Memory :: Neurotransmitters
A neurotransmitter is a chemical in the brain that helps regulate the electrical signals between neurons. Neurotransmitters exist in little pockets, inside the nerve cells, called vesicles. When an electrical signal triggers the neuron, these vesicles float to the cell membrane and release their neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitters then jump across the synapse and bind to receptors on adjacent neurons.
How the adjacent neuron reacts to the neurotransmitters depends on a number of factors. There are many different types of neurotransmitters produce different results. Some cause the adjacent neuron to trigger and others suppress triggering. It is the combined effect of all the neurotransmitters that determines what happens to the signal.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
53% of x-rays are of little use in diagnosis: IAEA
53% of x-rays are of little use in diagnosis: IAEA
31 May 2008, 0150 hrs IST,Kounteya Sinha ,TNN
NEW DELHI: Your x-ray may not be giving your doctor a clear picture of what's wrong with your health. In a largescale study done by the International Atomic Energy Agency in 12 countries in Europe, Asia and Africa, nearly 53% of the x-ray tests done in 45 hospitals were found to be of poor image quality, compromising the accuracy of the diagnosis and exposing patients to unnecessary radiation.
The study, published in the June edition of the American Journal of Roentgenology, was spearheaded by Dr Madan Rehani of IAEA's division of radiation. Dr Rehani was professor of medical physics at AIIMS till 2001.
Though India was not part of the survey — Thailand being the only Asian country studied — Dr Rehani and experts in India said the standard of x-ray examinations in the country would be just as bad. Dr Rehani told TOI from Vienna that poor image quality of x-rays constituted a major source of unnecessary radiation for patients in developing countries.
"Even as use of x-rays in medical care is growing in developing countries, information about both the quality of x-ray images and patient doses is grossly lacking at many hospitals. Through our study, we found three reasons behind poor x-ray imaging — malfunctioning of x-ray equipment, inappropriate technique and lack of expertise of the operator," Dr Rehani said.
According to IAEA, every day across the world, radiation is used in more than 10 million diagnostic procedures, 1,00,000 nuclear medicine procedures and for the radiation treatment of over 10,000 patients.
Dr Rehani said, "Every day, about 10 million radiological examinations are performed. More than 90% of these are radiographic examinations like chest and abdomen x-ray. In radiographic examinations, our study has shown that poor quality images are very large (4% to 53%). Even if one takes a conservative figure of 10%, it means about a million poor quality images are generated every day."
'Repeated x-rays can lead to cancer'
Dr Madan Rehani of IAEA's division of radiation said that the cost of getting an x-ray should drive providers to ensure that patients aren't exposed to unnecessary radiation.
"The health ministry should be aware of the magnitude of this problem and ensure quality control of x-rays. Our study also showed that improvement in image quality to the tune of 13% in Asia, 16% in Africa and 22% in Europe was achieved by putting in place quality control programmes," Dr Rehani said.
31 May 2008, 0150 hrs IST,Kounteya Sinha ,TNN
NEW DELHI: Your x-ray may not be giving your doctor a clear picture of what's wrong with your health. In a largescale study done by the International Atomic Energy Agency in 12 countries in Europe, Asia and Africa, nearly 53% of the x-ray tests done in 45 hospitals were found to be of poor image quality, compromising the accuracy of the diagnosis and exposing patients to unnecessary radiation.
The study, published in the June edition of the American Journal of Roentgenology, was spearheaded by Dr Madan Rehani of IAEA's division of radiation. Dr Rehani was professor of medical physics at AIIMS till 2001.
Though India was not part of the survey — Thailand being the only Asian country studied — Dr Rehani and experts in India said the standard of x-ray examinations in the country would be just as bad. Dr Rehani told TOI from Vienna that poor image quality of x-rays constituted a major source of unnecessary radiation for patients in developing countries.
"Even as use of x-rays in medical care is growing in developing countries, information about both the quality of x-ray images and patient doses is grossly lacking at many hospitals. Through our study, we found three reasons behind poor x-ray imaging — malfunctioning of x-ray equipment, inappropriate technique and lack of expertise of the operator," Dr Rehani said.
According to IAEA, every day across the world, radiation is used in more than 10 million diagnostic procedures, 1,00,000 nuclear medicine procedures and for the radiation treatment of over 10,000 patients.
Dr Rehani said, "Every day, about 10 million radiological examinations are performed. More than 90% of these are radiographic examinations like chest and abdomen x-ray. In radiographic examinations, our study has shown that poor quality images are very large (4% to 53%). Even if one takes a conservative figure of 10%, it means about a million poor quality images are generated every day."
