Dr. Vivek Baliga, Baliga Diagnostics, Bangalore

An accomplished medical professional, Vivek Baliga began his education at Sri Aurobindo Memorial School, located in Bangalore, India. Excelling in and out of the classroom, Dr. Baliga participated in the school's organized basketball team. Following grade school, he matriculated at Bangalore's National College Jayanagar.

Concentrating on pre-university science courses, Dr. Baliga continued playing sports and earned recognition as a badminton champion for his college in 1994.

After two years, Vivek Baliga successfully completed his studies and enrolled in Manipal Academy of Higher Education in 1995. Anticipating a career in medicine, Dr. Baliga pursued his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree and graduated in 2000. 

During his time at the academy, he played on the basketball team, which clinched championships in 1999 and 2000. Today, he continues to play from time to time as a hobby. Loves the 3 points still!!!

Dr. Baliga continued to expand his education by working toward a doctorate with a focus on cardiovascular research. He is currently a member of the Royal College of Physicians and of the Indian Academy of Echocardiography, of which he is the secretary of the Karnataka Chapter.

 Since beginning his career, Vivek Baliga has published several articles in various medical journals. In 2009, he co-authored an article for Prescriber, a periodical devoted to prescribing and medicine management. His article concerned advice for managing acute coronary syndrome. 

His article on Diabetes and heart failure was the most downloaded article on Sage publications two years in a row.

Dr. Baliga also co-penned a piece for the American Heart Association regarding the effect of insulin receptor levels and other factors contributing to insulin sensitivity on the endothelial cells, a thin layer of cells found on the interior of certain vessels.

 Vivek Baliga also contributes to the medical community as a philanthropist. In 2011, he took part in the 10-kilometer Bupa Great Manchester Run, accepting donations for the Desk & Chair Foundation. He was also part of a team of doctors in Mangalore which provided education to teachers and children about malaria prevention.

Dr Vivek Baliga is  the author of a number of different articles across different medical specialties. He is an expert author on ezine articles, has published numerous article for his newsletter Sowkhya Magazine and has published articles in peer reviewed journals as well.

In addition to authoring number of articles online, Dr Vivek is also an expert author on Medlife.com. His articles are published on their blog and also in their patient magazine. You can also finding him tweeting health tips here.

A Mango A Day Keeps The Doctor Away - Dr Vivek Baliga Writes

Mango season is upon us, and the sweet fruit is pretty much on every one’s mind.

But mangoes are just not delicious to taste; they also have many additional health benefits. Let’s take a brief look at these and understand why they really are the ‘king of fruits’!

Mangoes are rich in anti-oxidant compounds.

These are powerful fighters of free radicals that are responsible for skin damage and cancer. It is believed that eating mangoes can reduce your risk of colon cancer and prostate cancers.

These compounds include quercetin, isoquercitrin, astragalin, fisetin, gallic acid and methylgallat, as well as the many enzymes.

The high level of fiber in mangoes can help combat high cholesterol levels. They can lower bad LDL cholesterol levels.

Mangoes are also rich in vitamin A, which is essential for your eyes to remain healthy. In fact, one cup of sliced mango provides you with 25% of the required amount of vitamin A you need daily.

We often advice patients with diabetes to avoid mangoes, but if your blood sugar levels are well controlled, it is okay to have 3 or 4 small pieces of this fruit. Around 15 grams is okay. Mango also contains vitamin C that can boost immunity and fight infections.

Enjoy in moderation, but make sure you do!

For more articles on health by Dr Vivek Baliga, visit here.

Was Popeye Right About Spinach? Dr Vivek Baliga Writes

In this article, Dr Vivek Baliga writes about Spinach and how it can help you.

For those of you who are cartoon enthusiasts (like me!), I always waited for Popeye the sailor man to munch down on a can of spinach, suddenly develop huge biceps (in seconds) and beat down the villain to save his girlfriend Olive.

Well, spinach seems to have quite a few health benefits, and indeed Popeye was right to scoff down on this time and again. Firstly, spinach is a dark green leafy vegetable, and is low in calories. Previously referred to as the ‘Spanish Vegetable’, spinach is now widely used in fresh salads, soups and even in our Indian curries.

Spinach is rich in niacin and zinc as well as protein, fiber, vitamins A, C, E and K, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese. In other word, it’s loaded with good things for every part of your body! It is packed with flavonoids which has powerful anti-oxidant properties. It can fight harmful free radicals that are generated through metabolic processes in the body, thus protecting the heart and the other vital organs.

Spinach is rich in folate which can help you maintain a healthy heart. Magnesium can help control your blood pressure and keep it low. The iron content can raise your haemoglobin and is a good natural treatment for anemia. Spinach also improves your memory power and brain function. Make you have some every day! 

For more information, visit http://heartsense.in. 

Canagliflozin is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with Type-2 Diabetic Mellitus

Dr Vivek Baliga short review on parts of the Canvas Study. You can view Dr Vivek's profile online here.

1. CANVAS Program was a pre-specified combined analysis of 2 trials, CANVAS and CANVAS-R, involving a total 10,142 patients with type 2 diabetes and high cardiovascular risk. The combined analysis was done as per the USFDA requirements.

The CANVAS patients were randomized 1:1:1 to canagliflozin 300 mg or 100 mg or placebo, and the CANVAS-R patients to 100 mg (with option to increase to 300 mg after week 13) or placebo. Mean follow-up was 188weeks (median, 126.1 weeks).

