The Adverse Effects of Wealth on Cardiovascular Health: A Scientific Statement of the International College of Cardiology.

Background and Aims: Increase in economic status may be associated with increased consumption of Western type of foods and sedentary behaviour. In the present review, we discuss that increase in wealth may be associated with adverse effects on health behaviour Study Design and Methods: Internet search and discussion with colleagues. Results: Review of studies indicate that with increase in wealth, there is increased consumption of high fat, ready prepared foods and decrease in physical activity in most of the countries resulting in obesity and metabolic syndrome, leading to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and other chronic conditions. Many experts during the United Nations High Level Meeting in Sept 2011, misinterpreted the WHO estimates and proposed that, of total deaths, 22·4 million arise in the poorest countries, and 13.7 million in high-income and upper-middle-income countries and therefore poverty may be the major cause of deaths due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). A recent study shows that 57.0 % of deaths in adults (aged 25-64 years) were due to CVDs and other chronic diseases, 25.5% due to communicable diseases and 15.9% due to injury and accidents. The deaths due to NCDs were highly prevalent among higher social classes compared to lower social classes who had greater deaths due to communicable diseases. It is interesting to know from new data from United States, that there is ‘Wealth’ without cardiovascular health in America. The whole world is likely to have the same scenario in the near future. Conclusions: Increase in wealth may be associated with altered health behaviour; greater consumption of unhealthy foods, tobacco consumption, mental load and sedentary behaviour resulting in increased risk of deaths due to CVDs and other chronic diseases which may change with knowledge about health education. Wealth may cause extension in life by buying of expensive drug therapy, intervention and surgery which are known to add income and employment in the west.

Effects of chemically-induced stress on blood viscosity of rabbits.

Disease-induced stress in a living system needs its characterization before quantification. We address this problem by studying the flow behaviour of blood of rabbits. The flow behaviour of rabbit blood, both normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic was observed by plotting viscosity levels against known shear stress. The curves obtained from normal animals showed a curvilinear relationship between eta and tau, whereas the curves obtained from the blood of the induced diabetic animals showed a 'thixotropic' nature i.e. viscosity varies inversely with shear stress. The results obtained were (a) increased viscosity associated with increasing doses, (b) the lower the shear stress, higher was the viscosity and (c) significant variation of viscosity levels between normal and induced-diabetic rabbits observed by increased stress. The possible interpretation of the results in the light of rheological properties of blood is discussed.

Hepatoprotective activity of Azadirachta indica leaves on paracetamol induced hepatic damage in rats.

Effect of A. indica leaf extract on serum enzyme levels (glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, glutamate pyruvate transaminase, acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase) elevated by paracetamol in rats was studied with a view to observe any possible hepatoprotective effect of this plant. It was interesting to observe that serum enzyme levels were much elevated in paracetamol induced animals than in those receiving a combination of paracetamol and lead extract. It is stipulated that the extract treated group was protected from hepatic cell damage caused by paracetamol induction. The findings were further confirmed by histopathological study of liver.

Ontogenetic and comparative analysis of LDH isozymes in the three species of Indian major carp.

Expression patterns of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isozyme were investigated in embryonic and post embryonic stages of Labeo rohita, Cirrhinus mrigala and Catla catla using starch gel electrophoresis. Species specific and differential enzyme locus (gene) expression patterns were found in LDH up to 18th hr of study. The isozyme up to 36th hr after fertilization seemed to be completely active and showed electrophoretic patterns very similar to those of the adults. Comparative analysis of the isozyme of the three species permitted species identification even during the embryonic stages when it is impossible to identify on morphological characters only. Also, the genetic studies indicated different taxonomical and evolutionary histories of the species.

Hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic effect of leaves of Vinca rosea linn.

Oral administration of water fraction of alcoholic extract of leaves of Vinca rosea (fam. apocynaeceae) led to marked lowering of blood glucose level in normal and streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. The hypoglycemic effect of the fraction was comparable with that of tolbutamide.