Health

Flexible health insurance plans have seen an upsurge of almost 300 per cent in the last five years in India, said a report on Tuesday.  The report by Mercer Marsh Benefits (MMB) showed that even as the workforce in the country is evolving, organisations are reinventing benefits to meet diverse employee needs. Beyond statutory provisions, companies are increasingly introducing innovative solutions like flexible health insurance plans. The inclusive coverage options focus on parents, siblings and wellness programme, and financial planning tools. These forward-thinking approaches not only enhance employee well-being but also help attract and retain top talent in a competitive landscape, the report said. "Employee benefits in India are no longer just about healthcare coverage; they are evol...

Drinking alcohol has always been associated with being cool. Most often than not, non-drinkers are either forced to drink in their social circles or are made fun of for not drinking alcohol.  This comes at a time when people know the many benefits of not drinking alcohol. It has been recommend by doctors and nutritionists on every occasion they can, and rightfully so.  In a recent post on X, celebrity nutritionist dropped just one line but that serves as a reminder about the act of drinking. She said, "Not drinking is a choice, don`t explain it".  The tweet has now got over 19,200 views, 688 likes, 95 reshares, nine comments, 23 bookmarks and nine comments -- all an indication of how people feel about the act of drinking, if not for following Diwekar`s advice.One user by the name of `@I...

The beloved festival of Holi is around the corner, and if you find yourself dreading the havoc it can wreak on your skin, you are not alone. While many indulge in play with organic colours, it is difficult to eliminate the possibility of coming across synthetic colours. The harsh chemicals present in a variety of synthetic colours may lead to skin irritation, and reactions, especially for those who have sensitive skin. With appropriate precautions and post-Holi care, it is possible to avoid harmful reactions and ensure the wellbeing of your skin health. This Holi, dermatologists outline common allergies, simple preventive measures, home remedies, and step-by-step strategies for treating irritations by offering tailored advice for different skin types to minimise sin damage.  3-step colour...

In a ground-breaking discovery, researchers at RGCB- National Institute under the Ministry of Science & Technology (Department of Biotechnology) have found the relation between mRNA processing to oxidative stress response, a condition that plays a major role in the pathogenesis of many ailments like cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, alongside ageing. Oxidative stress, particularly, in the heart, is critical in different conditions, including hypertension, heart failure, hypoxia, ischemia-reperfusion injury, atherosclerosis, and hypertrophy (excessive development of an organ or part). The team of researchers at Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), led by Dr Rakesh S. Laishram (Scientist), Dr Feba Shaji and Dr Jamshaid Ali, noted that during ...

About 40 per cent of adults experiencing chronic, persistent pain could also have anxiety or depression, a study has found. It observed that women, youngsters and those suffering from nociplastic pain such as fibromyalgia are most likely to experience such pain. Nociplastic pain arises from changes in how ones central nervous system processes pain. Fibromyalgia is a condition marked by widespread body ache and tenderness, along with fatigue, and mood and sleep disorders. During the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open, the researchers reviewed 376 surveys, involving nearly 3.5 lakh people from across 50 countries. The participants were aged about 50 years on average, and about 70 per cent were women. The most commonly reported chronic p...

Sleep debt and night shifts increase the risk of several common infections, according to a study on Monday.  According to researchers from Norway, sleep debt, defined as the gap between sleep need and actual sleep duration, increased infection risk in a dose-dependent manner. The study, published in the journal Chronobiology International, examined the effects of sleep patterns and shift work on the immune system among 1,335 nurses from Norway. The findings showed that shift work -- particularly night shifts -- was associated with a higher risk of several infections, including the common cold. The risk of pneumonia/bronchitis was 129 per cent higher for nurses with moderate sleep debt and 288 per cent for severe sleep debt. Both sinusitis and gastrointestinal infections also showed hig...

About 75 per cent of consumers and 97 per cent of primary care providers (PCPs) in India are ready to embrace artificial intelligence (AI)-powered healthcare solutions for tasks such as disease prediction, risk assessment, and diagnosis, a new report said on Thursday. The report by, ZS -- a leading management consulting and technology solutions firm -- showed how India is on the brink of a healthcare transformation, driven by unprecedented levels of trust in AI. It highlights that over 60 per cent of Indians are open to adopting virtual care models for services ranging from routine consultations to chronic disease management -- marking a pivotal shift toward digital-first healthcare. Further, more than 63 per cent of Indians show a strong interest in using AI-powered health apps for var...

India’s elderly population is expected to reach 346 million by 2050, a new report said on Saturday.  In 2024, the senior population stood at 157 million, according to the report by the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI) in collaboration with KPMG. The increase to 346 million will constitute over 20.6 per cent of the country’s total population. The report highlights the rapid demographic shift in India’s senior population and the urgent need for a structured, community-driven approach to senior living. “This shift underscores the need for a more structured and inclusive approach to senior living—moving beyond traditional care homes to vibrant, community-driven environments,” said the report, launched during the 6th edition of the New India Summit in ...

Teenagers who do not get the right amount of sleep may be at an increased risk for high blood pressure or hypertension -- a common risk factor for cardiovascular diseases -- warned research on Friday. Researchers from Pennsylvania State University in the US defined insomnia as reporting difficulty falling and/or staying asleep and defined objective short sleep duration as less than 7.7 hours, based on the median total time asleep in a lab-based sleep study. The study on more than 400 teenagers in the US showed that teenagers who reported insomnia and slept less than 7.7 hours were five times more likely to have clinical hypertension than "good sleepers" (those who did not report insomnia and obtained sufficient sleep defined as 7.7 hours or more). Teenagers who slept less than 7.7 hours...

Severe bleeding -- haemorrhage -- high blood pressure disorders like preeclampsia is responsible for over one lakh pregnancy-related deaths worldwide, according to a new study, released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday. In 2020, there were an estimated 287,000 maternal deaths in total – equivalent to one death every two minutes. The study, published in the journal The Lancet Global Health, showed that haemorrhage -- mostly occurring during or following childbirth -- is responsible for nearly a third (27 per cent or 80,000) of maternal mortality, with preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders contributing to an additional 16 per cent or 50,000 deaths. Preeclampsia is a serious condition characterised by high blood pressure that can lead to haemorrhage, strokes, orga...