The third leading cause for blindness in India, glaucoma is a scourge afflicting a large section of the population irrespective of their age. According to WHO estimates, almost 60.5 million people are blind because of glaucoma. In India, 2.5 per cent of the population, which is about 11.9 million, are afflicted with glaucoma. In South India, almost 90 per cent of the people who suffer from glaucoma have no idea of this disease due to lack of awareness of warning symptoms and regular medical checkups.

Known to be a serious affliction, glaucoma arises because of an elevation in pressure inside the eye caused by a build-up of excess fluid. However, an ophthalmologist says that if this silent killer is left untreated, this disease can permanently impair vision by causing irreversible damage to the optic nerves and eventually, blindness.

Dr Sirish Nelivigi, head of the department, Glaucoma, Nethradhama Hospitals says, "Glaucoma is the most common cause for blindness after cataract but unlike cataract, it is irreversible. This is a burden not only to the family, but also to the society. The only way to tackle this is through regular eye-checkups and screening tests."

Incidentally, a large number of people with glaucoma still remain undiagnosed. Glaucoma which results in peripheral vision loss, and is a dangerous eye condition because it gradually progresses without obvious symptoms . It can affect any age group, including newborns, infants, children and elderly. Blindness from glaucoma is irreversible. However, early detection is the key to preserving vision. Glaucoma is the largest cause of bilateral blindness, second only to the cataract.

Scientists claim to have identified a genetic manipulation that can boost the growth of brain cells linked to learning.

A team at the University of Texas has found that deleting the Nf1 gene in mice increases the development of neurons in the brain during ageing, which in turn, enhances the effect of anti depressant drugs.

"The significant implication of this work is that enhancing neurogenesis sensitises mice to antidepressants meaning they needed lower doses of the drugs to affect mood and also appears to have anti depressive and anti-anxiety effects of its own that continue over time," said Dr Luis Parada, a team member.

Just as in people, mice produce new neurons throughout adulthood, although the rate declines with age and stress, said Dr Parada.

In their research, the scientists used a sophisticated process to delete the gene that codes for the Nf1 protein only in the brains of mice, while production in other tissues continued normally.

After showing that mice lacking Nf1 protein in the brain had greater neurogenesis than controls, they administered behavioural tests designed to mimic situations that would
spark a subdued mood or anxiety, such as observing grooming behaviour in response to a small splash of sugar water.

The scientists found that the test group mice formed more neurons over time compared to controls, and that young mice lacking the Nf1 protein required much lower amounts of
anti depressants to counteract the effects of stress.

Behavioural differences between the groups persisted at three months, six months and nine months. "Older mice lacking the protein responded as if they`d been taking antidepressants all their lives.

"In summary, this work suggests that activating neural precursor cells could directly improve depression and anxiety like behaviours, and it provides a proof regarding
feasibility of regulating behaviour via direct manipulation of adult neurogenesis," Dr Parada said.

In 2006, the first World Kidney Day was observed to create awareness among public regarding the importance of kidneys in relation to overall health and also reduce the impact of kidney-related disorders worldwide.

Since then, the second Thursday of March is observed as the World Kidney Day (WKD) in more than 100 countries.

The WKD is a joint initiative of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations.

High blood pressure is a major risk factor in the patients of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and needs to be carefully monitored.

High blood pressure results in increased stress on blood vessels throughout the body - including those in the kidneys.

This has an adverse effect on renal function, as the kidneys become unable to properly filter waste products from the blood.

High blood pressure is one of the few symptoms and causes of chronic kidney disease.

The kidneys - among other things - play a key role in keeping a person's blood pressure in a healthy state and blood pressure, in turn, can affect the health of the kidneys.

The concern is enhanced by the emerging evidence that CKDs are not only a problem on their own but are also a major risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and are a deadly complication of diabetes mellitus.

This necessitates constant monitoring for renal complications.

Diabetes is the epidemic of the 21st century.

Worldwide, over 240 million people suffer from diabetes and the figure is expected to reach 380 million by 2025.

Indeed, a third of people suffering from diabetes are affected by diabetic nephropathy.

The incidences of Diabetes Mellitus are on the rise and India has become the diabetic capital of the world and Kerala is that of the country.

