Health

An ageing brain in people with sickle cell disease may be responsible for cognitive problems, finds a study. Sickle cell disease is a genetic blood disorder characterised by the presence of abnormal haemoglobin (Hb). People with the illness are also likely to face trouble in remembering, focusing, learning, and problem-solving. The patients face these conditions even without brain stroke. To understand, researchers and physicians from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis examined more than 200 young adults with and without sickle cell disease. They participated in brain MRI scans and cognitive tests. Each person`s brain age was calculated using a brain-age prediction tool that was developed using MRI brain scans from a diverse group of more than 14,000 healthy people o...

As Tata Mumbai Marathon 2025, one of the biggest sporting events in the city, approaches, thousands of runners are excited to participate in the race and accomplish their goals. While marathons are exciting avenues for fitness and perseverance, runners can be prone to injuries due to the pressure on muscles and joints. However, with proper training, good footwear and mindful pacing, participants can cross the finish line without any injuries. Appropriate training is essential to prevent health issues. Dr Nikhil Bhamare, Consultant Neurosurgeon and Spine Surgeon, Medicover Hospitals, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, shares the following tips for runners to prevent joint issues. 1. Choose appropriate shoes: Wear high-quality running shoes as per your foot type to provide proper support, cushioning ...

Researchers have identified three psychological profiles that can help estimate an individual`s risk of dementia, by analysing how characteristics, such as having a sense of purpose in life or constant brooding combine to influence the risk. Previous studies have suggested that psychological traits, such as a tendency for distress and negative thoughts, are potential risk factors for cognitive decline and neurodegeneration, while having a sense of purpose and self-reflection could offer protection against mental decline. In a study involving 1,000 middle-aged adults and older people in Europe without cognitive impairment, researchers led by those at the University of Barcelona, Spain, examined how the combination of risky and protective psychological factors form `psychological profiles`...

The Tata Mumbai Marathon 2025 is all set to take place this Sunday on January 18. While marathon runners are very excited for the event, the chances of having difficulties due to exhaustion or getting sick can never be ruled out.  While everybody has been doing everything right till now and following everything that they should do, Dr Aashish Contractor, director, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital, reminds you about what you shouldn`t do to not only stay health but also safe. Follow these tips: Don’t run if you’re not adequately prepared You usually register for a race, several months before and sometimes are not able to train adequately. The temptation is to still show up on race day, and ‘see how it goes’; this is a dangerous thing to do. If you...

Mumbai doctors have successfully performed the city’s first HLA compatible, acceptable mismatch domino kidney transplant of the year. This extraordinary procedure involved six surgeries across hospitals and states, uniting three donors and three recipient families in a synchronised chain to save lives.  In a landmark medical feat, a multidisciplinary team led by Dr. Bharat Shah, Dr. Shruti Tapiawala, Dr. Pradeep Rao, Dr. Jitendra Jagtap at Gleneagles Hospital, Parel, Mumbai. Leveraging advanced transplant immunodiagnositics and acceptable mismatch techniques in HLA medicine, the domino transplant addressed the unique challenges of highly sensitised patients which is only 7-10 per cent of transplant population, marking a new milestone in renal transplantation for our state and country. Dr...

People with cardiovascular diseases and those with risk factors must avoid extreme exposures, said health experts on Wednesday. "Exposure to extreme cold or heat without any pre-acculturation might lead to disturbance in cardiovascular function. Hence, patients with risk factors for cardiovascular diseases should avoid such extreme exposures," Harshal R Salve, Additional professor, centre for community medicine at AIIMS, New Delhi, told IANS. He also urged people to be "aware about one`s cardiovascular health such as blood pressure, deep vein thrombosis, uncontrolled diabetes status before venturing to extreme weather events". Cardiologist Ashwani Mehta, from a city-based hospital, said many people get heart attacks in the winter. It is majorly due to the fluctuation in the temperature...

Greater exposure to air pollution particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10) and Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the three months before conception can raise the risk of childhood obesity to two years after birth, according to a study on Thursday. Past research has linked air pollution exposure during pregnancy to a broad range of health problems in children, including respiratory issues and a higher risk for chronic diseases such as obesity and heart problems. But, the new study by an international team of researchers from the US and China focused on the preconception period -- typically defined as the three months before a pregnancy begins. Environmental exposures during this timeframe can affect the health of sperm and eggs, which are in their final stages of growth, said the team, in the paper publ...

Slow maturing of the brain`s cortex -- that helps with self-control and decision-making -- during teenage could be a reason for developing eating disorders as a young adult, according to a new research. Disordered eating behaviours can be `restrictive` -- involving dieting and purging in which one deliberately limits food intake to control body weight and shape -- or `emotional` in response to negative emotions or urges such as binge-eating. For the study, published in the journal Nature Mental Health, the researchers led by those at King`s College London analysed MRI brain scans of almost 1,000 teenagers from England, Ireland, France and Germany, taken at ages 14 and 23 years. Genetic data and responses to questionnaires assessing the participants` well-being and eating behaviours were ...

A team of Indian doctors, including from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, has in a new study published on Wednesday, redefined obesity for the Indian population.  Traditionally Body Mass Index (BMI) was used to define obesity, but the new approach, published in a study in the Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology focuses on abdominal obesity, comorbid diseases. This new classification, which comes 15 years after the last definition, marks a significant step forward in addressing the unique health challenges posed by obesity in Asian Indians. The need for updated obesity guidelines stemmed from several critical factors such as the outdated BMI criteria, which relied exclusively on Body Mass Index (BMI, a ratio of weight in kg/height in meter square) for diagnosis; as w...

There is a concerning increase in endometriosis cases among women aged 20-40, according to some Mumbai doctors. The condition, which often goes undiagnosed for years, can impact women’s quality of life and fertility, if left untreated. Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus, on places like the ovaries or fallopian tubes. It can cause severe pain in the pelvis and make it harder to get pregnant. According to the World Health Organization, endometriosis affects roughly 10 per cent of reproductive age women globally. Dr Swetha Lalgudi, Gynaecologist, Zynova Shalby Hospital, informs, “We are seeing a 10 per cent rise in endometriosis cases among women aged 20-40. Around 1 in 10 women per month get diagnosed with the condition....