Air pollution causes more than one third of strokes, lifestyle diseases in India

October 29, 2016

New Delhi, Oct 29: As India continue to report 16 lakh cases of stroke every year, health experts have said that at least one third of these cases are caused by mere modifiable lifestyle factors and deteriorating air quality. A study concluded by the city-based Fortis Escorts Heart Institute reveals that lifestyle problems such as depression, chronic anxiety and job stress trigger the brain and heart strokes among people, including youth.

pollution

It was found that among the challenges faced by the patients who survive stroke are short-term memory loss, difficulty in thinking and depression. “Pollution in the air thickens the blood and hardens arteries, known as atherosclerosis. Once this process starts, the plaque is built up in the arteries, narrowing them down and causing strokes,” said P.N. Renjen, Senior Consultant Neurologist at Indraprastha Apollo, and added this also raises the blood pressure, boosting the risk of clot formation in the brain.

Renjen said that as conditions in India are severe, job stress, anxiety and depression and other lifestyle issues trigger the stroke in a much faster way. World Stroke Day is on October 29.

“The challenge is huge with 26 million stroke survivors living with significant disabilities that impede their ability to carry out daily living tasks. One in six people will have a stroke in their lifetime. The symptoms of stroke occur all of a sudden and patient will benefit if these are recognised and treated early,” said Vipul Gupta, Director of neurointervention at Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon.

Stating that the stroke is the third most common cause of death and disability in India, Gupta said: “Every minute if stroke is untreated, the average patient loses 1.9 million neuron. Golden hour of stroke is first six hours, and urgent treatment is the key.”

Talking about the new developments in strokes, Gupta said that women who take birth control pills are at a slightly higher risk of stroke. “Risk increases for a woman during pregnancy as the increased blood pressure puts stress on the heart. Also, migraine can cause chances of stroke three times up in women,” added Gupta.

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Govt restricts sale of wonder drug ‘hydroxychloroquine’

Agencies

March 27,2020

New Delhi, Mar 27: The Centre has restricted sale and distribution of "hydroxychloroquine" declaring it as an essential drug to treat the COVID-19 patients and meet the requirements of emergency arising due to the pandemic.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday made the announcement making it clear that the order "shall come into force on the date of its publication in the official Gazette".

In the order, the government declared that the Central government is "satisfied that the drug hydroxychloroquine is essential to meet the requirements of emergency arising due to pandemic COVID-19 and in the public interest, it is necessary and expedient to regulate and restrict the sale and distribution of the drug 'hydroxychloroquine' and preparation based thereon for preventing their misuse".

"Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 26B of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 (23 of 1940), the Central government hereby directs that sale by retail of any preparation containing the drug Hydroxychloroquine shall be in accordance with the conditions for sale of drugs specified in Schedule H1 to the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945."

The order came at a time when the novel coronavirus claimed 16 lives and infected over 600 people across India.

The announcement regarding ban of sale and distribution of the drug was made by the government earlier but it issued an official Gazette notification on Thursday signalling that hydroxychloroquine -- an anti-Malaria drug -- will work as a medicine for treating coronavirus infected patients as well.

Recently, the national task force for COVID-19 constituted by Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has recommended hydroxy-chloroquine as a preventive medication.

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Pink eye or conjunctivitis may also be primary symptom of COVID-19: Study

Agencies

June 19,2020

While coughing, fever and difficulty in breathing are common symptoms of COVID-19, a new case study has found that pink eye is also a reason to be tested for the disease.

The study, published in the Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology, determined that conjunctivitis and keratoconjunctivitis can also be primary symptoms of COVID-19.

The researchers noted that in March, a 29-year-old woman arrived at the Royal Alexandra Hospital's Eye Institute of Alberta with a severe case of conjunctivitis and minimal respiratory symptoms.

After the patient had undergone several days of treatment with little improvement -- and after it had been determined that the woman had recently returned home from Asia -- a resident ordered a COVID-19 test.

The test came back positive, according to the researchers.

"What is interesting in this case, and perhaps very different to how it had been recognised at that specific time, was that the main presentation of the illness was not a respiratory symptom. It was the eye," said Carlos Solarte, an assistant professor at the University of Alberta in Canada.

"There was no fever and no cough, so we weren't led to suspect COVID-19 at the beginning. We didn't know it could present primarily with the eye and not with the lungs," Solarte said.

Academic studies at the outset of the pandemic identified conjunctivitis as a secondary symptoms in about 10 to 15 per cent of COVID-19 cases, he said.

Since then, scientists have gained greater knowledge of how the virus can transmit through and affect the body's mucous membrane system, of which the conjunctiva -- the clear, thin membrane that covers the front surface of the eye -- is an extension.

While the finding provides important new health information for the public, it also makes eye exams more complicated for ophthalmologists and staff, the researchers noted.

"The patient in this case eventually recovered well without any issues. But several of the residents and staff who were in close contact with the patient had to be under quarantine," said Solarte.

"Fortunately, none who were involved in her care also tested positive," he said.

Patients coming into an eye clinic with conjunctivitis and keratoconjunctivitis are now treated as potential cases of COVID-19 and extra precautions are taken by staff, according to the researchers.

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