Health

In a landmark achievement, the IIT Gandhinagar has developed a hydrogel-based technology with potential of spurring further innovations -- thereby resulting in "simplification" of surgery for colon-related tumours. The hydrogel-based technology uses biocompatible polymers to provide localised, controlled, and intelligent drug delivery, leading to treatment efficacy while minimising systemic toxicity. According to Harshil Dave, the young scientist from Mehsana, who is reported to have achieved the breakthrough in the field of medical science explained the tech-oriented leap in treating patients with colon tumour. Notably, the hydrogel-based technology aids in the surgical removal of colorectal polyps -- tumors that carry the potential to evolve into cancer. Research scholar Harshil note...

In a move to expand its footprint in southern India and bolster preventive healthcare, a doctor-led, AI-enabled ecosystem offering real-time medical supervision beyond hospital settings was launched in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The initiative aims to improve clinical outcomes for patients with chronic conditions preventing their escalation into serious illness and reduce the risk of sudden cardiac events. At the core of the ecosystem -- iLive Connect -- is a small wireless biosensor patch paired with a wearable wristband, which monitors vital parameters such as heart activity and blood pressure in realtime. As part of the system, data is tracked 24x7 by experienced doctors at a remote command centre, who alert patients and their families in case of any abnormality. Around 40 doctors, includ...

Leading specialists on Sunday warned that excessive consumption of energy drinks is emerging as a leading cause of liver damage among India`s youth, on the occasion of the `World Liver Day`.  Doctors warned that the trend is accelerating, with young patients increasingly showing early signs of liver disease. Energy drinks are aggressively marketed to young consumers as performance enhancers and fatigue relievers but these drinks often contain caffeine levels far exceeding recommended daily limits, along with substances such as taurine and herbal stimulants, which the liver must metabolise. Over time, this biochemical overload can impair liver function, medical experts said. Doctors also warned against the increasingly popular trend of mixing energy drinks with alcohol. The stimulant ef...

A team of researchers said on Wednesday that an increasing number of fungi are becoming resistant to medication, posing serious risks for patients with weakened immune systems. Under the leadership of Paul Verweij, medical microbiologist and professor at Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc) in the Netherlands, 50 researchers from 16 organisations worked together, according to a paper published in Nature Medicine. They gathered global data and developed a five-step plan to better monitor and prevent the rise of resistant fungi. The five steps include awareness, surveillance, infection prevention and control, optimised use, and investments. Fungal resistance does not develop in hospitals but originates largely in the environment. Fungicides used to protect crops against fungal p...

Hepatitis A is a mild viral infection, especially in children, who often go unnoticed or recover without major complications. However, doctors warn that the impact of Hepatitis A can be very different in adults, particularly those with underlying liver conditions such as fatty liver or cirrhosis. In such individuals, the infection can trigger severe complications, including acute liver failure, making early awareness, vaccination, and preventive care essential. Hepatitis A is a viral infection spread through contaminated food, water, or poor hygiene, causing symptoms like fever, fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, and jaundice. Complications can include acute liver failure, prolonged jaundice, and in severe cases, life-threatening liver damage requiring hospitalisation or transplant. “Hepat...

Every year on World Haemophilia Day, celebrated on April 17, the global medical community turns its attention to a condition long characterised as a man’s disease. However, beneath this traditional narrative lies a silent, growing crisis: thousands of Indian women who carry the haemophilia gene suffer from chronic, debilitating bleeding symptoms, yet remain trapped in a cycle of misdiagnosis. While medical textbooks once labelled women as ‘passive carriers’, the data tells a far more urgent story. According to the World Federation of Hemophilia, nearly 33 per cent of people living with haemophilia globally are female, yet the Hemophilia Federation India notes a massive registration gap, with tens of thousands of women likely missing from official records. Experts now reveal that 1 in 3 wo...

After enduring the heartbreak of repeated second-trimester pregnancy losses and the uncertainty of a condition that made carrying a pregnancy extremely difficult, a 34-year-old Kolkata woman’s journey to motherhood found hope through a rare and high-risk surgical intervention by doctors in the `City of Joy`. It began as a critically fragile pregnancy but was successfully carried to term, culminating in the birth of a healthy baby girl. Bidisha Majumder, a dietitian by profession and a resident of Garia, had a journey marked by repeated setbacks. Her first pregnancy in early 2024 ended in a miscarriage. Later that year, she conceived again, but at around 18–19 weeks in January 2025, she went into sudden preterm labour and lost the baby in an emergency. It was during this critical phase at...

As Mumbai experiences rising temperatures this summer, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has also issued a yellow alert for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and parts of Maharashtra on April 15. They have also predicted hot weather and heatwave conditions in parts of state including Sangli, Solapur and Akola. While heatwaves are now becoming a regular phenomenon due to rising global temperatures, Mumbai, which has become a concrete jungle, is also facing the wrath of the heat, which can affect a lot of people in different ways. It is also why people need to stay safe especially when they are stepping out during the summer season.A poster issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in the same post explains the phenomenon and how it affects the body and the need for heatstroke manag...

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...