Health

A newly developed blood test may aid in predicting the risk of developing severe liver disease within 10 years, according to a study.  The study, by researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, showed that the simple blood analysis, if applied in primary care, may accelerate the detection of cirrhosis and cancer of the liver. "These are diseases that are growing increasingly common and that have a poor prognosis if detected late," said Rickard Strandberg, affiliated researcher at the Institutet`s Department of Medicine, who developed the test. "Our method can predict the risk of severe liver disease within 10 years and is based on three simple routine blood tests," Strandberg added. For the study, published in the journal The BMJ, the researchers evaluated how well the method ...

Adopting healthy lifestyles can help significantly reduce risk of heart disease, said Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Monday on World Heart Day.  World Heart Day is observed every year on September 29 to raise awareness about various heart diseases and the importance of early detection. “World Heart Day highlights the importance of cardiovascular health and encourages proactive measures to prevent heart-related illnesses. It provides a vital platform to spread awareness about maintaining a strong and healthy heart through balanced nutrition, regular exercise, and stress management,” Nadda said in a post on social media platform X. “By adopting healthy lifestyles, individuals can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease and improve overall well-being. Observing this day inspires ...

New research shows that liver fat, rather than bodyweight, is the key factor predicting which children with obesity will develop serious health problems, Israeli scientists announced on Sunday. A study by Tel Aviv University and the Dana Dwek Children`s Hospital in Tel Aviv suggests that obesity in children does not automatically spell poor health. Instead, researchers found that the amount of fat in the liver -- not bodyweight alone -- may be the key factor in predicting whether obese children develop serious illnesses. Fatty liver in children can lead to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and even liver cirrhosis later in life. The team examined 31 Israeli children with obesity, seeking to understand why some develop metabolic complications while others remai...

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain the leading cause of disease burden, causing one in three deaths worldwide in 2023, according to a study on Wednesday.  The study showed that the number of cardiovascular disease deaths worldwide has risen sharply, climbing to 19.2 million in 2023 from 13.1 million in 1990. The heart-related mortality was driven by population growth, ageing, and exposure to a broad range of risks, including increasing rates of obesity and diabetes, as revealed by the report based on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study, and published today in JACC. Ischemic heart disease affected an estimated 240 million people in 2023, while lower extremity peripheral arterial disease impacted 122 million; stroke remained a leading cause of death and disability across all region...

Heart diseases are the leading cause of deaths in South-East Asia, with the condition claiming the lives of eight people every minute, said the World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday, ahead of World Heart Day.  World Heart Day is observed every year on September 29 to raise awareness about heart diseases and the importance of early detection to save and improve more lives. The theme this year is ‘Don’t Miss a Beat’. “Every minute, eight people die due to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in the WHO South-East Asia Region. CVDs are a leading cause of death in the region, half of them premature, in people below 70 years of age,” said Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia. Major risk factors for CVDs include hypertension, diabetes, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, ...

‘India is the diabetic capital of the world, is only going to get worse from here.’- revealed a Mumbai-based ophthalmologist during a virtual press interaction on Friday, stressing the urgent need to address the silent yet devastating complications of retinal diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy. With at least 1 in 5 adults estimated to have diabetes in India, and the ever-changing lifestyle and dietary shift of the younger age groups especially, Ophthalmologists are raising concern over the increasing incidence of diabetic retinopathy among young adults, with cases now being detected within just three to five years of a diabetes diagnosis. Diabetic retinopathy occurs when high blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels in the retina. It was once considered a condition only affecting o...

Mental well-being is central to preventing chronic and non-communicable diseases, especially heart disease, experts said on Friday.  India has recently seen a significant rise in the number of heart diseases, especially among young adults and even children. “If we want to address India’s heart health crisis, we need to shift from a curative mindset to cultivating genuine health-seeking behaviour across our families, schools, and communities,” said Rajesh Bhushan, former Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, at a city-based event held ahead of the World Heart Day on September 29. The expert urged the need for integrating mental health into the healthcare regimen. He also urged schools to foster mental well-being in children. “Alongside regular exercise and stress management,...

Yearly deaths from cancer could rise by nearly 75 per cent in the next 25 years to 18.6 million with a country`s economic growth and an increasingly ageing population being major driving factors, according to a global study published in The Lancet journal. New cases of cancer are estimated to increase by 61 per cent to 30.5 million in 2050. Researchers also estimated that since 1990, deaths from cancer increased 74 per cent to 10.4 million and new cases more than doubled to 18.5 million in 2023, with majority of those living in low and middle-income countries affected. India was found to see a jump of 26.4 per cent in cancer rates between 1990-2023 -- among the highest in the world. China was found to see a fall in rates by 18.5 per cent. The team added that more than 40 per cent of de...

A new survey has highlighted how sleep deprivation, early onset of chronic diseases, and neglect of preventive care are undermining productivity during employees’ most productive years. It also reveals a critical disconnect. While companies are investing heavily in wellness programs, the outcomes are not matching the scale of investment. The survey is a part of The India Workplace Wellbeing Report 2025: From Access to Outcomes, released by Truworth Wellness, a corporate wellness solution provider, based on health data from over 46,000 employees across industries, offers an in-depth view into the hidden health risks shaping India’s workforce and the urgent need for organisations to move from one-size-fits-all wellness initiatives to measurable, targeted outcomes. The key findings of the r...

Researchers at the National Institute of Technology Rourkela (NIT Rourkela) have developed a low-cost and indigenous force plate that enhances gait profiling and enables better development of footwear and treatment strategies to reduce heel pain.  Heel pain is one of the most widespread foot ailments in adults. It is often linked to overloading of the plantar fascia -- a band of tissue that supports the arch of the foot. However, in many cases, changes in the heel pad -- a fatty tissue under the heel can also cause the problem. This issue acts as a shock absorber when we stand, run, or walk. With too much stress, the heel pad loses its cushioning ability to the foot, causing pain and discomfort. The condition can also be caused by aging, injury, obesity, diabetes, and ill-fitting shoes. ...