Health

Millions of lives—and billions in healthcare costs—are at stake due to one critical but often ignored issue: failure to follow treatment plans. The World Heart Federation (WHF) warns that non-adherence to medication, lifestyle recommendations, and overall healthcare plans is fuelling preventable hospitalisations, worsening health outcomes, and straining healthcare budgets worldwide.  To address this crisis, WHF has partnered with leading institutions to mark March 27 as World Adherence Day—a global call to action to ensure patients stay on track with life-saving medicines and healthier lifestyles.   Across the globe, adherence rates to medical treatments and lifestyle changes are dangerously low. In high-income countries, it is estimated that more than 50 per cent of patients with chroni...

A recent study has made significant progress in uncovering the microscopic mechanism behind heavy-ion cancer therapy, which is expected to optimise cancer treatment strategies and promote the development of new radiotherapy technologies.  The findings, led by researchers from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and their collaborators, were recently published as a highlighted paper in the journal Physical Review X, Xinhua news agency reported. Heavy-ion therapy, a cutting-edge radiotherapy technique, uses heavy-ion beams to destroy cancer cells. Since the concept was proposed in 1946, over 50,000 patients worldwide have undergone heavy-ion treatment. "Under the same radiation dose, heavy ions exhibit two to three times greater cancer-cell-killing ef...

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi is expected to run human trials on India`s first indigenously developed MRI machine system in October.  The indigenous 1.5 Tesla MRI system for medical imaging will be built at the Indigenous Magnetic Resonance Imaging (IMRI) -- a national mission, sponsored by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) and being implemented at the Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research (SAMEER), an autonomous government institution under Meity. C-DAC (Trivandrum), C-DAC (Kolkata), IUAC (New Delhi), and DSI-MIRC (Bangalore) will work as collaborating agencies to design and develop the MRI system. Meity informed that "animal trials have been concluded". In addition, “the subsystems development an...

Even as the news of a woman in Kolkata being infected with Human Coronavirus HKU1 has raised fresh concerns, health experts on Monday said that the virus has been known for at least two decades and is less likely to cause any widespread infection. HKU1 was named after Hong Kong University where it was originally described in 2004. HKU1 is also known as Betacoronavirus hongkonense. It is a species of coronavirus that affects humans and animals. Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, Chairman, Scientific Committee, IMA Cochin told IANS that HKU1 is different from Covid-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. “HKU1 is one of several common cold-causing viruses that belong to the coronavirus group. It is not the same as Covid-19 and is not a new virus,” Jayadevan said. “As per current understanding, HKU1 is a c...

Overuse of digital devices and the resulting increased screen time is driving a significant number of people, especially the young towards near-sightedness or myopia, warned experts on Monday. Health experts have long been raising concerns over the world moving towards an explosive myopic crisis, especially post the Covid-19 pandemic, when traditional schools shifted to online learning through tablets and laptops; and outdoor activities were almost eliminated. “Digital eye strain is becoming a significant concern, especially among children post Covid. When children focus on screens for long periods, the eye muscles remain contracted. Over time, this prolonged strain contributes to the development of myopia (near-sightedness), particularly in young, pliable eyes,” said Dr. Anuj Mehta, Pro...

A new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been linked to a subsequent increase in the risk of developing some, but not all, obesity related cancers, according to new research. Previous research has described associations between type 2 diabetes mellitus and higher risk of several obesity-related cancers. However, it remains unclear whether these associations are causal, due to confounding (their mutual risk factor of obesity); immortal time bias (many studies combine prevalent and new-onset T2D); or time detection bias (for example, the co-diagnosis of two relatively common conditions at the same time). In this study, to be presented at European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025, Malaga, Spain, 11-14 May), the authors aimed to address these previous methodological flaws. They performed ...

Love to sip that freshly brewed coffee at work? Beware, your coffee brewing machine at the office may raise your cholesterol levels, claims a study. The study led by researchers from the Uppsala University and Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden found that automated coffee brewing machines in the workplace contain natural chemicals, known as diterpenes -- known to increase cholesterols. Elevated cholesterol levels are an established risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. In the paper, published in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, the team found significantly higher levels of cafestol and kahweol in coffee examined from 14 machines in Swedish healthcare facilities. Cafestol and kahweol are coffee-specific diterpenes -- known for their potential to...

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have begun a 45-day rehabilitation program to help them adapt to Earth`s gravity after spending nine months in space.   The duo returned early Wednesday (Indian time) aboard SpaceX`s Crew-9 mission, splashing down off the coast of Florida. Following their extended stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the astronauts will now undergo physical reconditioning to counteract the effects of prolonged weightlessness. Astronauts returning from space often experience physiological changes, including fluid shifts causing puffy faces, muscle atrophy leading to chicken legs, temporary height increase, and reduced bone density. Microgravity affects various aspects of an astronaut`s body, including aerobic capacity, muscle strength, endu...

India’s medical tourism industry is on a strong growth path, with projections indicating that the market will reach USD 18 billion by 2027, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 19 per cent, a new report said on Tuesday.  The country has become a preferred destination for international patients, offering world-class healthcare services at significantly lower costs than Western nations. In recent years, India has positioned itself as a global hub for medical tourism, attracting patients seeking top-tier medical treatments along with the opportunity to experience the country’s rich cultural heritage. According to Praxis Global Alliance, a global consulting firm, the industry has witnessed rapid expansion, with the market valued at USD 7 billion in 2022. A major contributor t...

Want to reduce your stress levels? Daily physical activity and adequate sleep can increase happiness and cut down levels of stress, according to a study on Wednesday.  Researchers at the universities of Harvard (US) and Oxford (UK) looked at predictors of happiness and well-being using data from smartwatches and smartphones to inform global public policies and product development. The pilot study, in collaboration with smartwatch provider Garmin and included data from over 10,000 global participants. Other key findings showed that emotional stability varied by age, with older adults showing more stability and younger adults more variability. The study also demonstrated high retention rates, suggesting participants found value in self-monitoring emotions during the day. The respondents ...