Chioma Umeha

No treatment for polio, causes permanent nerve damage – Funsho By: CHIOMA UMEHA Dr Tunji Funsho is the Chairman of Nigeria National PolioPlus Committee. Funsho recently addressed some journalists on the spread of polio, the Oral Polio Vaccine and other health issues. CHIOMA UMEHA (Health Editor) has the details. Excerpts: How does the polio virus spread? Polio is an infectious disease caused by a virus. It leads to permanent paralysis (usually in the legs) and can cause death as well. The polio virus is silent. This means that polio can be widespread in a community before it manifests itself as a case of paralysis and can be fatal if it paralyzes the muscles used for breathing. Polio mainly affects children under five years of age. The polio virus spreads through the faecal-oral route (from excreta to hand and to the mouth). Usually this is a result of poor hand washing or by eating/drinking contaminated food or water. Those infected with the virus can excrete the virus

Sleep boosts productivity, relieves stress – Experts By: CHIOMA UMEHA Some medical experts on Tuesday said taking a nap would increase productivity, relieve stress, improve health and general well-being of persons. They said that its deficiency could lead to physical and mental health problems. In an agency report, experts said that lack of sleep had negative impact on people’s health and well-being. Dr Tunde Adetunji, a consultant neurologist at the Bingham University College of Health Science, Karu, Nasarawa State, said that taking quality sleep would improve the brain’s ability to learn and remember. “During sleep, while your body rests, your brain is busy processing information from the day and forming memories. “If you are sleep deprived, you are at risk of developing a number of serious health problems such as hypertension obesity and diabetes. “Also, your ability to learn and retain new information may be impaired.  “Sleep deficiency can interfere with work, school, dr

Immune system boost can treat cancer – Research By: Chioma Umeha Global research has discovered that cancer can be treated by enhancing the immune system. An agency report yesterday, said that US researchers has found a way of firing up the body’s immune system in order to attack cancer. The immune system is delicately balanced so it attacks invaders but not the body’s own tissues. Animal studies suggested that shifting the balance could open up new treatments for cancer, the team from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia said. The findings were published in Nature Medicine. There are many diseases caused by the immune system turning on the body’s own tissues – such as type 1 diabetes or multiple sclerosis. One popular area of research in both cancer and autoimmune diseases has been Treg cells. They are a part of the immune system which normally calm everything down to prevent the immune system attacking the body. The researchers were trying to disrupt Treg’s function –

NIMR holds molecular biology hands-on training workshop By: Chioma Umeha The 2013 annual workshop of the Molecular Biology and Biotechnology division of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research will hold from August 12 to 16. The theme for the workshop is ‘The Importance of Molecular Biology Typing Techniques in Disease Mapping’. The venue for the workshop is the Institute’s conference room. A statement yesterday, signed by Dr. Stella I. Smith, the workshop coordinator and Deputy Director (Research) of NIMR, said the five-day workshop will feature lectures on Molecular Biology Typing Techniques in Nigeria as well as Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and its uses. Other topics of interest will be on Genethics and discussing the ethical issues in Molecular Biology, Molecular Biology of Viral Diagnostics. GOV. OBI INSPECTS IYIENU MISSION HOSPITAL IN OGIDI The practical session which is the ‘hands-on-training’ will involve plasmid profile and REA, PCR-RAPD, PCR-RFLP.

Condoms increase good bacteria in vagina By: Chioma Umeha • Decrease risk of HIV A new global study has shown that condom helps to maintain balance in the vagina apart from serving as a family planning method. An agency report yesterday, said that condoms might also improve the amount of good bacteria that exist in the vagina based on a new study from China. When people engage in sexual acts with one another, there are several risks, such as unwanted pregnancies or venereal diseases that are involved. Due to these factors that could change one’s life forever, medical professionals and guardians have constantly recommended abstinence or condoms. Condoms are relatively effective in preventing pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. For this study, the researchers from the Beijing Friendship Hospital enlisted the help of 164 healthy and married Chinese women. The participants were between the ages of 18 and 45, and did not use hormonal birth control as their

