Health

A new population-based study from Sweden has found that individuals born with low birthweight face a significantly higher risk of stroke in young adulthood, regardless of their body mass index (BMI) or gestational age at birth. The findings were presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO2026) in Istanbul, Turkey, highlighting the importance of early-life factors in adult cardiovascular health. Researchers, including Dr Lina Lilja and Dr Maria Bygdell of the University of Gothenburg, analysed data from nearly 800,000 Swedish men and women born between 1973 and 1982. The study linked information from the Medical Birth Register, the National Conscription Register, the National Patient Register, and the Cause of Death Register to track stroke incidence until December 31, 2022. The ...

Bread and other carbohydrate staples may be doing more than just filling plates--they could be quietly reshaping metabolism. In a surprising twist, researchers found that mice strongly preferred carbs like bread, rice, and wheat, abandoning their regular diet entirely. Even without eating more calories, they gained weight and body fat, not because they overate, but because their bodies burned less energy. Bread has long been a dietary cornerstone, sustaining societies for generations. It is deeply woven into everyday life. But with obesity rates continuing to climb, researchers are beginning to question whether this reliance on staple carbohydrates still makes sense in modern diets. Obesity increases the risk of many lifestyle-related diseases, making prevention a major public health pr...

Talegaon doctors have given a 63-year-old man battling advanced lung cancer a new lease of life with timely treatment. Struggling with severe breathlessness, constant cough, and swelling over the body, his condition had progressed to a stage where even basic daily activities became difficult. The doctors used advanced radiation therapy to help alleviate his symptoms and improve his overall condition, highlighting the impact of precision-based cancer care in critical cases. The patient, who is a resident of Talegaon, had been silently battling worsening breathlessness, a persistent cough, puffiness of the face, and swelling across his body for three weeks. At his age, even simple daily activities became exhausting, and his condition gradually took a toll on his strength and independence. ...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) will play a pivotal role in accelerating drug discovery, enabling precision medicine and shaping a smarter, innovation-led healthcare ecosystem, according to experts.  Pharma leaders emphasised reimagining processes rather than merely digitising existing systems. They highlighted the growing importance of strong data and technology foundations to enable scalable AI adoption and stressed the immediate benefits of automation in improving clinical efficiency. The first day of the 9th ‘India Pharma 2026’ witnessed four high-impact plenary sessions that brought together policymakers, industry leaders, regulators and technology experts to chart the future of India’s pharmaceutical and life sciences ecosystem. The inaugural plenary session highlighted the urgent ne...

Weight-loss injections have become a popular choice among young people preparing for weddings, but doctors have raised concerns over excessive loss of facial fat and muscle linked to these treatments. According to Dr Ajaya Kashyap, director of KasMed Centre and Senior Consultant in Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery at Apollo Spectra Hospital, many young people are opting for such treatments while looking for prospective matches and ahead of their wedding day. "Several young people seek weight-reducing treatments while looking for prospective matches and before the wedding day. There are surprisingly as many men as women. The current modality of choice for them is tirzepatide or semaglutide, sometimes couples with some targeted areas of liposuction," he said. Dr Kashyap also shared a case wh...

For years, a 31-year-old teacher silently endured severe pain during her periods, believing it was simply a normal part of being a woman. The pain was so severe at times that she often relied on painkillers and occasionally struggled to maintain her routine at work. When she and her husband finally began planning for a baby, the dream of motherhood suddenly seemed distant after doctors diagnosed her with severe endometriosis and low ovarian reserve (AMH), conditions that often make natural conception difficult. However, in a remarkable turn of events, timely laparoscopic surgery and specialised treatment has helped her conceive naturally and later welcome a healthy baby girl, 3.1kg kgs through a planned C-section, transforming years of pain and uncertainty into a story of hope. A silent...

As many as 17,675 visually impaired persons across seven states and 30 cities have regained eyesight through eye donation over the past 24 years, driven by awareness efforts of the Eye Bank Society of Rajasthan, officials said on Sunday. Despite the life-changing impact of eye donation, people are still not coming forward in adequate numbers due to prevailing myths and lack of awareness, the NGO said. According to data shared by the society, a total of 27,307 corneas have been collected since its establishment in 2002, enabling free transplants for thousands of beneficiaries. Society president B L Sharma said lakhs of people are waiting for corneal transplants, and this gap can only be reduced if awareness increases and more people pledge to donate eyes. He said several myths discourag...

A population-based study in Japan has revealed a gradual increase in the rates of therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (tAML) in recent years, especially after breast cancer treatment, a study showed on Monday.  The findings, published by Wiley online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, showed that some therapies used to treat cancer may increase the risk of later developing cancers that affect the blood. “tAML” is an aggressive cancer of the blood and bone marrow that develops after prior chemotherapy or radiation for an earlier, primary cancer, likely arising in part due to DNA damage from these treatments.  “The study provides an important step towards better understanding how the nature of tAML is changing with the increasing number of cancer survivo...

Financial protection gap for critical illnesses is widening even as employers and insurers ramp up preventive care and cost sharing mechanisms to shield workers and families from rising treatment costs, a report said on Monday on eve of World Health Day, celebrated on April 7 around the globe.  The professional services firm Aon said that employers in India are increasingly investing in preventive care, outpatient benefits, and digital health and wellness solutions, reflecting a broader shift toward proactive health management due to this gap. "Employers are increasingly recalibrating plan structures, introducing cost-sharing mechanisms such as voluntary top-ups, co-pay models, and employee-funded riders," the report said. The firm highlighted that India’s protection gap is high when co...

The government of Telangana has declared cancer a notifiable disease, making it mandatory for all government and private hospitals to report all cases of cancer. The Department of Health, Medical and Family Welfare issued a Government Order in this regard on Tuesday, April 7, providing a mandatory reporting mechanism for all diagnosed cancer cases in the state to ensure availability of reliable and timely data for public health action. As per the order, all cases of cancer including in situ and invasive cancers, diagnosed or registered at any healthcare facility, laboratories, or Registrar of Births and Deaths in the state must be reported within one month of such diagnosis or registration, through the portal in the prescribed format. The objective of making cancer a notifiable disease ...