Health

Heart attacks and strokes are a global health challenge, accounting for 3.9 million deaths annually, in the Southeast Asia Region, including India, said the World Health Organization on Saturday, ahead of World Heart Day.  World Heart Day is observed every year on September 29 to raise awareness about cardiovascular diseases (CVD), accelerating actions to prevent, detect early, and manage heart health. The theme this year is ‘Use Heart for Action’ “Cardiovascular diseases remain a significant global health challenge responsible for over 18 million deaths each year,” said Saima Wazed, WHO regional director for South-East Asia. “The burden is particularly heavy in the WHO South-East Asia Region, where CVDs account for 3.9 million deaths annually, primarily due to heart attacks and strokes...

Facing severe back pain? A new study suggests reducing daily sitting time and walking or doing some brisk exercises to prevent back pain from worsening. Back pain is very common and common reasons include muscle strain, disk damage, and some health conditions, such as scoliosis and osteoporosis. Doctoral Researcher and Physiotherapist Jooa Norha from the University of Turku in Finland said that people concerned about back health, must "reduce sitting at work or during leisure time" To understand the link between activity and back pain as well as the mechanisms related to back pain, the researchers included 64 adults with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome. The participants reduced their sitting by 40 minute per day, on average, during the six-month study. People with back pa...

A 65-year-old woman weighing just 23 kg has successfully undergone bilateral hip replacement surgery, enabling her to walk after two years of being bedridden, according to a private hospital here on Thursday.  “It is India’s low-weight bilateral hip replacement surgery on a 65-year-old woman weighing just 23 kg,” said CK Birla Hospital, Delhi, in a statement. “She is the lightest person of this age in the country to undergo such a complex surgery,” it added. Shubhangi Devi had been suffering severe pain for the past two years in both hips due to advanced age-related arthritis, rendering her unable to walk, and fully dependent on a wheelchair. The doctors opted to proceed with Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) -- a surgical method that uses smaller incisions and advanced techniques that ...

Diabetes and obesity can fuel the relapse of liver cancer -- the sixth most common cancer worldwide, according to a study.  The study led by Osaka Metropolitan University, focussed on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) -- a type of liver cancer associated with hepatitis infections -- known to have a high recurrence rate after cancer removal. It is also the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Obesity and diabetes, which are closely associated with metabolic syndrome development, are well known to induce steatotic liver diseases, potentially causing liver cirrhosis and HCC development. However, obesity and diabetes’ effects on patient survival and cancer recurrence have been unclear. “Because the risk of late recurrence is higher in hepatocellular carcinoma with comorbid o...

Banning the purchase of cigarettes and other tobacco products for youth can significantly prevent 12 lakh lung cancer deaths in the young population, according to a study, published in The Lancet Public Health journal on Thursday. The findings aim to secure future generations from the risks of smoking, which is the biggest risk factor for lung cancer. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide and is estimated to cause more than two-thirds of the 18 lakh deaths every year. In the first-of-its-kind simulation study, researchers from the University of Santiago de Compostela, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), called for creating a generation of people who never smoke. They suggested banning the purchase of cigarettes and other tobacco products for peo...

Exposure to dust mites in children can trigger severe allergic reactions, leading to conditions such as asthma and allergic rhinitis, warned an expert on Saturday.  Dust mites -- microscopic creatures found in household dust -- are a leading cause of allergies worldwide. These are so tiny, slightly bigger than human hair diameter, to be visible to the unassisted eye.  In India, high humidity levels increase their growth and also a rapid surge in clinical manifestations, Dr Neeraj Gupta, senior allergy specialist from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi, said. Asthma affects around 35 million people in India, with an estimated 2.4 per cent of adults and 4-20 per cent of children affected. Nearly 22 per cent of adolescents currently suffer from allergic rhinitis in India. Gupta explained that ...

While India continues to face a deficit in blood donation, making Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) mandatory may ward off the risk of infections to those requiring regular blood transfusions, said experts here on Tuesday.  National Voluntary Blood Donation is celebrated on October 1 every year to raise awareness about the importance of blood and the need for voluntary blood donation. India has consistently fallen short of the World Health Organization`s recommendation that 1 per cent of the population donate blood. This is despite having a potential donor base of 402 million people. While the country needs 14.6 million units of blood annually, it faces a deficit of around one million units. Myths and misconceptions about contracting infections like HIV, and lack of awareness, are the major r...

Finding it hard to manage blood sugar levels? Take heart, limiting your food consumption to a 10-hour window daily may keep your diabetes in check, according to a study. Following the 10-hour eating window, a type of intermittent fasting, can also help you manage metabolic syndrome -- a group of medical conditions that can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Risk factors attributing to the syndrome include elevated blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol -- key factors for poor heart health. Researchers led by the University of California San Diego and Salk Institute in the US said the findings may help people looking to address their metabolic syndrome and reduce their risk for Type 2 diabetes. In the trial, published online in the Annals of Internal Medicine, ...

Obesity, diabetes, and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) are the key reasons why India is seeing a rise in gynaecological cancers like endometrial, ovarian, and uterus, said experts on Monday. The rise is particularly of concern among younger women, and calls for greater awareness and early screening. There have been more incidences of endometrial cancer -- cancer that develops in the lining of the uterus -- among young women in their early 30s, a condition traditionally seen in post-menopausal women. “As obesity rates climb and more women delay childbearing or remain childless, they face prolonged exposure to oestrogen, a known risk factor for endometrial cancer. Conversely, progesterone, produced during pregnancy, provides a protective effect against this cancer,” Dr. Vandana Jain, S...

Adequately spaced pregnancies can boost maternal and child health outcomes. This will lead to better maternal and child health, reduced unintended or unplanned pregnancies, and greater economic stability for families. “India`s young population, with over 65 per cent under 35, requires urgent investment in contraceptive choices, especially spacing methods,” Poonam Muttreja, executive director of Population Foundation of India, said. According to NFHS 5 (2019-21), 4 per cent of India`s unmet contraceptive need is for spacing methods. “Expanding access to these options will improve health outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and enhance economic productivity by allowing women to better participate in the workforce,” Muttreja said. She called on improving the quality of care in family planni...