Infants who were breastfed longer have higher IQs – Study By: CHIOMA UMEHA Infants  who were breastfed as infants scored higher on intelligence tests than formula-fed kids, and the longer and more exclusively they were breastfed, the greater the difference, said Harvard University researchers in a study published Wednesday in JAMA Pediatrics.  This study added “to the body of literature of the association between duration of breastfeeding and cognition,” said NBC news diet and health editor Madelyn Fernstrom. But does breastfeeding make your child smarter? Fernstrom said this study showed an association, not cause and effect. The researchers analyzed 1,312 expectant mothers enrolled between 1999 and 2002 in Project Viva, a study in eastern Massachusetts examining pregnancy and child health, and the children they delivered. The researchers found that seven-year-olds whose mothers had done any breastfeeding during the child’s first year – exclusively or in combination with formu

Natural ways to manage lung disorders By: CHIOMA UMEHA Stay Healthy  Routine activities, such as bathing, grooming and dressing, can take their toll on your energy if you have moderate or severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). But using some simple energy-conserving techniques can help you get through these tasks more quickly and with less effort. COPD is one of the most common lung diseases.  It makes it difficult to breathe. There are two main forms of COPD: Chronic bronchitis, which involves a long-term cough with mucus and Emphysema, which involves destruction of the lungs over time. Most people with COPD have a combination of both conditions. Therefore, if you have lung disorder, the following guidelines will be of help. Two key principles to keep in mind: Plan to carry out these activities when you’re feeling most energetic, and gather all the supplies you will need before you start.  Here are additional tips:   Bathing and lung disorders  •

Role of bacteria in pancreatic cancer By: Chioma Umeha Health Editor A new research has shown that bacterial infections may play a role in triggering pancreatic cancer. There is growing number of studies which suggest the role of infections —primarily of the stomach and gums — in pancreatic cancer.  The disease is a particularly deadly cancer, which the American Cancer Society estimates will kill nearly 38,500 Americans in 2013. “Pancreatic cancer is the worst form of cancer that people can have,” said Dr. Wasif Saif, director of the gastrointestinal oncology programme at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. “It’s the cancer with the highest mortality rate – 96 percent mortality,” he said. Although pancreatic cancer is extremely fatal, researchers don’t really know its main causes, Saif said. The known major risk factors account for less than 40 percent of all cases.  Known risk factors for the disease include tobacco smoking, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, alcoholism and chronic

Cardiovascular summit kicks off By: CHIOMA UMEHA  The sixth edition of the cardiovascular (CV) summit, an educational platform for healthcare practitioners to engage in a robust discussion on the current trends in cardiovascular disease and its management, organised by Pfizer NEAR (Nigeria and East Africa Region) kicked off yesterday. The 2013 edition has the theme ‘’Preventive Strategies for Cardiovascular Diseases’’   features both foreign and local distinguished resource persons who are highly respected in their field of practice.  A statement yesterday, signed by Mrs Margaret Olele, Director Communications, Pfizer, said that the summit has witnessed growing popularity among healthcare professionals. In 2011, the CV summit was endorsed by the medical and Dental Council of Nigeria as a continuous professional development (CPD) program provider for the award of class medical education (CME) points to attending clinicians. In a bid to continuously improve the outlook of the su

Teenagers risk kidney transplant failure – Study By: CHIOMA UMEHA  Global research has discovered that teenagers who receive kidney transplant is at risk of transplant failure even as African patients accounts for the highest number. An agency report yesterday, said that teenagers who receive a kidney transplant may be at increased risk of transplant failure, and the risk is especially high among African patients.  Researchers analyzed data from nearly 169,000 patients in the United States who received a first kidney transplant between 1987 and 2010. Patients who were aged 14 to 16 when they received their first transplant had the highest risk of transplant failure, beginning at one year after transplant and increasing at three, five and 10 years after transplant, said Dr. Kenneth Andreoni, of the University of Florida, Gainesville, and colleagues. In this age group, the risk of transplant failure was highest among African patients, according to the study published online Ju