NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Even as India aims to end tuberculosis (TB) by 2025, five years ahead of the global target, a report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday showed that the country accounts for 26 per cent -- the highest -- global TB burden.

The Global Tuberculosis Report 2024 showed that India is the highest among the 30 high-burden countries -- Indonesia (10 per cent), China (6.8 per cent), the Philippines (6.8 per cent) and Pakistan (6.3 per cent) -- which together accounted for 56 per cent of the global TB burden.

Globally, TB again emerged as the leading infectious disease killer in 2023, surpassing Covid-19.

It showed that about 8.2 million people were newly diagnosed with TB in 2023 -- the highest number recorded since WHO began global TB monitoring in 1995.

This also represents a notable increase from 7.5 million reported in 2022.

The top infectious disease was found to be most common among men (55 per cent). Women accounted for more than 30 per cent, while 12 per cent were children and young adolescents.

“The fact that TB still kills and sickens so many people is an outrage, when we have the tools to prevent it, detect it and treat it,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, in the report.

He called on countries to “make good on the concrete commitments they have made to expand the use of those tools, and to end TB”.

Importantly, the report highlighted five major risk factors that are driving new TB cases. These include undernutrition, HIV infection, alcohol use disorders, smoking (especially among men), and diabetes.

“Tackling these issues, along with critical determinants like poverty and GDP per capita, requires coordinated multisectoral action,” said the report, while calling for increased funding for TB research.

Meanwhile, the report noted a decline in the gap between the estimated number of new TB cases and those reported. It narrowed to about 2.7 million, down from Covid pandemic levels of around 4 million in 2020 and 2021.

While the coverage of TB preventive treatment has been sustained for people living with HIV, multidrug-resistant TB remains a public health crisis.

The report showed that treatment success rates for multidrug-resistant or rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB) have now reached 68 per cent.

But, of the 400 000 people estimated to have developed MDR/RR-TB, only 44 per cent were diagnosed and treated in 2023, the report said
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: In a step towards spreading awareness about Dyslexia, the Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament, India Gate and other government offices have been lit red. This happens every year in October, which is International Dyslexia Awareness Month. The campaign aims to raise awareness, reduce stigma and eliminate discrimination around the disease.

To amplify the message of inclusion, the walk4Dyslexia was also organized from Vijay Chowk to India Gate. This walk symbolizes collective action for Act4Dyslexia, emphasizing the need for equal opportunities and support for individuals with learning disabilities.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The World Health Organization, WHO has declared that this year India has eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. With this, India has become the third country in the Southeast Asia Region to achieve this milestone. The WHO officially certified India during its Regional Committee meeting in New Delhi yesterday.        

Trachoma is a contagious bacterial infection that affects the eyes and spreads through the eyes, eyelids, nose, or throat secretions of infected people.

During 1950-60, trachoma was among the leading causes of blindness in the country. To tackle the spread, the government of India launched the National Trachoma Control Program in 1963.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Intermittent fasting has become popular among people. Several researches are being conducted on intermittent fasting and how it is beneficial for different chronic diseases. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, “Intermittent fasting is an eating plan that switches between fasting and eating on a regular schedule. Research shows that intermittent fasting is a way to manage your weight and prevent — or even reverse — some forms of disease.”

Now, a recent study highlighted the health benefits of following intermittent fasting for adults with metabolic syndrome - a group of health conditions that include high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels and abdominal obesity. More than 1 billion people worldwide are suffering with this condition. It raises the risk of diabetes, heart disease and/or stroke.

As per the study from the Salk Institute and the University of California at San Diego, adults with metabolic syndrome can improve their health by limiting their daily eating to an 8-10 hour window.

As a part of the study, researchers divided 108 prediabetic adults with metabolic syndrome into two groups and only one of these followed intermittent fasting. For this study, the average eating window for the fasting group was from 9:14am to 6:59pm. After nutrition counselling, the researchers found that study participants who followed intermittent fasting lost more fat and had better blood sugar control than the other group.

Only one person in the fasting group reported negative side effects such as irritability, fatigue and difficulty concentrating, researchers say. Their findings were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

What should you eat while intermittent fasting?
While you’re fasting, you do not have to starve yourself. You can drink water and zero-calorie beverages such as black coffee and tea. During your eating window, you should eat normally. However, that doesn’t mean you go crazy over food and eat high-calorie foods. You will most likely not lose weight or get healthy if you are eating high-calorie junk food, super-sized fried items and treats during your eating window.

But you can try different types of foods when you’re intermittent fasting. “Most nutrition experts regard the Mediterranean diet as a good blueprint of what to eat, whether you’re trying intermittent fasting or not. You can hardly go wrong when you pick leafy greens, healthy fats, lean protein and complex, unrefined carbohydrates such as whole grains,” says Johns Hopkins Medicine.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The 7th Rashtriya Poshan Maah has witnessed over nine crore sixty eight lakh events held nationwide so far. The annual nutrition and welfare campaign has registered nearly one crore eighty-eight lakh events under Anemia Prevention, one crore sixty-eight lakh events focused on growth monitoring and nearly one crore forty-five lakh events under complementary feeding. 

The campaign’s Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi initiative has witnessed nearly one crore fifty-nine lakh events as well. Other initiatives under the campaign focused on Mass Sensitization, environmental protection, among others, have also witnessed similar outcomes so far. The Ministry of Women and Child Development has said that the top-performing states in this year’s Poshan Maah have been Maharashtra, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh so far.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The share of out-of-pocket expenditure out of total health expenditure has come down from 64.2 per cent in 2013-14 to 39.4 per cent in 2021-22, said Dr. V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog.

This decline in out-of-pocket expenditure “reflects a very positive indicator,” said Paul, while releasing the Union Health Ministry’s National Health Account (NHA) estimates for India 2020-21 and 2021-22.

“More than Rs 1 lakh crore savings have accrued from the Ayushman Bharat PMJAY and this has had a positive impact on the recent NHA estimates,” he added.

He also stated that other schemes “like the free dialysis scheme, launched in 2015-16 have benefited 25 lakh people”.

While calling the decline in out-of-pocket cost of health, “a good sign”, Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra said that “a substantial increase has been noticed in the health expenditure of the government”.

This, he said, “reflects the emphasis of the government towards health”.

Further, the NHA estimates for 2021-22 highlight the efforts of the government to increase public investments in the health sector.

The share of Government Health Expenditure (GHE) in the overall GDP of the country has increased from 1.13 per cent in 2014-15 to 1.84 per cent in 2021-22.

In terms of share in the General Government Expenditure (GGE), it has increased from 3.94 per cent in 2014-15 to 6.12 per cent in 2021-22, the estimates showed.

“In per capita terms, GHE has tripled, from Rs. 1,108 to Rs. 3,169 between 2014-15 to 2021-22. The government spending on health between 2019-20 and 2020-21 increased by 16.6 per cent, while between 2020-21 and 2021-22, it grew by an unprecedented rate of 37 per cent,” the estimates showed.

The increase in Government spending on health has an important implication for the reduction of financial hardship endured by households.

In the Total Health Expenditure (THE) of the country between 2014-15 and 2021-22, the share of GHE has increased from 29 per cent to 48 per cent. During the same period, the share of Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) in THE declined from 62.6 per cent to 39.4 per cent, the estimates showed.

Further, the Social Security Expenditure (SSE) on healthcare also increased during this period. This has a direct impact on reducing out-of-pocket payments, the health ministry said.

“The share of SSE on health, which includes Government-funded health insurance, medical reimbursement to Government employees, and social health insurance programs, in THE, has increased from 5.7 per cent in 2014-15 to 8.7 per cent in 2021-22,” as per the estimates.

The current NHA estimate is the eighth and ninth in the series of reports released annually by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Love to binge on savoury snacks, ready meals, and sugar or artificially-sweetened beverages? Beware, every 10 per cent intake of these ultra-processed foods (UPF) may raise your risk of type 2 diabetes by 17 per cent, according to a study published in The Lancet Regional Health-Europe on Monday.

Importantly, the study showed that the risk can be lowered by consuming less-processed foods instead, said researchers from the University College London (UCL), University of Cambridge, and Imperial College London.

To investigate the relationship between the degree of food processing and diabetes risk the team included 311,892 individuals from eight European countries in the study. They were followed over 10.9 years on average, during which time 14,236 people developed diabetes.

In the top 25 per cent of UPF consumers, where UPF made up 23.5 per cent of their total diet, sweetened beverages alone accounted for nearly 40 per cent of their UPF intake and 9 per cent of their diet overall.

On the other hand, substituting 10 per cent of UPF in the diet with 10 per cent of minimally processed food such as eggs, milk, and fruit or processed culinary ingredients such as salt, butter, and oil reduced diabetes risk by 14 per cent.

Further, replacing 10 per cent of UPF in the diet with 10 per cent of processed foods (PF) like tinned fish, beer and cheese reduced diabetes risk by 18 per cent. PF also includes salted nuts, artisanal breads, and preserved fruits and vegetables.

The findings add to the growing body of research that links consumption of UPF with a higher risk of certain chronic diseases including obesity, cardiometabolic diseases, and some cancers, said the team.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: All eligible senior citizens covered under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PMJAY) will be issued a new, distinct card under the scheme.

Official sources informed that anyone aged 70 or above, as per their Aadhaar card, will be eligible to apply for the scheme. The scheme is expected to be operational within a week. It is an application-based scheme, and people need to register on the portal. The portal will offer face authentication and will have a designated link for senior citizens above 70 years of age. Sources also mentioned that those with private insurance and Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) beneficiaries can also apply for the AB PMJAY scheme.

The Union Cabinet approved health coverage for all senior citizens above 70 years on Wednesday, irrespective of income, under the AB PMJAY, with an outlay of 3,437 crore rupees. This initiative will cover approximately 4.5 crore families in the country and include about 6 crore senior citizens.
 

A first batch of 99,100 doses of mpox vaccines was delivered to Congo, the epicentre of the global health crisis.

"In total, that will make 200,000 doses on Saturday. Today, we received 99,100 doses, and the rest (will be received) on Saturday," said Roger Kamba, Congolese Health Minister, on Thursday, at Kinshasa's N'djili Airport, promising to contain the virus as quickly as possible, especially in the most affected provinces, such as the South Kivu and Equateur.

"It is first the vaccines for adults that have arrived," the Health Minister said, adding that the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) will be in charge of the vaccination campaign in the most affected provinces, without specifying the date for the launch of the vaccination, Xinhua news agency reported.

However, according to a statement released on Wednesday by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Congolese Health Ministry plans to start rolling out the vaccines this weekend.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Cardiovascular-disease (CVD) is responsible for deaths among two in three people with a high body mass index (BMI), according to a study.

The study comes as the global prevalence of obesity more than doubled over the past four decades, currently affecting more than a billion individuals.

“Notably, 67.5 per cent of deaths related to high body mass index (BMI) are attributable to cardiovascular disease (CVD),” said Professor Emeline Van Craenenbroeck, Antwerp University in Belgium

Obesity raises the risk of CVDs like atherosclerotic disease, heart failure, thromboembolic disease, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death.

Despite the link, “obesity has been under-recognised and sub-optimally addressed compared with other modifiable cardiovascular risk factors,” Van Craenenbroeck added.

The team called for raising awareness of obesity as a major risk factor and providing guidance for implementing evidence-based practices for its prevention and optimal management within the context of primary and secondary CVD prevention.

Obesity not only contributes to well-established cardiovascular risk factors like diabetes, dyslipidemia, elevated blood pressure, and arterial hypertension but also has direct adverse effects on cardiac structure and function and leads to the development of CVD -- both atherosclerotic and non-atherosclerotic.

Obesity also negatively affects various organs and is a risk factor for several chronic diseases.

The study also showed that diabetes and obesity are closely associated. Eighty to eighty-five per cent of diabetes patients are obese or overweight. On the other hand, the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes in obese people is about three times higher than in normal-weight people (20 per cent vs. 7.3 per cent respectively).

Weight loss therapies have demonstrated beneficial effects on glycaemic management, including remission to a non-diabetic state, in patients with established type 2 diabetes. High BMI is assumed to be the cause of 78 per cent of the risk of hypertension in males and 65 per cent of the risk in women between the ages of 20 and 49.

Treatments for obesity include pharmaceutical, dietary, behavioural, and physical therapies. Obesity is avoidable. Management of obesity has, however, gotten less attention than other risk factors for CVD.

The findings will be presented at the ongoing European Cardiology Congress, London (August 30-September 2).
 

BHOPAL [Maha Media]: Certain 'batches' of nine life-saving drugs were banned in Madhya Pradesh following a complaint filed by MGM Medical Hospital in Indore. The decision was taken by Madhya Pradesh Public Health Services after one of the 12 drug samples sent for testing was found to be of substandard quality.

These banned drugs include fentanyl, heparin, dopamine, atropine, and more.

The ban has been implemented after a complaint regarding the substandard quality of the drugs brought in bulk to the state.

According to information, a batch of 12 drug samples was sent by MGM Super Speciality Hospital in Indore for regular testing. In the test, a drug named Noradrenaline did not pass the quality check. The drug is used to maintain blood pressure for serious short-term health issues.

Following the test, a complaint was filed with the MP Public Health Services, and the GM (Quality Control) sent letters across the city to several hospitals, CMHOs, civil surgeons, and medical institutes. In the letter, he asked everyone to stop the use of certain batches of nine life-saving drugs that were sent for sampling but failed the quality check. Furthermore, he asked MGM to send another batch of samples for a check at a government . testing laboratory.

The doctors and the surgeons of MGM hospital said that the use of these drugs haven't caused any major casualties as of now. On the other hand, some surgeons claim that in some cases, the patients encountered problems like internal bleeding which made them suspicious of the drug.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The central government has directed airport, ports, and border authorities to remain vigilant in response to the global rise in Mpox cases, according to sources.

Statements Of Official Sources

Official sources told news agency, "We have alerted airports, ports, and borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan. Three central hospitals will have facilities for isolation like Safdarjung Hospital, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, and Lady Hardinge."

As per sources, the Union Health Ministry held meetings with experts on the new virus scare which "is different" from the previous Monkeypox virus.

"We had a meeting with states and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) last week. Point of entries are on alert. It's a self-limiting virus. There is no correlation between Mpox with COVID-19. Nodal officers are already in Hospitals. Testing facilities are available at 32 ICMR centers. The symptoms of MPox are like of chickenpox," sources said.

"Chances of mortality is high but their is Low chance to affect India. This disease occurs with rashes," they added.

Earlier, PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, led a review meeting to assess the nation's preparedness for Mpox. Enhanced surveillance measures are now in place to ensure prompt detection and response.

The high-level meeting was briefed that, as of now, there is no reported case of Mpox in the country. As per the present assessment, the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is low.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified Mpox as a public health emergency of international concern due to its prevalence in various parts of Africa. However, no travel advisories have been issued by the WHO at this time.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: If you are someone who regularly uses earbuds or earphones, beware as its prolonged usage can significantly damage your ear health, said experts on Monday.

Prolonged exposure to loud volumes through headphones or earphones significantly increases the risk of permanent hearing loss. Regularly listening at high levels can damage the delicate structures in the ear, leading to irreversible hearing impairment. It's crucial to monitor volume levels and take breaks to protect your hearing.

This risk is particularly heightened among young people who frequently use these devices for extended periods. Additionally, using noise-cancelling headphones at moderate volumes can help reduce the need to turn up the sound, further safeguarding your hearing health. Regular hearing check-ups are also recommended.

Excessive noise levels (130 decibels can lead to strong ear pain, and high bass ones compound the damage) can cause damage to tiny hair cells in the inner ear. As these cells cannot regenerate, it can result in partial or complete deafness over time, especially if safe listening practices are not followed.

“Ear pain occurs when sound exceeds 130 decibels, and high bass earphones can cause damage. Use sparingly and avoid sharing earphones to prevent infection spread.” Dr Rakesh Verma, an ENT expert told IANS.

Earphone use can cause noise-induced hearing loss, tinnitus, and hyperacusis, while poor hygiene and enclosed environments can lead to ear infections. Moderation, proper hygiene, and noise-cancelling options are recommended.

“Prolonged use of earphones, especially at high volumes, can cause noise-induced hearing loss, tinnitus, and hyperacusis. Poor hygiene practices and the enclosed environment can lead to ear infections like otitis externa or swimmer's ear. To protect hearing, use in moderation, maintain proper hygiene, and consider noise-cancelling options,” Dr. Vijay Verma, Consultant, Allergy & ENT Specialist at CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, told IANS.

Low-volume use of earphones, maintaining proper hygiene, and considering noise-cancelling options to protect hearing, are the penultimate points.

To protect your hearing, use these devices in moderation and at a low volume, practise good hygiene, and consider noise-cancelling options.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The Union Budget has increased expenditure for the National Health Mission (NHM) by about Rs 4,000 crore and also proposed digital public infrastructure (DPI) at a population scale.

The Budget, presented on Tuesday in the Lok Sabha by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, increased spending from Rs 31,550 crore to Rs 36,000 crore for FY 2024-25 under the NHM.

NHM is a Centre-sponsored scheme that primarily caters to primary and secondary healthcare service delivery in the country. With the increase, the government aims to invest in primary and secondary public healthcare facilities and reduce the public's out-of-pocket expenditure.

Further, the Budget also proposed the development of DPI applications which will boost sectors, including credit e-commerce, education, health, law and justice, logistics, MSME services, delivery, and urban governance.

The Budget has also proposed to develop 100 weekly "haats" or street food hubs in select cities to revive local economies and enhance the street food experience.

These initiatives are in addition to the exemption of customs duty on three additional cancer medicines - Trastuzumab Deruxtecan, Osimertinib, and Durvalumab - aimed at improving the affordability of these drugs.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) forwarded the request to the Ministry of Finance to aid in treating the 27 lakh cancer patients in the country.

While Trastuzumab Deruxtecan is used for breast cancer, Osimertinib is for lung cancer; and Durvalumab is for lung cancer and biliary tract cancer.

The Minister also revised the customs duty rates on X-ray tubes and flat panel detectors, which will help boost the domestic medical device sector, contribute to component availability at lower costs, and reduce healthcare costs.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The custom duty exemption proposed for three cancer medicines in the Union Budget will improve the affordability of the drugs, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

The request for custom duty exemption for Trastuzumab deruxtecan (for breast cancer or gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma), Osimertinib (drug for lung cancers with specific mutation), and Durvalumab (for lung and biliary tract cancers) was forwarded by the Health ministry to the Ministry of Finance keeping in view 27 lakh cancer patients in the country.

The government proposes to cut customs duties on the three drugs from 10 per cent to nil.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Ever imagined how babies see the world? An interesting study on Thursday showed that young infants aged between four and 12 months use their mother’s scent to perceive faces.

The study published in the Child Development journal noted that younger infants benefitting the most from the presence of their mother’s odour, and that their ability greatly improves between four and 12 months.

Further, researchers including from Universite de Bourgogne and the University of Hamburg in France suggest that older infants efficiently perceive faces from visual information, and they do not need to rely on other concurrent cues anymore.

The study aimed to find whether olfactory-to-visual facilitation declines gradually as infants grow and become more efficient at perceiving faces solely from visual information.

To understand, the team tested 50 infants aged from 4 to 12 months and found that the face-selective EEG response increases and complexifies between 4 and 12 months, indicative of improved face perception with development.

“As expected, we also found that the benefit of adding the mother’s body odour diminishes with age, confirming an inverse relation between the effectiveness of visual perception and its sensitivity to a concurrent odour,” said Dr. Arnaud Leleu, Associate Professor of psychology and neuroscience from the Universite de Bourgogne in Dijon, France.

Overall, this demonstrates that visual perception actively relies on odour cues in developing infants until the visual system becomes effective by itself, said the researcher.

Dr. Leleu noted that the findings also reveal the importance of early exposure to concurrent sensory inputs from different modalities for perceptual learning. It may aid in the development of higher-level abilities “such as semantic memory, language, and conceptual reasoning”.
 

MUMBAI [Maha Media]: The Bombay High Court on Monday denied permission to a 28-year-old woman to terminate her 26-week pregnancy citing "judicial conscience" and highlighting the lack of mechanisms to ensure the biological father shares equal social castigation women face in such cases.

The petitioner claimed she was impregnated by her friend while she was going through divorce with her estranged husband.

A division bench of Justices A S Gadkari and Neela Gokhale expressed anguish over the difficult circumstances in which women such as the petitioner find themselves while highlighting the lack of effective mechanisms to ensure that the biological father shares equal responsibility.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: NITI Aayog is launching Sampoornata Abhiyan, a three-month campaign from today till 30th September to undertake a sustained effort to achieve saturation of six key indicators in Aspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks across the country. It seeks to achieve saturation in each of the six identified indicators in the 112 Aspirational Districts and 500 Aspirational Blocks under the Aspirational Districts Programme and Aspirational Blocks Programme.
 
Sampoornata Abhiyan will focus on the six identified Key Performance Indicators KPIs across all Aspirational Blocks. These are percentage of pregnant women registered for Antenatal Care within the first trimester, percentage of persons screened for Diabetes against the targeted population in the Block, percentage of persons screened for Hypertension against the targeted population in the Block, percentage of pregnant women taking Supplementary Nutrition under the ICDS Programme regularly, percentage of Soil Health Cards generated against the soil sample collection target and percentage of Self Help Groups SHGs that have received a Revolving Fund against the total SHGs in the block.
 
The six identified KPIs across Aspirational Districts under Sampoornata Abhiyan are percentage of pregnant women registered for Antenatal Care within the first trimester, percentage of pregnant women taking Supplementary Nutrition under the ICDS Programme regularly, percentage of children fully immunized, number of Soil Health Cards distributed, percentage of schools with functional electricity at the secondary level and percentage of schools providing textbooks to children within one month of the start of the academic session.
 
Districts or Blocks will develop a three-month Action Plan to saturate the six indicators, districts or blocks will track progress on saturation each month, implement awareness and behavior change campaigns and district officials will conduct concurrent monitoring field visits.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Are you one of those parents who calm down their tantrum-throwing children with a digital device? Beware, it may hamper their ability to self-regulate their emotions later in adulthood, finds a study on Friday.

In recent years, parents often use tablets or smartphones to divert their child's attention when the child is upset.

A team of researchers in Hungary and Canada found that the approach known as parental digital emotion regulation leads to the inability of children to effectively regulate their emotions later in life.

"Here we show that if parents regularly offer a digital device to their child to calm them or to stop a tantrum, the child won't learn to regulate their emotions," said Veronika Konok, a researcher at Eotvos Lorand University in Hungary.

"This leads to more severe emotion-regulation problems, specifically, anger management problems, later in life," she added.

For the study, published in Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the team included more than 300 parents of children aged between two- and five years old who were followed up for a year.

The findings showed that when parents used digital emotion regulation more often, children showed poorer anger and frustration management skills a year later.

"Tantrums cannot be cured by digital devices," Konok pointed out. “Children have to learn how to manage their negative emotions for themselves. They need the help of their parents during this learning process, not the help of a digital device."

At the same time, the researchers said parents should “not avoid situations that could be frustrating to the child”, but coach the children to "recognise their emotions, and teach them to handle them".

The researchers also suggested "training and counselling methods for parents".
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Increased consumption of tobacco and related products are driving head and neck cancer cases in India, said health experts on Sunday.

Head and neck cancer includes cancers in the tongue, mouth, and other parts of the pharynx like oropharynx, nasopharynx, hypopharynx, salivary glands, nasal cavity, larynx (voice box), etc.

"The prominent cause of oral cavity cancers is having tobacco and tobacco-related products, betel nuts and smoking, alcohol. Sometimes HPV infections also contribute to it," Pritam Kataria, Consultant, Medical Oncology, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, told IANS.

To cut down the head and neck cancers, the expert called for "strict regulations regarding the tobacco and tobacco-related products and on the intake of alcohol".

"If the tobacco and related products are taken off, the majority of the head and neck cancer incidents will come down in the end. That's a big challenge, because the awareness among the masses, and changing behaviour are some of the difficult aspects of cancer prevention," Pritam said.

Accounting for 30 per cent of all cancer cases, head and neck cancer is the most common in India and its burden is higher in the country than in the US, UK, Australia, Africa and Brazil.

In India, the number of cancer cases is rising. According to GLOBOCAN 2020, there will be 2.1 million new cancer cases in India by 2040, an increase of 57.5 per cent from 2020.

To curb the problem, Prathmesh Pai, Director and surgeon, Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Head and Neck Cancer Institute of India stressed the need to raise public awareness of the harms of tobacco, betelnut, and alcohol.

"Engage the parents and schools to prevent the adoption of these habits by the youth, public campaigns to ban the sale of tobacco, betelnut, and alcohol to the youth, ban production and sale of tobacco, betel nut, and alcohol," he said.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Women government employees can take 180 days of maternity leave in case they have children through surrogacy after amendments were announced to a 50-year-old rule by the Centre.

It has also allowed the "commissioning mother" (the intending mother of the child born through surrogacy) with child care leave besides paternity leave of 15 days to the "commissioning father", according to the changes made in the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972.

"In case of surrogacy, the surrogate, as well as the commissioning mother with less than two surviving children, may be granted maternity leave of 180 days, in case either or both of them are government servants," read the amended rules notified by the Personnel Ministry.

Till now, there were no rules to grant maternity leaves to women government employees in case a child was born through surrogacy.
     
"In case of a child begotten through surrogacy, the commissioning father who is a male government servant with less than two surviving children may be granted paternity leave of 15 days within the period of 6 months from the date of delivery of the child," the new rules said.
     
In case of surrogacy, the commissioning mother with less than two surviving children, may be granted child care leave, reads the Central Civil Services (Leave) (Amendment) Rules, 2024, notified on June 18.
     
Existing rules allow "a female government servant and single male government servant" child care leave for a maximum period of 730 days during entire service "for taking care of two eldest surviving children, whether for rearing or for looking after any of their needs, such as education, sickness and the like".
     
The "surrogate mother" shall mean the woman who bears the child on behalf of the commissioning mother and the expression "commissioning father" would mean the intending father of the child born through surrogacy, the Personnel Ministry clarified in the amended rules.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Union Minister of State for Ayush, Prataprao Jadhav, said on Tuesday that yoga nurtures physical, mental, and spiritual growth while also promoting societal harmony.

Ahead of the 10th edition of International Day of Yoga (IDY), which is celebrated across the world annually on June 21, the minister emphasised that this year's theme 'Yoga for Self and Society' highlights yoga's dual role in fostering individual and societal well-being.

"The enthusiastic participation of millions in recent years reflects the profound impact of yoga on communities," Prataprao Jadhav said.

This year's IDY celebrations will be held in Srinagar, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again at the helm.

Since 2015, PM Modi has led the IDY celebrations at various locations, such as Kartavya Path in Delhi, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Ranchi, Jabalpur, and even the UN Headquarters in New York.

In the last 10 years, IDY has set four Guinness Book of World Records.

In 2015, a total of 35,985 Indians performed Yoga at Rajpath along with PM Modi.

A total of 84 countries participated in the yoga session at one place and, gradually, each year, witnessed an increasing number of participants from across the world and last year, in 2023, a total of around 23.4 crore people from across the world participated in the IDY event.

As a special initiative, this year, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is organising a unique initiative 'Yoga for Space' to mark the IDY 2024.

All scientists and officials of ISRO will perform yoga together as per the Common Yoga Protocol guidelines.

To promote technology and startups in the field of Yoga, the Ministry has organised Yoga Tech Challenge on MyGov portal and MyBharat Portal of the government with an aim to identify and promote those startups or individuals who have developed yoga-related tools, developed software and accessory products.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The Southeast Asia region, which includes India, has about 411 million adult tobacco users -- the highest globally, said Saima Wazed, WHO Regional Director on Thursday on the eve of World No Tobacco Day.

Observed every year on May 31, World No Tobacco Day was designated in 1987, by Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) to draw attention to the global tobacco epidemic, and the preventable death and disease it causes.

"The fight against tobacco is particularly important for us in South-East Asia. The tobacco industry's targeting of youth is rampant across our Member States. As a result, we have a very worrying 11 million adolescents using various tobacco products," Saima Wazed said in a statement.

"Coupled with the approximate 411 million adult tobacco users, our region, unfortunately, has the highest number of adolescent and adult users globally," she added.

The theme this year is "protecting children from tobacco industry interference".

Saima Wazed lamented that it is "worrying" that the "industry lures youth by aggressively introducing new nicotine and tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products".

"Young people across the world are calling for the tobacco industry to stop targeting them with products that are harmful to their health."

She said that governments must adopt policies to protect them from the manipulative practices of tobacco and related industries, which includes the relentless marketing of their dangerous products through social media and streaming platforms.

Despite having policies and regulations in place, these are becoming increasingly popular with the youth in the SE Asia region, and "social media and other similar platforms are likely to make this worse".

"The tobacco industry moves with speed to launch new products, using every means to expand market share before regulations can catch up," the WHO Regional Director said.

"They continue to oppose evidence-based measures, such as increases in excise taxes, and comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotions, and sponsorships. They even threaten legal action against governments that try to protect the health of their citizens."

She pointed out the "lagging" efforts by governments and institutions to fight the marketing strategies of the tobacco industry.

The WHO chief called for a generational tobacco ban, leading to a 'Tobacco-Free Generation'.

"Our goal for our youth is clear. We want to prevent and reduce tobacco consumption, nicotine addiction, and exposure to new tobacco products."
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Amid rising heatwave, the Ministry of Health, on Sunday, advised employers to take essential heat safety measures at the workplace.

"From providing hydration stations to scheduling outdoor tasks during cooler hours, let's ensure our workers stay cool, healthy, and productive," the ministry said in a post on social media platform X.com.

In an animated post, the ministry called on employers to provide proper drinking water facilities at the workplace.

"Schedule strenuous and outdoor jobs in cooler times of the day, increase the frequency of rest breaks," were some tips shared by the ministry.

