Medical News Of Use

[Guest]

[url="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE67A0YU20100811"]Scientists find new superbug spreading from India[/url]

In a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal on Wednesday, Walsh's team found that NDM-1 is becoming more common in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan and is also being imported back to Britain in patients returning after treatment.



"India also provides cosmetic surgery for other Europeans and Americans, and it is likely NDM-1 will spread worldwide," the scientists wrote in the study.



....



Walsh and his international team collected bacteria samples from hospital patients in two places in India, Chennai and Haryana, and from patients referred to Britain's national reference laboratory between 2007 and 2009.



[color="#FF0000"]They found 44 NDM-1-positive bacteria in Chennai, 26 in Haryana, 37 in Britain, and 73 in other sites in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.[/color] Several of the British NDM-1 positive patients had recently traveled to India or Pakistan for hospital treatment, including cosmetic surgery, they said.



Most worryingly, NDM-1-producing bacteria are resistant to many antibiotics including carbapenems, the scientists said, a class of the drugs often reserved for emergency use and to treat infections caused by other multi-resistant bugs like MRSA and C-Difficile.

....

[Guest]

[url="http://www.hindustantimes.com/Superbug-more-hype-than-substance/H1-Article1-586469.aspx"]‘Superbug more hype than substance’[/url]

He also said the study’s conclusion that the superbug came from India was speculative at best, underscoring the health ministry’s claim that the study was motivated and prejudiced.



“The conclusion that the bacteria was transmitted from India is hypothetical. Unless we analyse samples from across the globe to trace its origin, we can only speculate,” said Kumarasamy.

[Capt M Kumar]

We release gas upwardly by belching and downwardly by flatulence. When we swallow air and don’t release it by belching, the air will work its way down and out the rectum. About half the gas passed from the rectum comes from swallowed air.



For the record, normal people pass gas about 10 times each day. Twenty times daily is still considered normal. http://www.livescience.com/health/chewin...00816.html

btw; Dals which we Indians eat fondly are major source of gas. A few yrs back, i had read the news that Tata has developed technology which will free dals of its' gas producing property. Any1 aware, is it in market as yet or not?

[Capt M Kumar]

According to the scientists, within just 10 years, a drug that prevents short-sightedness or stops it in its tracks could be in widespread use, making the wearing of glasses negligible, the British media reported.



"We have known for many years that the most important risk factor for being shortsighted is having parents who are shortsighted and for the first time we are identifying genes that may be involved in passing on this susceptibility," said Dr Pirro Hysi, who led the team. The findings have been published in `Nature Genetics' journal.





Read more: Gene find may do away with glasses - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/...z0zTkDJGyk

[Capt M Kumar]

Hair loss or other side effects on cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy is set to become a thing of the past. A drug, which will reduce the side effects by 75% on cancer patients, will be soon out in the market.



Developed by Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO), 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2- DG) has completed three phases of clinical trials and has been recently sent to a Hyderabad-based laboratory for commercial production pending final approval from director general of health services.





Read more: Drug to cut cancer therapy side effects - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/...z0zwdJnJFV

[Capt M Kumar]

The treatment uses radio waves to zap nerves near the kidneys that fuel high blood pressure. It is done through a tube pushed into a blood vessel in the groin, much like the angioplasty procedures for opening clogged heart arteries.



In a study of about 100 people, the top number of the blood pressure reading fell an average of 33 points among those who had the treatment. Doctors say that is much better than the less-than-10-point drop that many drugs give. The new treatment damages certain nerves and cause key arteries to permanently relax.



Read more: Zap nerves for just one hr, be free of high BP forever - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/...z15hbdN1qV

[Capt M Kumar]

An experimental drug boosted good cholesterol so high and dropped bad cholesterol so low in a study that doctors were stunned and voiced renewed hopes for an entirely new way of preventing heart attacks and strokes. "We are the most excited we have been in decades," said Dr Christopher Cannon of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, who led the study of the novel drug for Merck & Co. The drug, Anacetrapib would be the first drug of its kind that will help keep fat particles attached to HDL, which carries them in the bloodstream to the liver to be disposed of.







