 Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur and Western Michigan University, USA, have identified significant neonatal and infant mortality predictors using multiple machine learning (ML) techniques

Researchers from IIT Jodhpur & Western Michigan Varsity develop early warning system for neonatal & infant mortality

Washington: In a study involving more than 100,000 participants and a 30-year follow-up period, it was discovered that persons who engage in two to four times the amount of weekly moderate or vigorous physical exercise currently advised have a considerably reduced risk of mortality.For those who engaged in two to four times the recommended amount of strenuous physical activity each week, the reduction was 21-23%, and for those who did the same amount of moderate physical activity each week, it was 26-31%, according to the new study.footer ads The findings of the study were published in the American Heart Association's flagship, peer-reviewed journal Circulation.It is well documented that regular physical activity is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death. In 2018, the United States Department of Health and Human Services' Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommended that adults engage in at least 150-300 minutes/week of moderate physical activity or 75-150 minutes/week of vigorous physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both intensities. The American Heart Association's current recommendations, which are based on HHS's Physical Activity Guidelines, are for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes per week or vigorous aerobic exercise, or a combination of both."The potential impact of physical activity on health is great, yet it remains unclear whether engaging in high levels of prolonged, vigorous or moderate intensity physical activity above the recommended levels provides any additional benefits or harmful effects on cardiovascular health," said Dong Hoon Lee, Sc.D., M.S., a research associate in the department of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. "Our study leveraged repeated measures of self-reported physical activity over decades to examine the association between long-term physical activity during middle and late adulthood and mortality."Researchers analyzed mortality data and medical records for more than 100,000 adults gathered from two large prospective studies: the all-female Nurses' Health Study and the all-male Health Professionals Follow-up Study from 1988-2018. Participants whose data were examined were 63% female, and more than 96% were white adults. They had an average age of 66 years and an average body mass index (BMI) of 26 kg/m2 over the 30-year follow-up period.Participants self-reported their leisure-time physical activity by completing a validated questionnaire for either the Nurses' Health Study or Health Professionals Follow-Up Study every two years. The publicly available questionnaires, which were updated and expanded every two years, included questions about health information, physician-diagnosed illnesses, family medical histories and personal habits such as cigarette and alcohol consumption and frequency of exercise. Exercise data was reported as the average time spent per week on various physical activities over the past year. Moderate activity was defined as walking, lower-intensity exercise, weightlifting and calisthenics. Vigorous activity included jogging, running, swimming, bicycling and other aerobic exercises.The analysis found that adults who performed double the currently recommended range of either moderate or vigorous physical activity each week had the lowest long-term risk of mortality.*Participants who met the guidelines for vigorous physical activity had an observed 31% lower risk of CVD mortality and 15% lower risk of non-CVD mortality, for an overall 19% lower risk of death from all causes.* Participants who met the guidelines for moderate physical activity had an observed 22-25% lower risk of CVD mortality and 19-20% lower risk of non-CVD mortality, for an overall 20-21% lower risk of death from all causes.* Participants who performed two to four times above the recommended amount of long-term vigorous physical activity (150-300 min/week) had an observed 27-33% lower risk of CVD mortality and 19% non-CVD mortality, for an overall 21-23% lower risk of death from all causes.* Participants who performed two to four times above the recommended amount of moderate physical activity (300-600 min/week) had an observed 28-38% lower risk of CVD mortality and 25-27% non-CVD mortality, for an overall 26-31% lower risk of mortality from all causes.In addition, no harmful cardiovascular health effects were found among the adults who reported engaging in more than four times the recommended minimum activity levels. Previous studies have found evidence that long-term, high-intensity, endurance exercise, such as marathons, triathlons and long-distance bicycle races, may increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular events, including myocardial fibrosis, coronary artery calcification, atrial fibrillation and sudden cardiac death."This finding may reduce the concerns around the potential harmful effect of engaging in high levels of physical activity observed in several previous studies," Lee noted.However, engaging in long-term, high intensity physical activity (?300 minutes/week) or moderate intensity physical activity (?600 minutes/week) at levels more than four times the recommended weekly minimum did not provide any additional reduction in risk of death."Our study provides evidence to guide individuals to choose the right amount and intensity of physical activity over their lifetime to maintain their overall health," Lee said. "Our findings support the current national physical activity guidelines and further suggest that the maximum benefits may be achieved by performing medium to high levels of either moderate or vigorous activity or a combination."He also noted that people who perform less than 75 minutes of vigorous activity or less than 150 minutes of moderate activity per week may have greater benefits on mortality reduction by consistently performing approximately 75-150 minutes of vigorous activity or 150-300 minutes of moderate exercise per week, or an equivalent combination of both, over the long term."We have known for a long time that moderate and intense levels of physical exercise can reduce a person's risk of both atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and mortality," said Donna K. Arnett, M.S.P.H., Ph.D., B.S.N., a past president of the American Heart Association (2012-2013) and the dean and a professor in the department of epidemiology at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health in Lexington, Kentucky. Arnett served as co-chair of the writing committee for the American Heart Association's 2019 Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, however, she was not involved in the study. "We have also seen that getting more than 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or more than 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical exercise each week may reduce a person's risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease even further, so it makes sense that getting those extra minutes of exercise may also decrease mortality." —ANI

