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Healthcare online Keeping you up-to-date
VOL.  9     ISSUE:  10    2011 Medical Services Department

SQUARE Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Features

EDITORIAL TEAM

OMAR AKRAMUR RAB

MBBS, FCGP, FIAGP,

P G Dip. Business Management

A.S.M. Shawkat Ali

MBBS, M. Phil

MAHFUZUR RAHMAN

MBBS, MBA

 

EDITORIAL

Dear Doctor,

Welcome to this edition of 'e-SQUARE'. Thank you for your feedback.

Our current issue focused on some interesting features like -"RLS & Blood Pressure !", "Epilepsy Surgery !", "Kids' Language Delays !",  "Strokes Effect !",  "Kids With Autism !", "Alcohol, Obesity & Heart Death !".

In our regular feature, we have some new products information of SQUARE Pharmaceuticals Ltd. as well.

We always value your feedback !

Click on to reply mode.

Yours sincerely,

 

Editorial Team

Reply Mode      : e-square@squaregroup.com

The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of its editor or SQUARE Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
 RLS & Blood Pressure !

 Restless Legs Syndrome May Boost Blood Pressure

Middle-aged women who suffer from a common condition called restless legs syndrome may be at increased risk of high blood pressure, U.S. researchers report. Restless legs syndrome is a sensory motor disorder that causes intense, unpleasant leg sensations and an irresistible urge to move the legs, often at night. The condition, which may affect between 5 to 15 percent of U.S. adults, can disrupt sleep and cause daytime drowsiness. Unabated, hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, can have dire consequences. For the study, researcher collected data on almost 98,000 women, averaging about 50 years of age, who took part in the Nurses Health Study II. In 2005, the women were asked about symptoms that could indicate restless legs syndrome (RLS) and also about their blood pressure. Specifically, they were asked if they had unusual crawling sensations or pain combined with motor restlessness plus an "urge to move." Women with five or more episodes a month were considered to have RLS and more than 65,500 were included in the final analysis. The researchers found a significant connection between RLS and blood pressure. The worse a woman's RLS, the higher her blood pressures, they reported. More than one-quarter (26 percent) of the women with five to 14 incidents of RLS a month had high blood pressure, according to the study and among women with 15 or more episodes a month, one in three had high blood pressure. The link between restless legs syndrome and increased blood pressure remained even after the researchers took into account the women's age, weight, smoking, and stroke or heart attack. Researcher noted that interrupted sleep can affect blood pressure. However, the overall differences in blood pressure were small, the authors stressed and more research is needed to confirm the findings.

SOURCE: HealthDay News, October 2011

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 Epilepsy Surgery !

For Many, Epilepsy Surgery Effective

Almost half of the people who undergo surgery for epilepsy remain free of seizures 10 years later, a new study finds. Current practice is to treat patients with medication and only when drugs can't control seizures often many years later does a patient become a candidate for surgery. This study suggests that some patients with focal epilepsy the most common form of the seizure disorder would be eligible for surgery sooner, the British researchers said. Neurosurgical treatment of focal epilepsy that does not respond to medication can result in remission of seizures, with 82 percent of individuals having great benefit and many never having another seizure, lead researcher said. Based on these results, epilepsy surgery should be considered if two to three medications have failed to control seizures. For the study, researcher looked at the long-term outcome of 615 adults who underwent epilepsy surgery at the National Hospital between 1990 and 2008. On average, the patients had suffered seizures for 20 years prior to surgery. Five years post-surgery, 52 percent of the patients remained seizure-free and after 10 years, 47 percent were free of seizures, the researchers found. However, over the long-term, 11 percent had what are called simple partial seizures, which do not involve loss of consciousness but appeared to affect their odds of recovery. Surgery for epilepsy involves cutting away a small part of the brain where seizures start. Most often this is an area of the temporal lobe and this procedure is known as an anterior temporal resection. But depending on the location of the "seizure focus," which doctors determine with MRI and other tests, epilepsy surgery may be performed on other areas of the brain. Temporal lobe surgery usually doesn't impair the patient's mental abilities or memory, the researchers said. Surgery outside the temporal lobe is called extratemporal cortical resection. The researchers found that patients who underwent extratemporal resections were twice as likely to have seizures return as those who had a temporal resection. Most patients chose to continue taking epilepsy drugs after surgery, but at the end of the follow-up period, 28 percent of those who were seizure-free stopped taking them altogether. No patients saw a significant worsening of their epilepsy after surgery, the researchers noted.  The study authors said doctors now need to improve the process for selecting potential candidates for surgery.

SOURCE:  HealthDay News, October 2011

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 Kids' Language Delays !

