4.7 Million Nigerians At Risk of Type 2 Diabetes - Study

A study by researchers at Covenant University, Ota has suggested that Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus – a chronic condition that affects metabolism of glucose in the body – now affects over 4.7 million Nigerians aged 20-79 years.

A statement by the institution’s Deputy Director, Media and Corporate Affairs Emmanuel Igban warned that the study showed that the disease will threaten more people without an effective public health response, higher public awareness and lifestyle changes, including healthy diets and physical activity.

The researchers found that 40 per cent of people with type 2 diabetes are undiagnosed, and that deaths occur in one 1 in five diabetes patients admitted to hospital with complications from the disease.

These complications can affect the heart, kidney, brain, eyes, blood vessels and nerves, according to the statement.

Over the last 30 years, type 2 diabetes has increased by 440 per cent to 4.7 million cases – or 5.7 per cent of all Nigerians.

This rate is up to three times higher than the neighbouring countries of Cote d’Ivoire (2.3 per cent), Ghana (1.9 per cent), and Senegal (1.8 per cent).

The researchers highlight how the understanding of type 2 diabetes in Nigeria and many African countries is hindered by shortfalls in routine health data, and how this hampers an effective response in various settings. They call for more research, especially in Northern Nigeria, where data is particularly scarce.

The lead researcher, Dr. Davies Adeloye, said: “The last nationwide survey of non-communicable diseases in Nigeria was conducted in 1997. Most findings reported on type 2 diabetes mellitus in Nigeria since then have been based on modelled estimates from neighbouring countries with relatively more detailed data on the disease.

“We have, therefore, systematically synthesised the best evidence on type 2 diabetes mellitus across all geo-political zones in Nigeria to guide relevant evidence-based public health and policy response in the health sector.”

Their findings have been published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Open. A full copy of the research paper can be accessed at: http://bmjopen.bmj.com/

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Diet Pills Supplement Dangerous To Teenage Health

In the pressure to be thin and conform to societal pressures, teenagers are turning to diet pills that come with potentially dangerous side effects. Research findings shows that these supplements contain toxic chemicals that can wreak havoc on teenager’s hormones, growth and mental health, all while their body is still developing.

The new study shows that diet pills are unsafe for people of all ages, especially teenagers because the pills interfere with their systems and result in nutritional deficiencies, particularly of iron and calcium.

The study revealed that diet pills often contain ingredients such as phentermine, orlistat and sibutramine, substances that may keep the pounds away by messing with the body’s natural regulations but they come with a host of side effects, including increased heart rate, fainting, unusual bleeding and heart attacks.

The United States Food and Drug Administration, FDA, reported in 2009 that 69 different diet pills contained substances that could cause seizures and strokes.

Prescription weight loss pills or diet pills, are sometimes prescribed to a patient as an additional tool in the treatment for weight loss.

Weight loss pills are advertised as the quick solution in shedding pounds and obtaining the perfect figure and the promise of an instant fix has teenagers taking diet pills and disregarding the warnings of health experts against them.
 
Similarly, a study by the Canadian Pediatric Society in 2004 said: “In growing children and teenagers, even a marginal reduction in energy intake can be associated with growth deceleration.”

Experts have consistently warned of the threats diet pills can cause and in extreme cases, they can rip apart the stomach lining and even lead to death.

Reacting to the development, Dr. Lloyd D. Johnston, of the University of Michigan in the U.S. said when he first began analysing the use of diet pills among high schoolers, he found a common ingredient was linked to causing strokes.

Although it has been removed from pills since the 1980s, he said today’s pills are no less different in the risks they pose.

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Bone Marrow Transplant May Prevent Heart Disease

A review of three studies has shown that bone marrow transplants could prevent heart disease. These findings were presented at the conference of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions in New Orleans.

Stem cell therapy, the most common of which is bone marrow transplants, significantly improves exercise time and reduces mortality in people with severe chest pain.

Extreme chest pain, known as angina, is one of the key warning signs of heart disease. Stem cell therapy is thought to ease angina by improving blood flow.

Angina is a warning sign of heart disease and occurs when the heart does not receive enough blood. Angina is chest pain or discomfort caused when the heart muscle doesn’t get enough oxygen- rich blood. It may feel like pressure or squeezing in the chest.

The discomfort also can occur in the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back. Angina pain may even feel like indigestion. But, angina is not a disease.

It is a symptom of an underlying heart problem, usually coronary heart disease (CHD). However, results from the reviews by the researchers from Duke University in North Carolina, revealed that stem cell therapy significantly improved patients ability to exercise at months three, six and 12.

