Can your smartphone detect skin cancer?

Believe it or not, almost every individual is addicted to his or her smartphone these days! Think about it, who can say no to a platform filled with limitless functionality and practical applicability in a compact and portable form in this fast-paced, dynamic life that we live in?! Checking messages, playing games, grabbing information and building contacts are some of the most common to-do’s we achieve using our tiny device. What is more, research studies have gone one step ahead by inventing an uncommon feature in smartphone that detects the appearance of skin cancer! 

Skin being the largest organ of the body, is quite atypically the most neglected one; but when it comes to skin cancer if neglected, can definitely prove to be fatal. Uncontrolled division of cells in the body is the characteristic feature of cancer, and based on the type of cells and cancerous growth they are categorised into various types. This diversity gives us more the reason to worry about its early and accurate diagnosis. 

The University of Texas Health Science Center of Houston (UTHealth) found a way to connect smartphone to detect skin cancer via phone-based microscopy. 

With a 90% detection accuracy as compared to a traditional light microscope, this technology may prove a highly efficient tool in detecting non-melanoma skin cancer. 

Cure for cancer is a tough battle, thus the focus lies on a feasible diagnostic approach for early detection, for example a PET-CT scan! The modern world believes in quick results, and gadgets with their alluring technology might help us acquire faster as well as better answers. This smart phone based microscopy hopefully won’t take long to nestle in a physician’s palm and bridge the gap between detecting this dreadful menace to cure it.

For more information, kindly visit Thyrocare's partner, Nueclear- a diagnostic imaging center.  http://www.nueclear.com/

Thyrocare IPO : Why you should invest ?

Industry Background : 

The Indian Diagnostics Industry has shown remarkable growth in last few years. As of 2014-15, Indian diagnostic Industry currently stands at Rs. 377 billion and the revenue share of the ‘wellness’ segment has shown a prominent increase. In fiscal year (FY) 2015, ‘wellness’ sector offered 51% indicating a 10% increase as compared to FY 2013. Apart from that, it is estimated, till the end of fiscal year 2017-2018, per capita healthcare expenditure will be Rs. 5,194-5,481 indicating a growth of nearly 10-12%. Growing awareness, recognition of this substantial need & interest in healthcare, are the possible reasons behind the rising demand for diagnostic services. It is also estimated that the Indian diagnostic industry will grow at CAGR of about 16-18% in next 3 years, with ‘wellness’ and ‘preventive’ segment estimated to grow at 23-25%.

Company Information : 

Thyrocare Technologies is one of the well-known name in the field of diagnostic & preventive healthcare. This nationwide networked laboratory has a significant presence in more than 2000 cities/towns pan-India as well as internationally. This was achieved due to promising network of 1,041 authorised service providers across India. Thyrocare has a Centralised Processing Laboratory (CPL) in Navi-Mumbai, which conducts above 2 lakh investigations per day. It’s test profiles include 17 profiles of tests promoted under “Aarogyam” brand name. Apart from diagnostic and preventive healthcare sector, they also added cancer scanning and water testing to their business verticals. For efficient cancer monitoring “Nuclear Healthcare Limited” has few molecular imaging centres across New Delhi, Navi Mumbai and Hyderabad. The brand “Whaters” launched in 2015, offers water analysis services to corporate offices, hotels, hospitals, educational institutions and housing societies..

Thyrocare IPO Details : 

After successful listing of Dr. Lal Path Labs, Thyrocare is the second diagnostic company to go public with issue of upto 10,744,708 equity shares worth Rs. 480 crore.The firm has priced the offer at a band of Rs. 420-446 per share. The subscription for the Thyrocare IPO starts on 27 April and will go on till 29th April and equity shares will be listed on BSE and NSE listings on 9th May. Shares worth Rs 240 crores (50%) will be reserved only for qualified institutional buyers (QIBs), and 15% will be reserved for the non-institutional investors. JM Financial, Edelweiss Financial Services Ltd. and ICICI Securities are the investment bankers for the issue.  

The noticeable fact is, CX Partners who is the second largest shareholder in the company currently holds a stake of around 21% has offered to sell nearly 90% of its holdings. Other private equity investors in Thyrocare such as Norwest Venture Partners (9.43%) and Samara Capital (2%) will not be exiting through the IPO. Minimum application is to be made for 33 shares and in multiples thereafter.

Why you should invest ? 

