Health

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday lauded India for making ‘encouraging gains’ to end tuberculosis (TB), with narrowing detection gaps and reducing mortality.  According to the recently released WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2025, India’s TB incidence fell by 21 per cent -- from 237 TB cases per lakh population in 2015 to 187 per lakh population in 2024 -- almost double the pace of decline observed globally, at 12 per cent. The country’s TB mortality rate decreased from 28 per lakh population in 2015 to 21 per lakh population in 2024, reflecting significant progress in reducing deaths due to TB. The flagship TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, launched in December 2024, has achieved extensive reach, screening over 19 crore vulnerable individuals for TB across the country, leading to th...

Movember, widely recognised for its moustache-led movement to raise awareness of prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men’s mental health, has become a global symbol of male wellness. Yet in India, the message continues to be under-recognised, with awareness of these two major cancers still worryingly low. On International Men`s Day, observed annually on November 21, mid-day spoke to Dr Anil Heroor, Director – Oncological Sciences, and Dr Aakil Khan, Consultant Urologist, KIMS Hospitals, Thane. They highlight the early signs men tend to overlook, the myths that delay diagnosis, and what society must do to normalise year-round conversations about men’s health. Is awareness of prostate and testicular cancer still low in India? Dr Heroor: “Awareness has improved compared to a decade ago...

A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and Panjab University has developed a portable, automated optical device capable of detecting extremely low concentrations of pesticide residues in water, food, and the environment that can pose serious risks to human and environmental health.  Conventional laboratory methods for detecting such residues, particularly the commonly used organophosphate Malathion, are expensive, time-consuming, and require skilled personnel. The new research, supported by the Department of Science and Technology, under its ‘Technology Development and Transfer’ Programme, addressed the challenge by designing a field-deployable, user-friendly device that offers real-time, ultra-sensitive pesticide detection. The new ‘Smart MDD (Malath...

Hypertension can start impairing major brain cells responsible for cognition well before blood pressure increases by a measurable amount, according to a study conducted on mice, which can help explain how the condition is a major risk factor for cognitive impairment. Findings published in the journal Neuron suggest that hypertension may induce early changes in how genes in a brain cell express themselves and could interfere with one`s thinking and memory, researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College said. The study can provide clues for finding ways through which neurodegeneration -- seen in disorders such as Alzheimer`s -- could be blocked, they said. Having high blood pressure has been shown to heighten one`s risk of cognitive impairment, usually seen to precede Alzheimer`s disease ...

India`s battle against diabetes is entering a new phase as diagnostic data and clinical experts warn of a marked rise in the disease among younger adults. Once confined to middle age, Type 2 diabetes is now increasingly being detected in people in their twenties and early thirties, a shift doctors describe as both alarming and preventable. Recent Indian studies estimate that approximately 101 million adults in India are living with diabetes, with an additional 136 million exhibiting signs of pre-diabetes. Corresponding with this escalating health challenge, Mahajan Imaging and Labs, one of Delhi NCR`s leading integrated diagnostic chains, reports a significant surge in metabolic and glucose screenings among adults under 40 in 2025. Of those tested, nearly 38 per cent of fasting glucose r...

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras have identified measurable physiological indicators that can help pinpoint students most vulnerable to test anxiety, paving the way for new, targeted interventions that could revolutionise how educational systems approach stress and performance, according to officials. The research has been published in Behavioural Brain Research, an international peer-reviewed journal publishing studies on the neurobiological basis of behaviour and cognitive processes in humans and animals. The study sheds light on how the brain and heart interact differently in students who struggle with anxiety during exams, offering a scientific basis for early identification and personalised coping strategies. Test anxiety affects an estimated 81 per c...

A study by the Indian Council of Medical Research seeking to explain how a pregnancy is initiated has led to the discovery of a "genetic switch" that allows an embryo to implant itself on the wall of the womb, leading to conception. For a pregnancy to begin, the embryo must first attach and embed itself in the wall of the mother`s womb. But how this happens has remained a mystery. The findings, published in the international journal Cell Death Discovery, revealed a fundamental biological switch that controls embryo implantation. The study was a collaboration between the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health (ICMR-NIRRCH), Mumbai; Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, ...

German researchers have identified a gene that can lead to schizophrenia and other mental illnesses.  Until now, it was assumed that schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, or depression arise from an interplay of many different factors, including genetic ones. The research, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, identified the GRIN2A gene as a key factor. The study demonstrated that changes in GRIN2A can lead to schizophrenia. "Our current findings indicate that GRIN2A is the first known gene that, on its own, can cause a mental illness. This distinguishes it from the polygenic causes of such disorders that have been assumed to date," said lead author Professor Johannes Lemke, Director of the Institute of Human Genetics at the University of Leipzig Medical Centre. In the study, the ...

Exercise appears to spark a whole-body anti-ageing cascade, and scientists have now mapped out how it happens--and how a simple oral compound can mimic it. By following volunteers through rest, intense workouts, and endurance training, researchers found that the kidneys act as the hidden command center, flooding the body with a metabolite called betaine that restores balance, rejuvenates immune cells, and cools inflammation. Even more striking, giving betaine on its own reproduced many benefits of long-term training, from sharper cognition to calmer inflammation. A new study in the journal Cell from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University explains how exercise helps the body stay youthful. The researchers also highlight betaine -- a metabolite pro...

World Health Organization statistics reveal that an estimated 422 million people have diabetes globally, with the majority living in low-and middle-income countries. With India designated as the world`s “diabetes capital”, the nation is confronting a massive public health crisis.  However, among the biggest challenges is not just the sheer number of cases, but a core cultural issue: the stubborn myth of the `healthy` festive sweet that undermines effective dietary control.  This World Diabetes Day, nutrition experts debunk myths and actively challenge the widely held perception of popular traditional delicacies. Crucially, they also share practical strategies to navigate portion control, helping you ensure that indulgence remains manageable rather than harmful. Debunking the ‘healthy’ m...