It also advised employers to train workers to recognise symptoms of heat-related illness.

Exposure to extreme heat can affect health, ranging from rashes to serious and potentially fatal health problems such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

Headache, feeling dizzy, dehydration, and breathing problems are the common symptoms of heat-related illness, said the ministry.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday issued a 'red alert' for many states in north India, including Delhi, over persistent heatwave and high temperatures.

In Delhi, the temperatures are likely to range between 43 and 47 degrees Celsius, the IMD said.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Timely recognition, appropriate treatment along with proper nutrition, exercise, and family history may be key to fighting mental health conditions, said experts on World Schizophrenia Day on Friday.

World Schizophrenia Day is observed every year on May 24 to raise awareness about the treatable mental illness that affects over 20 million people worldwide.

Psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, disorganised thoughts, and behaviour are some of the common symptoms of schizophrenia.

“Mental health is of utmost importance to all of us. Unfortunately, because of limited information, many myths associated with it, and a lot of social stigmas that go alongside unnecessarily have added on to the issues in terms of patients not being able to recognise their problems/illnesses in time, families not being able to recognise and seek appropriate timely help and getting the ailment treated effectively in a timely manner,” Dr. Sameer Malhotra, Director and Head of Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, told IANS.

Schizophrenia is a major psychiatric disorder and it has different subtypes.

In schizophrenia, there are predominantly two sets of symptoms.

The first set is the positive set of symptoms, where one would be hearing things that others cannot hear, seeing things that others cannot see (hallucinations), or holding on to false beliefs (delusions).

The second is the negative symptoms, where the person feels a disconnect from the rest of the world, and becomes socially isolated.

Dr. Sameer said that genetic factors as well as environmental factors are major risk factors responsible for the onset of schizophrenic illness.

“There is a strong family history of schizophrenia or related disorders. We also see that there is a significant role of substance misuse, particularly drugs, which can enhance the dopamine flow in certain areas of the brain, which can be responsible for certain insecure experiences,” the doctor explained.

Dr. Jyoti Kapoor, Founder-Director and Senior Psychiatrist, Manasthali, told IANS that poor lifestyle choices and inadequate nutrition can also pose the risk of developing schizophrenia.

“Individuals, who engage in unhealthy habits such as poor diet, lack of exercise, substance abuse, and inadequate sleep are at a higher risk of mental health disorders, including schizophrenia,” she said.

The doctor also pointed out “nutritional deficiencies, particularly in essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, can impair brain function and exacerbate genetic predispositions to schizophrenia”.

Furthermore, chronic stress and unhealthy lifestyle behaviours can lead to neuroinflammation and dysregulation of neurotransmitters, which are critical factors in the development and progression of this disorder.

The doctors called for maintaining “a balanced diet, regular physical activity, adequate sleep, and stress management in mitigating the risk and supporting overall mental health.”
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: More than exposure to sun, family history or inherited genes play a larger role in the risk of developing melanoma -- skin cancer -- than previously thought, finds a study on Wednesday.

Researchers from Cleveland Clinic in the US noted that genetic screens to assess risk factors for patients with a family history of melanoma are rare as previous, limited studies showed that only 2-2.5 per cent of all cases are genetic.

Up to 15 per cent (1 in 7) of patients who received melanoma diagnoses between 2017 and 2020 showed mutations in cancer susceptibility genes, revealed their results, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Joshua Arbesman from the Clinic said that genetic testing can help physicians to "proactively identify, screen and even treat the families" with inherited genes.

He urged physicians and insurance companies "to expand their criteria when it comes to offering genetic testing to individuals with family histories of melanoma".

It is "because inherited predisposition to it isn't nearly as rare as we think it is", he added.

The findings also support an increasingly popular opinion amongst cancer biologists: there are risk factors beyond sun exposure that can influence an individual's chances of developing melanoma.

"Not all of my patients had inherited mutations that made them more susceptible to the sun," Joshua said.

"There's clearly something more going on here and more research is needed," he said.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: A coloured band (usually white or red) along the length of the nail may indicate the risk of developing cancerous tumours of the skin, eyes, and kidneys, finds a study.

Scientists at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) discovered the presence of a benign nail abnormality known as an onychopapilloma. Besides the coloured band, it also comes with thickening of the nail underlying the colour change, and thickening at the end of the nail.

This may lead to the diagnosis of a rare inherited disorder, known as BAP1 tumour predisposition syndrome, that increases the risk of developing cancerous tumours, they noted.

Mutations in the BAP1 gene drive the syndrome, “which normally acts as a tumour suppressor, among other functions,” revealed the findings published in JAMA Dermatology journal.

The condition typically only affects one nail. However, in the study of 47 individuals with BAP1 syndrome from 35 families, about 88 per cent presented onychopapilloma tumours in multiple nails.

“This finding is rarely seen in the general population, and we believe the presence of nail changes that suggest onychopapillomas on multiple nails should prompt consideration of a diagnosis of BAP1 tumour predisposition syndrome,” said Edward Cowen, head of Dermatology Consultation Services at NIH’s National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS).

The team suggested that nail screening may be particularly valuable in a patient with a personal or family history of melanoma or other potential BAP1-associated malignancy.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: An estimated 294 million people are living with hypertension in the South-East Asia region, including India, said Saima Wazed, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia on Thursday.

World Hypertension Day, observed on May 17 every year, "aims to increase awareness of this silent killer, and galvanise global action to combat high blood pressure". This year, the theme is a call to 'Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer'.

Stressing the importance of "early detection and control," she noted that half of people with hypertension are unaware of it.

"Among adults with hypertension, half are unaware they have it, and nearly 1 in 6 do not have their blood pressure under control.

"Uncontrolled, it can lead to heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, and early death," the Regional Director said.

The key risk factors for its rising prevalence include "high intake of salt, tobacco and alcohol use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, stress, and air pollution".

While lamenting the "limited access to affordable healthcare services for hypertension" in the region, she said that countries are implementing evidence-based strategies.

The trends, she said, indicate a decline in tobacco use, and in exposure to household air pollution.

"Notably, four countries have initiated measures to eliminate trans-fatty acids from their national food supply chains. Two countries have implemented standards for labelling and marketing to give consumers the information needed to make healthier dietary choices," she said.

Further, several countries have also established national targets to improve hypertension and diabetes management within primary healthcare settings.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Poor muscle health is common in people living with obesity – and increases the risk of an early death, according to a study to be presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Venice, Italy (12-15 May).

Individuals with adverse muscle composition were up to three times more likely to die during the course of the study than those with healthy muscles, the Swedish study of people in the UK concluded.

“We found that just by looking at muscle composition we can predict which individuals with obesity are most likely to die during the next few years,” said lead researcher Dr Jennifer Linge, of AMRA Medical, a health informatics company in Linköping, Sweden.

Weight loss is increasingly recommended in the management of chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease and weight loss drugs are allowing people to lose larger amounts of weight than in the past.

However, with drugs now achieving weight loss close to the magnitudes seen with surgery, the concern for potential adverse effects on muscle health, such as significant loss of muscle mass and reduced mobility, is growing.

“Research has shown that although individuals with obesity have more muscle mass, their muscles are, in general, relatively weaker,” said Dr Linge. “They also have lower muscle quality, as well as reduced mobility and function.

“Accurate assessment of muscle composition, assessing both quantity and quality of the muscles during evaluation these treatments will teach us whether significant and rapid weight loss is safe – especially for the more vulnerable patients, such as those with sarcopenic obesity or of older age.”

To find out more, Dr Linge and colleagues used AMRA® Researcher (software that provides body composition measurements from MRI scans) to analyse scans from 56,109 participants in the UK Biobank study.

Muscle volume (muscle quantity) and muscle fat (indicating muscle quality) were quantified and a personalised muscle volume z-score (an indication of how their muscle volume compares to the average for their sex and body size) was calculated.

Participants were partitioned into four groups according to whether they had normal muscle composition, high muscle fat only, low muscle volume z-score only or adverse muscle composition (both high muscle fat and low muscle volume z-score).

The participants were followed-up for an average of 3.9 years, during which time 174 died.  The most common causes of death were ischaemic disease (coronary heart disease) and hypertensive disease (primary hypertension, hypertensive heart disease and hypertensive renal disease).

While having low muscle volume z-score or high muscle fat alone was not significantly associated with a higher risk from death from any cause, adverse muscle composition (having both low muscle volume z-score and high muscle fat) was. This underlines the importance of assessing the amount of fat in muscle, as well as muscle volume, when evaluating muscle health, say the researchers.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Genetic defects underlie about a fourth of Chinese children affected by cerebral palsy, and not a lack of oxygen at birth as previously thought, new research has found.

Cerebral palsy is a disorder affecting one's ability to move. It is the most common motor disability in children, with symptoms emerging in infancy and early childhood.

The disability is sometimes also associated with autism and intellectual deficiencies.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Men are at higher risk of premature death than women, but females tend to spend more of their lifetime in poor health, according to a new global study published in the journal Lancet Public Health on Thursday.

The findings, based on data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 to compare the total number of life years lost to illness and premature death, reveal stark differences between females and males across the 20 leading causes of disease burden over the past 30 years. It also underscores the need for gender-responsive approaches to health.

Musculoskeletal conditions, mental health conditions, and headache disorders, which though non-fatal lead to poor health, were found to be more prevalent among women. These conditions increase with age and as women tend to live longer than males, they face higher levels of illness and disability throughout their lives.

On the other hand, men were found to be affected by Covid-19, road injuries, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory and liver diseases -- all leading to their premature death.

"One key point the study highlights is how females and males differ in many biological and social factors that fluctuate and, sometimes, accumulate over time, resulting in them experiencing health and disease differently at each stage of life and across world regions," said Luisa Sorio Flor at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington, US.

"The challenge now is to design, implement, and evaluate sex- and gender-informed ways of preventing and treating the major causes of morbidity and premature mortality from an early age and across diverse populations," Dr Luisa added.

Ischaemic heart disease, lung cancer, and chronic kidney disease, sex differences tend to affect men at young ages and widen over the life course. Covid, the leading cause of health loss in 2021, affected 45 per cent more men than females.

"The timing is right for this study and calls to action -- not only because of where the evidence is now, but because Covid-19 has starkly reminded us that sex differences can profoundly impact health outcomes," Luisa said.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Ayurveda states that good health begins with digestion. Maintaining good digestion is very important for overall health and well-being. Here are seven do's for better digestion recommended by Dr Mickey Mehta, Holistic Health Expert.

Food is fuel. Fuel for the body equals nourishment, healing and balance. It equals fitness and a fit body is a creative, productive and long-lasting body. Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of consuming foods that are warm, freshly cooked and easily digestible. Incorporate foods that are high in fibre. Consume plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds daily. Fibre helps to regulate bowel movements and promotes digestive health.

The addition of spices and herbs is great for digestion. Ayurvedic herbs like Triphala are often used to support digestion and cleanse the gastrointestinal tract. Spice-like ginger is known for its digestive properties. Ginger can be consumed in various forms such as fresh ginger tea or can be added to meals. Cumin, Coriander, and Fennel Tea (CCF Tea) are commonly used in Ayurveda to help digestion and alleviate bloating and gas.

Consume foods rich in probiotics, such as yoghurt, homemade pickles, buttermilk, rice kanji and other fermented foods. Probiotics help maintain a healthy balance of gut bacteria, which is important for proper digestion. Certain foods can trigger digestive discomfort. Often spicy foods, caffeine and certain types of dairy can cause digestive discomfort. It is better to limit the consumption of such foods. Avoid heavy and fried foods. Minimize the intake of processed, packaged, preserved, bottled and high-fat foods, as they can be harder to digest and may lead to digestive discomfort. Instead of large and heavy meals, eat smaller meals throughout the day. This can help prevent overloading the digestive system and therefore, prevent bloating and indigestion.

Eat consciously while being present in the moment consuming meals. Ensure breathing in and breathing out, and have a relaxed eating pace. Eating in a calm, relaxed environment can help improve digestion too. Chew your food slowly and thoroughly. This helps in the breakdown of food particles and promotes better digestion in the stomach and intestines.

Drink an adequate amount of water throughout the day. Water helps in the digestion and absorption of nutrients, as well as the movement of food through the digestive tract. Ayurveda suggests drinking warm water throughout the day to help digestion and cleansing.

Regular physical activity is also necessary to promote healthy digestion. Optimal movement therapy helps stimulate bowel movements and reduces the risk of constipation. Certain yoga postures and breathing exercises stimulate the abdominal organs which promote relaxation and ultimately better digestion—Asanas like Pavanamuktasana (wind-relieving pose) and Bhujangasana (cobra pose) help. Pranayama like Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) can also help balance the digestive system. Massaging the abdomen in a clockwise direction with warm sesame oil can be particularly beneficial for digestion. This improves circulation and calms the nervous system, thereby stimulating digestion. Panchakarma therapies such as Virechana (therapeutic purgation) and Basti (medicated enema) are used for cleansing the body and balancing the doshas, which indirectly support digestive health.

Lastly, follow the circadian rhythm and eat and sleep at regular times. This discipline and pattern are very important for healthy digestion. Consistency helps to regulate the digestive processes and promote better gut health.

Good, easy-to-digest foods lead to creative thinking, give you courage, can beat stress, bring in confidence and create harmony between the body, mind and spirit.
 

HYDERABAD [Maha Media]: Cases of fatty liver, attributed primarily to sedentary lifestyles and increased social drinking habits, escalated dramatically in recent times, with approximately one in every five individuals now being diagnosed with this condition, say doctors.

On the occasion of World Liver Day on Friday, they underscored the pressing need for heightened awareness and proactive measures to combat the burgeoning health crisis.

The liver's pivotal role in detoxification, nutrient processing, and metabolism underscores its indispensable function in maintaining overall well-being. However, the rising incidence of fatty liver across diverse age groups, including children, young adults, and middle-aged individuals, highlights the pervasive impact of lifestyle choices on liver health.

Fatty liver, once dismissed as a benign finding, now emerges as a potent indicator of underlying health risks, including diabetes, cholesterol-related issues, and cardiovascular ailments. Furthermore, the potential progression to more severe complications such as steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer underscores the imperative of proactive intervention and lifestyle modification, the health practitioners said.

Addressing the root causes of fatty liver necessitates a multifaceted approach encompassing lifestyle modifications and dietary adjustments. Combatting prolonged sedentary behavior by incorporating regular physical activity, such as short breaks for walking, is paramount in mitigating the risk of fatty liver development.

According to doctors, equally crucial is the adoption of a balanced diet rich in vegetables, pulses, lean proteins, and essential fats while minimising the consumption of fried foods and processed sugars.

Recommend a daily intake of 400-500 grams of vegetables distributed across meals, supplemented with adequate protein sources such as lentils, beans, or lean meats. Incorporating moderate amounts of ghee and abstaining from fried foods and sugary treats are pivotal in promoting liver health and reducing the risk of fatty liver complications.

In essence, the burgeoning prevalence of fatty liver underscores the imperative of proactive lifestyle modifications and dietary interventions to safeguard liver health and mitigate the escalating burden of liver-related diseases. By prioritising preventive measures and adopting healthier lifestyle choices, individuals can significantly reduce their susceptibility to fatty liver and its associated complications.

“Intermittent fasting, coupled with daily walking of 12,000 steps, offers exponential weight loss potential. Fasting boosts fat metabolism, curbs caloric intake, enhances insulin sensitivity, and improves heart rate variability and lipid metabolism. It also fosters a healthier gut microbiome, and lowers abdominal fat, blood pressure, and inflammation, alleviating body and joint pains.

“While weight may not drastically change, waist circumference reduces, and cognitive function improves. Importantly, fasting reduces heart vessel blockage risk significantly. Exercising during fasting peaks aids in clearing fat, not only from the body but also from the liver," explained Dr. Sachin Daga Senior Consultant Hepatobiliary Pancreas & Liver Transplant Surgeon (Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgery), KIMS Hospitals, Secunderabad.

“Embrace a balanced diet abundant in fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins, while cutting back on sugary drinks, fried foods, and processed snacks. Moderate or eliminate alcohol to safeguard liver health, as excessive consumption can lead to liver damage and disease.

“Regular exercise aids in weight management enhances liver function, and reduces fatty liver risk. Hepatitis B vaccination is key for virus prevention. Routine check-ups and liver function tests with your healthcare provider are vital for early detection and intervention against liver diseases,” advised Dr Raja Prasad. P, Senior Consultant - Surgical Gastroenterology, General and Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery, Amor Hospitals.

“Regular screening every six months or annually enables early detection of fatty liver and fibrosis, preventing their progression. Advanced medical technologies like fibroscan facilitate prompt diagnosis and treatment. Lifestyle modifications and dietary adjustments can effectively manage and even reverse these conditions. Individuals with obesity, diabetes, thyroid issues, high cholesterol, and PCOS are particularly susceptible to liver diseases. Prioritize proactive care to mitigate risks and safeguard liver health," advised Dr. Chalapathi Rao Achanta, Clinical Director and Chief of, Department (Gastroenterology), Interventional Endoscopy and Liver Transplantation, KIMS ICON - Vizag.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Two brain systems have been found to function improperly in people experiencing psychosis, where they have trouble distinguishing between what is real and what is not, according to a new research led by Stanford University, US.

These systems were found to be - one, a 'filter' directing attention towards what is important externally and internally, and two, a 'predictor' involved in anticipating rewards.

The filtering system, or the salience network, helps us dismiss irrational thoughts so that we can focus on what's real and meaningful to us, such as paying attention to traffic while driving, researchers explained.

The reward predicting system, driven by dopamine, is critical to anticipating what will be rewarding or important, they said.

Together, they malfunction in a way such that thoughts not linked to reality capture the brain's cognition networks, said Vinod Menon, a professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences, Stanford University, US.

"This process derails the normal functioning of cognitive control, allowing intrusive thoughts to dominate, culminating in symptoms we recognise as psychosis," said Menon, senior author of the study published in the journal 'Molecular Psychiatry'.

In psychosis, patients experience hallucinations, such as hearing voices, and hold delusional beliefs, such as thinking that people who are not real exist, the researchers said. The state is known to occur either on its own, or as a symptom of mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

For the study, the researchers analysed brain scans of people aged 6-39 years with psychosis. They found the two brain regions contributing the most to psychosis were the anterior insula, which is a key part of the salience or 'filtering' network, and the ventral striatum, which is the 'reward predicting' one.

The findings provide a good model for understanding the development and progression of schizophrenia, according to lead author Kaustubh Supekar, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

"In schizophrenia, by the time of diagnosis, a lot of damage has already occurred in the brain, and it can be very difficult to change the course of the disease," said Supekar.

"What we saw is that, early on, functional interactions among brain regions within the same brain systems are abnormal," he said adding, "The abnormalities do not start when you are in your 20s; they are evident even when you are seven or eight." 
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: National Safe Motherhood Day is observed on April 11 every year. The day spreads awareness related to a woman's safety during pregnancy. India is the largest country in terms of population in the world. However, the country still lacks good health infrastructure.

Many women in India die during childbirth because good healthcare is not accessible everywhere. This is one of the most important reasons for the increasing mortality rate in India. It is one of the most difficult challenges that every woman goes through in life. In India, many women die during pregnancy or the time of giving birth because they do not get the proper facilities.

What is National Safe Motherhood Day?
In 1991, the White Ribbon Alliance India (a non-governmental body) raised awareness about good maternal health and then in 2003 central government observed National Safe Motherhood Day on the 90th birth anniversary of Kasturba Gandhi.

The day is dedicated to Kasturba Gandhi, who was always committed to the welfare of children and women. Every year, the aim is to raise awareness about maternal health, emphasise its significance and decrease maternal and overall mortality rates. A pregnant woman should live and experience a positive environment to feel happy and take care of herself.

Theme of National Safe Motherhood Day
The theme of National Safe Motherhood Day is ‘Empowering Families, Strengthening Communities for Optimal Maternal Health’ which highlights the importance of families and communities that support mothers.

The maternal mortality rate has been on the rise and it is crucial for the government to ensure that everyone has access to a robust healthcare system to help reduce this rate. However, child marriage is another factor contributing to deaths during pregnancy.

On this day, various institutions, organisations and government bodies arrange camps, offer healthcare facilities, raise awareness and undertake other measures to address this issue.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: A simple blood test that checks for prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a marker for prostate cancer, is safe and sufficient, if done at intervals of every five years, finds a study on Saturday.

Screening for prostate cancer has historically been a controversial subject. While the PSA test has been effective in screening the risk, it is also known for false positives leading to unnecessary invasive treatments and false negatives leading to cancers being missed.

"This is gradually changing due to MRI scans which can avoid unnecessary biopsies and the use of 'active surveillance', where men with early-stage cancer are monitored and only undergo treatment if their disease progresses," said the researchers from Heinrich-Heine University, Dusseldorf in Germany.

The team's study, presented at the ongoing European Association of Urology (EAU) Congress in Paris, France, showed that five years is enough to screen low-risk men for prostate.

They noted that the "screening interval for those at low risk could be much longer with minimal additional risk".

The findings come as a new analysis published in the Lancet Commission on Friday showed that cases of prostate cancer are likely to double worldwide to 2.9 million per year, while annual deaths are projected to rise by 85 per cent -- to almost 700,000 deaths by 2040.

The new study included men aged 45 split into three groups. Men with a PSA level of under 1.5 nanograms per millilitre (ng/ml) were deemed low risk and followed up with a second test after five years.

While those with a PSA level between 1.5-3 ng/ml were deemed intermediate risk and followed up in two years, men with a PSA level over 3 ng/ml were found in the high-risk category and given an MRI scan and biopsy.

Of over 20,000 men recruited to the trial and deemed low risk, 12,517 have now had their second PSA test at age 50.

The results, also forthcoming in the journal European Urology, showed that only 1.2 percent of these (146 in total) had high levels of PSA (over 3 ng/ml) and were referred for an MRI and biopsy. Only 16 of these men were subsequently found to have cancer -- just 0.13 per cent of the total cohort.

"By raising the bar for low risk from 1 ng/ml to 1.5, we enabled 20 per cent more men within our cohort to have a longer gap between tests, and very few contracted cancer in that time," said lead researcher Professor Peter Albers, from the Department of Urology at the University.

"Our study is still underway, and we may find that an even longer screening interval, of seven, eight, or even ten years, is possible without additional risk," he added.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: India is rapidly emerging as the “cancer capital of the world”, according to data shared by the annual Health of Nation report by Apollo Hospitals, the country’s largest vertically integrated health care provider.

The report sheds light on the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in India, including cancer, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and mental health issues, all of which significantly impact the nation’s overall health.

The study indicates that around 63 per cent of all deaths in India are due to NCDs.

By 2030, these diseases are projected to cost India $3.55 trillion in lost economic output.

A closer look at the key findings of the report:

 
A METASTATIC TREND  
1.39 million: Number of cancer cases in 2020
1.57 million: Expected number of cases in 2025
13%: Growth in five years
The median age for cancer diagnosis in India is lower than in other countries:
52 years: Average age of breast cancer diagnosis in India versus 63 in the US and Europe
59 years: Average age of lung cancer diagnosis versus 70 years in the West
30%: Share of colon cancer patients aged less than 50 years

 
Despite these trends, cancer screening rates in India remain very low:
1.9%: Breast cancer screening in India compared to 82% in the US, 70% in the UK, and 23% in China
0.9%: Cervical cancer screening in India compared to 73% in the US, 70% in the UK, and 43% in China

DEPRESSION GETS YOUNGER
One in every 10 individuals had depression out of a sample size of 5,000
The percentage of depression is highest among those in the age category of 18-25, where one in five was depressed
80% of young adults (18-30 years) and seniors (above 65 years) reported significant stress levels

WEIGHTY CONCERN
Three in four individuals undergoing health checks at Apollo were either obese or overweight

Obesity incidence has increased from 9% in 2016 to 20% in 2023

Apollo also observed that 90% of women and 80% of men had a higher waist-to-hip ratio than recommended
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Treating all HIV-positive patients properly to suppress the virus can reduce the transmission of the deadly virus and help India to end AIDS, said Mumbai-based epidemiologist Ishwar Gilada.

"We can end AIDS now as science has shown us the evidence on how to stop the spread of HIV infection and keep people living with HIV healthy. If all people can secure the full range of HIV combination prevention, testing, treatment and care services they need, then we can arrest the further spread of infection along with helping people with HIV lead a healthy and productive life. To end AIDS, we need to ensure that no one is excluded," said Gilada, President Emeritus at the 15th National Conference of the AIDS Society of India (ASICON 2024).

The two-day 15th ASICON, being held in Kochi from March 22-24 is themed 'Informs, Reforms and Transforms HIV-care'.

India has the second largest population in the world with HIV. Out of the estimated 24.67 lakh people living with HIV in India, 16.80 lakhs are receiving lifesaving antiretroviral therapy, as per a National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) report 2023.

About 79 per cent of the 24.67 lakh people know their HIV-positive status, 86 per cent of those who know they are positive are receiving antiretroviral therapy, and out of those receiving the therapy, 93 per cent are virally suppressed.

"Every person with HIV who is on treatment should get the viral load test regularly as it is important to ensure that the person is (and remains) virally suppressed, untransmittable, and healthy," said Gilada, who was the first person to raise the alarm on HIV in India and established India's first AIDS Clinic in JJ Hospital Mumbai in 1986.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: India's tuberculosis incidence dropped marginally by 0.5 per cent between 2015 and 2020 and failed to meet the World Health Organization's (WHO's) END-TB milestone for 2020, according to new global research published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.

The WHO End TB Strategy aims for a 90 per cent reduction in TB deaths and an 80 per cent reduction in the incidence rate by 2030, compared to the baseline figures of 2015. The 2020 milestones include a 20 per cent reduction in the TB incidence rate and a 35 per cent reduction in deaths.

The latest study estimated that the incidence of TB across all ages in India was 213 cases per one lakh population in 2020, well above the WHO's milestone figure (for India) of 171 per one lakh population. Deaths due to the bacterial infectious disease in the same year were estimated to be between 3.5-5 lakh, again much above the mortality milestone of 2.7-3.2 lakh set for India. The study comes ahead of World Tuberculosis Day on March 24. Despite accelerated progress in reducing TB burden over the past decade, the world failed to attain the first interim milestones of the WHO End TB Strategy in 2020, said the researchers forming the Global Burden Disease (GBD) 2021 Tuberculosis Collaborators. The pace of decline has also differed across age groups, with adults aged 50 years and above having the slowest progress.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: World Kidney Day is observed across the globe on the second Thursday of March. The day holds immense importance as people raise awareness about the significance of kidneys and ways to manage kidney disease. Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs in your body that help to clean your blood by removing waste and extra water, which then turns into urine. 

On World Kidney Day, doctors, health workers, kidney disease survivors and health advocates come together to promote the significance of preventive measures, early detection and effective management of kidney disease. The day aims to raise awareness about the risks of kidney disease and how to take necessary actions that prevent the disease.

World Kidney Day 2024 Date
This year World Kidney Day will be observed on March 14, the second Thursday of March 2024.

World Kidney Day 2024 Theme
The theme for this year’s World Kidney Day is “Kidney Health for All – Advancing Equitable Access to Care and Optimal Medication Practice.” This theme highlights the importance of addressing kidney care. Reports state that nearly 850 million people worldwide are affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD). With proper medication and care, this number can be brought down and necessary steps can be taken to prevent the disease. Each year, the campaign focuses on a new theme, addressing different aspects of kidney health. 

World Kidney Day History
The event originated in 2006 as a joint initiative between the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF). The health awareness day was motivated by the growing concern over the rise in kidney diseases worldwide and the lack of awareness among the general public about kidney health. The aim was to highlight the importance of kidneys, promote preventive measures and educate the public about the risks and treatments associated with kidney disease. 

World Kidney Day Significance
This day serves as an important platform for educating people about the essential functions of kidneys, including waste elimination, blood pressure regulation and electrolyte balance. It also highlights the alarming rise in kidney diseases worldwide and the need for ways to address this growing health crisis. By focusing on the prevention and early detection of kidney diseases, World Kidney Day aims to reduce the impact and prevalence of these conditions. 

The day encourages people to adopt healthier lifestyles, such as maintaining a balanced diet, regular exercise and avoiding tobacco, to maintain their kidney health. Also, it advocates for the improvement of care and support for those living with kidney diseases, highlighting the importance of access to prevention and treatment services. 

Through events, seminars, and online campaigns, World Kidney Day has made considerable progress in increasing awareness and understanding of kidney function, the importance of early detection and the management of chronic kidney disease.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: People who sleep for only three to five hours daily may be at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a study.

The research, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, also shows that chronic sleep deprivation cannot be compensated by healthy eating alone.

''I generally recommend prioritising sleep, although I understand it's not always possible, especially as a parent of four teenagers,'' said Christian Benedict, Associate Professor at Uppsala University and lead researcher behind the study.

The team examined the link between type 2 diabetes and sleep deprivation. Type 2 diabetes affects the body's ability to process sugar (glucose), hindering insulin absorption and resulting in high blood sugar levels.

A 2020 study showed that over 462 million people suffer from this disease. Over time, it can cause serious damage, particularly to nerves and blood vessels, and thus represents an escalating public health problem globally.

''Previous research has shown that repeated short daily rest increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, while healthy dietary habits such as regularly eating fruit and vegetables can reduce the risk,'' said Diana Noga, a sleep researcher at the Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences at Uppsala University.

''However, it has remained unclear whether people who sleep too little can reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by eating healthily,'' Noga said in a statement.

The researchers used data from one of the largest population databases in the world, the UK Biobank, in which nearly half a million participants from the UK have been genetically mapped and responded to questions on health and lifestyle.

