Yoga relieves backache
AIIMS study: Yoga therapy relieves pain in patients of chronic backache and cervical spondylytis, according to the outcome of a pilot project undertaken by the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Such patients were relieved of pain after a 30-day course in yoga conducted under the project, AIIMS director …
Hand transplant makes history
The world's first hand transplant has been carried out by an international team of doctors at a French hospital. The right hand and forearm of the anonymous donor were attached to 48-year-old Australian Clint Hallam, whose hand was amputated in 1989 after an accident. Doctors attached "all the arteries, veins, …
Phthalate test could end dispute
Fears that chemicals used in PVC toys are poisoning toddlers are unfounded, according to Dutch scientists who have developed the first standard test to evaluate the risk posed by plastic softeners called phthalates. The findings could end the long-running battle between European regulators and manufacturers which has already led to …
Food poses no radiation risk
There is no evidence that radioactive contamination of food poses a risk to consumers. Even foods produced around radioactive hotspots such as the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant fall within recommended safety limits, a report by UK agencies has found. The Radioactivity in Food and the Environment 1997 report, published by …
Wyeth embarks on clinical tests for diarrhoea vaccine
Wyeth Lederle has begun clinical trials for a new anti-diarrhoea vaccine in the country. This was announced by Baldev Arora, managing director, Wyeth Lederle, at the company's annual general meeting held in Mumbai yesterday.Called Rotashield, the vaccine is part of Wyeth's parent firm, American Home Products' portfolio, and has recently …
TN in the forefront in kidney transplants
The Director of Medical and Rural Health Services, Dr. M. Kamatchi, said that efforts had been made to set up a "central organ registry" .The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University had done some work in this direction, but the study was still in its infancy.Speaking at the inauguration of …
Enforce strict emission laws
The Valley Traffic Police (VTPO) of Nepal had taken the responsiblity of enforcing the emission control laws against smoke belching vehicles. Unfortunately, the measures adopted have failed to produce any change even after two years of implementation. In fact, things have gone from bad to worse. Most governments and private …
Viagra set to be cleared for sale
Viagra, the anti-impotence drug, could be cleared for sale in the European Union within weeks, after winning approval from an European scientific committee. The EU's standing committee of medicines, made up of representatives of the 15 member states, gave the go-ahead for Viagra to be marketed.
Wave of drugs renews hopes for sufferers
A new wave of treatments is giving fresh hope to the 4m people worldwide who suffer from Parkinson's disease. Five drugs have recently reached the market, several others are in development, and more innovative treatments-including electronic and biological brain implants-are giving encouraging results.
Phytopharm in 'botanicals' tie with Pfizer
Phytopharm, a small British company which develops drugs from plant extracts, has licensed a plant-based appetite suppressing compound to Pfizer, the big US pharmaceuticals group. The collaboration represents an endorsement both for Phytopharm and for "botanicals"-plant compounds often selected for drugs research because they are used by folk healers.
Pregnant smokers pass carcinogen to babies, study shows
Women who smoke while pregnant appear to pass a potent carcinogen to the babies developing in their wombs, according to researchers. "These results demonstrate a significant risk to the unborn child of a woman who smokes," said Stephen Hecht of the University of Minnesota Cancer Center, who led the research.
Stop using mustard oil
Minister : Delhi Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has asked citizens to stop using mustard oil for the time being, to prevent use of dropsy cases due to consumption of adulterated oil. As a precautionary measure, the government has asked the Delhi Police to ensure that oil tankers do not bring …
Bengal drive against leprosy
To get India free from leprosy, the Government of India has adopted Mofified Leprosy Elimination Campaign Programme (MLEC) at the instance of World Health Organisation. The objective of this programme is to bring down the prevalent rate of leprosy cases below one case per 10,000 population so that it cannot …
$40m ADB loan for urban health care
Bangladesh will receive 40 million US dollar from Asian Development Bank for implementing a 60 million US dollar innovative urban Primary Health Care Project (PHC) in four major cities of Bangladesh.
TN hooch toll rises to 47
The toll in Saturday's hooch tragedy mounted to 47 with more persons succumbing to the spurious brew since Sunday night in hamlets around Hosur in Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu.
Tobacco to test blood
Japanese scientists say that tobacco plants could become a cheap source of a protein that can detect hepatitis B in donated blood. They have genetically engineered tonacco plants to produce a viral protein--the hepatitis B virus core antigen.
A novel method of tumour removal
Neurosurgeons in Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital and University College of Medical Sciences have successfully removed a tumour that affects the aural nerve in the brain through the ear, instead of the normally used craniotomies or opening up the skull bones.
No benefit with high-dose breast cancer therapy
A controversial high-dose chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer appears to be no better than conventional chemotherapy , according to a new study by researchers in the Netherlands. In the study, researchers at the Netherlands Cancer Institute compared standard chemotherapy with a new regimen that uses such highdoses of the toxic …
