The 10 Most Prescribed Drugs:

 In order of number of prescriptions written in 2010, the 10 most-prescribed drugs in the U.S. are:

• Hydrocodone (combined with acetaminophen) -- 131.2 million prescriptions
• Generic Zocor (simvastatin), a cholesterol-lowering statin drug -- 94.1 million prescriptions
• Lisinopril (brand names include Prinivil and Zestril), a blood pressure drug -- 87.4 million prescriptions
• Generic Synthroid (levothyroxine sodium), synthetic thyroid hormone -- 70.5 million prescriptions
• Generic Norvasc (amlodipine besylate), an angina/blood pressure drug -- 57.2 million prescriptions
• Generic Prilosec (omeprazole), an antacid drug -- 53.4 million prescriptions (does not include over-the-counter sales)
• Azithromycin (brand names include Z-Pak and Zithromax), an antibiotic -- 52.6 million prescriptions
• Amoxicillin (various brand names), an antibiotic -- 52.3 million prescriptions
• Generic Glucophage (metformin), a diabetes drug -- 48.3 million prescriptions
• Hydrochlorothiazide (various brand names), a water pill used to lower blood pressure -- 47.8 million prescriptions.

800 bodies found in Iraq mass grave - The Times of India

800 bodies found in Iraq mass grave - The Times of India

WANT A SHAPELY BUTT? HERE'S SOME HELP...

Want to have the perfect and shapely butt a laHollywood star Jennifer Lopez and Bollywood's very own beauty Malaika Arora Khan? If yes, then eat healthy, exercise, do yoga or else go under the knife, suggest experts. 

According to Leena Mogre, it takes a good combination of a balanced diet as well as the right weight and fitness training for a woman to get a firm posterior.

"Women in India do have an innate tendency to put on weight on the butt. To keep them fit, it is very important to eat a balanced diet. Besides, one must get into a routine of weight training, squats, lunges, step-ups and cardiovascular exercises," suggests Leena, who is the fitness trainer to Bollywood actresses likeKatrina Kaif, Kangana Ranaut and Sameera Reddy among others.

"Even uphill running is a good option," added Leena.

Shiv Inder Singh, managing director, Firefox Bikes Pvt Ltd that offers a range of cycles designed for the body structure of women, feels that among cardio exercises cycling can really help in getting a well-shaped butt.

"There are various important benefits that cycling can offer to women, out of which the main one being shaping their butt. Moderate cycling helps reduce 35 calories in about an hour that makes cycling an effective weight control activity," Singh explained.

Leena agrees that cycling does help in shedding extra pounds, but weight-training does the additional bit of shaping up the posterior.

Another option to get a perfect butt is yoga.

"More than men, women come to me for butt sculpting, but one has to first determine things like the body structure of the person, the requirement and the limitations of the person to chart a right module," said Yatharth Sehajpal, a Delhi-based yoga expert.

"If the person is overweight and has flab, then first we have to work on tightening that extra fat and only then we can emphasise on the backside and there are various set of asanas and exercises that one can use for butt sculpting," he added.

Sehajpal's clients who emphasise a shapely butt are mostly women in their early 30s. Many of them are married. Some wish to get rid of their post pregnancy fat.

Thanks to increasing awareness, women in India have started talking about their dissatisfaction with their butt and are consulting cosmetic surgeons to solve their problem.

"One model came to me and said her backside was darker than the rest of her body. And to be able to confidently wear swim wear and bikinis, she wanted them to be lighter. I had to do spa peels on her backside to solve her problem. So yes, women are getting extremely conscious about their bodies," said Anup Dhir, senior cosmetic surgeon at Apollo Hospital.

The trend of going under the scalpel for butt enhancement, lift and liposuction has emerged in the past five to 10 years, but it isn't so popular yet, said Dhir.

"These procedures are more of a Brazilian or American concept where people can and are used to roaming around in thongs and bikinis on beaches. But such an acceptability has not seeped into India yet. Here breast enhancement is still 10-20 times more in demand than surgical treatment for butts.

Such surgical treatments cost anywhere between Rs.60,000 and Rs.150,000, depending upon how complicated the procedure is.

