Promote alternative medicines to spread healthcare services: Experts

Healthcare experts today called for promoting complimentary and alternative medicines which they said can open new vistas in science and cater to a large segment of population by focusing on good nutrition and preventive practices.

However, jurisdictions where alternative practices are sufficiently widespread should be licensed and regulated, they said at a conference organised by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

Alternative medicines are frequently grouped with complimentary or integrative medicines which refer to the same interventions when used in conjunction with mainstream techniques. More focus is required on validation of their process technologies and scientific evaluation, said Dr H.K. Chopra, co-chairman of ASSOCHAM Hospitals and Healthcare Committee.

“Research and development programmes in newly-emerging and challenging areas of science in Ayurveda need to be encouraged so that they can be marketed worldwide,” he said. A recent systematic review of studies in 13 countries concludes that about 31 per cent of cancer patients use some form of complimentary and alternative medicines.

Dr J.D. Sarangi, special secretary at the Delhi government’s department of health and family welfare, said the growing interest in alternative medicines is a positive symbol for the medical community which has started moving from a narrow approach to more holistic remedies.
However, the scientific community has to debate that in the era of evidence-based medicine, should official endorsement be given to remedies that cannot be scientifically proven.

Among those present during the inaugural session were Dr C.K. Katiyar, vice-president and head of ayurveda department at Dabur, Dr R.K. Khandal, director at Shriram Institute for Industrial Research, Dr Shikha Sharma, managing director of Nutri-Health Systems, Dr Lalit Verma, secretary at the Central Council of Homeopathy, and Arun Kumar, deputy secretary general of ASSOCHAM.

India invests only one per cent of GDP in primary healthcare centres. The country has an average of 0.6 doctors per 1,000 people against the global average of 1.23. The country’s healthcare sector currently estimated at Rs 3.75 lakh crore is likely to double in volume over the next five years.

Now, girls attain puberty at 10 years!

Now, girls are reaching puberty, two years earlier. The age of attaining sexual maturity among a girl, when she changes physically, hormonally and sexually has dipped, especially in urban India, to 10 years from 12-13 earlier, not just in India but globally, according to a Times of India report. 

A study published in the Lancet on Wednesday says the age of 18 years clearly no longer signifies adulthood.

According to it, the earlier onset of puberty has increased the window of risk associated with adolescence. It said previous generations of parents viewed the physical changes of puberty as being of greatest significance with raging hormones being blamed for much of adolescent bad behaviour.

Professor Susan Sawyer and George Patton (Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne and University of Melbourne) say, "Puberty is increasingly recognized as a significant physiological event that catapults adolescents into higher risk for a range of health-related behaviours like mental disorders and substance use," said the study.

Dr Rajiv Chhabra, chief of pediatrics at the Artemis Health Institute, agrees with the findings. He said the phenomenon is leaving girls with well-developed bodies, which they're not emotionally equipped to handle. "Premature puberty is becoming common among girls in India. Lifestyle and dietary changes could be fuelling this trend. Vegetables and eggs containing hormones like oxytocin can hasten puberty. Earlier, we would tell parents to teach a girl the concept of menstrual cycle when she turns 13. Now, we ask parents to talk about it to their 10-year-old daughters," said Dr Chhabra.

Promote alternative medicines to spread healthcare services: experts

Healthcare experts today called for promoting complimentary and alternative medicines which they said can open new vistas in science and cater to a large segment of population by focusing on good nutrition and preventive practices.

However, jurisdictions where alternative practices are sufficiently widespread should be licensed and regulated, they said at a conference organised by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

Alternative medicines are frequently grouped with complimentary or integrative medicines which refer to the same interventions when used in conjunction with mainstream techniques. More focus is required on validation of their process technologies and scientific evaluation, said Dr H.K. Chopra, co-chairman of ASSOCHAM Hospitals and Healthcare Committee.

“Research and development programmes in newly-emerging and challenging areas of science in Ayurveda need to be encouraged so that they can be marketed worldwide,” he said. A recent systematic review of studies in 13 countries concludes that about 31 per cent of cancer patients use some form of complimentary and alternative medicines.

Dr J.D. Sarangi, special secretary at the Delhi government’s department of health and family welfare, said the growing interest in alternative medicines is a positive symbol for the medical community which has started moving from a narrow approach to more holistic remedies.
However, the scientific community has to debate that in the era of evidence-based medicine, should official endorsement be given to remedies that cannot be scientifically proven.

Among those present during the inaugural session were Dr C.K. Katiyar, vice-president and head of ayurveda department at Dabur, Dr R.K. Khandal, director at Shriram Institute for Industrial Research, Dr Shikha Sharma, managing director of Nutri-Health Systems, Dr Lalit Verma, secretary at the Central Council of Homeopathy, and Arun Kumar, deputy secretary general of ASSOCHAM.