 Folic Acid in Pregnancy May Prevent Kids' Language Delays

Taking folic acid supplements before and during pregnancy was linked to a decreased risk of a having a child with a severe language delay at age 3, according to new research. The study found that women who took no folic acid supplements before and during pregnancy had more than twice the risk of having a child with a serious language delay compared to women who took folic acid supplements. Maternal use of supplements containing folic acid within the period from four weeks before, to eight weeks after conception was associated with a substantially reduced risk of severe language delay in children at age 3 years, said study lead author. Folic acid supplementation is already recommended for women of childbearing age, because adequate folic acid stores have been shown to help prevent major birth defects, such as spina bifida and other neural tube defects. Folic acid is important in allowing nervous system cells to reproduce and to repair themselves, according to background information in the study.  The study included data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort study, a prospective observational study of pregnant women and their offspring conducted from 1999 through 2008. Data were collected on the children until they were 3 years old. Mothers assessed their children's language skills using a six-point language scale. Children who had only minimal expressive language, which was defined as only using one word or unintelligible utterances at age 3, were classified as having a severe language delay. Of the nearly 39,000 children in the study, 204 had a severe language delay. Of children whose mothers took no supplements during pregnancy, 0.9 percent had severe language delays. According to the study just 0.4 percent of children had severe language delay whose mothers took folic acid supplements and another 0.4 percent of children had the same problems whose mothers took folic acid supplements in combination with other supplements before and during pregnancy. Researchers don't know exactly how folic acid might help prevent severe language delays, but said it may be due to the nutrient's effect on the nervous system. More evidence is needed to know for sure if doing so will help prevent language delays. 
SOURCE: HealthDay News, October 2011

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 Strokes Effect !

Mild Strokes May Have Hidden Effects

Even mild strokes can result in serious but unrecognized disabilities, such as depression, vision problems and difficulty thinking, according to a new study. After interviewing 200 stroke victims within six weeks of having their first stroke, the researchers found a high rate of sleeplessness and depression among the participants. Nearly 25 percent were clinically depressed. The stroke patients also reported a significant drop in their perceived quality of life, the study revealed. The researchers said treatment for symptoms of depression, such as fatigue, loss of appetite, lack of concentration, disturbed sleep and thoughts of suicide, should be an important part of recovery for mild stroke patients. The participants' average age was 62 years younger than the typical age for a severe stroke, which is over 65. Many feared another stroke and felt uncertainty about the future. Researcher said that people who have had a mild stroke are five times more likely to have a stroke over the next two years than the general population. Proper treatment and management of risk factors can help prevent another stroke. Despite these worries, few of the mild stroke victims were screened for problems with their vision or mental abilities, which are often less obvious than problems with movement. The authors noted that nearly 25 percent of mild stroke patients are only treated in an emergency room and not seen by occupational therapists, neuropsychologists or speech therapists. New treatment guidelines, including more accessible rehabilitation services, would help more people get needed care, the researchers concluded. 
SOURCE: HealthDay News, October 2011

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 Kids With Autism !

Early, Intensive Therapy Better For Kids With Autism

Children with an autism spectrum disorder appear to benefit from early, intensive therapy to improve their social and communication skills, according to a new study. It's important for children with autism to begin treatment as soon as possible. The more intense or comprehensive the therapy, the better it is in terms of helping children improve social and communication skills, said researcher. People with an autism spectrum disorder have problems understanding, interacting and relating to others. For the study, researchers measured 15 social-communication skills of more than 1,000 autistic children and teenagers, including facial expressions, gestures, language comprehension, sharing enjoyment and appropriate social responses. Although 95 percent of the kids showed improvement in these skills over time, the study found that those who received behavioral, speech and occupational therapy had better results. Moreover, the children who received more intensive treatment at a younger age showed the most improvement in their social-communication abilities, the researchers said. Those with higher nonverbal IQs had the best response to therapy, they found. The results also indicate a need to develop alternative treatment approaches for children with intellectual impairments. The study concluded that targeted intensive treatments may be most successful in improving specific skills among autistic children.. 

SOURCE: HealthDay News, October 2011

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 Alcohol,Obesity & Heart Death !

Alcohol, Obesity Major Causes of Sudden Heart Death

Obesity and alcohol consumption are among the leading causes of sudden cardiac death not caused by coronary artery disease, a new study finds. Researchers analyzed data from autopsies of almost 2,700 people between 1998 and 2007 in Finland who died of sudden cardiac death in which the heart abruptly stops beating and death occurs rapidly, along with the patients' hospital records and questionnaires completed by their relatives. Coronary artery disease was deemed to be the cause of death in 78 percent of cases, while causes unrelated to coronary artery disease were found in about 22 percent, the researchers noted. Coronary artery disease is a narrowing of the blood vessels that bring blood and oxygen to the heart, caused by a buildup of plaque on the arterial walls. Of the deaths not related to coronary artery disease, the most common underlying cause of death in people younger than 40 was fibrotic cardiomyopathy (28.3 percent). Cardiomyopathy is a weakening and enlargement of the heart muscle that makes it harder for it to pump blood. Alcohol consumption was the most common cause (about 26 percent) in people ages 40 to 59 and obesity was the most common cause (almost 23 percent) in people older than 60. The findings reinforce coronary artery disease as one of the most common causes of sudden cardiac death, but also identify other causes of sudden death in different age groups. 
SOURCE: HealthDay News, October 2011

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New Products of SQUARE Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
  Product Lipired®160
  Generic Name Fenofibrate
  Strength 160 mg
  Dosage form Tablet
  Therapeutic Category Lipid Modifying Preparations
  Product Dyvon®
Generic Name

Calcipotriol
Strength

0.005%
Dosage form Ointment & Cream
Therapeutic Category Topical Non-Steroidal Antipsoriatic Agent
  Product Zimax Eye Drop®
  Generic Name Azithromycin
  Strength

1%
  Dosage form Eye Drops
  Therapeutic Category Eye Antiinfective and Antiseptics

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