Health

The World Health Organization has released its first global guideline on the use of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) therapies for treating obesity, recognising the condition as a chronic and relapsing disease. The move comes amid rising global demand for GLP-1 medications—such as semaglutide and liraglutide—currently used for diabetes and weight management. Here’s what the new guidance means and why it matters. What are GLP-1 therapies? GLP-1 therapies (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) are medications that mimic the body’s natural GLP-1 hormone, which regulates blood sugar and appetite. Originally developed to manage type-2 diabetes, these drugs are now widely used for weight loss and obesity treatment. Beyond weight management, some GLP-1 medicines have shown additional benef...

A team of Indian scientists has discovered oral cancer-causing driver gene mutations in women patients in southern parts of the country.   The team from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru and the BRIC-National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), Kalyani, in collaboration with clinicians from Sri Devraj Urs Academy of Higher Education and Research (SDUAHER), Kolar, conducted a female-centric study on oral cancer in India with a unique tobacco chewing habit. This study led by Professor Tapas K Kundu, JNCASR, Bengaluru aimed to understand what makes cancers in women unique, how the disease manifests and progresses in female patients and how we can treat them better. The team also used artificial intelligence (deep learning) to digitally a...

Low blood levels of choline, crucial for liver function and controlling inflammation, could be among the various ways through which obesity can speed up cognitive decline and increase the risk of Alzheimer`s disease, according to a study. Studies have found that high blood pressure is a risk factor for mild cognitive impairment, which usually precedes Alzheimer`s disease, in which speech and thought processes steadily decline with age. The researchers from Arizona State University said conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure and insulin resistance can strain the body`s blood vessels and metabolic systems, with stress building up over time speeding up cognitive decline and one`s risk of Alzheimer`s disease. The study, published in the journal Aging and Disease, looked at 30 young ...

While obesity is growing as a global health challenge contributing to millions of preventable deaths each year, the World Health Organization (WHO), in a new report on Monday, said that medications like Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) alone will not solve the problem affecting more than one billion people worldwide.  WHO defines obesity as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher in adults. It has approved GLP-1 therapies to treat obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease. GLP-1 receptor agonists are a class of medicines that help lower blood sugar, support weight loss, reduce the risk of heart and kidney complications, and can even lower the risk of early death in people with type 2 diabetes. But the global demand for GLP-1 therapies has fueled the spread of falsified and substanda...

Amid worsening air pollution in the national capital, health experts on Saturday emphasised the need for solutions that work throughout the year, and not for a short period.  Delhi’s air quality remained entrenched in the very poor category for the 15th consecutive day, with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 338 at 7 a.m. “We have reached an emergency in Delhi. The efforts to curb pollution cannot be only temporary, which may help immediately for a little while, but long-term solutions to this city are urgently required,” Dr. Anant Mohan, Professor and Head, Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Sleep Disorders, AIIMS New Delhi, told IANS. "We have to do something very urgently on this now at this stage," he added. The city’s 24-hour aver...

Between 2010 and 2024, India achieved 48.7 per cent decline in annual new HIV infections, 81.4 per cent reduction in AIDS-related deaths and 74.6 per cent decline in mother-to-child HIV transmission, the government said on Sunday, ahead of the `World AIDS Day 2025`.  India continues to demonstrate substantial progress under the current phase of the National AIDS Control Programme. “HIV testing increased from 4.13 crore (2020–21) to 6.62 crore (2024–25); access to antiretroviral treatment rose from 14.94 lakh to 18.60 lakh PLHIV; and viral load testing nearly doubled from 8.90 lakh to 15.98 lakh in the same period,” said the Health Ministry. These outcomes surpass global averages and reflect India’s leadership, sustained domestic investment, evidence-based strategies, and robust communit...

Researchers in Australia have identified a drug that can help overcome treatment resistance in relapsed neuroblastoma -- the deadly childhood cancer.  The discovery could improve neuroblastoma treatment -- the most common solid tumour in children outside the brain -- which currently claims nine out of 10 young patients who experience recurrence, Xinhua news agency reported According to Australia`s Garvan Institute of Medical Research, the drug combination can bypass the cellular defences these tumours develop that lead to relapse. The team showed that the approved lymphoma drug -- romidepsin -- triggers neuroblastoma cell death via alternative pathways, bypassing blocked routes to improve chemotherapy-resistant cases in children. Researchers found standard chemotherapy drugs rely on th...

The Indian wedding—a multi-day spectacle of colour, tradition, and family reunion, has by all means turned into a lavish production. From the dazzling decor to the multi-cuisine fare, every detail is significant and seemingly demands endless attention. But what happens when the pressure to deliver the `Big Fat Indian Wedding` goes beyond the budget and starts taxing the bride`s mental health?While every shaadi, as it is called India, is meant to be a joyous occasion, the reality of planning often feels more like navigating a high-stakes, social media-fuelled obstacle course. From family politics over the guest list to the paralysing pursuit of Instagram-perfect aesthetics, the modern Indian bride is often caught in a whirlwind of impossible expectations.  Experts delve into the unique men...

An international team of scientists has found compelling evidence that early-infancy infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) significantly increases the risk of developing childhood asthma.  The risk is especially higher in children with a family history of allergy or asthma. The study, published in the Science Immunology journal, suggests that protecting newborns against RSV could substantially reduce asthma cases later in life. "Childhood asthma is a complex disease with many contributing factors," said Prof. Bart Lambrecht from VIB (the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology) and Ghent University in Belgium. "We found that early-life RSV infection and genetic allergy risk interact in a very specific way that pushes the immune system toward asthma. The encouraging news is that...

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday called on countries to strengthen access to affordable and science-based care to people facing infertility.  The WHO defines infertility as the failure to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Estimated to affect 1 in 6 people of reproductive age at some point in their lives, infertility can cause significant distress, stigma, and financial hardship, affecting people’s mental and psychosocial well-being. In its first-ever global guideline for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infertility, the global health body urged for safer, fairer, and more affordable fertility care. The guideline includes 40 recommendations that seek to strengthen the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infer...