Globally the trial was conducted in 30 countries at 667 sites.

2. CANVAS Program included patients with type 2 diabetes and HbA1c >7.0% to <10.5% eGFR >30 mL/min/1.73 m2, age >30 years and history of prior CV event or established CVD patients (65%) or age >50 years with >2 CV risk factors (35%).

The Primary Outcome was Major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) which included the composite of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction or nonfatal stroke.

The secondary outcomes included total mortality and cardiovascular mortality whereas the exploratory outcomes included nonfatal MI, nonfatal stroke, hospitalization for HF, hospitalization for HF or CV death, total hospitalizations, albuminuria progression, albuminuria regression and renal composite including 40% reduction in eGFR, end-stage renal disease, or renal death

3. Canagliflozin achieved a 14% reduction in the risk of MACE and demonstrated the CV safety and superiority compared to placebo. Canagliflozin was safe in terms of CV death and non fatal MI.

Moreover, Canagliflozin was not associated with an increased risk of stroke. Canagliflozin also resulted in 33% reduction in Hospitalization for Heart Failure and 22% reduction in CV Death or Hospitalization for Heart Failure.

4. In terms of renal outcomes, Canagliflozin induced sustained lowering of albuminuria, prevented progression in albuminuria, induced regression in albuminuria and reduced renal function loss events.

No increase in the risk of Hypoglycemia, Acute Kidney Injury, hyperkalaemia, cancer, pancreatitis was seen with Canaglilozin vs placebo. Adverse events leading to discontinuation was similar to placebo.

Understanding The Stage Just Before You Get Diabetes

Prediabetes is highly prevalent in India, with millions of people suffering from the problem. With over 65 million people in India already suffering from diabetes, it is clearly evident that the numbers will only rise at time passes. It is expected that over 100 million people in India will have diabetes by the year 2030.

This condition is often misunderstood and is not taken too seriously by the Indian population. Many people with prediabetes fail to realise that it can cause problems.

So, in order to clear up some misconceptions, here are some facts about it that you should know.

1. Prediabetes has the same risk as diabetes when it comes to developing complications. Kidney disease, tingling in the hands and feet, eye problems, heart problems and other complications are similar to those with diabetes.

2. If your blood sugar levels are mildly elevated, there is a 60% chance you will develop diabetes in the near future. This may be within the first year of diagnosis or later on.

3. In prediabetes, the fasting blood sugar levels lie between 100 – 126 mg/dL. The average blood glucose levels i.e. HbA1c lie between 5.7 – 6.4%.

4. Taking probiotic agents can help reduce the conversion of prediabetes to diabetes. Similarly, taking high quantities of soluble fiber can reduce the quantity of glucose absorbed from the gut into the blood stream. This reduces the chance of prediabetes turning into diabetes.

5. If you have even slightly elevated blood sugars, you will have to follow the same diet as you would do if you had diabetes. This includes stopping sweets, rice and rice related products and other sugary foods.

6. Low vitamin D levels have been linked to prediabetes. Get your levels checked, and if they are found to be low, ask your doctor for a suitable supplement. Just spending time under the sun may not be sufficient.

7. Losing 5 – 7% of your body weight can reduce your risk of prediabetes getting converted to diabetes. Similarly, exercising 150 minutes or more a week can have a beneficial effect in preventing the progression of prediabetes to diabetes.

Don’t ignore prediabetes. Take the right steps to ensure you delay it from getting converted to diabetes.

Understanding Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome is a troublesome condition. In this presentation, Dr Vivek Baliga discusses the symptoms and signs along with the basic treatment options.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome Part 1 - Dr Vivek Baliga from Dr Vivek Baliga

Dr Vivek Baliga - Myths In Diabetes

Diabetes affects over 65 million people across India. Despite this, the understanding of diabetes is poor, with many people believing in myths rather than facts. Many fail to understand that a simple diet and good exercise plan can prevent diabetes from occurring or worsening.

It is this belief that makes managing diabetes a lot more difficult for both doctors and patients. 

So what are some of the common diabetes myths? Here are some...

1. Eating a lot of sugar causes diabetes

This is not true. Eating sugary foods does not cause diabetes, but it can worsen diabetes. Diabetes is usually caused due to genetic problems or a family history of diabetes. Being overweight can increase the risk. However, it is still important that you keep a check on your sugary food intake, as these can cause weight gain.

2. Diabetes is not a serious problem

You may not believe it, but a large proportion of the population suffering from diabetes tend to ignore it as they feel diabetes is not a serious problem. After all, they may not have any symptoms, so it must not be serious, right? 

Wrong! Diabetes can silently affect the kidneys, eyes, heart and nerves and can cause debilitating disease if left untreated or ignored.

3. Insulin is a bad thing

It is a common belief that if you need insulin for diabetes, then it is a bad thing; a sort of taboo, so to speak. The fact is insulin helps achieve excellent control of your blood sugar levels, and it is easy to self manage blood sugar levels through altering your dose of insulin. After all, all you

are taking is a hormone that is produced in lesser quantities in your body. 

4. Thin people do not get diabetes 

Another common myth. While most people with type 2 diabetes are overweight, there are many people who are thin and who have diabetes. This is related to the presence of ‘invisible fat’ that is inside the abdomen.