Health

A team of researchers from Bose Institute in Kolkata has developed a peptide therapy that offers a promising, multidisciplinary approach to treating fungal keratitis -- a severe, sight-threatening infection of the cornea -- the clear front part of the eye.  The team, including researchers from the L V Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad, designed a 15-residue peptide, named SA-XV, derived from a larger host-defense peptide -- S100A12. This peptide, previously shown to inhibit fungal growth, has been characterised for its antifungal potency and mechanism of action. Published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the researchers hailed the new therapy as an alternative to antimycotics (antifungals) with reduced side effects. Corneal infections, often referred to as a slow epidemic, affect...

Researchers at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, have identified a new pathway involving nanoparticles to treat Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), said the Ministry of Science & Technology on Tuesday.  Conventional Alzheimer’s therapies often target only a single pathological feature, such as amyloid aggregation or oxidative stress, yielding limited clinical benefit. However, the new therapy involves nanoparticles that integrate polyphenol with antioxidant properties found in green tea, a neurotransmitter, and an amino acid. It has the potential to treat Alzheimer’s Disease by changing the path of the progression of the disease, slowing it, improving memory, and supporting thinking skills, said the researchers in the paper, published in the journal Small. The ther...

Winter can feel like a natural time to slow down, but when profound fatigue, bone pain, and persistent low mood set in, it might be more than just the winter blues. This complex set of symptoms is often dismissed, yet experts warn they could be subtle indicators of one of the most widespread nutritional deficiencies: Vitamin D deficiency.  As sunlight exposure dwindles in the colder months, the body`s primary way of producing this essential nutrient is impaired, leading to consequences that affect everything from energy levels and immune function to bone health.  This winter, medical experts guide you through the latest diagnostic standards, the non-deficiency causes of fatigue, and the practical steps you can take to maximise your health and vitality throughout the winter and into the n...

A two-year-old baby boy was successfully treated by doctors in Pune after accidentally ingesting acetic acid, a corrosive household cleaning chemical that caused severe burns to his mouth, food pipe, chest, genitals and groin.  It all happened on this Children’s Day, when the two-year-old boy from Satara, met a life-threatening emergency when he accidentally ingested acetic acid, turning an ordinary day for his family into a nightmare within minutes. The corrosive liquid stored in a drinking water bottle burned his lips, oral cavity and food pipe and left painful chemical injuries on his chest and groin.  As the child gasped for breath, crying in severe pain, his frightened parents watched helplessly, unable to understand what was happening or how their playful toddler had suddenly slippe...

Doctors in Kolkata successfully carried out a highly complex microsurgical reimplantation of a completely severed right thumb of a man after he damaged it in an every day activity.  The intricate procedure was led by Dr Akhilesh Kumar Agarwal, consultant – Plastic Surgeon, at Manipal Hospital Mukundapur supported by a multidisciplinary team. Proloy Bose, a 32-year-old businessman from Subhashgram in Sonarpur, was brought to the hospital after his thumb was accidentally amputated while cleaning his motorcycle. His thumb got caught in the motorcycle’s chain cover, the protective casing over the moving chain. The injury caused severe crushing damage to the thumb, making treatment and reconstruction more difficult than a clean-cut injury. Recognising the urgency of the situation, the emerge...

The Supernova Stent -- a new and advanced brain treatment device -- has been demonstrated to be safe and effective for stroke patients, said experts at AIIMS Delhi on Saturday, who led the first clinical trial.  AIIMS Delhi was the national coordinating centre and the lead enrolling site of the GRASSROOT trial for the Supernova Stent. “This trial is a turning point for stroke treatment in India,” said Dr. Shailesh B. Gaikwad, Professor & Head, Department of Neuroimaging & Interventional Neuroradiology, AIIMS Delhi, and National Principal Investigator of the GRASSROOT Trial. “The Supernova stent has shown excellent safety and efficacy outcomes in the treatment of severe strokes, according to the preliminary trial results,” revealed the preliminary findings published in the repute...

Bringing blood glucose to normal range through lifestyle changes could halve the risk of heart attack, heart failure and premature death among prediabetics, according to a study. Findings published in `The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology` journal show that remission of prediabetes -- achieving normal blood glucose levels -- may establish a new, measurable target for clinical guidelines, according to researchers. A fasting blood glucose value of under 97 milligrams per decilitre proved to be a simple marker for a persistently lower risk of heart disease, regardless of age, weight, or ethnic background, the researchers said. This threshold could be applied in primary care practices worldwide, making prevention more tangible, they added. "Our results suggest that remission of prediabete...

School-going children are picking up drug and smoking habits and engaging in consumption of alcohol, with the average age of introduction to such harmful substances found to be around 13 years, suggesting a need for earlier interventions as early as primary school, a multi-city survey by AIIMS-Delhi said. The findings also showed substance use increased in higher grades, with grade XI/XII students two times more likely to report use of substances when compared with grade VIII students. This emphasised the importance of continued prevention and intervention through middle and high school. The study led by Dr Anju Dhawan of AIIMS`s National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, published in the National Medical Journal of India this month, looks at adolescent substance use across diverse regio...

A year-long autopsy-based study conducted by the AIIMS, New Delhi, found no scientific evidence linking Covid-19 vaccination to sudden deaths among young adults, reaffirming that the vaccines are safe and effective.  The study, titled ‘Burden of Sudden Death in Young Adults: A One-Year Observational Study at a Tertiary Care Centre in India’, has been published in the ‘Indian Journal of Medical Research’, the flagship journal of the Indian Council of Medical Research. Researchers closely examined sudden death cases of people aged between 18 and 45 years using verbal autopsy, post-mortem imaging, conventional autopsy and detailed histopathological tests. According to the findings, there was no statistically significant association between Covid-19 vaccination status and sudden deaths in t...

Gender equity and community participation are essential to combat the rising cases of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, high BP in India, said experts here on Friday.  NCDs, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and obesity, are responsible for 65 per cent of deaths in India. “Community participation has helped improve infrastructure, service delivery, and health awareness, even in remote regions where challenges are many. We have seen that empowering local leaders and women to take part in planning and monitoring creates ownership and lasting change,” said Dr. Thomas Keppen, Nagaland - Deputy Director, Department of Health and Family Welfare, at an event held in the national capital. Keppen suggested boosting community-based approaches a...