Health

Early-life exposure to small particle air pollution and outdoor artificial light at night could increase the risk of paediatric thyroid cancer, a new study led by researchers at Yale University in the US has suggested. The team found a “significant association” between exposure to ambient fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5) and outdoor artificial light at night (O-ALAN) and increased risk of papillary thyroid cancer in children and young adults up to 19 years old, according to the study published in Environmental Health Perspectives. The exposures occurred during the perinatal stage of life, typically defined as the time from when pregnancy occurs up to a year after birth. “These results are concerning, especially given how widespread both of these exposures are,” said Dr Nico...

Boosting awareness, early diagnosis, and improving access to care is crucial to fight haemophilia and other bleeding disorders in the country, said Union Minister JP Nadda on World Haemophilia Day on Thursday. World Haemophilia Day is observed every year on April 17 to raise awareness about bleeding disorders. The theme this year is: "Access for all: Women and Girls Bleed Too". Haemophilia is a rare bleeding disorder where blood does not clot properly, even in minor injuries. “On #WorldHaemophiliaDay, let’s raise awareness about haemophilia and other bleeding disorders, promote early diagnosis, and improve access to care,” said Nadda, in a post on social media platform X. “This year’s theme -- “Access for All: Women and Girls Bleed Too” -- urges us to recognise the unique challenges fa...

Every other week, we hear of people suffering from terminal diseases and that can often be difficult for many beyond the families to deal with, as they know of someone close who may have also suffered similarly.  Even as they stories come to light, there are others that give us hope as they are nothing short of medical expertise and in many cases miracles for the families, who were dealing with tough times. Here are some inspiring medical stories from the week: Boy who couldn`t poop finds reliefA two-year-old child suffering from a congenital condition that made him unable to pass stool naturally since birth has been successfully treated at a Mumbai hospital recently. The child, who had been solely dependent on daily enemas for over two years due to Hirschsprung’s disease, is now leading...

Medical experts on Friday emphasised the critical link between dietary habits and liver health, saying that healthy changes today can cut liver disease risk by 50 per cent. Ahead of the World Liver Day which falls on April 19, healthcare experts said that food is medicine, as cases of liver diseases among both urban and rural populations rise in the country. Doctors said that liver disease is no longer confined to alcohol abuse — there is a worrying rise in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) due to unhealthy eating patterns, obesity, and lack of exercise. A recent large-scale study published in Frontiers in Nutrition has reinforced the critical role of diet in liver health. Analysing data from over 121,000 participants in the UK Biobank, researchers found that individuals consum...

Liver diseases like hepatitis, fatty liver and cirrhosis are increasingly being seen in young adults aged 23-35, especially those with Type 2 diabetes.  Every year, World Liver Day is observed on April 19 around the globe to raise awareness and promote liver health, as well as educate people about liver diseases, risk factors, and how to prevent them, according to the World Liver Day organisation. According to experts, the growing number of liver-related complications in diabetic youth is a major cause for concern and requires timely intervention. There is a surge in cases of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and liver cirrhosis in younger adults, a shift from the older age group that traditionally battled these diseases. Doctors explain that diabetes is silently damaging the Liv...

A team of Canadian researchers has found plasticisers called phthalates, flame retardants, and other harmful chemicals in mattresses of babies and young children who are likely to breathe and absorb these while sleeping, increasing several health risks.  Researchers from the University of Toronto said these chemicals are linked to neurological and reproductive problems, asthma, hormone disruption, and cancer. "Sleep is vital for brain development, particularly for infants and toddlers. However, our research suggests that many mattresses contain chemicals that can harm kids’ brains,” said Miriam Diamond, Professor at the University of Toronto. “This is a wake-up call for manufacturers and policymakers to ensure our children’s beds are safe and support healthy brain development,” she adde...

People suffering from chronic pain -- or pain that lasts at least three months -- may be up to four times more likely to experience depression, according to a study.  Almost 30 per cent of people worldwide suffer from a chronic pain condition such as low back pain and migraines, and one in three of these patients also report co-existing pain conditions. The study published in the journal Science Advances shows that having chronic pain in multiple parts of the body was linked to a greater risk of depression than having pain at a single site. "Pain isn`t only physical," said Dustin Scheinost, Associate Professor of radiology and biomedical imaging at Yale School of Medicine (YSM). "Our study adds to the evidence that physical conditions can have mental health consequences," Scheinost add...

Rising temperatures may not only affect physical health, but could also increase the burden of mental and behavioural disorders (MBD) like schizophrenia and depression by almost 50 per cent by 2050, according to a new study.  The research led by the University of Adelaide highlights the urgent need to act now to protect mental health as the climate warms. Published in the journal Nature Climate Change, the study shows that high temperatures contributed to an annual loss of 8,458 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), representing 1.8 per cent of the total MBD burden in Australia. Young people aged 15 to 44 are particularly affected, with most losses linked to living with poor mental health. "The detrimental impacts of climate change on good mental health and emotional states have been...

A new pill has shown promise against antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea - a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) -, according to a study published in the journal The Lancet.  Cases of drug-resistant gonorrhoea have been increasing rapidly in recent years. If not treated promptly, gonorrhoea can result in serious complications, especially for women, in whom it can lead to increased risks of ectopic pregnancy and infertility. The new pill gepotidacin - developed by British drugmaker GSK and currently approved to treat urinary tract infections - could be the new treatment against gonorrhoea, as there have been no new antibiotics since the 1990s for the STI. The phase 3 trial, including 622 patients, found that gepotidacin is as effective as the current standard treatment for treating t...

People with a certain heart valve abnormality may be at an increased risk of developing severe heart rhythm disorders, also known as arrhythmias, according to a study on Tuesday.  Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden showed that the valve abnormality called Mitral annular disjunction (MAD) increases the risk of ventricular arrhythmias - a dangerous type of heart rhythm disorder that, in the worst case, can lead to cardiac arrest. The team found that the risk of arrhythmias persists even after successful valve surgery. MAD is often associated with a heart disease called mitral valve prolapse, which affects 2.5 per cent of the population and causes one of the heart`s valves to leak. This can lead to blood being pumped backward in the heart, causing heart failure and arrhyth...