Read more: New drug triggers steep drop in bad cholesterol - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/...z15tozQU2b

[ramana]

Very informative article in Hindu on food grains:



Choose the cereal that suits you

Being a nutritionist, I am able to give the low-down on cereals which are greatly misunderstood as just ‘carbs' and, therefore, partly or totally avoided by dieters, I mean ‘reducing dieters'!



Cereals are the staple food in any country, and who can plan or eat a meal without a cereal dish? They are the main sources of carbohydrates and contribute the major portion of energy in any diet. They are more economical, and in India they make up the main dish which is eaten in larger quantities than other foods.



We consume any side dish, along with rice or chappatti. For instance, in the south Indian meal pattern, rice is mixed with pachadis, pickles, dhal preparations, all gravies, curries, curd and buttermilk. Even vegetable preparations are eaten with rice and never individually. Many sweets and snacks are made with cereals. In the north, wheat preparations are eaten with masala curries, dhals, raitas and curd. Now you can understand that with this overkill, the cereals sustain us but can turn out to be the killers too!



In India, the north is more suitable for wheat and rice is grown in the rest of the country where rainfall is abundant. While there are many other cereals, the most commonly used are wheat and rice. In most parts of the country, these are the only two cereals that are distributed through ration shops.



In recent times, there has been a lot of talk about wheat or rice and even other cereals. These may not be commonly used cereals. Fortunately, in India, many of these are used by villagers as they are easily available to them. Therefore, it would be good to understand the nutritional differences between them.



Let us compare raw rice in its three forms — raw, milled and parboiled rice. The energy and carbs values are comparable, but the important nutrients, protein and minerals are reduced with milling. Parboiling and hand-pounding are the best forms of processing rice. The meagre fibre content is also lost with milling. Wheat has a higher protein, fat, mineral and fibre content, all of which are reduced in the refined flour, maida. This is the main reason for condemning pizzas and pastas and other baked products made purely with maida. While wheat has more protein, the rice protein has a better biological value and is absorbed better by the body. The iron and phosphorus content of whole wheat is better than that of rice.



Between brown bread and white bread, would you know the difference? Brown bread has slightly better values, but you must be sure that you are getting authentic, whole wheat flour bread. According to bakers, atta bread is not as soft and porus as maida bread. Since they are interested in selling to the specific fussy needs of customers, they combine both flours in varying portions and even add a little caramel to give it a brown colour! So, let us not be fooled!



Ragi looks like it is richer than rice in most of its composition, but it cannot be as versatile as rice in preparations. Meal satisfaction is never complete with the consistency, colour and texture of ragi preparations.



Oats which have been heavily popularised in India in recent times are a good source of fibre, protein, phosphorus and iron. However, their fat content is higher than that of other cereals.



Corn is one of the few cereals that can be eaten fresh and is popular throughout the country.



The dry cereals like jowar, bajra and corn are rich in nutrients, but are coarse and rough. Cooking is quite difficult, as they are not as soft as wheat and rice. Their usage is limited to villages and small towns.



So, do sit up and take notice. Choose your own cereal in quantities that can love you and not kill you!



(The writer is past president, Indian Dietetic Association. Her email id is: malathi mohan00 @ yahoo.com)

[ramana]

Another informative article in Hindu:



42 lakh diabetics in TN

42 lakh individuals with diabetes in TN, says INDIAB Study

Special Correspondent



The Tamil Nadu results of the first INDIAB Study supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research indicate there are about 42 lakh individuals with diabetes and 30 lakh people with pre-diabetes.



Touted as the “first representative study” of Tamil Nadu, it is part of the nationwide effort to study the national prevalence of Type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes in India, by estimating the State-wide presence of the same. Additionally, the study also aimed at studying the prevalence of hypertension and dislipidemia (high cholesterol) in the population; and the prevalence of coronary artery disease.



Pegging the prevalence of diabetes as 9.8, the study also indicated that there was a further 7.1 per cent prevalence of pre-diabetes in the Tamil Nadu population. The latter translates to about 30 lakh people living with pre-diabetes, R.M. Anjana, director, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, said.



In terms of assessing the additional aspects of hypertension and high cholesterol, the figures have proved that the prevalence is actually higher, with the former at 27.8 per cent and the later at 20.1 per cent. This means, approximately 1.2 crore people have high blood pressure, and about 86 lakh people have high cholesterol.