'Repeated x-rays can lead to cancer'
Dr Madan Rehani of IAEA's division of radiation said that the cost of getting an x-ray should drive providers to ensure that patients aren't exposed to unnecessary radiation.
"The health ministry should be aware of the magnitude of this problem and ensure quality control of x-rays. Our study also showed that improvement in image quality to the tune of 13% in Asia, 16% in Africa and 22% in Europe was achieved by putting in place quality control programmes," Dr Rehani said.
Woman gave birth after carrying an ectopic pregnancy
Baby Born After Rare Ovarian Pregnancy
Australian Woman Gives Birth to Healthy Baby After Rare Full-Term Ectopic Pregnancy
SYDNEY, Australia May 30, 2008 (AP)
The Associated Press
Pregnant
Woman gave birth after carrying an ectopic pregnancy to full term.
A woman in a northern Australian city gave birth to a healthy baby girl after a rare full-term ectopic pregnancy, a hospital official said Friday.
Meera Thangarajah, 34, had no symptoms or complications during her pregnancy, so doctors performing a routine Caesarean section Thursday were shocked to find that the baby had developed in the ovary rather than the uterus.
An ectopic pregnancy, which occurs when a fertilized egg develops outside of the uterus, usually miscarries or is terminated by doctors because of the threat it can cause to the mother.
Baby Durga weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces, and both she and her mother are healthy, said Robyn Cahill, general manager of the Darwin Private Hospital.
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"We're calling it a miracle," Cahill told The Associated Press.
The baby's father, Ravi Thangarajah, told Nine Network television that doctors had told him, "You're one of the luckiest men in the world at the moment."
But Cahill said the mother had no complications or symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy, and it did not show up on a scan halfway through the pregnancy. She said only 1 in 40,000 fertilizations implant in the ovary, and it is unheard of that one of those fetuses grow to full term, generally 37 weeks.
Durga was born at 38 weeks.
"It is extremely rare," said Mark Erian, a specialist in high-risk obstetrics at the University of Queensland. "I have never seen a case that progresses until fetal viability. She was absolutely lucky to have the pregnancy progress."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Australian Woman Gives Birth to Healthy Baby After Rare Full-Term Ectopic Pregnancy
SYDNEY, Australia May 30, 2008 (AP)
The Associated Press
Pregnant
Woman gave birth after carrying an ectopic pregnancy to full term.
A woman in a northern Australian city gave birth to a healthy baby girl after a rare full-term ectopic pregnancy, a hospital official said Friday.
Meera Thangarajah, 34, had no symptoms or complications during her pregnancy, so doctors performing a routine Caesarean section Thursday were shocked to find that the baby had developed in the ovary rather than the uterus.
An ectopic pregnancy, which occurs when a fertilized egg develops outside of the uterus, usually miscarries or is terminated by doctors because of the threat it can cause to the mother.
Baby Durga weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces, and both she and her mother are healthy, said Robyn Cahill, general manager of the Darwin Private Hospital.
Related
Elective C-Sections Up Preemie Births
FDA Proposes New Drug Labeling for Women
Shocking the Brain Into Feeling Happy
"We're calling it a miracle," Cahill told The Associated Press.
The baby's father, Ravi Thangarajah, told Nine Network television that doctors had told him, "You're one of the luckiest men in the world at the moment."
But Cahill said the mother had no complications or symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy, and it did not show up on a scan halfway through the pregnancy. She said only 1 in 40,000 fertilizations implant in the ovary, and it is unheard of that one of those fetuses grow to full term, generally 37 weeks.
Durga was born at 38 weeks.
"It is extremely rare," said Mark Erian, a specialist in high-risk obstetrics at the University of Queensland. "I have never seen a case that progresses until fetal viability. She was absolutely lucky to have the pregnancy progress."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Paints damage semen quality: report
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Paints damage semen quality: report
London: Exposure to paints can make you infertile, for a new study has revealed that chemicals used in emulsion damage semen quality in males.
Researchers in Britain have found that men who regularly work with paints that include widely used solvents such as glycol ethers are 2.5 times more likely to have a low sperm count than those who use the substances infrequently.
According to lead researcher Andy Povey of Manchester University, "We know that certain glycol ethers can affect male fertility and the use of these has reduced over the past two decades.
"However, our results suggest that they are still a workplace hazard and that further work is needed to reduce such exposure."
The study, undertaken by the researchers from Manchester and Sheffield Universities, at 14 fertility clinics in 11 cities across Britain, examined the working lives of 2,118 men.
