25% traffic cops have less than 80% lung efficiency

25% traffic cops have less than 80% lung efficiency 

JAIPUR. The rising pollution levels are left police persons short of breath. Of the 109 traffic policemen who underwent a spirometry test, 26 were detected with weak lungs. The tests on Thursday were held at the police control room by doctors from SMS hospital. 

"These cops have lung efficiency of less than 80%, this could be because of a respiratory disease or may be an early indication. However, precaution and treatment is a must for such patients," said Dr Virendra Singh, professor, department of medicine, SMS medical college. 

Spirometry test indicates the lung efficiency, even as the efficiency should be 100% in ideal conditions, those above 80% of the efficiency are considered healthy. Even as the test results are being further examined rising pollution levels are being considered as the major cause. 

According to doctors, nearly 6% of the general population above 40 years of age is suspected of asthma and other respiratory diseases due to unhealthy lifestyle and tobacco-smoking. However, the numbers of young patients with respiratory issues have also been rising over the past years. Rajasthan records more than 600 cases of complex respiratory issues each year as the disease or disorder often remains untreated for a long duration. 

As the trend continues to increase, the respiratory diseases are expected to be a major reason for patient mortality in the coming decades. The threat is even more for traffic policemen and other professionals spending much time in the busy traffic. The department has provided the field staff with air masks. However, many of the cops find it uncomfortable for everyday use. Despite the use of masks the probability of lung damage continues to prevail. 

Carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and other pollutants emitted by vehicles remain a threat to the public health. The European Lung Foundation and European Respiratory Society observe October 14 as World Spirometry Day each year to generate public awareness about the issue. Hectic schedule, lack of rest and exposure to other forms of fumes can also increase the chances of lung infection. Confinement to air conditioned premises and dust are also among the major reasons for rising lung infection. 

As part of a nationwide Spirometry campaign 1,700 people of Pune, Chennai, Coimbatore, Kolkata, Jaipur and Kota underwent the test earlier this month. Research by Chest Research Foundation (CRF), Pune revealed that 6.4% of the people who underwent the test had obstruction in the airway, which usually occurs in cases of asthma and COPD. Among these only 24% of patients were aware that they have either asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The rest were diagnosed for the first time, 34% people had obstruction of the small airways on spirometry which is a strong indicator of early asthma and COPD. 


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Women Don't Sweat as Much or as Effectively as Men

Women Don't Sweat as Much or as Effectively as Men

Now there's science to prove it: Men sweat more – and better – than women.

Researchers measured the rate at which both men and women perspired while biking for an hour under controlled conditions. Men who were physically fit sweat more readily than anyone else, and men, in general, also appeared to benefit more from physical training than did women. This difference became more pronounced as the activity level increased.

Physically fit people begin to sweat at a lower core body temperature. And since sweating is our body's way of cooling off (and keeping from overheating), this allowed men to perform longer, according to the researchers. Inactive women had the lowest sweat rate.

"It appears that women are at a disadvantage when they need to sweat a lot during exercise, especially in hot conditions," said Yoshimitsu Inoue, the study's coordinator and a researcher at Osaka International University in Japan.

The researchers had 37 subjects cycle for an hour at increasing intensities – active subjects had participated in endurance sports for more than six years, while inactive subjects had, for the most part, not performed regular physical activity in the previous three years. The scientists measured the subjects' temperature, sweat rate and activated sweat glands for a number of sites on the body, including the forehead and thigh. The information was used to calculate sweat gland output and measure performance.

Fit women had higher sweat rates than inactive men, though this difference was not statistically significant. But fit men saw a more dramatic improvement in their performance over inactive men than did fit women over inactive women. Overall, fit men sweat the most.

Sweat output per gland was significantly higher for fit subjects during more intense exercisethan for their unfit counterparts, but fit men's sweat gland output increased more rapidly than the others as their body temperature rose.

Untrained women didn't fully activated their sweat glands until they reached a more intense level of exercise than the others, whose sweat glands activated sooner.

Prior research has shown a link between the male sex-hormone testosterone, physical training and an increase in sweat rate. Although they did not measure the hormone among their subjects, the researchers suggest the hormone may play a role in their results.

The study was published Oct. 1 in the journal Experimental Physiology.

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2010 nobel prize winners in science

2010 nobel prize winners in science

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2010

Andre Geim, Konstantin Novoselov

Photo: Sergeom, Wikimedia Commons

Photo: University of Manchester, UK

Andre Geim

Konstantin Novoselov

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2010 was awarded jointly to Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov "for groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene"

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2010

Richard F. Heck, Ei-ichi Negishi, Akira Suzuki

Photo: University of Delaware, USA

Photo: Purdue University, USA

Photo: Hokkaido University, Japan

Richard F. Heck

Ei-ichi Negishi

Akira Suzuki

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2010 was awarded jointly to Richard F. Heck, Ei-ichi Negishi and Akira Suzuki "for palladium-catalyzed cross couplings in organic synthesis".

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Nobel Laureate Elizabeth Blackburn

“The said interest shall be divided into five equal parts, which shall be apportioned as follows: /- - -/ one part to the person who shall have made the most important discovery within the domain of physiology or medicine ...”

(Excerpt from the will of Alfred Nobel)

Alfred Nobel had an active interest in medical research. Through Karolinska Institutet he came into contact with Swedish physiologist Jöns Johansson around 1890. Johansson worked in Nobel’s laboratory in Sèvran, France for a time that year. Physiology or medicine was the third prize area Nobel mentioned in his will.

In 1901, Emil von Behring was awarded the first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on serum therapy, particularly for its use in the treatment of diphtheria. The Medicine Prize has subsequently highlighted a number of important discoveries including penicillin, genetic engineering and blood-typing.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded by the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet.

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