Health

In a first, an Australian man has become the first in the world to live with a durable total artificial heart implant -- made of titanium -- for more than 100 days, and to be discharged from hospital.  The implant of a BiVACOR total artificial heart -- the first in Australia and sixth in the world has been -- “an unmitigated clinical success,” according to a statement on Wednesday by St Vincent’s Hospital, Monash University, and BiVACOR -- the US-Australian company which developed the device. The patient in his 40s, who declined to be identified, was experiencing severe heart failure. He underwent a six-hour procedure for the implant of an artificial heart on November 22, 2024, at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney. The man lived with the device for 105 days before receiving a donor heart tra...

Chickpeas and lentils, either whole or in flour form, offer more nutritional value to the human diet than products made from oats and wheat, a new study said on Wednesday.  The study, published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, showed that chickpeas and lentils contain more zinc and iron -- key vitamins for better nutrition than oats and wheat. The team from the University of Adelaide looked at the bioavailability of micronutrients in products that are available to the public. "We found that all the pulse products, like chickpea and lentil flours, were excellent sources of micronutrients," said Thi Diem Nguyen, doctoral candidate in the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, at the varsity. "Particularly for zinc and iron nutrition, they outperformed cereal products like ...

The Goa government on Tuesday launched a 20-year longitudinal cohort study, which will help diagnose chronic and non-communicable diseases in advance. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant launched the study at Mantralaya in the presence of officials from the University of Oxford and Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai. Talking to reporters, Sawant said the study is a historic decision that will benefit Goans in a big way. He said blood samples of more than 1 lakh people would be collected as part of the study, and the diagnosis report would help understand the onset of various diseases, including chronic and non-communicable ailments. "Chronic illnesses will be diagnosed in advance. It will also help doctors advise patients on how to prevent them," he said. Sawant said the study will be conducted ov...

Flexible health insurance plans have seen an upsurge of almost 300 per cent in the last five years in India, said a report on Tuesday.  The report by Mercer Marsh Benefits (MMB) showed that even as the workforce in the country is evolving, organisations are reinventing benefits to meet diverse employee needs. Beyond statutory provisions, companies are increasingly introducing innovative solutions like flexible health insurance plans. The inclusive coverage options focus on parents, siblings and wellness programme, and financial planning tools. These forward-thinking approaches not only enhance employee well-being but also help attract and retain top talent in a competitive landscape, the report said. "Employee benefits in India are no longer just about healthcare coverage; they are evol...

Drinking alcohol has always been associated with being cool. Most often than not, non-drinkers are either forced to drink in their social circles or are made fun of for not drinking alcohol.  This comes at a time when people know the many benefits of not drinking alcohol. It has been recommend by doctors and nutritionists on every occasion they can, and rightfully so.  In a recent post on X, celebrity nutritionist dropped just one line but that serves as a reminder about the act of drinking. She said, "Not drinking is a choice, don`t explain it".  The tweet has now got over 19,200 views, 688 likes, 95 reshares, nine comments, 23 bookmarks and nine comments -- all an indication of how people feel about the act of drinking, if not for following Diwekar`s advice.One user by the name of `@I...

The beloved festival of Holi is around the corner, and if you find yourself dreading the havoc it can wreak on your skin, you are not alone. While many indulge in play with organic colours, it is difficult to eliminate the possibility of coming across synthetic colours. The harsh chemicals present in a variety of synthetic colours may lead to skin irritation, and reactions, especially for those who have sensitive skin. With appropriate precautions and post-Holi care, it is possible to avoid harmful reactions and ensure the wellbeing of your skin health. This Holi, dermatologists outline common allergies, simple preventive measures, home remedies, and step-by-step strategies for treating irritations by offering tailored advice for different skin types to minimise sin damage.  3-step colour...

In a ground-breaking discovery, researchers at RGCB- National Institute under the Ministry of Science & Technology (Department of Biotechnology) have found the relation between mRNA processing to oxidative stress response, a condition that plays a major role in the pathogenesis of many ailments like cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, alongside ageing. Oxidative stress, particularly, in the heart, is critical in different conditions, including hypertension, heart failure, hypoxia, ischemia-reperfusion injury, atherosclerosis, and hypertrophy (excessive development of an organ or part). The team of researchers at Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), led by Dr Rakesh S. Laishram (Scientist), Dr Feba Shaji and Dr Jamshaid Ali, noted that during ...

About 40 per cent of adults experiencing chronic, persistent pain could also have anxiety or depression, a study has found. It observed that women, youngsters and those suffering from nociplastic pain such as fibromyalgia are most likely to experience such pain. Nociplastic pain arises from changes in how ones central nervous system processes pain. Fibromyalgia is a condition marked by widespread body ache and tenderness, along with fatigue, and mood and sleep disorders. During the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open, the researchers reviewed 376 surveys, involving nearly 3.5 lakh people from across 50 countries. The participants were aged about 50 years on average, and about 70 per cent were women. The most commonly reported chronic p...

Sleep debt and night shifts increase the risk of several common infections, according to a study on Monday.  According to researchers from Norway, sleep debt, defined as the gap between sleep need and actual sleep duration, increased infection risk in a dose-dependent manner. The study, published in the journal Chronobiology International, examined the effects of sleep patterns and shift work on the immune system among 1,335 nurses from Norway. The findings showed that shift work -- particularly night shifts -- was associated with a higher risk of several infections, including the common cold. The risk of pneumonia/bronchitis was 129 per cent higher for nurses with moderate sleep debt and 288 per cent for severe sleep debt. Both sinusitis and gastrointestinal infections also showed hig...

About 75 per cent of consumers and 97 per cent of primary care providers (PCPs) in India are ready to embrace artificial intelligence (AI)-powered healthcare solutions for tasks such as disease prediction, risk assessment, and diagnosis, a new report said on Thursday. The report by, ZS -- a leading management consulting and technology solutions firm -- showed how India is on the brink of a healthcare transformation, driven by unprecedented levels of trust in AI. It highlights that over 60 per cent of Indians are open to adopting virtual care models for services ranging from routine consultations to chronic disease management -- marking a pivotal shift toward digital-first healthcare. Further, more than 63 per cent of Indians show a strong interest in using AI-powered health apps for var...