The prevalence of abdominal obesity among men is 22.4 per cent and women, 35.3 per cent. That converts to about 50 lakh men and 76 lakh women. Abdominal obesity was defined as a waist circumference over or equal to 90 cm for men, and for women, over or equal to 80 cm.



Dr. Anjana also said an analysis of the age-wise prevalence showed a higher percentage among the younger group, and by the time people reached 55 years, almost 50 per cent was diabetic. Control of blood sugar is an important factor, as it is key in preventing organ complications that could even lead to death. In urban areas, the glycaemic control ranged between good, poor to reasonable, with about one third of the patients studied.



Put together, diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol increase the chances of people developing cardiac disease, Principal Secretary, Health, V.K. Subburaj said. In terms of numbers, the figures are mind boggling, he added. The stress has to be on primary prevention and also, generating awareness that good blood sugar control has a huge impact on preventing complications.



It is also significant that in India, diabetes occurs ten years ahead of when it does in the West – at about 35 years. The Government of Tamil Nadu had done its best, creating the required infrastructure for diagnosis throughout the State and even providing insulin free of cost to children with Type 1 diabetes. Besides, compulsory testing of blood sugar for pregnant women who attend government institutions, had also been implemented, Mr. Subburaj.



V. Mohan, national co-ordinator of the INDIAB study, said the study shows the real burden of the disease in the population. For the first time, a comprehensive picture of the national prevalence would emerge, providing sufficient fodder for planners and health policy makers. It was also the first time such an extensive study was being done in the North East region, he added.



The occasion also doubled up as an opportunity to launch phase 2 of the INDIAB study to be conducted in the North-East. Tanvir Kaur, assistant director general, ICMR, inaugurated the launch of the second phase officially, in the presence of J. Mahanta, director, ICMR, North East Region and Dibrugarh, and regional co-ordinator of the study.



Three States, including Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Jharkhand were covered during phase 1, and a total of 16,000 subjects studied. In Phase 3, 17 other States, the National Capital Region of Delhi and Puducherry will be covered.

[Capt M Kumar]

"I hope these puppies make me happy and give me a nice break between studying ... just cut the studying a little bit," 19-year-old Tufts freshman Chloe Wong said on Tuesday, petting an Australian shepherd brought in by her resident director.



She called her first semester "challenging." But on Tuesday, the community health major got to relax and play with a set of dogs that resident director Michael Bliss brought in. They set down their books, laptops and e-readers for a chance to pet, feed and even chase the therapy animals. "Every college student has stress around finals,'' said Bliss, who came up with the idea of dog visits after participating in a similar program as an undergraduate at New York University.



Read more: Univ goes to dogs to help students beat exam stress - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/...z18JIJBYmx

[Guest]

[url="http://www.infowars.com/is-mass-bird-and-fish-die-off-connected-to-government-testing/"]Is Mass Bird and Fish Die Off Connected to Government Testing?[/url]

Electromagnetic scalar weapons that can artificially manipulate the environment could be responsible for the mass die offs. We know for a fact that over a decade ago the U.S. Military Industrial Complex was aware of and involved in the testing of such technology.



In 1997, Defense Secretary William Cohen stated, “Others [terrorists] are engaging even in an eco-type of terrorism whereby they can alter the climate, set off earthquakes, volcanoes remotely through the use of electromagnetic waves… So there are plenty of ingenious minds out there that are at work finding ways in which they can wreak terror upon other nations…It’s real, and that’s the reason why we have to intensify our [counter terrorism] efforts.”

The fact that illness or poisoning has been ruled out points to some form of secret testing being behind the mass die-offs.



The U.S. government has been repeatedly caught engaging in illegal bio-weapons tests over American skies that have maimed and killed not just animals, but humans. The history of US government biological testing includes deliberately infecting Americans with syphilis, malaria and other bacteriological agents.



From the 1950′s onwards, the U.S. government deliberately engaged in open air tests, spraying major cities like San Francisco and New York with Serratia marcescens and Bacillus glogigii. In 1955, the CIA also released a a bacteria withdrawn from the Army’s biological warfare arsenal over Tampa Bay, Fl in order to test its ability to infect human populations with biological agents.



In 1966, the U.S. Army dispensed Bacillus subtilis variant niger throughout the New York City subway system. 1977 Senate hearings on Health and Scientific Research confirmed that 239 populated areas had been contaminated with biological agents between 1949 and 1969, including San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Key West, Panama City, Minneapolis, and St. Louis.