The researchers conducted a review of three studies with a total of 226 patients suffering from severe angina. At 24 months, the risk of mortality in stem cell therapy-receiving patients was 2.6 per cent versus 11.8 per cent for those getting a placebo.

The risk of angina and cardiac events was the same between the two groups. Patients with severe angina often have few treatment options, resulting in them becoming severely debilitated, the researchers said.

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Male Infertility Could Lead To Testicular Cancer - Experts

Expert information reaching Nigeria Natural Health Online has it that poor sperm quality, which affects about one in every 10 men may lead to fertility problems as well as increase risk of developing testicular cancer.

These findings were contained in an article published in ‘The Conversation’ by Aleksander Giwercman, professor of reproductive medicine, Lund University in Sweden and Yvonne Lundberg Giwercman, associate professor in experimental urology at the same university.

According to the researchers, even if the men don’t develop testicular cancer, men with poor sperm quality tend to die younger than men who don’t have fertility problems.

Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system. It is not all lumps on the testicles that are tumours and not all tumours are cancer and testicular cancer is the most common malignant disease of young males. Couples who can’t achieve pregnancy usually go to fertility clinics for treatment.

At these clinics, emphasis was usually on deciding whether the couple needs assisted reproduction or not, and, if so, to choose between different methods – such as Invitro-Fertilisation (IVF), Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), a fertility treatment that places sperm directly into the uterus or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), a technique for IVF in which an individual sperm cell is introduced into an egg cell. In most cases, these treatments lead to pregnancy and a live birth.

So, the problem seems to be solved. But the researchers stated that if infertility is an early symptom of an underlying disease in the man, fertility clinics won’t pick it up. According to them, testicular cancer is easy to detect.

In men seeking treatment for fertility problems, a simple ultrasound scan of the testes can reveal early cancer, so a life-threatening tumour can be prevented and if, detected, 95 per cent of all cases can be cured.

But unfortunately, testicular ultrasound scans are rarely performed at fertility clinics as the focus tends to be on sperm numbers and which method of assisted reproduction to use.

Hence, ultrasound scan could pick up most cases of testicular cancer, they affirmed.

According to them, Giwercman and Lundberg Giwercman, testicular cancer was not the only threat to young infertile men’s health, serious health problems, such as metabolic syndrome (high blood pressure, high blood sugar and obesity), Type 2 diabetes and loss of bone mass were also much more common conditions among infertile men.

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Senator Adeleke Did Not Died Of Food Poisoning - Pathologist

Contrary to speculation that the first executive governor of Osun State and serving senator, Isiaka Adeleke, died of food poison on April 23, fresh fact emerged yesterday that the deceased died of drug overdose.

A pathologist, who carried out an autopsy on the late senator’s body, Dr. Taiwo Sholaja, told a coroner’s inquest that no trace of poison was found in the body system of the deceased. Sholaja, while giving evidence before the coroner court headed by Chief Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara, said the autopsy carried out by him and two other pathologists from Ladoke Akintola University Hospital, Osogbo (LAUTECH), revealed that the late senator died of “aspiration of gastric content due to multiple drug overdose.”

The autopsy report was marked Exhibit CE2.

The pathologist, who was led in evidence by Mrs. Oyindamola Daramola, a LAUTECH Hospital’s Senior Legal Officer, explained that histology of the tissues from the body of the deceased was normal except from the heart, which showed hypertrophy and the liver showed alcoholic steato-hypatitis.

He, however, said that the autopsy carried out by him and his team was performed in the presence of the Divisional Officer of Dugbe Police Station, Osogbo, SP Ogunkanmi Gbemileke and two other pathologists from LAUTECH. In his evidence-in-chief, Sholaja said prior to the autopsy, he had gathered from a family member of the late senator, Mrs. Modupe Adeleke-Sani that the late politician had complained of pains on the knees and inability to sleep, following which some drugs were said to have been administered on him.

This, according to Sholaja, caused Adeleke’s death as discovered following the examination carried out on the deceased’s body that the drugs administered on him in excess quantity was the cause of his death. His breathing was blocked due to the drugs’ side effect, Sholaja said.

He went on: “Aspiration of the gastric content blocked his airwaves through depriving the body of oxygen which was also evident in the bluish discolouration shown on some parts of the deceased’s body.”


According to him, the used containers of the drugs administered on him had indicated that a banned drug, Analgin injection, as well as Diazepam injection, pentasozine injection, gentamicin and hydrocortisone drugs were given to him, which side effects included drowsiness, vomiting and cardiovascular collapse, had caused blockage of his breathing. Sholaja said no trace of poison and metal was, however, found in Adeleke’s body as examined.

