'Indians increasingly unaware of lung diseases' |  |
- 'Indians increasingly unaware of lung diseases'
- Long-term calcium and vitamin D supplement use may be linked to increased risk of kidney stones
- Genetic variant is linked to obesity and insulin resistance
- Musical robot companion enhances listener experience
| 'Indians increasingly unaware of lung diseases' Posted: 26 Jun 2012 11:09 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, June 26 - Indians exhibit a worrying lack of understanding and concern about lung diseases - that kill nearly four million people globally every year, said a study Tuesday. Despite the high incidence of lung disease, research conducted by YouGov across India revealed that people are far more worried about heartd isease and cancer. While impact of lung disease is underestimated, the public poll reveals a lack of understanding about how to manage it, says the study by European Lung Foundation and Forum for International Respiratory Societies - ahead of world spirometry day Wednesday. Spirometry refers to tests to diagnose any pulmonary, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - or breathing disorders in the lungs. The survey revealed that t62 percent of respondents have never had their lungs tested. While the other major diseases have been decreasing as a cause of death in the last three decades, death due to COPD has doubled in the same period, said the study. Chronic lung disease is a major health issue but - as the FIRS poll shows - its burden continues to be underestimated. There is widespread ignorance not only around the seriousness of lung disease but about what can be done to prevent it, said Klaus Rabe, president of the European Respiratory Society. The study showed that 61 percent respondents thought that those with lung disease were unable to undertake even moderate exercise like swimming or going to the gym. However, in reality, physical activity can help to manage and alleviate the symptoms of lung disease such as breathlessness. Even gentle walking for those with severe disease can help in improving lung capacity and general well being and we must get this message through to patients, Rabe added. http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Long-term calcium and vitamin D supplement use may be linked to increased risk of kidney stones Posted: 26 Jun 2012 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Calcium and vitamin D supplements are associated with high calcium levels in the blood and urine, which could increase the risk of kidney stones, a new study finds. The results will be presented Tuesday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston. The use of calcium and vitamin D supplementation may not be as benign as previously thought, said principal investigator J. Christopher Gallagher, M.D., professor and director of the Bone Metabolism Unit at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, NE. Pending further information, people should not exceed the guidelines suggested by the Institute of Medicine, which are 800 international units of vitamin D, and 800-1,200 milligrams per day of calcium. Taking vitamin supplements has become a widespread practice throughout many parts of the world. In the United States alone, it is estimated that nearly two-thirds of women take vitamin supplements, with calcium and vitamin D among the most commonly used. Despite their popularity, the precise health effects of long-term calcium and vitamin D supplementation remain unclear. Previous research has indicated that high levels of calcium in the urine, or hypercalciuria, may increase the risk of kidney stones. Elevated calcium in the blood, or hypercalcemia, is associated with many complications, including bone and kidney problems. Gallagher and study lead author Vinod Yalamanchili, M.D., research fellow in Creighton University's Bone Metabolism Unit, studied 163 healthy, postmenopausal women between the ages of 57 and 85 years. All participants were randomly assigned to receive a vitamin D supplement of 400, 800, 1600, 2400, 3200, 4000, or 4800 international units a day, or placebo. Then, their calcium intake was increased from an initial intake of 691 to 1,200-1,400 milligrams per day. Investigators measured blood and urinary calcium levels at the beginning of the study, and then every three months for one year. They found... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Genetic variant is linked to obesity and insulin resistance Posted: 26 Jun 2012 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) A large study in people at risk of diabetes has found a direct association between the presence of a small genetic alteration in a hormone receptor and increased body fat and insulin resistance. The results, to be presented Tuesday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston, suggest an adverse role for a previously described genetic variant, the BclI polymorphism. Our findings support the idea that even small variations in hormone receptor sensitivity can have metabolic implications, such as obesity or diabetes, said co-author Bastiaan Havekes, MD, PhD, of Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands. Endocrinologists should not just focus on hormone levels themselves. Taking into account hormone receptor sensitivity could help in better understanding hormone-mediated effects on metabolism, he said. The inherited BclI polymorphism occurs in the gene encoding for the glucocorticoid receptor, which controls the actions of glucocorticoids, steroid hormones that affect every system in the body. This small variant makes the receptor more sensitive to glucocorticoids, resulting in greater effects with similar hormone levels, Havekes said. The effects of this change appear to be similar to, although much smaller than, the excessive glucocorticoid exposure that can occur from certain medications or diseases, Havekes said. Such excess exposure can result in weight gain, especially around the abdomen, as well as in disturbed blood sugar metabolism. This exposure most often occurs from long-term use of prednisone or other glucocorticoid medications, which are widely used to treat inflammatory diseases or to suppress the immune system. It also can result from endocrine diseases such as Cushing's syndrome. Cushing's causes overproduction in the body of the glucocorticoid cortisol, often called the stress hormone. Patients in this study, however, did not have known excess exposure to glucocorticoids,... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
| Musical robot companion enhances listener experience Posted: 26 Jun 2012 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Wedding DJs everywhere should be worried about job security now that a new robot is on the scene. Shimi, a musical companion developed by Georgia Tech's Center for Music Technology, recommends songs, dances to the beat and keeps the music pumping based on listener feedback. The smartphone-enabled, one-foot-tall robot is billed as an interactive musical buddy. Shimi is designed to change the way that people enjoy and think about their music, said Professor Gil Weinberg, director of Georgia Tech's Center for Music Technology and the robot's creator. He will unveil the robot at tomorrow's Google I/O conference in San Francisco. A band of three Shimi robots will strut its stuff for guests, dancing in sync to music created in the lab and composed according to its movements. Shimi is essentially a docking station with a brain powered by an Android phone. Once docked, the robot gains the sensing and musical generation capabilities of the user's mobile device. In other words, if there's an app for that, Shimi is ready. For instance, by using the phone's camera and face-detecting software, the bot can follow a listener around the room and position its ears, or speakers, for optimal sound. Another recognition feature is based on rhythm and tempo. If the user taps or claps a beat, Shimi analyzes it, scans the phone's musical library and immediately plays the song that best matches the suggestion. Once the music starts, Shimi dances to the rhythm. Many people think that robots are limited by their programming instructions, said Music Technology Ph.D. candidate Mason Bretan. Shimi shows us that robots can be creative and interactive. Future apps in the works will allow the user to shake their head in disagreement or wave a hand in the air to alert Shimi to skip to the next song or increase/decrease the volume. The robot will also have the capability to recommend new music based on the user's song choices and provide feedback on the... http://www.rxpgnews.com |
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