Computing your way to good health

Almost 80 per cent of deaths in today's society could be prevented by a new computer software programme, a health expert claims.
Professor Adrian Kennedy, Director of Apollo Hospitals Educational and Research Foundation in Hyderabad, is a pioneer in lifestyle management.
He is visiting the UAE to launch Path Clapscan, a new computer software system which can pinpoint a patient's predisposition to illness.
Kennedy said some cancers, cardiac problems, AIDS and diabetes are all symptomatic of today's habits, and that pre-diagnosis and sensible lifestyle advice can prevent most major problems.
The software can also gauge the patient's fitness and can prescribe exercises, dietary needs for medical, health and weight management, as well as stress reduction methods.
He said: "I began examining the problems related to lifestyle in 1990, and finally finished the Path Clapscan project in 1995. It is basically a non-invasive diagnostic tool created to assess and correct basic risks.
"The biggest killer today, accounting for almost 80 per cent of deaths worldwide, is not war, disease, natural calamities or accidents.
"The biggest killer is lifestyle, and the major culprits are obesity, lack of activity, mental stress, pollution, alcohol and smoking."
Early diagnosis and assessment are essential to preventing premature deaths.
"The first defensive step against these problems is the patient's lifestyle assessment, which is what the Path Clapscan does," he said.
Kennedy said there were several simple rules to follow when correcting bad habits, and said regular medical check-ups were essential.
"There are six main areas to follow including having check-ups even if you don't feel ill, eating a nutritious diet, exercising, avoiding alcohol and other physical dependencies, stress management and safety precautions.
"Although previously known to strike elderly people, heart attacks now occur in 40-year-olds. With each passing decade, younger age groups become more susceptible. That is why early problems and weaknesses need to be addressed."
He said the Path Clapscan is now available at the Al Khaleej Apollo HeartScan Medical Centre, the first facility in the Middle East to use it.
"This is the first place outside India to use the facility, and it can now be downloaded directly from the Internet. We are hoping more places will recognise its uses so that more lives can be saved," he said.