Conditions

is a disease of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). It is an inflammatory disease in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord become damaged. These inflamed areas become scarred, giving the disease its name: multiple areas of hardening (sclerosis) within the brain or spinal cord. This damage disrupts the ability of parts of the nervous system to communicate, resulting in a wide range of signs and symptoms, including…

Women with arthritis can get pregnant. It is better for them to discuss with both their treating rheumatologist or endocrinologist and their OB-GYN and plan their pregnancy. Find out how pregnancy affects your arthritic symptoms and how you can deal with them. Women with arthritis who are pregnant are affected in different ways. In arthritis, joints are inflammed and painful. For some pregnant women, the added weight of pregnancy may increase pain and discomfort. But 70-80% of women…

Planning a pregnancy? Obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Chandan Dubey tells you what you need to do before you conceive. A woman’s good health prior to and during pregnancy is vital for optimal outcomes for her and the baby. You should consult a general physician or gynaecologist for preconception care and counselling. In the meantime, here’s what you should be aware of:  Lose weight (if you are overweight): Obesity is a serious problem in pregnancy. It increases the…

What is Chronic Kidney Disease or CKD? Chronic Kidney Disease is a condition characterised by gradual loss of kidney function over a period of time (months to years). It is also known as Chronic Renal Disease. It is the work of the kidneys to remove waste products and excess fluids from the body through urine. They also balance the levels of salt, potassium and acid in the body. If the kidneys don’t function adequately, wastes can build up in the blood, progressing to…

is a common condition, usually seen in the elderly, of diminished bone mass and low bone weight, which leads to fragile bones. Bones are living tissue constantly being broken down and rebuilt by the body. During childhood and youth, you form new bone faster than you lose old bone. Between the ages of 18 and 30, you reach peak bone mass. As people age, bone loss increases. Osteoporosis occurs when the body doesn’t create enough new bone to keep up with the absorption or…

This new class of drugs unleashes the body's immune system to fight tumors. This seems to solve a century-old mystery of how cancerous cells manage to evade the body's immune system. The drug which Merck will sell under the name of Keytruda was approved by patients with advanced melanoma who have exhausted other therapies.  http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/05/business/merck-wins-approval-of-novel-immune-system-drug-for-cancer.html?emc=eta1

Hypertension is the most common medical issue encountered during pregnancy, complicating over 10-15% of pregnancies. Read more to understand how to prevent and manage high blood pressure during pregnancy, especially pre-eclampsia. Hypertension or high blood pressure refers to the amount of force exerted by the blood against the walls of the arteries. A person's blood pressure is considered high when the readings are greater than 140 mm Hg systolic (the top number in the…

Menopause refers to the end of a woman’s monthly periods or menstruation. It correlates with the end of a woman’s reproductive ability. The word ‘menopause’ is derived from the Greek word menopausis. Menos means month and pausis is cessation or stop. A woman is said to have menopause only if she has not had her periods for a year (and there are no other health reasons for this). Women go through different symptoms during peri-menopause and menopause phases of their…

Tofacitinib (Xeljanz®) is the first of a unique class of oral kinase inhibitors to be FDA approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Tofacitinib is a selective inhibitor of Janus kinase (JAK) enzymes. these enzymes mediate signaling for several important cytokines that cause the inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritic patients.  http://www.hopkinsarthritis.org/arthritis-news/tofacitinib-fda-approved-oral-biologic-for-rheumatoid-arthritis/