GOOD HEALTH DETERMINED BY GENETICS, LIFESTYLE - DOCTOR

Dr Casey Nwachukwu of Wuse General Hospital, said the health of every individual depended highly on genetics and supported by his lifestyle.

Nwachukwu explained in Abuja on Sunday that a lifestyle of clean eating and physical fitness was required to support the genetics in ensuring good health.

Lassa Fever Killed a 65 year Old Woman in Delta State

Asaba -The outbreak of Lassa fever which has been ravaging some parts of the country, has claimed the life of a 65-year-old woman who was diagnosed with the illness in Delta State.

The victim, who was first admitted at St Joseph Hospital, Asaba and later referred to the Federal Medical Centre, in the city, gave up the ghost after doctors battled in vain to save her.

The woman whose identity was unknown at press time, reportedly hailed from Ifiogwari village, Ayamelunu, in Anambra State.

The Lagos State to Probe Maternal Deaths in Public Hospitals

The Lagos State House of Assembly says it is worried about alleged high maternal mortality rate in government hospitals supposedly caused by personnel negligence, among other factors.

The Assembly added that it had put machinery in motion towards investigating the trend, with a view to finding a lasting solution to it.

The Chairman of the Assembly’s Committee on Health Services, Olusegun Olulade, who said this on Friday, explained that his committee would pay scheduled and unscheduled visits to general hospitals in Lagos State in order to establish the truth of the allegation.

Olulade spoke while addressing a petition brought before the committee by Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, a non-governmental organisation with focus on supporting women’s sexual and reproductive rights.

Study provides more evidence that coffee may reduce mortality

This latest study offers more evidence that coffee may lower risk of death from a number of causes.

With more than half of Americans drinking coffee on a daily basis, it is no wonder researchers are interested in how the beverage impacts health. Now, a new study adds to growing evidence that coffee is good for us, finding that consuming four to five cups daily may reduce the risk of early death - even for those who drink decaf.

Published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, the study is the latest in a number of coffee-related studies conducted by Dr. Erikka Loftfield, of the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the National Cancer Institute.

Medical News Today reported on one such study in January, in which Dr. Loftfield and colleagues revealed how drinking four cups ofcoffee daily may lower the risk of melanoma by 20%.

HIV/AIDS AND OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS

The reason people are advised to go for early check-up, and even after testing positive to HIV, are asked to begin treatments (antiretroviral therapy) as soon as possible is to shut the doors on "opportunistic infections".

Opportunistic infections in this context are like scavengers, who only prey on weakened or about-to-die preys.

Opportunistic infections are infections caused either by bacterial, viral, fungal, or protozoan pathogens that take advantage of a host with a weakened immune system (caused by HIV infection) or an altered microbiota (such as a disrupted gut flora).

Antiretroviral therapy is all about managing HIV infection, and preventing the body from opportunistic infections, which in the end, leads to AIDS.

Most life-threatening opportunistic infections occur when the person’s CD4 count is very low (below 200 cells/mm).

HOW HIV/AIDS KILLS. . .

                                     

The HIV/AIDS is a very deadly disease, this is a known fact, but there remains something that's still unknown to quite a good number of people, and that is how HIV/AIDS kill.

Have you ever wondered how HIV/AIDS kill?

Okay, let me go over this again, with a little addition. . .

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infects cells of the immune system, destroying or impairing their function. Infection with this virus results in progressive deterioration of the immune system, leading to "immune deficiency."

The immune system is considered deficient when it can no longer fulfill its role of fighting infection and disease.

To make you understand this better. . .

In our bodies, there are many harmful micro-organisms, germs, bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and viruses. When our immune system is working well (not deficient), it helps to fight these germs. But when the immune system is weakened by HIV (or by some medications), these germs can get out of control and cause health problems.

Women, Children Risk Death From Firewood Smoke

                                                              By Bernard Tolani Dada

A professor of Medicine and Pathology, Abdullah Abba has said that scientific studies conducted in Africa have shown that women and children are at a greater risk of dying from household air pollution.


Abbah stated this in Uyo yesterday while delivering a paper on the topic, “Biomass, Air Pollution and the Lungs” at the 19th annual scientific conference of the Nigerian Thoracic Society (NTC). This year’s conference had as its theme, “Household Air Pollution and Lung Health”.

According to the professor, women and children are more susceptible to pollution resulting from the use of bio-fuels as sources of energy for domestic cooking, adding that bio-fuels includes firewood, stoves and charcoal among others.