Health

Cancer patients are nearly five times more likely to experience bankruptcy, as financial fallout can follow patients with cancer and their families in the form of lower credit scores and other forms of monetary challenges years after a cancer diagnosis. For patients with bladder, liver, lung, and colorectal cancers, the impact on credit scores was larger compared with other types of cancers, said researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston in the US. “These are the first studies to provide numerical evidence of financial toxicity among cancer survivors. Previous data on this topic largely relies on subjective survey reviews,” said Benjamin C James, chief of general surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and associate professor of surg...

Over 1 billion young people are at the risk of hearing loss globally due to unsafe listening habits, and it is important for policymakers and regulators to develop global standards not only for device manufacturers but also for users and services, experts have stressed. At a workshop organised during the ‘ITU-WTSA 2024’ in the national capital, Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, said there should be training for tracking sound exposure, on the lines of tracking other health parameters like calorie intake and footsteps. "In our culture, there`s a festival called ‘Mauni Amavasya’, in which one is supposed to keep quiet and fast. Perhaps, relishing the sound of silence. I think that is extremely therapeutic and we must realise that together, we can create a difference f...

Karwa Chauth is considered an important Indian festival which involves a day-long fast, traditionally observed by married women. Now also observed by some men to support their partners, the fast is broken only after the moon rises. It usually lasts for 12-15 hours, with people not eating or drinking anything during this period. While Karwa Chauth fasting is a traditional practice and is usually considered food for detoxification, if not done right, it can pose several complications, especially for people with existing health conditions. A drop in blood sugar levels is one such issue. Dr. Ankita Tiwari, Consultant - Diabetes & Endocrinology, Manipal Hospital Bhubaneshwar, informs, “When you fast, the body does not get its regular food source of glucose i.e., no carbs to digest which ca...

In a first, scientists at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) have developed a unique way through the nose to deliver tuberculosis (TB) medicines directly to the brain.  TB that affects the brain is called Central Nervous System Tuberculosis (CNS-TB) and is one of the most dangerous forms of TB, often leading to severe complications or death. The novel nose-to-brain (N2B) drug delivery utilises the olfactory and trigeminal nerve pathways in the nasal cavity and effectively bypasses the challenging blood-brain barrier (BBB). While traditional treatments involve high doses of oral anti-TB drugs, they often fail to achieve effective concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid as the BBB limits ...

In a medical relief, a Mumbai army man has successfully undergone ankle arthroscopy for a damaged cartilage at a city hospital. A team led by Dr. Saikat Jena conducted a two-hour-long ankle arthroscopy on a 58-year-old retired army man from Mumbai to address his pain while avoiding ankle replacement surgery.  Kallappa Dhule, a resident of Mumbai had pain in his ankle while walking for a year. He consulted many other doctors who tried conservative treatments with medications and exercises but there was no relief. The pain deteriorated further and he was unable to walk. Finally, he approached Wockhardt Hospitals in Mira Road for a second opinion.  Dr Saikat Jena, consultant, orthopaedic surgeon, Wockhardt Hospitals Mira Road said, “On arrival three months ago, the patient was in severe pai...

Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar on Thursday revealed key areas that she expects to be addressed in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly election 2024. These include common health and food-related issues. Taking to her X account, she wrote, “As a voter, I would like polls to be about: clean air (not smog guns), mass transportation (not cars), footpaths for walking, breakfast in anganwadi (along with midday meal), subsidies for native crops, better work conditions for sanitation workers.” As a voter i would like polls to be about - clean air (not smog guns)- mass transportation (not cars)- footpaths for walking - breakfast in anganwadi (along with midday meal)- subsidies for native crops - better work conditions for sanitation workers#Maharashtra #Mumbai — Rujuta Diwekar (@RujutaDiwe...

In a medical achievement, a 42-year-old homemaker from Mumbai, underwent a successful weight loss surgery at a city hospital, subsequently leading to the resolution of other health issues including asthma, obstructive sleep apnea and diabetes. Nafisa Khan (name changed) lost over 40 kg in six months, bringing her weight down from 130 kg to 90 kg. She had struggled with her weight for years, especially after her pregnancies. Despite numerous attempts at various diets, she consistently regained any weight she lost. The patient developed high blood pressure in her twenties, and five years ago, she was diagnosed with diabetes. By the age of 38, her worsening health had led to heart disease. By the time she crossed 125 kg weight, lying down flat became impossible; she had to sit up all night ...

Spending more time standing rather than sitting does not improve cardiovascular health and is linked to a higher risk of circulatory issues, Australian researchers have found.  In a study published on Thursday, researchers from the University of Sydney analysed data from research-grade wrist devices that were worn by 83,013 adults in Britain and found that there were no health benefits to standing more compared to sitting. They found that, over the long term, standing more did not reduce a person`s chances of suffering a cardiovascular health incidence -- such as heart failure, coronary heart disease and stroke -- and could increase the risk of circulatory issues related to standing such as varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis. However, the research found that sitting for over 10 hou...

Renowned gynaecologist Dr. Kotha Ushalakshmi, who was the inspiration behind Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation and KIMS-Ushalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases passed away in Hyderabad on October 15. She was 91 years old.  Born in 1933 in Guntur, she has been one of the most renowned gynaecologists from the Telugu states. Her only son and eminent breast surgeon Dr Raghu Ram said she passed away due to heart failure. Ushalakshmi graduated and later obtained her Postgraduate qualifications (DGO & MD) from Guntur Medical College. She worked as Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology in Hyderabad, with the longest innings at Niloufer Hospital. “Although breast cancer was an unwelcome visitor in her life at the age of 69, she fought the disease with extraordinary courage and fierce d...

Childhood immunisations and low-cost prevention and treatments combined with new health technologies may help reduce premature deaths by 50 per cent, according to a new study published by The Lancet Commission on Tuesday.  The report laid out a roadmap for every nation that chooses to do so to cut the chance of premature death for its citizens in half by 2050. “The goal of “50 by 50,” is achievable”, argues the report. If every country achieves the goal, then, a person born in 2050 would have only a 15 percent chance of dying before age 70, down from 31 per cent for someone born in 2019. It suggested measures such as “expanding childhood immunisations and low-cost prevention and treatments for common causes of preventable death, combined with scaling up financing to develop new health t...