Healthy? Check heart rhythm to avoid stroke

. New York: It is no longer uncommon to see young and apparently healthy people getting a stroke -- and the cause may well be a heart rhythm disorder. 

So the next time you experience a rapid and irregular heart beat in carrying out not so stressful activities like climbing stairs, time may be ripe for you to visit the doctor to check for atrial fibrillation - a condition involving an irregular heart rhythm, known as arrhythmia.

People with symptomatic A-fib, as it is commonly called, may experience periodic palpitations, chest discomfort, shortness of breath, unusual fatigue or dizziness, said researchers at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

'People with a high rate of premature atrial contractions face a significantly increased risk of developing A-fib,' Gregory M. Marcus, senior author and director of clinical research at UCSF's cardiology division, was quoted as saying.

However, 'the condition is also becoming more prevalent at any age, experts say, because of a rise in three leading risk factors - high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity', added the study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Other risk factors include a prior heart attack, overactive thyroid, sleep apnea, excessive alcohol consumption, abnormal heart valves, lung disease and congenital heart defects.

Important steps in treating A-fib, said the study, are to include taking proper steps to reverse the risk factors and preventing 'blood clots from forming by treating patients with anticoagulant'. Here is a warning. 'Once a person has had A-fib, there is an increased risk of stroke even if their heart is in normal rhythm,' the study concluded. 

Healthy? Check heart rhythm to avoid stroke

. New York: It is no longer uncommon to see young and apparently healthy people getting a stroke -- and the cause may well be a heart rhythm disorder. 

So the next time you experience a rapid and irregular heart beat in carrying out not so stressful activities like climbing stairs, time may be ripe for you to visit the doctor to check for atrial fibrillation - a condition involving an irregular heart rhythm, known as arrhythmia.

People with symptomatic A-fib, as it is commonly called, may experience periodic palpitations, chest discomfort, shortness of breath, unusual fatigue or dizziness, said researchers at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

'People with a high rate of premature atrial contractions face a significantly increased risk of developing A-fib,' Gregory M. Marcus, senior author and director of clinical research at UCSF's cardiology division, was quoted as saying.

However, 'the condition is also becoming more prevalent at any age, experts say, because of a rise in three leading risk factors - high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity', added the study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Other risk factors include a prior heart attack, overactive thyroid, sleep apnea, excessive alcohol consumption, abnormal heart valves, lung disease and congenital heart defects.

Important steps in treating A-fib, said the study, are to include taking proper steps to reverse the risk factors and preventing 'blood clots from forming by treating patients with anticoagulant'. Here is a warning. 'Once a person has had A-fib, there is an increased risk of stroke even if their heart is in normal rhythm,' the study concluded. 

Indian student assaulted in Australia, brother seeks justice

Melbourne: A 20-year-old Indian student was seriously injured after he was brutally assaulted and robbed in Australia's Melbourne city, a media report said Monday. The student, Manriajwinder Singh of Reservoir, a suburb in Melbourne, was nearly beaten to death by a gang in a city park Sunday, The Age reported.

According to a CCTV footage released by police, Manriajwinder Singh, standing near the footpath with another friend at Birrarung Marr park, were approached by eight men of African appearance and one fair-skinned woman Sunday.

After a brief conversation between the group and the two victims, one of the attackers kicked Manriajwinder Singh in the jaw, causing him to fall unconscious, the report quoted police officer Adam Foley as saying. Meanwhile, the others 'set upon the other victim, punching and kicking him' before knocking him to the ground.

'While this was occurring, another man picked up a stick and beat the unconscious victim with it,' Foley said. The attackers, aged in their late teens to early 20s, then robbed the two victims of their phones and ran away, the daily's report said. A third man, a friend of Manriajwinder Singh, who was talking on the phone at the time of the attack, managed to run away and alert the police.

Manriajwinder Singh was taken to The Alfred hospital with life-threatening injuries, and has since been transferred to the intensive care unit after being placed in an induced coma, Foley said. His injuries are no longer life-threatening. 
The other victim suffered swelling and abrasions to his face. He was treated by paramedics at the scene.