They followed the participants for over 10 years and found that a sleep duration of between three and five hours was linked to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

In contrast, healthy eating habits led to a lower risk of developing the disease, but even people who ate healthily but slept less than six hours a day were still at higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

''Our results are the first to question whether a healthy diet can compensate for lack of sleep in terms of the risk of type 2 diabetes. They should not cause concern, but instead be seen as a reminder that sleep plays an important role in health,'' Benedict added.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Obesity is a risk factor for stillbirth, especially as the pregnancy advances to term, according to a large study conducted in Canada.

The findings, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), suggest that an earlier delivery date may help reduce the risk of stillbirth for pregnant people with obesity.

The researchers analysed data from the Better Outcomes Registry and Network on 6,81,178 (over 6.8 lakh) singleton births, 1,956 of which were stillbirths, in Ontario, Canada between 2012 and 2018.

After adjusting for other stillbirth risk factors like diabetes and high blood pressure, they found that people with class I obesity -- with body mass index (BMI) 30–34.9 kilograms per square metre (kg/m2) -- had double the risk of stillbirth at 39 weeks gestation compared to those with normal BMI (18.5–24.9 kg/m2).

For those in obesity classes II and III (BMI 35–39.9 kg/m2 and BMI 40 kg/m2 and higher, respectively), stillbirth risk at 36 weeks was 2 to 2.5 times that of people with normal BMI, the researchers said.

This risk associated with increased BMI, a measure of body fat based on height and weight, further increased with gestational age, with a more than fourfold risk at 40 weeks, they said.

''For other medical conditions that increase the risk of stillbirth, there are guidelines that recommend delivery at 38 or 39 weeks. Interestingly, the risk thresholds for those conditions are lower than the risks we found associated with obesity,'' said study lead author, Naila Ramji, an assistant professor at Dalhousie University, Canada.

''We worry that implicit biases against people with obesity may be causing the medical community to take the risks they face less seriously,'' Ramji said in a statement.

The researchers also looked at whether stillbirths occurred before or during delivery and found a higher risk of stillbirths occurring before delivery in people with class I and II obesity.

They hope that these findings will improve care for this at-risk population.

''Pregnant people with obesity, especially those with additional risk factors, may benefit from timely referral and greater surveillance closer to term, and the presence of additional risk factors may warrant earlier delivery,'' Ramji added.
 

RAJKOT (Maha Media): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Rajkot in Gujarat and e-dedicated to the nation four more AIIMS at Bathinda (Punjab), Raebareli (Uttar Pradesh), Kalyani (West Bengal) and Mangalagiri (Andhra Pradesh).

He inaugurated development projects worth Rs 48,000 at the function held here and asserted that his guarantee begins when hope from others fades.

"For 50 years after Independence, there was only one AIIMS in the country, and that too in Delhi. In the seven decades since Independence, only seven AIIMS were approved but even these were never completed," he said.

"But now, in just 10 days, seven new AIIMS were inaugurated or its foundation stones laid. That is why I am saying we are developing the country at a pace much faster than what happened in the last six to seven decades," he said. 

The institute has already inducted around 500 MBBS and 200 nursing students and also started postgraduate and para-medical training initiatives. AIIMS Kalyani has been set up on an area larger than 20,000 square metres.

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and gestational diabetes (GDM) are two of the most common pregnancy complications. Both raise the risk of cardiovascular disease in the future for pregnant individuals. A study suggested that pregnancy problems may result in poor cardiovascular health for the child.

The findings were published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In a secondary analysis of 3,317 maternal-child pairings from the prospective Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome.

Follow-up Study (HAPO FUS), researchers examined whether there was a connection between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and gestational diabetes and a child's cardiovascular health. On the maternal side, 8 per cent developed high blood pressure during pregnancy, 12 per cent developed gestational diabetes, and 3 per cent developed both high blood pressure and diabetes.

Researchers then examined the child's cardiovascular health 10 to 14 years after delivery. Cardiovascular health was evaluated based on four metrics: body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and glucose level. Pediatric guidelines categorized each metric as ideal, intermediate, or poor. Researchers found that before the age of 12 (median age: 11.6), more than half of the children (55.5 per cent) had at least one metric that was non-ideal, which puts them at greater risk of heart disease and stroke.

"These findings are important because traditionally, the thinking has been that a person's risk of developing cardiovascular disease starts after birth -- that everyone starts at the same point," said the study's lead author Kartik K. Venkatesh, MD, PhD, a maternal-fetal medicine subspecialist and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynaecology and assistant professor of epidemiology, and Director of the Diabetes in Pregnancy Program at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. "These data suggest that's not the case and that what happens in the womb can affect the child across their lifespan."
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Our sense of direction is essential for navigating the world around us. It serves as the brain's internal compass, guiding us in the right direction and, more significantly, prompting us to reverse course when we're going the wrong way. Yet despite a large body of research on how navigation works in the brain, scientists still lack a clear understanding of how this internal compass directly guides behavior.

Now, a study conducted in fruit flies and led by researchers at Harvard Medical School offers new insights into how two distinct brain regions -- the seat of the compass and the steering center -- communicate during navigation. The findings are published in Nature.

In the study, researchers examined the brains of fruit flies knocked off course while running in a particular direction. They discovered that three distinct groups of neurons enable communication between the compass and the steering regions of the brain and work together to help the fly course-correct. In doing so, the neurons translate signals from a fly's internal compass into behavior to keep it moving in the right direction. "Until now, no one really knew how sense of direction, which is an internal cognitive state, relates to the actions an animal is making in the world," said senior author Rachel Wilson, the Joseph B. Martin Professor of Basic Research in the Field of Neurobiology in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS.

Despite their small size, fruit flies have complicated brains and behaviors -- and thus the findings could provide a foundation for future studies on how signals in the brain become actions in more complex species, including humans. Staying on course

Humans and other complex animals have an internal compass made of brain cells that use internal and external information to generate a sense of direction. In fruit flies, scientists have figured out that these cells -- called head-direction cells -- are arranged in a circle, making them especially easy to study. Contrary to what their name implies, fruit flies spend more time walking than flying. Previous research has shown that as flies walk around, these head-direction cells actively track their rotational movements, such as turning right or left.

In the new study, Wilson and colleagues wanted to explore how this compass is functionally connected to the steering region of the brain to understand how it guides navigation. To do this, they used an existing wiring diagram of every neural connection in the fruit fly brain to build a computational model of how these regions might be linked. With this model, they were able to identify and make predictions about the layer of neurons that connect the two regions. To validate their predictions, the researchers analyzed the activity in the layer of neurons identified by the model as the flies walked around in a virtual reality environment. Often, flies ran straight in a random direction, likely in an effort to escape their environment. When their virtual world was rotated to move them off course, the flies swiftly course-corrected. Interestingly, these course corrections were carried out by three separate groups of neurons: Two sets of neurons nudged the fly to go right or left, and one issued a signal to turn around completely.

"You can think of these three groups of neurons as three sentries guarding a castle," Wilson said, "with each responsible for surveilling in a different direction and prompting the correction needed to keep the fly moving towards its goal." The findings explain how fruit flies use their sense of direction to estimate where they are in relation to a goal and how they use this estimate to adjust their behavior.

"This is a really concrete description of how a complicated cognitive process works and how it produces specific, guided behaviors in real time," Wilson said. The findings complement a second study, also published in Nature on Feb. 7 and led by a separate team of researchers at The Rockefeller University, that describes parts of the same neuronal circuit in fruit flies.

Taken together, the two studies provide an even more complete understanding of how sense of direction translates into behavior in the animals. A strong starting point

Wilson said that her team's observations have implications beyond identifying the connections between the brain's compass and steering regions. The findings provide important clues about the format and location of navigational goals in the brain -- and may pave the way for understanding how other types of goals are stored. "I think we've touched on one of the most mysterious aspects of brain function, which is how we hold information and intentions in our mind in a latent form and then act on them," Wilson said, adding that even insects have this ability. "In the future, we're going to investigate how this works."

Wilson is also interested in learning more about the three groups of neurons the study identified -- and whether analogous groups of neurons dedicated to fine and coarse adjustments exist in other brain networks. "We have a hunch that this is actually a major principle of brain function and might explain a lot of seemingly redundant pathways in the brain," Wilson explained.

Wilson added that because fruit flies have complex brains and behaviors, they are a good starting point for studying aspects of cognition that exist in higher-order species such as mice or humans. "By understanding a system in one small brain, I think we've made important progress toward forming clear hypotheses about how it may work in more complicated brains," she said. "At this point, I don't see an obvious end to the similarities between species."
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: lobal cancer cases are expected to rise around 77 per cent by the middle of the century, UN health authorities said on Thursday, highlighting the growing burden of the disease. There are predicted to be more than 35 million cancer cases during 2050, up from the estimated 20 million in 2022, according to _latest figures_ from the International Agency for Research on Cancer ( _IARC)_, a specialized branch of the UN World Health Organization (WHO). 

The increase reflects both population ageing and growth, as well as changes to people's exposure to risk factors. **Tobacco, alcohol and obesity are key factors, along with air pollution**. Tweet URL > WHO ## Varying patterns Richer countries are expected to have the greatest absolute increase in cancer, with an additional 4.8 million new cases predicted in 2050. However, **low and middle-income countries should see a higher proportional increase** in cancer, while mortality is projected to almost double. The estimates from the IARC's _Global Cancer Observatory_ are based on the best sources of data available from 185 countries and covers 36 different forms of cancer.

They were published alongside a WHO survey from 115 countries which showed that the majority do not adequately finance priority cancer and palliative care services as part of universal health coverage. ## Common cancers globally Ten types of cancer collectively comprised around two-thirds of new cases and deaths globally in 2022, the IARC said. 

**Lung cancer** was the most commonly occurring form worldwide with 2.5 million new cases. It accounted for more than 12 per cent of all new cases and 18.9 per cent of deaths, 1.8 million, making it the leading cause of cancer death. **Female breast cancer ranked second** in terms of occurrence, with 2.3 million cases, worldwide or 11.6 per cent, but accounted for 6.9 per cent of deaths. 

Other commonly occurring cancers were **colorectal, prostate and stomach cancer**. Colorectal cancer was the second leading cause of cancer death, followed by liver, breast and stomach cancer. **Cervical cancer** was the eighth most commonly occurring cancer globally, the ninth leading cause of cancer death, and the most common cancer in women in 25 countries, many of which are in sub-Saharan Africa. ## Inequalities and investment The IARC estimates - issued ahead of World Cancer Day on 4 February - also revealed striking inequalities, particularly in breast cancer. 

One in 12 women in richer countries will be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime and one in 71 will die of it, the agency said. 
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: According to the Indian Council of Medical Research's National Cancer Registry Programme (ICMR-NCRP), the estimated number of cervical cancer cases in the country in 2023 was more than 3.4 lakh, the government informed Parliament on Friday.

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Health Satya Pal Singh Baghel said the Centre's Department of Health and Family Welfare provides technical and financial support to the states and Union territories under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) as part of the National Health Mission (NHM).

The support is provided on the basis of the proposals received from the states and subject to the resource envelope, the minister said.

The programme focuses on strengthening infrastructure, human resource development, health promotion and awareness generation for prevention, early diagnosis, management and referral to an appropriate level of healthcare facility for the treatment of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cancer, he added.

Under the NP-NCD, 753 district NCD clinics and 6,237 community health centre NCD clinics have been set up.

A population-based initiative for prevention, control and screening for common NCDs, such as diabetes, hypertension and common cancers, has been rolled out under the NHM and also as a part of comprehensive primary healthcare, Baghel said.

Under the initiative, those aged above 30 years are targeted for their screening for the three common cancers -- cervical, breast and oral.

Screening for these common cancers is an integral part of service delivery under Ayushman Arogya Mandir, the minister informed the Lok Sabha.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Researchers from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research believe that being able to walk one kilometer comfortably can help predict fracture risk. The findings, published today in JAMA Network Open, suggested that just asking a patient about walking limitations may assist clinicians in identifying those who require additional bone health assessment and prescribing therapies to prevent fractures.

"We've discovered that trouble walking even short distances appears closely tied to higher fracture risk over the following five years," said lead author of the study, Professor Jacqueline Center, Head of Garvan's Clinical Studies and Epidemiology Lab. "Just a few simple questions about how far someone can walk could give doctors an early warning sign to check bone health."

The researchers examined data on nearly 267,000 adults aged 45 and older from the Sax Institute's 45 and Up Study, a major ongoing research initiative that has been tracking health outcomes in adults in NSW for more than 15 years. Participants were asked if health issues limited their ability to walk various distances, with answer options of 'not at all,' 'a little,' or 'a lot'. The group was then followed for five years to track fracture outcomes.

The researchers found that one in five adults reported some walking limitation at the beginning of the study. Those with more difficulty walking were significantly more likely to experience a fracture during follow-up. For example, women who said they were limited 'a lot' in walking one kilometer had a 60 per cent higher fracture risk than women with no limitation. For men, the increased risk was over 100 per cent. "We saw a clear 'dose-response' pattern, where greater walking limitation meant higher fracture risk. This suggests a direct relationship between low walking ability and weaker bones," said the first author of the study Dr Dana Bliuc, Senior Research Officer at Garvan.

Approximately 60 per cent of all fractures in the study were attributable to some level of walking limitation. The link remained strong even after accounting for other factors like age, falls, prior fractures, and weight, and the findings were consistent across different fracture sites like hips, vertebrae, arms, and legs. "In this generally healthy community-based population, we still found one in five people had trouble walking a kilometer," said Professor Center.

"We think this simple assessment could help identify many more at-risk individuals who may benefit from bone density screening or preventative treatment." Osteoporosis medications, lifestyle changes, and other interventions are available to improve bone strength and avoid first or repeat fractures. However, screening rates currently remain low, meaning many miss out on fracture risk assessments. Finding easy but accurate ways to detect at-risk people is an important target for research.

"Fracture risk assessment generally relies on a bone density test, which many people have not had when seeing their doctor," said Professor Center. "Asking about walking ability takes just seconds and could be a free, non-invasive way to tell if someone needs their bones checked." The researchers stress that walking limitations may have many causes beyond weak bones, from heart disease to arthritis. However, difficulty in walking even short distances appears closely tied to fracture risk independently.

"We hope these findings will encourage clinicians to consider walking ability as a red flag for possible bone health issues. For patients, if you can't walk a full kilometer comfortably, it may be wise to ask your doctor about getting your bones checked," said Dr Bliuc.

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Researchers from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research believe that being able to walk one kilometer comfortably can help predict fracture risk. The findings, published today in JAMA Network Open, suggested that just asking a patient about walking limitations may assist clinicians in identifying those who require additional bone health assessment and prescribing therapies to prevent fractures.

"We've discovered that trouble walking even short distances appears closely tied to higher fracture risk over the following five years," said lead author of the study, Professor Jacqueline Center, Head of Garvan's Clinical Studies and Epidemiology Lab. "Just a few simple questions about how far someone can walk could give doctors an early warning sign to check bone health."

The researchers examined data on nearly 267,000 adults aged 45 and older from the Sax Institute's 45 and Up Study, a major ongoing research initiative that has been tracking health outcomes in adults in NSW for more than 15 years. Participants were asked if health issues limited their ability to walk various distances, with answer options of 'not at all,' 'a little,' or 'a lot'. The group was then followed for five years to track fracture outcomes.

The researchers found that one in five adults reported some walking limitation at the beginning of the study. Those with more difficulty walking were significantly more likely to experience a fracture during follow-up. For example, women who said they were limited 'a lot' in walking one kilometer had a 60 per cent higher fracture risk than women with no limitation. For men, the increased risk was over 100 per cent. "We saw a clear 'dose-response' pattern, where greater walking limitation meant higher fracture risk. This suggests a direct relationship between low walking ability and weaker bones," said the first author of the study Dr Dana Bliuc, Senior Research Officer at Garvan.

Approximately 60 per cent of all fractures in the study were attributable to some level of walking limitation. The link remained strong even after accounting for other factors like age, falls, prior fractures, and weight, and the findings were consistent across different fracture sites like hips, vertebrae, arms, and legs. "In this generally healthy community-based population, we still found one in five people had trouble walking a kilometer," said Professor Center.

"We think this simple assessment could help identify many more at-risk individuals who may benefit from bone density screening or preventative treatment." Osteoporosis medications, lifestyle changes, and other interventions are available to improve bone strength and avoid first or repeat fractures. However, screening rates currently remain low, meaning many miss out on fracture risk assessments. Finding easy but accurate ways to detect at-risk people is an important target for research.

"Fracture risk assessment generally relies on a bone density test, which many people have not had when seeing their doctor," said Professor Center. "Asking about walking ability takes just seconds and could be a free, non-invasive way to tell if someone needs their bones checked." The researchers stress that walking limitations may have many causes beyond weak bones, from heart disease to arthritis. However, difficulty in walking even short distances appears closely tied to fracture risk independently.

"We hope these findings will encourage clinicians to consider walking ability as a red flag for possible bone health issues. For patients, if you can't walk a full kilometer comfortably, it may be wise to ask your doctor about getting your bones checked," said Dr Bliuc.

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Researchers from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research believe that being able to walk one kilometer comfortably can help predict fracture risk. The findings, published today in JAMA Network Open, suggested that just asking a patient about walking limitations may assist clinicians in identifying those who require additional bone health assessment and prescribing therapies to prevent fractures.

"We've discovered that trouble walking even short distances appears closely tied to higher fracture risk over the following five years," said lead author of the study, Professor Jacqueline Center, Head of Garvan's Clinical Studies and Epidemiology Lab. "Just a few simple questions about how far someone can walk could give doctors an early warning sign to check bone health."

The researchers examined data on nearly 267,000 adults aged 45 and older from the Sax Institute's 45 and Up Study, a major ongoing research initiative that has been tracking health outcomes in adults in NSW for more than 15 years. Participants were asked if health issues limited their ability to walk various distances, with answer options of 'not at all,' 'a little,' or 'a lot'. The group was then followed for five years to track fracture outcomes.

The researchers found that one in five adults reported some walking limitation at the beginning of the study. Those with more difficulty walking were significantly more likely to experience a fracture during follow-up. For example, women who said they were limited 'a lot' in walking one kilometer had a 60 per cent higher fracture risk than women with no limitation. For men, the increased risk was over 100 per cent. "We saw a clear 'dose-response' pattern, where greater walking limitation meant higher fracture risk. This suggests a direct relationship between low walking ability and weaker bones," said the first author of the study Dr Dana Bliuc, Senior Research Officer at Garvan.

Approximately 60 per cent of all fractures in the study were attributable to some level of walking limitation. The link remained strong even after accounting for other factors like age, falls, prior fractures, and weight, and the findings were consistent across different fracture sites like hips, vertebrae, arms, and legs. "In this generally healthy community-based population, we still found one in five people had trouble walking a kilometer," said Professor Center.

"We think this simple assessment could help identify many more at-risk individuals who may benefit from bone density screening or preventative treatment." Osteoporosis medications, lifestyle changes, and other interventions are available to improve bone strength and avoid first or repeat fractures. However, screening rates currently remain low, meaning many miss out on fracture risk assessments. Finding easy but accurate ways to detect at-risk people is an important target for research.

"Fracture risk assessment generally relies on a bone density test, which many people have not had when seeing their doctor," said Professor Center. "Asking about walking ability takes just seconds and could be a free, non-invasive way to tell if someone needs their bones checked." The researchers stress that walking limitations may have many causes beyond weak bones, from heart disease to arthritis. However, difficulty in walking even short distances appears closely tied to fracture risk independently.

"We hope these findings will encourage clinicians to consider walking ability as a red flag for possible bone health issues. For patients, if you can't walk a full kilometer comfortably, it may be wise to ask your doctor about getting your bones checked," said Dr Bliuc.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Persistent fatigue in patients with long COVID has a biological cause, namely mitochondria in muscle cells that produce less energy than in healthy individuals, a study has found.

Mitochondria are membrane-bound cell organelles that generate most of the chemical energy needed to power the cell's biochemical reactions.

''We're seeing clear changes in the muscles in these patients,'' said Michele van Vugt, a professor at Amsterdam UMC in The Netherlands.

People with long COVID can have a wide range of symptoms that can last weeks, months, or even years after infection.

A total of 25 long COVID patients and 21 healthy control participants took part in the study. They were asked to cycle for 15 minutes.

This cycling test caused a long-term worsening of symptoms in people with long COVID, called post-exertional malaise (PEM). Extreme fatigue occurs after physical, cognitive, or emotional exertion beyond an unknown, individual threshold.

The researchers looked at the blood and muscle tissue one week before the cycling test and one day after the test.

''We saw various abnormalities in the muscle tissue of the patients. At the cellular level, we saw that the mitochondria of the muscle, also known as the energy factories of the cell, function less well and that they produce less energy,'' said Rob Wust, Assistant Professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU).

''So, the cause of the fatigue is really biological. The brain needs energy to think. Muscles need energy to move. This discovery means we can now start to research an appropriate treatment for those with long COVID,'' added van Vugt.

One of the theories about long COVID is that coronavirus particles may remain in the body of people who have had the infection.

''We don't see any indications of this in the muscles at the moment,'' said Van Vugt.

The researchers also saw that the heart and lungs functioned well in the patients. This meant that the long-lasting effect on patient's fitness is not caused by abnormalities in the heart or lungs.

The researchers also noted that exercising is not always good for patients with long COVID.

''In concrete terms, we advise these patients to guard their physical limits and not to exceed them. Think of light exertion that does not lead to worsening of the complaints. Walking is good, or riding an electric bike, to maintain some physical condition. Keep in mind that every patient has a different limit,'' said Brent Appelman, researcher at Amsterdam UMC.

''Because symptoms can worsen after physical exertion, some classic forms of rehabilitation and physiotherapy are counterproductive for the recovery of these patients,'' van Vugt added.

Although the majority of people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus recover within weeks, the researchers estimated that a subgroup of around one in eight will get long COVID.

Symptoms in patients with long COVID, post-acute sequelae or COVID or post-COVID syndrome (PCS) include severe cognitive problems (brain fog), fatigue, exercise intolerance, autonomic dysregulation, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), orthostatic intolerance, and worsening of symptoms after PEM.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: India registered about 12 lakh new cancer cases and 9.3 lakh deaths in 2019, becoming the second highest contributor to the disease burden in Asia for that year, according to a new study published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia journal.

Researchers found that India, along with China and Japan, were the three leading countries in Asia in terms of number of new cases and deaths, where they say cancer has become a more significant public health threat with 94 lakh new cases and 56 lakh deaths in 2019.

Of these, while China contributed the most with 48 lakh new cases and 27 lakh deaths, Japan recorded about 9 lakh new cases and 4.4 lakh deaths, the international team of researchers including those from the National Institute of Technology Kurukshetra and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jodhpur and Bathinda, said.

''We examined the temporal patterns of 29 cancers in 49 Asian countries between 1990 and 2019 using estimates from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries and Risk Factors 2019 Study (GBD 2019),'' they wrote in their study.

They found that in Asia, the leading cancer was that of tracheal, bronchus, and lung (TBL), resulting in an estimated 13 lakh cases and 12 lakh deaths. It was also found to be most frequent in men and third most frequent in women.

Specifically among women, cervical cancer is ranked second or among top-5 cancers in several Asian countries. The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, introduced in 2006, has proved to be effective in preventing the disease and reducing HPV-related deaths, the researchers said.

Overall, in the continent and individual countries, TBL, breast, colon and rectum cancer (CRC), stomach and non-melanoma skin cancer were among the top five most frequent cancers in 2019 with few countries having leukemia, prostate, liver and pancreatic cancers in the list, they said in their study.

Further, smoking, alcohol consumption and ambient particulate matter (PM) pollution remained dominant among the 34 risk factors for cancer, they said.

''The rising cancer burden due to increasing ambient air pollution is concerning in Asia,'' they wrote.

Five of the top 10 countries with regards to population-weighted annual average of PM2.5 in 2019 are present in Asia - India, Nepal, Qatar, Bangladesh and Pakistan, they said quoting the State of Global Air Report, produced annually in collaboration with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation's (IHME's) GBD project.

The researchers said that the primary reasons for increasing air pollution in Asia were industry-led economic growth along with urbanisation, rural-to-urban migration and increasing usage of motor vehicles.

They also said that a high prevalence of smokeless tobacco (SMT) such as khaini, gutkha, betel quid and paan masala is a public health concern in South Asian countries such as India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, with India alone accounting for 32.9 per cent of global deaths and 28.1 per cent of new cases of lip and oral cavity cancer in 2019.

''More than 50 per cent of the oral cancer burden has been attributed to smokeless tobacco, whose prevalence has grown in recent times in South Asia, including India,'' the team wrote.

SMT not only increases the risk of oral cancers but also enhances the risk of esophageal and pancreatic cancer, they said.

They wrote that improved water and sanitation can help reduce the transmission of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and, in turn, potentially lower the risk of stomach cancer.

The researchers wrote that as countries underwent development, they observed a common pattern of reducing cancer burden in younger age groups and increasing cancer burden associated with increasing life expectancy.

They found a reduced burden of cancers such as leukemia among those under 5 years of age between 1990 and 2019.

Simultaneously, they found a raised burden of cancers associated with longer lifespan such as prostate, pancreatic and breast cancer over the same time period.

''Mere availability of screening might not improve the survival rates if cancer treatments are either unavailable or unaffordable,'' the team wrote.

In the low- and medium-income countries (LMICs) of Asia, oncologic infrastructure is either scarce or unaffordable, particularly in rural areas. Combined with a weak referral system, patients end up getting delayed diagnosis and treatment, leading to lower survival rates, the researchers said.

Therefore, along with timely availability of cancer screening and treatment, its cost-effectiveness or coverage of treatment expenses must also be a policy priority, they said.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: People with poor objective sleep quality exhibit unfavourable physical health indicators, particularly elevated blood pressure, a study has found.

Objective sleep quality consists not only of the total sleep duration, but also the amount of the different sleep stages, the duration of wake period, and the frequency of awakenings.

Researchers from the University of Tsukuba in Japan conducted a comprehensive study involving 100 adults aged 30–59 years by employing electroencephalogram (EEG) measurements to assess sleep quality for five nights at the participants' homes.

Electroencephalography is a method to record an electrogram of the spontaneous electrical activity of the brain.

Additionally, detailed health examinations were conducted at a health care facility in Tokyo.

Ten sleep parameters derived from the EEG data collected during the five-night home study were used to categorise participants into three groups—namely, the good sleep group (comprising 39 participants), the intermediate group (comprising 46 participants), and the poor sleep group (comprising 15 participants).

The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, utilised a form of unsupervised machine learning within the domain of artificial intelligence (AI) to evaluate 50 physical health parameters across these groups.

The researchers observed statistically significant differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, γ-GTP (a marker of liver function), and serum creatinine (a marker of kidney function).

Of these, the differences in systolic blood pressure -- which measures the pressure in arteries when the heart beats -- were particularly pronounced, consistently higher among participants of the poor sleep group, the researchers said.

The study unveiled a weak correlation between objective sleep quality, as measured by EEG during sleep, and subjective sleep quality.

Notably, only objective sleep quality exhibited an association with systolic blood pressure, the researchers said.

Additionally, the research identified specific combinations that displayed relatively strong correlations between the 10 EEG-derived sleep metrics and the 50 physical health parameters.

The study highlights the utility of home-based EEG for the objective assessment of sleep quality, offering valuable applications in clinical practice and research endeavours.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: In a significant milestone demonstrating the strengthening of the country's health infrastructure and propelling healthcare excellence in India, India has achieved a commendable landmark. 1,02,23,619 crore Ayushman cards have been created during the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, as per an official press release.

Under the ongoing Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, the cumulative footfall has reached 1,31,66,365 in 79,487 Health camps conducted in 3,462 Gram Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies, to date, it added.

Under the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ayushman cards are being created using the Ayushman app and physical cards are being distributed to the beneficiaries. To date, more than 23,83,473 physical cards have been distributed.

As per the release, a total of 6,34,168 Ayushman cards have been created at the health camps held yesterday

Screening of patients for TB is carried out by screening for symptoms, sputum testing, and using NAAT machines wherever available. Cases suspected to have TB are referred to higher facilities. By the end of Day 36, more than 49, 17,356 people had been screened out of which more than 3,41,499 were referred to higher Public Health Facilities, it added.

The press release said that under Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (PMTBMA), consent is being taken for patients suffering from TB to receive assistance from Nikshay Mitras. Attendees willing to be Nikshay Mitras are also being provided on-spot registration. More than 1,17,734 patients have given consent under PMTBMBA and more than 39,819 new Nikshay Mitras were registered.

Under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY), monetary assistance is provided to TB patients through Direct Benefit Transfer. For this purpose, details of the bank accounts of the pending beneficiaries are being collected and accounts are being Aadhaar seeded. Details of 30,093 such beneficiaries have been collected, the release further stated.

In areas with a predominantly tribal population, screening of eligible population (up to 40 years of age) is being done for the detection of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) through the Point of Care (PoC) tests for SCD or through Solubility Test. Cases testing positive are being referred to higher centres for management. More than 5,08,701 people have been screened so far, out of which 21,793 were found to be positive and referred to higher public health facilities, as per the release.

As per the release, screening of eligible population (30 years and above) is being done for Hypertension and Diabetes and cases suspected to be positive are being referred to higher centres. Around 10,297,809 people have been screened for Hypertension and Diabetes. More than 4,82,667 people were suspected to be positive for Hypertension more than 3,45,898 were suspected to have Diabetes and more than 7,59,451 people were referred to higher public health facilities.

The Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra was launched by the Prime Minister on November 15 from Khunti, Jharkhand to saturate the benefits of central government schemes across the nation. As a part of on-spot services under the Yatra, Health Camps are being organized at the places of halt of the IEC Van in the Gram Panchayats.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: India's healthcare sector has achieved more in the last nine years of the Narendra Modi government than in the preceding 70 years, Union Minister Arjun Munda said on Wednesday.

During a press conference, the tribal affairs minister said that holistic healthcare, with a special focus on tribals, has been placed among the top priorities of the government. "We have witnessed an unprecedented revolution in the field of health. Today, health is being linked with development for the first time in the country. In fact, there's a widespread sentiment of 'Healthy Nation, Wealthy Nation' created in the country," he said.

