Health

Scientists from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru, have developed a new low-cost sensor that can help detect toxic sulphur dioxide (SO2) gas responsible for respiratory irritation, asthma attacks, and long-term lung damage, at extremely low concentrations, said the Ministry of Science and Technology on Friday.  CeNS, Bengaluru is an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), under the Ministry. SO2 is a toxic air pollutant commonly released from vehicles and industrial emissions, and even minute exposure can cause serious health issues and long-term lung damage. It is hard to detect before it has an adverse effect on health. While real-time monitoring of SO2 levels is essential for human health and environment existing technologi...

US researchers have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) model that significantly outperforms current clinical guidelines in identifying patients at high risk of sudden cardiac death.  The AI system, known as Multimodal AI for Ventricular Arrhythmia Risk Stratification (MAARS), integrates cardiac MRI images with a wide range of patient health records to detect hidden warning signs, offering a new level of precision in cardiovascular risk prediction, Xinhua News Agency reported. The study, published in the journal Nature Cardiovascular Research, focused on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy -- one of the most common inherited heart conditions and a leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young people. "Currently we have patients dying in the prime of their life because they aren`t prot...

Women with poor cardiovascular health may be at a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes and coronary artery calcium (CAC) in midlife, according to a study. CAC refers to the buildup of calcium deposits in the walls of the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart. It is a significant indicator of heart disease risk. The findings, published in JAMA Cardiology, suggest that gestational diabetes is a marker of pre-pregnancy cardiovascular health. It also underscores the importance of healthcare providers in helping patients improve their cardiovascular health both prior and after pregnancy. "We need to optimise cardiovascular health early in the life course," said lead author Natalie Cameron, instructor in the Department of Medicine`s Division of General Internal Medicine...

The widespread belief that left-handed people are more creative may not be true, according to researchers who analysed studies published since the 1900s that examined the relationship between handedness and creativity. Researchers from Cornell University in the US and The Chinese University of Hong Kong discovered that right-handed individuals may be more creative. The findings were published in the journal `Psychonomic Bulletin and Review`. Left-handed individuals, often referred to as "lefties", make up about 10 per cent of the global population and are frequently perceived as more creative, the researchers claim. This perception may stem from the idea that both left-handedness and creative genius are rare, leading to the assumption that one explains the other. Moreover, left-handed ...

As the days go by, more doctors stress on the need to take care of one’s health, which can get affected in so many different ways today. While some find the strength to deal with the challenges, it often takes a toll on many people and their families, who are also a part of the journey with them.  Many may often lose hope but hope but even as life gets tougher, there are many inspiring medical miracles that are taking place across the city, and India, giving a new lease of life to people that are not only young but also old, helping them to look forward to a brighter future.  Mumbai doctors save terminal prostate cancer patient`s life with lutetium therapyDoctors at a Mumbai hospital have successfully treated a 66-year-old man suffering from advanced metastatic prostate cancer, deliverin...

Adopting a healthier lifestyle is more effective than using the anti-diabetes drug metformin, with the benefits persisting over 20 years later, according to a study. The US Diabetes Prevention Program, launched in 1996, enrolled 3,234 patients with prediabetes from 30 institutions across 22 states. The study aimed to compare the benefits of metformin and a lifestyle modification that included exercise and a healthy diet. Researchers from The University of New Mexico, US, found that making lifestyle changes lowered the development of diabetes by 24 per cent, while the anti-diabetes drug lowered it by 17 per cent. The findings are published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology journal. The team noted that differences between the two approaches -- taking metformin and adopting a healt...

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have identified a previously unknown trigger of diabetes in collagen -- the most abundant protein in the human body -- that is also worsening the blood sugar condition.  The study, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, showed how collagen accelerates the clumping of hormones in the pancreas, finding a potential new drug target. In Type 2 diabetes which affects more than 500 million people worldwide, either not enough insulin -- a hormone essential for regulating blood sugar levels -- is produced, or the body’s cells become less responsive to it, resulting in high blood sugar levels. And when the body tries to release more insulin, it also ends up making more amylin -- another hormone that helps control b...

Indians have for the longest time been eating with their hands but somehow it always seems to be troublesome in the West, as is the case of Indian-origin Zohran Mamdani, who has been in the news for his role in the New York mayoral candidacy. Amid his growing popularity as a favourite to get the post, the politician who is the son of much-loved filmmaker Mira Nair, was subject to unnecessary criticism because of his way of eating food.  Amid heated competition, Republican Brandon Gill slammed Mamdani for eating rice with his hands in an old video. In a post on X, he said, “Civilized people in America don’t eat like this. If you refuse to adopt Western customs, go back to the Third World." Civilized people in America don’t eat like this.If you refuse to adopt Western customs, go back to...

In a significant achievement for identifying neurodegenerative diseases early, a team of US researchers has developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that helps clinicians detect brain activity patterns linked to nine types of dementia using a single and widely available scan.  The tool, StateViewer, not only helped in early detection but also provided accurate diagnosis -- it identified the dementia type in 88 per cent of cases, including Alzheimer`s disease. It also enabled clinicians to interpret brain scans nearly twice as fast and with up to three times greater accuracy than standard workflows, according to the research, published online in the journal Neurology. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic trained and tested the AI on more than 3,600 scans, including images from patie...

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) astronaut and Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), conducted a series of scientific experiments on Monday focused on muscle health, digestion in space, and astronaut mental well-being. According to NASA, Shukla worked inside the Kibo laboratory`s Life Sciences Glovebox to study how muscle stem cells behave in microgravity. He also recorded an educational video for Indian school students explaining how the human digestive system adapts in space. NASA said, "Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla filmed a video targeted to young Indian students discussing how the digestion system adapts to space. Next, Shukla worked in Kibo`s Life Science Glovebox checking muscle ...