Police have not been able to track down the stolen phones and are appealing to the public for information on the assault. 'Obviously, this was an opportunistic crime. They saw two vulnerable victims minding their own business, and targeted them. It's just disgusting what they did, they're just cowards,' Foley said.

Meanwhile, Manriajwinder Singh's brother Yadwinder Singh said he wants the attackers to be 'caught and punished so innocent people like my brother and his friend don't get bashed like this'. Yadwinder Singh said his brother was studying for a bachelor of commerce degree at a university in Melbourne, and had only been in Australia for a year.

'I didn't know how to react. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to tell my mother, as she's not really strong of heart. I just couldn't believe it - it was really terrible,' he said. 'My brother is only 20 years old, and he's very innocent and doesn't speak much. He told me he wanted to go out that night, but I said no, not today, maybe another day. But he said he really wanted to see the city.'

Indian student assaulted in Australia, brother seeks justice

Melbourne: A 20-year-old Indian student was seriously injured after he was brutally assaulted and robbed in Australia's Melbourne city, a media report said Monday. The student, Manriajwinder Singh of Reservoir, a suburb in Melbourne, was nearly beaten to death by a gang in a city park Sunday, The Age reported.

According to a CCTV footage released by police, Manriajwinder Singh, standing near the footpath with another friend at Birrarung Marr park, were approached by eight men of African appearance and one fair-skinned woman Sunday.

After a brief conversation between the group and the two victims, one of the attackers kicked Manriajwinder Singh in the jaw, causing him to fall unconscious, the report quoted police officer Adam Foley as saying. Meanwhile, the others 'set upon the other victim, punching and kicking him' before knocking him to the ground.

'While this was occurring, another man picked up a stick and beat the unconscious victim with it,' Foley said. The attackers, aged in their late teens to early 20s, then robbed the two victims of their phones and ran away, the daily's report said. A third man, a friend of Manriajwinder Singh, who was talking on the phone at the time of the attack, managed to run away and alert the police.

Manriajwinder Singh was taken to The Alfred hospital with life-threatening injuries, and has since been transferred to the intensive care unit after being placed in an induced coma, Foley said. His injuries are no longer life-threatening. 
The other victim suffered swelling and abrasions to his face. He was treated by paramedics at the scene.

Police have not been able to track down the stolen phones and are appealing to the public for information on the assault. 'Obviously, this was an opportunistic crime. They saw two vulnerable victims minding their own business, and targeted them. It's just disgusting what they did, they're just cowards,' Foley said.

Meanwhile, Manriajwinder Singh's brother Yadwinder Singh said he wants the attackers to be 'caught and punished so innocent people like my brother and his friend don't get bashed like this'. Yadwinder Singh said his brother was studying for a bachelor of commerce degree at a university in Melbourne, and had only been in Australia for a year.

'I didn't know how to react. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to tell my mother, as she's not really strong of heart. I just couldn't believe it - it was really terrible,' he said. 'My brother is only 20 years old, and he's very innocent and doesn't speak much. He told me he wanted to go out that night, but I said no, not today, maybe another day. But he said he really wanted to see the city.'

Indians threatened in Bahrain asked to approach authorities

Manama: Indian workers who face threats from their employers in Bahrain should immediately approach the authorities, India's ambassador to Bahrain Mohan Kumar has said. "If there is any explicit threat a person faces, they should visit the nearest police station and inform the embassy," the Gulf Daily News quoted the ambassador as saying.

"They should not accept any bodily threats," he said Friday during the monthly Open House. An Indian worker had complained about being threatened by his employer after asking for his passport. The envoy also urged the registered 28 Indian associations in Bahrain to play bigger roles in dealing with the community and labour problems.

He advised Indians not to sign blank documents, which could be misused by some employers to slap travel bans on them. "I would like to emphasise here that no one should sign blank papers or even documents in which they are not aware of the terms and conditions," he said.

