Health

The study finds that chronic kidney diseases are more common in polluted areas vis-a-vis areas with comparatively cleaner air.
Toxic air takes a massive toll on respiratory organs but a new study has found that it could also lead to chronic kidney diseases.
According to a study, conducted by University of Michigan, harmful particles in the air can have a detrimental impact on how the kidney functions. It claims that the ill-effects could be on the lines of smoking. “Similar to smoking, air pollution contains harmful toxins that can directly affect the kidneys,” says Jennifer Bragg-Gresham, the lead author of the study. “Kidneys have a large volume of blood flowing through them, and if anything harms the circulatory system, the kidneys will be the first to sense those effects.”
Bragg-Gresham also points out that high-risk patients – those with diabetes, high blood pressure and those who are obese – living in polluted areas are especially in danger and must take adequate precautions to keep themselves away from harm’s way.
The study also finds that chronic kidney diseases are more common in polluted areas vis-a-vis areas with comparatively cleaner air.
The findings could have a deep impact on Indians as some of the most polluted cities in the world are in India. The capital city of New Delhi is rated as one of the worst with PM 2.5 and PM 10 levels spiking to alarming levels each year – especially in the colder months. While a number of steps have been taken to address the issue, environmentalists mostly agree that these are feeble punches in a war of epic proportions.

Diet, aerobic exercise and reducing stress can lessen the chances of getting Parkinson’s.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common, chronic degenerative disorder of the central nervous system affecting about 10 million people in the world. PD is a disabling disease and affects mobility and locomotion.
It is possible to prevent the risk of acquiring this condition through the following ways.
Diet: “Adequate consumption of greens, vegetables, fruits, proteins, vitamins and anti-oxidants, with reduced carbohydrates help cutting down on the risk of Parkinson’s,” says Bangalore based Dr Udaya Kumar Maiya, who is the medical director for the app Portea Medical.
Get more vitamin D3: Studies have found that many of those with early Parkinson’s are deficient in vitamin D. Get more of this sunshine vitamin through sources such as mushroom and egg yolk. Alternately, one can also get about 15 to 30 minutes of daily exposure to sunlight for vitamin D.
Eat fresh, raw vegetables: “These contain the B vitamin folic acid which is thought to prevent the onset of PD. Some good sources include dark green leafy vegetables avocado, legumes and lentils,” says Dr Udaya.
Increase intake of omega-3 fatty acids: Parkinson’s is an inflammatory disease and omega-3 fatty acids are known for their anti-inflammatory effect. They prevent cell degeneration and death. Some sources include fatty fish such as salmon, eggs, and walnuts.
Green tea: “Green tea contains antioxidants called catechins which eliminate free radicals in the body and prevent inflammation. Certain compounds in green tea also have positive effects on the brain’s neural network,” explains Bangalore based Dr Ramananda Srikantiah Nadig, who is head of the clinical advisory board of the health service, healthi.
Regular aerobic exercise: By improving circulation, aerobic exercise can prevent inflammation in the brain. Regular-to-moderate aerobic exercise can also improve a person’s overall cognitive health.
Along with these, there are various other steps which can be taken for preventing Parkinson’s disease such as exercise, getting enough sleep, preventing stress and maintaining good overall health.

Stress during pregnancy: High levels of the stress hormone cortisol during pregnancy can increase feelings of anxiousness and depression in female offsprings, says a new study.
High maternal levels of the stress hormone cortisol during pregnancy can increase feelings of anxiousness and depression in female offsprings at the tender age of 2, a new study reveals.
The findings emphasise the significance of prenatal conditions for susceptibility of later mental health problems in offsprings. The effect of high maternal cortisol hormone on the negative offspring behaviour appeared to result from patterns of stronger communication between brain regions important for sensory and emotional processing. However, male offsprings of mothers with high cortisol during pregnancy did not demonstrate the stronger brain connectivity or a connection between maternal cortisol and mood symptoms.
“This study measured maternal cortisol during pregnancy in a more comprehensive manner than prior research,” said study author, Alice Graham.
To estimate the overall cortisol level during pregnancy, senior author Claudia Buss and colleagues, measured cortisol levels over multiple days in early, mid and late pregnancy. Measurements taken from the 70 mothers reflected typical variation in maternal cortisol levels.
The researchers then used brain imaging to examine connectivity in the newborns soon after their birth, before the external environment had begun shaping brain development and measured infant anxious and depressive behaviours at the age of 2.
“Higher maternal cortisol during pregnancy was linked to alterations in the newborns’ functional brain connectivity, affecting how different brain regions can communicate with each other,” added Dr Buss.
The altered connectivity involved a brain region important for emotion processing, the amygdala. This pattern of brain connectivity predicted anxious and depressive-like symptoms two years later. The study shows that maternal stress may alter brain connectivity in the developing foetus, which would mean that vulnerability for developing a mood disorder is programmed from birth. This could be an early stage at which the risk for common mental disorders begins to differ in males and females.
The findings appeared in the journal of Biological Psychiatry.