The predicted increase in the number of patients with end-stage renal diseases in developed countries, where regular renal replacement therapy programmes are available, poses the risk that health care resources are inadequate to guarantee full coverage of dialysis expenses.

In developing countries, there are very few chances of needy getting renal replacement therapy, now or in the future.

Achieving optimum blood sugar and blood pressure control can significantly reduce the risk of needing dialysis or experiencing a heart attack or a stroke.

Aluva District Hospital's Community Dialysis Centre, which was an initiative of the government, has done 5500 quality dialysis so far.

At present, the centre has twelve donated units and owning to the long waiting list, the centre is going on an expansion programme to increase the capacity by 10 more units.

The centre is in desperate need of sponsorships.

Awareness classes on blood and organ donation are held twice a week.

Arthritis sufferers have 40% higher risk of developing erratic heartbeat which can trigger heart attacks and death, warn researchers.

The researchers believe the inflammation of joints in arthritis may cause irregular heartbeat, known as atrial fibrillation, besides formation of blood clots and stroke.

Rheumatoid arthritis tends to strike between the ages of 40 and 70 years and is more common amongst women than men. It is the result of the immune system attacking cells lining the joints, making them swollen, stiff and very painful, reported online journal BMJ.com.

Copenhagen University scientists studied more than four million people of whom 18,250 had rheumatoid arthritis over a period of five years, and found those afflicted were 40% at higher risk of atrial fibrillation and 30% higher risk of strokes than the general public.

In a group of 1,000 normal patients, six would likely suffer from atrial fibrillation in any given year while 5.7 would be likely to have a stroke.

However, amongst a group of 1,000 rheumatoid arthritis sufferers, eight would be expected to have atrial fibrillation while 7.6 would be likely to have a stroke.

"Inflammation plays a central role in rheumatoid arthritis and in the disease process of many other related conditions, so it's not surprising that it may also play a role in the development of atrial fibrillation," said Michael Ehrenstein of Arthritis Research, Britain.

Are you feeding your brain the right kind of fatty diet? Dairy products such as cheese and milk are among the most reviled of foods, with many experts saying their links to heart disease and obesity mean we should shun them when possible.

But new research has caused controversy by suggesting that, in fact, dairy food could be essential for a healthy brain.

The study, by U.S. and Australian researchers, involving 1,000 adults, found those who regularly have dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt score better on tests of mental ability than people who never, or rarely, consume dairy.

Although the research, published in the International Dairy Journal, needs following-up, as it did not conclusively establish the link between dairy and fatty diets and brain power, it highlights an intriguing line of research.

It follows another U.S. study, involving 104 pensioners, where scientists found older people with higher levels of beneficial fats in their blood had less brain shrinkage typical of Alzheimer's disease. These beneficial fats - omega-3 essential fats - are found in foods such as oily fish. The research, published in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, is key, as it measured the levels of different fats in people's blood, rather than simply relying on their reports of what they tended regularly to eat.

It's now well established from brain-tissue studies that our mental functions depend heavily on a good supply of fat.

Our brain is composed of 60 per cent fat. The brain cells are insulated by sheaths of myelin composed of 75 per cent fat. This myelin fat needs to be replaced constantly.

Myelin sheaths are vital to the cells' ability to communicate. It's thought the more myelin you have, the quicker you learn new skills.

Significantly, in a disease such as multiple sclerosis, the myelin sheaths are damaged, affecting how messages are transmitted in the brain and causing symptoms such as numbness and paralysis.

This research on the brain confronts the common view about the dangers of dietary fat. So strong is the negative message that studies show up to 40 per cent of all UK adults try to avoid fat for health reasons.

But, in fact, the benefits of avoiding fats might not be so clear-cut.

For example, a study of older people in the British Medical Journal found that those on low-cholesterol diets have a far higher rate of stroke, possibly because cholesterol seems to have a protective effect in mature brain linings.

Meanwhile, a California University study published in The Lancet reports a link between low-fat diets and increased incidence of depression among men aged over 70.

It suggests this may be because low cholesterol levels shorten the amount of time the feel-good hormone serotonin is effective.