They found that men who had undergone previous surgery to the testicles or who undertook manual work were more likely to have low motile sperm counts, whereas men who drank alcohol regularly or wore boxer shorts were more likely to have better semen quality.
The researchers concluded that, apart from glycol ether, there are currently few work place chemical threats to male fertility. "Glycol ethers continue to be a work place hazard and as such may warrant measures to ensure scrupulous control," the British media quoted Povey as saying.
Added co-researcher Dr Allan Pacey of the University of Sheffield: "Infertile men are often concerned about whether chemicals they are exposed to in the workplace are harming their fertility. Therefore it is reassuring to know that on the whole the risk seems to be quite low." The results of the study have been published in the 'Occupational Environmental Medicine' journal.
© Copyright 2008 HT Media Ltd. All rights reserved.
Paints damage semen quality: report
London: Exposure to paints can make you infertile, for a new study has revealed that chemicals used in emulsion damage semen quality in males.
Researchers in Britain have found that men who regularly work with paints that include widely used solvents such as glycol ethers are 2.5 times more likely to have a low sperm count than those who use the substances infrequently.
According to lead researcher Andy Povey of Manchester University, "We know that certain glycol ethers can affect male fertility and the use of these has reduced over the past two decades.
"However, our results suggest that they are still a workplace hazard and that further work is needed to reduce such exposure."
The study, undertaken by the researchers from Manchester and Sheffield Universities, at 14 fertility clinics in 11 cities across Britain, examined the working lives of 2,118 men.
They found that men who had undergone previous surgery to the testicles or who undertook manual work were more likely to have low motile sperm counts, whereas men who drank alcohol regularly or wore boxer shorts were more likely to have better semen quality.
The researchers concluded that, apart from glycol ether, there are currently few work place chemical threats to male fertility. "Glycol ethers continue to be a work place hazard and as such may warrant measures to ensure scrupulous control," the British media quoted Povey as saying.
Added co-researcher Dr Allan Pacey of the University of Sheffield: "Infertile men are often concerned about whether chemicals they are exposed to in the workplace are harming their fertility. Therefore it is reassuring to know that on the whole the risk seems to be quite low." The results of the study have been published in the 'Occupational Environmental Medicine' journal.
© Copyright 2008 HT Media Ltd. All rights reserved.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Older Brain, Wiser Brain
Older Brain Really May Be a Wiser Brain
By SARA REISTAD-LONG
Published: May 20, 2008
When older people can no longer remember names at a cocktail party, they tend to think that their brainpower is declining. But a growing number of studies suggest that this assumption is often wrong.
Instead, the research finds, the aging brain is simply taking in more data and trying to sift through a clutter of information, often to its long-term benefit.
The studies are analyzed in a new edition of a neurology book, “Progress in Brain Research.”
Some brains do deteriorate with age. Alzheimer’s disease, for example, strikes 13 percent of Americans 65 and older. But for most aging adults, the authors say, much of what occurs is a gradually widening focus of attention that makes it more difficult to latch onto just one fact, like a name or a telephone number. Although that can be frustrating, it is often useful.
“It may be that distractibility is not, in fact, a bad thing,” said Shelley H. Carson, a psychology researcher at Harvard whose work was cited in the book. “It may increase the amount of information available to the conscious mind.”
For example, in studies where subjects are asked to read passages that are interrupted with unexpected words or phrases, adults 60 and older work much more slowly than college students. Although the students plow through the texts at a consistent speed regardless of what the out-of-place words mean, older people slow down even more when the words are related to the topic at hand. That indicates that they are not just stumbling over the extra information, but are taking it in and processing it.
When both groups were later asked questions for which the out-of-place words might be answers, the older adults responded much better than the students.
“For the young people, it’s as if the distraction never happened,” said an author of the review, Lynn Hasher, a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto and a senior scientist at the Rotman Research Institute. “But for older adults, because they’ve retained all this extra data, they’re now suddenly the better problem solvers. They can transfer the information they’ve soaked up from one situation to another.”
Such tendencies can yield big advantages in the real world, where it is not always clear what information is important, or will become important. A seemingly irrelevant point or suggestion in a memo can take on new meaning if the original plan changes. Or extra details that stole your attention, like others’ yawning and fidgeting, may help you assess the speaker’s real impact.
“A broad attention span may enable older adults to ultimately know more about a situation and the indirect message of what’s going on than their younger peers,” Dr. Hasher said. “We believe that this characteristic may play a significant role in why we think of older people as wiser.”