What's more, with the summer season setting in, women are preparing themselves to fit into sexy swimwear, shorts, chiffon saris or the favourite short black dress. So ladies, pick your way to shape your derriere and flaunt your clothes with panache. 


SOURCE: TIMES OF INDIA 

Dangerous Genital Herpes May Be Hidden, Get Checked!!!

A new Swedish study has found that herpes may be more hidden than previously thought and just not having visual confirmation of the sexually transmitted disease doesn't mean you aren't infected. In the study, just four out of ten patients with genital herpes actually knew that they had the disorder, and a third of those did not realize that they had been infected reported typical symptoms at a follow-up visit.

Matilda Berntsson has presented the information and states:

"1,014 patients who attended sexual health clinics, the Sahlgrenska University Hospital skin clinic and the Sesam sexual health clinic were tested for herpes simplex virus type 2. The presence of antibodies in the blood shows that a person is infected with the virus. The study reinforces our perception that genital herpes is common and that most people carrying it are unaware that they have it. Non-specific recurring genital symptoms could be undiagnosed herpes, which can be detected with a simple test at the doctor's."

Basically if you are concerned, go get checked out. Don't wait for open sores to appear or other visual symptoms.

Genital herpes caused by herpes simplex virus type 2 spreads through sexual contact, and more than 500 million people worldwide have the disorder. In the West 10 to 30% of the population carry the virus, making it one of the most widespread sexually transmitted infections.

The virus causes painful sores and blisters in the genital area and, in rare cases, serious infections in the brain and spinal cord. The infection is for life and there are currently no cures or vaccines for genital herpes. Herpes simplex virus type 1, which generally causes oral herpes/cold sores, can also infect the genitals, but tends not to result in recurring problems.

Berntsson continues:

"If the symptoms and/or findings suggest herpes, there are good methods for testing for the disorder. Pronounced symptoms can be treated with medicines that alleviate discomfort, and a daily preventative treatment can be given for longer periods where recurrences are frequent."

In a related piece published in the The Journal of the American Medical AssociationAnna Wald, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle adds:

"Our findings suggest that 'best practices' management of HSV-2-infected persons who learn that they are infected from serologic testing should include anticipatory guidance with regard to genital symptoms, as well as counseling about the potential for transmission. The issue of infectivity is both a patient management and a public health concern. The primary concern of many HSV-2-seropositive persons is the risk of transmission to sexual partners; in our experience this is the main source of angst in patients with genital herpes."

Wald concludes with best prevention and transmission practices:

"Condom use, daily valacyclovir therapy, and disclosure of HSV-2 serostatus each approximately halve the risk of HSV-2 transmission. However, these approaches reach a small portion of the population and have not had an influence on HSV-2 seroprevalence in the last decade. One of the reasons for such a limited effect is that few people are aware of their genital HSV-2 infection, and routine serologic testing, although available commercially, is recommended only in limited settings. We hope that these data will result in further discussions regarding control programs for HSV-2 in the United States."

India 5th most powerful nation, says govt index - The Times of India

India 5th most powerful nation, says govt index - The Times of India

Can’t Find The G-Spot? You’re Not Alone: The Science of Sex

As much as I am inspired and impressed by modern medical and scientific advancements—nanotechnology, laparoscopic surgery, and genome sequencing to name a few—I’m also a bit shocked by the fact that we haven’t yet mastered some of the basics. Take human anatomy for instance. Yes, we’ve identified the twenty-six bones of the foot and the ventricles of the brain, but when it comes to deciphering the female urogenital tract, scientists are still at the drawing board. In fact, they have the same questions you might—does the G-spot exist, and if so, where the heck is it? Do women really have a prostate, and if so, can they ejaculate?

