Antibiotics and miscarriage risk
Women who take common antibiotics to treat infections during the early stages of pregnancy may be at two-fold increased risk of suffering a miscarriage, a study warns. Researchers from Universite de Montreal in Canada looked at data from about 8,702 cases, defined as clinically detected spontaneous abortions, which were matched with 87,020 controls. The mean gestational age at the time of miscarriage was 14 weeks of pregnancy. A total of 1,428 cases were exposed to antibiotics during early pregnancy compared to 11,018 in controls. Participants were between the ages of 15 and 45. Researchers found that many classes of common antibiotics, such as macrolides, quinolones, tetracyclines, sulfonamides and metronidazole, were associated with an increased risk of miscarriage in early pregnancy. They also found that women who miscarried were more likely to be older, living alone and to have multiple health issues and infections.
heart risk for non-O blood group people
According to a recent study, having a non-O blood group can be associated with higher risks of heart attack. The study’s lead author Tessa Kole, said it has been observed that people with non-O blood groups are at higher risk for heart attacks and overall cardiovascular mortality, but these findings only come from case-control studies that have a low level of confidence. If this was confirmed it could have important implications for personalised medicine. The recent study was a meta-analysis of prospective studies reporting on O and non-O blood groups, and incident cardiovascular events including myocardial infarction (heart attack), coronary artery disease, ischaemic heart disease, heart failure, cardiovascular events and cardiovascular mortality.
modify diet to reduce your salt intake
Indians, aware of the dangers of excessive salt intake, are modifying their diets unlike other international communities like Australians who are sticking to high-salt foods though they are aware of its effects, according to a new study. Populations in 181 of 187 nations consume more than the WHO-recommended daily upper limit of 5 grams of salt. Indians consume nine per cent more salt than the global average — 10.06 grams. Claire Johnson, a research fellow with The George Institute for Global Health, Australia, led an India-centric study on salt intake in February this year. It included a cross-section of 1,395 respondents across India — educated and uneducated, urban and rural, male and female, and of different ages averaging 40 years. Nine of 10 respondents said they were aware that a diet high in salt is bad for their health.