"The healthcare sector in the country has achieved more in the last 9 years than in the preceding 70 years," he said. Tribal health is one of the key focus areas under PM JANMAN, Munda added. He highlighted that the five-year-old Ayushman Bharat '? Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana is providing health security to the poorest individuals in the country.

"This is the world's largest government-funded healthcare program, targeting over 55 crore beneficiaries, aiming to provide insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per annum," he added. Modi launched the National Sickle Cell Anaemia (SCA) Elimination Programme on July 1 to address health challenges posed by the disease, especially among the tribal population.

The mission aims to screen over 8 crore tribals for SCA. Data for 90 lakh people have already been collected, he said. Highlighting the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN), Munda said that it aims for 360-degree development in tribal areas.

The PM JANMAN Mission targets the development of 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) neglected by various ministries' schemes, with a financial outlay of around Rs. 24,000 crore, focusing on 11 critical interventions related to nine key ministries. The minister said that the number of AIIMS in the country has increased from 8 to 23, with 20 being fully functional.

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: A case of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 was detected in Kerala on December 8, official sources said on Saturday.

The sample from a 79-year-old woman had returned a positive result in an RT-PCR test on November 18, they said, adding that she had mild symptoms of influenza-like illness (ILI) and had recovered from COVID-19.

More than 90 per cent of the COVID-19 cases in India at present are mild and they are in home isolation, the sources said.

Earlier, an Indian traveller was also detected with JN.1 sub-variant in Singapore. The person was a native of Tamil Nadu’s Tiruchirapalli district and had travelled to Singapore on October 25.

No increase in cases were observed in Tiruchirapalli district or other places in Tamil Nadu following the strain being detected in them.

“No other case of JN.1 variant has been detected in India,'' the source said.

The JN.1 sub-variant -- first identified in Luxembourg and since spreading to several countries -- is a descendant of the Pirola variant (BA.2.86).

It contains a significant number of unique mutations, particularly in the spike protein, that may contribute to increased infectivity and immune evasion, a source explained.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Over 35 crore Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Sanitary Pads have been sold through the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana centres across the country in the last three years with the rural uptake increasing from 11-12 per cent to 45 per cent, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Thursday.

Overall, the uptake of sanitary pads has climbed to 55 per cent, Mandaviya said.

Briefing the media on achievements of the government on the front of development of women and children in the last nine years, he asserted there has been a radical change in the role and status of women in the country under the Modi government.

He said the prime minister has worked on seven pillars of women security, women empowerment, prosperity of women, equal participation for women, respect to women, providing facilities to women and women health to ensure that the women of New India are truly empowered. Listing the initiatives taken for the welfare of women, he said it was the Modi government which launched the ''Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'' campaign that aimed to improve the education among girls as well as the efficiency of welfare service intended for them.

For the security of women, the one nation one helpline was launched and one-stop centre initiative was also started. While 733 one stop centres have been been approved, 703 are operational in the country presently.

These provide integrated support and assistance to women affected by violence and in distress, both in private and public spaces, through a range of services including police facilitation, medical aid, legal aid and counselling, psychological support and temporary shelter in an integrated manner under one roof.

Speaking about the law against triple talaq, Mandaviya said it was an important step for Muslim women to get freedom from the age-old tradition.

''This freedom means they will no longer have to face this type of divorce and will be able to make full use of their rights. It is a social and legal reform that promotes women empowerment and provides them support in the society. With this type of change, women will feel more independent and will get the freedom to take their own decisions,'' he said.

Under the leadership of the prime minister, the government implemented various skill development schemes especially for women.

''We launched the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, which provides financial assistance to pregnant and lactating mothers, thereby improving the health and nutrition of the mother and child as well as compensation for wage loss,'' he said.

Keeping in view the health of the women in terms of hygiene, Mandaviya said under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), the government has launched Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Sanitary Napkins at Rs 1 per pad for women to ensure easy availability of the menstrual health services at affordable prices.

These pads are being sold at highly subsidised rate of Rs 1 per pad from more than 10,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras.

''In the last three years with the uptake of the sanitary pads among rural women has increased from 11-12 per cent to 45 per cent now. Nationally, its has reached from around 30 per cent to 55 per cent, Mandaviya said.

In the direction of women empowerment, he said the government has given loans ranging from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore under Stand up India for starting a business, of which 80 per cent of the beneficiaries are women.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, loans up to Rs 10 lakh are given without any collateral. Of the 23 crore loans given, 68 per cent were given to women.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, 70 per cent of the houses were in the names of women. The government did the work of creating 'Lakhpati Didi' in the country. Under the Sukanya Samriddh Yojana, we ensured the future of more than 3 crore daughters of the country, Mandaviya said.

''Today, all the women in the country have a bank account. Before 2014, when only less than 50 per cent of women had bank accounts, we have taken a significant step towards closing this gap,'' he stated.

''The prime minister set a vision before the country that we cannot develop by keeping women, who constitute 50 per cent of our population, locked in their homes,'' he said.

Through the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, 33 per cent reservation was given to women in Lok Sabha and assemblies. Modi ji got the rights that crores of women of the country were seeking for decades.

''We have improved the health of more than 10 crore women by providing them free LPG gas cylinders. We have freed women from water problems by providing tap water to 10 crore houses in the country. As of 2019, only 17 per cent of households had tap water access, but today it reaches more than 50 per cent of customers' homes,'' he stated.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: India's doctor-population ratio is 1:834 assuming 80 per cent availability of registered allopathic doctors and 5.65 lakh AYUSH doctors, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

There are 36.14 lakh nursing personnel in the country and the nurse-population ratio is 1:476, she said.

According to the National Medical Commission (NMC), there are 13,08,009 allopathic doctors registered with the State Medical Councils and the National Medical Commission (NMC) as on June, 2022, Pawar said in a written reply.

''Assuming 80 per cent availability of registered allopathic doctors and 5.65 lakh AYUSH doctors, the doctor-population ratio in the country is 1:834,'' she said.

Pawar also said the government has increased the number of medical colleges and subsequently increased MBBS seats. There is an increase of 82 per cent in medical colleges from 387 before 2014 to 706 as of now. Further, there is an increase of 112 per cent in MBBS seats from 51,348 before 2014 to 1,08,940 as of now and PG seats have been increased to 127 per cent from 31,185 before 2014 to 70,674 as of now, the minister stated.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The Union Cabinet has approved the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) to focus on 11 critical interventions through various ministries, Union minister Anurag Thakur said Wednesday.

The scheme, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas in Jharkhand's Khunti, will have a total outlay of Rs 24,104 crore. The Central share will be Rs 15,336 crore and states will contribute Rs 8,768 crore.

The nod to the scheme was given by the Union Cabinet on Tuesday night.

Seventy-five communities located in 18 states and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been categorised as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).

These PVTGs continue to face vulnerability in social, economic and education sectors, the government noted. The PM-JANMAN will focus on 11 critical interventions through nine ministries, including the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

The Ministry of Ayush will set up Ayush Wellness Centre as per existing norms and Ayush facilities will be extended to PVTG habitations through mobile medical units.

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship will facilitate skill and vocational training in PVTG habitations, multi-purpose centres and hostels as per suitable skills of these communities.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Britain's medicines regulator has authorized the world's first gene therapy treatment for sickle cell disease, in a move that could offer relief to thousands of people with the crippling disease in the UK.

In a statement on Thursday, the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency said it approved Casgevy, the first medicine licensed using the gene-editing tool CRISPR, which won its makers a Nobel prize in 2020. The agency approved the treatment for patients with sickle cell disease and thalassemia who are 12 years old and over. 

Casgevy is made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Europe) Ltd. and CRISPR Therapeutics. To date, bone marrow transplants, an extremely arduous procedure that come with very unpleasant side effects, have been the only long-lasting treatment. "The future of life changing cures resides in CRISPR based (gene-editing) technology," said Dr. Helen O'Neill of University College London. "The use of the word cure' in relation to sickle cell disease or thalassemia has, up until now, been incompatible," she said in a statement, calling the MHRA's approval of gene therapy "a positive moment in history." Both sickle cell disease and thalassemia are caused by mistakes in the genes that carry hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carry oxygen. In people with sickle cell — which is particularly common in people with African or Caribbean backgrounds — a genetic mutation causes the cells to become crescent-shaped, which can block blood flow and cause excruciating pain, organ damage, stroke and other problems.

In people with thalassemia, the genetic mutation can cause severe anemia and patients typically require blood transfusions every few weeks, and injections and medicines for their entire life. Thalassemia predominantly affects people of South Asian, Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern heritage.

The new medicine, Casgevy, works by targeting the problematic gene in a patient's bone marrow stem cells so that the body can make properly functioning hemoglobin. Doctors take stem cells from the patient's bone marrow and use genetic editing techniques in a laboratory to fix the gene. The cells are then infused back into the patient for a permanent treatment. Britain's regulator said its decision to authorize the gene therapy for sickle cell disease was based on a study done on 29 patients, of whom 28 reported having no severe pain problems for at least one year after being treated. In the study for thalassemia, 39 out of 42 patients who got the therapy did not need a red blood cell transfusion for at least a year afterwards.

Gene therapy treatments typically cost thousands of dollars and experts have previously raised concerns that they could remain out of reach for the people most in need of treatment. Vertex Pharmaceuticals said they had not yet established a price for the treatment in Britain and were working with health authorities "to secure reimbursement and access for eligible patients as quickly as possible." 

Medicines and treatments in Britain must be recommended by a government watchdog before they are made freely available to patients in the national health care system. Casgevy is currently being reviewed by the US Food and Drug Administration; the agency is expected to make a decision early next month, before considering another sickle cell gene therapy. Millions of people around the world, including about 100,000 in the US, have sickle cell disease. It occurs more often among people from places where malaria is or was common, like Africa and India, and is also more common in certain ethnic groups, such as people of African, Middle Eastern and Indian descent. Scientists believe being a carrier of the sickle cell trait helps protect against severe malaria.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: A total of 7.5 million people were diagnosed with tuberculosis in 2022, the highest recorded since WHO began global TB monitoring in 1995, according to a report featuring data from 192 countries and areas.

The World Health Organization (WHO) 2023 Global tuberculosis (TB) report also shows that globally, an estimated 10.6 million people fell ill with TB in 2022, up from 10.3 million in 2021.

The report underscores a significant worldwide recovery in the scale-up of TB diagnosis and treatment services in 2022. It shows an encouraging trend starting to reverse the detrimental effects of COVID- 19 disruptions on TB services.

The increase in diagnosis is attributed to good recovery in access to and provision of health services in many countries, WHO said.

India, Indonesia and the Philippines, which together accounted for over 60 per cent of the global reductions in the number of people newly diagnosed with TB in 2020 and 2021, all recovered to beyond 2019 levels in 2022, it said.

''For millennia, our ancestors suffered and died with tuberculosis, without knowing what it was, what caused it, or how to stop it,'' said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General in a statement.

''Today, we have knowledge and tools they could only have dreamed of. We have political commitment, and we have an opportunity that no generation in the history of humanity has had: the opportunity to write the final chapter in the story of TB,'' Ghebreyesus said.

Geographically, in 2022, most people who developed TB were in the WHO Regions of South-East Asia (46 per cent), Africa (23 per cent) and the Western Pacific (18 per cent), with smaller proportions in the Eastern Mediterranean (8.1 per cent), the Americas (3.1 per cent) and Europe (2.2 per cent).

The total number of TB-related deaths (including those among people with HIV) was 1.3 million in 2022, down from 14 million in 2021, according to the report.

However, during the 2020-2022 period, COVID-19 disruptions resulted in nearly half a million more deaths from TB. TB continues to be the leading killer among people with HIV, it said.

The report noted that multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) remains a public health crisis. While an estimated 410,000 (4.1 lakh) people developed multidrug-resistant or rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB) in 2022, only about two in five people accessed treatment.

There is some progress in the development of new TB diagnostics, drugs and vaccines. However, this is constrained by the overall level of investment in these areas, according to WHO.

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: A study led by Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan evaluated screen time in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The amount of time spent on a screen device, such as a smartphone, computer, television, or video gaming system, is referred to as screen time. The researchers discovered that youngsters with a genetic propensity to ASD used screens for longer durations of time. Meanwhile, even if their initial screen time was limited, children with ADHD gradually increased their screen time as they grew older. The findings of the study were published in the journal Psychiatry Research.

People are spending an increasing amount of time staring at the screens of their digital devices. This is especially true for children with neurodevelopmental issues, who tend to spend more time on screens. Recognizing this issue, researchers from Nagoya University and Hamamatsu University examined 6.5 million polymorphisms in 437 children's DNA to determine genetic susceptibility to ASD and ADHD. Next, they calculated a genetic risk index that considers the number and size of the effects of changes in genes associated with ASD/ADHD. This is known as a "polygenic risk score". The researchers then compared it with the amount of time spent using screens devices among a sample of children aged 18, 32, and 40 months.

They found that children with a higher genetic susceptibility to ASD used devices with screens longer (3 hours a day or 4+ hours a day) from early childhood. They also found that kids with a high genetic risk of ADHD gradually increased their screen time as they grew older. The lead researcher, Dr. Nagahide Takahashi of Nagoya University, explained: "Overall, those with a genetic risk of ASD were 1.5 times more likely to be in the group with about three hours of screen time per day, and 2.1 times more likely to be in the group with more than four hours of screen time."

"While long periods of screen time in childhood have been suggested to be a cause of ASD/ADHD, the results of this study suggest that some people may have a genetic disposition to use screens because of ASD," he said. "Screen time may be an early sign of ASD, rather than a cause, as children with ASD are often more attracted to objects than people. Physicians should know that it is not fair to conclude that prolonged screen time is a risk factor for the development of ASD." Takahashi also cautions against overexposing children with ADHD to device screens. "Our results suggest that children at risk of ADHD are at risk of having too much screen time, especially since gaming addiction is common. As screen time tends to be longer for children who are particularly susceptible to ADHD, parents and caregivers should be cautious about it and make a commitment before it becomes a problem."

These results may also help parents devise better child-rearing strategies. "Parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders may feel guilty or be criticized by others for allowing their children screen time," Takahashi said. "However, we would recommend offering help to caregivers including offering alternative behavioral management strategies."
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Roughly 52 per cent of cervical cancer cases diagnosed between 2012 and 2015 survived, scientists have found after analysing data from Population Based Cancer Registries (PBCRs) across India.

Ahmedabad's urban PBCR had a higher survival rate of 61.5 per cent followed by Thiruvananthapuram (58.8 per cent) and Kollam (56.1 per cent). Tripura had the lowest survival rate of 31.6 per cent, the researchers said in their study published in the journal The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia. A total of 5591 cervical cancer cases from 11 PBCRs diagnosed between 2012 and 2015 were studied.

The overall survival rate of 52 per cent was about 6 per cent higher than that recorded in the previous SurvCan survey-3, which was 46 per cent. The survey presented a 5-year cancer survival assessment for selected PBCRs in India from 1991 to 1999.

SurvCan is an international collaboration of population-based cancer registries that aims to benchmark timely and comparable cancer survival estimates in Africa, Central and South America and Asia.

The research team in this study included scientists from the National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research, Indian Council of Medical Research, Bengaluru, and other Indian institutes.

The team further found that the estimated incidence rate for cervical cancer in 2020 was 10.9 per 1,00,000, even as both urban and rural PBCRs in India showed a declining trend in cervical cancer incidence.

However, despite decreasing incidence rates, cervical cancer is the second most common female cancer in India, accounting for about 10 per cent of all female cancers, they said in their study.

Covering 65 million person-years female population from various geographical regions in India, the study was the largest population level comparative survival study on cervical cancer, the researchers said.

Survival was found to be low in India's northeastern (NE) region, particularly in PBCRs in Tripura, Pasighat and Kamrup urban, with the region's survival rate being lower than the national or pooled average, the researchers said, adding that a hospital-based survival study from the region revealed a lower 5-year overall survival rate of 40.7 per cent.

The access to diagnostic and effective treatment services has varied across the populations which could explain the disparity in survival rates across the population, the researchers said.

Distance from a clinical care facility, travel costs, co-morbidity, and poverty all increase the likelihood of not undergoing a follow-up examination and completing treatment, resulting in lower survival, the researchers analysed.

The NE region has lacked health care infrastructure, treatment facilities, and human resources with PBCRs in Tripura, Pasighat, Manipur, Sikkim, Mizoram and Wardha each having less than 5 major sources of secondary and tertiary level hospitals, the researchers said.

The PBCRs in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Ahmedabad urban, Kamrup urban, and Mumbai each had more than 10 such sources, they said.

The researchers concluded saying that the observed disparity in cervical cancer survival could explain the overall effectiveness of the health care system.

Emphasising the importance of promoting awareness, early detection and improvements in the health-care system, the researchers said that their findings help inform policymakers to identify and address inequities in the health system. 
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Mental health services and facilities must be accessible to all regardless of socioeconomic status, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday while underlining the need to destigmatise mental health issues.

On the World Mental Health Day, the WHO said mental health is a universal human right.

"Just as the right to physical health is a fundamental aspect of human dignity, the right to mental health is equally indispensable," Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, said.

In countries of the WHO South-East Asia Region, which includes India, one in seven people are living with mental health conditions, she said in a statement.

Anxiety and depressive disorders were the commonest conditions among both men and women, contributing to almost 50 per cent of the total number of people living with mental disorders in the WHO South-East Asia Region.

For mental health to be recognised as a universal human right, there must be a transformation of societal attitudes and government policies, she said.

All necessary steps should be taken to protect populations from the risks of mental health conditions that include overarching issues such as climate change, humanitarian emergencies and social factors such as inequity and poverty. 

"There needs to be awareness and education to destigmatise mental health issues. 

Discrimination and stigma are major barriers that prevent individuals from seeking help and support. Also, mental health services and facilities must be accessible to all, regardless of socioeconomic status, location, or other circumstances," she said.

Observing that mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realises their abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to their community, she said it is not merely the absence of mental disorders but a positive state of mental and emotional well-being.

This definition aligns with the broader conception of human rights as not only freedoms from harm but freedoms to lead a fulfilling life, Singh said.

It is also crucial to recognise that mental health intersects with various aspects of life, including education, employment, housing, and social participation.

A person's mental well-being impacts their ability to exercise other rights, such as the right to education and the right to work. When mental health is protected, individuals are better equipped to engage meaningfully in society, she stated.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: World Heart Day is a global reminder to take care of the heart. Cardiovascular disease is the world's number one killer. According to the World Heart Federation, conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels such as heart attacks, stroke and heart failure kill more than 20.5 million people every year. World Heart Day creates awareness about the importance of keeping a healthy heart via various global activities.

Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death worldwide. World Heart Day aims to reduce the burden of heart disease by motivating people to make positive changes in their daily habits and by advocating for better access to healthcare services and treatment options.

By providing information and resources on heart health, World Heart Day empowers individuals to take charge of their own well-being. It encourages people to undergo regular health check-ups and seek medical advice when needed.

World Heart Day is observed on September 29 every year to raise awareness about heart disease and preventive measures that can help prevent and manage cardiovascular diseases.

The theme for the World Heart Day 2023 is "Use Heart, Know Heart."

Use heart: It means using the heart emoji to promote the theme and significance of the day. The World Heart Federation mentions that emojis are one of the most popular forms of communication today that can help retain people's attention and transcend language barriers.

Know heart: With 'know heart,' the theme wants to empower individuals to take control of their well-being as knowledge about heart health is limited. So, when you know your heart more, you can take better care of it.

Signs of a healthy heart:
1. Healthy blood pressure
High blood pressure is a common issue that can increase the risk of heart failure. Therefore, checking your blood pressure numbers can help know your risk.

Low blood pressure is also not good for your heart.

2. Normal heart rate
Your pulse helps understand the strength of your blood flow and blood pressure in different parts of the body. A slow or fast heart rate can help understand your heart health. If you are not able to do so, you can seek help from your doctor.

3. Normal blood test reports
A blood report can help know the levels of sodium, potassium, creatinine and other elements that are linked with your heart health in many ways.

4. Healthy cholesterol levels
Poor cholesterol levels can block your arteries and increase the risk of a heart attack. Therefore, maintaining healthy cholesterol levels is crucial for a healthy heart. A simple blood test can help know your cholesterol levels.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Thailand have taken steps to eliminate trans-fatty acids from their national food supplies, potentially benefiting over 1.7 billion people, according to World Health Organization's Regional Director for South-East Asia Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh. Several countries in the South-East Asia Region including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Timor-Leste, have set national targets to enhance hypertension and diabetes management in primary health care by 2025, in line with the SEAHEARTS initiative of placing 100 million people with hypertension and or diabetes on protocol -based management by 2025, she said.

India's target of reaching 75 million people with hypertension and diabetes under standard care by 2025 is the largest cover of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) for primary health care in the world, as per a statement released by the WHO. The SEAHEARTS (WHO HEARTS package adaptation to South-East Asia Region) initiative of the region, brings together measures to reduce risk factors (tobacco control, salt reduction, and trans-fatty acids) with improvements in hypertension and diabetes coverage and control in primary health care.

The statement by Khetrapal comes ahead of World Heart Day, a global event that occurs on September 29. On this day, The World Heart Federation and its partners raise awareness of Cardiovascular diseases. Khetrapal said World Heart Day provides an opportunity for WHO and its member states to join the global call to raise awareness about heart health and accelerate actions to prevent, detect and manage cardiovascular diseases.

The WHO South-East Asia Region is home to a quarter of the world's population. The region is experiencing a very high burden of NCDs, and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are responsible for 3.9 million annual deaths, making up 30 per cent of all deaths. Alarmingly, almost half (48 per cent) of these CVD-related deaths occurred prematurely, affecting individuals aged 30 to 70 years and imposing significant socioeconomic burdens on families, communities, and countries, as per the WHO. The main causes of the burden of CVD include modifiable lifestyle factors such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption, unhealthy diets especially high salt intake, and lack of physical activity. Raised blood pressure and raised blood glucose levels are key drivers and they can be detected, diagnosed, and managed adequately in primary care.

One in four adults in the region has raised blood pressure, while one in ten has diabetes, and less than 15 per cent are on effective treatment coverage. Additionally, high levels of lipids in the blood and suboptimal management of acute cardiovascular events further worsen CVD mortality, Khetrapal said, as per the WHO statement. NCDs have been identified as a Regional Flagship priority since 2014. In 2022, the region adopted the 'Implementation Roadmap for accelerating the prevention and control of NCD in South-East Asia 2022–2030.'
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: espite conflicting epidemiological results regarding the best time to exercise for weight loss, a study suggests that the best time of day to increase the relationship between daily moderate to vigorous physical activity and obesity is between the hours of 7 and 9 in the morning. The study was published in Obesity, the premier magazine of The Obesity Society (TOS).

Researchers investigated whether the diurnal pattern of accelerometer-measured moderate to vigorous physical activity changes the association between such human movement and obesity in the current study. "Our study provided a novel tool to explore the diurnal pattern of physical activity and to investigate its impact on health outcomes," said Tongyu Ma, PhD, assistant professor, Health Sciences Department, Franklin Pierce University, Rindge, N.H.; and the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China. Ma is the corresponding author of the study.

Previous study has focused on the frequency, intensity, and duration of physical activity, according to experts. Few research has looked into the diurnal pattern of accelerometer-measured physical activity to classify the time of day when people move. It is unknown whether cumulative physical activity at various times of the day is similarly associated with obesity. Furthermore, it is unclear if fulfilling the physical activity standards (150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous physical activity) in various patterns is equally beneficial for reducing obesity.

Researchers used data from the 2003–2004 and 2005–2006 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention because accelerometry was implemented during that time. A total of 5,285 participants were cross-sectionally analyzed. The diurnal pattern of objectively measured moderate to vigorous physical activity was classified into three categories by K-means clustering analysis: morning, mid-day and evening. K-means is an established algorithm that is commonly used to identify hidden patterns in unlabeled data sets.

Results revealed a strong linear association between moderate to vigorous physical activity and obesity in the morning group, whereas a weaker curvilinear connection was found in the midday and evening groups. Participants who met the physical activity guidelines in the morning cluster had a lower body mass index and waist circumference than those in the other clusters. Self-reported dietary recall indicated that participants in the morning cluster had a healthier diet and less daily energy intake per unit of body weight compared with other clusters.

The study's authors also found that participants in the morning cluster spent a significantly higher amount of time on sedentary behaviour than the participants in the other clusters. Despite the longer duration of sedentary time, the lower body mass index and waist circumference outcomes in the morning group persisted. Overall, participants in the morning cluster were 10-to-13 years older than the two other groups. The morning cluster also had the highest percentage of female participants among the three groups. The majority of participants in the morning group were primarily non-Hispanic White, had a college or higher education, and had never used tobacco or alcohol.

"Our findings propose that the diurnal pattern of moderate to vigorous physical activity could be another important dimension to describe the complexity of human movement," Ma and his colleagues stated in the study. Rebecca Krukowski, PhD, a clinical psychologist with expertise in behavioural weight management, commented, "This is exciting new research that is consistent with a common tip for meeting exercise goals—that is, schedule exercise in the morning before emails, phone calls or meetings that might distract you."
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: According to a study, patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can lower their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by sleeping with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. People with OSA snort frequently, their breathing stops and starts throughout the night, and they may wake up several times. This can cause weariness by reducing the amount of oxygen in the blood. It can also increase your chances of developing hypertension, stroke, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

CPAP machines are provided to people with OSA to help them sleep better. During the night, they blow air through a face mask to keep the user's airways open. However, research on the impact of CPAP on cardiovascular disease has shown contradictory results.

The heart disease study was presented by Dr Jordi de Batlle of the Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida (IRBLleida) in Lleida, Spain. He and his colleagues identified all 3,638 OSA patients in Catalonia who had elected to stop using CPAP in 2011. They compared these to 3,638 OSA patients who used CPAP until at least 2015 or until they died. Dr de Batlle said, “Our results suggest that CPAP treatment can help most OSA patients by preventing cardiovascular problems such as heart disease and stroke. This is a plus, as CPAP treatment already helps most OSA patients by reducing sleepiness and improving their quality of life. Based on these findings, we should encourage people with OSA to keep using their CPAP machines.”

The pilot study was presented by Dr Cliona O’Donnell, a specialist registrar in respiratory medicine at St. Vincent’s University Hospital and University College Dublin, Ireland. She and her colleagues conducted a study with 30 patients suffering from OSA who underwent a computerised tomography (CT) coronary angiogram to assess any signs of narrowing in the blood vessels that supply the heart. The patients were then randomly assigned to 24 weeks of treatment either using a CPAP machine at night, injections with the weight loss drug liraglutide, or both together.

Patients who showed signs of coronary artery disease in their first scan underwent a repeat scan at the end of the 24 weeks of treatment. Researchers used an artificial intelligence program to analyse the patients’ scans. The patients who were treated with CPAP and those treated with CPAP and weight loss injections experienced reductions in the plaque build-up in their arteries and a reduction of inflammation in their aorta (the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body). Patients who were treated with weight loss injections only did not experience these effects.

Dr O’Donnell said, “Continuous positive airway pressure works by keeping patients’ airways open while they sleep. This stops fluctuations in oxygen levels in the blood that can exacerbate cardiovascular disease. “Although this is a pilot study, meaning we cannot draw firm conclusions, we found improvements in some early signs of cardiovascular disease with CPAP treatment. This should now be further evaluated in larger studies.”

Professor Sophia Schiza, who is secretary of the European Respiratory Society’s group assembly on sleep-disordered breathing and was not involved in the research, said, “We know that people with obstructive sleep apnoea are at a higher risk of cardiovascular problems, but there are conflicting data on the effects of CPAP on reducing this risk. However, research using real-world data shows that CPAP adherence is one of the key predictors for reducing cardiovascular risk and for better outcomes in general. Here we have two studies: one large study showing that CPAP could help lower the risk of developing or dying from cardiovascular disease in people suffering from OSA and another small study suggesting that CPAP could be more beneficial than weight-loss therapy for people suffering from OSA.

OSA is an extremely common disease, with consequences for people’s daytime functioning and the health of their hearts, blood vessels and metabolism. One of the treatment options is CPAP, and the more the patients use CPAP every night, the greater the reduction in cardiovascular illness and death. Therefore, there is a need for individualised treatment plans, patient engagement, educational activities and close treatment follow-up in order to increase adherence to long-term treatment and improve outcomes for patients.” 
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Researchers revealed that environments that discourage physical activity, poor food quality, and increased consumption of calories from foods high in trans-fatty acids, all of which are common in underprivileged areas, disturb the brain's ability to process information in a flexible manner, which is crucial for cognition, emotion control, and reward. In this study, researchers examined the brain's cortex in great depth to ascertain how living in an impoverished area can alter particular regions of the brain that perform distinct roles. Previous studies have shown that living in an underprivileged neighbourhood can have an impact on brain health.

"We found that neighbourhood disadvantage was associated with differences in the fine structure of the cortex of the brain. Some of these differences were linked to higher body mass index and correlated with high intake of the trans-fatty acids found in fried fast food," said Arpana Gupta, PhD, co-Director of the Goodman-Luskin Center and Director of the Neuroimaging Core.

"Our results suggest that regions of the brain involved in reward, emotion, and the acquisition of knowledge and understanding might be affected by aspects of neighbourhood disadvantage that contribute to obesity," said Gupta, senior author. "This highlights the importance of addressing dietary quality issues in disadvantaged neighbourhoods to protect brain health."

Neighbourhood disadvantage is defined by a combination of such factors as low median income, low education level, crowding, and lack of complete plumbing. This study included 92 participants, 27 men and 65 women, from the greater Los Angeles area. Demographic and body mass index information was collected, and neighbourhood disadvantage was assessed as to its area deprivation index (ADI) using the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine's Public Health's Neighborhood Atlas.

