Dhaka, Oct 18 (UNB) - The first-ever scientific congress on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) will begin here on Sunday in an effort to develop a strong institutional platform and strengthen research collaborations between clinicians and public health researchers in Bangladesh.

The Clinical Research Platform, Bangladesh, a tripartite initiative of icddr,b, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and the British Medical Journal (BMJ) will organise the two-day congress.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque is scheduled to inaugurate it at Shaheed Dr Milon Hall of BSMMU as the chief guest.

Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC) Chairman Prof Dr Syed Modasser Ali and Health Services Division Secretary Md Ashadul Islam will attend as special guests.

The first scientific congress on NCDs will kick off with a pre-conference workshop – ‘How to get your research published?’ – on Saturday at icddr,b’s Sasakawa Auditoriam in Mohakhali. It will be facilitated by Anita Jain, Clinical Editor of the BMJ.

Organisers said the scientific congress will offer an opportunity to present and share seminal works on NCDs with national and international experts.

They said the event will help develop pragmatic strategies for tackling NCDs in Bangladesh, and achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.4, focused on ‘reduction of pre-mature mortality by one-third from non-communicable diseases within 2030 through prevention and treatment, and to promote mental health and wellbeing’.

Nine key thematic issues have been selected for the congress. These are – hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, prevention of diabetes in Bangladesh, stroke and other neurological disorders, mental health and neuro development disorders, chronic kidney diseases, rheumatology and musculoskeletal disorders, chronic respiratory diseases, oncology, and evidence of NCDs in Bangladesh: prevention and control.

Bangladesh has seen an 8.7 percent rise (from 58.3% to 66.9%) between 2010 and 2016 in deaths related to NCDs, according to icddr,b.

One in four Bangladeshi adults, aged 25 years or over, are hypertensive, while one in ten had diabetes, according to a 2015 estimate.

Prevalence of cancer is also very high – an estimated 1.3-1.5 million patients are suffering from cancer with 200,000 newly diagnosed cases each year.

Kidney Foundation of Bangladesh estimates that 18 million people suffer from kidney disease. Of them, annually 35,000-40,000 patients develop chronic kidney diseases, eventually leading to kidney failure.

Ahead of the scientific congress, BSMMU Vice-Chancellor, and the Chair of the Organising Committee Prof Kanak Kanti Barua said everyone understands that evidence-based interventions catered to the Bangladeshi people is the key to reducing NCD-related mortality and morbidity.

“Under the Clinical Research Platform, Bangladesh, collaborations between clinicians and public health researchers have reached a new height and opened up new horizon for NCD research,” he said.

Head of Initiative for Non-communicable Diseases at icddr,b and convener of the Congress Dr Aliya Naheed said while awareness and interventions related to NCDs grew over the last decade in Bangladesh, they still have a huge challenge ahead to curb premature mortality and achieve SDG target 3.4 by 2030.

The congress will conclude following an award giving ceremony on October 21 in presence of University Grants Commission Chairman Prof Dr Kazi Shahidullah as the chief guest.

Washington, Oct. 8 (Xinhua/UNB) -- Exposure to e-cigarette smoke causes mice to develop lung cancer, according to a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Researchers from New York University (NYU) School of Medicine found that nine of 40 (22.5 percent) mice exposed to e-cigarette smoke with nicotine for 54 weeks developed lung cancer, and 23 of them developed bladder hyperplasia, genetic changes that may lead to abnormal tissue growth seen in cancer.

By contrast, only one of the 17 mice exposed to no-nicotine e-cigarette smoke developed hyperplasia.

Previously, researchers argued that chemicals added during the curing of tobacco convert nicotine into nitrosamine -- a carcinogen for mice and humans.

Although the chemicals are 95 percent lower in e-cigarettes, the new study showed that mammalian cells could directly react with nicotine to form nitrosamine, then resulting in DNA damage.

"Our next step in this line of work will be to expand the number of mice studied, to shorten and prolong e-cigarette exposure time, and to further investigate the genetic changes caused by e-cigarette smoke," said the paper's co-author Herbert Lepor at NYU.

Dhaka, Sept 26 (UNB) - Discolouration of teeth caused by caffeine is real. A lot of people enjoy their first cup in the morning, and continue to consume coffee throughout the day. Over time, this can cause stains on teeth, which, if not removed/taken care of, could affect dental health as well, reports The Indian Express. 

The stains occur when the tannins — organic substances found in plants — build up on the tooth enamel. Tannins are found in coffee, tea and even wine. In fact, black tea can cause more discolouration than coffee.

But you don’t have to give up on your love for coffee and like beverages altogether. There are some things that you can do instead to save your teeth from the stains. 

This activity has to be the basic one. You cannot obviously brush your teeth every time you drink coffee. But you could begin and end your day with it. Tooth stain is basically plaque accumulation, which could be taken care of by brushing you teeth with a whitening toothpaste and visiting the dentist every now and then for regular check ups.

You must also floss regularly because brushing alone cannot remove all the bacteria in the mouth.