In August 1994, residents in the Oakville, Washington area reported tiny blobs of gelatinous goo raining from the sky, and in 1997 residents in the Everett area of Washington State reported similar a phenomenon.



Given the history of governments across the world performing unwitting experiments on their populations, the number one suspect in such cases should always be government. Just a few months ago is came to light that in the late 1940′s, “American public health doctors deliberately infected nearly 700 Guatemalans — prison inmates, mental patients and soldiers — with venereal diseases.”



Indeed, the EPA’s own policy states that government and industry scientists can treat children as human guinea pigs in chemical experiments, which allows pesticides to be tested on mentally handicapped children and orphans.

[ramana]

Mudy, I read somewhere that banana is one of th fruits that lead to build up of stomach fat a primary cause of diabetes.



Need to research that.

[Guest]

[url="http://www.dailypioneer.com/329939/Superbug-No-need-to-panic-says-Health-Ministry.html"]Superbug: No need to panic, says Health Ministry[/url]

The Health Ministry today asked people not to panic over reports of presence of drug-resistant bacteria in the public water supply of the capital, stating that it is a global issue not specific to any one country.



"I have not read the report so I wouldn't comment. It is present everywhere not only in water. There is no need to panic," Secretary, Department of Health, Research V M Katoch said.



He said that no one country needs to be blamed for this (the superbug).



"Hospitals should follow appropriate safety norms. But it is a global message not only for one country. There is nothing new," he said, adding that if the report applies to India, then it applies to Europe also.



"There is no scientific relevance in this," he said. International medical journal 'Lancet' reported that deadly superbug NDM-1 was found in about a quarter of water samples taken from drinking supplies and puddles on the streets of New Delhi.



Experts say it is the latest proof that the new drug-resistant bacteria, named after New Delhi, is widely circulating in the environment and could potentially spread to the rest of the world.



The superbug can only be treated with a couple of highly toxic and expensive antibiotics. Since it was first identified in 2008, it has popped up in a number of countries, including the United States, Australia, Britain, Canada and Sweden.



Most of those infections were in people who had recently travelled to or had medical procedures in India, Pakistan or Bangladesh.

Moronic statement by Health Minister. They better clean up water.

[Guest]

[url="http://sarvesamachar.com/click_frameset.php?ref_url=%2Findex.php%3F&url=http%3A%2F%2Fin.news.yahoo.com%2Findian-company-halts-u-sales-execution-drug-20110408-070221-499.html"]Indian company halts U.S. sales of execution drug[/url]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters Life!) - An Indian company that supplied an anesthetic used to execute murderers on death row has stopped selling the drug for use in capital punishment because it goes against the "ethos of Hinduism."

The move by Mumbai-based Kayem Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd comes as several U.S. states have scrambled to find supplies of sodium thiopental, one of three drugs used in lethal injection, which has been in short supply since a U.S. manufacturer stopped making it earlier this year.

Kayem sold sodium thiopental to Nebraska last year, according to the anti-death penalty group Reprieve. The group had planned a press event on Thursday in Mumbai to protest Kayem's sale of the drug.



But before that could happen, Kayem revealed that it has changed it policy, setting out its reasons in a statement on its website.



"We ... voluntarily refrain" from selling this drug where the purpose is purely for lethal injection and its misuse," the firm said, added that the drug for executions went against the "ethos of Hinduism."



Hinduism is the predominant religion in India. Followers believe in the circle of life, death and rebirth.



A U.S. representative for Kayem and a spokeswoman for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services could not be reached for comment.



There has been a shortage of sodium thiopental throughout the United States, since the former U.S. supplier, Illinois-based Hospira Inc., announced in January that it would stop making the drug.



The company had faced European Union pressure over a facility in Italy where it had planned to manufacture the drug.



Ohio and Oklahoma have switched to pentobarbital for executions, and Texas was set to follow suit in an execution scheduled for Tuesday, which was halted by a temporary stay.

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents last month seized Georgia's supply of sodium thiopental, citing questions about how the state had obtained the drug.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Tim Gaynor)

Some US anti-death penalty group must have told Indian Company to stop selling drugs.

