Rama Krishna Health Care Clinic

Can Low-Carbohydrate Diet Benefit Type 2 Diabetes? Recent research found that a low-carbohydrate diet could benefit people with mild type 2 diabetes (T2D) by preserving their beta cells. First, a little description: Diabetes : Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition where the body either becomes resistant to insulin or doesn't produce enough insulin, leading to high blood sugar levels. It is often managed through lifestyle changes, medication, or insulin therapy. Insulin : Insulin is a hormone that allows cells in the body to take in glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream, helping to lower blood sugar levels and provide energy to the cells. In diabetes, the body either doesn't produce enough insulin or can't use it effectively. Beta Cells : Beta cells are specialized cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels. Pancreas : The pancreas is a gland located behind the stomach that plays a crucial role in digestion and blood sugar co...

The Citrus Paradox: What Oranges Tell Us About Human Nature Imagine, for a moment, that you're standing in a grocery store in 1954. The produce section is sparse by today's standards, but there, among the limited offerings, sits a display of oranges. Simple, ordinary citrus fruits. What you don't realize is that you're looking at one of humanity's most fascinating paradoxes — a food that can simultaneously heal and harm, protect and imperil. Let me tell you about Dr. Heidi Silver, a research professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, who has spent years unraveling what might be called “the citrus contradiction.” Her discovery started with a simple observation: People who consumed grapefruit before meals lost more weight than those who didn't. Fruit Market, Barcelona (Wikimedia) But this wasn't the most interesting part. What fascinated Silver was the complex web of biochemical reactions that made this possible — a web that would eventually reveal som...

The Amazing Vitamin D: Your Body's Secret Superhero Have you ever wondered why doctors recommend spending some time daily in the morning sun? Of course, to get your required dose of Vitamin D. It's a very important vitamin (almost like a hormone). Think of it as your body's secret superhero, over and above helping build strong bones and teeth. Unfortunately, nearly 76% of the Indian population suffers from vitamin D deficiency, according to data from tests of more than 2.2 lakh people across 76 cities. Interestingly, Vitamin D deficiency was the highest in the age group below 25 (84%). And in the United States, almost 35% of people don't get enough of vitamin D. But why is this happening? The Sun Connection Your body can actually make vitamin D when sunlight touches your skin. But there's a catch. Many of us today tend to spend more time indoors than ever in history. Image by Freepik More Than Just Strong Bones Sure, vitamin D helps prevent weak bones as we age, but...

Depression is a serious mental health condition. It can happen to anyone, at any age, or at any social level. Sadly, many sufferers hide their condition to avoid the social stigma. Unless we bust the myths about depression, we cannot help the depressed ones get proper medical and supportive care. Myth 1: Keeping Busy Cures Depression Fact: While activities like exercise, hobbies, and socializing can help manage depression, they can't replace professional treatment. Depression is caused by complex factors like brain chemistry and genetics, so staying busy alone won't make it go away. Myth 2: Depression Runs in the Family Fact: Having a family history of depression does increase your risk, but it doesn't mean you'll definitely develop it. Many factors contribute to depression, so just because a parent or sibling had it doesn't guarantee you will too. Myth 3: Talking About Depression Makes It Worse Fact: Sharing your feelings with trusted friends or a counselor can act...

Endometriosis in women can cause heavy bleeding or pain during periods, sexual activity, or urination. It can also cause problems with fertility. Those at a high risk of getting endometriosis include having periods that began before age 11, or having periods that are heavy or last longer than 7 days, or a history of short monthly cycles of fewer than 27 days. It affects many women. Worldwide, almost 10% of women of reproductive age have endometriosis. In very rare cases, it can occur in men. Endometriosis: 10 Medical Myths vs. Facts Let’s break down some facts and myths about endometriosis. 1. What is Endometriosis? Endometriosis is a chronic condition in which tissue similar to that usually lining the inside of the uterus grows outside the uterus, causing pain and other symptoms. 2. What are its common Symptoms? Pain : More than 60% of women with endometriosis have persistent pelvic pain. Abdominal cramps can occur during periods, sexual intercourse, while urinating, or having bowel m...

How to reconnect with old friends who became strangers? Have you ever looked at your phone's contact list and realized there are people you used to be close with, but have lost touch with over time? It's a common experience, but one that can be fixed. Why Friends Become Strangers? Why We Need Social Connections We are fundamentally social beings who, by nature, enjoy and need to connect with others. Research shows strong social relationships are important for our mental well-being and happiness. In fact, having at least one person to rely on is one of the top predictors of life satisfaction around the world. Moreover, studies also show that emotional and instrumental support can reduce depression levels (Gariepy, 2016; Rueger, 2016; Santini, 2015). Yet, sometimes these connections fade, and old friends become strangers. Even in this well-connected world of today, we stop reaching out to others. The Hes...

Mental Well-Being for the Busy Professional Woman of Today Professional women today have a busier life than even a decade back. Many admit it is difficult to do the "balancing act" of nurturing mental wellness, life satisfaction, and inner peace with meeting goals and fulfilling the demands of various relationships. What challenges do professional women face in balancing work and mental wellness? Professional women commonly grapple with a challenging mix of: high workplace demands, societal expectations, and family responsibilities. Balancing these while maintaining mental wellness often leads to stress, burnout, and decreased overall life-satisfaction. The situation is especially acute in environments, whether at work or home, that lack support for meaningful, responsibility-free breaks. How can improving mental health boost overall quality of life? Mental ill-health often shows up as poor concentration, low job performance, strained personal relationships, unable to feel ha...

Google's AI outperforms doctors in diagnostic conversations. Google's experimental AI outperforms human doctors in diagnostic dialogue, showing superior accuracy in assessing lungs- and heart-related conditions. This new medical marvel is called   Articulate Medical Intelligence Explorer (AMIE) . Nature writes  in the headline,  "Google AI has better bedside manner than human doctors — and makes better diagnoses." So, what's AMIE's superpower? Picture a medical Sherlock Holmes with mountains of data at its fingertips. AMIE can quickly analyze all that data against the symptoms and suggest possibilities of the illness. AMIE successfully matched the performance of human doctors in simulated consultations, accurately diagnosing respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. AMIE also showed strong performance in empathy and rapport building, suggesting its potential to complement and enhance doctor-patient interactions.  However, we would prefer the human touch becau...

Adenomyosis is a common, but poorly understood condition that affects women of all age groups. It is  a common cause of dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia, and chronic pelvic pain but is often underdiagnosed. Typically, because adenomyosis is confined to the uterus, diagnosis and management can be managed by an OB/GYN. Signs & symptoms Adenomyosis is  defined as the presence of ectopic nests of endometrial glands and stroma within the myometrium, surrounded by reactive smooth muscle hyperplasia. Patients with adenomyosis commonly report the following symptoms: Menorrhagia Dysmenorrhea Metrorrhagia Chronic pelvic pain Dyspareunia On physical examination, a diffusely enlarged, tender, “boggy” uterus is suggestive of adenomyosis. Diagnosis A diffusely enlarged, tender, “boggy” uterus is suggestive of adenomyosis. Alternatively, severe endometriosis often presents as a fixed, tender uterus, with palpable nodules within the posterior cul-de-sac and/or lining the uterosacral ligaments a...