Health Bulletin 7/March/2023

Here are the top health stories for the day:

9-year cap to complete MBBS, choice-based credit courses proposed in NMC draft

The students enrolled to the MBBS course must complete the same within 9 years, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed in its recently released Draft Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023.

Apart from this, the apex medical education regulatory body NMC has also specified that the students shall not be allowed more than four attempts for the first year.

Besides, for the first time, NMC has specified various choice-based credit courses limited to a maximum of one week, in addition to the MBBS curriculum.

For more details, check out the link given below:

9-Year Cap To Complete MBBS, Choice-Based Credit Courses Proposed In NMC Draft

Cancel manufacturing licence of Marion Biotech: Centre recommends Uttar Pradesh Drug Controller Authority

The Central government on Saturday recommended the Uttar Pradesh Drug Controller Authority to cancel the manufacturing licence of Marion biotech after 22 out of 36 samples taken for testing from it were found adulterated with Ethylene glycol, said Gautam Budh Nagar Drug inspector on Saturday.

According to Gautam Budh Nagar Drug inspector, Uttar Pradesh, "Centre recommends the State Drug Controller Authority to cancel manufacturing licence of Marion biotech after 22 out of 36 samples taken for testing from it were found adulterated with Ethylene glycol."

For more details, check out the link given below:

Cancel Manufacturing Licence Of Marion Biotech: Centre Recommends Uttar Pradesh Drug Controller Authority

New pill cuts cholesterol and heart attacks

The cholesterol-lowering drug bempedoic acid reduced the combined rate of major adverse cardiovascular events by 13%, meeting its primary endpoint in a large study of patients with high cholesterol who were unable to tolerate statins, according to research being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session Together With the World Congress of Cardiology.

Elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood can lead to blocked arteries and raise the risk of a heart attack, stroke and other forms of heart disease. Statins are the standard first-line treatment for lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of heart disease. Bempedoic acid affects the same biological pathway that statins target but is not activated until it reaches the liver. This limits the drug’s effects on muscle, the brain and other tissues or organs and explains why it does not have the same side effects reported with statins. It is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an additional treatment to help lower cholesterol in patients with certain conditions who have high cholesterol despite receiving maximally tolerated statin therapy.

Spring influenza cases rise with prolonged cough and breathlessness: Symptoms, precautions, treatment