In a 2003 study at Harvard, Dr. Carson and other researchers tested students’ ability to tune out irrelevant information when exposed to a barrage of stimuli. The more creative the students were thought to be, determined by a questionnaire on past achievements, the more trouble they had ignoring the unwanted data. A reduced ability to filter and set priorities, the scientists concluded, could contribute to original thinking.
This phenomenon, Dr. Carson said, is often linked to a decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex. Studies have found that people who suffered an injury or disease that lowered activity in that region became more interested in creative pursuits.
Jacqui Smith, a professor of psychology and research professor at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, who was not involved in the current research, said there was a word for what results when the mind is able to assimilate data and put it in its proper place — wisdom.
“These findings are all very consistent with the context we’re building for what wisdom is,” she said. “If older people are taking in more information from a situation, and they’re then able to combine it with their comparatively greater store of general knowledge, they’re going to have a nice advantage.” (The New York Times)
By SARA REISTAD-LONG
Published: May 20, 2008
When older people can no longer remember names at a cocktail party, they tend to think that their brainpower is declining. But a growing number of studies suggest that this assumption is often wrong.
Instead, the research finds, the aging brain is simply taking in more data and trying to sift through a clutter of information, often to its long-term benefit.
The studies are analyzed in a new edition of a neurology book, “Progress in Brain Research.”
Some brains do deteriorate with age. Alzheimer’s disease, for example, strikes 13 percent of Americans 65 and older. But for most aging adults, the authors say, much of what occurs is a gradually widening focus of attention that makes it more difficult to latch onto just one fact, like a name or a telephone number. Although that can be frustrating, it is often useful.
“It may be that distractibility is not, in fact, a bad thing,” said Shelley H. Carson, a psychology researcher at Harvard whose work was cited in the book. “It may increase the amount of information available to the conscious mind.”
For example, in studies where subjects are asked to read passages that are interrupted with unexpected words or phrases, adults 60 and older work much more slowly than college students. Although the students plow through the texts at a consistent speed regardless of what the out-of-place words mean, older people slow down even more when the words are related to the topic at hand. That indicates that they are not just stumbling over the extra information, but are taking it in and processing it.
When both groups were later asked questions for which the out-of-place words might be answers, the older adults responded much better than the students.
“For the young people, it’s as if the distraction never happened,” said an author of the review, Lynn Hasher, a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto and a senior scientist at the Rotman Research Institute. “But for older adults, because they’ve retained all this extra data, they’re now suddenly the better problem solvers. They can transfer the information they’ve soaked up from one situation to another.”
Such tendencies can yield big advantages in the real world, where it is not always clear what information is important, or will become important. A seemingly irrelevant point or suggestion in a memo can take on new meaning if the original plan changes. Or extra details that stole your attention, like others’ yawning and fidgeting, may help you assess the speaker’s real impact.
“A broad attention span may enable older adults to ultimately know more about a situation and the indirect message of what’s going on than their younger peers,” Dr. Hasher said. “We believe that this characteristic may play a significant role in why we think of older people as wiser.”
In a 2003 study at Harvard, Dr. Carson and other researchers tested students’ ability to tune out irrelevant information when exposed to a barrage of stimuli. The more creative the students were thought to be, determined by a questionnaire on past achievements, the more trouble they had ignoring the unwanted data. A reduced ability to filter and set priorities, the scientists concluded, could contribute to original thinking.
This phenomenon, Dr. Carson said, is often linked to a decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex. Studies have found that people who suffered an injury or disease that lowered activity in that region became more interested in creative pursuits.
Jacqui Smith, a professor of psychology and research professor at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, who was not involved in the current research, said there was a word for what results when the mind is able to assimilate data and put it in its proper place — wisdom.
“These findings are all very consistent with the context we’re building for what wisdom is,” she said. “If older people are taking in more information from a situation, and they’re then able to combine it with their comparatively greater store of general knowledge, they’re going to have a nice advantage.” (The New York Times)
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Mommy's Bliss Baby's Grief: Harmful Nipple creams
FDA Warns Mothers About Nipple Cream
FDA warns nursing mothers against using nipple cream
WASHINGTON May 24, 2008 (AP)
nursing mother
The FDA has warned Mommy's Bliss Nipple Cream contains ingredients that may cause respiratory distress, vomiting and diarrhea in infants.
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday warned women not to use or purchase Mommy's Bliss Nipple Cream, marketed by MOM Enterprises Inc. of San Rafael, Calif.
The cream, promoted to nursing mothers to help soothe dry or cracked nipples, contains ingredients that may cause respiratory distress, vomiting and diarrhea in infants, the agency said.
