Health

Earlier this month, people around the world observed World Laughter Day on May 4. While laughing is a natural activity, many may often take it for granted. Finding those short moments of joy do a lot of good to our body not only physically but also mentally, say Mumbai health experts. Dr Ajit Dandekar, head – psychiatry & mental health, at Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital in Vile Parle West, says, “Genuine laughter works like a whole body exercise, setting off a chain reaction in the body; causing drop in stress chemicals such as cortisol and adrenaline, exercising the heart and blood vessels, helping them relax more efficiently, expanding the lung capacity and releasing endorphins which in many cases, act as mild, natural pain killers. Individuals who laugh frequently are more ...

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have in a new study unravelled how disrupted brain activity impacts cognitive functions in Parkinson’s patients.  The study focussed on altered reward processing in Parkinson’s patients to decode why Parkinson’s patients lack motivation and have impaired decision-making. Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder mainly causing shaky limbs, muscle stiffness, and slow movements. However, some Parkinson’s patients also manifest symptoms such as a lack of motivation or disability in experiencing pleasure, attributed to a lack of dopamine hormone. Commonly known as the ‘feel-good’ hormone, dopamine is generally produced when performing a pleasurable task or receiving a reward. Lack of dopamine in individuals with Par...

A new study has found three brain abnormalities common to insomnia, anxiety and depression -- and one of them is a smaller thalamus in the brain, which is linked to attention and memory problems. The other two are -- a weaker connectivity which hampers communication between brain regions and a reduced area of the cerebral cortex, a form of brain damage also impacting memory and language. Insomnia, or having trouble falling or staying asleep, has been studied to increase the risk of mental disorders, including anxiety and depression. "In addition, some abnormalities are unique to each disorder. For example, the severity of insomnia appears to be more closely related to smaller volumes in the brain areas associated with reward," author Elleke Tissink, from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam...

On World Hand Hygiene Day, observed annually on May 5, Saima Wazed, the Regional Director for the World Health Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia, emphasised that hand hygiene is not a luxury but a vital element of safe healthcare. This important day, which started with WHO`s Global Patient Safety Challenge in 2005, aims to promote the practice of hand hygiene, particularly in healthcare settings, to reduce infections associated with medical care. “Hand hygiene plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of health workers, patients, and their families during every healthcare encounter,” Wazed said. According to Wazed, it contributes directly to achieving universal health coverage and supports the global water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) agenda. “Additionally, it is a key measure in...

US scientists are undertaking a clinical trial to decode the efficacy of a long-acting antibody against Long Covid -- a condition that affects at least 65 million people worldwide.  Long Covid affects people after an infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The condition not properly defined yet presents with more than 200 symptoms. The team from the Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and the Schmidt Initiative for Long Covid (SILC) announced that a clinical trial is underway to assess the effectiveness and safety of sipavibart -- a long-acting monoclonal antibody designed by British drugmaker AstraZeneca’s to protect the condition. The team enrolled 100 patients in the multi-year research, reviewed and cleared by the FDA earlier this year. It aims to improve patients Long Covid sympto...

The CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technique has shown promise in fighting advanced colorectal cancer, according to results of the first-in-human clinical trial published in The Lancet Oncology.  The trial shows encouraging signs of the safety and potential effectiveness of the treatment against metastatic gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. In the study, researchers used CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing to modify a type of immune cell called tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). They deactivated a gene called CISH and found that modified TILs were better able to recognise and attack cancer cells. "Despite many advances in understanding the genomic drivers and other factors causing cancer, with few exceptions, stage IV colorectal cancer remains a largely incurable disease," said Emil Lou, a gastrointes...

Unhealthy lifestyles are dramatically accelerating the ageing of the heart, contributing to a global rise in several cardiovascular diseases, finds a study, led by Indian-origin researchers in the UK. Using a new Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging technique, also known as cardiovascular MRI scan, researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) uncovered the "true age" of a heart. The MRI scan revealed how unhealthy lifestyles can dramatically accelerate the heart’s functional age. While among healthy people, the heart’s age was found to be similar to the chronological age, for patients with diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and atrial fibrillation, the functional heart age was significantly higher. “For example, a 50-year-old with high blood pressure might have a heart that w...

A virus long dismissed as a scientific oddity has been found hiding in plain sight, and it may help fight dangerous bacteria, according to a study. The study focussed on bacteriophages (phages) -- viruses that infect bacteria and come in many forms. In particular, researchers investigated telomere phages -- a type of phage that until now was considered a ‘curiosity’. These viruses aren`t just passive passengers as they may actually help good bacteria wipe out neighbouring bad ones, Xinhua news agency reported. Previous studies decoded only their unique DNA replication mechanism. The new study, published in Science Advances, discovered that bacteria carrying telomere phages produce toxins that kill off rival bacteria. Researchers from Monash University, Australia discovered that telomer...

Integrating mental health support in cancer care is important and will boost the health of both survivors and caregivers, according to a new study by oncologists at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. The study, published in the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, sheds light on the critical yet under-recognised psychological struggles faced by cancer survivors and their caregivers. More than affecting physical health, a cancer diagnosis raises fear, uncertainty, anxiety, and depression -- all of which can profoundly affect the quality of life not only for patients but also for caregivers. “We advocate for integrating mental health care into routine oncology services, expanding access to psycho-oncology, and recognising caregivers` needs,” corresponding a...

Are you addicted to playing online games like PUBG? Prolonged gaming addiction can lead to spinal deformity and paralysis, said doctors here, who treated a 19-year-old boy suffering from the condition. The adolescent boy spent almost a year isolated in his room and engaged in excessive gaming for up to 12 hours a day. He suffered a gradual loss of appetite for physical activity and school and eventual social withdrawal. The increasing dependence on online gaming finally resulted in an abnormal curvature of the spine and problems in walking and passing urine. “This excessive gaming led to a significant kypho-scoliotic spinal deformity," according to a statement from the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC) in New Delhi. The doctors stated that the boy developed severe kypho-scoliotic de...