Studies also show fat in diets may help the brain to suppress harmful behavioural impulses: monkeys have been found to become abnormally aggressive when put on low-fat diets, according to a report in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.

But rather than investigating such discoveries further, the medical establishment has ignored or discredited them, for fear of confusing the 'dietary fat is bad' message.

So, which fats seem to help best?

When it comes to the benefits of dairy on the brain, more research is needed. But there's a large body of research to show that omega-3 and omega-6 fats are vital for the brain.

You might think you knew this already. And, indeed, a few years ago there was much-publicised research to suggest that omega-3 supplements were good for the brain. But that research has since been dismissed as unscientific (also, it's not supplements, but getting the fats from food that counts).

Now a number of new, more authoritative studies have shown how omega-3s help by developing and protecting myelin. Our bodies cannot make these fats, so they need to get them from diet.

An important substance in these fats is DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) which the body derives from omega-3. This helps preserve the brain's health in older age.

The best sources of DHA are oily fish, such as salmon, wholegrains and dark green, leafy vegetables.

A study published in the journal Archives of Neurology found that people with the highest levels of DHA in their blood had a 50 per cent lower risk of developing dementia from any cause.

After nine years of follow-up, they were also shown to be less likely to develop Alzheimer's.

DHA has been found to help the brains of developing babies, too.

A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found the children of women who had high levels of DHA in their red blood cells around the time they gave birth scored above average on the intelligence tests at age six.

But, interestingly, the study says this effect resulted from the mothers eating diets rich in fish and DHA, rather than supplements.

This may help to explain why studies of pregnant women taking only fish-oil supplements have often failed to provide conclusive evidence of benefits in their offspring.

The Spanish experts behind this research speculate that this might have something to do with the way our bodies absorb and process foods that feature regularly in our diet.

Sources of omega-6 fatty acids include seeds, nuts and their oil.

So, why would fats be so crucial to the human brain? Our brains grew to their present proportions a million years ago. Before that, our body-to-brain size ratio was similar to other primates. For years, scientists have puzzled over what caused this growth.

Dr David Braun, an anthropologist and archaeologist at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, has suggested the fish-eating habit of primitive humans were responsible. He says we started to eat fish about two million years ago in the Great Rift Valley in Africa, thought to be the cradle of our species, and this enabled us to grow brains that were much bigger and more efficient than rival species.

But there's another side of the coin. While omega fats seem crucial, they can be displaced from our brains by trans fats, found in baked and fried goods and fast food.

While the scientific case for omega fats' dietary benefits is growing stronger, so, too, is the argument against trans fats in our diets at all.

A study of children growing up in the Avon area, for example, has shown that a diet high in processed fats may lower IQ.

The study, following 4,000 children from birth to the age of eight-and-a-half, found those who ate diets high in processed fats showed significantly lower IQ scores at the older age than those whose diets had been high in healthy fats.

The results echo earlier research. For example, a study of children who ate margarine high in trans fats (hydrogenated vegetable oils) every day showed that they had lower IQs than those who did not.

Meanwhile, last year's study in the journal Neurology, which reported that pensioners who ate lots of omega fats were less at risk of Alzheimer's, also found the reverse effect with trans fats.

People whose blood-nutrient levels showed they had junk-food diets showed more of the brain-shrinkage associated with dementia.

Furthermore, studies on rats, by neuroscientist Lotta Granholm, have shown that trans fats impair memory and learning.

Granholm, the director of the Centre on Ageing at the Medical University of South Carolina, says trans fats seem to destroy proteins that help brain cells to communicate. 'After I did this study, I didn't eat french fries any more,' she says.

Dr Alex Richardson, a research fellow at the University of Oxford and an authority on the impact of nutrition on the brain, is particularly concerned by trans fats. 'They should have been banned years ago,' she says. 'They are toxic.'

One of the most damaging things about these fats, she adds, is that they actually stop essential fats, such as omega-3, from being absorbed in the brain.

'There's good evidence trans fats alter the signalling ability of the brain's chemical messengers. If you give these to children, you're replacing essential fats that make their bodies and brains work properly with ones that clog the machinery.'

In order to protect our brains and those of our children, it appears that we have to become fat-headed - but only with the right sort of fats.