Here are top 8 reasons why you should be subscribing to this issue : 

1. The growth in capital efficiencies of diagnostic and preventive care testing business.
2. Totally debt-free company. 
3. Nationwide networked collection centres, well-connected by logistic capabilities and strong IT backup. 
4. Profiles of specialized tests with clear focus on ‘wellness’ and ‘preventive’ healthcare. 
5. Attractive ROE and ROCE expected with this business model. 
6. Offer price of it’s peer company (Dr. Lal Path labs IPO) which showed remarkable increase post listing 
7. Highly experienced leadership and management team.
8. Thyrocare technologies has shown a consistent financial performance and growth year-over-year. 

For more details about company you can visit : http://www.thyrocare.com/

Want to lose weight? Snack on peanuts.

An hour glass figure for women and muscular fit body for men have become life goals for many these days as just to shed those extra kilos, people go to extremes either by using time saving, fat reduction products on home shopping channels or by strict dieting measures. Well, not everyone has the patience, time or money for these or even for that matter to follow the age-old mantra of regular exercising to reduce weight. 

Today with everything available at your fingertips with a click, its highly unlikely that the general devil-may-care attitude of our Indian populace on weight reduction by exercising daily, will change. Therefore an obese or even slightly overweight person, is generally indifferent to the whole idea of any sort of physical exertion like exercises, yoga or activities like climbing stairs etc. for weight reduction, until a medical condition strikes! An easy way out beating this whole quagmire of lethargy, to even take an initiative to thwart obesity, can be by targeting one’s snacking habit when hunger strikes. Well, eating a food item will reduce weight? Yes, if its peanuts!

What research has to say?

Recent surveys conducted wherein school children under a nutrition intervention that included a snack of peanuts compared to other kids who didn’t receive it, showed a reduced Body Mass Index (BMI-an inexpensive estimate of an individual’s body fat). Peanuts or peanut butter are packed with protein and fiber, thus keeps one satiated for long, aiding in hunger management and curbing unhealthy snacking. Our body spends more energy digesting protein than it does to digest carbs or fats, facilitating an increased ‘metabolic rate’. This accounts for an increased resting energy expenditure by the body, as found in a research study, backing up the weight loss benefits of peanuts. Protein also aids in preventing fluctuations in the blood sugar levels that are responsible for those hunger blows, when the blood sugar levels nosedive. Fiber in the peanuts makes slows down the speed at which the food leaves the stomach by absorbing water and forming a gel-like mass to make you feel full for long. It is also thought to delay the release of the hormone ghrelin, which triggers the feeling of hunger. 

Benefits of peanuts

Peanuts are digested slowly (low-glycaemic index) releasing sugar gradually into the bloodstream, providing long-lasting energy reducing the cravings one experiences. Their property of being a ‘healthy’ snack stems from peanuts being good sources of healthy monounsaturated fats (that lower cholesterol), B vitamins and antioxidants too. Its the ‘high satiety’ value of peanuts that helps you limit your daily portions of food, keeping those ‘extra’ calories in check, thereby helping to reduce weight indirectly. Peanuts have also been implicated to play a role in preventing heart disease, diabetes and many other chronic inflammatory disorders, making them a preferred ‘snack’ handsdown!!

Grabbing a quick burger or coffee to calm those hunger pangs inculcates a habit of skipping or having meals at odd timings due to a feeling of fullness acquired from consumption of sugar and calorie loaded junk foods. Resulting irregular levels of hunger hormones (leptin and ghrelin) affect vital body processes of food absorption and assimilation, due to a slow digestion, thus spiking the insulin levels and food cravings. Body’s metabolism gets disrupted eventually, causing excessive fat accumulation, with elevated levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides, and imbalances in levels of thyroid hormones. 

A regular and timely preventive health checkup can only estimate these levels going haywire well ahead, before obesity fuels any future health conditions like diabetes, etc. Meanwhile, combat obesity or rising weight by munching on the nutrient-dense peanuts, a healthy alternative than a bag of salty chips to keep a growling stomach at bay!

Introducing Our New Android Application - We are just an APP away!

For majority of the population, a smartphone in hand is a solution to everything they need. In this busy world, time is precious, so we have come up with our new “Android Application”, which not only makes booking for tests easy but also helps you stay connected with preventive healthcare at your fingertips. New features of our app will make your experience simpler and easier to book the tests or profiles for yourself and your family members and get access to personalised preventive healthcare as per your convenience.

Features -

1. Ease to search what you are looking for 

Users can easily search for the tests, profiles and packages they are looking for. The ability to find a test by its name or by the disease using the “search” bar makes it more simpler for users to find what they need. 

