Health

The bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes the world’s most infectious disease Tuberculosis (TB), can survive antibiotic treatment and live longer by changing their outer fat coating, according to a new study led by researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay on Wednesday.  Even with effective antibiotics and widespread vaccination campaigns, TB continues to take lives. Globally, 10.7 million people developed TB and 1.23 million died from the disease in 2024, while India carries one of the highest burdens -- over 2.71 million cases in 2024. In the study, published in the Chemical Science journal, the researchers showed that the key to the bacteria`s drug tolerance lies in their membranes -- complex barriers made mostly of fats, or lipids that protect the ...

Mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue could be the most rapidly escalating threats to humanity, followed by tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, with climate change emerging as a primary driver of disease escalation, according to a survey of over 3,700 health professionals and researchers from across 151 countries. Socioeconomic inequality, which can impact one`s access to healthcare, and antimicrobial resistance that can undermine treatments against wide-ranging infections may also contribute to disease escalation, said the participants, nearly 90 per cent of whom were based in low and middle-income countries. Climate change, poverty and drug resistance could be coming together to create an escalating health crisis that could become a "creeping catastrophe" if left unaddressed, findi...

A surprising link between constipation and kidney decline led researchers to test lubiprostone, revealing that it can protect kidney function. The results point toward gut-based, mitochondria-boosting therapies as a promising new avenue for CKD care. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects people across the globe and often progresses to the point where patients rely on routine dialysis to survive. Although the condition is widespread and serious, there are still no approved medications that can actively restore kidney function. A team led by Professor Takaaki Abe at the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine has uncovered an unexpected approach by repurposing a constipation medication. Their work marks the first time that this drug (lubiprostone) has been shown to slow the loss of k...

UK researchers have found a common childhood virus that can trigger DNA damage leading to bladder cancer later in life.  Tackling the virus early could open the door to preventing bladder cancer later, said the team from the University of York. The study, published in Science Advances, revealed that after being contracted in childhood, the BK virus usually lies dormant in the kidney. BK virus infections do not have obvious symptoms, but physicians have learned a lot about the virus from the experiences of kidney transplant recipients who have to take immunosuppressants to prevent the immune system from targeting their new kidney. In laboratory studies using the human tissue that lines the urinary tract (urothelium), the team observed DNA damage patterns caused by the cell`s antiviral d...

Standing three feet tall and aged just 25, Gujarat resident Ganesh Baraiya has scripted an inspiring tale of grit and determination, fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming a doctor and securing his first appointment as a medical officer. The man from a farming family, detected with 72 per cent locomotor disability, fought lengthy legal battles, leading up to the Supreme Court, to become a doctor and faced several other overwhelming odds, but the thought of giving up the fight never crossed his mind. His efforts have borne fruit and Baraiya last week joined Sir Takhtasinhji General Hospital, a government facility in Bhavnagar district, as a Medical Officer (Class-2). "Since childhood, whenever I was asked about my ambition, I used to say `I want to be a doctor`," disclosed the 25-yea...

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...