Health

Eating bananas or broccoli, rich in potassium, may effectively help lower hypertension - affecting over 30 per cent of adults globally, according to a study. Hypertension or high blood pressure is the leading cause of coronary heart disease and stroke and may also lead to other afflictions like chronic kidney disease, heart failure, irregular heartbeats, and dementia. Researchers from the University of Waterloo, Canada, found that increasing the ratio of dietary potassium to sodium intake may be more effective for curbing blood pressure levels than simply reducing sodium intake. "Usually, when we have high blood pressure, we are advised to eat less salt," said Anita Layton, Professor of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Pharmacy and Biology at the University of Waterloo. "Our rese...

New research has revealed that Schistosoma haematobium (S. haematobium), a parasitic infection affecting millions globally, can trigger cancer-related gene activity in the cervical lining, with changes becoming even more pronounced after treatment.  Presented at the ‘ESCMID Global 2025’ in Austria, this pivotal study sheds new light on how this often-overlooked parasitic disease may contribute to cervical cancer risk at the molecular level. Certain cancer-related biological pathways became more active post-treatment, particularly those involved in inflammation, tissue remodelling and the breakdown of protective barriers in the cervix. These changes were linked to increased blood vessel formation, activation of tumour-related processes, and reduced programmed cell death (apoptosis)—a key...

More than three million children worldwide lost their lives in 2022 due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR)-related infections, a new landmark study has revealed.  The study, presented today at ‘ESCMID Global 2025’ event in Vienna, Austria, underscores the urgent need for both regional and global strategies to control paediatric AMR, particularly in high-burden areas such as South-East Asia and Africa. AMR poses a critical threat to children, who are highly vulnerable to infections. Access to new antibiotic formulations is often much more limited for children because of product development delays. The study data found that in 2022 alone, more than 752,000 children in Southeast Asia and 659,000 children in Africa died of AMR-associated complications. Many of these deaths were linked to th...

Israeli researchers have developed a new RNA-based blood test for detecting Parkinson`s disease long before symptoms emerge.  Parkinson`s is often diagnosed only after significant brain damage has occurred, when most relevant neurons are already lost, underscoring the need for early detection. The new method, detailed in the journal Nature Aging, measures specific RNA fragments in the blood, Xinhua news agency reported. It focuses on two key biomarkers: a repetitive RNA sequence that accumulates in Parkinson`s patients, and mitochondrial RNA -- which declines as the disease progresses, said the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU). By measuring the ratio between these fragments, the test can identify the disease in its early stages. "This discovery represents a major advancement in our...

Authorities in several countries of Central Europe are working to contain an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease among cattle populations that has caused widespread border closures and required the killing of thousands of animals. The outbreak was first detected on a cattle farm in northwestern Hungary in early March, and animals on three farms in neighbouring Slovakia tested positive for the highly transmissible virus two weeks later. Since then, animals from an additional three farms in Hungary and another three in Slovakia have tested positive for the virus, the first outbreak of the disease in either country in more than half a century. "Everything is completely upside down in the area as farmers fear for their own herds and transportation is disrupted by border closures, said Sándor...

Adults with respiratory syncytial virus-associated acute respiratory infection (RSV-ARI) are likely to be at a 2.7-fold higher risk of death within one year, warned a study.  RSV-ARI refers to a group of illnesses caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) -- a common and highly contagious virus that primarily affects the respiratory tract.      The study presented at the Congress of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID Global 2025) in Austria, is based on an analysis of data from 5,289 adults (over 18 years) diagnosed with RSV-ARI between 2011 and 2022 in Denmark. They were compared to 15,867 matched controls from the general population and followed up to a year after RSV-ARI onset.    “One of the most striking findings from this study was the ...

Every year, World Parkinson’s Disease Day is observed on April 11 around the world to raise awareness about the progressive neurological disorder, that currently has no cure. While a lot more people know about the disease now than before, there is still a lot more research needed to be done to find a cure, apart from medical assistance.  Over the years, there are many people who have been diagnosed with the condition, and among them have been several celebrities including actors, musicians, sportspersons and even a religious head. While there may be many more, they have chosen to keep it private, however, some of these celebrities have chosen to raise awareness, and even advocate for it through their initiatives. Here are five notable figures who suffer from Parkinson’s Disease: Michael...

A team of US researchers has found a new drug delivery system that showed more efficacy and improved the treatment of a rare eye cancer that spreads to liver.  The multi-institutional study led by Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida, US, found that percutaneous hepatic perfusion using a melphalan hepatic delivery system may help patients with metastatic uveal melanoma (mUM) -- a traditionally hard-to-treat cancer and with usually poor outcomes. Melphalan/Hepatic Delivery System is a drug or medical device combination used for liver-directed treatment of unresectable mUM patients. This study assessed the efficacy and safety of the melphalan hepatic delivery system versus the best alternative care. The results, published in the Annals of Surgical Oncology, showed that the treatment with the...

A team of UK researchers has found evidence on how "immunity debt," caused by extended periods of restrictions during Covid-19 pandemic, is causing changes in global transmission patterns of flu. "Immunity debt" is a phenomenon where populations become more susceptible to infections after extended periods of reduced exposure. While the hypothesis was widely accepted, until now there has been little evidence to back up the theory. The Covid pandemic led many countries around the world to implement strict public health measures like lockdowns, social distancing, mask-wearing, and travel restrictions. While these steps were crucial and effective in controlling the spread of Covid, they led to a dramatic drop in cases of other illnesses like influenza (flu) and respiratory viruses. However...

Suffering from migraine headaches and body pain? Blame your poor oral health, according to a study on Wednesday. The study, which focussed on women, identified specific oral microbes correlated with certain pain conditions. It also suggested a potential relationship between the oral microbiome and the nervous system. The research examined associations between self-reported oral health, the oral microbiome, and various pain presentations in a group of 67 women from New Zealand with and without fibromyalgia -- a chronic condition characterised by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbances. The results, published in the journal Frontiers in Pain Research, showed that lower oral health was a statistically significant predictor of frequent and chronic migraine. “This i...