The potentially harmful ingredients in the cream are chlorphenesin and phenoxyethanol.
FDA warns nursing mothers against using nipple cream
WASHINGTON May 24, 2008 (AP)
nursing mother
The FDA has warned Mommy's Bliss Nipple Cream contains ingredients that may cause respiratory distress, vomiting and diarrhea in infants.
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday warned women not to use or purchase Mommy's Bliss Nipple Cream, marketed by MOM Enterprises Inc. of San Rafael, Calif.
The cream, promoted to nursing mothers to help soothe dry or cracked nipples, contains ingredients that may cause respiratory distress, vomiting and diarrhea in infants, the agency said.
The potentially harmful ingredients in the cream are chlorphenesin and phenoxyethanol.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Mediclaim can't be denied for pre-existing diseases: SC
Mediclaim can't be denied for pre-existing diseases: SC
23 May 2008, 2112 hrs IST,PTI
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has ruled that public sector insurance companies cannot refuse to provide medical cover policies to those suffering from pre-existing diseases and said such an action was arbitrary, illegal and unconstitutional.
A bench of Justices S B Sinha and V S Sirpurkar also asked the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA) to frame suitable guidelines to ensure that insurance companies, both from public sector and private sector, do not indulge in the unethical practice of denying medical insurance facility to the public.
The apex court said public sector insurance companies in particular cannot indulge in such unhealthy practice as they are "State" within the meaning of Article 12 of the Constitution and were expected to be fair and reasonable in their dealings with the public.
"Only because the insured had started suffering from a disease, the same would not mean that the said disease shall be excluded. If the insured had made some claim in each year, the insurance company should not refuse to renew insurance policies only for that reason.," the bench said in its judgement.
The apex court passed the observation while dismissing a batch of petitions filed by public sector insurance companies against the Delhi and Gujarat High Court directions that they had no right to deny medical insurance facility to those suffering from pre-existing diseases or diseases contracted during the subsistence of a policy.
23 May 2008, 2112 hrs IST,PTI
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has ruled that public sector insurance companies cannot refuse to provide medical cover policies to those suffering from pre-existing diseases and said such an action was arbitrary, illegal and unconstitutional.
A bench of Justices S B Sinha and V S Sirpurkar also asked the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA) to frame suitable guidelines to ensure that insurance companies, both from public sector and private sector, do not indulge in the unethical practice of denying medical insurance facility to the public.
The apex court said public sector insurance companies in particular cannot indulge in such unhealthy practice as they are "State" within the meaning of Article 12 of the Constitution and were expected to be fair and reasonable in their dealings with the public.
"Only because the insured had started suffering from a disease, the same would not mean that the said disease shall be excluded. If the insured had made some claim in each year, the insurance company should not refuse to renew insurance policies only for that reason.," the bench said in its judgement.
The apex court passed the observation while dismissing a batch of petitions filed by public sector insurance companies against the Delhi and Gujarat High Court directions that they had no right to deny medical insurance facility to those suffering from pre-existing diseases or diseases contracted during the subsistence of a policy.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
The Supreme Court to the rescue of senior citizens
Elderly can't be denied medical insurance: SC
23 May 2008, 0117 hrs IST,Dhananjay Mahapatra,TNN
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has come to the rescue of senior citizens who are often refused renewal of their mediclaim policies even by public sector insurance firms only because they need frequent hospitalization which leads to higher reimbursement claims.
The court has frowned upon the practice of insurance companies seeking hefty increases in the renewal premium - a clear disincentive for elderly policy holders - as also the insistence on excluding cover for a particular ailment for which hospitalization is required.
The court asked public sector insurance companies not to follow their private sector counterparts in heartlessly turning down requests for renewal of mediclaim policies just because their clients had to be hospitalized.
The Centre, through solicitor general G E Vahanvati, argued that the insurance sector had been opened up and such conditions relating to societal obligations on the public sector players alone would put them in a position of disadvantage vis-a-vis private players.
Differentiating between public-sector and private insurance companies, a bench comprising Justices S B Sinha and V S Sirpurkar said the action of government-supported companies, which could be classified as "state", must be fair and reasonable even in cases of renewal of mediclaim policies.
Observing that it would be unfair on the part of public sector insurance companies to deny senior citizens their rights to hold a mediclaim policy, the court also took a dig at the government’s catchy ‘‘Health for All’’ policy and the abysmal ground realities.
"On one hand, we cannot forget the new market economy and the foreign direct investment, but on the other,
we also cannot shut our eyes to the ground realities. There is a huge gap between the high-sounding words of the government and the realities on the ground," said Justice Sinha, writing the judgment for the bench.
