Heart and Cardio-vascular

Varicose veins affects more than 1 in 5 persons. Dr Shital Raval explains what varicose veins are, the causes and risk factors, the tests for diagnosis, the treatment and self management for varicose veins.  What are varicose veins? The venous system of the leg consists of 3 types of veins: 1. Superficial: long and short saphenous veins. These are principal veins near the surface of the legs. 2. Deep: veins that supply the muscles of the leg 3. Perforators: veins that connect the deep…

During the fasting month of Ramadan, Muslims all over the world fast for more than 15 hours a day. Here, 6 possible side effects and how to counter them. It is best to have a check-up before you start fasting for Ramadan. This is particularly important if you have any chronic conditions, like diabetes or migraine. Do remember that the Qur’an exempts the sick from fasting. If your doctor advises against your fasting, speak to your Imam about your situation. Even if you are…

Asok Mitra, 80, used to smoke almost 100 cigarettes a day. He has been smoke-free for 40 years, but tobacco has taken its toll. He tells us why and how he quit.  1. Please tell us a bit about your condition. I am prone to chest infections and pneumonia. My lungs are impaired and do not work at optimum capacity. Years ago, I was told that my lungs were working at 70% of their capacity. 2. How long have you been suffering from this? This has been the situation for at…

Which is the greater evil? How much fat is necessary in your diet? How to read food labels? Registered dietitian and diabetes educator Ujjwala Baxi has all the information.  The human diet is always evolving. And with each evolution comes strong and focused criticism of certain foods. Some decades ago, it was the fat in our diet that was demonised and 0% fat diets and recipes flourished on bookshelves and the dinner table. But very soon, it was realised that going nil…

Maintaining good oral health is more than just about keeping cavities at bay. Your dental health has far-reaching consequences on your body, with oral bacteria being linked to many life-threatening conditions, like cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, renal health and even brain abcess. Oral hygiene and overall good health  Like many areas of the body, your mouth is teeming with bacteria, most of them harmless. Normally the body's natural defences and good oral health can keep these…

Signs to watch for and how to prevent it. By family practitioner and paediatrician Dr Gita Mathai  What is childhood obesity? Children older than two years and less than 19 years need to have their BMI (Body Mass Index) calculated when they visit their physician either for immunisation or during annual check-ups. BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the height in meter squared. You can also measure BMI at home. The values for height can be entered in the website below. It…

Statin therapy appears to increase the risk for type 2 diabetes by 46%, even after adjustment for confounding factors, a large new population-based study concludes. The majority of people in this new study were taking atorvastatin and simvastatin, and the risk for diabetes was dose-dependent for these two agents, the researchers found. Nevertheless, senior author Markku Laakso, MD, from the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital, told Medscape Medical News: "Even if…

MARCH 3, 2015 19-year-old Darren Lou has known for years what he wants to do with his life.  Not only does he plan to be a doctor, he knows exactly which field he hopes to specialise in: Endocrinology, the study of the human body’s endocrine system, which deals with hormones and how it affects metabolism and growth, among other things. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes three years ago, Darren hopes to help other patients like himself. Dealt a second blow a year later when a pre-enlistment…

By Julien Salaberry Feb 24, 2015 The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) has released a lengthy white paper on the past decade of VC funding for the biotech sector. Its headline finding is that venture funding for biotech R&D fell by 21% between the five-year period before the financial crisis (2004-2008) and the subsequent five years (2009-2013).  More interesting, however, is where the big funding cuts are occurring. Namely, in areas of the largest medical need. For…

Just 20 minutes of brisk walking a day may be all it takes to lessen a sedentary person's risk of early death, says a new study. The researchers also found the risk of early death due to lack of exercise is double that posed by obesity and does not necessarily depend on being obese or overweight. Prof. Ekelund says the study delivers a simple message: "just a small amount of physical activity each day could have substantial health benefits for people who are physically inactive." However,…