Health

Dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? A novel study has shown that playing video games can help lower symptoms of the condition, which can lead to terrifying nightmares and severe anxiety. The study, published in BMC Medicine, provides “scientifically controlled evidence that a single guided digital treatment session can reduce the number of intrusive memories”. It can also be used safely by patients, said the researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden. Unpleasant and intrusive memories of a traumatic event in the form of mental images or flashbacks are the hallmark symptoms of PTSD. Avoidance, excessive tension, and problems such as difficulty sleeping and concentrating are others. The team monitored the intrusive memories of trauma in 164 participants for a week. Whi...

While a good night’s sleep is known to be crucial for overall health, a new study showed it can also prevent cirrhosis among individuals with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).  Cirrhosis occurs when the liver is damaged for over a long duration and is replaced by scar tissue. The scarring prevents the liver from working properly, and can eventually lead to liver failure The study led by researchers from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China showed an association between a healthy sleep pattern and a decreased risk of cirrhosis among NAFLD patients.  The study on 112,196 NAFLD patients found that poor sleep patterns were associated with an increased risk of progression to cirrhosis. The benefits of good sleep were observed in participants, regardless of low ...

Consuming 3-5 cups of coffee daily can help lower your risk of diabetes, hypertension or high blood pressure, and fatty liver risk, according to a top neurologist. While coffee is known to provide multiple health benefits, the expert suggested drinking the beverage without sugar and with less milk. Taking to social media platform X, Dr. Sudhir Kumar from Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, listed out some health benefits of coffee. “Most notable benefits are lower risk of type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, stroke, fatty liver, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, depression, and certain cancers,” he said. “Coffee drinking increases longevity. 3-5 cups of coffee per day is considered safe and healthy. Avoid adding sugar to coffee,” he added. The expert also advised cautio...

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday called on countries to strengthen policies to promote healthy diets and physical activity to combat the rising levels of overweight, obesity, and noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and cancers -- a leading cause of death. “The burden of overweight, obesity, and associated metabolic disorders has been steadily rising, affecting both children and adults,” said Saima Wazed, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia. She noted that these have spiked cases of “non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer” and these are now “responsible for nearly two-thirds of all deaths in the Region”. Besides adults, about 50 lakh children under the age of five are overweight, and 373 lakh children between the ages of 5 to ...

Fatigue, sleeplessness, and frequent illness are the early signs that one should watch out for burnout and exhaustion due to workplace stress, and must take help, said experts on Thursday, amid reports of a young CA in Pune who succumbed to death due to work pressure. Anna Sebastian Perayil (26), lost her life due to a “backbreaking workload” and “work stress” at Ernst & Young (EY), claimed her mother Anita Augustine in a heart-wrenching letter to Chairman Rajiv Memani. Perayil worked for four months at the accounting firm, and yet “nobody from the office was present even for her funeral”. In another tragic case, 25-year-old Saurabh Kumar Laddha, working at McKinsey and Company reportedly ended his life by jumping from the ninth floor of his building in Mumbai, after being unable to...

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have developed an indigenous and portable Point-of-Care-Ultrasound (POCUS) scanner that can diagnose sports injuries on-field.  The POCUS, powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) can potentially allow for on-field diagnosis of injuries, with immediate assessment of the extent of injury that will allow for medical professionals to take a call on whether to permit the sportsperson to continue playing. The novel scanner has a wide range of applications in sports medicine, and it has the benefits of safety (no radiation) and sufficient resolution compared to other modalities, said the team. “We observed a current technological gap and a need for a point-of-care device for injury management and rehabilitation of elite athletes wi...

While Covid-19 did not cause much harm to children, yet those affected are likely to suffer from Long Covid which is affecting their daily life with dizziness, fatigue, and brain fog, according to a study.  The study from the Kennedy Krieger Institute, in the US, showed that the majority of children with Long Covid are likely to experience orthostatic intolerance (OI) -- a condition that causes the body to struggle with regulating blood pressure and heart rate when standing up.  As a result, children often feel dizzy, lightheaded, fatigued, and may experience “brain fog” or cognitive difficulties. The team examined nearly 100 children and found that dizziness (67 per cent), fatigue (25 per cent), and body pain (23 per cent) were the common symptoms, which used to worsen while standing b...

Price sensitivity, quality, and environmental awareness play a significant role in shaping women`s attitudes toward menstrual cup adoption in India, according to a study by researchers at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow, on Tuesday. The study, published in the esteemed Journal of Social Marketing, investigates the various factors influencing women`s intentions to adopt menstrual cups. Focusing on how perceived values -- functional, emotional, conditional, epistemic, and environmental -- impact adoption decisions, the team surveyed 304 women. The findings reveal that emotional values had the most significant influence, “suggesting that respondents believe that they are making personal contributions towards sustainability and society by adopting menstrual cups”. This was ...

Various factors such as high work-related stress, extended working hours, and a lack of physical activity, can affect the fertility of women and men. People need to improve fertility by managing work-related stress, eating healthily despite irregular schedules and late shifts, and doing at least 30 minutes of daily exercise to get rid of sedentary habits. Prioritising careers can cause delays in marriage and family planning for both, women and men. Many women and men are choosing to postpone marriage and parenthood because of career aspirations and goals.  While many tend t to give importance to professional life which is also important, doing so can impact fertility for females and males. Dr Rupali Tambe, fertility consultant Nova IVF Pune, explains, “In today`s fast-paced world, there ...

Love to binge on savoury snacks, ready meals, and sugar or artificially-sweetened beverages? Beware, every 10 per cent intake of these ultra-processed foods (UPF) may raise your risk of type 2 diabetes by 17 per cent, according to a study published in The Lancet Regional Health-Europe on Monday. Importantly, the study showed that the risk can be lowered by consuming less-processed foods instead, said researchers from the University College London (UCL), University of Cambridge, and Imperial College London. To investigate the relationship between the degree of food processing and diabetes risk the team included 311,892 individuals from eight European countries in the study. They were followed over 10.9 years on average, during which time 14,236 people developed diabetes. In the top 25 pe...