Health

Bengaluru doctors have successfully treated a 68-year-old man diagnosed with metastatic, Stage 4 gastric adenocarcinoma, reflecting the potential of molecular testing and highly personalised, risk-mitigated chemotherapy protocols. The man was living with prevailing health challenges like morbid obesity (weighing 99 kilograms), diabetes, and coronary artery disease. He sought medical attention after experiencing progressive fatigue, anaemia, and melena (black, tarry stools indicating internal gastrointestinal bleeding). An urgent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy performed by clinical teams revealed a massive, highly fragile ulcer proliferative tumour occupying a large portion of his stomach. The location and size of the growth carried a severe, immediate risk of life-threatening bleeding ...

Doctors at a hospital in Mumbai have successfully treated a 24-year-old pregnant woman diagnosed with a rare tumour involving the eye socket and extending into the brain. The woman presented with rapidly increasing swelling of the right eye along with double vision, particularly while looking towards the right side. At the time, she was 28 weeks (7 months) pregnant. Following an initial consultation and MRI scan, she was referred to Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre for further evaluation. Upon assessment, Dr Sudheer Ambekar, consultant Neurosurgery, identified a tumour involving the orbit, eroding the roof of the orbit, and extending into the intracranial compartment. Based on imaging findings, there were concerns that the tumour could be aggressive and potentially malignant. Given t...

In a major step towards strengthening the quality, safety and integrity of India's pharmaceutical supply chain, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday notified amendments to the Drugs Rules, 1945, to expand the ambit of Schedule H2 and bring additional categories of drugs under the QR Code-based track and trace framework. According to the release, "Under the amended provisions, all vaccines, antimicrobials, narcotic and psychotropic drugs covered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and all anti-cancer drugs have been included under Schedule H2 of the Drugs Rules, 1945." With this amendment, manufacturers of these drug formulations will be required to print or affix a Bar Code or Quick Response (QR) Code on the primary packaging label of t...

Doctors in Navi Mumbai have successfully given a new lease of life to a 71-year-old woman with a critical heart condition, avoiding high-risk heart surgery in the process. Sheshabai S. Toraskar from Nerul lived with constant fear and discomfort. Simple daily activities like walking a short distance or carrying out household work had become exhausting because of severe chest pain, breathlessness, restlessness, and extreme fatigue. Despite taking all prescribed medications regularly, her symptoms continued to worsen, deeply affecting her quality of life and independence. He was severely breathless on routine aerated, requiring family members' help. The man was in follow-up with Dr Keshav Kale for two years. His health worsened recently. Hence, he was advised to undergo open surgery and Alco...

Healthy choices made at the start of the day can have a significant impact on overall health and well-being, with nutrition experts stressing that simple and sustainable morning eating habits often lay the foundation for long-term wellness. Building healthier habits does not have to be complicated, said Ritika Samaddar, Regional Head of Dietetics at Max Healthcare. "In my experience, the most successful nutrition routines are often the simplest ones that people can follow consistently. Starting the day with wholesome foods and making mindful choices, such as including almonds as part of a balanced breakfast or morning snack, can help people stay on track with their overall wellness goals," Samaddar said. It is these small, sustainable habits that often make the biggest difference over t...

Once known as the poor man’s fruit as it filled the plates of ordinary households across Keralam, jackfruit could soon get a new identity as a health and wellness food, with the state government planning a programme to highlight its medicinal properties.  Announcing the move, state Agriculture Minister T. Siddique said the government would prepare an effective plan in consultation with the Health Department to popularise the health benefits of jackfruit, Keralam’s state fruit. The minister was inaugurating a seminar on ‘Medicinal properties of raw jackfruit, research findings and possibilities’ organised by the Jackfruit Promotion Council. Keralam produces around 14.3 lakh tonnes of jackfruit annually, but only a small portion of it reaches commercial utilisation. The minister said the ...

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has made an amendment to the Drugs Rules, 1945 to exclude the word “Syrups” from Entry 7 under Serial No. 13 of Schedule K of the rules under the heading 'Class of Drugs'. Schedule K of the 1945 rules provides exemptions from certain provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.  It simply means that before the amendment, a provision allowed cough syrups to be sold in smaller villages with a population of less than 1,000, without requiring compliance with some retail sale licensing norms. However, now the sale will be required to take place only through duly licensed pharmacies in accordance with the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Rules framed within it.  The Health Ministry has said that the amendment has been done to...

Nearly 46 per cent of cardiac investigations conducted among men aged 30 years and above in Delhi-NCR over the last six months showed abnormal findings, highlighting a significant burden of undetected cardiovascular risks, according to an analysis. The analysis, released by Mahajan Imaging and Labs, was based on nearly 78,000 diagnostic investigations across cardiology, pathology and radiology services and identified more than 13,000 abnormal or critical findings among men in the region. According to the findings, 46 per cent of cardiac investigations reported abnormalities, while 27 per cent of chest X-rays showed abnormal findings. About two per cent of pathology investigations yielded critical results requiring immediate medical attention. The review found that 24,951 cardiac investi...

Doctors at a hospital in Delhi have successfully performed a rare life-saving procedure on a 66-year-old man by carrying out a heart bypass surgery and a robot-assisted lung cancer operation in a single session, treating two life-threatening conditions without compromising either. The patient, who was being examined for lung cancer, complained of persistent breathlessness during investigations. Further examination revealed severe blockages in his coronary arteries in addition to cancer in the upper lobe of his left lung. Doctors at the HCMCT Manipal Hospital, Dwarka said managing both conditions required careful planning as the heart and lungs are closely interconnected within the chest cavity and depend on each other for routine functioning. This meant that surgery on one could have in...

The Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations organised the 12th International Day of Yoga celebrations at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, bringing together around 800 yoga enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds to mark the global observance of the ancient Indian practice. Sharing details of the event in a post on X, the Indian Mission to the UN said, "#IndiaAtUN @IndiaUNNewYork organised the 12th #InternationalDayofYoga at @UN Headquarters today. PR @AmbHarishP highlighted the growing global reach of #Yoga at the event. UNSG @antonioguterres delivered a special message on the occasion." The event featured sessions based on the Common Yoga Protocol and an advanced yoga demonstration by the Art of Living Foundation. Yogmata Keiko Aikawa, recognised as the first female an...