Earlier studies have found that people living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods are at higher risk of obesity due to the poor quality of available foods, increased intake of calories from foods high in trans-fatty acids, and environments that do not foster physical activity. In this study, researchers focused on the relationship between ADI and neuroimaging results at four levels of the brain cortex to investigate in more refined detail the connections between neighbourhood disadvantage and brain structure. Participants underwent two types of MRI scans that, when analyzed in combination, provide insights into brain structure, signalling and function.

"Different populations of cells exist in different layers of the cortex, where there are different signalling mechanisms and information-processing functions," said Lisa Kilpatrick, PhD, a researcher in the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center focusing on brain signatures related to brain-body dysregulation, the study's first author. "Examining the microstructure at different cortical levels provides a better understanding of alterations in cell populations, processes and communication routes that may be affected by living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood."

According to the results, worse ADI ratings were associated with communication changes in brain regions that are important for social interaction. Other changes occurred in regions involved in reward, emotion regulation, and higher cognitive processes – and these changes appeared to be affected by trans-fatty acid intake. Together, the findings suggest that factors prevalent in disadvantaged neighbourhoods that encourage poor diet and unhealthy weight gain "disrupt the flexibility of information processing involved in reward, emotion regulation, and cognition."
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Researchers found that a natural component contained in the culinary spice turmeric may be as efficient as omeprazole, a medicine used to relieve gastrointestinal symptoms by reducing excess stomach acid.

The findings were reported in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine.

Turmeric is obtained from the Curcuma longa plant's root. It includes curcumin, a naturally active chemical with anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects, and has long been used as a medicinal medicine in Southeast Asia, notably for the treatment of dyspepsia.

However, it is unclear how well it compares to conventional medications for this use, owing to the lack of head-to-head research.

As a result, the researchers randomly allocated 206 individuals aged 18-70 with recurring upset stomach (functional dyspepsia) of unknown cause recruited from Thai hospitals between 2019 and 2021 to one of three therapy groups for a 28-day period.

Turmeric (two big 250 mg curcumin capsules four times per day) and one small dummy capsule (69 patients); omeprazole (one small 20 mg capsule daily and two large dummy capsules four times per day (68 patients); and turmeric plus omeprazole (69 patients).

Omeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor, sometimes known as a PPI. PPIs are used to treat functional dyspepsia, a condition characterised by symptoms such as feeling overly full after eating (postprandial fullness), feeling full after only a small amount of food (early satiety), and discomfort and/or burning sensations in the stomach and/or food pipe (epigastric pain).

However, long-term PPI use has been associated with increased fracture risk, nutritional deficiencies, and an increased risk of infections, according to the study.

The trial had 151 participants, with 20 in the curcumin group, 19 in the omeprazole group, and 16 in the combined treatment group dropping out.

At the outset of the research, patients in all three groups had identical clinical features and indigestion scores, as measured by the Severity of Dyspepsia Assessment score, or SODA. Patients were evaluated again after 28 days and again after 56 days.

SODA scores showed substantial reductions in symptom severity by day 28 for pain (4.83, -5.46, and 6.22) and other symptoms (2.22, -2.32, and 2.31) in the combination, curcumin alone, and omeprazole alone groups.

After 56 days, these improvements were considerably stronger for pain (7.19, -8.07, and 8.85, respectively) and other symptoms (4.09, -4.12, and 3.71, respectively).

SODA also records satisfaction scores, which barely changed over time among curcumin users and may be connected to its taste and/or fragrance, according to the researchers.

According to the researchers, no major side effects were detected, while liver function tests showed slight worsening among curcumin users who were overweight.

They acknowledge the study's modest size, as well as various other limitations, such as the brief intervention time and absence of long-term monitoring data. They believe that larger, longer-term investigations are required.

Nevertheless, they conclude: This multicentre randomised controlled trial provides highly reliable evidence for the treatment of functional dyspepsia, adding that the new findings from our study may justify considering curcumin in clinical practice.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Young children growing up in towns and cities suffer from more respiratory infections than those who live in rural areas, according to a study.

Another research, published in the journal Pediatric Pulmonology, shows that factors such as attending day care, living in a damp home or near dense traffic increase the risk of chest infections in young children, while breastfeeding reduces the risk.

Both the studies were presented on Monday at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Milan, Italy.

The first study, presented by Nicklas Brustad, from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, included 663 children and their mothers who took part in the research from pregnancy until the children were three years old.

The team recorded whether the children were growing up in urban or rural areas and how many respiratory infections they developed.

They found that children living in urban areas had an average of 17 respiratory infections, such as coughs and colds, before the age of three compared to an average of 15 infections in children living in rural areas.

The researchers also carried out detailed blood tests on the mothers during pregnancy and on their new-born babies, and analysed the children's immune systems when they were four weeks old.

They found that children living in urban areas had differences in their immune systems compared to those living in rural areas.

There were also differences in the blood samples from the mothers and babies that correlated with the difference in living environment and number of respiratory infections, the researchers said.

''Our findings suggest that urban living is an independent risk factor for developing infections in early life when taking account of several related factors such as exposure to air pollution and starting day care,'' Brustad said.

''Interestingly, changes in the blood of pregnant mothers and newborn babies, as well as changes in the new-born immune system, seem to partly explain this relationship,'' the researcher added.

The second study, presented by Tom Ruffles from University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, UK, included data on 1,344 mothers and their children living in Scotland and England.

The mothers completed detailed questionnaires when their children were a year old and again when their children where two years old. These included questions on chest infections, symptoms such as coughing and wheezing, respiratory medication, and exposure to potential environmental risk factors.

The analysis showed that breastfeeding for longer than six months helped protect babies and children from infections, while attending day care increased the risk.

Young children living in homes with visible damp were twice as likely to need treatment with an inhaler to relieve respiratory symptoms and twice as likely to need treatment with a steroid inhaler, the researchers said.

Living in an area with dense traffic increased the risk of chest infections, and exposure to tobacco smoke increased the risk of coughing and wheezing, they said. ''This research provides some important evidence about how we can help reduce chest infections in babies and toddlers,'' Ruffles said.

''The benefits of breastfeeding are well-established, and we should continue to support mothers who want to breastfeed their babies,'' the researcher added.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: There has been a striking 79 per cent increase in new cases of cancer among the under 50s around the world over the last 30 years, according to a study published in the journal BMJ Oncology.

The research found that the fastest rise was in windpipe and prostate cancers while the heaviest death toll was seen for cancers of breast, windpipe, lung, bowel, and stomach.

The team led by researchers at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland found that breast cancer accounted for the highest number of 'early onset' cases in this age group in 2019. Cancers of the windpipe and prostate have risen the fastest since 1990.

They estimate that the global number of new early onset cancer cases and associated deaths will rise by a further 31 per cent and 21 per cent, respectively, in 2030, with those in their 40s the most at risk.

The findings upend received wisdom about the types of cancers typically affecting the under 50s, researchers said.

While cancer tends to be more common in older people, the evidence suggests that cases among the under 50s have been rising in many parts of the world since the 1990s.

The researchers drew on data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 Study for 29 cancers in 204 countries and regions. They looked at the incidence, deaths, health consequences (disability-adjusted life years or DALYs) and contributory risk factors for all those aged 14 to 49 to estimate annual percentage change between 1990 and 2019.

In 2019, new cancer diagnoses among the under 50s totalled 1.82 million, an increase of 79 per cent on the 1990 figure, the researchers said.

Overall, breast cancer accounted for the largest number of these cases and associated deaths at 13.7 and 3.5 per 100,000 of the global population, respectively, they said.

However, new cases of early onset windpipe and prostate cancers rose the fastest between 1990 and 2019, with estimated annual percentage changes of 2.28 per cent and 2.23 per cent, respectively, according to the study.

At the other end of the spectrum, early onset liver cancer fell by an estimated 2.88 per cent every year, the researchers found. More than 1 million (1.06) under 50s died of cancer in 2019, an increase of just under 28 per cent on the 1990 figure, they said.

After cancer of the breast, cancers exacting the highest death toll and subsequent poor health were those of the windpipe, lung, stomach, and bowel, with the steepest increases in deaths among people with kidney or ovarian cancer.

The highest rates of early onset cancers in 2019 were in North America, Australasia, and Western Europe.

However, low to middle income countries were also affected, with the highest death rates among the under 50s in Oceania, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, according to the study.

In low to middle income countries, early onset cancer had a much greater impact on women than on men, in terms of both deaths and subsequent poor health, the researchers said. The researchers noted that genetic factors are likely to have a role.

However, diets high in red meat and salt, and low in fruit and milk, alcohol consumption and tobacco use are the main risk factors underlying the most common cancers among the under 50s, with physical inactivity, excess weight, and high blood sugar contributory factors, the data indicate.

The researchers acknowledge various limitations to their findings: the variable quality of cancer registry data in different countries may have led to under-reporting and under-diagnosis.

It is still not clear to what extent screening and early life exposure to environmental factors may be influencing the observed trends, they added.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Yoga and breathing techniques combined with aerobic training are particularly important exercises for asthmatic people looking to improve their lung function, according to a study. The study, which was released today in the Annals of Medicine journal, emphasises the significance of including the right type of exercise training in asthma management strategies.

According to lead author Shuangtao Xing, an Associate Professor at the School of Physical Education at Henan Normal University, the results show just how effective particular types of exercise training can be to improve lung function for those adults. “Breathing training combined with aerobic training, and yoga training, appear to be particularly advantageous – offering potential avenues for effective treatment approaches,” he stated.

“Larger, well-designed randomized controlled trials are now needed to more accurately estimate the benefits of exercise training for individuals with asthma.” Asthma, a chronic lung condition that affects around 339 million people worldwide, causes symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness.

In the past, exercise was considered a potential risk factor for individuals with asthma, as it was believed to trigger or worsen acute asthma attacks. However, recent studies have revealed that exercise training can actually enhance respiratory function and exercise capacity in adult patients. However, variations in the specific exercise interventions in existing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have made it challenging to compare the effectiveness of different rehabilitation programs.

To address this issue, the current study conducting a network meta-analysis, which enables a simultaneous comparison of results from multiple treatments in a single analysis, to compare the effects of multiple types of exercise training on lung function in adults with asthma. The analysis included a total of 28 RCTs involving 2,155 people with asthma and examined the effects of breathing training, aerobic training, relaxation training, yoga training, and breathing combined with aerobic training, on lung function.

Furthermore, the researchers applied a statistical technique to rank the effects of different exercise treatments against each other. Relaxation training showed the most significant effect on improving FEV1 levels, breathing combined with aerobic exercise had the most significant effect on improving FVC levels, and yoga training had the most significant effect on improving PEF levels. "These findings should provide valuable insight for healthcare professionals prescribing exercise training for the management of adult asthma patients. However, it is essential to consider individual factors, such as family history, duration of the condition, and environmental influences, when designing exercise rehabilitation programs. Tailoring interventions to individual physical and mental health conditions, with careful consideration of exercise intensity, frequency and duration, is important for optimizing treatment outcomes,” said Shuangtao Xing. 
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: India is committed to eliminating Lymphatic filariasis by 2027, three years ahead of the global target through a multi-partner and multi-sector targeted drive, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Thursday.

Mandaviya inaugurated the second phase of the Annual Nationwide Mass Drug Administration (MDA) initiative here on Thursday.

''Through Jan Bhagidaari and Whole of Government and Whole of Society approach, we shall be able to eliminate this disease from the country,'' the Union minister said.

The second phase of the drive, commencing on August 10, will cover 81 districts in nine endemic states – Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.

Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister TS Singh Deo and his counterpart in Uttar Pradesh Brijesh Pathak, Odisha Health Minister Niranjan Pujari and his counterparts in Assam Keshab Mahanta and Banna Gupta in Jharkhand joined the inauguration virtually.

Addressing the gathering, Mandaviya said, ''Efforts must not be limited to taking medicines but also aid in eliminating the spread of diseases via mosquitoes, without which progress to achieve our goal will be significantly restricted''.

The Union minister also laid stress on enhancing synergy between the state and central governments to ensure a healthier nation.

Enumerating the success of 'Jan Andolan' movements in health by citing the example of Ni-kshay Mitra among others, Mandaviya said: ''Community engagement will contribute significantly in garnering success in this mission by the involvement of all stakeholders starting from the grassroots level''.

Underscoring the wide reach of mass movements, the Union health minister added, ''Incorporating awareness generation and ensuring communication campaigns at villages, panchayats will galvanise the movement leading to wide reach across the nation.'' To further strengthen efforts, Mandaviya advocated for greater emphasis on the consumption of medicine in front of healthcare workers or professionals as a measure of eradicating this disease.

The occasion witnessed the launch of the national guidelines for clinical management of dengue fever and chikungunya fever.
 

MUMBAI [Maha Media]: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Thursday described his upcoming film ''Jawan'' as the ''new Chennai Express'', days after the movie completed a decade of its release.

Shah Rukh unveiled a new poster of ''Jawan'', which features Shah Rukh, Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi, on Twitter, now rebranded as X. He followed it up with an #AskSRK session on the microblogging site. When a fan asked the star about the screening of ''Chennai Express'' across 50 cities by his fan club on the occasion of its 10th anniversary, the actor said he had a lovely time working on the romantic comedy.

Directed by Rohit Shetty, the 2013 movie followed Shah Rukh's Rahul, who travels to Rameshwaram in Chennai Express to immerse his late grandfather's ashes and finds himself in trouble after helping a don's daughter Meenamma, played by Deepika Padukone, and her cousins board the train.

Atlee's directorial ''Jawan'' is the upgrade to ''Chennai Express'', Shah Rujh promised.

''Yeah it was lovely ten yrs ago Chennai express. Now with @Atlee_dir @VijaySethuOffl @anirudhofficial #Nayanthara #Shobhi #Analmaster this is new Chennai Express reloading…Nahi??! #Jawan,'' he said in his response.

''Jawan'' is billed as ''a high-octane action thriller that outlines the emotional journey of a man (Shah Rukh) who is set to rectify the wrongs in the society'', the makers said.

The actor said the pan-India movie took more time to complete.

''Poor @Atlee_dir has become less Jawan ha ha. But as they say Rome was not….etc etc,'' he quipped.

When a user asked the 57-year-old actor if Atlee could dance, he had an interesting answer.

''@Atlee_dir he can dance and make everyone dance also to his tunes,'' he added.

Between a comic lover boy and an action hero with patriotism, which role was easier to play on screen? The actor said comedy was the most challenging for him.

''Comedy is always difficult… then romance I think at least for me because I am very shy,'' he said.

While ''Jawan'' is an out-and-out actioner, it also fits the genre of ''emotional drama'', said the actor.

According to the 'prevue' of the film, Shah Rukh's character in the film is aided by an army of women in his mission. ''Jawan'' also features Sanya Malhotra, Priyamani, Girija Oak, Sanjeeta Bhattacharya, Lehar Khan, Aaliyah Qureshi, Ridhi Dogra, Sunil Grover and Mukesh Chhabra in key roles.

''The film has a strong take on women empowerment…how to respect and stand for them,'' he said in response to a question asking if ''Jawan'' came with a message.

Through the movie, the actor said he hopes to make some place in the hearts of his south fans.

When a fan asked tips to woo women, SRK advised him to be a bit more respectful and not use the word 'patana'.

He was also asked whether he will watch the Rajinikanth-starrer ''Jailer'', which released today, Shah Rukh said: ''Of course I love Rajni sir.'' ''Maassss!! He had come on Jawan set and blessed us too,'' he added.

Asked to give an insight into Vijay's role in ''Jawan'', the actor said the National Award winner was ''too good''.

''@VijaySethuOffl he is such an amazing person and actor. Really want everyone to see his subtle nuances and histrionics in the film,'' he posted.

A user also asked him to recall the memories of his critical and commercial sports drama ''Chak De! India'', which turned 16 today. ''I remember how lovely the girls were. Aditya and Jaydeep and Sumit were so helpful to make this really beautiful film. One of my all time happy place…'' he said. Produced by Gauri Khan and co-produced by Gaurav Gupta under Red Chillies Entertainment, ''Jawan'' will be released worldwide on September 7 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The National Health Authority (NHA) has announced the extension of its Digital Health Incentives Scheme (DHIS) under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission till the 31st of December this year. The Union Health Ministry said, the scheme offers incentives of up to four crore rupees based on the number of digital health records created and linked to Ayushman Bharat Health Account numbers of the patients. Under the scheme, incentives are provided to hospitals and diagnostic labs and to the providers of digital health solutions. The DHIS was launched in January this year.

The Ministry said, the scheme proved to be a significant catalyst in promoting the adoption of digital health technologies and practices in healthcare delivery across the country. As of date, one thousand 205 health facilities have registered under this scheme with 567 public and 638 private hospitals.

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Researchers investigated the potential health risks for infants of giving steroid drugs to women who are at risk of premature birth.

Taken together, the findings emphasized the importance of doctors being aware of the potential risks and exercising caution when considering antenatal steroid treatment.Babies born prematurely have a higher risk of death and serious complications such as breathing difficulties, brain bleeding, and infection than babies born at term. These issues are more severe the earlier the baby is born.

Corticosteroids are known to improve the chances of a baby being born prematurely surviving and having fewer health issues.

They should ideally be given before 34 weeks of pregnancy and within one week of birth. However, their effects on later childhood health are less well understood, particularly when the administration is "mistimed" and infants are born at term.

The first is based on data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) for nearly 2 million children born between 2008 and 2019.

It demonstrates that antenatal corticosteroid exposure, compared to no exposure, is associated with an increased risk of serious infection, including sepsis and pneumonia, during the first 12 months of life.Further analyses suggested the increase in the risk of serious childhood infection is greater for infants born at term than for those born preterm.

The authors acknowledged that these are observational findingsso no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, and that further investigation is needed to replicate the findings in other populations.

However, they said, Clinicians need to be aware of the increased risk of rare but serious infection among children exposed to antenatal corticosteroids.

The second study, based on data from seven randomized controlled trials and 10 population studies involving 1.6 million infants born since 2000, showed that around 40 per cent of infants treated with antenatal corticosteroids are born at term.

For these children, exposure to antenatal corticosteroids was associated with an increased risk of short and long-term health issues, such as admission to neonatal intensive care, breathing problems, and reduced growth.

Again, the researchers recognised that drawing firm conclusions about the impact of antenatal corticosteroids on later health is difficult as findings were mainly from observational studies, with low or very low certainty evidence, and more follow-up of randomised studies is important.

Nevertheless, they say caution might be warranted when using antenatal corticosteroids. And they call for better prediction tools for preterm birth and enhanced criteria for the administration of antenatal corticosteroids, along with a less liberal approach to the use of antenatal corticosteroids.

Despite the limitations of these papers, some tentative conclusions can still be drawn that may influence clinical practice, say specialist neonataldoctors ina linked editorial.

For example, they say reducing the frequency of mistimed antenatal corticosteroid administration should remain a focus for all health professionals working in this area, and emphasise the need for further high-quality data investigating longer-term outcomes in children who were exposed to mistimed antenatal corticosteroids.

They also point out their professional duty to fully counsel parents about the benefits as well as potential harms of any proposed treatment that could affect their offspring.

Finally, they said, These studies highlight the challenge of preventive treatments in fetal and neonatal medicine and should remind clinicians and parents that there is no such thing as a risk-free drug. 
 

BHOPAL [Maha media]: THE ‘Ayush Aapke Dwar’ Scheme will start from August 1 across the country. In this scheme of the Department of Ayush, the facility of Ayush treatment will be made available to the citizens in an accessible manner in major areas of the State. The department has started this scheme to ensure the reach of Ayush even in remote areas during the rainy season. 

The scheme will continue without break till 30 September 2023. In relation to the scheme, the Directorate of Ayush has issued guidelines to the Principal Ayush College, Divisional Ayush Officer and District Ayush Officer. 

Treatment facility for diseases caused due to rain Health services in rural areas get affected due to rain. In view of this situation, Ayush medicines will be distributed free of cost to the general public for the treatment of  diseases caused due to rain. 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: World Hepatitis Day is observed on July 28 every year. The day marks the birthday of Nobel-prize winning scientist Dr Baruch Blumberg, who discovered hepatitis B virus (HBV) and developed a diagnostic test and vaccine for the virus. Hepatitis Day tries to initiate efforts on encouraging actions to fight against the disease. The theme for World Hepatitis Day 2023 is "One life, one liver." Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. It is caused by viral infection, alcohol consumption and many health conditions. 5 types of hepatitis are hepatitis A, B, C, D and E. According to WHO, around 354 million people live with chronic hepatitis B and C worldwide.

There are different causes for each type. Hepatitis A and E are caused by ingesting contaminated food and water. On the other hand, Hepatitis B, C and D can spread through transmission of infected body fluids.

How to stay safe
The expert explained that to prevent hepatitis during monsoon, certain precautionary measures should be followed.

* Vaccination against hepatitis, especially for high-risk individuals is of utmost importance
* It is essential to drink only boiled or purified water
* Avoid consuming raw foods
* You should avoid eating outside and choose homemade food
* Maintaining personal hygiene as well as around you is crucial
* Strengthen the immune system with a balanced diet, exercise and adequate rest
* Wash your hands with soap and water regularly
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The government on Monday introduced the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023 and the National Dental Commission Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha. The National Dental Commission Bill seeks to repeal the Dentists Act, 1948 and proposes to set up National Dental Commission (NMC) to regulate dental education and the profession in the country. It also aims to make dental education affordable and make quality oral healthcare accessible.

According to official sources, the composition of the dental commission will be similar to that of the National Medical Commission, which had replaced the Medical Council of India. The National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023 aims at setting up National Nursing and Midwifery Commission (NNMC) and to repeal the Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947.

The Bill provides for regulation and maintenance of standards of education and services by nursing and midwifery professionals, assessment of institutions, maintenance of a national register as well as state registers.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Gentamicin is a commonly used antibiotic in the treatment of severely unwell newborns. It is water soluble and is mostly excreted from the body through the urine. As a result, total body weight, which includes the weight of the body's water content, is utilised to calculate gentamicin dose. The overall water content of a healthy newborn, on the other hand, differs dramatically from that of a preterm infant. As a result, calculating gentamicin dosage based on total body weight may result in non-optimal dose prescription. Premature newborns also have weaker kidneys, therefore a difference in medicine dosage might have a severe influence on their renal function. As a result, a more precise method of calculating gentamicin dosage for infants is required.

The findings of the research was published in Pediatric Investigation on June 8, 2023. Fat and fat-free mass are important measurements that can be used to calculate a variety of body parameters. Fat mass is simply the total amount of body fat while fat-free mass is the body's weight after subtracting the fat mass. In a new study, a medical research team from the Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain, and the Bahrain Ministry of Health, led by Dr. Kannan Sridharan, demonstrated that fat-free mass is a better alternative to total body weight for calculating gentamicin dosage.

"Our hypothesis was that the dosage of gentamicin shall need adjustment," remarked Dr. Sridharan. The test their hypothesis, the team measured the 'peak' or highest (Cmax) and 'trough' or lowest (Cmin) concentrations of gentamicin in the blood of critically ill newborns, after administering two doses of the antibiotic. The team used a latex-enhanced immunoturbidimetric method to measure gentamicin concentrations, based on fat-free mass. They determined the body fat and fat-free mass of the newborns by measuring skinfold thickness around their triceps. 

The researchers observed that premature babies had a much higher gentamicin concentration in the blood compared to term babies. In fact, the team observed a general trend where gentamicin concentration in the blood increased the more premature the babies were. Babies with low birth weight (often seen in premature babies) also showed higher blood concentrations of the antibiotic. Additionally, premature babies had more fat mass (21% more) than term neonates. 

"The most plausible reason for this is the administration of total parenteral nutrition in preterm neonates," Dr Sridharan explained. Currently, the accepted gentamicin dosage is around 4 to 5 mg/kg every 24, 36, or 48 hours. The team found that this dosage regimen was insufficient for treatment in one-third of the newborns studied. Based on fat-free mass, the team determined the recommended gentamicin doses for extremely premature babies to be 7.95 mg/kg every 48 hours, and 7.30 mg/kg every 36-48 hours for very premature babies. For late premature babies, the optimal concentration was 5.90 mg/kg every 36-48 hours. Finally, for term babies, 5.10 mg/kg every 24 hours was found to be optimal.

The study demonstrated that fat-free mass is a more accurate parameter when calculating gentamicin doses for newborns, especially those of premature birth. "In the future, fat-free mass dosing may be considered for obtaining optimal therapeutic effects in neonatal populations," concluded Dr. Sridharan. While further research is needed to establish the safety of fat-free mass-based gentamicin dosage, the study opens a promising alternative to the calculation of antibiotic dosage based on whole body weight.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Researchers have found that among people with diabetes, loneliness poses a larger risk for heart disease than diet, exercise, smoking, and depression. The results of this study were published in the European Heart Journal, a publication of the ESC.

"The quality of social contact appears to be more important for heart health in people with diabetes than the number of engagements," said study author Professor Lu Qi of Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, US. "We should not downplay the importance of loneliness on physical and emotional health. I would encourage patients with diabetes who feel lonely to join a group or class and try to make friends with people who have shared interests." "Loneliness and social isolation are common in today's societies and have become a research focus during the last years, especially driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and the continuous digitalisation of society,"2 state Kahl et al. in an accompanying editorial. 

Loneliness refers to the quality of social contacts, while isolation refers to the quantity. They add: "The human species is inherently social by nature. Humans not only require the presence of others but rely on meaningful social relationship[s] to develop into healthy adulthood. As individuals, we strive to belong to a family, a peer group, a community. These social interactions with family, friends, neighbours or colleagues are paramount for our physical and mental well-being."

Patients with diabetes are at greater risk of cardiovascular disease and are more likely to be lonely than their healthy peers. Previous studies in the general population have found that loneliness and social isolation are both related to a higher likelihood of cardiovascular disease. 

This study in patients with diabetes examined whether patients who were lonely or socially isolated were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those who were not. The study included 18,509 adults aged 37 to 73 years in the UK Biobank with diabetes but no cardiovascular disease at baseline. Loneliness and isolation were assessed with questionnaires, with high-risk features allocated one point each. High-risk loneliness features were feeling lonely and never or almost never be able to confide in someone, for a total score of 0 to 2. High-risk social isolation factors were living alone, having friends and family visit less than once a month, and not participating in a social activity at least once per week, for a total score of 0 to 3.

The researchers analysed the association between loneliness, isolation and incident cardiovascular disease after adjusting for factors that could influence the relationships including sex, age, deprivation, body mass index (BMI), medications, physical activity, diet, alcohol, smoking and control of blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol. During an average follow-up of 10.7 years, 3,247 participants developed cardiovascular disease, of which 2,771 was coronary heart disease and 701 was stroke (some patients had both). Compared to participants with the lowest loneliness score, the risk of cardiovascular disease was 11% and 26% higher in those with scores of 1 or 2, respectively. Similar results were observed for coronary heart disease but the association with stroke was not significant. Social isolation scores were not significantly related to any of the cardiovascular outcomes.

The researchers also assessed the relative importance of loneliness, compared with other risk factors, on the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Loneliness showed a weaker influence than kidney function, cholesterol and BMI, but a stronger influence than depression, smoking, physical activity and diet. Professor Qi said: "Loneliness ranked higher as a predisposing factor for cardiovascular disease than several lifestyle habits. We also found that for patients with diabetes, the consequence of physical risk factors (i.e. poorly controlled blood sugar, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking and poor kidney function) was greater in those who were lonely compared to those who were not."

He concluded, "The findings suggest that asking patients with diabetes about loneliness should become part of standard assessment, with the referral of those affected to mental health services." 
 

BHOPAL [Maha Media]: The alumni of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhopal-- Dr Arshi Siddiqui, has been felicitated with ‘Young Women Scientist Award 2023’ for her outstanding contribution and recognition in the field of ‘Biotechnology’ on the occasion of 5th International Conference on ‘Climate Change and its Impact (CCI 2023)’ at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST-K) Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

This award was based on the CV and API score. She also presented her research paper as a poster on the topic entitled ‘Immunogenic Evaluation of Bacterially expressed recombinant Hemagglutinin receptor binding domain (HA1) of H1N1 virus in Swiss Albino mice model for possible vaccine candidate’.

She has completed her PhD research work under Dr. Rashmi Chowdhary, Additional Professor, in the Biochemistry department, AIIMS, Bhopal and Dr Nidhi Tripathi (Department of Biotechnology BU) in 2023.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: In the bustling world we inhabit, where stress and chaos seem to rule our lives, there exists a sanctuary -- an ancient practice called Yoga that allows us to reconnect with our inner selves and find solace amidst the clamour.

Originating in ancient India, Yoga has transcended time and space to become a global phenomenon, attracting millions of seekers seeking balance and harmony. Beyond a mere exercise routine, Yoga encompasses a holistic approach to well-being, combining physical postures, breath control, meditation, and ethical principles to create a profound transformation within oneself.

From beginners taking their first steps on the mat to the experienced practitioners seeking further enlightenment, there is something profound for everyone to discover within the embrace of Yoga.

Practicing Yoga extends beyond the mat, permeating every facet of our lives, fostering mindfulness, and nurturing a sense of interconnectedness with the world around us.

As we approach the International Day of Yoga, the government has already rolled out multiple programmes as a run-up to the main day.

The important highlight of this day will be the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the United Nations (UN) headquarters on June 21 -- the 9th International Day of Yoga. He will be leading the programme where mass demonstration of Yoga at the UN headquarters will take place.

As far as celebrations in India are concerned, the main event will be held in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.

Director of Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga Dr. Ishwar V. Basavaraddi told IANS: "Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar will lead the programme in Jabalpur, which will be attended by over 15,000 people across the country."

As India is hosting the G20 Presidency this year, the theme for International Yoga Day is 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' - the world is one family and Yoga is an apt medium to bring the world closer and together.

