Health

Taking birth control pills or combined oral contraceptives containing both oestrogen and progestin may triple the risk of cryptogenic stroke in young women, according to a study. Strokes without a known cause are called cryptogenic. It accounts for up to 40 per cent of all ischaemic strokes in young adults. Despite its prevalence, the contribution of sex-specific risk factors, such as contraceptive use, has remained underexplored. The findings add to a growing body of evidence linking hormonal contraception to vascular risk in women of reproductive age. “Our findings confirm earlier evidence linking oral contraceptives to stroke risk,” said lead author Dr. Mine Sezgin, Department of Neurology, Istanbul University. “What’s particularly notable is that the association remains strong even...

Do you follow the social media trend of taping mouth while sleeping to help breathe from the nose instead of mouth? Beware, it could pose serious asphyxiation risks. Asphyxiation is a condition where oxygen is deficient in the body, often leading to impaired breathing or suffocation. When the nasal passages are blocked, breathing switches from the nose to the mouth. Mouth breathing has been linked to sleep-disordered breathing, which includes conditions ranging from snoring to obstructive sleep apnoea, where breathing stops and starts frequently during sleep. However, a recent trend amplified by social media has some people taping their mouths shut at night to treat sleep-disordered breathing by preventing mouth breathing. Mouth taping has been recommended by many social media influenc...

Acute stress can disrupt the brain`s ability to manage emotions, particularly in people with mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder, according to a study. Researchers from the Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Australia found that stress can temporarily impair executive functions, which are mental processes like working memory, impulse control, and flexibility, crucial for regulating emotions and making decisions under pressure, Xinhua news agency reported. "These executive functions are vital for controlling emotional responses, especially in challenging situations," said Tee-Jay Scott, from the varsity. "Our findings suggest that people with distress-related disorders may be more vulnerable to having these executive functions disrupted ...

At a time when the focus on health is more than ever in a post-Covid world, a new research has revealed a significant drop in anaemia among urban working women—driven by better preventive care, timely screenings, and improved nutrition awareness. The study conducted by Indian digital healthcare company Medibuddy, which analysed health records from 4,397 urban corporate employees, found that 32.67 per cent of women surveyed were anaemic — a significant reduction compared to the national urban average of 56.5 per cent reported by National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5, 2019–21) for women aged 15–49. Among male employees, our research shows anaemia prevalence was just 5.63 per cent, and NFHS-5 data also shows the urban average is lower of 25 per cent for men in the same age group. This imp...

The health of adolescents is at a tipping point, with more than 46 crore adolescents globally estimated to be obese and face several health and mental disorders by 2030, according to an analysis published by the Lancet Commission on Wednesday. In the second analysis on adolescent health and well-being since 2016, the Commission estimates that by 2030, one-third of adolescents in high-income countries in Latin America, and the Middle East will be overweight, underscoring the shortcomings in combating adolescent obesity. The analysis, based on data from the 2021 Global Burden of Disease study, projects that 46.4 crore (or 464 million) adolescents globally will be overweight or obese by 2030 -- 143 million more than in 2015. There will still be over 1 billion of the world`s adolescents (ag...

Among the largest consumers of tea globally, Indians take their plethora of teas very seriously. Everyone has their unique preferences, with varying ingredients and brewing methods which they are most eager to share. Sharing a hot cup of aromatic chai is what many would describe as a quintessential hosting experience in India.  While varieties of black tea have been traditionally been the most common, green tea and herbal infusions have steadily been making inroads through the health conscious.  On International Tea Day, celebrated every year on May 21, nutrition experts delve into the benefits of regional teas and share considerations to keep in mind to boost their prowess.  Exploring unique regional Indian teas and their benefitsSimilar to its bold regional cuisine, India boasts a ric...

While patients with psoriasis -- a chronic skin condition -- respond well to treatment with biologics, inflammation can linger, leading to broader health implications such as obesity and cardiovascular and fatty liver disease, according to a study. Psoriasis, with its systemic inflammatory nature, high risk of cardiovascular disease, and frequent use of biologic drugs, could provide a valuable framework for studying residual inflammation. The study, published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, could lead to more targeted and effective treatments that address the systemic aspects of psoriasis, beyond just the skin. "Despite excellent control of skin disease, a substantial percentage of psoriasis patients demonstrate residual systemic inflammation," said Joel M. Gelfand, Departm...

With media reports citing cases of Covid-19 infections surging in Southeast Asia, bringing fresh fears about the disease that affected millions of people and the global economy, health experts on Tuesday dismissed them as seasonal trends of flu. As per media reports, the weekly Covid-19 infections in Singapore surged by 28 per cent from 11,100 in late April to 14,200 in the first week of May, with hospitalisations also rising 30 per cent. Hong Kong recorded 31 virus-related deaths in the week ending May 3, the city’s highest weekly toll in a year. New infections in Hong Kong rose to 1,042 in the week ending May 10, up from 972 the previous week. “Rising Covid cases in Southeast Asia are attributed to seasonal trends of flu cases. Most of the cases are mild and do not need any hospitalis...

Amid evolving workplaces, young professionals in India are increasingly experiencing stress, according to a new report on Tuesday. The report by ADP, a global technology company, highlights the shifting emotional landscape of work, where generational differences in stress levels are increasingly evident. The report showed that young professionals (aged 27-39) have the highest stress levels, with 11 per cent saying they experience high stress, above the national average of 9 per cent. Just 51 per cent of workers aged 18-26 reported better stress management. On the other, older workers (aged 55-64) reported better stress management, with 81 per cent saying they feel stress less than once a week. Work overload was found as the major trigger for younger employees -- 16 per cent of those ag...

A common but dangerous hospital superbug has been found capable of digesting plastic used in medical devices, posing a significant threat to patient safety globally, including in India. The bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is responsible for up to 30 per cent of hospital-acquired infections, a new study has found. Researchers at Brunel University London have discovered that P. aeruginosa, a multidrug-resistant pathogen, can break down polycaprolactone (PCL) -- a plastic commonly used in sutures, implants and other medical equipment. The study, published in the journal Cell Reports, raises serious concerns about infection control in healthcare settings. It found that the bacterium can not only degrade PCL but also use it as a sole carbon source to fuel its growth -- a capability previo...