Risk of mortality lower among adults who exercise 2-4 times per week: Study

Lucknow (The Hawk): The state health department of Uttar Pradesh intends to establish mother and child wings in 35 cities in order to reduce the prevalence of maternal and newborn mortality in the state.
Brajesh Pathak, the deputy chief minister, said, "Maternal and newborn death rates in the state are a substantial contributor to national statistics, thus lowering them in UP is necessary. The state has planned these new units as a result."
He stated that in addition to testing tools and new-born corners, each of these wings would include 100 beds.
To manage the task, a second work force would be hired. 1,750 employees, including doctors, would be hired contractually as part of this process.
The National Health Mission would be responsible for covering the costs accrued. In addition to reducing time wasted in moving patients to more appropriate facilities, the minister claimed that these units will relieve pressure on urban major centres.
According to officials, the state sees about 55 lakh births each year.
A considerable portion of them experience difficulties during or after pregnancy. Even a minor error can result in a life being lost, which has an impact on vital development markers like the baby, child, or maternal mortality rate.
(Inputs from Agencies)

The state health department of Uttar Pradesh intends to establish mother and child wings in 35 cities in order to reduce the prevalence of maternal and newborn mortality in the state.

35 cities will have UP mother-child units

New Delhi (The Hawk): The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in India 2018–20 has decreased dramatically, according to the "Special Bulletin on Maternal Mortality in India 2018–20" published by the Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI) under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
According to the most recent data, the MMR for the nation fell from 103 per lakh live births in 2017–19 to 97 per lakh live births in 2018–20. India's MMR was 122 in the years 2015 to 2017, compared to 130 in the years 2014 to 2016.
"Maternal Mortality Ratio significantly decreased from 130 per lakh live births in 2014–16 to 97 per lakh live births in 2018–20. MMR has significantly decreased thanks to the several healthcare efforts taken by PM @NarendraModi Ji's government to ensure quality maternal &amp; reproductive care "Mansukh Mandaviya, the health minister, tweeted statistics graphs.
Some states have poor MMR in the most recent data compared to the most recent data. The lowest MMR was observed in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh (45), Telangana (43), Karnataka (69), Kerala (19), and Tamil Nadu (54). The global maternal death rate is to be decreased to less than 70 per 100,000 live births, according to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.1, which was established by the United Nations.
"States have been divided into three groups in order to better understand the maternal mortality situation in the nation and map the changes that have occurred, particularly at the regional levels: "Empowered Action Group" (EAG) states, which include Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh &amp; Uttarakhand, and Assam; "Southern" states, which include Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, It is encouraging to see that India's Maternal Mortality Ratio has decreased over time, down from 130 in 2014-2016 to 103 in 2017-19 "reads the special bulletin from ORGI.
(Inputs from Agencies)

The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in India 2018–20 has decreased dramatically, according to the "Special Bulletin on Maternal Mortality in India 2018–20" published by the Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI) under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