"The theme this year is a continuation of last year's theme, where we do not put an individual in the centre but consider everyone of us as one and bring us closer," said Basavaraddi, who is also the head of the Institution of Yoga Certification Board of Ministry of Ayush.

Last year's theme was 'Yoga for Humanity'. When the world was in grip of Covid pandemic, the principles of Yoga helped heal it. The humanitarian values of Yoga healed the world.

"This year we take it to different things like the Ocean Ring of Yoga, where Navy, Coast Guard, Ministry of External Affairs, Merchant Navy practice Yoga at different ports in different countries. Our Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh ji is also participating from one of these ports," Basavaraddi told.

Next is from the Arctic to Antarctica - where all countries near or falling near the Prime Meridian line have collaborated with the Ministry of External Affairs and United Nations to practise Yoga. Even the Indian research bases in the North and South Pole are practising Yoga.

"We are promoting Yoga in G20 countries and also with SCO countries," he said.

"We also have Bharat Mala which comprises our Indian Army, Navy, Airforce, Coast Guard, BSF who also perform Yoga. But this year, we want to make it bigger so we have Yoga Sagar Mala. We have done it at railway stations, airports, bus stands, petrol pumps, and everywhere. Even at Panchayat and Anganwadi levels. We have even touched common service centres," said Basavaraddi.

"We have reached islands like Andaman Nicobar too. It will be a mesmerising day on June 21 when everyone, everywhere gets together to perform yoga," he added.

Yoga is practised in every part, every section of the society - be it jails or the Supreme Court, concerts or universities, hospitals or corporate sector. From safai karamchari and anganwadi workers to auto-drivers to corporate professionals, Yoga is everywhere.

"We've trained teachers in Ladakh. We've trained women master trainers in Jammu and Kashmir for Yoga. This is proof that Yoga is not confined to any religion. Yoga is for all. Yoga is a philosophy which helps to lead a healthy life. It is a medicine for the lifestyle," Basavaraddi said.

Yoga has a universal appeal for holistic health. India now has a WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar, Gujarat, where Yoga is an integral part. Yoga has now taken a global centre stage because stress, pollution and lifestyle disorder has ruined our lives and research has proven that there are several means but yoga is best.

"You would be surprised to know when our Hon'ble Prime Minister proposed to celebrate Yoga, out of 193 countries in the United Nations, 177 countries co-sponsored it within three and a half months of this proposal," Basavaraddi said.

He further said that Yoga has been taken to foreign countries. Yoga Day is celebrated across the world, in Australia, Europe, even in China and around 40 million people outside India practise Yoga regularly.

"And that's a billion dollar business overseas for Yoga and wellness. That's why Yoga is not confined to being a fitness programme, but it's a wellness programme. It has become a global marketing trend, because many products/accessories like Yoga mat, Yoga Teaching Models have said to have become a huge market. A completely new service-oriented sector has come up due to Yoga, which has opened doors of job opportunities for the youngsters," Basavaraddi explained.

Whether you seek strength and flexibility, stress relief, improved focus, or a deeper connection with your inner self, Yoga provides an all-encompassing framework to embark on this transformative journey.

It invites us to slow down, breathe consciously, and tune in to the present moment -- respite from the demands and distractions of modern life.

"In my opinion Yoga has had four phases. Earlier, it originated to overcome our pain and we are never free from pain. We always suffer from one or the other pain. It is a tool to balance our psychological pain and helps in changing our mindset. Where do you feel pain - the pain is always in our mind. Where is happiness - it is also in our mind," Basavaraddi concluded.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Most people know that the risk factors for heart disease are high blood pressure, smoking, raised cholesterol and being overweight.

However, many people who have a heart attack do not have any of these traditional risk factors.

Research has suggested that conditions such as gout, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis are also risk factors for heart disease. What they have in common is chronic inflammation.

In fact, some researchers have begun to re-frame cardiovascular disease as a chronic inflammatory disease of the arteries.

Scientists sometimes refer to this as the inflammatory hypothesis of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).

Atherosclerosis is where fatty plaques develop in the walls of our arteries, making them stiff. When this happens in the arteries that supply oxygenated blood to the heart, it is referred to as coronary artery disease.

ASCVD can cause heart attacks, where not enough blood is being supplied to the heart, and ischaemic strokes, where not enough blood is being supplied to the brain.

To understand why ASCVD is an inflammatory condition, we need to consider how this process starts.

The first stage of developing atherosclerosis is thought to be some form of injury to the endothelium, the single layer of cells that line the arteries.

This can be caused by high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, sometimes referred to as “bad cholesterol”.

The toxins contained in cigarettes can also irritate the lining of the arteries and cause this initial injury.

When the endothelial cells are injured, they release chemical messages that attract white blood cells, an important component of the immune system, to the site.

These white blood cells enter the artery wall and cause inflammation in the artery.

The white blood cells also consume the cholesterol in the walls of the artery, leading to the formation of “fatty streaks” – one of the earliest visible signs of atherosclerosis.

Fatty streaks begin to form at a young age. By the time we are in our twenties, most of us will have some evidence of fatty streaks in our arteries.

This process of endothelial cell damage, white blood cell infiltration and chronic inflammation can continue silently over the years, eventually leading to the build up of plaque in the arteries.

This may also explain why people who suffer from chronic inflammatory conditions are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Long-term inflammation of the arteries supplying the heart and brain can eventually lead to heart attacks and strokes.

A heart attack occurs when a plaque in the artery supplying the heart becomes unstable. This can lead to rupture (bursting) of the plaque, leading to a clot forming in the artery and the blood supply to the muscle of the heart being interrupted.

People who experience a heart attack often have increased levels of inflammation and plaque instability in the days and weeks before the event.

The eventual “heart attack” and resultant damage to the heart muscle can be seen as this unstable inflammatory process reaching its zenith.

Because this chronic inflammatory process happens silently, many patients without traditional risk factors for heart disease will not be aware that they are at an increased risk of heart disease.

Measuring inflammation Thankfully, there is a way to measure inflammation in the body. One way of doing this is with a blood test called high-sensitivity c-reactive protein (hs-CRP).

People with raised levels of hs-CRP have an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. Raised levels of LDL-cholesterol are also a risk factor for ASCVD.

Several studies have reported that people who have high levels of both LDL cholesterol and hs-CRP seem to have the highest risk of cardiovascular disease.

A large clinical trial called Cantos tested the inflammatory hypothesis of cardiovascular disease by treating patients who had had a heart attack and had high levels of hs-CRP with an anti-inflammatory drug called canakinumab.

The use of this anti-inflammatory drug reduced the levels of hs-CRP and resulted in a small but statistically significant reduction in the number of heart attacks experienced by these patients.

Unfortunately, there also appeared to be an increased risk of infections in the group receiving the drug.

This risk, alongside the high cost of the drug, means it is not likely we are going to start using canakinumab to treat ASCVD any time soon.

However, the study was considered groundbreaking in that it supported the hypothesis that inflammation plays an important role in ASCVD, and that targeting inflammation may be useful to reduce the risk of repeat cardiovascular events.

Embracing this change in how we think about the risk factors for ASCVD may allow us to better identify patients who are at risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Also, this may enable us to focus on treating inflammation in order to reduce cardiovascular risk.

Already, several studies are looking at using cheaper anti-inflammatory drugs, such as colchicine and methotrexate, to reduce inflammation and prevent the progression of cardiovascular disease.

Lifestyle changes to reduce inflammation Fortunately, it is possible to reduce inflammation in our bodies without resorting to drugs. We can think of everything we do in our lives as being either pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory.

Smoking is pro-inflammatory as the toxins in cigarettes irritate the body. High levels of cholesterol in the blood and a diet rich in ultra-processed foods can also lead to chronic inflammation in our arteries.

Conversely, a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains and fatty fish is thought to be anti-inflammatory.

Exercise also reduces the levels of inflammation in the body. Obesity, in particular carrying excess weight around your midsection, appears to cause chronic inflammation. Losing weight around your midsection will help to reduce this inflammation.

Stress can also induce a chronic low-grade inflammatory response in the body, and it is important to try to manage our stress levels. It is also important to maintain healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index – the traditional markers of heart disease risk.

By making anti-inflammatory choices and leading a healthy lifestyle we can all reduce our chances of developing heart disease and improve our quality of life. 

World Blood Donor Day is celebrated annually on June 14 to express gratitude for the selflessness of voluntary blood donors across the world. Blood is an invaluable contribution that one individual can offer to another, a profound gift that sustains life itself.

By making the choice to donate blood, a person has the potential to rescue a life, or perhaps multiple lives, as the blood can be divided into its essential components like red cells, platelets, and plasma, which can be administered separately to patients with specific medical needs.

World blood Donor Day Theme 2023
The slogan or theme of the World Blood Donor Day 2023 is "Give blood, give plasma, share life, share often." The theme highlights the importance of giving blood or blood plasma regularly to create a safe and sustainable supply of blood and blood products that can be always available, all over the world, so that all patients in need can receive timely life saving treatment.

HISTORY AND IMPORTANCE
In 2004, the World Health Organization (WHO) initially established World Blood Donor Day. During the 58th World Health Assembly in 2005, it was officially designated as an annual global event to promote awareness about the significance of blood donation.

The history of blood donation dates back to ancient times, but it was in recorded history that English physician Richard Lower made notable advancements in the field.

His groundbreaking work on blood transfusion and the understanding of the cardiopulmonary system, as described in his book 'Tractatus de Corde,' gained recognition. Lower was the first to experiment with blood donation using animals and achieved a successful blood transfusion between two dogs without significant adverse effects.

However, the WHO decided to commemorate the birthday of Karl Landsteiner as World Blood Donor Day. Landsteiner, an Austrian-American immunologist and pathologist, was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930 for his contributions to the study of blood groups and the development of the modern blood transfusion system.

SIGNIFICANCE
The importance of donating blood is not only to save the lives of thousands of people who are deprived of life, but also to save the lives of many more who are affected by various diseases and help them to fight numerous illnesses. 

Blood donation does not cause weakness. As per published literature, Blood volume (plasma) is replenished within 24-48 hours. Red blood cells are replenished in 3-4 weeks in healthy adults after donation.

Blood donation benefits 
Blood donation has profound health benefits. It not only does it provide essential support in medical emergencies, patients undergoing surgeries, cancer treatments, but it also holds significant advantages for the donors themselves. 

Regular blood donation helps maintain healthy iron levels in the body, reducing the risk of conditions like hemochromatosis. This protects the body against cardiovascular diseases and minimises heart attack risks.

Blood donation help with early detection of certain health conditions, such as anaemia or infectious diseases

After donating blood, the body produces new cells to enhance overall health and works towards replacing the volume of blood lost within 48 hours of donation.

Most of the people who donate their blood tend to recover fast from their diseases and even live a longer life, it also helps in weight loss and in maintaining healthy liver reduces risk cancer.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Researchers discovered a gene mutation that causes a common type of hypertension (high blood pressure) and a treatment for it. This study was published in the journal, 'Nature Genetics.'

A little benign nodule, occurring in one out of every twenty persons with hypertension, is the cause. The nodule generates aldosterone, a hormone that regulates how much salt is in the body. The latest finding is a gene mutation in some of these nodules that causes a massive, although intermittent, overproduction of the hormone. The gene mutation found causes various issues, making it difficult for clinicians to diagnose some hypertensive patients. To begin, the variation disrupts a protein called CADM1, which prevents cells in the body from 'talking' to one another and signalling that it is time to cease producing aldosterone. Doctors are particularly concerned about the variable release of aldosterone throughout the day, which produces salt overload and hypertension at its peak. This variation explains why people with the gene mutation can go undetected until they receive blood testing at different times of the day.

The researchers also discovered that this form of hypertension could be cured by unilateral adrenalectomy - removing one of the two adrenal glands. Following removal, previously severe hypertension despite treatment with multiple drugs disappeared, with no treatment required through many subsequent years of observation. Fewer than 1% of people with hypertension caused by aldosterone are identified because aldosterone is not routinely measured as a possible cause. The researchers are recommending that aldosterone is measured through a 24-hour urine test rather than one-off blood measurements, which will discover more people living with hypertension but going undiagnosed.

The initial patient in this study was detected when doctors noticed a fluctuation in his hormone levels during his participation in a clinical trial of treatments for difficult hypertension. In most people with hypertension, the cause is unknown, and the condition requires life-long treatment with drugs. Previous research by the group at Queen Mary discovered that in 5-10% of people with hypertension, the cause is a gene mutation in the adrenal glands, which results in excessive amounts of aldosterone being produced. Aldosterone causes salt to be retained in the body, driving up blood pressure. Patients with excessive aldosterone levels in the blood are resistant to treatment with the commonly used drugs for hypertension and are at increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Professor Morris Brown, co-senior author of the study and Professor of Endocrine Hypertension at Queen Mary University of London, said, "On the 900th anniversary of Barts Hospital, this story illustrates benefits from the virtuous circle of Science and Medicine. Most patients consent to our undertaking non-routine molecular analyses of their surgical samples, from which we discover how their hypertension was caused, and how to cure it in future patients. Because the aldosterone nodules in this study were so small, we are now investigating whether momentary cauterisation of the nodule is an alternative to surgical removal of the whole adrenal gland."
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: According to new figures that are presented at the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) conference in Manchester, serious heart attacks are more likely to occur at the beginning of the working week than at any other time. Doctors at the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland analysed data of 10,528 patients across the island of Ireland (7,112 in the Republic of Ireland, 3,416 in Northern Ireland) admitted to hospital between 2013 and 2018 with the most serious type of heart attack. This is known as an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and occurs when a major coronary artery is completely blocked.

The researchers found a spike in rates of STEMI heart attacks at the start of the working week, with rates highest on a Monday. There were also higher rates of STEMI than expected on a Sunday. Scientists have so far been unable to fully explain why this "Blue Monday" phenomenon occurs. Previous studies suggesting that heart attacks are more likely on a Monday have highlighted an association with circadian rhythm - the body's sleep or wake cycle.

There are over 30,000 hospital admissions due to STEMI each year in the UK. It requires emergency assessment and treatment to minimise damage to the heart, and this is normally performed with emergency angioplasty - a procedure to re-open the blocked coronary artery. Cardiologist Dr Jack Laffan, who led the research at the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, said: "We've found a strong statistical correlation between the start of the working week and the incidence of STEMI. This has been described before but remains a curiosity. The cause is likely multifactorial, however, based on what we know from previous studies, it is reasonable to presume a circadian element."

Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: "Someone is admitted to hospital due to a life-threatening heart attack every five minutes in the UK, so it's vital that research continues to shed light on how and why heart attacks happen. "This study adds to evidence around the timing of particularly serious heart attacks, but we now need to unpick what it is about certain days of the week that makes them more likely. Doing so could help doctors better understand this deadly condition so we can save more lives in future."
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: A ground-breaking report assessing the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCD) across Indian states has found that the national prevalence of diabetes in India is 11.4 per cent, while 35.5 per cent of Indians suffer from hypertension. The study is touted to be the “first comprehensive study, covering all states of India” to assess the NCD burden in the country.

The findings of the study, conducted by the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Union health ministry, were published in journal, The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology Thursday.

The study, titled Metabolic non-communicable health report of India-the ICMR-INDIAB National Cross-sectional Study also found that the prevalence of generalised obesity and abdominal obesity in India stood at 28.6 and 39.5 per cent, respectively.

Moreover, it showed that 24 per cent of Indians suffer from hypercholesterolemia — a condition in which fat collects in arteries and puts individuals at greater risk of heart attack and strokes — while 15.3 per cent of people have pre-diabetes.

When extrapolated for exact numbers, it is estimated that in 2021, there were 101 million people in India with diabetes and 136 million with prediabetes, while 315 million people had high blood pressure, 254 million had generalised obesity, and 351 million had abdominal obesity.

Additionally, 213 million people in the country had hypercholesterolaemia.

The results are based on surveying 1,13,043 people (33,537 urban and 79,506 rural residents), in 31 states and Union Territories in the country, between 2008 and 2020.

“These findings should work as a major reminder for the governments about the exponentially growing problem of NCDs in states and something should be done urgently to address the challenge,” said Dr R. M. Anjana, lead researcher associated with the project, while launching the report Thursday.

According to Dr V. Mohan, a senior author of the study, state governments in India, which are primarily in charge of providing healthcare in their respective regions, are likely to be especially interested in the detailed state-level data on NCDs, as it will allow them to develop evidence-based interventions to successfully halt the progression of NCDs and manage their complications.

In the study, researchers noted that the prevalence of diabetes and other metabolic NCDs in India is considerably higher than previously estimated.

The National Family Health Survey-5 for the 2019 to 2021 period, for instance, showed that 21 per cent of women aged over 15 years had hypertension, compared to 24 per cent of men in the same age group. The same survey had shown that 6.4 per cent of women aged 15-49 years were obese, while 4 per cent of men in that age group had the condition.

Data shared by the World Health Organisation meanwhile suggests that 77 million people in India have diabetes.

“While the diabetes epidemic is stabilising in the more developed states of the country, it is still increasing in most other states,” researchers said in the paper. “Thus, there are serious implications for the nation, warranting urgent state-specific policies and interventions to arrest the rapidly rising epidemic of metabolic NCDs in India”.

Dr R.S. Dhaliwal, head, NCD division of the ICMR pointed out in a statement that it is quite evident from the study results that India has a substantial population at risk of cardiovascular disease and other long-term organ complications due to metabolic NCDs.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: According to a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital, pre-term and low birthweight children suffer fewer fractures in childhood than full-term and normal-weight neonates. The Finnish register-based cohort research included data from the National Medical Birth Register, the Care Register for Health Care, and Statistics Finland. Data from one million youngsters and over 100,000 fractures were included in the study.

Children born very pre-term or with extremely low birthweight are known to be at risk of metabolic bone disease of prematurity, as the foetal accumulation of minerals occurs mainly in the third trimester of pregnancy. Some earlier smaller studies have also reported an increased risk of fractures in childhood in children born pre-term. Furthermore, an earlier study from Finland found that pre-term infants continue to have lower bone mineral density even in adulthood.

"With this in mind, we set out to examine whether pre-term and low birthweight babies have an increased risk of fractures in their childhood, when compared to full-term and normal birthweight babies," Adjunct Professor Ilari Kuitunen of the University of Eastern Finland says.

The researchers found that pre-term and low birthweight infants had significantly fewer fractures in childhood than other newborns. The difference was particularly evident in children born before the 32nd week of pregnancy, who had 23% fewer fractures than in children born full-term. There were also fewer fractures in the group whose birthweight was less than 2,500 g, and especially in the group whose birthweight was less than 1,000 g.

"It can be concluded that the risk of fractures in childhood is explained by factors other than the effect of being pre-term on bones. However, we know that pre-term children are less likely to participate in sports, and they have less risk-taking behaviour even as adults than full-term children," Kuitunen says.

According to the researchers, further research is needed on whether foetal growth disorder, i.e., abnormal growth in relation to weeks of pregnancy, is associated with fractures in early childhood, as this was not addressed in the present study.

The study was published in Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. The research group also included Professor Reijo Sund and Adjunct Professor Ulla Sankilampi.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Losing loved ones may have a significant impact on both psychological and physical health. The University of Arizona researched the influence of grief on heart function and discovered that intense grieving might induce a significant increase in blood pressure. According to the data, grieving may be a risk factor for cardiac events. The study, published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, demonstrates an association between grief severity and elevated systolic blood pressure response.

The idea of "dying of a broken heart," which can happen following the loss of a loved one, was the motivation for the research, said Mary-Frances O'Connor, senior author of the study and a UArizona associate professor of psychology who specializes in grief. Increased risk of mortality after the death of a loved one has long been documented in epidemiological studies. The study by O'Connor and her colleagues looked at blood pressure as a possible contributing factor. The study included 59 participants that had lost a close loved one in the past year.

"We were looking for a way to test the cardiovascular effects of grief during that vulnerable time in the first year after the loss," said lead study author Roman Palitsky, who was a doctoral student at UArizona when the study was conducted and is now the director of research projects in spiritual health at Emory University Woodruff Health Sciences Center. Study participants were interviewed and asked to focus on feelings of separation and attachment through a process researchers call "grief recall."

The researchers talked to each participant for 10 minutes and asked them to share a moment when they felt very alone after the death of their loved one. The researchers then measured the study participants' blood pressure. "When you go to a cardiologist, they don't just measure your blood pressure. They also sometimes do a stress test, like a treadmill, and measure your blood pressure. This is sort of like an emotional stress test," O'Connor said.

After grief recall, participants' systolic blood pressure - which is the pressure that the heart exerts on the arteries while beating - increased. From the baseline level, systolic blood pressure climbed by an average of 21.1 millimeters of mercury - the unit used to measure blood pressure. That is approximately as much of an increase as would be expected during moderate exercise. Among the 59 participants, those who showed the highest level of grief symptoms experienced the greatest increase in blood pressure during the grief recall.

"This means that it isn't just the death of a loved one that impacts the heart, but our emotional response to loss that is affecting our heart," O'Connor said. The study's findings are helpful for clinicians, as they show that people who are experiencing bereavement are at higher risk for hypertension and other heart-related problems, O'Connor said.

"It's important for psychologists and therapists to encourage grieving clients to get their regular medical checkups. Often, when we've been caring for a loved one who's dying, we neglect our own health care," she said. In her Grief, Loss, and Social Stress Lab in the Department of Psychology, O'Connor studies an intervention called "progressive muscle relaxation." It teaches grieving people to tighten and then fully relax the major muscle groups in their body. This kind of body-based intervention can be helpful for people in terms of their grief and curbing their stress levels, O'Connor said.

"I continue to look for interventions that will help address the physical and medical side of grieving, in addition to the emotional side," she said. 
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Consuming an unhealthier diet is associated with a lower quality of deep sleep, according to a small-scale study.

Deep sleep, the third stage of sleep, repairs and restores necessary functions such as memory, muscle growth, and immunity.

Researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden analysed how junk food affects sleep. Healthy participants consumed an unhealthier as well as a healthier diet in a randomised order.

The study, recently published in the journal Obesity, shows that after eating the junk food, the quality of the participants' deep sleep deteriorated, compared with those who followed the healthier diet.

''Both poor diet and poor sleep increase the risk of several public health conditions,'' said Jonathan Cedernaes, Associate Professor at Uppsala University.

A total of 15 healthy normal-weight young men participated in two sessions of the study. Participants were first screened for aspects such as their sleep habits, which had to be normal and within the recommended range of seven to nine hours per night.

The participants were randomly given both a healthier diet and an unhealthier diet. The two diets contained the same number of calories, adjusted to each individual's daily requirements.

Among other things, the unhealthier diet contained a higher content of sugar and saturated fat and more processed food items. Each diet was consumed for a week, while the participants' sleep, activity and meal schedules were monitored at an individual level.

''What we saw was that the participants slept for the same amount of time when they consumed the two diets. This was the case both while they were following the diets, as well as after they had switched to another, identical diet,'' said Cedernaes.

The researchers looked at slow-wave activity, a measure that can reflects how restorative deep sleep is.

''Intriguingly, we saw that deep sleep exhibited less slow-wave activity when the participants had eaten junk food, compared with consumption of healthier food,'' Cedernaes said.

This effect lasted into the second night, once participants switched to an identical diet. Essentially, the unhealthy diet resulted in shallower deep sleep, the scientist said.

Similar changes in sleep occur with aging and in conditions such as insomnia, the researchers said.

It can be hypothesised, from a sleep perspective, that greater importance should potentially be attached to diet in such conditions, they added.

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: A comprehensive study headed by experts at Columbia University and Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard found that taking a daily multivitamin pill helps reduce age-related memory deterioration.

"Cognitive ageing is a top health concern for older adults, and this study suggests that there may be a simple, inexpensive way to help older adults slow down memory decline," says study leader Adam M Brickman, PhD, professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Many older people take vitamins or dietary supplements under the assumption that they will help maintain general health. But studies that have tested whether they improve memory and brain function have been mixed, and very few large-scale, randomized trials have been done.

Study methods
In the current study, more than 3,500 adults (mostly non-Hispanic white) over age 60 were randomly assigned to take a daily multivitamin supplement or placebo for three years. At the end of each year, participants performed a series of online cognitive assessments at home designed to test memory function of the hippocampus, an area of the brain that is affected by normal ageing. The COSMOS-Web study is part of a large clinical trial led by Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard called the Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS).

By the end of the first year, memory improved for people taking a daily multivitamin, compared with those taking a placebo. The researchers estimate the improvement, which was sustained over the three-year study period, was equivalent to about three years of age-related memory decline. The effect was more pronounced in participants with underlying cardiovascular disease.

The results of the new study are consistent with another recent COSMOS study of more than 2,200 older adults that found that taking a daily multivitamin improved overall cognition, memory recall, and attention, effects that were also more pronounced in those with underlying cardiovascular disease.

"There is evidence that people with cardiovascular disease may have lower micronutrient levels that multivitamins may correct, but we don't really know right now why the effect is stronger in this group," says Brickman.

Good nutrition important for the ageing brain

Though the researchers did not look at whether any specific component of the multivitamin supplement was linked to the improvement in memory, the findings support growing evidence that nutrition is important for optimizing brain health as we age.

"Our study shows that the ageing brain may be more sensitive to nutrition than we realized, though it may not be so important to find out which specific nutrient helps slow age-related cognitive decline," says Lok-Kin Yeung, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in Columbia's Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain and first author of the study.

"The finding that a daily multivitamin improved memory in two separate cognition studies in the COSMOS randomized trial is remarkable, suggesting that multivitamin supplementation holds promise as a safe, accessible, and affordable approach to protecting cognitive health in older adults," says co-author JoAnn Manson, MD, chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

"Supplementation of any kind shouldn't take the place of more holistic ways of getting the same micronutrients," adds Brickman. "Though multivitamins are generally safe, people should always consult a physician before taking them."
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: People with a genetic predisposition for Alzheimer's disease may have an increased risk of epilepsy and people with a certain type of epilepsy may have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a study. The findings of the study were published in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

"Our research found that not only are people with Alzheimer's disease more likely to develop epilepsy, but also that those with focal epilepsy, which accounts for more than half of all cases of epilepsy, were more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease," said study author Jiali Pu, PhD, of Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, China. Researchers used a genome-wide association analysis to examine gene variation across the human genomes of 111,326 people with Alzheimer's disease and 677,663 persons without the illness. Long sections of DNA are examined in such research to find tiny changes in the genetic sequence between persons with and without Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers used a study design called Mendelian randomization to determine if there was cause and effect between the genetic variations and the risk of epilepsy. Researchers found having Alzheimer's was linked to a 5.3% increased risk of generalized epilepsy, which involves seizures that occur from both halves of the brain.

Researchers also found a 1.3 per cent increased risk of focal epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis. Focal epilepsy involves recurring seizures that affect one half of the brain. Researchers then looked at the genes of 15,212 people with epilepsy, matched to the genes of 29,677 people without epilepsy.

People who had focal epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis had nearly four times the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease compared to people without epilepsy. Researchers also analyzed the genes of 13,116 people who had data on the levels of a biomarker for Alzheimer's disease called amyloid in their cerebrospinal fluid. Lower amounts of the biomarker indicate an increased deposition of amyloid plaques in the brain. The researchers found that genes that predicted a lower amount of the biomarker were linked to an increased risk of generalized epilepsy.

"More effort should be made to screen for seizures in people with Alzheimer's disease and to understand the impact of seizures on those facing these two challenging neurologic conditions," Pu added. A limitation of the study was that participants were of European ancestry, so the results may not be generalizable to people living in other countries and of different ethnicities. 
 

HYDERABAD [Maha Media]: The Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY) under the Ministry of Ayush, is hosting a grand ‘Yoga Mahotsav’ at Parade Ground here on May 27.

Union Tourism and Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy on Sunday said that in the run-up to the International Day of Yoga on June 21, various events are being organised to encourage citizens to not only adopt Yoga in their personal life, but also to showcase to the world the rich heritage of Yoga in our country, an official release said here.

He said under the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a significant milestone was achieved in 2014 when the United Nations General Assembly declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga.

Kishan Reddy further said that Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Telangana Finance and Health Minister T Harish Rao have been invited for ‘Yoga Mahotsav’ event.

Several Central Ministers including Sarbananda Sonowal, Anurag Singh Thakur are expected to participate in the event.

More than 20,000 Yoga enthusiasts along with celebrities, sportspersons and senior officials from the State and Centre are likely to participate in the event, the release added.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The levels of carnitine and vitamin B2 in breastmilk, two elements crucial for the growth of a newborn, are not affected by a vegan diet. These are the findings of a study conducted by the Amsterdam University Medical Centre.

Research has found that lactating mothers following a vegan diet compared to mothers with an omnivorous diet showed no difference in the human milk concentrations of vitamin B2 or carnitine, despite these nutrients being found in highest concentrations in animal products.

The study was presented at the 55th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN).

Using a technique that separates a sample into its individual parts and analyses their mass, this study challenges assumptions that vegan diets may not be nutritionally complete and that breastfed infants of vegan mothers may be at an increased risk of developing vitamin B2 or carnitine deficiency.

In the last four years, the number of vegans in Europe alone has doubled. Lead researcher, Dr Hannah Juncker explains, "The maternal diet greatly influences the nutritional composition of human milk, which is important for child development. With the rise of vegan diets worldwide, also by lactating mothers, there are concerns about the nutritional adequacy of their milk. [...] therefore, it would be important to know if the milk concentrations of those nutrients are different in lactating women consuming a vegan diet."

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is an important co-factor for enzymes involved in many biological pathways. Previous studies have shown, that a significant shortage of vitamin B2 in infants can lead to anaemia and neurological problems.

