Health

An Australian-led international research has found that over 1.5 million deaths globally every year were linked to the health impacts of air pollution caused by landscape fires.  According to the research published on Thursday by Monash University in Melbourne, 1.53 million deaths per year between 2000 and 2019 were attributable to wildfire-sourced air pollution, Xinhua news agency reported. The study found that over 90 per cent of all deaths attributable to landscape fire-sourced air pollution occurred in low and middle-income countries -- particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, southeast, south and east Asia. It was a comprehensive assessment of the health risks associated with air pollution from landscape fires, involving researchers from universities around the world. Of the 1.53 milli...

Even as snakebites are raising public health concerns, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has declared snakebite cases and deaths a “notifiable disease” in India.  As per data from the Ministry, around 50,000 deaths in India occur due to an estimated 3-4 million snakebites annually. This accounts for half of all snakebite deaths globally. However, the cases are grossly underreported. “Snakebites are an issue of public health concern and in certain cases, they cause mortality, morbidity, and disability. Farmers, tribal population, etc. are at higher risk,” said Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava, in a letter, addressed to the Secretaries of Health of all States and Union Territories (UTs). “You are requested to make snakebite cases and deaths a ‘Notifiable Dise...

Early diagnosis and treatment can help 70 per cent of patients with epilepsy -- a chronic neurological condition -- to lead normal lives, said health experts here on Monday.  The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that epilepsy affects nearly 50 million people worldwide. “India contributes to 10-12 million people, over one per cent of the total population and nearly one-sixth of the global burden. The prevalence in India ranges from 3.0 to 11.9 per 1,000 population. The high incidence has become a serious public health challenge for us and there is an urgent need for early diagnosis, clinical interventions, and care,” Dr. Praveen Gupta, Principal Director & Chief of Neurology, at Fortis Hospital, said. Symptoms of epilepsy include sudden numbness, body stiffness, shaking,...

US researchers have, in a study on Monday, found a link between hidden belly fat, known as visceral fat, and abnormal proteins in the brain -- hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. Visceral fat refers to the accumulation of fat around internal organs such as the liver, heart, kidneys, and the mesentery of the intestine. Unlike subcutaneous fat, which lies beneath the skin, visceral fat is metabolically active and poses greater health risks. The study, presented at the ongoing annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), showed that visceral fat can predict the risk of Alzheimer’s up to 20 years before the earliest symptoms of dementia appear. The study included 80 cognitively normal midlife individuals (average age: 49.4 years), of which about 57.5 per cent were obese...

Eating more plant-based protein than animal-based protein may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease (CHD), according to a new study on Monday.  The study, led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, showed that the risk reductions are likely driven by the replacement of red and processed meats with plant proteins and eating more legumes and nuts. “Such a dietary pattern is beneficial not just for human health but also the health of our planet," they said in the study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study aims to pioneer the investigation of an ideal ratio of plant to animal protein and how it impacts health, specifically heart health. "The average American eats a 1:3 plant-to-animal protein rat...

Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) -- a common fungal infection that claims 340,000 lives every year worldwide, can turn lethal for about 1 in three people with lung diseases, finds a study by researchers at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the national capital. CPA, caused by exposure to airborne spores of the mould Aspergillus, causes gradual scarring of the lungs for months and years. It is a debilitating condition that causes severe tiredness, weight loss, breathlessness, and coughing up blood. While exposure to Aspergillus is harmless to most people, it may affect those with lung damage. The study, based on a major global review and published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases, showed that around 32 per cent of people who have had prior damage from l...

The Southeast Asia region, including India, has about 3.9 million people living with HIV (PLHIV), representing 10 per cent of the global burden, WHO`s Regional Director, South-East Asia, Saima Wazed, said ahead of World AIDS Day.  In the region, 78 per cent of PLHIV knew their status in 2023. While 66 per cent received lifesaving antiretroviral treatment, 64 per cent had suppressed viral load. Wazed informed that despite treatments, the region also has a high burden (80,000 children and adolescents aged 0-14) due to vertical transmission (mother-to-child); and about 53,000 infants are born with congenital syphilis. "These children are one too many as there are effective interventions to eliminate mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy, labour, and childbirth," she said. "While ...

SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the Covid-19 pandemic, remains in the skull and meninges for years after infection, leading to a long-lasting effect on the brain, according to a major German study.  Researchers from Helmholtz Munich and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat (LMU) found that SARS-CoV-2 spike protein remains in the brain`s protective layers -- the meninges, and the skull`s bone marrow for up to four years after infection. These spike proteins are responsible for triggering chronic inflammation in affected individuals and increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, the team found. Prof. Ali Ertürk, Director at the Institute for Intelligent Biotechnologies at Helmholtz Munich said that the long-term neurological effects include “accelerated brain ageing, potentially leading to a...

Pregnant women’s exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) may alter immune responses, leading to adverse birth outcomes, according to a new study. While previous research linked PM2.5 exposure to maternal and child health complications including preeclampsia, low birth weight, and developmental delays in early childhood, the new study, published in Science Advances, is the first to examine the relationship between PM2.5 and maternal and foetal health. Researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health focused on understanding air pollutants` impact on a single-cell level. Kari Nadeau, Professor of Climate and Population Studies at the varsity said that the findings showcase “a substantial step forward in understanding the biological pathways by which PM2.5 exposure a...

Researchers, who reviewed 18 studies on benefits of drinking water, found the most evidence related to preventing kidney stones and helping people lose weight.Drinking eight cups of water a day significantly lowered one`s chances of getting another kidney stone, the researchers at the University of California San Francisco found. They added that evidence from several studies suggested drinking about six cups of water a day helped adults lose weight. However, a study involving teenagers found that drinking a little more than eight cups of water a day had no effect. Further, studies raised the possibility of benefits for patients with migraine, urinary tract infection, diabetes and hypotension (low blood pressure) despite the limited quality and quantity of scientific evidence on the bene...