Health

The prohibition on alcohol in Bihar in 2016 has led to higher intake of calories, protein, and healthy fats from nutritious food sources, according to a study by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur on Saturday.  The study finds that alcohol prohibition enacted under the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, by the Nitish Kumar-led government, significantly increased caloric, protein, and fat intake from healthy food sources such as pulses, dairy products, and nut-based oils. Importantly, the move led to a decline in consumption of packaged and processed foods, which are often complementary to alcohol use. “The ban did not just free up household resources; it also triggered positive behavioural spillovers,” said Vinayak Krishnatri, from Department of Economic Scien...

Doctors at a private hospital in Delhi have successfully treated a one-year-old baby boy from Uzbekistan suffering from a rare genetic liver disorder (Alagille Syndrome) by performing a living donor liver transplant, with the child`s father donating a part of his liver. The timely intervention helped save the baby`s life after months of worsening illness. According to the hospital, the baby had developed jaundice soon after birth and required neonatal intensive care. At two months of age, he was misdiagnosed with biliary atresia, a condition that blocks the normal flow of bile from the liver, and underwent a Kasai procedure- a surgery performed in infancy to help restore bile flow from the liver. However, over the following months, his condition continued to worsen. He suffered from persi...

Vaccination, screening and early treatment are crucial to fight cervical cancer, which is causing the death of a woman every eight minutes in India, said health experts on Friday. January is observed globally as Cervical Cancer awareness month. Cervical cancer is caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). The virus infects the cervix, which is the mouth of the uterus. While HPV infection does not mean cancer, it requires testing or screening to see if it has caused changes in the cervix. “Cervical cancer and breast cancer are the most common cancers affecting women. In India, one woman dies every eight minutes due to cervical cancer. This shows how big the burden is. In many foreign countries, these deaths are much lower because cervical cancer is completely preventable. If screening is ...

People who eat more industrially processed foods and beverages laced with preservatives, widely used to extend shelf-life, may increase the risk of cancer, according to a study. The study, published in The BMJ, showed that higher intakes of several preservatives (mostly non-antioxidants, including potassium sorbate, potassium metabisulfite, sodium nitrite, potassium nitrate, and acetic acid) were associated with a higher risk of cancers, compared with risks in non-consumers or lower consumers. For example, total sorbates, specifically potassium sorbate, were associated with a 14 per cent increased risk of overall cancer and a 26 per cent increased risk of breast cancer, while total sulfites were associated with a 12 per cent increased risk of overall cancer. Sodium nitrite was associate...

The prevalence of autoimmune diseases is increasing, especially in women, and the ongoing winter season, along with high pollution, may be worsening the symptoms, said an expert from the All India Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi on Wednesday.  Dr. Uma Kumar, Professor and head of department of Rheumatology, AIIMS, explained that autoimmune diseases develop through a complex process, which may be limited to a single organ or be systemic. While limited diseases involve only one organ, such as the pancreas, systemic conditions affect multiple organs. These include rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, Sjögren’s syndrome, IgG4-related diseases, and many others, with nearly 60 diseases in this category. These are more prevalent in women. “These diseases can occur at...

Daylight can help improve metabolic health, enabling people with type 2 diabetes to achieve better glycaemic control, according to a study.  Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) in Switzerland and Maastricht University in the Netherlands found that people exposed to natural light had blood glucose levels in the normal range for more hours per day, with less variability. In addition, their melatonin level -- the sleep hormone -- was a little higher in the evening, and fat oxidative metabolism was also improved. The study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, provided the first evidence of the beneficial impact of natural light on people with this condition. "It has been known for several years that the disruption of circadian rhythms plays a major role in the developme...

Maternal use of antibiotics during pregnancy may raise the risk of babies developing Group B Streptococcus (GBS) disease -- a common bacterial disease, according to a study.  While the bacteria usually live harmlessly in the gut or genital tract, they can cause serious infections, especially in newborns, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals, leading to sepsis, meningitis, and pneumonia. The study led by an international team from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, University of Antwerp in Belgium, showed that prenatal antibiotic exposure was associated with an increased risk of neonatal GBS disease, within four weeks of delivery. Early third-trimester exposure showed the strongest association. “Prenatal antibiotic exposure can raise GBS risk within four weeks postpartum, especi...

A 41-year-old man from Mauritius, who had been living with crippling hip pain for over 11 years due to Avascular Necrosis (AVN), has found significant relief and renewed hope after undergoing advanced therapy.  The man went through cell-based regenerative therapy at StemRx Hospital & Research Centre in Navi Mumbai with the expertise of Dr Pradeep Mahajan, who is a regenerative medicine researcher and founder of StemRx. The patient was able to avoid hip replacement surgery and regain a better quality of life. Kavraj Singh Bohani had been battling constant pain, stiffness, and restricted movement for more than a decade. Over the last three to four years, his condition worsened drastically, affecting his ability to walk, sleep, work, and carry out daily activities. Multiple doctors in M...

Heart surgery that begins late in the morning may raise the risk of cardiovascular deaths when compared to other times of the day, according to a study.  Researchers at The University of Manchester, UK, suggested that integrating body clock biology into the planning of heart surgery could support a more personalised, precision medicine approach, as some people’s body clock makes them early birds and others make them night owls. The data, based on the analysis of national datasets comprising over 24,000 patients in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, showed late-morning surgery was linked to an 18 per cent higher risk of death -- almost one fifth -- from heart-related causes compared with early-morning surgery. And the most common surgical start time was 07:00 am to 09:59 am -- account...

In another significant achievement, doctors in the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS) at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhopal has successfully performed a complex cardiac surgery, giving a new lease of life to a man suffering from a serious medical condition.  The 30-year-old patient from Hoshangabad (now Narmadapuram district) had been suffering from severe health complications for the past six months, Dr Yogesh Niwariya, Head of the CTVS Department at AIIMS Bhopal, said on Monday. Dr Niwariya said the patient had a history of heart attack, paralysis and kidney dysfunction. In addition, several large clots were found in the left side of the heart (left ventricle), and the heart muscle was also weak. He said that because of the clots, the pati...