He went on: “Death in this case was due to aspiration of gastric content, although the deceased had hypertensive heart disease which could have caused sudden death, but no evidence of such, either grossly or micro-scopically.

“It is known that excessive alcoholic intake may depress the central nervous system with the blunting of the gas influx.

This may also induce vomiting. “The deceased was deeply sedated and was given an overdose of analgesic; these drugs are known to cause central nervous system depression. “He apparently vomited and aspirated due to the deep sedation, so the aspiration of the gastric content blocked the airways, depriving the body of oxygen.

“This showed up in the body as stinge of colouration. This could cause vital seizure of the system.
“The toxicology report also showed abnormally high levels of alcohol, sedative and analgesic in the blood of the deceased.

“There was no trace of poison or heavy metals in the toxicology report. Nigeria police did the toxicology examination and the result was given to me on May 15, 2017.” SP Gbemileke and the officer in charge of Homicide, SP Etetah Moses, confirmed before the coroner that empty bottles and injections of the drugs given to the deceased were in police custody.

Meanwhile, Adeleke’s family had described the coroner as a ‘kangaroo, unholy and ungodly’, purposely set up by the Rauf Aregbesola-led administration to divert attention from the real cause of their benefactor’s death.

Speaking through the younger brother of the deceased, Dr. Deji Adeleke, the family described the panel as a conspiratorial move to distort fact on the real outcome of the autopsy. The deceased’s younger brother said that the family is considering all legal options available to address the unfortunate and unprofessional conduct exhibited by the medical practitioners in the matter.

He said: “We state that as at now, the family has not received the autopsy report and the family will not engage in speculations over its contents.

“However, it has come to the knowledge of the family that the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH), Prof. Akeem Lasisi, on May 15, 2017, appeared before the kangaroo inquest set up by the state government and gave evidence on the cause of death of Senator Adeleke, when neither the family had been briefed nor the autopsy report released.

“On May 9, 2017, the family requested for the autopsy report after the expiration of the agreed two weeks period for completion of same. The CMD who claimed to be away in Abuja at the time, confirmed that the autopsy report was ready and that a copy was ready with the Osun State Police Command, while another copy was with the Chief Pathologist at LAUTECH.

“Alarmed at such a position, the family queried why a copy of the autopsy report would be with the police command without any copy given to the family that ordered the autopsy in the first instance. The CMD now changed the story, saying that the autopsy was only conducted at the Nigeria Police Forensic Laboratory in Lagos.

“Unknown to the family, the CMD had already appeared and testified under oath before the state kangaroo inquest earlier the same day where he testified conclusively that the cause of the sudden of Senator Adeleke was as a result of “banned injection overdose” given to him, relying on 3rd party “hearsay” instead of forensic toxicology report.

The CMD deliberately did not disclose to the inquest that the autopsy report was not ready. “It is quite disheartening that we live in a country where some of our supposed professionals can be so easily compromised by their paymasters without any regard to the oath they swore to as medical health practitioners.

“The family has also noted with interest the contradictory testimonies at the Coroner’s Inquest as to whether Senator Isiaka Adeleke had anything to eat at the last party he attended and hosted by an Osun State APC chieftain.

“It is on record that based on the high level of unprofessional conduct already displayed by LAUTECH, the integrity of the “yet to be ready” autopsy must have been seriously compromised,” a family member stated.

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Tomatoes May Slow Down Stomach Cancer - New Study

Scientists have alerted that tomatoes can slow down stomach cancer.

This was one of the findings of a new study published in the ‘Journal of Cellular Physiology.’ The popular Mediterranean fruit inhibits cell growth when eaten in its entirety, researchers had found out.

The new findings could pave the way for studies focusing on preventing the condition as well as using diet to support conventional treatments, they said. Such results contradict previous research suggesting that just one chemical, lycopene, has cancer-fighting benefits.

Study author, Daniela Barone, from the Oncology Research Center of Mercogliano, Italy, said: ‘Tomatoes’ effects seem not related to specific components, such as lycopene, but rather suggest that tomatoes should be considered in their entirety.

The researchers analysed whole tomato extracts for their ability to tackle various features of gastric cancer.

Extracts were taken from the common varieties, San Marzano and Corbarino.

The results revealed that both extracts affected cancer cells’ ability to spread and develop as well as leading to their death. Such findings not only have implications for prevention, but may also pave the way for new treatments, the researchers said.

Another study author, Prof. Antonio Giordano, said: “Our results prompt further assessment of the potential use of specific nutrients not only in the cancer prevention setting, but also as a supportive strategy along with conventional therapies.”

Lycopene is a naturally occurring chemical that gives fruits and vegetables a red colour. Stomach cancer, or gastric cancer, is fairly uncommon.

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