2018-20 maternal mortality ratio drops to 97 from 130 in 2014-16

<span style="color: rgb(53,53,53);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: medium;font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji;">Washington: Adults who suffered any head injury during a 30-year study period had two times the rate of mortality than those who did not have any head injury, and mortality rates among those with moderate or severe head injuries were nearly three times higher, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, published today in JAMA Neurology.
<span style="color: rgb(53,53,53);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: medium;font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji;">In the United States, over 23 million adults age 40 or older report a history of head injury with loss of consciousness. Head injury can be attributed to a number of causes, from motor vehicle crashes, unintentional falls, or sports injuries. What's more, head injury has been linked with a number of long-term health conditions, including disability, late-onset epilepsy, dementia, and stroke.
<span style="color: rgb(53,53,53);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: medium;font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji;">Studies have previously shown increased short-term mortality associated with head injuries primarily among hospitalized patients. This longitudinal study evaluated 30 years of data from over 13,000 community-dwelling participants (those not hospitalized or living in nursing home facilities) to determine if head injury has an impact on mortality rates in adults over the long term. Investigators found that 18.4 percent of the participants reported one or more head injuries during the study period, and of those who suffered a head injury, 12.4 percent were recorded as moderate or severe. The median period of time between a head injury and death was 4.7 years.
<span style="color: rgb(53,53,53);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: medium;font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji;">Death from all causes was recorded in 64.6 percent of those individuals who suffered a head injury, and in 54.6 percent of those without any head injury. Accounting for participant characteristics, investigators found that the mortality rate from all-causes among participants with a head injury was 2.21 times the mortality rate among those with no head injury. Further, the mortality rate among those with more severe head injuries was 2.87 times the mortality rate among those with no head injury.
<span style="color: rgb(53,53,53);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: medium;font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji;">"Our data reveals that head injury is associated with increased mortality rates even long-term. This is particularly the case for individuals with multiple or severe head injuries," explained the study's lead author, Holly Elser, MD, PhD, MPH a Neurology resident at Penn. "This highlights the importance of safety measures, like wearing helmets and seatbelts, to prevent head injuries."
<span style="color: rgb(53,53,53);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: medium;font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji;">Investigators also evaluated the data for specific causes of death among all participants. Overall, the most common causes of death were cancers, cardiovascular disease, and neurologic disorders (which include dementia, epilepsy, and stroke). Among individuals with head injuries, deaths caused by neurologic disorders and unintentional injury or trauma (like falls) occurred more frequently.
<span style="color: rgb(53,53,53);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: medium;font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji;">When investigators evaluated specific neurologic causes of death among participants with head injury, they found that nearly two-thirds of neurologic causes of death were attributed to neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. These diseases composed a greater proportion of overall deaths among individuals with head injury (14.2 percent) versus those without (6.6 percent). "Study data doesn't explain why the cause of death in individuals with head injuries is more likely to be from neurodegenerative diseases, which underscores the need for further research into the relationship between these disorders, head injury, and death," said Andrea L.C. Schneider, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of Neurology at Penn. —ANI

Adults who suffered any head injury during a 30-year study period had two times the rate of mortality than those who did not have any head injury, and mortality rates among those with moderate or severe head injuries were nearly three times higher, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, published today in JAMA Neurology.

Head Injury Is Associated With Doubled Mortality Rate Long-Term: Study

New Jersey (US): Humans have a negative impact on the health of grizzly bear populations through top-down influences such as direct mortality associated with forestry roads (from conflict or illegal killings) and displacement from high-quality habitats, as well as bottom-up influences such as reducing food resource availability. The link between these forces is revealed in research published in Wildlife Monographs, informing a planned conservation programme. Investigators radio-collared and followed numerous grizzly bears over multiple years in southeastern British Columbia. They found an interesting interplay between the most important bottom-up factor, huckleberry patches, and mortality risk from forestry roads (road density and the amount of secure habitat away from roads). Top-down influences were not only associated with mortality risk, but they limited contributions of critical food resources, reducing female grizzly fitness and density, in essence having a similar effect as habitat loss. This doubly negative effect likely contributes to the ubiquitous detriment that high forestry road density confers to grizzly bear populations in western North America. The findings highlight the importance of considering both bottom-up and top-down influences affecting wildlife populations. “The securing of important food resources to make them accessible to bears is accomplished through some degree of restriction of human access,” said lead author Michael Proctor, PhD, of Birchdale Ecological Ltd. “Our results suggest that benefits of critical bear foods are not satisfactorily realized unless human access to nearby roads is reduced.” —ANI