The Hotly Debated G-Spot
The G-spot, named after the gynecologist Ernest Gräfenberg, is an alleged erogenous zone located a few centimeters inside the vagina on the anterior wall. Its rise to popularity is usually attributed to the 1982 book, The G Spot and Other Recent Discoveries About Human Sexuality, co-authored by Beverley Whipple, a professor at Rutgers. Though the book describes how to find and stimulate this region, and sent intrepid women to try to locate theirs, it also gave the yet-to-be-classified area an almost mythical status—many have heard of it, and can generally describe what it’s supposed to do, but the majority haven’t actually seen its effects. Currently, there is no recognized part of the female anatomy labeled as the “G-spot.” In fact, researchers debate as to whether it exists at all. 

Part of the problem stems from the general lack of research into women’s sexual health, which has hampered the ability to make anatomic generalizations. A review published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2001 states “the evidence is far too weak to support the reality of the G-spot” and that “anecdotal observations and case studies based on a small number of subjects are not supported by anatomic and biochemical studies.”

Skeptics of the G-spot also contend there is no neural pathway to signify a physiologic mechanism. A study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2006 took 101 vagina biopsy samples from twenty-one women and found that although nerves were located regularly throughout the vagina, there is no one location that has more nerve density than others, dispelling the notion of a single erogenous zone inside the vagina.

Green Tea And Tai Chi Enhance Bone Health And Reduce Inflammation In Postmenopausal Women

C.S. Lewis, the famous author and Oxford academic, once proclaimed "You can't get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." We sip it with toast in the morning, enjoy it with sweets and biscuits in the afternoon, and relax with it at the end of the day. Tea has for generations been an integral infusion worldwide, carrying both epicurean and economic significance. But, does it impart honest-to-goodness health benefits? In other words, is its persistence in the human diet perhaps coincident with enhanced quality (or quantity) of life?

Dr. Chwan-Li (Leslie) Shen, an associate professor and a researcher at the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women's Health at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, is convinced that the answer to this question is a resounding yes - especially if the tea is of the "green" variety. Green tea, historically consumed in the Orient and now an international mainstay, is chock full of compounds called polyphenols known for their potent antioxidant activity. Dozens of epidemiological (observational) studies have shown that people who consume the highest levels of green tea polyphenols (GTP) tend to have lower risks of several chronic degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. These findings have been followed up with animal studies, including some conducted by Shen, suggesting that the mechanism behind this correlation may have to do with lowering chronic levels of inflammation.

Originally from Taiwan, Dr. Shen has now spent over 2 decades studying how and why some Eastern lifestyle norms (such as drinking green tea) might be beneficial for Westerners as well. For instance, she has developed an animal model (the ovariectomized, middle-aged female rat). With this model Dr. Shen and her team can effectively study the effects of green tea consumption on protection against breakdown of the bone's microarchitecture. In humans, this can lead to osteoporosis, a condition common to older women. It is Dr Shen's hope that what she learns from her animal models might also be applicable to postmenopausal women.

In Shen's most recent research, she focused on postmenopausal women and investigated the potential for green tea to work synergistically with tai chi - a traditional Chinese form of moderately intense aerobic fitness activity grounded in mind-body philosophy - in enhancing bone strength. The results of this work, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health/National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, will be presented as a poster at the Experimental Biology meetings on April 10. Carried out as a double-blind, placebo-controlled, intervention trial (the "holy grail" of scientific studies), this experiment involved 171 postmenopausal women (mean age: ~57 y) who had weak bones but not full-fledged osteoporosis. Subjects were divided into 4 groups:

• Placebo: starch pill (placebo) and no tai chi
• GTP: green tea polyphenols (500 mg/day) and no tai chi
• Placebo+TC: starch pill and tai chi (3 times/week)
• GTP+TC: green tea polyphenols and tai chi

The study lasted for 6 months, during which time blood and urine samples were collected and muscle strength assessed.

The results show that consumption of GTP (at a level equivalent to about 4-6 cups of steeped green tea daily) and participation in tai chi independently enhanced markers of bone health by 3 and 6 months, respectively. A similar effect was found for muscle strength at the 6-month time point. Participants taking tai chi classes also reported significant beneficial effects in quality of life in terms of improving their emotional and mental health. Perhaps most remarkable, however, was the substantial effect that both GTP and tai chi had on biological markers of oxidative stress. Because oxidative stress is a main precursor to inflammation, this finding suggests that green tea and tai chi may help reduce the underlying etiology of not only osteoporosis, but other inflammatory diseases as well. 