The Swacch Bharat Mission was launched on October 2 of 2014 and aims to bring an end to open defecation in the entire country by 2019.
New Delhi: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has predicted a healthier future for India if the country remains committed to 100 per cent coverage of safe sanitation services by October of 2019 under PM Narendra Modi’s Swacch Bharat Mission.
In a report released on Friday, WHO notes that efforts to speed up safe sanitation and bring an end to open defecation have the significant potential of having a detrimental impact on diarrheal disease and PEM. Its calculations show that 3 lakh deaths can be averted in the country each year and that a cumulative 14 million more years of healthy life could be added in the period measured.
In simple terms, what the report attempts to highlight is that if Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G) – started in 2014 – achieves its outlined objectives, public health and longevity could be enormously boosted.
The numbers and the study itself is significant especially because unsafe sanitation before 2014 reportedly caused 199 million cases of diarrhoea each year.
The study also takes note that a fair distance has been travelled by India since 2014 with household sanitation coverage jumping by over 13 per cent annually between the years 2016 and 2018.
PM Modi himself has been at the helm of the Swacch Bharat Mission and has time and again urged people to adopt safe sanitation practices. In rural areas, people are even provided monetary incentives to help them build toilets. The Swacch Bharat Mission was launched on October 2 of 2014 and aims to bring an end to open defecation in the entire country by 2019.

A blood type is considered rare if fewer than 1 in 1,000 people have it.
A team of doctors, led by Shamee Shastry from Kasturba Medical College (KMC) has identified a rare blood group called ‘pp’ or ‘P null’ phenotype.
A blood type is considered rare if fewer than 1 in 1,000 people have it. The Blood Bank at Kasturba Hospital received samples from a patient who required urgent blood transfusion. The doctors were unable to find a compatible blood unit even after cross-matching with more than 80 units.
Extensive immunohematology workup was performed by the blood bank team and further for confirmation, samples were referred to the International Blood group Reference Laboratory (IBGRL), Bristol, UK for serological testing. With the help of a reference laboratory, it was confirmed that the patient’s cells had the rare ‘pp’ phenotype.
ABO and Rh D are the commonly typed blood group systems. However, there are more than 200 minor blood group antigens known besides A, B and Rh, a press release issued by the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) said.
Dr Poornima Baliga, Pro-vice chancellor of faculty of health sciences, MAHE said that it was for the first time P blood group null phenotype has been detected in India, and she supported the Blood Bank’s initiative to build rare donor registry for the region.
Talking about the discovery, Dr Shamee Shastry, professor and head of the department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion said, “The patient had a very rare ‘P null’ blood group and anti PP1Pk antibody in his blood that has a potential to cause acute intravascular hemolytic reaction to incompatible blood transfusion. Rare donor registry will be of great help in managing such cases. This antibody is also known to cause recurrent abortions in women. Finding compatible unit for such case is a near impossible task without a well-established rare donor panel,” she said.
Dr Kiran Acharya, Professor of Orthopedics and his team performed blood less surgery (Femur fracture repair) once the patient’s hemoglobin was increased to the desired level using other medications.

The graphene-based electronic tattoo developed by scientists from Tsinghua University in China can be easily transferred onto various surfaces such as the human skin.
Chinese scientists have developed skin-like electronic tattoos, that could be used to monitor health parameters such as blood pressure and body temperature in real time.
The graphene-based electronic tattoo developed by scientists from Tsinghua University in China can be easily transferred onto various surfaces such as the human skin, leaves and silk.
Graphene, a super thin material with excellent flexibility and conductivity, is an ideal material for electronic skin, researchers said. It could also be attached to masks and throats to measure body signals such as breathing, heartbeat and voice, according to the research published in the journal ACS Nano.
The electronic skin exhibits high sensitivity and long-term stability. It can withstand higher temperatures and is comfortable to wear, ‘Xinhua’ reported. With laser scribing technology, the pattern of the graphene-based electronic skin can be personalised, a feature that will help future commercialisation.
The electronic skin has huge potential in health care and intelligent systems, scientists said.