The court agreed with the solicitor general that onerous conditions could not be binding on one player, disadvantaging it in a free market economy, but at the same time, it refused to compromise on its view that PSUs had to share the social commitment objectives propagated by the government.
Anguished at the prevalent practices relating to renewal of mediclaim policies, the court asked the regulatory body, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority, to lay down clear guidelines that would be applicable to all players - public sector companies as well as private ones.
Three senior citizens had moved the Gujarat HC against the arbitrary refusal of public sector insurance companies to renew their mediclaim policies even though they had paid the renewal premium. The HC had ruled in their favour. The insurance companies challenged the verdict in the SC.
In the first case, an old man had to undergo angioplasty twice in three years. Though the expenses were reimbursed, the insurance company demanded 300% increase in the premium. When the insured agreed to this and paid the money, the company wanted to exclude heart ailments from his insurance cover.
In the second case, a neurologist, practising since 1961, was also subjected to similar treatment and told that his mediclaim policy would be renewed only if the ailment, which was requiring frequent hospitalization, was excluded from the policy. In the third case, the policy was abruptly cancelled and the insurer was asked to take a policy from another company.
(dhananjay.mahapatra@timesgroup.com)
23 May 2008, 0117 hrs IST,Dhananjay Mahapatra,TNN
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has come to the rescue of senior citizens who are often refused renewal of their mediclaim policies even by public sector insurance firms only because they need frequent hospitalization which leads to higher reimbursement claims.
The court has frowned upon the practice of insurance companies seeking hefty increases in the renewal premium - a clear disincentive for elderly policy holders - as also the insistence on excluding cover for a particular ailment for which hospitalization is required.
The court asked public sector insurance companies not to follow their private sector counterparts in heartlessly turning down requests for renewal of mediclaim policies just because their clients had to be hospitalized.
The Centre, through solicitor general G E Vahanvati, argued that the insurance sector had been opened up and such conditions relating to societal obligations on the public sector players alone would put them in a position of disadvantage vis-a-vis private players.
Differentiating between public-sector and private insurance companies, a bench comprising Justices S B Sinha and V S Sirpurkar said the action of government-supported companies, which could be classified as "state", must be fair and reasonable even in cases of renewal of mediclaim policies.
Observing that it would be unfair on the part of public sector insurance companies to deny senior citizens their rights to hold a mediclaim policy, the court also took a dig at the government’s catchy ‘‘Health for All’’ policy and the abysmal ground realities.
"On one hand, we cannot forget the new market economy and the foreign direct investment, but on the other,
we also cannot shut our eyes to the ground realities. There is a huge gap between the high-sounding words of the government and the realities on the ground," said Justice Sinha, writing the judgment for the bench.
The court agreed with the solicitor general that onerous conditions could not be binding on one player, disadvantaging it in a free market economy, but at the same time, it refused to compromise on its view that PSUs had to share the social commitment objectives propagated by the government.
Anguished at the prevalent practices relating to renewal of mediclaim policies, the court asked the regulatory body, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority, to lay down clear guidelines that would be applicable to all players - public sector companies as well as private ones.
Three senior citizens had moved the Gujarat HC against the arbitrary refusal of public sector insurance companies to renew their mediclaim policies even though they had paid the renewal premium. The HC had ruled in their favour. The insurance companies challenged the verdict in the SC.
In the first case, an old man had to undergo angioplasty twice in three years. Though the expenses were reimbursed, the insurance company demanded 300% increase in the premium. When the insured agreed to this and paid the money, the company wanted to exclude heart ailments from his insurance cover.
In the second case, a neurologist, practising since 1961, was also subjected to similar treatment and told that his mediclaim policy would be renewed only if the ailment, which was requiring frequent hospitalization, was excluded from the policy. In the third case, the policy was abruptly cancelled and the insurer was asked to take a policy from another company.
(dhananjay.mahapatra@timesgroup.com)
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Pune Doctors laparoscopically removes 410 gm adrenal tumour
Pune doctors seek Guinness fame
21 May 2008, 0529 hrs IST,Umesh Isalkar,TNN
PUNE: A team of surgeons of the Ruby Hall Clinic recently laparoscopically removed an enormous 13.5 cm adrenal tumour weighing around 410 gm from a 36-year-old man. It was done while operating him for adrenal malfunctioning.
This is the first of its kind laproscopic operation in the world in which a tumour of such huge size has been removed, they claim. The surgeons have applied with the Guinness Book of World Records to get a mention of their surgical feat in the book.