Dr. Shen and colleagues concluded that there is a "favorable effect of modest green tea consumption on bone remodeling in this pre-osteoporotic population" and hope to soon complete a more long-term study utilizing more technically savvy measures of bone density. 

Tsunami warning issued after 7.4 magnitude earthquake hits Japan - The Times of India

Tsunami warning issued after 7.4 magnitude earthquake hits Japan - The Times of India

What's your India I.Q.? - CNN.com

What's your India I.Q.? - CNN.com

Heart Disease Not A Modern Ailment, Egyptian Mummies Reveal

Coronary heart disease is not a modern ailment, said researchers who after scanning more than 50 Egyptian mummies concluded atherosclerosis was commonplace in these preserved ancient bodies.

These were the conclusions of a study presented in New Orleans on Sunday at the annual scientific session of the American College of Cardiology (ACC). A report of it also appears in this week's online issue of Journal of the American College of Cardiology Imaging.

Senior and corresponding author, Dr Gregory S. Thomas, a clinical and research cardiologist at Mission Internal Medical Group, Mission Viejo, California, and professor and director of Nuclear Cardiology Education, University of California, Irvine, said in a statement reported by HealthDay News that the discovery shows we may not be so different from our ancient ancestors as we thought.

Coronary heart disease (CHD), also called coronary artery disease, is a narrowing of the small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. It is commonly caused by atherosclerosis, a disease where plaque builds up inside arteries, making it harder for oxygen-rich blood to get to the heart and other parts of the body.

The plaque that furs up the inside of the artery wall is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium and other chemicals in the blood. Over time, as it hardens and narrows the artery, it can lead to serious problems, such as heart attack, stroke, and even death.

For years, we have assumed atherolsclerosis is a modern problem, due to our fast-food diet, sedentary lifestyle, and other environmental risk factors associated with the developed world.

But it would appear that ancient Egyptians also had this ailment, and they weren't exactly sedentary.

For the study, on several visits to Egypt, Thomas and colleagues performed whole body CT (computed tomography) scans of 52 ancient Egyptian mummies, including one of an Egyptian princess that lived over 3,500 years ago, between 1580 and 1550 BC, and other mummies from the Middle Kingdom to the Greco-Roman period.

On the CT scans they looked for cardiovascular structures and signs of arterial calcifications. To ensure reliable results, the images were interpreted by getting 7 physician to agree on the readings. They also collected demographic data from historical and museum records and estimated age at time of death "from the computed tomography skeletal evaluation".

The results showed that:

• 44 of the 52 mummies had identifiable cardiovascular structures, and of these, 20 had either definite (12 subjects) or probable (8 subjects) atherosclerosis (definite meant they could see the artery and its calcification evidence, probable meant they could see calcifications where they expected an artery to be).
• Calicifications were present in a number of arteries throughout the bodies: including the aorta, the coronary, carotid, liac, femoral and peripheral leg arteries.
• The 20 mummies with definite or probable atherosclerosis were on average older at time of death (average age 45.1 years give or take 9.2 years) than the mummies where they could see the cardiovascular structures but not signs of atherosclerosis (average age 34.5 years give or take 11.8 years).
• Two mummies showed signs of "arterial atherosclerosis with calcifications in virtually every arterial bed".
• The princess was one of two mummies that showed signs of definite coronary atherosclerosis.

The researchers said this study is the earliest documented evidence of coronary atherosclerosis in a human, and shows definite or probably atherosclerosis existed in mummies who lived in ancient eras covering a time span of more than 2,000 years.

"Atherosclerosis is commonplace in mummified ancient Egyptians," they concluded.

While the CT scans did not enable them to establish the cause of death, the researchers noted that ancient Egyptian scrolls do describe symptoms similar to cardiac chest pain.


Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD 

A BILLION DREAMS COME TRUE: INDIA WIN CRICKET WORLD CUP - Hindustan Times

A BILLION DREAMS COME TRUE: INDIA WIN CRICKET WORLD CUP - Hindustan Times