Use a straw

When you use a straw, less liquid touches the teeth. This, in turn, means a lesser chance for it to stain your teeth. While most people use a straw for colder beverages, you can use one for hot ones too.

Sip on water 

Sip on water between cups of coffee to wash away the tannins, before they have a chance of settling on the teeth.

Add milk

Adding milk to coffee makes all the difference. According to a study published in the International Journal of Dental Hygiene, casein — the main protein in milk — can latch onto tannins and prevent staining.

Chew on a gum

Chewing on a sugar-free gum does the dual task of fighting the coffee breath and cleaning your teeth at the same time. Chewing a gum increases the amount of saliva in your mouth, which, in turn, helps wash away acids and plaque.

Dhaka, Sept 26 (UNB) - A person is said to be diabetic when their blood sugar is excessively high and the insulin hormone produced in the pancreas — that breaks down the glucose — is neither made by the body nor utilised well. The condition, if not managed well, can severely damage one’s eyes, kidneys and overall health, reports The Indian Express. 

According to a World Health Organization (WHO) estimate, 1.6 million deaths were directly caused by diabetes in 2016. It was the seventh-leading cause of death that year. But, it’s not all grim. The good news is that diabetes can at times be managed through a disciplined diet, regular screening and exercising.

There are several home remedies that could help you to deal with sugar level in your body along with the doctor’s prescribed medicines. One such ingredient is cinnamon, a common spice in Indian kitchen. It is used to add distant flavours to various dessert and savoury recipes. A study reported in the July 2000 edition of Agricultural Research Magazine found that consuming 1g of cinnamon per day can increase insulin sensitivity and help manage or reverse type 2 diabetes.

Benefits of having cinnamon in your diet: 

* The spice is known to stimulate cells for glucose consumption.

* Consuming cinnamon promotes the release of insulin from the pancreas and boosts insulin sensitivity that helps in the processing of glucose.

* It also contains mineral chromium that keeps one’s appetite under check and helps in getting rid of visceral fat.

* Packed with essential nutrients, it makes for an excellent detox drink.

* Results from a clinical study published in the Diabetes Care journal in 2003 suggest that cassia cinnamon (cinnamon bark) improves blood glucose and cholesterol levels in people with type 2 diabetes, and may reduce risk factors associated with diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Here’s how you can include cinnamon in your diet in a few simple ways: 

Start the day with cinnamon water

Drinking warm water in the morning is a good way to start the day, To make it healthier just add a pinch of cinnamon bring to a full boil and drink the warm water. It will not just help in diabetes but also help you burn some extra fats.

A healthy substitute for sugar

Cinnamon has an inherently sweet flavour which you can use as a natural sweetener and also as a healthy alternative for refined sugar. Be it desserts like cake, pies, kheer, halwa or barfi just dust some cinnamon powder to enjoy a guilt-free dessert.

Add it to tea and coffee

Cinnamon goes well with tea and coffee, it tastes amazing too. The unique taste of cinnamon in your masala chai or hot coffee, plus its various health benefiting properties will level up your hot cup of beverage in ways more than one.

Breakfast oatmeals

Sprinkle cinnamon powder on a bowlful of fruits and cereals taste great as is.

Curries

Saute a small cinnamon stick with other dry spices like cloves and peppercorns to make flavoursome curries.

Dhaka, Sept 24 (UNB) – World leaders have adopted a high-level United Nations political declaration on universal health coverage (UHC), the “most comprehensive set of health commitments” ever adopted at this level.

“This declaration represents a landmark for global health and development,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General at WHO.

The WHO DG said the world has 11 years left to make good on its sustainable development goals. “Universal health coverage is the key to ensuring that happens.”

He said universal health coverage is a political choice. “World leaders have signaled their readiness to make that choice. I congratulate them.”

The declaration came on Monday, the day after the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners flagged the need to double health coverage between now and 2030 or leave up to 5 billion people unable to access healthcare, said the UN Information Center in Dhaka quoting the WHO.

In adopting the declaration, UN Member States have committed to advancing towards UHC by investing in four major areas around primary healthcare.

These include mechanisms to ensure no-one suffers financial hardship because they have had to pay for healthcare out of their own pockets and implementing high-impact health interventions to combat diseases and protect women’s and children’s health.

Besides, countries must strengthen health workforce and infrastructure and reinforce governance capacity. They will report back on their progress to the UN General Assembly in 2023.

“Now that the world has committed to health for all, it is time to get down to the hard work of turning those commitments into results,” said Melinda Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“We all have a role to play. Donors and country governments need to move beyond business as usual to bolster the primary health care systems that address the vast majority of people’s needs over their lifetimes,” said Gates.

On Tuesday, WHO and 11 other multilateral organisations, which collectively channel one third of development assistance for health, launched their Global Action Plan for health and wellbeing for all.

The plan will ensure the 12 partners provide more streamlined support to countries to help deliver universal health coverage and achieve the health-related SDG targets.