Mohan Kumar said the embassy has also come across cases of misuse of identification cards of workers by telecommunication companies, which resulted in workers being banned from travelling.  He said they will write a letter to the companies highlighting the problem. The embassy also issued guidelines concerning labour rights in the middle-east country.

The guidelines will be distributed to ministries, expatriate associations and workers, the report said. 
The guidelines in English will be translated to Hindi, Telugu and Malayalam languages so that more Indians can be aware of their rights, the diplomat said. The document addresses several issues, including steps to file cases of non-payment of wages, passport confiscation, and expired visas among others.

Indians threatened in Bahrain asked to approach authorities

Manama: Indian workers who face threats from their employers in Bahrain should immediately approach the authorities, India's ambassador to Bahrain Mohan Kumar has said. "If there is any explicit threat a person faces, they should visit the nearest police station and inform the embassy," the Gulf Daily News quoted the ambassador as saying.

"They should not accept any bodily threats," he said Friday during the monthly Open House. An Indian worker had complained about being threatened by his employer after asking for his passport. The envoy also urged the registered 28 Indian associations in Bahrain to play bigger roles in dealing with the community and labour problems.

He advised Indians not to sign blank documents, which could be misused by some employers to slap travel bans on them. "I would like to emphasise here that no one should sign blank papers or even documents in which they are not aware of the terms and conditions," he said.

Mohan Kumar said the embassy has also come across cases of misuse of identification cards of workers by telecommunication companies, which resulted in workers being banned from travelling.  He said they will write a letter to the companies highlighting the problem. The embassy also issued guidelines concerning labour rights in the middle-east country.

The guidelines will be distributed to ministries, expatriate associations and workers, the report said. 
The guidelines in English will be translated to Hindi, Telugu and Malayalam languages so that more Indians can be aware of their rights, the diplomat said. The document addresses several issues, including steps to file cases of non-payment of wages, passport confiscation, and expired visas among others.

Ice storm leaves 500,000 without power in US, Canada; 24 dead

Augusta, Maine: Repair crews worked around the clock to restore power to nearly half a million customers who faced a cold and dark Christmas in parts of the central and northeastern United States and into eastern Canada after a weekend ice storm. At least 24 deaths have been linked to the storm.

It appears the bad weather isn't ready to take a break. The U.S. National Weather Service said more snow is forecast to roll into the Great Lakes and Midwest by Wednesday morning.

In Canada, five people were reported dead from apparent carbon monoxide poisoning. Police said two people in Ontario died after using a gas generator to heat their blacked-out home northeast of Toronto. Police in Quebec said carbon monoxide poisoning was believed to be the cause of three deaths in a chalet on the province's North Shore. Earlier, five people were killed in eastern Canada in highway crashes blamed on severe weather conditions.

In the U.S., the nationwide death toll from the storm reached at least 14 on Tuesday, when a 50-year-old man in Knox, Maine, was overcome by carbon monoxide fumes from a generator. It was the second reported death attributed to fumes from a generator during the storm. Police in Michigan also attributed two deaths in a traffic collision that happened Monday to the storm.

As temperatures plunged into the low single digits (below minus 15 Celsius) in Toronto - where nearly 80,000 customers remained without power late Tuesday - authorities reported a dramatic jump in calls for suspected carbon monoxide poisoning, responding to 110 calls in a 24-hour period. Officials said they typically see 20 such calls a day.

'We're looking at approximately six times as many calls,' Toronto Mayor Rob Ford said as the city issued an extreme cold weather alert. 'I understand they want to keep warm but you cannot do this. This is deadly.'

Fire officials warned residents not to use any appliance that burns inside a home, and even cautioned against using a lot of candles. In Toronto, where 300,000 customers lost power at the height of the storm, crews from Ottawa, Windsor, Manitoba and Michigan were helping local teams with their efforts.

Elsewhere in Ontario, more than 44,000 customers were still without power early Wednesday. In Quebec, some 28,000 customers remained without power. In New Brunswick, just over 29,000 customers were still in the dark, and about 300 were without power in Nova Scotia.

