Drugs undergo rigorous testing before they are introduced into the market. They are first tested in animals and then in human beings during clinical trials. The efficacy as well as safety profiles of the drug are tested. In spite of this, some adverse effects of drugs appear only after the drug is used in the general population. These adverse effects are detected though a process of regular monitoring after the drug is released called pharmacovigilance. If the adverse effects are severe or the risks of using the drug outweigh the benefits, or if the drug is ineffective, the country may ban the drug or theDrug Company may itself voluntarily withdraw the drug. Some drugs may cause adverse effects only when combined with particular drugs. In such cases, only the fixed dose combination is banned and not the individual drugs.
A number of single drugs as well as fixed dose combinations have been banned for manufacture, marketing and distribution in India. Some drugs banned in India are mentioned below:
Fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine
Fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine were used to treat obesity. They were widely used in slimming centers. However, they were withdrawn due to reports of diseases of heart valves, fibrosis of the heart and pulmonary hypertension. The combination of fenfluramine and phenteramine, another weight loss pill was particularly notorious for causing heart valve problems and sudden death.
Rimonabant
Rimonabant was particularly effective in causing weight loss. It inhibited the action of substances called cannabinoids in the brain. It has been withdrawn due to serious side effects like depression, suicidal tendencies and seizures.
Sibutramine
Sibutramine is a weight loss pill that has been recently banned since it caused heart related side effects.
Astemizole and terfinadine
Astemizole and terfinadine are antihistamines that were used to treat allergies. They were banned since they could cause a heart condition called polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and even death when used in high doses or with drugs like erythromycin, clarithromycin and ketoconazole.
Phenformin
Phenformin is an antidiabetic drug similar to metformin. It has been banned since it carries a high risk of lactic acidosis.
Rofecoxib and valdecoxib
Rofecoxib and valdecoxib were popular painkillers that were used for arthritis and other painful conditions. They resulted in pain relief without causing gastric side effects. However, they were withdrawn due to concerns of heart attack and stroke with their use.
Rosiglitazone
Rosiglitazone is a drug used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It has been banned due to an increased risk of heart attacks.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
After a Hard Day's Work, Why Does a Pizza Seem So Tempting?
Now, we have the reason why a pizza or a chocolate cake seems such an enticing prospect after a stressful day at work.
A new animal study has found that exposure to stress post dieting can increase chances of binge eating.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania examined the behaviour and hormone levels of mice on limited diets. After three weeks of fewer calories, the mice lost 10 to 15 percent of their body weight, similar to human diet weight loss.
"Yo-yo dieting" - temporarily losing weight only to regain it, plus more - is a well-known phenomenon.
Tracy Bale and her colleagues found the mice had increased levels of the stress hormone corticosterone and displayeddepression-like behaviour. The authors also discovered that several genes important in regulating stress and eating had changed.
The researchers put the mice in stressful situations and monitored how much fatty foods they ate. The previously restricted mice ate more high-fat food than normal mice.
"These results suggest that dieting not only increases stress, making successful dieting more difficult, but that it may actually 'reprogram' how the brain responds to future stress and emotional drives for food," Bale said.
"This study highlights the difficult road that human dieters often travel to attain and maintain their weight loss goals. It also suggests that management of stress during dieting may be key to achieving those goals," said Jeffrey Zigman at the University of Texas.
A new animal study has found that exposure to stress post dieting can increase chances of binge eating.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania examined the behaviour and hormone levels of mice on limited diets. After three weeks of fewer calories, the mice lost 10 to 15 percent of their body weight, similar to human diet weight loss.
"Yo-yo dieting" - temporarily losing weight only to regain it, plus more - is a well-known phenomenon.
Tracy Bale and her colleagues found the mice had increased levels of the stress hormone corticosterone and displayeddepression-like behaviour. The authors also discovered that several genes important in regulating stress and eating had changed.
The researchers put the mice in stressful situations and monitored how much fatty foods they ate. The previously restricted mice ate more high-fat food than normal mice.
"These results suggest that dieting not only increases stress, making successful dieting more difficult, but that it may actually 'reprogram' how the brain responds to future stress and emotional drives for food," Bale said.
"This study highlights the difficult road that human dieters often travel to attain and maintain their weight loss goals. It also suggests that management of stress during dieting may be key to achieving those goals," said Jeffrey Zigman at the University of Texas.
CAN WE LOSE WEIGHT BY DIETING ALONE
The yo-yo diet is one type in a class of many extreme fad diets. Also referred to as "weight cycling," the yo-yo diet is characterized by a cyclical pattern of repetitious loss and gain of body weight. Some of the ways people choose to do this include skipping meals and consuming very few calories. However, the yo-yo diet is an infamously unsuccessful and even harmful weight loss technique. Dieters often experience initial success, but due to its overwhelming toll on the body, the inability to sustain this weight loss in the long run causes dieters to regain all of it back and then some.
He named the dieting process due to its analogous nature to the up-down action of a toy yo-yo. Because of the starvation dieters subject their bodies to, their weight loss consists of losing both muscle and body fat. When the body senses that it is rapidly losing its energy source, it kicks on its famine response, a defense mechanism that aims to protect fat stores by using up lean tissue and muscle for energy instead. This weakens the stability of muscles. Because the amount of muscle in the body is directly proportional to metabolic rate, a loss of muscle also means the loss of metabolic rate. While this process naturally occurs in the case of actual famine, it is not appropriate for a regular weight-loss diet.