Humans have a negative impact on the health of grizzly bear populations through top-down influences such as direct mortality associated 

Study Reveals Most Critical Issues For Grizzly Bear Conservation

Nilgiris (Tamil Nadu): After the toll of dead tigers in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiri reached 10 in just over a month, a team of National Tiger Commission Crime Branch visited Ooty to investigate the matter. The team of National Tiger Commission Crime Branch included Inpector General Muralikumar, Central Forest Animal Crime Prevention Unit South Zone Director Kripa Shankar, Central Forest Animal Research Center Senior Scientist Ramesh Krishna Murthy and others.
The death of 10 tigers including 6 tiger cubs in the last 35 days in the Nilgiris district has caused great controversy. Meanwhile, environmentalists have demanded a high-level inquiry into the ongoing deaths of tigers in Mudumalai, a tiger reserve. The forest department has so far not found the two mother tigresses of the dead tiger cubs. Since the mother tiger never leaves her cubs more than 200 meters away, an investigation is being conducted with a point of view that the mother tigers may have been hunted. The team of National Tiger Commission Crime Branch will inquire about the causes of the tiger deaths in Nilgiri district forest area this year. After the investigation with the authorities, the team will go and investigate the Chinna Coonoor area, where previously four tiger cubs were found dead. This comes after a tiger cub was found dead in the Sigur forest area in ‘Chinna’ Coonoor in the Nilgiris on September 19, taking the death toll to four.
After the examination, the Forest veterinarian of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve said that the cub was ‘severely dehydrated’. These four deaths have brought the toll of dead tigers recorded in the district to ten tigers in just over a month. As per Forest Secretary Supriya Sahu, the cub could not be saved despite the restless effort of the team. “On 14 November, the Forest department received a message of tiger cub’s movement in the Chinnacoonoor area of Nilgiris, immediately a team along with trackers from Mudhumalai tiger reserve rushed, camped in the region and was monitoring. During the monitoring, it was found that there were 4 cubs in the region. In the same area, farmers have seen a female tiger last month" she said The team was instructed to monitor the cubs as the mother might be in the locality. On 15 and 16, the continuous monitoring of the cubs was done,” she added saying that a tiger cub was found dead on the very next day, September 17. Following the cub's death on September 17, four special teams were constituted with members from the Mudhumalai tiger reserve and Gudalur Forest division. The search was intensified for the other cubs and the mother. On September 18, the search team found a fresh sambar killed in the perambulation area, camera traps were installed for monitoring, she said. “On Tuesday, one tiger cub was rescued by the team, while 2 other cubs were found dead,” Sahu said. She further said that the post-mortem was conducted as per the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines. “The forest veterinarian of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve was treating the tiger cub, but it also died now. The veterinarian said that the cub was severely dehydrated and it was one of the reasons for the death. The intestine of the other three cubs is devoid of any food materials,” she said.
—ANI

After the toll of dead tigers in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiri reached 10 in just over a month, a team of National Tiger Commission Crime Branch visited

TN: Tiger death toll rises to 10, National Tiger Commission visits Ooty to investigate

