HEALTH

BODY&MIND
WHO’s strategy to check lifestyle diseases
Tripti Nath

The World Health Organisation is formulating a global strategy to prevent non-communicable diseases as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer, which are assuming epidemic proportions in many developing countries. A regional consultation on the issue was held at the WHO South East Asian Region Headquarters here close to mid March. WHO Director (Non-Communicable Diseases, Prevention and Health Promotion), Dr Pekka Puska drew attention to the fact that non-communicable diseases were on the rise in the region due to change in food habits and lack of sufficient physical exercise. He said that WHO would formulate global guidelines on food habits and exercise regimens to prevent lifestyle diseases. The guidelines would be based on inputs from six similar regional consultations besides UNESCO, the World Bank and food industry and health sector and non-governmental organisations. It would also recommend guidelines to promote science-based diets that control obesity and spell out the desired intake of fat, salt and sugar.

WHO Director General Gro Harlem Brundtland will hold a meeting of Chief Executive Officers of major companies of the food industries in Geneva in May to stress the need for changing their products and marketing strategies towards healthier food items. Dr Puska said that food industries ought to realise that marketing health was necessary for development and that they could also gain by marketing such products. He said that developing countries should redefine health priorities and realise that cases of non-communicable diseases were increasing dramatically.
Dr Puska said that governments should give due importance to these diseases in their National Health Policies and earmark some resources for this purpose.

According to the World Health Report 2001, mortality, morbidity and disability (attributed to major non-communicable diseases) currently account for approximately 60 per cent of all deaths and 43 per cent of the global burden of diseases.

Dr Abdul Sattar Yoosuf, WHO Director (Development and Healthy Environment), said that although food habits of people living in various countries of the region were different, they could adopt dietary requirements of various nutrients from the WHO guidelines and make appropriate changes. They should avoid fast food or ‘McDonald culture’ and instead preserve their own healthy food habits.

LPL offers late night services: Responding to the demand for late night and weekend services, Dr Lal Path Labs (LPL) has overtaken other pathology labs in the country by offering its services till 11 pm on weekdays and from 10 am to 1 pm on Sundays.

Established by late Dr (Major) S. K. Lal in 1949, LPL has an ultra-modern laboratory testing facility in Connaught Place and caters to over 1,500 patients every day across the country.

This has been made possible through 40 sample collection centres and several pick up points in the National Capital Region (NCR), besides 200 collection centres in major cities in the country. Set up with the objective of offering the highest quality service in clinical pathology, Dr Lal Path Labs has grown into a reference medical diagnostics laboratory and is recognised as the best in India and South Asia.

The announcement of the service past sunset on weekdays has been hailed with a sense of relief by persons who keep late working hours and patients in urgent need of testing. This new initiative in pathology labs will save patients the trouble of taking a day off for testing in pathology labs.

The change in time of the lab will ensure quick results of critical tests. LPL offers 400 investigations and panels in the disciplines of Molecular Diagnostics, Biophysics, Virology, Flow Cytometry, Immunophenotyping, Cyto Genetics, Endocrinology, Genetics, Nutrition and Metabolism, Oncology, Toxicology, Immunochemistry, Infectious Diseases, Biochemistry, Haematology and Cytology - the widest range of parameters under one roof. LPL has been ranked by Asiatic Research, a San Francisco-based independent laboratory survey organisation as the number one laboratory in India.

Already certified by ISO, Dr Lal Path labs have got quality certification from NABL (National Accreditation Board of Laboratories and Calibration). Recently, it bagged an accreditation from CAP (College of American Pathologists). It is also approved for special tests by the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), Atlanta, USA.

It helps patients gain access to rare and sophisticated investigations by sending test samples to the US.

VASCULAR meet: The first meeting of the Endovascular Intervention Society of India, which concluded in mid March, brought together vascular surgeons, interventional cardiologists and interventional radiologists from leading hospitals of the country and eminent physicians from Europe and USA. Padmashree Dr Ashok Seth, Chief of Invasive and Interventional Cardiology, Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre and founder of the aforesaid Society explained that vascular surgeons, interventional cardiologists and interventional radiologists have been developing non-surgical treatment for blockages of arteries with very high success.

