Health

A team of Canadian researchers has found plasticisers called phthalates, flame retardants, and other harmful chemicals in mattresses of babies and young children who are likely to breathe and absorb these while sleeping, increasing several health risks.  Researchers from the University of Toronto said these chemicals are linked to neurological and reproductive problems, asthma, hormone disruption, and cancer. "Sleep is vital for brain development, particularly for infants and toddlers. However, our research suggests that many mattresses contain chemicals that can harm kids’ brains,” said Miriam Diamond, Professor at the University of Toronto. “This is a wake-up call for manufacturers and policymakers to ensure our children’s beds are safe and support healthy brain development,” she adde...

People suffering from chronic pain -- or pain that lasts at least three months -- may be up to four times more likely to experience depression, according to a study.  Almost 30 per cent of people worldwide suffer from a chronic pain condition such as low back pain and migraines, and one in three of these patients also report co-existing pain conditions. The study published in the journal Science Advances shows that having chronic pain in multiple parts of the body was linked to a greater risk of depression than having pain at a single site. "Pain isn`t only physical," said Dustin Scheinost, Associate Professor of radiology and biomedical imaging at Yale School of Medicine (YSM). "Our study adds to the evidence that physical conditions can have mental health consequences," Scheinost add...

Rising temperatures may not only affect physical health, but could also increase the burden of mental and behavioural disorders (MBD) like schizophrenia and depression by almost 50 per cent by 2050, according to a new study.  The research led by the University of Adelaide highlights the urgent need to act now to protect mental health as the climate warms. Published in the journal Nature Climate Change, the study shows that high temperatures contributed to an annual loss of 8,458 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), representing 1.8 per cent of the total MBD burden in Australia. Young people aged 15 to 44 are particularly affected, with most losses linked to living with poor mental health. "The detrimental impacts of climate change on good mental health and emotional states have been...

A new pill has shown promise against antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea - a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) -, according to a study published in the journal The Lancet.  Cases of drug-resistant gonorrhoea have been increasing rapidly in recent years. If not treated promptly, gonorrhoea can result in serious complications, especially for women, in whom it can lead to increased risks of ectopic pregnancy and infertility. The new pill gepotidacin - developed by British drugmaker GSK and currently approved to treat urinary tract infections - could be the new treatment against gonorrhoea, as there have been no new antibiotics since the 1990s for the STI. The phase 3 trial, including 622 patients, found that gepotidacin is as effective as the current standard treatment for treating t...

People with a certain heart valve abnormality may be at an increased risk of developing severe heart rhythm disorders, also known as arrhythmias, according to a study on Tuesday.  Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden showed that the valve abnormality called Mitral annular disjunction (MAD) increases the risk of ventricular arrhythmias - a dangerous type of heart rhythm disorder that, in the worst case, can lead to cardiac arrest. The team found that the risk of arrhythmias persists even after successful valve surgery. MAD is often associated with a heart disease called mitral valve prolapse, which affects 2.5 per cent of the population and causes one of the heart`s valves to leak. This can lead to blood being pumped backward in the heart, causing heart failure and arrhyth...

Dr. Divya Sistla, a U.S.-based endocrinologist originally from Telangana, has been awarded the esteemed title of Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP) -- one of the highest honours in the field of internal medicine.   This recognition celebrates her exceptional work in endocrinology, medical research, and education. Dr. Sistla, who completed her MBBS at Kamineni Institute of Medical Sciences in Telangana, is currently a leading Endocrinologist and Obesity Medicine Specialist at UPMC Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Board-certified in internal medicine, endocrinology, and obesity medicine, she is widely known for her expertise in treating complex hormonal disorders, including diabetes, thyroid disease, PCOS, osteoporosis, and Cushing’s syndrome. Alongside her cl...

Eating bananas or broccoli, rich in potassium, may effectively help lower hypertension - affecting over 30 per cent of adults globally, according to a study. Hypertension or high blood pressure is the leading cause of coronary heart disease and stroke and may also lead to other afflictions like chronic kidney disease, heart failure, irregular heartbeats, and dementia. Researchers from the University of Waterloo, Canada, found that increasing the ratio of dietary potassium to sodium intake may be more effective for curbing blood pressure levels than simply reducing sodium intake. "Usually, when we have high blood pressure, we are advised to eat less salt," said Anita Layton, Professor of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Pharmacy and Biology at the University of Waterloo. "Our rese...

New research has revealed that Schistosoma haematobium (S. haematobium), a parasitic infection affecting millions globally, can trigger cancer-related gene activity in the cervical lining, with changes becoming even more pronounced after treatment.  Presented at the ‘ESCMID Global 2025’ in Austria, this pivotal study sheds new light on how this often-overlooked parasitic disease may contribute to cervical cancer risk at the molecular level. Certain cancer-related biological pathways became more active post-treatment, particularly those involved in inflammation, tissue remodelling and the breakdown of protective barriers in the cervix. These changes were linked to increased blood vessel formation, activation of tumour-related processes, and reduced programmed cell death (apoptosis)—a key...

More than three million children worldwide lost their lives in 2022 due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR)-related infections, a new landmark study has revealed.  The study, presented today at ‘ESCMID Global 2025’ event in Vienna, Austria, underscores the urgent need for both regional and global strategies to control paediatric AMR, particularly in high-burden areas such as South-East Asia and Africa. AMR poses a critical threat to children, who are highly vulnerable to infections. Access to new antibiotic formulations is often much more limited for children because of product development delays. The study data found that in 2022 alone, more than 752,000 children in Southeast Asia and 659,000 children in Africa died of AMR-associated complications. Many of these deaths were linked to th...

Israeli researchers have developed a new RNA-based blood test for detecting Parkinson`s disease long before symptoms emerge.  Parkinson`s is often diagnosed only after significant brain damage has occurred, when most relevant neurons are already lost, underscoring the need for early detection. The new method, detailed in the journal Nature Aging, measures specific RNA fragments in the blood, Xinhua news agency reported. It focuses on two key biomarkers: a repetitive RNA sequence that accumulates in Parkinson`s patients, and mitochondrial RNA -- which declines as the disease progresses, said the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU). By measuring the ratio between these fragments, the test can identify the disease in its early stages. "This discovery represents a major advancement in our...