Health

A team of US researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) based system that may help assess cognitive impairments and curb the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia in older adults.  Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can be an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, so identifying people with cognitive issues early could lead to interventions and better outcomes. However, diagnosing MCI can be a long and difficult process, especially in rural areas where access to licensed neuropsychologists is limited. Researchers from the University of Missouri created a portable system that comes with a depth camera, a force plate, and an interface board. The study showed it can efficiently measure multiple aspects of motor function. The team examined older adult...

Hypertension or high blood pressure can have a significant impact on kidney function, much before clinical symptoms begin to appear, according to a study that stressed the importance of early detection. The research, led by a team from the Medical University of Vienna in Austria, found that high blood pressure can lead to abnormalities in the podocytes -- specialised cells in the renal filter -- even without other pre-existing conditions such as diabetes. "Early detection and treatment could help to slow the progression of kidney disease and prevent long-term damage," said the researchers Rainer Oberbauer and Heinz Regele from the varsity. For the study, published in the journal "Hypertension", the team analysed kidney tissue from a total of 99 patients: who either suffered from high bl...

While sugary foods and beverages are more blamed for the global rise in obesity rates, a new study suggests that sodium -- found in chips, processed meat products, bread, and dairy products, especially cheese -- may also be a significant risk factor. The research presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025) highlighted an alarming correlation between sodium intake and obesity, both in terms of overall body fat and abdominal fat. The study, led by researchers from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare in Finland analysed data from over 5,000 men and women aged 18 and older, examining their sodium intake as well as urine sodium concentration about their obesity status. Notably, all participants were found to exceed the recommended sodium intake of 5 grams or less per da...

A team of researchers has revealed powerful virtual reality (VR) treatment for speech anxiety, that is becoming increasingly more common over time globally.  Published in the journal Frontiers, the study reported work by Dr Chris Macdonald from University of Cambridge in the UK who created an online platform where users transform into skilled and confident public speakers. On the platform, tailored course material develops key skills and life-like virtual reality training environments build confidence. “In physical reality, a user might be practising a presentation alone in their bedroom but on the new virtual reality platform, they can experience the sensation of presenting to a wide range of increasingly challenging photorealistic audiences,” said Dr Macdonald. By developing a method ...

People with autism are typically diagnosed by clinical observation and assessment. To deconstruct the clinical decision process, which is often subjective and difficult to describe, researchers used a large language model (LLM) to synthesise the behaviours and observations that are most indicative of an autism diagnosis. Their results show that repetitive behaviours, special interests, and perception-based behaviours are most associated with an autism diagnosis. These findings have the potential to improve diagnostic guidelines for autism by decreasing the focus on social factors- which the established guidelines in the DSM-5 focus on but the model did not classify among the most relevant in diagnosing autism. "Our goal was not to suggest that we could replace clinicians with AI tools fo...

Millions of lives—and billions in healthcare costs—are at stake due to one critical but often ignored issue: failure to follow treatment plans. The World Heart Federation (WHF) warns that non-adherence to medication, lifestyle recommendations, and overall healthcare plans is fuelling preventable hospitalisations, worsening health outcomes, and straining healthcare budgets worldwide.  To address this crisis, WHF has partnered with leading institutions to mark March 27 as World Adherence Day—a global call to action to ensure patients stay on track with life-saving medicines and healthier lifestyles.   Across the globe, adherence rates to medical treatments and lifestyle changes are dangerously low. In high-income countries, it is estimated that more than 50 per cent of patients with chroni...

A recent study has made significant progress in uncovering the microscopic mechanism behind heavy-ion cancer therapy, which is expected to optimise cancer treatment strategies and promote the development of new radiotherapy technologies.  The findings, led by researchers from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and their collaborators, were recently published as a highlighted paper in the journal Physical Review X, Xinhua news agency reported. Heavy-ion therapy, a cutting-edge radiotherapy technique, uses heavy-ion beams to destroy cancer cells. Since the concept was proposed in 1946, over 50,000 patients worldwide have undergone heavy-ion treatment. "Under the same radiation dose, heavy ions exhibit two to three times greater cancer-cell-killing ef...

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi is expected to run human trials on India`s first indigenously developed MRI machine system in October.  The indigenous 1.5 Tesla MRI system for medical imaging will be built at the Indigenous Magnetic Resonance Imaging (IMRI) -- a national mission, sponsored by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) and being implemented at the Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research (SAMEER), an autonomous government institution under Meity. C-DAC (Trivandrum), C-DAC (Kolkata), IUAC (New Delhi), and DSI-MIRC (Bangalore) will work as collaborating agencies to design and develop the MRI system. Meity informed that "animal trials have been concluded". In addition, “the subsystems development an...

Even as the news of a woman in Kolkata being infected with Human Coronavirus HKU1 has raised fresh concerns, health experts on Monday said that the virus has been known for at least two decades and is less likely to cause any widespread infection. HKU1 was named after Hong Kong University where it was originally described in 2004. HKU1 is also known as Betacoronavirus hongkonense. It is a species of coronavirus that affects humans and animals. Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, Chairman, Scientific Committee, IMA Cochin told IANS that HKU1 is different from Covid-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. “HKU1 is one of several common cold-causing viruses that belong to the coronavirus group. It is not the same as Covid-19 and is not a new virus,” Jayadevan said. “As per current understanding, HKU1 is a c...

Overuse of digital devices and the resulting increased screen time is driving a significant number of people, especially the young towards near-sightedness or myopia, warned experts on Monday. Health experts have long been raising concerns over the world moving towards an explosive myopic crisis, especially post the Covid-19 pandemic, when traditional schools shifted to online learning through tablets and laptops; and outdoor activities were almost eliminated. “Digital eye strain is becoming a significant concern, especially among children post Covid. When children focus on screens for long periods, the eye muscles remain contracted. Over time, this prolonged strain contributes to the development of myopia (near-sightedness), particularly in young, pliable eyes,” said Dr. Anuj Mehta, Pro...