Health

With growing importance on the need to take care of one`s health, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new guidelines to help pregnant women worldwide. The new rules aim to help prevent, diagnose, and treat postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), which causes excessive bleeding after childbirth, to millions of women across the globe. Women go through a lot during their journey in pregnancy, and with them facing so many different kinds of challenges, the need to help ease their pain is important. These maternal health guidelines, were co-published with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and the International Confederation of Midwives, and further highlight the urgent need for earlier detection and faster intervention to prevent death among new mothers. PPH is ...

India has seen a remarkable success in control of leprosy, with a 99 per cent drop in prevalence rate per 10,000 population and 98 per cent reduction in cases under treatment over a span of 44 years, according to the government.   As per an official statement, India in 2025 had a prevalence rate of 0.57 per 10,000 population and 0.82 lakh patients on treatment. In stark contrast, the country in 1981 had a prevalence rate of 57.2 per 10,000 population and 39.19 lakh patients on treatment. Since March 2006, when the annual report confirmed a prevalence rate of less than 1 per 10,000 (0.84), there has also been a decline of 37 per cent in new case detection. Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae bacteria. Symptoms include discoloured s...

Mary E Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi won the Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance. Peripheral immune tolerance is one way the body helps keep the immune system from getting out of whack and attacking your own tissues instead of foreign invaders. The award is the first of the 2025 Nobel Prize announcements and was announced by a panel at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. Last year`s prize was shared by Americans Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their discovery of microRNA, tiny bits of genetic material that serve as on and off switches inside cells that help control what the cells do and when they do it. Nobel announcements continue with the physics prize on Tuesday, chemistry on Wednesday and literature on Th...

The size and severity of chikungunya outbreaks -- a mosquito-borne disease is unpredictable, according to a study.  The virus, common in tropical and subtropical regions, including Asia, Africa, and South America, leads to symptoms such as acute fever, followed by debilitating joint pain that can last for months. Though rarely fatal, the chikungunya virus can be particularly severe for high-risk individuals, including newborns and older adults. In a new study, published in Science Advances, researchers at the University of Notre Dame, US, analysed more than 80 outbreaks of chikungunya virus to improve the prediction of future outbreaks and inform vaccine trial development. "Chikungunya outbreaks are unpredictable in both size and severity," said Alex Perkins, Professor of infectious di...

An unusual heart rhythm disorder, also known as Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), is more common in people with long Covid, according to a study.  The study found that the condition, where the heart beats abnormally fast when changing position from lying down to standing up, is more common in middle-aged women than men. For people affected with POTS, standing up is a challenge. Their hearts beat faster than normal at rest and during exertion. Patients also experience fatigue and difficulties concentrating -- symptoms that are common in long Covid. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden found that POTS occurs in almost a third of patients with severe long Covid. "Previous, smaller studies have shown that there is a connection, but now we can say with certainty th...

US researchers have detected the Sudan Ebola virus strain in semen and breast milk among survivors, about eight months after infection, raising concerns about the potential for sexual and mother-to-child transmission.  Nearly 60 per cent of the survivors of an outbreak in Uganda from 2022-23 reported ongoing and debilitating health issues, even two years post-infection, that interfered with their daily lives, noted researchers at Washington State University. "This is the first time anyone has been able to closely follow Sudan Ebola survivors over the long term, and the results show the virus continues to affect people`s lives well after an outbreak ends," said lead researcher Kariuki Njenga, Professor in the WSU`s College of Veterinary Medicine. "Just as concerning is the fact we detect...

Mental Health has become an essential aspect of mainstream conversation, among Gen Z especially in recent times. From social media to boardrooms, the subject is spoken about more openly than ever before. Yet, there remains a gap between awareness and action. The conversations are happening, but translating them into everyday lifestyle changes and practical support is still a challenge. Despite openness, there is a lack of access to professional support. Mental health has merely ended up as  a ‘more talk, less action,’ activity. This World Mental Health Day, observed on Friday, October 10, it’s time to change the narrative and make it more about taking action. World Mental Health Day is celebrated annually on October 10. It is celebrated to raise awareness of mental health issues around t...

Glioblastomas -- the deadliest form of brain cancer -- affect much more than just the brain, scientists have found.  A team from the Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC) and Albert Einstein College of Medicine has found the first evidence to show that glioblastoma can erode the skull, alter the makeup of skull marrow, and interfere with the body`s immune response. Importantly, drugs intended to inhibit skull-bone loss made the cancer more aggressive, according to results published in the journal Nature Neuroscience. "Our discovery that this notoriously hard-to-treat brain cancer interacts with the body`s immune system may help explain why current therapies -- all of them dealing with glioblastoma as a local disease -- have failed, and it will hopefully lead to better ...

Sperm freezing is becoming an essential option for men today. It is especially important for those about to undergo cancer treatment, which can harm fertility, or for men who wish to plan fatherhood later in life. Experts strongly advise men in such situations to consult a fertility specialist and consider freezing their sperm. Doing so preserves the possibility of having biological children in the future. Currently, a large number of men are suffering from various cancers such as testicular cancer, prostate cancer, blood cancers (like lymphoma or leukaemia), oral cancer, and lung cancer. “Many cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery, may impact sperm production or affect reproductive organs. But there is no need to panic, as this may not happen in all pati...

Japanese researchers have identified two distinct stem cell lineages that drive tooth root and alveolar bone formation, offering key insights for future regenerative dental therapies.  The team from the Institute of Science Tokyo, used genetically modified mice and lineage-tracing techniques to shed light on the cell signaling mechanisms guiding differentiation in stem cells in the developing teeth. "Our findings provide a mechanistic framework for tooth root formation and pave the way for innovative stem-cell-based regenerative therapies for dental pulp, periodontal tissues, and bone," said Mizuki Nagata, Assistant Professor at the Institute`s Department of Periodontology. The ability to regenerate lost teeth and their surrounding bones is considered a holy grail in the field of dentist...