Health

The productivity of workers in extreme heat drops by two to three per cent for every degree above an ambient temperature of 20 degrees Celsius, highlights a report brought out by the United Nations` health and climate agencies. Analysing evidence from studies from past five decades that "have provided conclusive evidence that workplace heat stress directly threatens workers` ability to live healthy and productive lives", the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have also outlined guidance on how the growing risks of heat can be mitigated in the section of society. Extreme heat events around the world occur more often and have become intense, increasing risks for both outdoor and indoor workers, authors of the report say, adding that related health r...

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee have developed HyEco -- a first-of-its-kind integrated flood-water quality modelling platform which shows how potential disease-causing microbes can travel in floodwaters and where people are most at risk of getting affected.  This novel framework, which also predicts how urban flood waters will spread across a city, was tested during the 2023 Delhi floods. The results were alarming; over 60 per cent of flooded areas were in the high to very high danger zones, and harmful bacteria (E. coli) in the water were found to be hundreds of thousands of times above safe limits. Children, in particular, faced infection risks more than double the internationally accepted safety levels when playing in floodwaters. Floodwaters in many ...

Omega fatty acids could protect against Alzheimer’s disease in women, new research showed on Wednesday, August 20.  Scientists from the UK’s King’s College London and Queen Mary University London conducted an analysis of lipids -- fat molecules that perform many essential functions in the body -- in the blood. They found a noticeable loss of unsaturated fats, such as those that contain omega fatty acids, in the blood of women with Alzheimer’s disease compared to healthy women. They found no significant difference in the same lipid molecule composition in men with Alzheimer’s disease compared to healthy men, which suggests that those lipids have a different role in the disease according to sex. Fats perform important roles in maintaining a healthy brain, so this study could indicate why m...

A continued global warming could bring down the world`s emotional well-being by 2.3 per cent by 2100, according to a study that shows how climate change threatens one`s daily experience and not just health and economic stability. Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, among others in the US, analysed 1.2 billion social media posts of 2019 from 157 countries. Findings published in the journal One Earth show that daily maximum temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius can worsen people`s emotional well-being, with poorer countries impacted disproportionately -- almost thrice -- compared to richer ones. Policymakers cannot truly assess the social costs of climate change or design equitable interventions to protect citizens` physical and psyc...

Adults in the national capital inhale almost twice as many microplastic particles in summer as they do in winter, with the estimated average daily exposure rising from 10.7 particles in the colder months to 21.1 in the hotter season -- a 97 per cent jump, according to a new study. The study, titled `Characterization and Health Risk Assessment of Airborne Microplastics in Delhi NCR`, a joint effort by researchers from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, and the Department of Environmental Sciences at Savitribai Phule Pune University, said children and toddlers also face significant exposure. Children aged 6 to 12 inhale about 8.1 particles a day in winter, rising to 15.6 in summer, while toddlers aged between one to six breathe in 6.1...

A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids is not only good for adults, but also crucial to ward off the development of shortsightedness (myopia) in children, according to a global study. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs), which can only be obtained from the diet -- found predominantly in fish oils -- are thought to improve or prevent several chronic eye conditions, including dry eye disease and age-related macular degeneration. But whether they can help ward off myopia wasn`t clear, as studies to date have been experimental and haven`t included people. "This study provides the human evidence that higher dietary ω-3 PUFA intake is associated with shorter axial length and less myopic refraction, highlighting ω-3 PUFAs as a potential protective dietary factor against myopia developm...

Girls who go through puberty (the onset of menstruation) before the age of 11 or women who give birth before the age of 21 have double the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and obesity, and quadruple the risk of developing severe metabolic disorders, according to a study. The study led by researchers at the US-based Buck Institute for Research on Aging revealed that later puberty and childbirth are genetically associated with longer lifespan, lower frailty, slower epigenetic ageing, and reduced risk of age-related diseases, including type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer`s. "We show that genetic factors favouring early reproduction come with a significant cost later in life, including accelerated ageing and disease. It makes sense that the very factors that help enhance the surv...

The monsoon season in Mumbai is far from over, and among several health issues that accompany rainy days, health experts have also observed a surge in kidney stone cases in the city and suburbs. Traditionally considered a condition affecting middle-aged men, kidney stones are also being observed in young adults and women, with patients presenting symptoms like severe pain, recurrent infections, and other complications. Explaining the condition, Dr Nasreen Gite, consultant urologist at Apollo Spectra Hospital in Mumbai, says, “Urinary stones are hard mineral deposits that form in the kidneys when substances like calcium, oxalate, and uric acid become concentrated in the urine. The number of kidney stone cases are rising in young adults and women because people often drink less water as th...

Monsoons bring a welcome respite from the summer heat, but it can wreak havoc on our hair. The surge in humidity disrupts the scalp and hair`s delicate balance, leading to frizz, limpness, and breakage. Increased humidity, unexpected rain showers, and dampness can lead to a host of hair problems, from increased hair fall and frizz to scalp infections. However, with the right approach and products, you can navigate these challenges and keep your mane looking fabulous all season long. Fret not, we’ve got experts to help you with a monsoon routine, practical tips, and DIY hair masks that will keep your locks healthy and beautiful throughout the monsoon.   Understanding monsoon hair woesWhy does hair fall increase during the monsoon?According to Dr Pranil More, hair transplant surgeon and di...

A Covid-19 infection can accelerate ageing in blood vessels around five years, particularly in women, according to research.  As blood vessels ages, it can make arteries stiffer -- raising the risk of cardiovascular disease, including stroke and heart attack, explained the researchers. "We know that Covid can directly affect blood vessels. We believe that this may result in what we call early vascular ageing, meaning that your blood vessels are older than your chronological age and you are more susceptible to heart disease,” said Professor Rosa Maria Bruno from Université Paris Cité, France. “If that is happening, we need to identify who is at risk at an early stage to prevent heart attacks and strokes," Bruno said. The study, published in the European Heart Journal, included 2,390 peo...