[ramana]

The following is something I always suspected but couldnt articulate:



Why packing on pounds is riskier for Indians

Packing on pounds is riskier for Indians and other South Asians than white people, says a study.



While white Caucasian people store their extra body fat in their waistlines, Indians and other South Asians carry this extra fat into their internal organs like liver and abdomen affecting their normal functioning.



It is this disruption of normal organ functions among Indians and South Asians that triggers diabetes and heart problems, says the study conducted by a young Indo—Canadian researcher.



Sonia Anand, who is professor of medicine and epidemiology at McMaster University, says that the prevalence of diabetes and coronary diseases among South Asians is due to their body adding “the organ—hugging fat” that leads to these diseases.



“South Asians have less space to store fat below the skin than white Caucasians. Their excess fat, therefore, overflows to ectopic compartments, in the abdomen and liver where it may affect function,” says Anand.



She says this visceral fat is associated with metabolic problems such as elevated glucose and abnormal lipids which lead to coronary artery disease.



Her study support previous research which shows that, even with the same body mass index (BMI) as Caucasians, people from the Indian subcontinent have more risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including type 2 diabetes, low ‘good’ cholesterol, and more abdominal obesity.



Arya Sharma, director of the Canadian Obesity Network and a co—author of the study, added, “This study helps explain why South Asians experience weight—related health problems at lower BMI levels than Caucasians. For the clinician, this also means that individuals of South Asian heritage need to be screened for the presence of heart disease and diabetes at lower BMIs.”



The study by Anand and Sharma appears in the medical journal PLoS ONE.



(Gurmukh Singh can be contacted at gurmukh.s@ians.in)

Its abdominal fat versus visceral fat i.e fat around the organs like liver etc.



Another marker for me is that obese folks in West are around 250lbs and develop diabetes while Indians develop it even when ~150lbs. I was just saying this to SHQ last weekend!!!



In other words there is 100# handicap for Indics wrt diabetes!



There was report in Nature or Lancet about a 600 cal diet to burn the visceral fat in six weeks.



Need niran to look it up and comment.

[Guest]

http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v9/n11...1133a.html

Low-Calorie Diets and Sustained Weight Loss

[Guest]

http://www.wellnessresources.com/weight/..._patients/

Fat Accumulates Differently in Diabetic Patients

Friday, March 06, 2009 - Byron Richards,

[sumishi]

[size="3"][url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-toi/special-report/Killers-in-the-kitchen/articleshow/9680169.cms"]KILLERS IN THE KITCHEN[/url] : TOI --10/09/2011



[/size][indent][size="3"]

The urban kitchen is a technological dream today. Endless gadgets, exotic spices and multicuisine cookbooks line the larder shelves. And it's not just what we eat, but the way we cook and store food that's also getting a complete makeover.[/size]



[size="3"]Fat wallets and changing lifestyles have ensured that filters and plastic bottles replace matkas, the shiny steel and brass bowls give way to microwave-grade plastic and ceramic ware, the lowly cast iron kadhai to expensive non-stick pans. There's no doubt that new tech makes our lives easier but how much of it is really safe? The unwavering trust that it inspires in India ensures that few ask questions like - is it safe to deep-fry paneer in Teflon kadhais, store lemon pickle in the plastic jars, or cook chicken curry in microwavesafe bowls, without a worry?[/size]



[size="3"]Plastic standards[/size]



[size="3"]Expert opinion suggests the safety of some of these ubiquitous cookware and storage materials is taken for granted. For instance, every plastic bottle is graded between 1 and 7, the number displayed within a small triangle at the base of the bottle. Dr Y K Gupta , head of pharmacology at AIIMS in Delhi, says, "Every number means a particular level of toxicity . Number 3, 6 and 7 are the most hazardous. Number 3 means the presence of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). When PVC burns, it releases dioxins and hydrogen chloride , both of which are highly toxic . Dioxins are chemical contaminants linked to cancer and reproductive problems. Number 6 means it has polystyrene, a human carcinogen." Number 7 means the presence of polycarbonates which contain Bisphenol A (BPA) which can mimic estrogen and thereby affect hormone levels.[/size]