"Normally, tumours measuring more than 7 cm are removed through open surgery. The biggest tumour removed laparoscopically before this measured around 9.5 cm. The one we removed measured 13.5 cm and this is a record," said Dr Shashank Shah, one of the senior surgeons in the team.
The patient reported severe right side abdominal pain. He had this complaint for more than three months. "He came to the clinic when the pain started worsening," said Dr Shah. Besides, the patient was also suffering from vomiting intermittently and restlessness, said Shah.
After medical investigations, we found a huge tumour just below the
liver and above the kidney, said
Dr Sanjay Ambagade, one of the team members. The patient weighed 135 kg. Considering the patient's high body mass index, it was difficult to conduct an open surgery due to lot of fat obstruction.
"Even if we had opted for open surgery, the post-operative management would have been difficult both for the patient and the doctors. Therefore,
we decided to go for laparoscopy after getting the patient's consent," said
Ambagade.
With an incision of 4.3 cm, the operation lasted around three-and-a-half hours. A huge tumour made up of adenoid cells and firm in consistency was taken out with the help of abdominal retractor, said Dr Ambagade.
The operation was performed on May 1 and the patient was given discharge on May 4 and now he is doing well, said Dr Ambagade. Dr Jayshree Todkar was one among the team of three surgeons who achieved this surgical feat.
21 May 2008, 0529 hrs IST,Umesh Isalkar,TNN
PUNE: A team of surgeons of the Ruby Hall Clinic recently laparoscopically removed an enormous 13.5 cm adrenal tumour weighing around 410 gm from a 36-year-old man. It was done while operating him for adrenal malfunctioning.
This is the first of its kind laproscopic operation in the world in which a tumour of such huge size has been removed, they claim. The surgeons have applied with the Guinness Book of World Records to get a mention of their surgical feat in the book.
"Normally, tumours measuring more than 7 cm are removed through open surgery. The biggest tumour removed laparoscopically before this measured around 9.5 cm. The one we removed measured 13.5 cm and this is a record," said Dr Shashank Shah, one of the senior surgeons in the team.
The patient reported severe right side abdominal pain. He had this complaint for more than three months. "He came to the clinic when the pain started worsening," said Dr Shah. Besides, the patient was also suffering from vomiting intermittently and restlessness, said Shah.
After medical investigations, we found a huge tumour just below the
liver and above the kidney, said
Dr Sanjay Ambagade, one of the team members. The patient weighed 135 kg. Considering the patient's high body mass index, it was difficult to conduct an open surgery due to lot of fat obstruction.
"Even if we had opted for open surgery, the post-operative management would have been difficult both for the patient and the doctors. Therefore,
we decided to go for laparoscopy after getting the patient's consent," said
Ambagade.
With an incision of 4.3 cm, the operation lasted around three-and-a-half hours. A huge tumour made up of adenoid cells and firm in consistency was taken out with the help of abdominal retractor, said Dr Ambagade.
The operation was performed on May 1 and the patient was given discharge on May 4 and now he is doing well, said Dr Ambagade. Dr Jayshree Todkar was one among the team of three surgeons who achieved this surgical feat.
Lifestyle diseases to cost India $237 bn by 2015
Lifestyle diseases to cost India $237 bn by 2015
20 May 2008, 0304 hrs IST,Kounteya Sinha,TNN
NEW DELHI: Smoking, consuming high-calorie fast food and being a couch potato will not only cut short your lifespan but will also cost the country dear.
A report, jointly prepared by the World Health Organization and the World Economic Forum, says India will incur an accumulated loss of $236.6 billion by 2015 on account of unhealthy lifestyles and faulty diet.
The resultant chronic diseases - heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and respiratory infections - which are ailments of long duration and slow progression, will severely affect people's earnings.
The income loss to Indians because of these diseases, which was $8.7 billion in 2005, is projected to rise to $54 billion in 2015. Pakistan would face an accumulated loss of $30.7 billion with income loss increasing by $5.5 billion to $6.7 billion by 2015.
China, however, will be worse off. While its accumulated loss will stand at $557.7 billion, the loss of income of the Chinese will stand at $131.8 billion, almost eight times what it was in 2005.
According to the report, which was released at the World Health Assembly in Geneva on Monday, 60% of all deaths worldwide in 2005 - 35 million - resulted from noncommunicable diseases and accounted for 44% of premature deaths.
What's worse, around 80% of these deaths will occur in low and middle-income countries like India who are also crippled by an ever increasing burden of infectious diseases, poor maternal and perinatal conditions and nutritional deficiencies.