“Now for the first time in the world, these three different super specialities are coming together with the objective of advancement of knowledge and expertise in the specialised use of Endovascular Interventions. If all these can come together and form a unique super speciality, it will surely lead to various technical advancements and bring down the cost of treatment,” Dr Seth said.
The aforesaid Society would strive to address non-surgical management of blockages of arteries of brain, kidneys and legs by bringing together super specialists from all the three branches of endovascular intervention.

Organising secretary of the first scientific meeting of the Endovascular Intervention Society of India, Dr Seth said that it is a well-recognised fact that cholesterol deposits lead to blockages in the arteries of the heart leading to heart attack and death.

“What is not equally recognised by the common man is that the same deposits can lead to blockages of arteries going to the brain to give rise to strokes, blockages to the kidney arteries leading to very high blood pressure, kidney failure and leg pain and gangrene when they involve the legs. Nearly 10 per cent of patients with heart disease have blockage of arteries going to the brain and 10 to 15 per cent can have blockages in kidney arteries. The prevalence of these blockages is on the increase in Indians but there is poor knowledge about its recognition and treatment,’’ Dr Seth said.

Prominent experts present at the meeting were Prof Elio Piccinini, Professor of Vascular Surgery from Italy, Prof Michel Henry, Interventional Cardiologist from France, Professor Klaus Mathias, Interventional Radiologist from Germany and Dr Rocha Singh, Interventional Cardiologist from USA.

Simple therapy for menstrual problems
Our Correspondent

Sonepat: Dr P.M. Gopinath, a leading gynaecologist at the Sooriya Hospital, Chennai, has said that thermachoice uterine balloon therapy provides simple, effective and quick relief to the women suffering from heavy and irregular menstrual bleeding, a major cause of amenia among the women of the country.

Talking to mediapersons here last evening, he said that in our a country, at least 22 per cent of women in the reproductive age, suffer from excessive bleeding, which besides causing embarrassment and anxiety, is also responsible for anemia and weakness affecting their productivity at home and the workplace. He said that more than one woman in five shares this common condition. But the good news is that relief from this condition is a simple step away.

He also said that the new minimally invasive therapy claims to help women bid goodbye to painful and heavy periods. This therapy can be offered if the first line of drug therapy fails, avoiding the need to go in for surgery. Most women get back on their feet the very next day, he claimed.

Dr Gopinath who had done more than 400 cases of thermachoice therapy, also said that abnormal uterine bleeding, common among women in their mid-30 and 50s, is said to be on the rise in recent years. According to a recent survey, more than 3 crore women in our country suffer from excessive menstrual bleeding.

He also said that as many as two lakh women have used this procedure in the world so far. At least 96 per cent of the women who have undergone this therapy, have been relieved of their problem of heavy periods. The difference on their quality of life is remarkable. 

SPORTS

Leaders sign on giant ‘Good Luck India’ bat
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 22
Prominent Congress leaders, including Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Subhash Chopra, appended their signatures on a giant ‘Good Luck India’ bat on the eve of India’s clash against Australia in the World Cup Cricket Championship in South Africa.

The wooden bat, which is 15-feet in length and 18 inches in width, weighs around 200kg. It was donated by Congress worker Pramod Gupta. Mr Gupta said he started work on the giant bat after India lost to Australia in the World Cup league match. The bat cost around Rs 20,000 to Mr Promod Gupta, whose Amon Avis and Lee Coin garments are popular brands in the market.

Mr Subhash Chopra said the ‘Good Luck’ bat will be presented to the Indian team on their arrival in India from South Africa. The Indian team, led by Saurav Ganguly, have entered the World Cup final after a gap of 20 years, since the Kapil Dev-led Indian team wrested the Cup in England in 1983.

