Health

The recent spotlight on samosas and jalebis due to the health advisory by the Union Health Ministry in July had led to quite a stir among Indian street food lovers. While the health messaging about hidden fats and excess sugar in various food items is not for vendors, it certainly serves as a warning for people who consume them frequently, especially so that they can check on how healthy these foods are, and how we are consuming them.  Among the many street foods popular in the city, the vada pav is Mumbai’s favourite street food, and undoubtedly nobody will give it up even for the sake of health. However, dietitians say there is more to the fried snack than meets the eye and express the need for caution. While there are minimal benefits, and the vada pav is tempting, they say it is impor...

Over six in every one thousand deliveries in India in 2020 could have been a stillbirth, with higher rates among urban mothers compared to rural, according to an analysis of data from national surveys and the civil registration system. Researchers, including those from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Gorakhpur, and the Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, also identified that stillbirth hotspots are located primarily in northern and central India. Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Rajasthan in north India recorded the highest rates of stillbirth, the findings published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia journal show. The team analysed data gathered from the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) and the 2020 report of the civil registra...

Women with Down syndrome have more advanced signs of Alzheimer`s disease than men do, according to research. However, the average age of Down syndrome diagnosis is the same for both men and women, said the University of California, Irvine. The study suggests that women with Down syndrome may carry a higher burden of beta amyloid and phosphorylated tau -- two hallmark Alzheimer`s proteins -- than men. It was particularly high in the occipital lobe in women with sporadic Alzheimer`s disease -- the more common, late-onset form of Alzheimer`s that occurs without a clear genetic cause. This insight points to the need for more sex-specific approaches in both Alzheimer`s research and treatment planning, especially in the design of clinical trials. "Understanding selective vulnerabilities with...

An analysis of blood samples from patients of chronic fatigue syndrome has revealed substances, or `biomarkers`, indicating the condition -- a finding which is seen as a "concrete step" towards developing a diagnostic blood test. Researchers from Cornell University, US, said that in the absence of lab tests for diagnosing the condition, doctors have to rely on patients reporting symptoms such as exhaustion, dizziness, disturbed sleep and `brain fog`. The team explained that when a cell dies, it leaves behind marks or "fingerprints" -- genetic material released into blood plasma, tissue injury and signs of other biological processes. "By reading the molecular fingerprints that cells leave behind in blood, we`ve taken a concrete step toward a test for (myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fa...

For Mumbaikars, the vada pav is an emotion and the quintessential roadside snack that simply cannot be replaced with any other street food. Available for a bare minimum of Rs 12 onwards, the street food encompasses the complete essence of the city’s love for batata vadas and pav.  In fact, even as TasteAtlas featured Mumbai on its list of `100 Best Food Cities in the World` in July, the city`s Vada Pav also made it to the list of `50 Best Sandwiches in the World` showcasing its global reach. It comes from the simplicity of the ingredients and process that often make it easy for many people to start their own stalls, that may make it one of the most popular street foods in the city.  While it is a favourite among the common man, there are many including those focused on their health and f...

A team of US scientists showed that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help detect early larynx or voice box cancer from the sound of the patient’s voice. Cancer of the voice box is an important public health burden. In 2021, there were an estimated 1.1 million cases of laryngeal cancer worldwide, and approximately 100,000 people died from it. Risk factors include smoking, alcohol abuse, and infection with human papillomavirus. The prognosis for laryngeal cancer ranges from 35 per cent to 78 per cent survival over five years when treated, depending on the tumour’s stage and its location within the voice box. Now, researchers from the Oregon Health & Science University showed that abnormalities of the vocal folds can be detected from the sound of the voice using AI. Such ‘vocal fold ...

Blowing into a conch might be more effective in easing symptoms of sleep apnoea -- in which one faces trouble breathing properly during sleep -- compared to deep breathing exercises, according to researchers from Jaipur in Rajasthan. Obstructive sleep apnoea is marked by muscles in the throat which relax and narrow one`s airways during sleep, thereby impacting breathing and oxygen levels in the blood. This results in a poor quality of sleep and fatigue or sleepiness during the day. The team, led by researchers from the Eternal Heart Care Centre and Research Institute, looked at 30 people, aged 19-65 and having moderate obstructive sleep apnoea. The study, published in the European Respiratory Journal Open Research, randomly assigned about half of the people to be trained in conch blowin...

Psoriasis, the autoimmune skin condition, can also affect the joints, leading to psoriatic arthritis, which may cause severe joint damage if not diagnosed and treated on time, warn experts. Psoriasis causes inflammation in the skin, resulting in dry, itchy, scaly patches, primarily on the scalp, elbows, knees, or lower back. This happend because the body’s immune system becomes overactive, causing an overproduction of skin cells. However, in some people, the same immune reaction also attacks the joints, leading to psoriatic arthritis. Speaking on the condition, Dr Shafiuddin Nadvi, orthopedic surgeon at Apollo Spectra Hospital in Mumbai, states, “Psoriatic arthritis is often missed or misdiagnosed because patients assume their joint pain is unrelated to their skin condition. Three in 10...

Amid increasing presence of Artificial Intelligence tools in healthcare, a new study warned that AI chatbots are highly vulnerable to repeating and elaborating on false medical information.  Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, US, revealed a critical need for stronger safeguards before such tools can be trusted in health care. The team also demonstrated that a simple built-in warning prompt can meaningfully reduce that risk, offering a practical path forward as the technology rapidly evolves. "What we saw across the board is that AI chatbots can be easily misled by false medical details, whether those errors are intentional or accidental," said lead author Mahmud Omar, from the varsity. "They not only repeated the misinformation but often expanded on it, offerin...

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...