Carnitine's primary biological role is in energy metabolism. Carnitine shortages in the infant can lead to low blood sugar, as well as the possibility to heart and brain dysfunction. Carnitine intake and subsequent plasma concentrations have also been previously found to be lower in those with vegan diets than with omnivorous diets. with previous studies even suggesting that certain lactating women may need to increase their animal product consumption to avoid deficiencies during breastfeeding. This study suggests that the influence of a maternal vegan diet on these two important nutrients in milk may be less significant than previously suggested.

While the presenting study reported lower serum free carnitine and acetyl carnitine concentrations in the mothers following a vegan diet, there was notably no difference in human milk carnitine concentrations between study groups.

Commenting on the findings, Dr Juncker summarises, "The results of our study suggest that vitamin B2 and carnitine concentrations in human milk are not influenced by consumption of a vegan diet. These results suggest that a vegan diet in lactating mothers is not a risk for the development of a vitamin B2 or carnitine deficiency in breastfed infants. This information is useful for breastfeeding mothers and also for donor human milk banks, which collect milk for provision to premature infants who do not receive sufficient mother's own milk."
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: A mechanism for how obesity impacts the capacity of some oral malignancies to bypass the immune system has been uncovered in a study. A team from the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center and School of Dentistry, led by Yu Leo Lei, D.D.S., Ph.D. Obesity helps to produce a sort of tumour microenvironment that promotes tumour growth, according to this study published in Cell Reports. The link between saturated fatty acids, the STING-type-I interferon pathway, and NLRC3 explains how this happens.

"We tend to think about the increased risks for gastrointestinal tumors, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and ovarian cancer when it comes to obesity," said Lei, a pathologist-immunologist and lead author of this study. "Multiple recent prospective cohorts involving millions of individuals from several continents revealed a previously underappreciated link between obesity and oral cancer risks." "Myeloid cells in obese mice were insensitive to STING agonists and were more suppressive of T cell activation compared to the myeloid cells from leans hosts," explained Lei. This feature drove the loss of immune subsets that were crucial for anti-tumor immunity in the tumor microenvironment.

The team found that saturated fatty acids can block the STING pathway, which is induced by cytosolic DNA and promotes antigen-presenting cell maturation, by inducing a protein called NLRC3. Lei says this is the first study establishing a mechanistic link between obesity with oral cancer immune escape. "We're excited about the translational implications," he continued.

Obesity is a common comorbidity in cancer patients. Two recent studies found that oral cancer patients who were on statins--medicines that lower cholesterol--showed improved overall and cancer-specific survival. "This study establishes a mechanistic link for those observations and highlights the potential of targeting fatty acids metabolism in remodeling the host anti-tumor immune response," said

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: As per a study, physical activities are extremely important for patients who suffered a stroke. A University of Gothenburg study found that those who exercise four hours per week after having a stroke recover more functionally in six months than those who do not.

The study, now published in the scientific journal JAMA Network Open, is based on data concerning 1,500 stroke patients in 35 Swedish hospitals. The participants were grouped according to their poststroke patterns of physical activity. The results show that increased or maintained physical activity, with four hours' exercise weekly, doubled the patients' chances of recovering well by six months after a stroke. Men and people with normal cognition kept up an active life relatively more often, with better recovery as a result. Positive programming from exercise.

The researchers have previously succeeded in demonstrating a clear inverse association between physical activity and the severity of stroke symptoms at the actual onset of the condition. These new findings highlight the importance of maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle after a stroke. The first and corresponding author of the study, Dongni Buvarp, is a researcher in clinical neuroscience at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg. Besides her research internship, she is a resident doctor at an initial stage of specialist training at Sahlgrenska University Hospital."Physical activity reprograms both the brain and the body favorably after a stroke. Exercise improves the body's recovery at the cellular level, boosts muscle strength and well-being, and reduces the risk of falls, depression, and cardiovascular disease. Regardless of how severe the stroke has been, those affected can derive benefits from exercising more," she said.

"Being physically active is hugely important, especially after a stroke. That's a message that health professionals, stroke victims and their loved ones should all know. Women and people with impaired cognition seem to become less active after stroke. The study results indicate that these groups need more support to get going with physical activity," Buvarp said. One weakness of the study is that, with a few exceptions, the researchers were unable to study the participants' degree of activity before the stroke. The patients included were treated in Sweden in the period from 2014 to 2019.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: ccording to a study by UC Davis Health researchers, inflammatory skin conditions like psoriasis may be brought on by a Western diet high in fat and sugar. According to the study, which was written up in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, dietary factors rather than obesity itself may be responsible for skin inflammation and the onset of psoriasis. Psoriasis is a common chronic skin condition that generates scales and red patches of skin that are irritating and occasionally painful.

Obesity is a risk factor for the onset or progression of psoriasis, according to earlier research. The rising incidence of obesity around the world has been attributed to the Western diet, which is characterised by a high dietary consumption of saturated fats and sugar and a low intake of fibre. "In our study, we found that short-term exposure to Western diet is able to induce psoriasis before significant body weight gain," said Sam T. Hwang, professor and chair of dermatology at UC Davis and senior author on the study.

For the UC Davis Health study, which used a mouse model, Hwang and his colleagues found that a diet containing both high fat and high sugar (mimicking the Western diet in human) was required to induce observable skin inflammation. In four weeks only, mice on Western diet had significantly increased ear swelling and visible dermatitis compared to mice fed a controlled diet and those on high fat diet alone. "Eating an unhealthy diet does not affect your waistline alone, but your skin immunity too," said Zhenrui Shi, visiting assistant researcher in UC Davis Department of Dermatology and lead author on the study.

The study detailed the mechanisms by which inflammation happens following a Western diet. It identified bile acids as key signaling molecules in the regulation of skin immunity. Bile acids are produced in the liver from cholesterol and metabolized in the intestine by the gut microbiota. They play an important role in dietary lipid absorption and cholesterol balance in the blood. The study found that cholestyramine, a drug used to lower cholesterol levels by binding to bile acids in the intestine, helped reduce the risk of skin inflammation. The finding suggests that bile acids mediate the development of psoriasis. The binding of cholestyramine to bile acids in the gut and its subsequent release through the stool allows for lowering of skin inflammation.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: t least half of all autistic children exhibit aggressiveness, such as punching, kicking, or name-calling, while their parents are tasked with helping them in coping and social integration. However, the incidence and definition of aggressive behaviours in autistic children remain unknown. To address this knowledge gap, researchers in the Family and Community Intervention Lab at the University of Arkansas compared autistic children to non-autistic children on different types of aggressive behaviours over three critical developmental periods and found that parents of autistic children reported more frequent aggression at greater intensities than non-autistic children.

"Aggression represents a pervasive and serious problem faced by autistic youths and their families," said Lauren Quetsch, assistant professor of psychology and lead author of "Understanding aggression in autism across childhood: Comparisons with a non-autistic sample." "While our knowledge about the unique needs of autistic children has grown exponentially over the last several decades, we still have a long way to go," she said. "And understanding the role aggression plays in autistic youths' lives can help us to better address our gaps in care."

Between December 2020 and March 2021, Quetsch and her colleagues gathered quantitative and qualitative data on 450 autistic and 432 non-autistic children. The data were broken down into three age-matched groups -- younger than six, six to 12 and 13 to 17. The children were compared on multiple caregiver-report measures of aggressive and disruptive behaviour across these critical developmental periods. The researchers' analysis of the data revealed higher levels of verbal aggression and disruptive behavioural intensity for autistic children across all three stages of development. Autistic children younger than six had more physical aggression than their non-autistic peers. However, these levels became equal to non-autistic peers as the children aged.

In the qualitative study, according to parents, non-autistic children more frequently expressed anger in a controlled manner, whereas autistic children were more apt to quickly lose their temper. "We surmise that this can be attributed to several factors," Quetsch said. "Frustration from regularly being misunderstood, challenges with recognizing emotions in others or expressing their own emotions to others, sensory overstimulation, and even co-occurring health challenges, such as physical discomfort from gastrointestinal issues and exhaustion due to irregular sleeping patterns, all likely contribute to aggression."

Quetsch's co-authors on the study were Cynthia Brown, assistant professor of psychology at Pacific University; Harlee Onovbiona and Rebecca Bradley, doctoral students in clinical psychology in Quetsch's lab at the U of A; Lindsey Aloia, associate professor of communication at the U of A; and Stephen Kanne, clinical pediatric neuropsychologist at Weill Cornell Medicine. The researchers' study was published in Autism Research, the official journal of the International Society for Autism Research. 
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: o commemorate World Malaria Day 2023, World Health Organization has urged the countries affected by the disease globally to accelerate the reach of high-impact tools and strategies to prevent, detect and treat malaria, with a focus on reaching the most vulnerable, ensuring that no person or population is left behind. According to WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, in the shadow of the COVID-19 crisis, the world is not on track to reach the two critical targets of the WHO Global technical strategy (GTS) for malaria 2016-2030: reducing global case incidence and mortality by 90 per cent or more by 2030, based on 2015 levels.

Dr Poonam said that in 2021, an estimated 619,000 people globally died of malaria compared to 625,000 in 2020. There were an estimated 247 million new cases of malaria, compared to 245 million in 2020.

The WHO South-East Asia region continues to lead globally. By the end of 2020, the South-East Asia region was the only WHO region to achieve a 40 per cent reduction in malaria case incidence and mortality compared to 2015 - the first GTS milestone, the Director said.

Amid the COVID-19 response, Maldives and Sri Lanka have maintained their malaria-free status, and five countries of the Region - Bhutan, DPR Korea, Nepal, Thailand and Timor-Leste - are among 25 countries and one territory globally identified as having the potential to eliminate malaria by 2025, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh said. In September 2023, Timor-Leste is likely to complete three consecutive years of reporting zero local malaria transmission. It would therefore be eligible to be certified malaria-free.

Dr Poonam said that in 2022, ministers of health from across the region unanimously endorsed a Statement on Renewed Commitment for Malaria Elimination, emphasizing the urgent need to scale up proven implementation strategies, while also adopting innovative strategies and tools. "The Statement is aligned with the Region's 2017 Ministerial Declaration for Accelerating and Sustaining Malaria Elimination, as well as the 2018 Ministerial Call for Action to eliminate malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion," she said.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Physical activity is frequently mentioned as a way to improve both physical and mental health. Researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology discovered that it may also directly improve brain health. They investigated how the chemical signals released by muscles during exercise promote neuronal development in the brain.

Their work appears in the journal Neuroscience.

When muscles contract during exercise, like a bicep working to lift a heavy weight, they release a variety of compounds into the bloodstream. These compounds can travel to different parts of the body, including the brain. The researchers were particularly interested in how exercise could benefit a particular part of the brain called the hippocampus.

"The hippocampus is a crucial area for learning and memory, and therefore cognitive health," said Ki Yun Lee, a Ph.D. student in mechanical science and engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the study's lead author. Understanding how exercise benefits the hippocampus could therefore lead to exercise-based treatments for a variety of conditions including Alzheimer's disease.

To isolate the chemicals released by contracting muscles and test them on hippocampal neurons, the researchers collected small muscle cell samples from mice and grew them in cell culture dishes in the lab. When the muscle cells matured, they began to contract on their own, releasing their chemical signals into the cell culture.

The research team added the culture, which now contained the chemical signals from the mature muscle cells, to another culture containing hippocampal neurons and other support cells known as astrocytes. Using several measures, including immunofluorescent and calcium imaging to track cell growth and multi-electrode arrays to record neuronal electrical activity, they examined how exposure to these chemical signals affected the hippocampal cells.

The results were striking. Exposure to the chemical signals from contracting muscle cells caused hippocampal neurons to generate larger and more frequent electrical signals -- a sign of robust growth and health. Within a few days, the neurons started firing these electrical signals more synchronously, suggesting that the neurons were forming a more mature network together and mimicking the organization of neurons in the brain.

However, the researchers still had questions about how these chemical signals led to growth and development of hippocampal neurons. To uncover more of the pathway linking exercise to better brain health, they next focused on the role of astrocytes in mediating this relationship.

"Astrocytes are the first responders in the brain before the compounds from muscles reach the neurons," Lee said. Perhaps, then, they played a role in helping neurons respond to these signals.

The researchers found that removing astrocytes from the cell cultures caused the neurons to fire even more electrical signals, suggesting that without the astrocytes, the neurons continued to grow -- perhaps to a point where they might become unmanageable.

"Astrocytes play a critical role in mediating the effects of exercise," Lee said. "By regulating neuronal activity and preventing hyperexcitability of neurons, astrocytes contribute to the balance necessary for optimal brain function."

Understanding the chemical pathway between muscle contraction and the growth and regulation of hippocampal neurons is just the first step in understanding how exercise helps improve brain health.

"Ultimately, our research may contribute to the development of more effective exercise regimens for cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's disease," Lee said.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The discovery of a recent study that metropolitan light pollution may disturb the winter dormancy phase for mosquitos that transmit the West Nile virus could be considered both good and bad news. The good news is that the disease-carrying pests may not survive the winter if their plans to fatten up are foiled. The bad news is their dormancy period, known as diapause, may simply be delayed -- meaning they're biting humans and animals longer into the fall.

"We see the highest levels of West Nile virus transmission in the late summer and early fall in Ohio. If you have mosquitoes postponing or delaying diapause and continuing to be active longer in the year, that's at a time when the mosquitoes are most likely to be infected with West Nile virus and people could be at greatest risk of contracting it," said Megan Meuti, senior author of the study and an assistant professor of entomology at The Ohio State University. This study and earlier findings by Meuti and her colleagues are among the first to show that artificial light at night could have a significant impact on mosquito behavior - including effects that aren't necessarily predictable.

"We're finding that the same urban light at night can have very different effects under different seasonal contexts," she said. Meuti conducted the study with first author Matthew Wolkoff and Lydia Fyie, both PhD candidates in entomology at Ohio State. The research was published recently in the journal Insects.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Today is World Health Day. The theme this year is Health for All. Every year this day is organised on 7th  April to coincide with the setting up of the World Health Organisation, WHO in 1948.

This year the world health body is observing its 75th anniversary. 

In a message, the World Health Organization said the idea is to make the global community aware of the strides in public health that have helped improve the quality of life over the past 7 decades. It is also a call for action to tackle health challenges. 
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research and Harvard Medical School have now shown in mice that communication in the brain changes during a diet: The nerve cells that mediate the feeling of hunger receive stronger signals, so that the mice eat significantly more after the diet and gain weight more quickly. In the long term, these findings could help develop drugs to prevent this amplification and help to maintain reduced body weight after dieting.

"People have looked mainly at the short-term effects of dieting. We wanted to see what changes in the brain in the long term," explains Henning Fenselau, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, who led the study.

To this end, the researchers put mice on a diet and assessed which circuits in the brain changed. In particular, they examined a group of neurons in the hypothalamus, the AgRP neurons, which are known to control the feeling of hunger. They were able to show that the neuronal pathways that stimulate AgRP neurons sent increased signals when the mice were on a diet. This profound change in the brain could be detected for a long time after the diet.

Preventing the yo-yo effect

The researchers also succeeded in selectively inhibiting the neural pathways in mice that activate AgRP neurons. This led to significantly less weight gain after the diet. "This could give us the opportunity to diminish the yo-yo effect," says Fenselau. "In the long term, our goal is to find therapies for humans that could help maintaining body weight loss after dieting. To achieve this, we continue to explore how we could block the mechanisms that mediate the strengthening of the neural pathways in humans as well."

"This work increases understanding of how neural wiring diagrams control hunger. We had previously uncovered a key set of upstream neurons that physically synapse onto and excite AgRP hunger neurons. In our present study, we find that the physical neurotransmitter connection between these two neurons, in a process called synaptic plasticity, greatly increases with dieting and weight loss, and this leads to long-lasting excessive hunger," comments co-author Bradford Lowell from Harvard Medical School. 
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Women are more likely to experience long-term anxiety after cardiac arrest than men, finds a study.

The study, presented at ESC Acute CardioVascular Care 2023, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), revealed that more than 40 per cent of women report anxiety four months after a cardiac arrest compared with 23 per cent of men.

Cardiac arrest causes one in five deaths in industrialised countries. The heart unexpectedly stops pumping blood around the body and if flow is not restored quickly, the individual passes out and dies within 10 to 20 minutes.

Less than 10 per cent of people who have a cardiac arrest survive to hospital discharge.

Anxiety and depression are frequent after critical illness and are strongly associated with reduced quality of life in patients and relatives.

"Cardiac arrest occurs with little or no warning and it's common to feel anxious and low afterwards," said Dr. Jesper Kjaergaard of Rigshospitalet-Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark.

"After the initial shock and confusion, patients and their families have an abrupt change in their way of life, with medical investigations to determine the cause of cardiac arrest and in some cases diagnosis of a condition requiring treatment. This may add to the stress and anxiety.

"Our study indicates that women are more affected psychologically and could be targeted for extra support," Kjaergaard said.

Between 2016 and 2021, the study enrolled 245 patients who had a cardiac arrest in the community and were admitted to hospital in a coma.

Psychological symptoms were assessed during a four-month follow up appointment. Depression and anxiety scores were found significantly higher in women (3.3 and 6.1, respectively), compared to men (2.6 and 4.5, respectively).

Women also had significantly higher levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared with men (median score 33 vs. 26, respectively). In both men and women, anxiety was significantly correlated to PTSD symptoms.

"The findings confirm our experience in clinical practice that the psychological effects of cardiac arrest persist for months. Anxiety was frequent, particularly in women," Kjaergaard said.

"Our results highlight the need for long-term follow up of cardiac arrest survivors to identify and treat mental health issues. Patients should be encouraged to tell their healthcare professional about anxiety, depression and stress related to cardiac arrest."
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: For the first time in more than a decade, the number of people dying from tuberculosis (TB) rose last year due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts and other crises, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday. 

On the eve of World Tuberculosis Day, WHO announced that it will expand the scope of a five-year-old initiative in efforts to eradicate one of the world's top infectious killers by 2030. TB mainly affects the lungs, but it is preventable, treatable and curable. 

Although deaths have dropped by nearly 40 per cent globally since the year 2000, 1.6 million people die from the disease annually, and millions more are affected. ## Equitable access to services The WHO Director-General's Flagship Initiative on TB was established in 2018 to advance research and increase access to services, in support of efforts to end the global epidemic. 

It will now be expanded and extended through 2027. The aim is to **scale up delivery of quality care** to people living with TB through equitable access to rapid diagnostics and shorter all-oral treatment. ## New tools needed WHO also highlighted the pressing need for investment, **particularly in new vaccine development** , and has proposed the establishment of a TB Vaccine Acceleration Council. 

The sole vaccine currently available is more than a century old, plus it does not **adequately protect young people and adults** , who account for most TB transmissions. "We need to make the tools we have **available to more people**. But w **e also need new tools,"**said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking in Geneva. "Increasing drug resistance is undermining the effectiveness of some medicines that are used to treat TB," he added. ## Call to action The flagship initiative aims to spur **action and accountability** to tackle the key drivers of the TB epidemic, such as poverty, undernourishment, diabetes, HIV, tobacco and alcohol use, and poor living and working conditions. 

WHO and partners have also issued a call to action for governments to accelerate the rollout of new oral treatment regimens for drug-resistant TB, which continues to be a pressing health concern. The UN General Assembly will convene a High-Level Meeting on TB in September, which Tedros said "should be **a turning point in the fight against TB** , if leaders make **real and lasting commitments** to invest in the response to TB."
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Older persons who struggle with depression age faster than their contemporaries, according to studies from the UConn Center on Aging, "These patients show evidence of accelerated biological aging, and poor physical and brain health," which are the main drivers of this association, said Breno Diniz, a UConn School of Medicine geriatric psychiatrist and author of the study, which appears in Nature Mental Health.

Diniz and colleagues from several other institutions looked at 426 people with late-in-life depression. They measured the levels of proteins associated with aging in each person's blood. When a cell gets old, it begins to function differently, less efficiently, than a "young" cell. It often produces proteins that promote inflammation or other unhealthy conditions, and those proteins can be measured in the blood. Diniz and the other researchers compared the levels of these proteins with measures of the participants' physical health, medical problems, brain function, and the severity of their depression.

To their surprise, the severity of a person's depression seemed unrelated to their level of accelerated aging. However, they did find that accelerated aging was associated with worse cardiovascular health overall. People with higher levels of aging-associated proteins were more likely to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and multiple medical problems. The accelerated aging was also associated with worse performance on tests of brain health such as working memory and other cognitive skills. "Those two findings open up opportunities for preventive strategies to reduce the disability associated with major depression in older adults, and to prevent their acceleration of biological aging," Diniz said.

The researchers are now looking at whether therapies to reduce the number of aged, "senescent" cells in a person's body can improve late in life depression. They are also looking at specific sources and patterns of proteins associated with aging, to see if this might lead to personalized treatments in the future. 
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Holi is just round the corner and protecting our hairs has always been a challenge for both men and women, the festivity sometimes takes a toll on skin and hair while playing with vibrant colours. Protecting your skin and hair during Holi is utmost requirement for everyone, and it is always advisable to use organic and natural colours and one should always use more water and flower petals and less of colours.

Tips for Hair Care
Oil your hair (not necessarily from the scalp) just a few days before Holi, this will help in moisturizing the hairs which creates a protective layer and prevent them from Gulal and Holi colours. You can apply some coconut oil to your hair strands for moisturizing hair.

Do not keep your hair open while playing Holi you can rather go for a braided ponytail, wear head bandanas to protect your hair.

Avoid doing hair shampoo a day prior as it may strip off the natural oils and leave your hair dry after playing Holi. You can also use a leave-in serum or conditioner on the hair ends.

Use a clarifying shampoo to rinse colour from hair, after applying the shampoo, apply conditioner along with the length of hair. Leave it on for a couple of minutes and rinse with cold water.

Use colour protects conditioner for colour-treated hair.

Tips for Skin Care
A day before Holi, one can apply body oil all over the body and massage it into the skin. This not only hydrates your skin but also ensures that less colour is absorbed the next day.

Hydrate the skin properly, chemicals used in Holi colours tend to dehydrate the skin. Use a hydrating overnight sleeping mask the night before.

It's advisable to avoid any therapies like facials, bleaching, waxing, threading, peels or laser treatment, the week before.

Avoid saunas or being out in the sun for long durations or exfoliating treatment up to two days before and don't forget to apply sunscreen (gel-based, waterproof and SPF 25) after oiling your body. If you're in the sun for more than four hours, remember to re-apply the sunscreen.

To prevent staining your skin, coat your hands and nails with petroleum jelly.

While removing colours, don't rub your skin vigorously, this can cause more damage to your skin. Instead, use oil to remove colours gently.

After you shower, don't forget to apply nourishing body lotion and face moisturizer as the skin tends to become dry due to excess colour and sun exposure.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: ll kinds of issues can be resolved with a good night's sleep, but recent research suggests that getting enough sleep may also reduce your susceptibility to illness. Medical students working in doctor's offices were recruited by researchers at the University of Bergen to distribute brief questionnaires to patients asking about recent illnesses and sleep quality. They discovered that patients with persistent sleep issues were more likely to report needing antibiotics and were more likely to have recently contracted an illness as well as reported sleeping too much or too little.

"Most previous observational studies have looked at the association between sleep and infection in a sample of the general population," said Dr Ingeborg Forthun, corresponding author of the study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry. "We wanted to assess this association among patients in primary care, where we know that the prevalence of sleep problems is much higher than in the population at large." Evidence already exists that sleep problems raise the risk of infection: in a previous study, people deliberately infected with rhinovirus were less likely to catch a cold if they reported healthy sleep. Sleep disturbances are common and treatable, and if a link to infection and a mechanism can be confirmed, it might make it possible to cut down on antibiotic use and protect people against infections before they happen. But experimental studies can't reproduce real-life circumstances.

Forthun and her colleagues gave medical students a questionnaire and asked them to hand it out to patients in the waiting rooms of the general practitioners' surgeries where the students were working. 1,848 surveys were collected across Norway. The surveys asked people to describe their sleep quality -- how long they typically sleep, how well they feel they sleep, and when they prefer to sleep -- as well as whether they had had any infections or used any antibiotics in the past three months. The survey also contained a scale which identifies cases of chronic insomnia disorder. The scientists found that patients who reported sleeping less than six hours a night were 27 per cent more likely to report an infection, while patients sleeping more than nine hours were 44 per cent more likely to report one. Less than six hours sleep, or chronic insomnia, also raised the risk that you would need an antibiotic to overcome an infection.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Taking vitamin D supplements may help ward off dementia, according to a large-scale study.

Researchers at the University of Calgary in Canada and the University of Exeter in the UK explored the relationship between vitamin D supplementation and dementia in more than 12,388 participants of the US National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center.

The partcipants had a mean age of 71 and were dementia-free when they signed up. Of the group, 37 per cent (4,637) took vitamin D supplements.

The study, published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, found that taking vitamin D was associated with living dementia-free for longer.

The team also found 40 per cent fewer dementia diagnoses in the group who took supplements.

Across the entire sample, 2,696 participants progressed to dementia over ten years; amongst them, 2,017 (75 per cent) had no exposure to vitamin D throughout all visits prior to dementia diagnosis, and 679 (25 per cent) had baseline exposure.

''We know that vitamin D has some effects in the brain that could have implications for reducing dementia, however so far, research has yielded conflicting results,” said Professor Zahinoor Ismail, of the University of Calgary and University of Exeter, who led the research.

''Our findings give key insights into groups who might be specifically targeted for vitamin D supplementation. Overall, we found evidence to suggest that earlier supplementation might be particularly beneficial, before the onset of cognitive decline,'' Ismail said.

While Vitamin D was effective in all groups, the researchers found that effects were significantly greater in females, compared to males.

Similarly, effects were greater in people with normal cognition, compared to those who reported signs of mild cognitive impairment -- changes to cognition which have been linked to a higher risk of dementia.

The effects of vitamin D were also significantly greater in people who did not carry the APOEe4 gene, known to present a higher risk for Alzheimer's dementia, compared to non-carriers.

The study authors suggest that people who carry the APOEe4 gene absorb vitamin D better from their intestine, which might reduce the vitamin D supplementation effect. However, no blood vessels were drawn to test this hypothesis.

Previous research has found that low levels of vitamin D are linked to higher dementia risk.

Vitamin D is involved in the clearance of amyloid in the brain, the accumulation of which is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease.

Studies have also found that vitamin D may provide help to protect the brain against build-up of tau, another protein involved in the development of dementia.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Ahead of this year's World Birth Defects Day, the WHO has urged countries, especially in the South-East Asia Region, to strengthen their health systems to prevent and respond to birth defects -- structural or functional anomalies a baby develops in the mother's body.

World Birth Defects Day is observed on March 3 to raise awareness on birth defects surveillance, prevention and management.

An estimated 8 million newborns suffer from birth defects annually worldwide. Nine out of every 10 children born with a serious birth defect are in low- and middle-income countries, said Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO regional director for South-East Asia.

In South-East Asia Region, birth defects are the third-most common cause of child mortality and the fourth-most common cause of neonatal mortality, accounting for 12 per cent of all neonatal deaths, she said.

She said that birth defects increased as a proportion of child mortality in the region, from 6.2 per cent to 9.2 per cent between 2010 and 2019. In 2019, birth defects contributed to at least 117,000 deaths in the region, about 22 per cent of the global total, Singh added.

She asked authorities to work to facilitate better connection between health facilities and community-based networks, platforms and organisations.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: If you want to have a binge day on the weekend, you must be fit and healthy during the week. To avoid becoming sick, fill your plate with nutritious grains, seafood, beans, and lentils.

So Here's a list of some foods that you should have throughout the week.

Green vegetables
Consume green veggies three to four times each week. Broccoli, peppers, brussel sprouts, and leafy greens such as kale and spinach should be part of your daily diet.

Whole Grains
Consume whole grains at least twice a day. Look for whole wheat flour, rye flour, oatmeal, barley flour, amaranth flour, quinoa flour, or a multigrain flour. Each serving of a high-fiber food contains 3 to 4 grams of fibre.

Beans and Lentils
At least once a week, try to eat a bean-based dish. Add legumes, such as beans and lentils, to soups, stews, casseroles, salads, and dips, or consume them on their own.

Fish

Eat two to three servings of fish every week. A serving of cooked fish is 3 to 4 ounces. You may eat mostly local seafood with a side of salmon, herring, and bluefish.

Berries
Consume two to four portions of fruit every day. Take berries such as raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries.

Flaxseed, Nuts and Seeds
Every day, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed or other seeds to your cuisine, or include 1/4 cup of nuts in your diet.

Organic Yogurt
Men and women aged 19 to 50 require 1000 milligrammes of calcium per day, while those aged 50 and over require 1200 mg. Three to four times each day, consume calcium-rich foods such as nonfat or low-fat dairy products.

Most importantly, don't forget to drink 8-12 cups of water daily.

Remember, food should be enjoyed. And to achieve that, following discipline is equally important. 
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: According to recent research being presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session Along With the World Congress of Cardiology, getting enough sleep can boost your heart and general health--and possibly even how long you live. According to the study, young people who sleep better had a somewhat lower risk of dying young. Furthermore, the statistics imply that irregular sleep habits may account for around 8 per cent of deaths from any cause.

"We saw a clear dose-response relationship, so the more beneficial factors someone has in terms of having a higher quality of sleep, they also have a stepwise lowering of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality," said Frank Qian, MD, an internal medicine resident physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a clinical fellow in medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-author of the study. "I think these findings emphasize that just getting enough hours of sleep isn't sufficient. You really have to have restful sleep and not have much trouble falling and staying asleep."

For their analysis, Qian and the team included data from 172,321 people (average age 50 and 54 per cent women) who participated in the National Health Interview Survey between 2013 and 2018. This survey is fielded each year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Center for Health Statistics to help gauge the health of the U.S. population and includes questions about sleep and sleep habits. 