Brasilia [Brazil]: Over 100 dolphins have been found dead in the Brazilian Amazon over the past seven days due to historic drought and increasing water temperatures, noting 102 degrees Fahrenheit, reported CNN. According to the Mamiraua Institute, a research facility funded by the Brazilian Ministry of Science, these dolphins were found in Lake Tefe.
The institute suggested record-high lake temperature and the historic drought in the Aamazon may have been the cause of the death, noting that such a high number of deaths was unusual. The world's largest waterway, Amazon River, is currently in its dry season and several specimens of river fauna are also dealing with record-high temperatures. The deaths will probably add to the concerns of climate scientists over the effects human activity and extreme droughts are having on the region, CNN reported.
The institute said, "It’s still early to determine the cause of this extreme event but according to our experts, it is certainly connected to the drought period and high temperatures in Lake Tefé, in which some points are exceeding 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit)." However, researchers and scientists are trying to rescue the surviving dolphins by shifting them from lagoons and ponds in the outskirts to the main body of the river where the water is comparatively cooler, according to CNN Brasil. Adding to this, CNN reported, the operation is not easy due to the remoteness of the area. Andre Coelho, a researcher at the Mamiraua Institute, told CNN Brasil, “Transferring river dolphins to other rivers is not that safe because it’s important to verify if toxins or viruses are present (before releasing the animals into the wild)." Moreover, as many as 59 municipalities have reported below average levels of water in Amazonas State, hindering both transport and fishing activities on the river, reported CNN. Authorities are further expecting even more acute droughts over the next couple of weeks, which could lead to more deaths of dolphins. Furthermore, the deadly drought in the Amazon is river is further impacting the economy.
—ANI

Over 100 dolphins have been found dead in the Brazilian Amazon over the past seven days due to historic drought and increasing water temperatures

Over 100 dolphins dead in Amazon as it hits record-high temperature

Thiruvananthapuram: India ranks among countries with the highest mortality rates due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and statistics show that one child dies every nine minutes due to illnesses caused by bugs that resist antibiotics. This shocking revelation was made at a plenary session of the Global Ayurveda Festival (GAF) here on Tuesday, where experts discussed the role traditional medicines can play in overcoming the threat of AMR, which is rising in almost every part of the world, prompting WHO to declare it as one of the top health threats. Speaking on the issue, Professor Thomas Rampp from the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany, an expert in integrative medicine, said the US and European countries also face the threat from AMR, but the risk to countries in Asia and Latin America is bigger.

<div style="text-align:left;"><img src="https://thehawk.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/ayur1.webp" alt="Professor Thomas Rampp" style="height: auto;width: auto"/></div>
 Terming resistance to antibiotics a "new phenomenon", he recalled that resistance to Penicillin was reported in 1940, though the drug was put into use by 1928. This led to the creation of newer antibiotics to overcome that, but in the last three decades, no new antibiotics have been developed and this has aggravated the problem. Professor Rampp also said the use and overuse of antibiotics are leading to their resistance. He stated that this is not limited to the medical field, as over 80 percent of the antibiotics produced in the world are used in farms and fisheries, which inevitably enter our food chain. "The reasons for resistance to antibiotics come from the overprescribing of antibiotics, patients not finishing the treatment properly, the overuse of antibiotics in livestock and fish farming, poor infection control in hospitals, and poor sanitation," he said. Prof Rampp said traditional medicine systems like Ayurveda can contribute significantly to improving the situation, as they approach problems and work to improve immunity. This can prevent illness and stop the unnecessary use of antibiotics. He pointed out that Ayurveda has always focused on providing a balanced diet, and modern science now emphasises the importance of micro biomes in the gut region, which is essential to building up immunity. Speaking on the same issue, Subarna Roy, director of ICMR National Institute of Traditional Institute in Karnataka, said their studies showed that resistance to antibiotics is different in various areas within the Karnataka state. He warned that AMR is contributing to the rise of diseases like diphtheria in some areas of India. A network of facilities established to monitor the AMR situation in India has identified about 10 pathogens that are proving to be dangerous. He said sometimes antibiotics are prescribed even though they will not cure the disease but merely reduce the symptoms. The national health policy says alternative methods to treat infectious diseases should be considered, and this is where Ayurveda can play a vital role, said Roy. "Ayurveda practitioners are already helping the fight against AMR as they treat patients without prescribing antibiotics," he said.
—IANS

India ranks among countries with the highest mortality rates due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and statistics show that one child dies every nine minutes