[size="3"]PET bottles are graded number 1, but these too are not risk-free . "Long periods of use or exposure to sunlight can cause PET bottles to leach antimony," says Ravi Agarwal, director of Delhi-based NGO, Toxic Links. Antimony is a heavy metal used in the production of PET and is a carcinogen. It's best to discard the empty soft drink and juice bottles which are not really meant to store water. Agarwal says in Europe, baby bottles with nipples containing phthalates , which are added to increase plasticity and have been linked to metabolic interference, have been banned, but no such action has taken place in India.[/size]



[size="3"]Sticky side to non-stick pans[/size]



[size="3"]Similarly, there's been little reaction here to reports in the west about the probable carcinogenic nature of the chemical coating PFOA on non-stick cookware. Studies have shown that PFOA can cause cancer of the pancreas, liver and testes and could lead to miscarriages . At the high temperatures that Indian style of cooking requires, PFOA tends to degrade. "If heated to 446 degrees Fahrenheit , the coating emits toxic particles and gases. At 680 degrees F, six toxic gases are released," says Gupta. Roopa Vajpeyi of Delhibased NGO, Consumer Voice, warns that once the coating comes off, the pan is too dangerous to be used and should be discarded.[/size]



[size="3"]Ceramic & melamine risks[/size]



[size="3"]There are no standards in India with regard to many of these materials , says Agarwal. "Nobody is paying attention to these things. There is presence of lead in the attractive glazing applied on ceramic ware. It has been banned in the west. But there's no control in India and people are unaware of the risks." When the glazes are properly formulated and fired at a high temperature, the lead is sealed. However, if they are not properly prepared and fired, lead may leach into food stored in the ceramic ware and cause lead poisoning.[/size]



[size="3"]Likewise, it has been found that samples of acidic food when put under exaggerated conditions (heated to 160 degrees F for two hours) in melamine ware could cause leaching of chemicals like formaldehyde. Ingestion of the toxic chemicals in large amounts could cause kidney stones, renal failure, abdominal vomiting and vomiting, says Gupta. He adds that melamine should be used only to store dry food items.[/size]



[size="3"]All about aluminium[/size]



[size="3"]Studies have cited exposure to aluminium as a great risk for Alzheimer's disease. According to Gupta, it's advisable to avoid wrapping hot food in aluminum foil - the food should be allowed to cool and should be in contact with only the dull side of the foil.[/size]



[size="3"]Experts say it's best to use anodized aluminum cookware - these are safer and cheaper. Anodization is essentially a way to make the aluminum stronger and more durable - the oxidized aluminum forms a strong coating as it replaces the original aluminum on the surface, resulting in an extremely hard substance, (sometimes as hard as a diamond), says Roopa Vajpeyi of Consumer Voice.[/size]



[size="3"]So what's the best option? As far as possible, stick to glass and steel.

[/size]

[/indent]

[sumishi]

[size="3"][url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health/One-mosquito-coil-equals-100-cigarettes/articleshow/9820810.cms"]One mosquito coil equals 100 cigarettes[/url] : TOI, Sep 22, 2011

Smoke emitted from one mosquito repellant coil is equivalent to those of 100 cigarettes, thus causing harm to a large number of people in India, an expert said Wednesday.



"Not many people know about it, but the damage done to your lungs by one mosquito coil is equivalent to the damage done by 100 cigarettes. This was according to a recent study conducted in Malyasia," said Chest Research Foundation director Sandeep Salvi.



He was speaking at the conference 'Air Pollution and Our Health', organised by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) along with the Indian Council for Medical Research and the Indian Medical Association.



Salvi said there is a lack of awareness about the impact of air pollution on human health.



Pointing out the "lack of research culture" among Indian doctors, Salvi said that indoor air pollution too is a health risk factor.



Participants at the event, which included doctors and health researchers, also spoke about vehicular air pollution in the capital.



According to estimates, about 55 per cent of Delhi's population lives within 500 metres from main roads - and is, therefore, prone to a variety of physical disorders.



"The vehicular pollution is a major concern for the environment. The rising incidents of genetic disorder has a lot to do with air pollution. India loses one million children under five because of respiratory problems every year," said Sanjeev Bagai, the chief executive officer of Batra Hospitals.



He said industries also contribute to the air pollution and these need to be shifted out of the capital.

[/size]

[ramana]

The chance of getting cancer from mosquito coils is much less than the chances of getting malaria from mosquito bites.



Next they will come after agarbhattis!