Hiv and the truckers

according to UNAIDS sex workers are 10 times more likely than the general population to be HIV positive. Another high risk group consists of the truckers. Truckers spend weeks, even months, on the road ferrying loads across the length and breath of the country. But it's not just cargo that moves along these transportation routes, it's also HIV. Sexual health awareness is low among these truck drivers.

OTC INSIGHT Asia-Pacific reported recently that, in India, around 2 million truck drivers are frequently engaging in unprotected sex with sex workers and only 11.4% of these workers said they had used a condom.
Tata Motors decided to tackle the problem head-on with the target group, the truckers. Tata Motors with the help of creative agency Rediffusion Y&R and launched the “Use Dipper At Night” campaign in April 2016.

Indian truckers have a strong cultural identity and “Use Dipper At Night” (reminding drivers to dip their headlights during nighttime). The idea was to encourage truck drivers to practice safe sex by linking this concept to the phrase that resonates strongly with every member of the community. Thereby a new condom brand called Dipper was created and marketed exclusively for the truck drivers.

HLL Lifecare, a government-owned corporation and India’s largest condom manufacturer, produces the the condoms. Each wallet, which contains three condoms, is decorated with different truck art motifs and slogans, such as “Have a Safe Journey”, to make them more appealing to the target consumer.

Empirical diet chart for a Bengali patient with Diabetes Mellitus Type 2

Dietary guideline for a Bengali  patient with Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
Meal/time	Dietary advice
Breakfast 7:30 – 8 A.M.	1 cup tea (125 ml appx) with skimed milk (double toned milk) with no sugar (add one pellet of sugar free although I don’t recommend that)  2 slices of brown bread Alternately you can take one bowl of muesli with double toned milk
Snack 10 – 10.30 A.M	4 sugar free cream cracker biscuits Or One bowl of puffed rice
Lunch 12:00 – 1pm	1- 2 cup brown rice  1 cup of dhal  1 cup of boiled vegetables,  (if you find the taste difficult to adjust, stir-fry with 5 to 10 ml olive oil)  50 gms of fish (low fat, small fresh water fish) or meat (chicken/ lean meat)- preferably cooked in olive oil end the meal with curd made from skimmed (double toned) milk – half cup
Afternoon 3 - 3.30 P.M.	one bowl of fresh fruit cut into medium sized cubes (avoid high sugar containing ones like jack fruit, mangoes etc) You can also add cucumber, acts as a good filler One cup of tea
Dinner 7 - 8 P.M.	1 cup brown rice or 2 rotis made from multi grain flour or one cup boiled white oats  1 cup stir-fried vegetables (as mentioned above)  50 gm of chicken or fish  1 bowl of salad (cucumber) or Raita made with low-fat milk
Snack 9- 10 P.M	1 cup of skim milk
Whenever you feel hungry in between meals	Have one bowl of puffed rice with cut pieces of cucumber

Metformin against cancer

Evidence from two new studies from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania suggest that metformin improves survival for some breast cancer patients. 

Results of the study showed that patients who used metformin before being diagnosed with breast cancer were more than twice as likely to die than patients who never used the drug, while patients who began using metformin after their cancer diagnosis were almost 50 percent more likely to survive than non-users.

Alcoholism in Men affects the health of children they father: study finding

*If the father is alcoholic, a newborn can be diagnosed with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), even though the mother has never consumed alcohol.

*Alcohol use in fathers has also being linked to decreased birth weight, marked reduction in overall brain size, and impaired cognitive function.

*Advanced age of a father can elevate the rates of schizophrenia and autism in his children.

Anxiety and Depression in Indians with polycystic ovarian syndrome

Source: univadis

A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate prevalence of anxiety and depression in PCOS patients. 200 women with PCOS from obstetrics and gynaecology department of a tertiary care centre in India were assessed on hospital anxiety depression scale and sociodemographic, clinical information about socioeconomic status and clinical symptoms was gathered using semi-structured questionnaire.

Out of 200 participants 56 (28%) demonstrated increased anxiety scores (HADS anxiety subscale ≥11) and 22 (11%) showed increased depression scores (HADS depression subscale ≥11). 34 (17%) scored above the cutoff for both anxiety and depression subscales.

Symptoms of PCOS such as acne, hirsutism, obesity, and infertility are associated with increased psychiatric morbidities (Anxiety and Depression). 

High level of anxiety and depression in PCOS may be due to infertility, loss of sexuality, acne, hirsutism, and obesity.

Reference:

Upadhyaya SK, Sharma A, Agrawal A. Prevalence of anxiety and depression in polycystic ovarian syndrome. Int J Med Sci Public Health 2016;5:681-683.

3 years jail, Rs 20,000 fine if AYUSH practioners practice Allopathy

as seen on: Medical Dialogues 

Trouble seems to be mounting for practitioners of Indian Systems of Medicine (AYUSH), including BUMS, BAMS, BIMS, BHMS practitioners who were earlier practicing allopathy. After the recent high court judgement clearly specifying that such practitioners cannot practice allopathy, the Delhi Medical Council taking cognizance of the order, has issued an advertisement in a newspaper reiterating the same.

Referring the judgement that came out on 8th April, 2016, DMC has noted that only persons who possess any of the recognized medical qualification as per First, Second or Third Schedule to the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and registered with the Delhi Medical Council is entitled to practice in modern scientific system of medicine (allopathy) in the NCT of Delhi.Moreover, the advt states that qualification of BAMS, BIMS, BUMS, Ayurvedic/Unani/ Siddha or Homeopathy are not recognized medical qualification as per the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, hence, holder of such qualifications are not entitled to practice modern scientific system of medicine (allopathy).

Any person practicing modern scientific system of medicine (Allopathy) in contravention of the above will render himself liable to punitive action, inter-alia, under Section 27 of The Delhi Medical Council Act, 1997, which is reproduced as under:-

Section 27. False assumption of Medical Practitioner or Practitioner under this Act to be an offence: Any person who falsely assumes that he is a medical practitioner or practitioner as defined in Clause (7) of Section 2 and practices the modern scientific system of medicine, shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment which may extend up to three years of with fine which may extend up to Rs. 20,000/-or with both.

Speaking to Medical Dialogues Team, Dr Arun Gupta, President, Delhi Medical Council said, ” Delhi Medical council as a constitutional body, has an obligation to see and check that those who are not qualified in the field of allopathy, should not be allowed to practice the same. I rather urge to all my colleagues from other pathies to restrict to their own pathy and not to demean their own field by indulge in cross pathies. ”

Following is the copy of the advt

link: http://medicaldialogues.in/3-years-jail-rs-20000-fine-if-ayush-practioners-practise-allopathy/

African Sleeping Sickness