Greetings!
Welcome to yet another edition of our newsletter.
Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder that affects the production of haemoglobin in the body. In India thalassemia majorly affects over 1, 00,000 people and over 8,000 reported thalassemia births take place every year. Thalassemia has no cure and people living with this disease require regular blood transfusions as an effective measure to prolong life.
The need of the hour is to have a National Policy on thalassemia, which will help in not just creating awareness about the disease but also ensure treatment for all and strategies to prevent its spread. Read more on it in this issue of PSM-India Capsules.
If you have any suggestions, comments or queries, please email me at pooja@jagograhakjago.com.
You may find our previous issues on jagograhakjago.com or in the NEWS ARCHIVE section of every issue of The PRESCRIPTION, in case you’ve missed any of them. You may also look us up on Facebook under Partnership for Safe Medicines India
"Call PSM India toll free helpline 1800 - 11- 4424, to bring cases of spurious medicines or any kind of adverse drug reaction to the notice of the authorities.
Please visit our website jagograhakjago.com if you wish to learn about us .
To register a complaint kindly visit our consumer redressal website www.jagograhakjago.com
Happy Reading !
Stay Safe. Stay Healthy !
Pooja Khaitan
Chief Editor ,
The PRESCRIPTION
Partnership for Safe Medicines India.
"It is our endeavour to protect each and every child in the country from vaccine preventable diseases aimed at reducing child mortality. Strengthening routine immunization is an essential investment in India's children and we will ensure a healthy future of our country."
Shri J P NaddaUnion Minister for Health & Family Welfare
Need for a National Policy on Thalassemia
Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder that affects the production of haemoglobin in the body, resulting in severe anaemia. The irregularity results in improper oxygen transport and destruction of red blood cells. The term thalassemia was derived from the Greek word "thalassa" meaning the ocean as the patients were initially identified along the coast of Mediterranean Sea by leading scientists Lee & Cooley in 1925. The first case of thalassemia in India was reported in 1938. Thalassemia has no cure and people living with this disease require regular blood transfusions as an effective measure to prolong life.
New test can detect cancer using one of blood
Beijing, May 2017: Chinese scientists have invented a new test that can diagnose multiple kinds of cancer by analysing just a drop of human blood. Researchers at Tsinghua University's School of Life Sciences developed the reagent (mixture) test kit of Hsp90a protein for clinical use..
Noisy knees may predict osteoarthritisNew York, May 2017: Do you hear grating, cracking, or popping sounds when your bend your knees? Beware, it may be an early sign of developing knee osteoarthritis, researchers say.
HIV infection eliminated in 'humanised' miceNew York, May 2017: Scientists have successfully removed HIV DNA from the genomes of animals, including a humanised mice, using a powerful gene-editing tool, an advance that may help eliminate the virus in humans in future.
Alliance For Safe Online Pharmacies Warns That Drug Importation Proposals Get It Wrong
The Morning Consult recently published an op-ed by Libby Baney, the Executive Director of the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies (ASOP Global), a nonprofit dedicated to addressing the growing public health threat of illegal online pharmacies. In the piece, Ms. Baney stated that drug importation proposals are not a safe or effective way to address the rising cost of prescription drugs. She warns that the size of the problem was underestimated on two fronts.
Prescription Savings Tip: To Save The Most Ask For Generic Lipitor At US Pharmacies
The most commonly prescribed drug in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2016 was atorvastatin calcium, the generic of Lipitor, according to LowestMed.com. This medication helps to lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. Is it cheaper to buy from a Canadian pharmacy? We called a brick-and-mortar pharmacy in Vancouver and were told that a 30-day prescription for 100 20mg tablets of the generic would cost $53 CAD, or about $40 USD after the conversion and foreign transaction fee. A quick search on GoodRx.com shows that the same number of pills at the same dosage only costs $19.08 at any Kroger Pharmacy in the U.S. The same prescription cost over 50% less in the U.S. as it does in Canada.
Frequently Asked Questions Q1. What is Heat Stroke?
Heat stroke is the most serious form of heat injury and is considered a medical emergency. Heat stroke -- also known as sunstroke.
Heat stroke can kill or cause damage to the brain and other internal organs. Although heat stroke mainly affects people over age 50, it also takes a toll on healthy young athletes.
Heat stroke often occurs as a progression from milder heat-related illnesses such as heat cramps, heat syncope (fainting), and heat exhaustion. But it can strike even if you have no previous signs of heat injury. Heat stroke results from prolonged exposure to high temperatures -- usually in combination with dehydration -- which leads to failure of the body's temperature control system. The medical definition of heat stroke is a core body temperature greater than 104 degrees Fahrenheit, with complications involving the central nervous system that occur after exposure to high temperatures. Other common symptoms include nausea, seizures, confusion, disorientation, and sometimes loss of consciousness or coma.Read More>>>
Simple ways to Relieve Period Cramps!
Article contributed by one of our Subscriber: Dr. Shristi Das, Gynecologist, DelhiMillions of women experience cramps before or during their periods. Cramps are caused by prostaglandins (say: pross-tuh-GLAN-dinz), chemicals a female body produces to make the muscles of the uterus contract. The contracting muscles help push the blood out through the vagina during their period.
Ms. Priya Sharma, Medical Student, tweets:I can think of no way to improve this great Newsletter! Kudos@PSM-India
Ms. Shruti Pandya, Physician, Says: When it comes to healthcare newsletter, PSM-India newsletter is the most informative and comprehensive publication available.
F-9, 2nd floor, Kailash Colony, New Delhi -110048
jagograhakjago.com; www.jagograhakjago.com;
Disclaimer : Our newsletter endeavors to compile patient safety information from various sources . PSM India may not be held responsible for any article published in The Prescription.