According to the researchers, low concentrations of certain long chain fatty acids may be a strong risk factor for preterm birth.
Eating fish or taking a fish oil supplement may reduce the risk of preterm birth among pregnant women with low level of omega-3 fatty acids, a new study has found.
The findings indicated that pregnant women who had low plasma levels of long chain n-3 fatty acids – found in fish oil – in their first and second trimesters were at a significantly higher risk of preterm birth as compared with women who had higher levels of these fatty acids.
The researchers suggest that low concentrations of certain long chain fatty acids – eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (EPA+DHA) – may be a strong risk factor for preterm birth.
“At a time when many pregnant women are hearing messages, encouraging them to avoid intake of fish altogether due to mercury content, our results support the importance of ensuring adequate intake of long chain omega-3 fatty acids in pregnancy,” said lead author Sjurdur F. Olsen from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.
Preterm birth, is a leading cause of neonatal death and is associated with cognitive deficiencies and cardiometabolic problems later in life among survivors.
For the study, published in the journal EbioMedicine, the research team examined 96,000 children in Denmark through questionnaires and registry linkages. They also analysed blood samples from 376 women who gave premature birth (prior to 34 weeks of gestation) between 1996 and 2003 and 348 women who had a full-term birth.
All of the women gave blood samples during their first and second trimesters of pregnancy.
The analysis of the blood samples showed that women who were in the lowest quintile of EPA+DHA serum levels – with EPA+DHA levels of 1.6% or less of total plasma fatty acids – had a 10 times higher risk of early preterm birth when compared with women in the three highest quintiles, whose EPA+DHA levels were 1.8% or higher.
Women in the second lowest quintile had a 2.7 times higher risk compared with women in the three highest quintiles.

Dr Keshav K Singh, a professor of genetics, pathology and environmental health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has demonstrated how boosting the function of the mitochondria, the powerhouse of cells, makes wrinkles disappear and restores hair growth.
Kaya kalpa, the ancient Indian concept of rejuvenation, is being scientifically validated in the lab of a US scientist of Indian origin, who has found a way to reverse age-related wrinkling and hair greying and loss in animal models to move closer to creating an elixir for eternal youth.
Dr Keshav K Singh, professor of genetics, pathology and environmental health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has demonstrated that protecting and boosting the function of the mitochondria, the powerhouse of cells, makes wrinkles disappear and restores hair growth. The study was published in the Nature journal, Cell Death and Disease.
“This phenomenon can be summed up as kaya kalpa. In Vedic literature, “kaya” is described as body and “kalpa” as transformation. Kaya kalpa is a set of therapies that can reverse the physical degeneration caused by age. The therapies can transform old cells to new again. Kaya kalpa is a true science of rejuvenation,” said Singh.
And does he think the study is a step towards creating an elixir for eternal youth? “Yes, absolutely,” is Singh’s succinct reply.
Mitochondria are the powerhouses of cells, producing 90% of the chemical energy the cells need to survive. Mitochondrial function declines with age and is associated with both physical ageing and age-related diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, and some cancers.
For the study, Singh added the antibiotic doxycycline to food and drinking water to cause mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion. In four weeks, the mice developed grey hair, hair loss, slow movements and lethargy associated with natural ageing. Wrinkling appeared in four to eight weeks, with females having more severe wrinkling than males. Turning off the mutation restored smooth healthy skin and thick fur that was indistinguishable from healthy mice.
“A decline in mtDNA content and mitochondrial function has been observed in aging humans. Humans lose about four copies of mtDNA every 10 years, it is also attributed to death from all causes,” said Singh. “We created mouse models to mimic these conditions to show that decline in mitochondrial function leads to the development of wrinkles and loss of hair. The main finding is that by restoring mitochondrial function, we can reverse skin wrinkles to normal healthy skin and also regain hair growth,” he said. Little change was seen in other organs, suggesting mitochondria played a bigger role in skin ageing compared to other tissues.
The antibiotic doxycycline was used because it inactivates the enzyme to replicate the DNA. Antibiotics, which are widely overused and misused in India, damage mtDNA, confirmed Singh. “Most antibiotics interfere with mitochondrial protein translation and mitochondrial ribosome biosynthesis. Long-term use will affect mitochondrial function and cause toxicity,” he said.
“Chemicals such as benzopyrene or agents such as UV also induce depletion as well as mutations in mtDNA, resulting in mitochondrial dysfunction and ageing. Indeed, people who are exposed to sun more often show increased wrinkling in exposed areas. Many cancer drugs are mtDNA depleters,” he said.
Singh and his team are developing ways to boost mitochondrial health and fight disease and ageing. “We are developing — in fact, have some in hand — agents that can restore mtDNA content and mitochondrial function to boost mitobiogenesis. These agents will serve as drugs to boost mitochondrial health,” he said.
Leading a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise and a healthy diet, keeps mitochondria healthy. “There are about 10 genes that are known to maintain mtDNA contents and individual polymorphic variation in these gene effects mtDNA content in different people. Exercise boosts mitobiogenesis, while an inactive life style and external factors that influence aging, such as skin wrinkles that develop from excess sun or long-term smoking cause mitochondrial damage and dysfunction and accelerates ageing,” said Singh.