Canadian utility officials warned that some customers could be without power until Saturday.
Some U.S. states kept emergency shelters open for people without power. 
The number of customers in Maine without power spiked to more than 100,000 on Tuesday. Central Maine Power said its goal was to use more than 1,000 workers to restore power for all customers by Thursday night, while other utilities in Maine warned customers they could be without electricity until Friday.

That was the case, too, in Michigan, where Jackson-based Consumers Energy - the state's largest utility - said it hadn't had this many outages during any Christmas week since its founding 126 years ago. Close to 17 percent of its 1.8 million electric customers lost power during the storm that hit late Saturday; roughly 152,000 remained without it Tuesday.

At their home outside Flint, Michigan, John Potbury and his family of four lost electricity at 6 a.m. Sunday and since then they have been living in a single bedroom warmed by generator-powered space heaters.Lights on the Christmas tree were dark, of course, but there was no power to the freezer, either. 'Even though the house is freezing cold, the freezer items were starting to thaw out,' Potbury said.

That wasn't the greatest concern, however, for his kids, 8-year-old Jacob and 5-year-old Jackson. Potbury said he told them Tuesday, 'Santa runs on reindeer power, not electricity, so he should be OK.'
AP

Ice storm leaves 500,000 without power in US, Canada; 24 dead

Augusta, Maine: Repair crews worked around the clock to restore power to nearly half a million customers who faced a cold and dark Christmas in parts of the central and northeastern United States and into eastern Canada after a weekend ice storm. At least 24 deaths have been linked to the storm.

It appears the bad weather isn't ready to take a break. The U.S. National Weather Service said more snow is forecast to roll into the Great Lakes and Midwest by Wednesday morning.

In Canada, five people were reported dead from apparent carbon monoxide poisoning. Police said two people in Ontario died after using a gas generator to heat their blacked-out home northeast of Toronto. Police in Quebec said carbon monoxide poisoning was believed to be the cause of three deaths in a chalet on the province's North Shore. Earlier, five people were killed in eastern Canada in highway crashes blamed on severe weather conditions.

In the U.S., the nationwide death toll from the storm reached at least 14 on Tuesday, when a 50-year-old man in Knox, Maine, was overcome by carbon monoxide fumes from a generator. It was the second reported death attributed to fumes from a generator during the storm. Police in Michigan also attributed two deaths in a traffic collision that happened Monday to the storm.

As temperatures plunged into the low single digits (below minus 15 Celsius) in Toronto - where nearly 80,000 customers remained without power late Tuesday - authorities reported a dramatic jump in calls for suspected carbon monoxide poisoning, responding to 110 calls in a 24-hour period. Officials said they typically see 20 such calls a day.

'We're looking at approximately six times as many calls,' Toronto Mayor Rob Ford said as the city issued an extreme cold weather alert. 'I understand they want to keep warm but you cannot do this. This is deadly.'

Fire officials warned residents not to use any appliance that burns inside a home, and even cautioned against using a lot of candles. In Toronto, where 300,000 customers lost power at the height of the storm, crews from Ottawa, Windsor, Manitoba and Michigan were helping local teams with their efforts.

Elsewhere in Ontario, more than 44,000 customers were still without power early Wednesday. In Quebec, some 28,000 customers remained without power. In New Brunswick, just over 29,000 customers were still in the dark, and about 300 were without power in Nova Scotia.

Canadian utility officials warned that some customers could be without power until Saturday.
Some U.S. states kept emergency shelters open for people without power. 
The number of customers in Maine without power spiked to more than 100,000 on Tuesday. Central Maine Power said its goal was to use more than 1,000 workers to restore power for all customers by Thursday night, while other utilities in Maine warned customers they could be without electricity until Friday.

That was the case, too, in Michigan, where Jackson-based Consumers Energy - the state's largest utility - said it hadn't had this many outages during any Christmas week since its founding 126 years ago. Close to 17 percent of its 1.8 million electric customers lost power during the storm that hit late Saturday; roughly 152,000 remained without it Tuesday.

