Health

India has seen significant progress in reducing malaria incidence and mortality rates, according to the latest World Malaria report, from the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday. Malaria is a life-threatening disease spread to humans by female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is preventable and curable. The report showed that the number of estimated malaria cases in India decreased to 2 million cases in 2023 from 6.4 million in 2017 (69 per cent decrease). Similarly, the estimated malaria deaths decreased to 3,500 from 11,100 (68 per cent decrease) during the same period. As a result, “India exited the High Burden to High Impact (HBHI) group officially in 2024”, the WHO said. The HBHI approach is a targeted malaria response that is used in several countries to accelerate the pace of ...

In a significant feat, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras on Tuesday released the most detailed 3D high-resolution images of the foetal brain.  For the first time in the world, 5,132 brain sections were digitally imaged at cell resolution using cutting-edge brain mapping technology developed by the team at Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre at IIT. The research is critical for India as the country accounts for nearly one-fifth of the world’s childbirths at 25 million each year. This makes it vital for the country to understand brain development from the foetus to a child, to adolescence, and a young adult, and developmental disorders like learning disabilities and autism. “This study will pave the way for new scientific discoveries, allowing quantification of...

The winter weather can significantly affect the skin, leaving it dry, flaky and sensitive. The cold air and low humidity can worsen skin health while causing a range of skin-related issues. The seasonal shift calls for a change in skincare practices and routines. “During winter, people are often seen complaining about worsening skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis and rosacea. The lower levels of sunlight in winter can impact your skin leading to vitamin D deficiency,” informs Dr Rinky Kapoor, Consultant Dermatologist, Cosmetic Dermatologist and Dermato-Surgeon at The Esthetic Clinics. Skincare tips for winter She shares the following tips to keep your skin healthy, hydrated and glowing during the cold weather: Stay hydrated from within: If you want healthy and glowing skin, make sur...

A large-scale Swedish study on Monday suggested that drinking sweetened drinks can significantly increase your risk of serious cardiovascular diseases like stroke, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation. The study also showed that eating too much-added sugar can increase the risk of stroke or aneurysm. However, limited consumption of treats can be safe. “Consuming sweet drinks was worse for your health than any other form of sugar," noted the study published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health. Suzanne Janzi, a doctoral candidate at Lund University said that the sweetened beverages, which contain liquid sugars, "typically provide less satiety than solid forms" Janzi said this makes people feel less satiated "potentially leading to overconsumption”. Moreover, unlike treats that a...

Adopting a healthy diet can reduce the severity of chronic pain, an Australian research has found.  In a new study, researchers from the University of South Australia found a direct link between greater consumption of food within the federal government`s Australian Dietary Guidelines and lower levels of body pain, particularly among women, reports Xinhua news agency. "It`s common knowledge that eating well is good for your health and well-being. But knowing that simple changes to your diet could offset chronic pain could be life-changing," Sue Ward, a co-author of the study, said. Previous research has found that over 30 per cent of people globally suffer from chronic pain, with women and people who are overweight or obese more likely to be affected. The new study found that higher con...

Crores of devotees are set to assemble for the world`s largest religious event Mahakumbh beginning on January 13, 2025, on the holy banks of Sangam in Teerthraj Prayagraj. Besides ensuring a robust pilgrimage framework for pilgrims, the Yogi Adityanath government has placed strong emphasis on their health through the establishment of Netra Kumbh, a special initiative dedicated to eye care. Spread over nine acres, Netra Kumbh targets will examine the eyes of more than 5 lakh devotees and distribute 3 lakh pairs of glasses simultaneously. Moreover, eye patients would also be identified during these examinations who require surgical interventions. They will be facilitated to undergo free operations at hospitals near their homes. This will be possible because of state govt inking agreemen...

A team of doctors at Uttar Pradesh`s Lucknow has removed a rare giant gallbladder, sized over 15 cm, from a 35-year-old woman, giving her a new lease of life.  Shalini Tiwari reported to the hospital with severe pain in the abdomen. Her ultrasound revealed a gallstone disease -- hardened deposits in the gall bladder. During her surgery, the doctors found that besides gallstones, her gall bladder was giant-sized. “Per operatively we found out the patient has a giant gallbladder, that is more than 15 cm in size. The normal size of the gallbladder is about 7-8 cm. The surgery called giant cholecystectomy is rare. Only 9 cases have to date been reported worldwide,” Dr. Suramya Pandey, general surgeon at Lucknow Civil Hospital, told IANS on Saturday. The patient was managed efficiently by th...

As the market for leadless pacemakers grows in India, doctors point out definite advantages of the technology for heart disease patients but also call for more data and analyses on its long-term effects. At the same time, researchers have written about the lack of a national registry tracking pacemaker implants, including conventional ones. A pacemaker helps a heart patient control an irregular heartbeat. In November, Abbott, the US-based healthcare and medical devices company, introduced the AVEIR VR single-chamber ventricular leadless pacemaker in India for treating patients having slow heart rhythms. The device has been approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, Abbott said in a statement. The AVEIR VR device is implanted directly into the heart`s right lower cham...

Eight-hour sleep every night not only rejuvenates the body but also helps brain to store and learn a new language, according to a new study. A team of international scientists, led by the University of South Australia and published in the Journal of Neuroscience, revealed that the coordination of two electrical events in the sleeping brain significantly improves our ability to remember new words and complex grammatical rules. In an experiment with 35 native English-speaking adults, researchers tracked the brain activity of participants learning a miniature language called Mini Pinyin that is based on Mandarin but with similar grammatical rules to English. Mini Pinyin contains 32 verbs and 25 nouns, including 10 human entities, 10 animals and five objects. Overall, the language contains ...

Eating five servings of dark chocolate, and not the milk one, a week may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a long-term US study. Published in the BMJ, the researchers also found that increased consumption of milk, but not dark, chocolate was associated with long-term weight gain. Chocolate contains high levels of flavanols (a natural compound found in fruits and vegetables) which have been shown to promote heart health and reduce the risk of diabetes. But the link between chocolate consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes remains controversial due to inconsistent results. In addition, most previous studies have not looked at whether eating dark and milk chocolate – which have different cocoa, milk and sugar content – might have different impacts on the risk of type 2...