Viagra can be uplifting for your heart too. The pill best known for correcting erectile dysfunction is now working wonders in those suffering from the deadly primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH)-an ailment that increases the pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs and weakens the right side of the heart. Those struck by PPH are virtually bedridden. PPH is marked by progressive elevation of the pulmonary artery pressure that leads to heart failure and death. Those aged 10-30 are most vulnerable. Any possible surgery costs above Rs 75,000. Cardiologists led by B. Somaraju at the CARE Foundation, Hyderabad, have found that sildenafil citrate, or Viagra, boosts the physical activity tolerance level in PPH patients by 44 per cent.

The new treatment, costing about Rs 2,000, spells hope for PPH patients. "Those put on the medication have managed to return to near normal life," says Somaraju. "It is unfortunate that only urologists, endocrinologists and psychiatrists can prescribe the drug." Viagra works by inhibiting an enzyme so that blood vessels relax, letting the blood to flow into the male sexual organ as well as the lungs. The treatment also improves cardiac function in PPH patients without any evident sideeffects. Pfizer, the drug maker, has already commissioned a larger study and its findings are likely to be out in July.

— By Amarnath K. Menon

CORIANDER AND ITS CURING POWERS

Coriander (dhania) does much more than spice up your food-it may also keep food poisoning at bay. Researchers in the US have found that a chemical, called dodecenal, found in fresh coriander leaves and seeds kills the harmful bacteria Salmonella, a common and sometimes fatal cause of food poisoning.

Experiments have found that this compound was twice as effective in destroying the bacteria as the most commonly used antibiotic, Gentamicin.

MAMA, WATCH ME

A new, real-time ultrasound technology allows better diagnosis

When mom-to-be Vidyashree Amaresh, 26, gushed about her last ultrasound, she did not realise she was describing the future of medical technology. "My baby appeared so real, every feature so clear. When I felt a kick on my stomach, I could see it doing so on screen," she said.

With the cutting edge 3D/4D ultrasound technique that has recently arrived in India, it is possible to see everything inside your body in three dimension and real-time. In contrast, conventional ultrasound machines show flat, indistinct images. Ultrasound waves are also less harmful than X-rays.

In the US, the visual quality of these machines has created a commercial rage as well as controversy with the 3D/4D ultrasound-based "studios" allowing mothers to record the growth of their unborn child for the family album.

"The machine can actually save lives," says Delhi-based radiologist Ashok Khurana. It can be used to detect genetic abnormalities like Down's Syndrome early and in a non-invasive way. It can also detect stones in the kidney, or even liver cancer. Doctors can flip the image around for a better view, probe through it, slice by slice, similar to playing a computer game, to check for signs of any disease.

— Compiled by Supriya Bezbaruah