BSES lift Corporate Challenger Cup
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 22
BSES defeated E-Funds by seven wickets in the ESPN Star Sports Corporate Challenger Cup at the Bhagat Singh College ground. Batting first, E-Funds scored 182 in the allotted 25 overs with Mohd Awais scoring 62 and Vikas Sharma chipping in with 24. S R Gautam claimed three wickets for 28 runs.

In reply, BSES knocked in 184 for the loss of three wickets in 23.4 overs.

Ajit Choudhary scored a blistering 94 while Ajay Maharaj hit a fine 28. Rishi Singla took 1 for 16. Ajit Choudhary was named the man of the match.

Former Indian Test player and national selector Madan Lal and Delhi and District Cricket Association senior vice-president C K Khanna jointly presented the winners’ trophy to BSES captain Ajay Maharaj.

BSES also won a cash prize of Rs 25,000. The runners-up received a cash prize of Rs 10,000.

State Bank shortchange K G Colts
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 22
State Bank of India shortchanged K G Colts by 24 runs in an A-I Division match of the DDCA League at the RSC ground. Batting first, State Bank scored 196, thanks to a fine knock of 72 by Pankaj Kaushik and a half century by Ajay Verma. And then Ravinder Bhandari produced a devastating spell of 4 for 34, to wreck K G Colts’ batting lineup.

Scores: State Bank: 196 all out in 31.1 overs (Pankaj Kaushik 72, Ajay Verma 55, Manoj Markar 24, Vinod Tomar 3 for 19).

KG Colts: 172 all out in 34.3 overs (Adnan Khan 44, Imran 30, Ravinder Bhandari 4 for 34, Hitesh Sharma 2 for 35). G G Dutt beat Young Association by 56 runs in an A-I Division match at Kotla No I ground.

Scores: G G Dutt: 203 for 6 in 40 overs (Kamal Bagga 55, Amar Sharma 45, Amit Sharma 29, Rahul Bansal 4 for 38).

Young Association: 147 for 9 in 40 overs (Ram Saran 26 n o, Ravi Arora 3 for 19, Gaurav Kumar 2 for 14, Anish Aggarwal 2 for 18).

Delhi Police beat Bright Club by 17 runs in a Super A Division match at the Kalindi College ground. Scores: Delhi Police: 177 for 7 in 35 overs (Sanjay Verma 47, Vineet Bhardwaj 39, Dinesh Kumar 4 for 31). Bright Club: 160 all out in 33 overs (Netra Pal 35, Rajesh Sharma 5 for 32, Premveer Nagar 2 for 16).

Delhi to host Senior National Boxing

New Delhi, March 22
The Senior National Boxing Championship for men will be held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium from March 25 to 30. All the top boxers of the country are expected to participate in the championship.

Aviva beat Apollo Tyres

Aviva beat Apollo Tyres by five runs in the Reebok Cricket Tournament. Scores: Aviva: 138 all out in 25 overs (Nirlipt Singh 31, 4x5; Ajay Bhandari 25, 4x4; Bhaskar Ganguly 4x3; Sachin Jain 2 for 22; Gautam Bhalla 2 for 16).

Apollo Tyres: 133 all out in 24.4 overs (A Vohra 43, 4x4, Sachin Jain 27, 4x2, Ajay bhandari 3 for 19, Puneet Dayal 3 for 22, Dev Prasad 2 for 23). Ajay Bhandari was named the man of the match.

Corporate Cricket

Pepsi Food beat GE Capital in the second Turf Corporate Cricket Challenge Tournament. Scores: Pepsi Foods: 200 all out in 22 overs (Tamal 38, Manoj 26, Rupinder Sidhu 28, Prashant 22, Harish Nair 3 for 53, Ashok 3 for 38, Kartik 2 for 14). GE Capital: 188 for 6 in 22 overs

Cricket coaching camp

Swaraj Sports and Educational Foundation will organise a two-month cricket coaching camp at the Paschim Vihar Sports Complex from April 1 to May 31.

Dronacharya coach Ramakant Achrekar, Eknath Solkar and Saleem Durani will impart coaching to the trainees. OSR