All diabetics must get regular eye checkup’s done

All diabetics must get regular eye checkup’s done New Delhi, July 29, 2016: The vast majority of diabetic patients who develop diabetic retinopathy (eye involvement) have no symptoms until the very late stages (by which time it may be too late for effective treatment). Because the rate of progression may be rapid, therapy can be beneficial for both symptom amelioration as well as reduction in the rate of disease progression, it is important to screen patients with diabetes regularly for the development of retinal disease. The eyes carry important early clues to heart disease, signaling damage to tiny blood vessels long before symptoms start to show elsewhere, said Padma Shri Awardee Dr KK Aggarwal – President Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) and Honorary Secretary General IMA. Diabetic people with retinopathy are more likely to die of heart disease over the next 12 years than those without it. As per a study from the University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne in Australia and the National University of Singapore, people with retinopathy are nearly twice as likely to die of heart disease as people without it. People with these changes in the eyes may be getting a first warning that damage is occurring in their arteries, and work to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Patients with retinopathy have a greater risk of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, including heart attack, stroke, revascularization, and CVD death, compared with those without retinopathy.

ASCO issues first Clinical Practice Guidelines for chronic pain in adult cancer survivor

ASCO issues first Clinical Practice Guidelines for chronic pain in adult cancer survivor

Dr K K Aggarwal The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has release the first guidelines on management of chronic pain in adult cancer survivors. Published online July 25, 2016 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, these recommendations were developed by an expert panel with multidisciplinary representation, who used a systematic review of RCTs (1996 to 2015), observational studies and clinical experience to formulate the guidelines. Some key recommendations in the new guidelines include the following: • Patients should be screened for pain at each encounter. • Clinicians should conduct an initial comprehensive pain assessment to explore the multidimensional nature of pain - pain descriptors, associated distress, functional impact, and related physical, psychological, social, and spiritual factors). • Clinicians should be aware of chronic pain syndromes resulting from cancer treatments, the prevalence of these syndromes, risk factors for individual patients, and appropriate treatment options. • Evaluate and monitor for recurrent disease, second malignancy, or late-onset treatment effects in patients with new-onset pain. • Patient and family/caregivers should be involved in all aspects of pain assessment and management. • Non opioid analgesics like NSAIDs, acetaminophen and adjuvant analgesics including selected antidepressants and selected anticonvulsants may be prescribed to relieve chronic pain if there are no contraindications and after assessment of the risks of adverse effects of pharmacologic therapies. Topical analgesics may also be prescribed. • A trial of opioids may be prescribed in carefully selected cancer survivors with chronic pain who do not respond to more conservative management and who continue to experience pain-related distress or functional impairment. Assess risks of adverse effects of opioids used for pain management. Taper the dose, if they are no longer needed to avoid abstinence syndrome. • Clinicians should clearly understand terminology such as tolerance, dependence, abuse, and addiction as it relates to the use of opioids for pain control and should incorporate universal precautions to minimize abuse, addiction, and adverse consequences. • Clinicians should understand pertinent laws and regulations regarding the prescribing of controlled substances. • Non pharmacologic therapies such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, distraction, mindfulness, acupuncture, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation may be recommended.

Eating more fruits and vegetables predict happiness and satisfaction with life

Eating more fruits and vegetables predict happiness and satisfaction with life

Dr K K Aggarwal

New research suggests that eating more fruits and vegetables can also increase levels of happiness later in life. In a study to be published in the American Journal of Public Health, researchers found that alterations in fruit and vegetable intake were predictive of later alterations in happiness and satisfaction with life. 

People who had been eating almost no fruits and vegetables and changed their diet to include fruits and vegetables per day experienced an increase in life satisfaction comparable to finding employment from an unemployed state. Their level of happiness increased incrementally for each extra daily portion of fruit and vegetables up to eight portions per day. The improvement in well-being was observed within 2 years of the study participants improving their diet.

The study examined food diaries of 12,385 randomly sampled Australian adults over 2007, 2009, and 2013 in the Household, Income, and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey.

A collaboration between the University of Warwick, England and the University of Queensland, Australia, it is one of the first major scientific attempts to explore psychological well-being beyond the well-known finding that fruits and vegetables can reduce risk of diabetes, cancer and heart attacks. 

(Source: Science Daily)