Recently, BJP President Nitin Gadkari who was suffering from Type II diabetes went in for gastric bypass surgery, a type of bariatric surgery, which helped control his sugar levels.

If you’re one of those who’s tried everything from dieting to gymming to power yoga and still can’t seem to lose those extra pounds, you might want to consider bariatric surgery before things get more serious.
What is this surgery all about you ask? We spoke to a few doctors from reputed hospitals all over India to tell us more about this weight loss surgery. Here are a few things you must know.

How does it work?

Bariatric surgery is a weight loss surgery performed on people who are considered to be obese. The idea behind it is to reduce the capacity of the stomach so that the patient feels easily full after consuming small meals leading to weight loss.

“There are quite a few procedures under bariatric surgery. The 3 common ones are Gastric banding, Gastric sleeve and Gastric bypass.

Gastric banding is when a silicon band is placed on the upper part of the stomach making a small pouch. This restricts the size of the stomach opening and thereby reduces food intake.

In Gastric sleeve, 80 per cent of the stomach is removed and the new tiny stomach absorbs the nutrients.

Gastric bypass on the other hand involves making a small pouch of the stomach and connecting it to the small intestine.

Around 250 cms is bypassed which doesn’t allow 100% absorption of the food,” says Dr Rajesh Khullar, Senior Consultant, Minimal Access, Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery at Max Healthcare, Delhi.

Many people tend to get confused between bariatric surgery and liposuction. Liposuction is a a cosmetic surgery is merely for fat loss as opposed to bariatric surgery which results in sustainable weight loss.

The term “cardiomegaly” most commonly refers to an enlarged heart seen on chest X-ray before other tests are performed to diagnose the specific condition causing your cardiomegaly. You may develop an enlarged heart temporarily because of a stress on your body, such as pregnancy, or …..click to learn more ….

Most persons think of diabetes as a disease of high blood sugar, but for many persons it is associated with high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Controlling all of these factors is important to reduce the risk of developing the major complications of diabetes, and the symptoms are blindness, foot disease, kidney failure, heart attack, and stroke. Infact , the major cause of disability and death in diabetes is heart disease and stroke. For many persons with diabetes, controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, taking aspirin, and not smoking are the most important steps that they can take.

In type 2 symptoms sugar level increases in the blood where as in type 1 sugar level is decreased in the blood. To cure diabetes mainly diabetes diet and physical activities like exercise should be done regularly. If they are not sure about becoming active or boosting their level of physical activity like brisk walking their diabetic symptoms may increase.

Cardiac events, such as a heart attack, are rare during physical activity. But the risk does go up when the diabetic patients suddenly become much more active than usual. Physical activity is important to start slowly and gradually increase the level of activity.

Walk up to 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or an equivalent mix of the two each week. Strong scientific evidence shows that physical activity can help you  to maintain weight over time. However, the exact amount of physical activity needed to do this is not clear since it varies greatly from person to person. It’s possible that you may need to do more than the equivalent of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week to maintain weight.

•  Physically active people have a lower risk of colon cancer than do people who are not active.
• Physically active women have a lower risk of breast cancer than do people who are not active.

Regular physical activity can help to increase thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age. It can also reduce the  risk of depression and may help you sleep better. Research has shown that doing aerobic or a mix of aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities 3 to 5 times a week for 30 to 60 minutes can give you these mental health benefits. Some scientific evidence has also shown that even lower levels of physical activity can be beneficial.

A healthy diet is to eat special foods, but instead simply emphasize vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. A diabetes diet is simply a healthy eating plan that is high in nutrients, low in fat, and moderate in calories. It is a healthy diet for anyone!

Scientists have designed a remarkable new gadget which turns a mobile phone into a powerful medical tool able to detect heart problems.

The ‘Smartheart’ connects to the trendy smartphone and converts it into a hospital grade heart monitor capable of performing electrocardiograms in just 30 seconds.

The device hooks around the user’s chest and records their heart rate by measuring its electro-activity.

Cheap and effective: The Smartheart app in progress on a phone

Smartheart connects to an iPhone, BlackBerry, or Android device via Bluetooth, allowing the user to view an ECG in detail, and email it to their doctor.

Instead of a traditional ECG, which uses several monitors stuck to the body, Smartheart has just one and the scan is completed in 30 seconds.

You can then view the ECG in detail and email it to your doctor. If it identifies an irregular or abnormal heart condition it will send you an alert.

The gadget has been welcomed by heart experts.

Device: The Smartheart monitor which attaches to a mobile phone

Consultant congenital cardiologist at Southampton Hospital Dr Joseph Vettukattil said:

‘This device is a major breakthrough and could save lives.