At their home outside Flint, Michigan, John Potbury and his family of four lost electricity at 6 a.m. Sunday and since then they have been living in a single bedroom warmed by generator-powered space heaters.Lights on the Christmas tree were dark, of course, but there was no power to the freezer, either. 'Even though the house is freezing cold, the freezer items were starting to thaw out,' Potbury said.

That wasn't the greatest concern, however, for his kids, 8-year-old Jacob and 5-year-old Jackson. Potbury said he told them Tuesday, 'Santa runs on reindeer power, not electricity, so he should be OK.'
AP

Gunmen open fire on anti-govt protesters in Thailand, one dead

Bangkok: An anti-government protester was killed and three others injured Saturday when unidentified gunmen opened fire at a rally site near Thailand's Government House here, raising fears of violence in deeply polarised country.

The pre-dawn attack follows weeks of protests demanding resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, triggering bloody clashes between police and opposition demonstrators. "All of them were shot around 03.30 a.m. near the gate number 4 of Government House," the Bangkok Administration's Erawan Emergency Medical Services Centre said.

"The dead man is in his 30s. He was shot in the torso," a spokesman for the centre said. It was unclear who fired the shots. The attacks came a day after an injured anti-government protester succumbed to gunshot wounds yesterday. A police officer was killed and 143 people including protesters, journalists and policemen were injured after violence erupted at the Thai-Japanese Stadium on Thursday.

With one more death today, the toll has now risen to three in the latest bout of political violence in Thailand. The protesters have been demanding Yingluck's resignation since mid-October. The protests began after her government tried to introduce an amnesty bill that would have paved the way for the return of her brother, controversial former premier Thaksin Shinawatra currently in self-exile in Dubai.

A rattled Yingluck called the snap polls, scheduled for February 2, after weeks of protests. But the demonstrators have dismissed the election, and the official opposition has refused to field candidates. Protesters have further rejected another offer by Yingluck to form a national reform council intended to run alongside her government.

The Election Commission and the caretaker government are bracing for further violence during registration for constituency candidates which starts nationwide today. Anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban last night urged EC officials in every province to listen to the people's demand for reform before the election.

He also told his supporters to prepare for a major rally after the New Year holiday when he warned the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) will shut down the capital. He said the PDRC will not leave "a square inch" of Bangkok for Thaksin supporters and told those who disagreed with this move to leave the capital for good.

Gunmen open fire on anti-govt protesters in Thailand, one dead

Bangkok: An anti-government protester was killed and three others injured Saturday when unidentified gunmen opened fire at a rally site near Thailand's Government House here, raising fears of violence in deeply polarised country.

The pre-dawn attack follows weeks of protests demanding resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, triggering bloody clashes between police and opposition demonstrators. "All of them were shot around 03.30 a.m. near the gate number 4 of Government House," the Bangkok Administration's Erawan Emergency Medical Services Centre said.

"The dead man is in his 30s. He was shot in the torso," a spokesman for the centre said. It was unclear who fired the shots. The attacks came a day after an injured anti-government protester succumbed to gunshot wounds yesterday. A police officer was killed and 143 people including protesters, journalists and policemen were injured after violence erupted at the Thai-Japanese Stadium on Thursday.

With one more death today, the toll has now risen to three in the latest bout of political violence in Thailand. The protesters have been demanding Yingluck's resignation since mid-October. The protests began after her government tried to introduce an amnesty bill that would have paved the way for the return of her brother, controversial former premier Thaksin Shinawatra currently in self-exile in Dubai.

A rattled Yingluck called the snap polls, scheduled for February 2, after weeks of protests. But the demonstrators have dismissed the election, and the official opposition has refused to field candidates. Protesters have further rejected another offer by Yingluck to form a national reform council intended to run alongside her government.

The Election Commission and the caretaker government are bracing for further violence during registration for constituency candidates which starts nationwide today. Anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban last night urged EC officials in every province to listen to the people's demand for reform before the election.

He also told his supporters to prepare for a major rally after the New Year holiday when he warned the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) will shut down the capital. He said the PDRC will not leave "a square inch" of Bangkok for Thaksin supporters and told those who disagreed with this move to leave the capital for good.