2. Simplified view for your pick 

The improved user interface lets you select your packages and profiles more conveniently. You can easily navigate through home screen menus - Preventive care, book test or offers and and pick the ones most suited for you.

3. Book a Test on the Go 

If you are in a hurry to book the test you need, use our “Book test” feature which helps you in adding profiles and packages to your cart and proceed for its bookings. 

4. Pay with Trust 

Pay later during sample collection or pay online for your bookings with a “Secured Payment Gateway”, choose the mode of payment as per your convenience with complete confidence and peace of mind. 

5. Tracking Reports anywhere, anytime

Want to track your reports and orders on your own? Now, no assistance is required to track your reports. Our “My reports” feature helps you do it all by yourself, see and download reports whenever you wish by just putting in the order number or the receipt no.

6. Your entire family’s personalised preventive healthcare

You can book a test for your family members too! Just add them to your profile and fill their details! You do not have to fill in the beneficiary details over and over again, saving your valuable time!. 

7. Connect easily to our team

Keeping in mind the most used communication mediums, we have made reaching us easier! With whatsapp, email, call and other social channels we wish to bring solutions for all your needs and queries.

8. Login through your Facebook and Google Account

Not feeling like filling a registration or sign up form? Just use your Google or Facebook login to sign-in to our application for our latest offers on preventive health checkup packages. If you wish to book a profile for yourself , just complete your profile details along with your familial history of the illness and other details.

9. Get Notifications for our latest offers

Be informed of our latest offers and avail them anytime through our app! 

We request you to kindly download and review our new android application for all our features. We are doing our homework to update and upgrade our new application and therefore, your reviews and feedback really matter to us.

Kindly visit playstore and download our new app 

Now, Air Pollution can cause Diabetes, too!

India may be lagging behind World’s developed countries on economic indicators but surely has outsmarted them in global issues like environmental degradation, population explosion and environmental pollution, to name a few. And just when the Indian populace began to understand the gravity of this serious issue; along with the existing health concerns that result upon inhaling polluted air, it is also known to kick off the disease widely perceived as something caused upon excessive intake of sweet foods- Diabetes. 

Diabetes, a group of diseases wherein your blood glucose levels shoot up due to body’s inability to use or produce insulin, a hormone required to maintain the blood glucose levels from going too high or too low. Our understanding on causes of diabetes is limited to lack of physical activity or unhealthy dietary choices, and has remained rather rudimentary on environmental causes of diabetes. Yes, surprising connection indeed but recent reports have revealed that breathing polluted air also increase the risk factors for this sweet-killer epidemic widely prevalent in our country.

The quality of air we breathe has deteriorated so badly that 13 Indian cities including our national capital has been listed in the top 20 most polluted cities in the world. The polluted air we breathe, undoubtedly poses health concerns and its grave impact is seen on an average Indian’s life with decreased life expectancy as compared to those living in non-polluted areas. Such is the impact of rising toxins in air, that a 2012’s Lancet’s study classified air pollution to be the sixth biggest killer in India taking an approximate toll of 66 million annually.

Can the air inhaled affect sugar breakdown metabolism? 

Air not only contains oxygen, but is a mixture of other gases too like nitrogen and CO2, etc. However along with these, polluted air contains toxic elements, particulate matter, and other harmful gases too. When these air pollutants enter our body upon inhalation, they cause low grade inflammation in insulin responsive organs via a chain reaction, which makes it difficult for our body to process blood sugar, thus impairing glucose metabolism. This spikes up the levels of blood sugar, cholesterol, thereby causing insulin resistance due to oxidative stress. The impairment of insulin signaling upon prolonged exposure to polluted air increases the risk of diabetes mellitus significantly. 

Timely intervention prevents further complications!

Air pollution can’t be elevated in a day and requires serious efforts everyday, as its not only the government’s responsibility, but also of the general public who can take little steps on a day-to-day basis to reduce it to save the environment and improve protection of human health. Prior knowledge of the presence as well as the levels of toxic elements in your blood, will not only provide ample time to bring them under control or alleviate them completely, but also aid in preventing future complications like diabetes, cardiometabolic disorders, etc. Air pollution can’t be prevented but the hormone levels it disrupts, and medical conditions it fuels up, can be prevented if irregularities in their individual biomarker levels are known in advance. In this era of smartphones, when preventive healthcare is just at your fingertips, screening for diabetes and toxic elemental profile is just a click away. Remember, the air you breathe can also become the slowest form of poison, so make your health a priority today, get yourself tested!

For more information, visit Thyrocare