Health

Chronic diseases like diabetes, heart diseases, and obesity, coupled with lifestyle factors such as low exercise and unhealthy diet can raise your body’s inflammation levels, and contribute to the risk of cognitive decline, said health experts on Sunday. Inflammation is the body`s natural response to infections, injury, pathogens, irritants, or oxidative stress. It can play a significant role in cognitive decline or a decrease in mental functioning. During inflammation, the body`s cells fight and contain the infection. As a result, certain mediators or chemicals are released, which trigger reactions in the surrounding areas causing localised inflammation, often accompanied by pain or swelling. “Inflammation of the brain tissue caused by an overactive immune response or a long-standing i...

Doctors in Gurugram have successfully treated a 60-year-old woman who was suffering from paralysis in both legs due to a significant spinal tumour.  The patient had initially sought treatment at a local hospital and then shifted focus to CK Birla Hospital in Gurugram because the primary investigations failed to pinpoint what her condition was. The doctors found that the woman had a sizable tumour in her spine. The tumour had severely impacted her ability to perform daily activities, leaving her dependent on her children for even the simplest tasks. The doctors informed her about the microscopic tumour removal surgery that could restore her to a mobile state. “Utilising the latest advancements in microscopic spine surgery and neuromonitoring techniques, the tumour excision surgery was p...

Finding it hard to spare 30 minutes for a walk outside? A bout of squats every 45 minutes may help counter the effects of prolonged sitting, according to an expert on Friday.  Taking to social media platform X.com, Dr. Sudhir Kumar from Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad said “Interrupting prolonged sitting with squats (every 45 minutes) is more effective than (30-minute) walking in glycemic control”. Prolonged sitting is known to be a major risk factor for overweight, obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. Short bouts of squats may help counter these ill effects of prolonged sitting, which in some professions may extend up to 8-12 hours daily, or even more, Kumar said. “Interrupting prolonged sitting with short, intermittent exercises (“exercise s...

Women with endometriosis -- a chronic gynaecological disease -- are at a 35 per cent higher risk of severe heart attack, according to a study on Thursday. Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus, such as in the ovaries and fallopian tubes. It is more common among women between the ages of 30 and 40 and can cause severe pelvic pain, and abnormal or heavy menstrual flow. To date, there is no cure or way to prevent endometriosis. Its symptoms can be treated with medicines. While men are long known to be at higher risk of heart disease, the study by Danish researchers showed women with endometriosis have a 35 per cent increased risk of acute myocardial infarction (heart attack). They also had 20 per cent more chances of ischaemic stro...

Managing abortion at home using pills is safe and may ease hospital burden, claimed a study published in The Lancet journal on Friday.  The randomised controlled trial of 435 women by Swedish researchers analysed women who took the first dose of misoprostol (a pill given as part of the procedure for medical abortions) at home or in the hospital. Those who took the pill at home had a 71 per cent chance of completing their care in hospital within 9 hours with no overnight stay, compared to 46 per cent of women who took the first dose of misoprostol at the hospital. Women in hospital settings are more likely to find abortion "stressful and isolating", compared to those at home. In a medical abortion (also known as abortion with pills) women are typically prescribed two types of pills. Mi...

A whopping 75 per cent of corneal blindness cases in India are untreated due to lack of eye donors, said an expert on Thursday.  Corneal blindness is the second leading cause of visual impairment in India with a current burden of 1.1 million people. However, only 25,000 out of these requirements are met each year. “This makes it feasible for only one out of every four individuals with corneal blindness to avail of the required surgery, while 75 per cent of the cases are left untreated,” said the ophthalmologist at Amrita Hospital, Faridabad. A growing ageing population, higher incidence of corneal infections and injuries are some of the reasons why corneal blindness is rising in India. “Vitamin-A deficiency in children, degenerative conditions like keratoconus and corneal dystrophies,...

It is worth noting that men are twice as likely as women to develop psoriasis, experts said on Wednesday. Each year, August is celebrated as Psoriasis Awareness Month. Psoriasis is an autoimmune skin disorder causing thick, red, scaly patches on the elbows, knees, lower back, and scalp.  It is influenced by environmental and genetic factors, with men more affected due to hormonal variations, genetic predispositions, and lifestyle choices. Symptoms include itchy or burning feelings, swollen nails, dry, cracked skin, and red areas covered in silvery scales. While there is no cure, medications and lifestyle changes can help manage the condition and prevent problems. "Psoriasis is a long-term skin disorder marked by thick, red, scaly skin patches caused by a fast buildup of skin cells. The ...

The new and deadlier Mpox strain -- Clade 1b -- poses a notable risk to children, said experts on Thursday, amid an outbreak of the infectious disease in Africa. The ongoing outbreak of Mpox which has been declared as a global health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) on August 15, is different from what the world experienced earlier in the 2022 outbreak. The 2022 outbreak was driven by Clade II, which is less virulent, and the infections were primarily seen in men who had sex with other men. Since then, the WHO has reported 99,176 cases and 208 deaths due to Mpox from 116 countries. India detected a total of 30 cases, with the last case in March 2024. The number of cases and deaths has increased significantly this year, with over 15,600 cases and 537 deaths reported so f...

Women going through the menopause transition period are likely to experience changes that can be detrimental to their cardiovascular health, according to research on Tuesday.   Despite the myth that cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a "man`s disease," it accounts for 40 per cent of all deaths in women, making it the leading cause of mortality for women. Although women typically get CVD 10 years later than males, they are more at risk for developing heart disease following menopause. “There is an increase in ‘bad’ low-density type lipoprotein (LDL) particles and a decrease in ‘good’ high-density lipoprotein particles (HDL) that takes place during and after the menopause transition,” said study author Dr Stephanie Moreno, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, US. “Taken together...

After losing her eyesight due to the unfortunate incident in March, Rameshwaram Café blast survivor has regained her eyesight after complex surgeries by doctors at Bengaluru’s Nethradhama Hospital. The 26-year-old woman from Bengaluru suffered a complete loss of vision in her right eye due to severe injuries sustained in the blast. Over the past four months, Nethradhama’s medical team performed a series of complex and advanced surgeries, ultimately restoring 80 per cent of her vision. Dr Supriya Sriganesh, executive director at Nethradhama, elaborating on Nagashree PR’s challenging journey explains, “When Nagashree presented at Nethradhama four days after the blast, her right eye was severely damaged. The eyeball was ruptured, the cornea torn, the lens damaged, and the retina affected by...