Painkillers may lead to Hypertension, High BP

A new study has suggested that some common ‘over-the-counter’ (OTC) medications such as painkillers may be an unseen and another cause of high blood pressure and hypertension.

Professor Ehud Grossman of Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine has found the painkillers to be a basic cause of BP and hypertension in a recent study.

Normally a physician believes kidney failure and endocrine tumors to be reasons of high blood pressure. But the research revealed that painkillers may also lead to high BP and hypertension.

The research took into account all the OTCs like painkillers, birth control, anti-depressants, and antibiotics and found that all of these increased the blood pressure rate.

Actually the research gives more stress on the drug combination that is prescribed to a patient. More clearly, the individual drug may not harm that much but the side effect of the combination of the painkillers with other medications may result in serious health issues.

“Many physicians don’t account for this, and some don’t even know about it. It’s their responsibility to be informed and make sure that their patients are aware that this is a possibility,” says Prof. Grossman.

The researcher is of the opinion that the doctors should either decrease the amount of prescribed medications or should prescribe an anti-hypertensive medication along with the other OTCs.

There are several pros and cons of altering medications as per the finding of this study. But the researcher feels that by simply being aware of the effects of the drugs taken, patients and doctors can adjust the treatment so as to prevent hypertension and high blood pressure.

Origin of Obesity traced to Womb: Study

A new study has suggested that environment in the womb decides the weight of the baby in its later years. This environment is governed by mother's diet and exposure to pollution or stress.

The findings of the study were published in the journal Plos one. In this study the researchers have found a link between the fetus in the womb and its chances of obesity in the later life.

They observed certain changes around the DNA at birth which they estimated to be the result of a mother's diet, exposure to pollution and stress.

Earlier, scientists have explained that the FTO gene is necessarily a deciding factor for obesity besides least childhood or adult diet. However, some other scientists have provided molecular changes called ‘epigenetics ‘to be the reason of overweight.

These molecular changes are believed to be caused partly by the environmental factors such as diet, stress, smoking or hormones, particularly in the womb.

In the present study Dr Caroline Relton, of Newcastle University and team took blood samples of 24 children aged 11 to 13 and identified epigenetic changes in the gene. They then compiled data of 178 other individuals and came to the given conclusion.

However, they have also opined that further study is needed to confirm this link. The study was different from others as it focused on the genes which were differently expressed in children with a higher Body Mass Index (BMI).

Mental Illness leads to Suicide, says WHO

A report by the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals that mental illness is a major risk factor for suicide. Suicide is the process of purposely ending one's own life.

The WHO report says that approximately one million people worldwide commit suicide each year and from 10 million to 20 million people attempt to suicide annually. The report further discloses that at an average one person dies in every 40 seconds globally.

WHO says that the mental disorder that arises out of depression and use of alcohol is mostly witnessed in Europe and North America. For Asian countries of course, mental disorder and provocation with impulsiveness leads to suicide.

In India, the prevalence of major mental and behavioral disorders is estimated to be 65 per 1000 persons. It has been observed that the social stigmas of Indian society contribute much in many cases of depression which eventually leads to suicide.

“The situation has not made much headway as problems are kept under the wraps because of the stigma attached to them”, said Dr Sudhir Joseph, director, St Stephen's Hospital.

It is a fact that majority of the people with mental illness do not die by suicide.  However, more than 90 percent of the people who die from suicide have a diagnosable mental disorder. People who die by suicide are frequently experiencing undiagnosed, undertreated, or untreated depression.

An estimated 2-15 % of persons who have been diagnosed with major depression die by suicide.

Mental illness in the form of substance abuse, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (mood issue) leads to depression which then results in suicide.

HOW TO CRAFT THE JOB YOU WANT

Not engaged and motivated by your job? You may have the power to change it. Begin by identifying your motives, strengths and passions to help you better understand which aspects of your job will keep you engaged and inspire higher performance. Then, create a diagram of your current job, including your job tasks, noting which you do most often. 

Next, create a diagram of your preferred job, indicating which things you want to do more or less of and which tasks you want to add. This chart can help you articulate what you want to do differently. Be sure to engage your supervisor in this process; assure her that you won't let your current tasks slide and that any new tasks you propose are central to the company.

Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam appointed as ISI Chief

Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has appointed Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam as the new Director General of ISI (Inter Services Intelligence).

Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam is currently serving as the Corps Commander Karachi. He will succeed Lt Gen Shuja Pasha, who will retire on March 18.

Director General Rangers Sindh Lt. General Ijaz Chaudhry will succeed Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam as Corps Commander Karachi.

Recession makes People Slimmer

While the financial recession of 2007 had brought great economic disaster to every household, a new study has suggested one of its positive aspects. The study has found that the people, who had become overweight before, halved in 3 years' time following this economic crisis.

The Arizona State University researchers compiled data of around 350,000 adults across the United States. Their weight and height was measured to determine the Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a heuristic proxy for human body fat based on an individual's weight and height.

The person having a BMI score of 30 or above is termed obese and if the same is within 25 to 30, he is considered as overweight as per the norms provided by the World Health Organization (WHO).

In an earlier research it was found that people from the lower income group gain more weight because they take cheaper foods but with higher calories, like takeaways and pre-packaged meals. Hence it was normally expected that when every family faced an economic scarcity, they should gain weight.

But this new research found that people became slimmer as an effect of the recession irrespective of their income.

71,000 Entries received for Veena's Swayamvar

Pakistani Actor and Model Veena Malik, who has been in the news for Imagine TV’s ‘Swayamvar – 4’ has created a big buzz after receiving 71,240 entries of suitors lined up to marry her.

In this season, Veena has set a new record leaving  behind the models of the earlier seasons Rakhi Sawant at 30,000  Rahul Mahajan  at 43,000 and Ratan Rajput at 54,000.

In this connection so far entries have been received from Saudi Arabia, UK, USA, Poland, New Zealand, Bahrain and Nepal along with the maximum number from India. In India, the highest numbers of entries are from Delhi, Haryana, and Uttarakhand. “I am overwhelmed by the response” says an excited Veena.

However, the format of the serial is that only 116 entries will be shortlisted from all the entries of which Veena will further shortlist it to 40 and then lastly there will be 16 finalists.

Veena Malik will reportedly be paid a huge sum of Rs 3 crore for the show and an additional Rs 1.5 crore if she gets married.

For Veena, it can be said that she has not left any stone unturned to mesmerize a huge number of youths across the world through different media. She tweets “Career is a beautiful thing but cant hug my career n sleep peacefully....for that I need a husband”.