Health

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...

The elderly population currently stands at about 104 million in India which is projected to rise to 319 million by 2050, calling for a unified action to address healthcare challenges, experts said on Friday.  Healthy ageing is about fostering physical, mental, and social well-being in order to enable people to live long, healthy, and fulfilling lives. Experts said that the government has been addressing this subject through laudable initiatives but over the years, major issues around elderly healthcare have emerged. “In order to enable older persons to preserve their independence, remain active, and participate completely in their communities throughout their lives, supporting surroundings and policies are needed,” said Anil Rajput, Chairperson, Assocham National Council on CSR, which i...

Not only skin and eye infections but cases of allergic cough and cold cases are also rising among adults aged 30-65 due to air pollution. This surge, attributed to the city`s worsening air pollution and winter smog, has left experts grappling with an influx of patients seeking relief from persistent allergic coughs and colds that are triggered by an overreaction of the immune system because of environmental irritants. Experts advised to stay indoors when the air quality is poor in the area, wear masks, and use a purifier at home. As the air quality in Mumbai is deteriorating day by day, the increased air pollution is creating havoc on one’s respiratory health. Dr Nimit Nagda, general physician at Zynova Shalby Hospital in Ghatkopar said, “The spike in cases of allergic cough and cold in ad...

Low in calories and packed with essential vitamins and minerals, mushrooms make for an excellent addition to your diet and according to new research, eating just five small mushrooms a day could help combat a range of diseases, including heart disease, cancer and dementia.  This is due to two key antioxidants — ergothioneine and glutathione. These substances play a significant role in neutralising damaging `free radicals`, which are implicated in a variety of severe diseases, according to researchers. “What we found is that, without a doubt, mushrooms are highest dietary source of these two antioxidants taken together, and that some types are really packed with both of them,” said Robert Beelman, director at the Penn State Centre for Plant and Mushroom Products for Health in the US. Por...

In a remarkable achievement, a team led by Dr Megraj Ingle in Mumbai, has successfully treated a 61-year-old man suffering from a rare and complex swallowing disorder, Achalasia.  The patient, who had been struggling with severe difficulty swallowing for two years, found relief through an innovative treatment approach. This successful treatment not only brought immense relief to the patient but also improved his overall health. Two years ago, Suhas R. Mungaker, a resident of Mumbai experienced hiccups while eating which he initially dismissed as something everyone goes through. As time passed, he started to feel a sensation of gagging and the impression that food was getting stuck in his throat. To alleviate this, he would drink water and then attempt to eat again after a brief pause. Ev...

The traditional medicinal plant Subabul may help manage insulin resistance related to type 2 diabetes, according to research from the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology.  Subabul or Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit is a fast-growing leguminous tree commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions.  The plant`s leaves and immature seeds are eaten in the form of soups or salads, both raw and cooked. It is a rich source of protein and fibre. It has been traditionally used in human and animal food by different ethnic communities. The team examined the therapeutic potential of the seedpods from Subabul in managing insulin resistance, which occurs when cells in the body don`t respond...