Health

While gestational diabetes is known to affect the heart, women who follow healthy habits like proper weight, diet, and no alcohol or tobacco are 86 per cent less likely to experience any future risks to heart, according to a global study.  Gestational diabetes -- a condition characterised by elevated blood sugar during pregnancy -- remains one of the most common pregnancy complications worldwide. The research found that women who adopted a long-term commitment to a combination of five healthy lifestyle behaviours -- maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, regular physical activity, eating a high-quality diet, and moderate alcohol intake -- reduced their risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) by up to 86 per cent compared to those who did not adopt any of these habits. Remark...

In 2024, India witnessed a surge in cancer cases, with over 15 lakh people diagnosed with the deadly disease, said Prataprao Jadhav, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, on Friday. In a written reply to a query in Lok Sabha, Jadhav detailed the rising cases of cancer in the country. “The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has informed that as per the National Cancer Registry Programme (ICMR-NCRP) Data, the estimated incidence of cancer cases in the country for 2024 is 15,33,055,” Jadhav said. The incidence of cancer is rising steadily in the country – from 13.5 lakh in 2019 to 15.3 lakh in 2024. In 2020, 13.9 lakh cases were diagnosed. The cases spiked to 14.2 lakh in 2021, to 14.6 lakh in 2022, and 14.9 lakh in 2023, the Minister said. He further noted that “8...

In a heartfelt gesture of brotherly love, 32-year-old Anas from Palanpur, Gujarat, donated a part of his liver to save his 27-year-old sister, Humera, who underwent surgery at a Mumbai hospital due to complications arising from Wilson’s disease. Wilson’s disease is a rare genetic condition that leads to excessive copper build-up in the body. If left untreated, it can lead to progressive liver failure, neurological problems, and even death. When the siblings’ older brother Owais, was diagnosed with Wilson’s disease in 2017, the family experienced its first crisis. Following his diagnosis, medical professionals recommended that all his siblings undergo screening. The youngest, Humera, also tested positive. She started her course of medication in 2018, but over time, her health deteriorated...

UK scientists have discovered how some children develop natural immunity to Strep A, a common bacterial infection -- a vital breakthrough which could help develop vaccines to save up to half a million lives globally each year. While Strep A often causes a mild sore throat or skin infections, it sometimes be life-threatening. In low and middle-income countries hundreds of thousands of people die each year after contracting the infection. This increased risk is often linked to heart damage resulting from repeated infections. Researchers from the University of Sheffield were able to identify the specific antibodies that are linked to protection from the potentially fatal infection. "Our findings represent a significant step towards a safe and effective vaccine that could save around half ...

Increasing weight loss experienced by cancer patients that often leads to deaths may be caused by communication between the brain and liver, according to a study. Nearly a third of cancer-related deaths are caused by cachexia -- a currently incurable metabolic syndrome that involves substantial weight loss, including depletion of muscle mass and body fat. It also contributes to therapy resistance and increases mortality among affected patients. Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, US, have discovered that one of the reasons for this loss is disrupted communication between the brain and the liver. When the activity of the vagus nerve -- a major axis of brain-liver communication -- is dysregulated by cancer-tr...

About a fifth of those aged 45 and above were living with diabetes in 2019, with two in every five possibly unaware of their condition, according to data from a study among India`s ageing adults. Findings published in The Lancet Global Health also suggest that as the country`s population rapidly ages, diabetes cases among the middle-aged and older adults will increase, even if increase in prevalence of the condition in age-specific groups can be arrested, authors said. Researchers, including those from the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, and US, also found that 46 per cent of those aware of their diabetes regained a control over blood sugar levels, while around 60 per cent were able to control their blood pressure the same year. Six per cent were taking a lipid-...

The relationship with our brothers and sisters is one of love and hate, but the former always ends up growing more than the other, and that happens once we grow older but till then mischief thoroughly defines the bond.Siblings often hold a mirror to our truest selves, offering fierce honesty blanketed with unexpected tenderness, giving one a sense of companionship that stays with you no matter where life takes you.  From rivalry and resentment to relentless loyalty to quiet understanding, they shape who we are and how we love.  Be it Kabir and Ayesha from Dil Dhadakne Do, a sibling duo with starkly different personalities, yet they come together when the chips are down or Bonnie, Avery and Lucky in Blue Sisters who navigate loss and unresolved tensions while drawing strength from their s...

Love to eat potatoes? Consume the starchy vegetable baked or boiled, but not as French fries, according to a study which showed that eating the popular snack item thrice a week may increase the risk of diabetes by 20 per cent. The study, which tracked the diets of more than 205,000 adults over decades, however, showed that other forms of potatoes -- including baked, boiled, and mashed -- do not increase the risk of diabetes. The study, published in the BMJ, also found that swapping any form of potato for whole grains may lower the risk of diabetes. "The public health message here is simple and powerful: small changes in our daily diet can have an important impact on the risk of type 2 diabetes," said corresponding author Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard...

Are you someone who reaches for a cup of coffee every night? According to a new study, nighttime caffeine consumption can increase impulsive behaviour, potentially leading to reckless actions, especially among women. The findings could have negative implications for shift workers, health care, and military personnel who consume coffee at night, particularly females, said a team of biologists from The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). The study, published in the journal iScience, examined how nighttime caffeine intake affects inhibition and impulsivity in fruit flies. Drosophila melanogaster, the fruit fly species used in the study, is a powerful model to study complex behaviours due to its genetic and neural parallels with humans. The team designed a series of experiments introduc...

In one of the many medical miracles of this week, a hospital in Mumbai has performed cochlear implant surgery on a patient while she was awake. It not only gave her hope of getting her ability to hear back again but also ended her challenge, which she had to deal with for the last three years.  The surgery conducted at Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre in Peddar Road, was done on a 19-year-old girl from Worli, who lost her hearing due to anti-TB treatment. She underwent the innovative procedure under local anesthesia.  It was conducted by a team of ENT surgeons led by Dr Brajendra Baser who was assisted by Dr Umendra Agihari and Dr Divya Prabhat along with anesthesiologist Dr Rajani. The patient was brought to tears as she heard sounds for the first time in three years on the operat...