The yo-yo diet operates in such a way that it is harder each time to lose weight. As the yo-yo nears the end of its string, the plastic spool starts spinning slower. Likewise, the yo-yo diet follower may find weight loss success harder and harder to maintain as time goes by, leading to depression and demotivation. As soon as the dieter starts attempting to eat normally again, all the weight regained will be stored in the form of fat. The yo-yo diet essentially tampers with a healthy body's normal fat-to-muscle ratio, which is a primary aspect of good health.
Fad diets in general are too extreme on the human body. Many times, radical food deprivation is misleadingly perceived as a substitute for good diet and exercise habits. However, people's susceptibility to the yo-yo diet process is the result of many dynamic factors, including biological factors (genetics, hormones, and biochemicals), emotional and motivational support, and misguided expectations. The environment also plays a huge role, since everywhere we turn we face pressures from images in mass media of supposedly perfect body shapes.
He named the dieting process due to its analogous nature to the up-down action of a toy yo-yo. Because of the starvation dieters subject their bodies to, their weight loss consists of losing both muscle and body fat. When the body senses that it is rapidly losing its energy source, it kicks on its famine response, a defense mechanism that aims to protect fat stores by using up lean tissue and muscle for energy instead. This weakens the stability of muscles. Because the amount of muscle in the body is directly proportional to metabolic rate, a loss of muscle also means the loss of metabolic rate. While this process naturally occurs in the case of actual famine, it is not appropriate for a regular weight-loss diet.
The yo-yo diet operates in such a way that it is harder each time to lose weight. As the yo-yo nears the end of its string, the plastic spool starts spinning slower. Likewise, the yo-yo diet follower may find weight loss success harder and harder to maintain as time goes by, leading to depression and demotivation. As soon as the dieter starts attempting to eat normally again, all the weight regained will be stored in the form of fat. The yo-yo diet essentially tampers with a healthy body's normal fat-to-muscle ratio, which is a primary aspect of good health.
Fad diets in general are too extreme on the human body. Many times, radical food deprivation is misleadingly perceived as a substitute for good diet and exercise habits. However, people's susceptibility to the yo-yo diet process is the result of many dynamic factors, including biological factors (genetics, hormones, and biochemicals), emotional and motivational support, and misguided expectations. The environment also plays a huge role, since everywhere we turn we face pressures from images in mass media of supposedly perfect body shapes.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
DHANOOR MASA POOJA
DHANOOR MASA POOJA
Dhanur Maasa's special Dharma (in brief): UttarayaNa is Day for devathas and Dakshinaayana as Night.This night starts from Ashaada shukla Ekaadashi . Margashira Shukla Ekaadashi or Dhanur maasa Arambha is the time- AruNodhaya Kaala, being the last phase of the night for Devathas ; The Devathas perform Pooja and offer Huggi to Sri Hari at that time.
Hence during the Dhanurmaasa period, God is worshipped in the early morning. Sri Hari explains the significance of this masa to the Devatas.
More details are available in Smruthi MuktaavaLi-
In this month, preference to be given to POOJA only and not Bhojana- therefore Pooja for Deva, Rushi, Pitru TaRpaNa, Vaishya Devaadi kaRma and feeding Brahmins to be done and he should take food in the PRATHAH KALA itself. Or punah pooja could be done and have food in the afternoon also-
both type of sampradaaya are permitted, as per Loka Vyvahaara.
Since Shree Krishna had said in the Geetha that his presence is more in the month MaRgashira. His pooja is to be completed before sunrise everyday with Mudgadanna[ HUGGI]{ good for body and mind}
Best: 1 part rice: 2 parts Moong Dhal(Hesaru Bele= Paitham Parapu);
Better: 1 rice: 1 Moong Dhal
Middle: 1 rice: 1/2 Moong dhal
Bad: 1 rice: 1/4 Moong dhal.
Hence the quantity of rice; Moong dhal should be as far as possible equal in proportion.
To add ginger (Shunti, Curds, Jagerry.) as neivedyam so as to be blessed with His illimitable grace.
Scriptures recommend Dhanur Masa Pooja for prosperity, longevity and above all to be born again and again as a Vaishnavite.Lakshmi sthotra is also recited since Devendra got back his kingdom by chanting the dwadhasha namaas of Sri mahaalakshmi in this month. If any daana were given during this month especially on Vyateepatha day, to a worthy person, it would be most effective.
Shree Devi Prathamam Naam
Dwithiyam AmruthodBhava
Thruthiyam KamalaaProkthaa
Chathurtham lOkasumdari
Pancamam viShNu pathneethi
Shasthyam Shree vaishNa veethicha
Sapthamamthu varaarOhaa
Ashtamam HarivallaBhaa
Navamam ShaamgaNi Prokthaa
Dashamam deva devikaa
Ekaadasham Mahaalaksmi
Dwaadasham Lokasumdari
Shree Padma Kamalaa Mukumdha mahishi
Laksmi stree lOkeshwari
Maa KshiraaBdhi suthaaravimdha
jananee Vidhyaa SarOjaathmikaa
Sarvaa AbheeShta Phala PradhEthi
sathatham naamaniyE Dwaadasha
Praathah shuDhDhatharaah paramthi
sathatham sarvaallaBhathe ShuBhaan
Bhadhra lakshmi Sthavam nithyam
puNyamEth Achyutha Bhaavaham
KaalE smaatwaapiKaavEryaam
Japa Shree Vriksha Sannidhau !
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