the risk of diabetes, heart attack and stroke. The study pointed out that less sleep that is measured by the total amount of sleep, the degree of awakening during night and time taken to fall sleep will have major impact in women than men.

While responding to this the lead researcher Dr Edward Suarez of Duke University said: “For women poor sleep is associated with high level of mental disturbance, depression and anger. But this stage is not associated with same level of sleep disruption in men.”

The research included 210 men and women who are healthy and don’t have any previous record of sleep related disorders. Their blood was taken and their mental condition was analysed. The researchers found that nearly 40 percent of the men and women are classified as poor sleepers, those who have frequent problems of falling asleep, and those who take 30 or more minutes to fall asleep or awake frequently during night.

The researchers noted that the sleep quality ratings were similar beyond gender but the risk profile shows huge variation. The after effects of poor sleeps including the feelings of hostility, depression and anger affects men more then women.

The findings of the study is remarkable as among the women who are considered as poor sleepers 33 percent of them had C-reactive protein that is linked with the risk of heart related ailments. Rather than overall poor sleep quality the length of time it takes for a person to fall asleep is considered as the main reason behind the risk. Women who took half an hour or more to fell asleep showed the worst risk profile.