Almost half of those who die from chronic diseases will be in their productive years.
The report also points to the fact that countries like Brazil, China, Russia and India currently lose more than 20 million productive life-years annually to chronic diseases. And the number is expected to grow by 65% by 2030.
Calling for the promotion and implementation of workplace health programmes globally, the report says it is possible to influence the health behaviour of a large chunk of the population through workplace environments.
In 2007, nearly 3.1 billion people were economically active. The figure is estimated to exceed 3.6 billion in 2020.
"The cost to employers of morbidity attributed to non-communicable diseases is increasingly rapidly. Workplaces should make possible healthy food choices and support physical activity. Unhealthy diets and excessive energy intake, physical inactivity and tobacco use are major risk factors for non-communicable diseases," the report said.
The study cited scientific evidence that healthy diet and adequate physical activity - at least 30 minutes of moderate activity at least five days a week - helped prevent NCDs.
How to combat, prevent and control NCD is one of the main agenda items in this year's WHA, that kicked off on Monday.
WHO has already prepared a draft plan in order to guide member states like India in working towards initiating a national programme to control NCDs. The plan asks member countries like India to reduce the level of exposure of their population to common modifiable risk factors like tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and alcohol consumption.
India has already initiated a National Programme for Prevention and Control of Diabetes, CVDs and Stroke through a pilot project launched in seven states. Health minister A Ramadoss expressed concern.
"In India, 10% of adults suffer from hypertension while the country is home to 25-30 million diabetics. Three out of every 1,000 people suffer a stroke. The number of deaths due to heart attack is projected to increase from 1.2 million to 2 million in 2010," he said.
20 May 2008, 0304 hrs IST,Kounteya Sinha,TNN
NEW DELHI: Smoking, consuming high-calorie fast food and being a couch potato will not only cut short your lifespan but will also cost the country dear.
A report, jointly prepared by the World Health Organization and the World Economic Forum, says India will incur an accumulated loss of $236.6 billion by 2015 on account of unhealthy lifestyles and faulty diet.
The resultant chronic diseases - heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and respiratory infections - which are ailments of long duration and slow progression, will severely affect people's earnings.
The income loss to Indians because of these diseases, which was $8.7 billion in 2005, is projected to rise to $54 billion in 2015. Pakistan would face an accumulated loss of $30.7 billion with income loss increasing by $5.5 billion to $6.7 billion by 2015.
China, however, will be worse off. While its accumulated loss will stand at $557.7 billion, the loss of income of the Chinese will stand at $131.8 billion, almost eight times what it was in 2005.
According to the report, which was released at the World Health Assembly in Geneva on Monday, 60% of all deaths worldwide in 2005 - 35 million - resulted from noncommunicable diseases and accounted for 44% of premature deaths.
What's worse, around 80% of these deaths will occur in low and middle-income countries like India who are also crippled by an ever increasing burden of infectious diseases, poor maternal and perinatal conditions and nutritional deficiencies.
Almost half of those who die from chronic diseases will be in their productive years.
The report also points to the fact that countries like Brazil, China, Russia and India currently lose more than 20 million productive life-years annually to chronic diseases. And the number is expected to grow by 65% by 2030.
Calling for the promotion and implementation of workplace health programmes globally, the report says it is possible to influence the health behaviour of a large chunk of the population through workplace environments.
In 2007, nearly 3.1 billion people were economically active. The figure is estimated to exceed 3.6 billion in 2020.
"The cost to employers of morbidity attributed to non-communicable diseases is increasingly rapidly. Workplaces should make possible healthy food choices and support physical activity. Unhealthy diets and excessive energy intake, physical inactivity and tobacco use are major risk factors for non-communicable diseases," the report said.
The study cited scientific evidence that healthy diet and adequate physical activity - at least 30 minutes of moderate activity at least five days a week - helped prevent NCDs.
How to combat, prevent and control NCD is one of the main agenda items in this year's WHA, that kicked off on Monday.
WHO has already prepared a draft plan in order to guide member states like India in working towards initiating a national programme to control NCDs. The plan asks member countries like India to reduce the level of exposure of their population to common modifiable risk factors like tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and alcohol consumption.
India has already initiated a National Programme for Prevention and Control of Diabetes, CVDs and Stroke through a pilot project launched in seven states. Health minister A Ramadoss expressed concern.
"In India, 10% of adults suffer from hypertension while the country is home to 25-30 million diabetics. Three out of every 1,000 people suffer a stroke. The number of deaths due to heart attack is projected to increase from 1.2 million to 2 million in 2010," he said.
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