Moderate cycling for four or more hours per week cut risk for recurrent heart attack by 31 per cent.
LONDON: Regular physical activity may reduce the risk of heart attack, even in areas with moderate-to-high levels of traffic pollution, a study claims.
“While exercise is known to reduce cardiovascular disease risk; pollution can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks, asthma and chronic obstructive lung disease,” said Nadine Kubesch from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.
“Currently there is little data on whether poor air quality cancels out the protective benefits of physical activity in preventing heart attacks,” said Kubesch, lead author of the study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Researchers in Denmark, Germany and Spain evaluated outdoor physical activity levels (sports, cycling, walking and gardening) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2 pollutant generated by traffic) exposure in 51,868 adults, aged 50-65.
Over a 17.7-year period, there were 2,936 first heart attacks and 324 recurrent heart attacks.
Higher levels of pollution were associated with more heart attacks, however, the risk was lower among those who were physically active, the researchers found.
Moderate cycling for four or more hours per week cut risk for recurrent heart attack by 31 per cent; and there was a 58 per cent reduction when all four types of physical activity (together totalling four hours per week or more) were combined, regardless of air quality.
Those who participated in sports had a 15 per cent lower rate of initial heart attacks and there was a 9 per cent risk reduction associated with cycling, regardless of air quality, the researchers said.
Compared to participants with low residential NO2 exposure, those in higher risk areas had a 17 per cent increase risk in first heart attack and 39 per cent for recurrent heart attack, they said.

An analysis revealed that in Armenia, Indonesia, Jordan, Bangladesh and Nepal more than 50% of pregnant women reported exposure to household secondhand smoke.
WASHINGTON: In developing countries around the world especially in Asia, secondhand smoke causes thousands of stillbirths every year. Exposure to secondhand smoke during pregnancy increases the risk of stillbirth, congenital malformations, low birth-weight and respiratory illnesses.
In a recent study, researchers found that 40% of all pregnant women in Pakistan are exposed to secondhand smoke – causing approximately 17,000 stillbirths in a year.
The team from the University of York looked at the number of pregnancies alongside smoking exposure data in 30 developing countries from 2008 to 2013. The analysis revealed that in Armenia, Indonesia, Jordan, Bangladesh and Nepal more than 50% of pregnant women reported exposure to household secondhand smoke.
In Indonesia alone, 10,000 stillbirths take place every year. In Pakistan, only 1% of stillbirths are attributed to women actively smoking during pregnancy, but for secondhand smoke, the figure is 7%, largely due to the high numbers of pregnant women exposed to tobacco smoke in the home.
In five of the 30 countries, household secondhand smoke exposure was twice as common as active smoking.”This is the first study which provides national estimates for 30 developing countries on secondhand smoke exposure in pregnancy and it reveals a huge problem, a problem which is not being addressed,” said a lead researcher Kamran Siddiqi.
“We have shown for the first time that secondhand smoke during pregnancy is far more common than active smoking in developing countries, accounting for more stillbirths than active smoking.
Protecting pregnant women from secondhand smoke exposure should be a key strategy to improve maternal and child health,” he added.
They also say further work is needed to develop effective interventions to reduce household exposure to secondhand smoke. The study appeared in the BMJ Tobacco Control Journal.