Antibiotic resistance kills millions in India

New Delhi: Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) – a cheap and effective treatment for diarrhoea -- can save lives of half a million children every year, according to a study. A whopping 500,000 children under five die from diarrhoea globally. India accounts for the most cases of child diarrhoea of any country in the world. It is also a leading cause of child death in India. ORS, which comes in a small packet and dissolves in water, is a lifesaving and inexpensive treatment for diarrhoeal disease, yet few prescribe it. To understand the reason behind this underprescribing of ORS, researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) conducted a survey of about 2,000 health care providers in over 200 towns in Bihar and Karnataka. The findings, published in the journal Science, reveal that 50 per cent children with diarrhoea in India do not receive ORS. It is due to provider misperceptions that patients do not want ORS. It plays the biggest role in underprescribing of ORS. Health care providers’ perception that patients do not want ORS accounted for roughly 42 per cent of under-prescribing, while stock outs and financial incentives explained only 6 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively. “Even when children seek care from a health care provider for their diarrhoea, as most do, they often do not receive ORS, which costs only a few cents and has been recommended by the World Health Organisation for decades,” said Neeraj Sood, from the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy &amp; Economics and a professor at the USC Price School of Public Policy. “Despite decades of widespread knowledge that ORS is a lifesaving intervention that can save lives of children suffering from diarrhoea, the rates of ORS use remain stubbornly low in many countries such as India,” added Manoj Mohanan, Professor of public policy, economics, and global health at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. For the study, the researchers selected states with vastly different socioeconomic demographics and varied access to health care to ensure the results were representative of a broad population. Bihar is one of the poorest states in India with below-average ORS use, while Karnataka has above-average per capita income and above-average ORS use. Patients expressing a preference for ORS increased prescribing of the treatment by 27 percentage points — a more effective intervention than eliminating stock outs (which increased ORS prescribing by 7 percentage points) or removing financial incentives (which only increased ORS prescribing at pharmacies). “Changing provider behaviour about ORS prescription remains a huge challenge," Mohanan said. —IANS

Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) – a cheap and effective treatment for diarrhoea -- can save lives of half a million children every year

Study Shows How Underprescribed ORS Can Save Half A Million Children’s Lives Annually

By Marthe Fourcade
The safety of intermittent fasting, a popular strategy to lose weight by limiting food intake to certain times, was called into question by a surprise finding from research presented at a medical meeting.  Limiting mealtimes to a period of just eight hours a day was linked to a 91 per cent increase in risk of death from heart disease in the study, which was released on Monday in Chicago. The American Heart Association published only an abstract, leaving scientists speculating about details of the study protocol. The study was reviewed by other experts prior to its release, according to the AHA.
Lifestyle interventions aimed at weight loss have come under scrutiny as a new generation of drugs help people shed pounds. Some doctors questioned the study’s findings, saying they could have been skewed by differences — such as underlying heart health — between the fasting patients and the comparison group, whose members consumed food over a daily period of 12 to 16 hours.  “Time-restricted eating is popular as a means of reducing calorie intake,” Keith Frayn, emeritus professor of human metabolism at the University of Oxford, said in a statement to the UK Science Media Center. “This work is very important in showing that we need long-term studies on the effects of this practice. But this abstract leaves many questions unanswered.”  The researchers, led by Victor Zhong of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, analyzed data from about 20,000 adults included in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.  The study looked at answers to questionnaires along with death data from 2003 through 2019. Because it relied in part on forms that required patients to recall what they ate over two days, scientists said there was room for potential inaccuracies. About half of the patients were men and the mean age was 48.
It wasn’t clear how long the patients continued the intermittent fasting, though the researchers assumed they kept it up, according to Zhong.  The fasting patients were more likely to be younger men with a higher BMI and food insecurity, he said by email. They also had a lower prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease based on self-reports. “We controlled for all these variables in the analysis, but the positive association between 8-h time-restricted eating and cardiovascular mortality remained,” Zhong said.  The abstract was presented at the AHA’s Lifestyle Scientific Sessions meeting in Chicago.
—Bloomberg

Study questions intermittent fasting safety for weight loss. Time-restricted eating linked to 91% higher heart disease mortality risk.

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Tag : Mortality

Researchers from IIT Jodhpur & Western Michigan Varsity develop early warning system for neonatal & infant mortality

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Tag : Mortality

Researchers from IIT Jodhpur & Western Michigan Varsity develop early warning system for neonatal & infant mortality

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