‘One of the biggest problems with detecting heart conditions is that their symptoms happen when the sufferer is at home.

‘By the time they get to the doctor they have stopped. With this device however it will be easy to take a recording which can then be analysed by a doctor.

‘It could be especially helpful with diagnosing children. Younger ones experience a higher rate of palpitations and as nearly all children have a mobile it will be easy for them to record.

‘This has the potential to be very exciting for detecting and treating heart problems.’

A spokesman for Telemedicine, which makes the device, said: ‘This will transform phones into a fully functioning hospital-grade heart monitor.

‘Smartheart addresses the most crucial factor related to heart attacks – time. Within 30 seconds, anyone can record a scan and have it transmitted to their doctor.

‘It can be used anywhere, by anyone, and is a real breakthrough in technology.’

1. Legumes : Use this hearty vegetable as a meat substance to get the protein benefits without the price. You can also use beans, lentils, and the like as well.

2. Soy : This substitute also has the same benefits as the above. Varieties such as tofu and miso also contain cancer combating nutrients called phytochemicals.

3. Tomatoes : Because they contain high levels of lycopene, they can reduce risk of cancer. Try a tomato paste or sauce to get the most amounts.

4. Fish : Healthy varieties such as wild salmon, tuna, and halibut contain many cancer fighting substances such as oil. They also contain cancer fighting selenium that can be dangerous as a supplement but useful in fish.

5. Orange Juice : Containing high levels of folate and Vitamin C, it can help combat cancer. Be sure and get a healthy variety that isn’t overloaded with sugar.

6. Curcumin : This spice is also part of the turmeric family. Sprinkle a little into your next dish to enjoy it’s cancer fighting and anti inflammatory aspects.

7. Walnuts : The antioxidants and oils in these nuts can help prevent or stave off cancer. You can also substitute pistachio, pecan, and other nuts for similar benefits.

8. Cauliflower : Along with broccoli, this vegetable helps create sulforaphane in the body to protect healthy cells from cancerous ones. It is also recommended to grow it in your own home.

9. Sunshine : Get your dose of Vitamin D right from your home with this simple remedy. Simply expose at least 40% of your body to ten minutes of natural sunlight to get it.

10. Tea : Containing nutrients called kaempferol, a cup or four of tea a day can help combat cancer. To find out which kind are the best, see the below.

Over the past decade Fortis Healthcare (India) has made strategic international and local acquisitions to strengthen its network and increase accessibility to quality healthcare. Starting with Mohali, the group established a Pan India presence by acquiring the multi specialty Malar Hospital in Chennai as well as Escorts and Wockhardt chain of hospitals dispersed across the country. Since the establishment of Fortis Global in 2010, the group continues expansion into countries like Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia which has helped increase footprints across the globe.

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Treadmill, stress echocardiography, Thallium and Angiography do not detect early blockages. Treadmill can miss blockages up to 70 percent; stress echocardiography up to 60percent, angiography up to 40 percent. Most heart attacks occur because of a plaque rupture in patients with blockages of less than 50percent. If the blockage is more than 70percent the patient usually presents with heart pain and not massive heart attack.

The only way to detect heart blockages before they cause symptoms or are detected in conventional tests is to measure the wall thickness of the neck artery or the leg artery. Normally, the wall thickness is less than 0.5mm. If the wall thickness is more than 0.75mm, it is suggestive of underlying heart blockages and if it is more than 1mm, it is suggestive of blockages in all three arteries of the heart. Any thickness of more than 1mm is called as a plaque and a plaque area calculated by high resolution ultrasound is a new marker for heart blockages, progression as well as regression. If the artery wall is thick in both the neck artery and the leg artery, it is very likely that the patient will also have blockages in the arteries of the heart.

All high risk individuals, therefore, should have their neck and leg artery wall thickness check-up done. Only 2percent of patients with blockages in all three arteries of the heart have a neck artery wall thickness of less than 1mm and 94 percent of patients with a neck artery wall thickness of more than 1.15mm will have multiple blockages in the heart. Most heart blockages are inflicted in adolescence and early adult age. There is enough data to suggest that thickening of the neck artery starts in high risk children and very young people.

Plaque formation usually occurs after the age of 35. Therefore, before the age of 35, a leg artery wall thickness is the only test to know future chances of heart attack and paralysis. With the availability of advanced software, most advanced cardiac centres in Delhi with high resolution echocardiography machine can do this test. Women with chest pain and normal neck artery morphology may not need angiography and a neck artery wall thickness test of less than 0.55mm is also a predictor of patient’s significant blockages in the heart. A plaque thickness of more than 1.5mm is associated with family history of premature cardiac deaths.

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