India invests only one per cent of GDP in primary healthcare centres. The country has an average of 0.6 doctors per 1,000 people against the global average of 1.23. The country’s healthcare sector currently estimated at Rs 3.75 lakh crore is likely to double in volume over the next five years.
 

US-based Indian creates first artificial kidney

New Delhi: US-based Indian origin researcher Shuvo Roy has created the world’s first implantable artificial kidney. What’s sensational about Roy’s creation is that the organ, no larger than a coffee cup, will be able to mimic the kidney’s most vital functions like filtering toxins out of the bloodstream, regulate blood pressure and produce the all important vitamin D. The artificial kidney has been tested successfully on a small number of animals. Large-scale trials on animals and humans are expected over the next five years.

Once available, and if affordable, this creation by the Roy-led team at University of California will do away with the need for kidney dialysis. This will be a boon for all patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). At present in India, of the 1.5 lakh new patients who suffer from endstage renal failure annually, only 3,500 get kidney transplants and 6,000-10,000 undergo dialysis. The rest perish due to an acute shortage of dialysis centres and nephrologists to man them. CKD is rising at a rapid pace in India and the majority of those who perish are either unable to find a suitable organ for transplantation or are unable to pay for the high dialysis costs.

According to Roy, the device has a filtration section to remove toxins from the blood, alongside a compartment with renal cells to conduct other functions of a kidney. He believes the artificial kidney could last for decades and require no pumps or batteries. Patients wouldn’t require anti-rejection drugs (as is required after transplants) either because there would be no exposed natural tissues for the immune system to attack. The University of California team is awaiting approval to conduct larger scale animal and human trials. Already, it has successfully tested the implant in a few rats and pigs. “The payoff to the patient community is tremendous,” said Roy.

“It could have a transformative impact on their lives...With the right financial support, I think we could reach clinical trials in five years. But it’s hard to say how long after that it becomes commercially available due to the uncertainties of the FDA and commercialization prospects.’’

THE ULTIMATE RELIEVER?
The artificial, implantable kidney developed by Dr Shuvo Roy is the size of a coffee cup and is ready for test on humans. If successful, it could replace the need for dialysis and transplants for lakhs of people suffering from chronic kidney diseases

The patient’s blood passes through two stages after entering the device
1- Filter Side: Silicon membranes filter the blood and remove toxins
2 - Cellular Side: A bed of kidney cells (grown with help of tissue engineering) regulates chemical balance of the blood

SHUVO ROY
Roy’s father is from India while his mother is a Bangladeshi. Born in Bangladesh, young Roy spent some time in India as well. Studied in Uganda, where his father was a doctor. Went to US for higher studies

KIDNEY DISEASE IN INDIA
Every year, 1.5 lakh new patients end up suffering from end-stage renal failure. Only 3,500 get transplants and 6,000 undergo dialysis. The rest die due to shortage of dialysis centres and nephrologists Patient undergoing dialysis  spends 10,000 a month, with the  process taking up to 72 hours ‘

Artificial kidney will be boon for India’
So what would this artificial kidney mean for India? ‘‘It will be a real boon,’’ said Dr S C Tiwari, director of nephrology and renal transplantion medicine at Fortis health care. He added: ‘‘The biggest problem with CKD patients in India is that majority of them are diagnosed in the final stages where they would either require constant dialysis or a transplant. They would require dialysis three times week. However, of the two lakh CKD patients requiring dialysis, only 10,000 get it, mainly because they can’t afford it. Maybe only 1,000 such patients get it for free or at a subsidized rate in government hospitals. The artificial kidney, when available and if affordable, will be a miracle.’’ Dr Madan Bahadur, nephrologist with Mumbai’s Jaslok Hospital added, ‘‘Work on creating tubular cells (that perform the biochemical work of the kidney) began a decade back. But bio-chemical engineering has so far not managed to replicate the kidney.’’ According to Dr Jitendra Kumar, head of nephrology at Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, the main reason why this artificial kidney will be a real breakthrough is because it will be able to mimic the vital functions of a kidney like regulate BP and produce vitamin D — things a dialysis can’t do.

Kidney disease rising in India: Doctors

New Delhi: Lack of physical activity, unhealthy diet, smoking and drinking are some of the reasons that are resulting in an increased number of chronic kidney diseases - especially among women - in both rural and urban India.

With World Kidney Day celebrated March 8, doctors opined that immediate measures should be taken to the curb the rising numbers.

"Diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high uric acid are on the rise and kidney disease is very common in these metabolic conditions," said Jitender Kumar, Senior nephrologist and department Head, Nephrology, Asian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS), IANS report said.

Talking about the rise of kidney disease in women, Kumar said that the lifestyle among women is changing and an increasing number of metabolic disorders are affecting them-- not only in the higher strata but lower too.

"Consuming junk food and smoking is common among females today. Even in lower strata of society, smoking "beedis" and "hookahs" is rampant," said Kumar.

"Last year alone, we observed out of 1,200 deliveries, many women had high sugar, high blood pressure, gestational diabetes and hypertension. Out of 11,000 dialysis done last year, around 40 percent were women patients."

Talking about preventive measures Sanjeev Saxena, Nephrologist, PSRI Hospital, said that there was low awareness in India about the disease and its preventive measures.

"In most cases, the disease is only identified at an advanced stage or end stage. It's important that people are aware and realize the importance of timely intervention," he said.

According to doctors, in India, estimates indicate that anywhere between 200,000 and 400,000 people develop end stage kidney disease (kidney failure) each year.

Agreed, Sunil Prakash, Nephrologist, BLK Superspeciality hospital: "Given the difficult circumstances, it's best to promote simple screenings such as urine and blood tests as well as ultrasound, particularly for patients with diabetes and hypertension."

"Timely diagnosis and treatment can most certainly delay and even prevent kidney failure, totally avoiding the need for troublesome dialysis," he added.

More and more Indians should donate their kidneys, expressed the doctors further.

A healthy teen is never an ager

Teenagers who turn their backs on a healthy lifestyle and turn to drink, cigarettes and junk food are significantly unhappier than their healthier peers. New research also shows that 12-13 is a catalyst age when young people turn away from the healthy habits of their younger years and start to get involved in risky behaviours.

The research, which used information from Understanding Society, a long-term study of 40,000 UK households funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), looked at the responses of 5,000 young people between the ages of 10-15 to questions about their health-related behaviours and levels of happiness. The results show that:

• Young people who never drank any alcohol were between four and six times more likely to have higher levels of happiness than those who reported any alcohol consumption.
  
  
• Youth who smoked were about five times less likely to have high happiness scores compared to those who never smoked.
  
  
• Higher consumption of fruit and vegetables and lower consumption of crisps, sweets and fizzy drinks were both associated with high happiness.
  
  
• The more hours of sport youth participated in per week the happier they were.
  

Researchers at the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex believe the data showed that unhealthy behaviours such as smoking, drinking alcohol and taking no exercise are closely linked to substantially lower happiness scores among teenagers, even when socio-demographic factors such as gender, age, family income and parent's education are taken into account.

Twelve per cent of 13-15 year olds reported that they smoked compared with two per cent of 10-12 year olds.  The figures for alcohol consumption were even more striking with eight per cent of 10-12 year olds reporting having had an alcoholic drink in the last month rising to 41 per cent amongst 13-15 year olds.

The research also showed that between the ages of 13 and 15, when young people are given more autonomy over their lifestyle choices, their food consumption becomes less healthy and their participation in exercise reduces.

Only 11 per cent of those aged 13-15 years reported consumption of 5 or more portions of fruit and vegetables per day and even amongst the 10-12 year olds less than a fifth reported eating fruit and vegetables 5 or more times per day.

Dr Cara Booker, one of the co-authors of the research said: "What this research shows us is that young people across the social spectrum are failing to eat healthy balanced diets and are starting to consume alcohol at a young age.

This is storing up problems for later life, because we know that there are clear long-term links between health-related behaviours and well-being in adulthood.  Helping young people to reduce damaging health choices as they start making independent decisions are important in order to reduce the number of adults at risk from chronic disease because of their low well-being and poor health-related behaviours."

Scientists unfold reasons for weak memory and brain aging

Diet lacking in omega-3 fatty acids -- nutrients found in fish -- may weaken memory and also accelerate brain ageing, according to a new study.

"People with lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids had lower brain volumes that were equivalent to about two years of structural brain ageing," said study author Zaldy S. Tan, geriatrics researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles. 

Some 1,575 people with an average age of 67-years and free of dementia, underwent MRI brain scans. They were also given tests to measure mental function, body mass and the omega-3 fatty acid levels in their red blood cells, the journal Neurology reports. 

Researchers found that people whose docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acids compound) levels were among the bottom 25 percent of the participants had lower brain volume compared to people who had higher DHA levels, according to a statement. 

Similarly, participants with levels of all omega-3 fatty acids in the bottom 25 percent also scored lower on tests of visual memory and executive function, such as problem solving and multi-tasking and abstract thinking.