Health

A new study explains a possible reason why sometimes taking a nap break helps people perform better when they resume a task -- during sleep, short-term information related to the task at hand is converted into long-term, stronger memory, researchers found. The team, led by researchers from Harvard Medical School, US, monitored brain activity of 25 participants as they were learning a typing sequence, followed by taking a nap. During sleep, areas in the cortex -- brain`s outermost layer that helps with higher-level functions such as memory -- that were active while the participants worked showed more rhythmic, repetitive patterns, indicating that information related to the task is being processed, the team found. The results, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, also show that an in...

The brain might become the target of new type 1 diabetes treatments and pave a better way for insulin management, according to a study.  Researchers had, over a decade ago, found that an acute complication of type 1 diabetes -- diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) -- can be resolved with the hormone leptin, even in the absence of insulin. In the analysis, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the team explained how leptin affects the brain and how it might be used in future therapeutics. DKA happens when the body is unable to make insulin and begins to break down fat for fuel. This can lead to a life-threatening buildup of sugar (glucose) and ketoacids in the blood. Doctors have typically administered insulin to address the complication. But evidence now shows that, when insulin i...

Ahead of the UN treaty on plastics, a new report in The Lancet journal on Monday has warned that plastic pollution is an underrecognised threat to the health of both humans and the planet, which must be addressed immediately. The report, led by a group of international experts, reviews the current evidence on how plastics -- including microplastics and plastic chemicals -- impact health. “Plastics are a grave, growing, and under-recognised danger to human and planetary health. Plastics cause disease and death from infancy to old age and are responsible for health-related economic losses exceeding $1.5 trillion annually,” said corresponding author Prof Philip J Landrigan, from Boston College, US. The report discusses evidence that plastics endanger human health at every stage of their li...

Multiple sclerosis (MS) may begin far earlier than previously thought. Canadian researchers have decoded that the earliest warning signs of the immune system disorder may emerge more than a decade before the first classical neurological symptoms occur. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, challenge long-held assumptions about when the disease truly begins, offering the most comprehensive picture to date of how patients engage with a range of health care providers in the years leading up to a diagnosis as they search for answers to ill-defined medical challenges. "MS can be difficult to recognise as many of the earliest signs -- like fatigue, headache, pain and mental health concerns -- can be quite general and easily mistaken for other conditions," said senior author Dr. Helen T...

Nearly 70 per cent of India`s elderly population remains financially dependent, with many continuing to work post-retirement to survive, according to a new report. The study, "Ageing in India: Challenges and Opportunities," was released by the Sankala Foundation in partnership with NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, and the National Human Rights Commission. It draws on findings from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI), offering a detailed snapshot of India`s rapidly greying population. Despite improved life expectancy, the report highlights that many elderly Indians live with economic and health insecurities. The report said that about 6.4 per cent of the elderly reduced their meal sizes, 5.6 per cent went hungry without eating, and 4.2 per cent did n...

The recent death of a 26-year-old man in Hyderabad, who collapsed while playing badminton and succumbed to a suspected heart attack, has once again drawn attention to the growing incidence of heart-related issues among young people. Health experts advise young working professionals, especially those in high-stress sectors like IT, to adopt healthier lifestyles from an early age and undergo regular preventive health check-ups to reduce the risk. Sagar Bhuyar, Senior Consultant Cardiologist at Kamineni Hospitals in Hyderabad, on Sunday said the heart conditions that were once seen in individuals in their 60s are now increasingly being diagnosed in people as young as 30. "Slow narrowing of the blood vessels has shifted to third (30s) and fourth decade (40s) from 60s. Reason is sedentary li...

A team of Indian scientists has found a new way to treat liver cirrhosis, by targeting the lymphatic vessels in the liver and intestine that fail in case of cirrhosis.  Chronic liver disease can progress from mild disease to fibrosis to cirrhosis (also known as scarring). Cirrhosis is accompanied by the distortion of both blood and lymphatic vessels in the liver and the intestine. Patients with advanced cirrhosis often develop complications like fluid accumulation in the abdomen. A team of scientists from the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), New Delhi, and National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Guwahati, focussed on improving the drainage capacity of lymphatic vessels in the liver and intestine by using nanocarriers filled with a powerful pro...

Indian snacks are delicious, if not mouthwatering, and that is what makes them irresistible, especially the classic vada or samosa pav in Mumbai that have become synonymous with street food here. While the vada pav is a guarded treasure in the Maximum City, samosas have been in the news in the last few weeks. In July, it was about the apparent need for health labels on the Indian fried snack apart from jalebi, to promote healthy choices by highlighting the risks, and this week, Ravi Kishan brought up the samosa, along with dal tadka, during the zero hour of the Monsoon Session in the Lok Sabha.  The BJP MP and actor highlighted the samosa prices and portion size, and the unique need for uniformity across India. With the samosa in the spotlight again, the snack’s contents and health benefi...

A study has described how prolonged exposure to heat -- especially under increased global warming -- can impact cognition of school children, affecting long-term learning and the ability to handle complex tasks. Researchers from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and University of New South Wales in Australia reviewed data from seven previously published studies involving nearly 14.5 million students from 61 countries, including India. Findings published in the journal PLOS Climate point to impacted learning capacity of students under a long-term exposure to heat, with performance in complex tasks, such as mathematical, hit harder than that in simpler ones, including reading. As the planet continues to get warmer, deficits in learning abilities among the youth can accumulate, p...

Lung cancer is among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths across India. The disease often progresses silently, with symptoms appearing only in the advanced stages. It occurs when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably in one or both lungs.The major cause is tobacco smoking, including passive smoke exposure, but it can also result from air pollution, genetic factors, and long-term exposure to harmful substances like asbestos or radon.  Every year, World Lung Cancer Day is observed on August 1 around the globe, to raise awareness about lung cancer, and not only how it affects people but also why research is important. While that is ongoing, a lot can be done before hand, especially when diagnosed early, lung cancer is not only treatable but also curable. Doctors in Mumbai are urging peop...