Qian said this is the first study to his knowledge to use a nationally representative population to look at how several sleep behaviours, and not just sleep duration, might influence life expectancy. About two-thirds of study participants self-reported as being White, 14.5 per cent Hispanic, 12.6per cent Black and 5.5 per cent Asian. Because researchers were able to link participants to the National Death Index records (through December 31, 2019), they could examine the association between individual and combined sleep factors and all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Participants were followed for a median of 4.3 years during which time 8,681 individuals died. Of these deaths, 2,610 deaths (30 per cent) were from cardiovascular disease, 2,052 (24 per cent) were from cancer and 4,019 (46 per cent) were due to other causes.

Researchers assessed five different factors of quality sleep using a low-risk sleep score they created based on answers collected as part of the survey. Factors included: 1) ideal sleep duration of seven to eight hours a night

2) difficulty falling asleep no more than two times a week 3) trouble staying asleep no more than two times a week

4) not using any sleep medication 5) feeling well rested after waking up at least five days a week. Each factor was assigned zero or one point for each, for a maximum of five points, which indicated the highest quality of sleep.

"If people have all these ideal sleep behaviours, they are more likely to live longer," Qian said. "So, if we can improve sleep overall, and identifying sleep disorders is especially important, we may be able to prevent some of this premature mortality."
 

BHOPAL [Maha Media]: Madhya Pradesh has bagged the first spot for providing quality medical services to pregnant women, under 'LaQshya'-- an initiative by National Health Mission, said CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said with pride on Friday.

Citing the Central Inspection list, he said the Gujarat and Maharastra have received second and third positions respectively.

Notably, 'LaQshya' has been started by National Health Mission to examine quality of medical services provided to pregnant mothers, newborns, which include advanced maternity rooms and Intensive Care Units (ICUs). Q in 'LaQshya' stands for Quality.

He was speaking to media persons after planting a sapling at Smart City Park in Bhopal on Friday morning.

He also informed that the Vikas Yatra started by the state government to provide benefits to leftover people, has reached its last leg. During the yatra, the state has solved over 6 lakh applications of total 7.7 lakh applications.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: One in three parents would give fever-reducing medication for spiked temperatures below 100.4 degrees, which isn't recommended, according to a study conducted in the US.

Researchers at the University of Michigan in the US also found that half of parents would also use medicine if the fever was between 100.4 and 101.9 degrees, and a quarter of parents would likely give another dose to prevent the fever from returning.

"Some parents may immediately rush to give their kids medicine but it's often better to let the fever runs its course," said Susan Woolford, co-director of C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health at University of Michigan Health.

"Lowering a child's temperature doesn't typically help cure their illness any faster. In fact, a low-grade fever helps fight off the infection. There's also the risk of giving too much medication when it's not needed, which can have side effects," Woolford said. The report is based on 1,376 responses from parents of children ages 12 and under polled between August and September 2022.

Two in three parents polled said they are very confident they know whether their child needs medication to reduce a fever, the researchers found.

However, just over half are sure they understand how temperature readings can change according to the method used, they said.

The method used to take a child's temperature matters and can affect the accuracy of the measurement, Woolford said.

Parents polled most commonly take their child's temperature by forehead scan or mouth while less than a sixth use ear, underarm or rectal methods.

Remote thermometers at the forehead or inside the ear canal can be accurate if used correctly, according to the researchers.

However, forehead readings may be inaccurate, Woolford said, if the scanner is held too far away or if the child's forehead is sweaty, they added.

Three in four parents say they take their child's temperature as soon as they notice a possible problem, while a little less than a fourth wait to see if the problem continues or worsens before taking the temperature.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: An international study published in Heart reports found that patients with heart failure frequently suffer co-morbidities, putting significant pressure on healthcare resources. The researchers, based at Karolinska Institutet, identify an urgent need to improve risk management of the disease. Up to 64 million people around the world have heart failure a figure that is expected to rise as populations age and diagnostic methods improve.

According to the new study, there are no multinational studies describing heart failure patients and the consequences of the disease. "Given that we know that the incidence of heart failure increases with population age, a modern, broad view of what the heart failure population looks like, involving risks and costs, is important for all forms of care planning," says Anna Norhammar, adjunct professor at the Cardiology Unit, Department of Medicine (Solna), Karolinska Institutet.

The researchers therefore collected data from both digital medical records and national registry data on over 600,000 heart failure patients from eleven European countries, including Sweden, plus Canada and Israel, from between 2018 and 2020. The study concludes that between one and two per cent of the population suffer heart failure and shows that it is relatively fatal, with an average annual death rate of 13 per cent.

Heart failure patients also suffer a higher rate of co-morbidity than previous national studies have suggested. "Half of the heart failure patients had ischemic heart disease, half had signs of kidney failure and a third had diabetes," says Professor Norhammar. "One likely reason for the escalation in comorbidity in such patients is that we live longer nowadays with several concurrent conditions. This complicates heart failure care even more, as there are many contributory factors to take account of."

Another of the study's conclusions is that heart failure is costly. In Europe, one to two per cent of the total healthcare budget goes towards heart failure care, a cost that is expected to increase," she continues. "The healthcare costs are mainly related to a deterioration in heart and kidney failure that requires hospitalisation, and to a lesser extent to traditional cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke. So our data make it clear that intervention to prevent further heart and kidney failure is needed." One exciting find that Professor Norhammar identifies is that more patients than previous research has shown have heart failure with preserved left ventricular function.

"This is interesting because a possible new treatment is now available for these patients," she explains. "It's a diabetes drug that, following extensive studies, is now used for heart failure, irrespective of whether the patients have diabetes. These new drugs were basically not used by our cohort since the evidence wasn't in place until 2020. Now that the evidence is here, it'll be interesting to see if the situation can be improved, as we have high hopes it will."
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]:  According to new research from Penn State College of Medicine, the 150 minutes of moderate to severe aerobic activity per week suggested by the US Department of Health and Human Services can dramatically reduce liver fat.

The team's meta-analysis of 14 previous studies confirms that exercise leads to clinically meaningful reductions in liver fat for patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

While prior research suggested that physical activity was beneficial, it had not determined the specific amount of exercise needed to make clinically meaningful improvement.

"Our findings can give physicians the confidence to prescribe exercise as a treatment for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease," said Jonathan Stine, associate professor of medicine and public health sciences, and hepatologist at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

"Having a target amount of physical activity to aim for will be useful for health care and exercise professionals to develop personalized approaches as they help patients modify their lifestyles and become more physically active."

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects close to 30% of the global population and over time, can lead to cirrhosis, also known as liver scarring, and cancer.

There are no approved drug treatments or an effective cure for this common condition; however, research has shown that exercise can improve liver fat, physical fitness, body composition and quality of life for patients.

According to Stine, prior research had not deduced what the required "dose" of exercise was to help patients with NAFLD achieve clinically meaningful improvement -- defined as at least a 30% relative reduction of liver fat, measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Stine reviewed 14 studies with a total of 551 subjects who had NAFLD and participated in randomized, controlled trials involving exercise interventions.

His team evaluated data pooled from all the studies including age, sex, body mass index, change in body weight, adherence to the exercise regimen and MRI-measured liver fat.

The researchers primary goal in the study was to examine the association between exercise training and a clinically relevant improvement in liver fat. Independent of weight loss, the team found exercise training was 3 1/2 times more likely to achieve clinically meaningful treatment response (greater than or equal to 30% relative reduction in MRI-measured liver fat) compared to standard clinical care.

In its secondary analysis, the team determined what the optimal "dose" of exercise was to achieve clinically meaningful improvements in liver fat. They found that 39% of patients prescribed greater than or equal to 750 metabolic equivalents of task (for example, 150 minutes per week of brisk walking) achieved significant treatment response compared to only 26% of those prescribed lesser doses of exercise.

This is the same amount of physical activity recommended by the American Gastroenterological Association and the European Association for the Study of the Liver. The results were published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

According to Stine, when this amount of exercise was prescribed, clinically relevant reductions in MRI-measured liver fat were achieved at a rate similar to those reported in early-phase NASH drug trials evaluating medications that block fat production.

"Exercise is a lifestyle modification, so the fact that it might match the ability of in-development therapeutics to achieve the same outcome is significant," said Stine, a Penn State Cancer Institute researcher.

"Clinicians counseling patients with NAFLD should recommend this amount of activity to their patients. Brisk walking or light cycling for 1/2 an hour a day five times a week is just one example of a program that would meet these criteria."

Stine said more research, particularly controlled randomized trials, are needed to validate their findings and to compare the impact of different exercise doses head-to-head.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Higher vitamin D intake may be associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes in adults with prediabetes, a review of clinical trials has found. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin available in or added to some foods, as a supplement, or produced by the body when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike the skin.

Vitamin D has many functions in the body, including a role in insulin secretion and glucose metabolism. Observational studies have found an association between having a low level of vitamin D in the blood and a high risk for developing diabetes, the researchers said.

The team from Tufts Medical Center in the US conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of three clinical trials comparing vitamin D supplement impacts on diabetes risk.

The researchers found that over a three-year follow-up period, new-onset diabetes occurred in 22.7 per cent of adults who received vitamin D and 25 per cent of those who received a placebo, a 15 per cent relative reduction in risk.

The study, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, extrapolated the findings to more than 374 million adults worldwide with prediabetes.

The research suggests that inexpensive vitamin D supplementation could delay the development of diabetes in more than 10 million people. In an accompanying editorial, authors from University College Dublin and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland cautioned that previous research has demonstrated significant adverse impacts of high vitamin D intake.

They argue that professional societies promoting vitamin D therapy have an obligation to warn physicians about both required vitamin D intake and safe limits. The researchers advise that a very-high-dose vitamin D therapy might prevent type 2 diabetes in some patients but may also cause harm.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: People across the world need to be aware of nutrition and other lifestyle changes that can be implemented to help them recover and potentially reduce the risk of some cancer recurring or a new one developing.

World Cancer Day, which is observed to spread awareness, inspire change and reduce the global impact of cancer, is celebrated on February 4, every year.

Till date, researchers are experimenting, studying, researching and developing new methods, technologies, medications and injectable solutions to cure and prevent cancer.

But unfortunately, not all these medications and treatments are affordable for everyone and hence, many cancer patients die without even getting the chance of proper treatment.

Hence, we must take good care of our health and take a pledge to spread as much awareness about cancer prevention measures as possible.

On this World Cancer Day, let's look at the food that helps to lower the risk of the deadly disease.

Cruciferous Veggies
Nutrient-rich foods including kale, cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli may help minimise the chance of developing cancer. Studies have indicated that certain types of cancer can be prevented by the chemicals found in these veggies.

Berries
Berries- Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries include significant levels of anthocyanins, plant pigments with antioxidant characteristics that may lower the risk of cancer.

Tomatoes
Lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes, may help prevent cancer, particularly prostate cancer. Both raw and cooked tomatoes are efficient sources of potent antioxidants.

Nuts and Seeds
Eating nuts helps to reduce your risk of developing some cancers. These are regarded as among the healthiest foods for avoiding cancer and other serious illnesses. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities of peanuts, almonds, and walnuts may help lower the chance of developing cancer.

Fatty Fish
Adding fish to your diet each week may reduce your risk of cancer. Food items high in omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties. Several different kinds of fish, such as salmon and mackerel.

Grains
Whole wheat bread, quinoa, brown rice, and oatmeal are high in fibre and have potent anti-cancer properties. Chemicals in these superfoods inhibit the growth of cells linked to colorectal, pancreatic, breast, and prostate cancers.

Veggies with allium
One substance found in foods like leeks, garlic, and onions may help stop the development of cancer cells.

Making changes in your diet and adding healthy foods can help lower the risk of developing cancer.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: By the end of the day, talking to a buddy only once to catch up, have a little fun, or let them know you're thinking about them can make you happier and less stressed.

These are among the results of a new study co-authored by University of Kansas professor of Communication Studies and friendship expert Jeffrey Hall.

"Quality Conversation Can Increase Daily Well-Being" was published in the journal Communication Research by Hall and co-authors Amanda Holmstrom, Natalie Pennington, Evan Perrault and Daniel Totzkay. The study was informed by and provides further support for Hall's Communicate Bond Belong (CBB) theory of relationships. Hall is the director of KU's Relationships and Technology Lab.

"This paper was an attempt to define quality communication in the context of relationships," Hall said. "The types of communication we chose to study were ones shown in past research to make people feel more bonded through conversation."

There were seven:

1. Catching up

2. Meaningful talk

3. Joking around

4. Showing care

5. Listening

6. Valuing others and their opinions

7. Offering sincere compliments

Over 900 study participants from five university campuses -- before, during and after pandemic lockdowns -- were directed to engage in one of the seven communication behaviors on a single day, and then reported back that night about their feelings of stress, connection, anxiety, well-being, loneliness and the quality of their day.

As it turned out, Hall said, it didn't matter which of these quality conversations someone had. The very act of intentionally reaching out to a friend in one of these ways was what mattered most.

"One of the take-home messages of this study is that there are many paths toward the same goal," Hall said.

He said the study was also designed to explore the impact of both the quality and quantity of daily communications.

"There's a lot of good research that says the number of interactions you have as well as the quality of interactions are both associated with being a less lonely, happier and more connected person," said Hall. This study found that once is enough, but more is better. Participants who chose to have more quality conversations had better days.

"This means the more that you listened to your friends, the more that you showed care, the more that you took time to value others' opinions, the better you felt at the end of the day," he said.

"The experimental design means that it's not just people who are already having fulfilling lives who have higher-quality conversations," Hall said. "This study suggests that anyone who makes time for high-quality conversation can improve their well-being. We can change how we feel on any given day through communication. Just once is all it takes."

The study also brought in Hall's past research on different ways to connect in the era of social and mobile media. The study found high quality face-to-face communication was more closely associated with well-being than electronic or social media contact.

"If at least one of their quality conversations was face-to-face, that mattered," Hall said.

The paper also explains why quality communication makes people feel better. CBB theory claims that people use conversations with friends to help get their need to belong met.

"Across these three studies, quality conversation mattered most for connection and stress," Hall said. "This supports the idea that we use communication to get our need to belong met, and, in doing so, it helps us manage our stress."
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: According to a recent study, people who have been exposed to more estrogen overall may have a lower risk of stroke. Both ischemic stroke and intracerebral haemorrhage were shown to have a reduced risk.

Findings of the study published in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

An ischemic stroke is caused by a blockage of blood flow to the brain and is the most common type of stroke. An intracerebral hemorrhage is caused by bleeding in the brain.

“Our study suggests that higher estrogen levels due to a number of reproductive factors, including a longer reproductive life span and using hormone therapy or contraceptives, are linked to a lower risk of ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage,” said study author Peige Song, PhD, of the Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, China. “These findings might help with new ideas for stroke prevention, such as considering screenings for people who have a short lifetime exposure to estrogen.”

The study involved 122,939 postmenopausal female participants with a median age of 58 living in China without stroke at the start of the study.

Participants answered questions on personal factors, such as age, sex, and occupation, as well as lifestyle factors, such as smoking, alcohol use, exercise and medical history. They also answered questions on reproductive health information, including age at first menstruation and start of menopause, number of pregnancies and miscarriages and oral contraceptive use.

Researchers looked at health insurance and disease registry data to determine which participants had a stroke. During an average follow-up period of nine years, 15,139 had a stroke. Of those,12,853 had ischemic stroke, 2,580 had intracerebral hemorrhage and 269 had subarachnoid hemorrhage, which is bleeding between the brain and the membrane that covers it.

Participants were divided into four groups determined by their reproductive life span, the number of years from first menstruation to menopause. Participants in the group with the shortest reproductive life span had up to 31 reproductive years. Participants in the group with the longest reproductive lifespan had 36 reproductive years or more.

As a percentage, participants in the longest group had slightly more strokes than those in the shortest group, 13.2 per cent compared to 12.6 per cent. But when researchers adjusted for other factors that could affect stroke risk, such as age, smoking, physical activity and high blood pressure, they found that participants in the longest group had a 5% lower risk of all kinds of stroke.

When looking at different types of stroke, female participants with the longest reproductive life span had a 5 per cent lower risk of ischemic stroke and a 13% lower risk of intracerebral hemorrhage when compared to women with the shortest reproductive life span.

Researchers also looked at other factors affecting estrogen levels, such as number of births and use of oral contraceptives, both of which are associated with higher levels, and length of breastfeeding, which is associated with lower levels based on the hypothesis that pregnancy and oral contraceptive use represent relatively higher sustained blood estrogen levels. They found that higher estrogen levels led to a lower risk of all types of stroke, as well as ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage.

“Neurologyhroughout life could potentially be a useful indicator of a person’s risk of different types of stroke following menopause,” said Song. “However, more research is needed on the biological, behavioral, and social factors that may contribute to the link between estrogen exposure and stroke risk across a woman’s lifespan.”
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The government will launch a mission to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the Union Budget for 2023-24 on Wednesday.

On the health front, she further said that 157 new nursing colleges will be established in co-location with the existing 157 medical colleges established since 2014.

''A mission to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047 will be launched. It will entail awareness creation, universal screening of seven crore people in the age group of 0-40 years in affected tribal areas and counselling through collaborative efforts of central ministries and state governments,'' Sitharaman said, presenting the budget in Lok Sabha.

The finance minister said facilities in select Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) laboratories will be made available for research by public and private medical college faculty members and private sector research and development teams for encouraging collaborative research and innovation.

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Scientists have developed a blood-based test that could be used to predict the risk of Alzheimer's disease up to 3.5 years before clinical diagnosis.

The research, published in the journal Brain, supports the idea that components in the human blood can modulate the formation of new brain cells, a process termed neurogenesis.

Neurogenesis occurs in an important part of the brain called the hippocampus that is involved in learning and memory.

While Alzheimer's disease affects the formation of new brain cells in the hippocampus during the early stages of the disease, previous studies have only been able to study neurogenesis in its later stages through autopsies.

To understand the early changes, researchers collected blood samples over several years from 56 individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), a condition where someone will begin to experience a worsening of their memory or cognitive ability. While not everyone experiencing MCI goes on to develop Alzheimer's disease, those with the condition progress to a diagnosis at a much higher rate than the wider population.

Of the 56 participants in the study, 36 went on to receive a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

"In our study, we treated brain cells with blood taken from people with MCI, exploring how those cells changed in response to blood as Alzheimer's disease progressed," said Aleksandra Maruszak, one of the study's joint first authors from King's College London.

In studying how blood affected the brain cells, the researchers made several key discoveries.

The blood samples collected from participants over the years who subsequently deteriorated and developed Alzheimer's disease promoted a decrease in cell growth and division and an increase in apoptotic cell death -- the process by which cells are programmed to die.

However, the researchers noted that these samples also increased the conversion of immature brain cells to hippocampal neurons.

While the underlying reasons for the increased neurogenesis remain unclear, the researchers theorise that it may be an early compensating mechanism for the neurodegeneration or loss of brain cells experienced by those developing Alzheimer's disease.

"Previous studies have shown that blood from young mice can have a rejuvenating effect on the cognition of older mice by improving hippocampal neurogenesis," said Professor Sandrine Thuret, the study's lead author from King's College London.

"This gave us the idea of modeling the process of neurogenesis in a dish using human brain cells and human blood," Thuret said.

The researchers aimed to use this model to understand the process of neurogenesis and to use changes in this process to predict Alzheimer's disease.

They found the first evidence in humans that the body's circulatory system can have an effect on the brain's ability to form new cells.

When the researchers used only the blood samples collected furthest away from when the participants were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, they found that the changes in neurogenesis occurred 3.5 years prior to a clinical diagnosis.

"Our findings are extremely important, potentially allowing us to predict onset of Alzheimer's early in a non-invasive fashion," said Edina Silajdzic, the study's joint first author said.

"This could complement other blood-based biomarkers that reflect the classical signs of the disease, such as the accumulation of amyloid and tau (the flagship proteins of Alzheimer's disease)," Silajdzic added.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: According to new research, adults who suffered any type of head injury during a 30-year study period had twice the rate of mortality as those who did not, and mortality rates among those with moderate or severe head injuries were nearly three times higher. The findings of the study were published in JAMA Neurology.

In the United States, over 23 million adults age 40 or older report a history of head injury with loss of consciousness. Head injury can be attributed to a number of causes, from motor vehicle crashes, unintentional falls, or sports injuries.

What's more, head injury has been linked with a number of long-term health conditions, including disability, late-onset epilepsy, dementia, and stroke. Studies have previously shown increased short-term mortality associated with head injuries primarily among hospitalized patients.

This longitudinal study evaluated 30 years of data from over 13,000 community-dwelling participants (those not hospitalized or living in nursing home facilities) to determine if a head injury has an impact on mortality rates in adults over the long term.

Investigators found that 18.4 per cent of the participants reported one or more head injuries during the study period, and of those who suffered a head injury, 12.4 per cent were recorded as moderate or severe. The median period of time between a head injury and death was 4.7 years.

Death from all causes was recorded in 64.6 per cent of those individuals who suffered a head injury, and in 54.6 per cent of those without any head injury. Accounting for participant characteristics, investigators found that the mortality rate from all causes among participants with a head injury was 2.21 times the mortality rate among those with no head injury.

Further, the mortality rate among those with more severe head injuries was 2.87 times the mortality rate among those with no head injury. "Our data reveals that head injury is associated with increased mortality rates even long-term.

This is particularly the case for individuals with multiple or severe head injuries," explained the study's lead author, Holly Elser, MD, PhD, MPH a Neurology resident at Penn. "This highlights the importance of safety measures, like wearing helmets and seatbelts, to prevent head injuries."

Investigators also evaluated the data for specific causes of death among all participants. Overall, the most common causes of death were cancers, cardiovascular disease, and neurologic disorders (which include dementia, epilepsy, and stroke).

Among individuals with head injuries, deaths caused by neurologic disorders and unintentional injury or trauma (like falls) occurred more frequently. When investigators evaluated specific neurologic causes of death among participants with head injury, they found that nearly two-thirds of neurologic causes of death were attributed to neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

These diseases composed a greater proportion of overall deaths among individuals with head injury (14.2 per cent) versus those without (6.6 per cent).

"Study data doesn't explain why the cause of death in individuals with head injuries is more likely to be from neurodegenerative diseases, which underscores the need for further research into the relationship between these disorders, head injury, and death," said Andrea L.C. Schneider, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of Neurology at Penn.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Winter is here and with temperature dipping every single day, it is getting harder for people to manage bone and joint pain. This increased joint pain during winter is due to the increased inflammation in one or more joints. It is also because there is less supply of blood to the peripheral regions in the body due to which one's joints become stiff, causing pain in the joints and bones.

Joint pains are especially common in the winter season, making life difficult especially for arthritis patients. Not tackling them effectively could have a detrimental effect on your daily productivity and overall well-being. Here's what you can do to avoid excessive pain in the joints.

Joint pains are common in winter season, as the cold weather can reduce blood circulation to fingers and toes which could worsen joint pains. Muscles also become tighter at lower temperatures resulting in stiffness and pain. Besides, people tend to stay indoors during winter which could mean limited exposure to sunlight and may result in Vitamin D deficiency.

Here are a few tips to deal with bone and joint pain in winters:
* Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and reduce inflammation and further reduce the friction between joint surfaces

* Keep yourself warm in winter clothing, home heating and other necessities

* Regular exercise will help keep your joints supple and maintain flexibility. It could also help with lubrication of the joints and improve blood flow

* Enough exposure to the sun (Vitamin D) will help in building and improving the bones

* A balanced diet with a rich amount of Vitamin D, and Vitamin C, Omega 3 fatty acids, ginger, soya bean, fatty fish, green vegetables, nuts and seeds, plenty of water, and other collagen supplements will be helpful in joint and bone care during winter season

* Regular movements in the body will promote flexibility in your joints

* People who are overweight have more chances of getting arthritis. One should maintain his/her weight in order to keep their knees healthy

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The harvest festivals celebrated throughout India, including Pongal, Makar Sankranti, Bihu, and Lohri, are occasions to express thanks to the farmer, the sun, and the weather.

While each state may have a different name for this holiday, the nation as a whole celebrates in the same spirit. The harvest season signals the arrival of fresh, wholesome, and ideal for consumption seasonal food as winter comes to an end and springtime begins.

The bounty of this season, which includes everything from colourful fruits, grains, and legumes to verdant green vegetables, adds to the harvest festival's delectable dishes.

Take a trip around India with 4 tips from Rujuta Diwekar's audiobook, "Eating in the Age of Dieting," which is available on Audible.in.

These tips will help you comprehend the significance of seasonal eating, its health benefits, and how to enjoy the harvest season in the right spirit while maintaining traditions.

Make "essential fats" a part of your diet
"Eat local, seasonal food to equip your bodies and mind to deal with the hard work that comes with the onset of the harvest season. The main nutrient that these festivals celebrate is what modern nutrition calls 'essential fat'."

She further adds that "Coconut, til, groundnuts, milk, ghee-each one of them is loaded with fats that are unique in their molecular structure, lending them an ability to allow the body to burn fat over other available fuels like carbs or protein."

Exercise regularly so that you don't feel guilty while indulging in your favourite delicacies

"Technically, the body is supposed to have unlimited stores of body fat that can be burned, and if we can use what sports nutrition calls an 'ergogenic aid', a nutrient which teaches or manipulates the body to burn more fat, we can see an increase in 'endurance performance', or stamina.

So if you are one of those who complains about lethargy in the winter, who makes plans to work out but doesn't get out of bed, maybe all that you need is some therapy.

And just because this therapy comes along with a celebration, is good to taste, melts in your mouth and doesn't have the seriousness and sadness of medicine doesn't make it any less potent.

So bring on that chiki, gajak, laddoo, pongal and yes, have it exactly the way it is meant to be had-with joy, family, laughter and generous doses of the other goodies."

Make family food traditions to share with your closed ones
"Sankranti Til gul ghya gaud gaud bola, amcha til-gul sandu naka, amchyashi kadhi bhandu naka. (Translation: Here take this sesame-jaggery ball and speak sweetly, don't drop it and never fight with me.) She shares that "The hidden meaning is-don't ever drop the food traditions passed over from generations, I welcome you to experience the nutrients in local seeds, natural sugars and relish the sweetness of meaningful traditions." shares Rujuta in her audiobook on Audible.

Til (Sesame) is the new black
"Til or sesame is great for the health of bones, brain and the heart, thanks to its naturally high levels of phytosterol, fibre and copper," Rujuta mentions.

She adds, "On my recent trip to London, I saw huge til guls being sold in posh cafes as seed balls. Seeds are the new rage in the West and til is our indigenous produce, so it's heart-breaking when we turn to oats to lower cholesterol, and have almost stopped making til gul at home, sharing them and eating them together as a community" she highlights.

May our lives be filled with the strength and sweetness of til gul.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The findings of recent research suggest that six minutes of high-intensity exercise could extend the lifespan of a healthy brain and delay the onset of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

New research published in The Journal of Physiology shows that a short but intense bout of cycling increases the production of a specialised protein that is essential for brain formation, learning and memory, and could protect the brain from age-related cognitive decline.

This insight on exercise is part of the drive to develop accessible, equitable and affordable non-pharmacological approaches that anyone can adopt to promote healthy ageing.

The specialised protein named brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to form new connections and pathways) and the survival of neurons.

Animal studies have shown that increasing the availability of BDNF encourages the formation and storage of memories, enhances learning and overall boosts cognitive performance. These key roles and its apparent neuroprotective qualities have led to the interest in BDNF for ageing research.

Lead author Travis Gibbons from University of Otago, New Zealand said: "BDNF has shown great promise in animal models, but pharmaceutical interventions have thus far failed to safely harness the protective power of BDNF in humans. We saw the need to explore non-pharmacological approaches that can preserve the brain's capacity which humans can use to naturally increase BDNF to help with healthy ageing."

They found that brief but vigorous exercise was the most efficient way to increase BDNF compared to one day of fasting with or without a lengthy session of light exercise.

BDNF increased by four to five-fold (396 pg L-1 to 1170 pg L-1) more compared to fasting (no change in BDNF concentration) or prolonged activity (slight increase in BDNF concentration, 336 pg L-1 to 390 pg L-1).

The cause for these differences is not yet known and more research is needed to understand the mechanisms involved. One hypothesis is related to the cerebral substrate switch and glucose metabolism, the brain's primary fuel source.

The cerebral substrate switch is when the brain switches its favoured fuel source for another to ensure the body's energy demands are met, for example metabolising lactate rather than glucose during exercise. The brain's transition from consuming glucose to lactate initiates pathways that result in elevated levels of BDNF in the blood.

The observed increase in BDNF during exercise could be due to the increased number of platelets (the smallest blood cell) which store large amounts of BDNF. The concentration of platelets circulating in the blood is more heavily influenced by exercise than fasting and increases by 20 per cent. 12 physically active participants (six males, six females aged between 18 and 56 years) took part in the study.

The balanced ratio of male and female participants was to provide a better representation of the population rather than indicate sex differences. Further research is underway to delve deeper into the effects of calorie restriction and exercise to distinguish the influence on BDNF and the cognitive benefits.

Travis Gibbons said: "We are now studying how fasting for longer durations, for example up to three days, influences BDNF. We are curious whether exercising hard at the start of a fast accelerates the beneficial effects of fasting. Fasting and exercise are rarely studied together. We think fasting and exercise can be used in conjunction to optimise BDNF production in the human brain."
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Older adults who walk three to four miles per day 6,000 to 9,000 steps, are 40 to 50 per cent less likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke than those who walk a mile (2,000 steps) per day, according to research published in the journal Circulation.

The findings were based on data from eight studies involving 20,152 people aged 18 and up who had their walking measured by a device and their health tracked for an average of more than six years, according to The Washington Post, a US-based news outlet.

The more steps taken by those aged 60 and up, the lower their risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

The study found no link between steps taken and CVD risk in young adults. The probable reason for that, the researchers wrote, is that CVD "is a disease of aging" generally diagnosable until risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes have progressed for years.

The researchers did not find any link between walking distance and specific types of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart failure or arrhythmia, but rather with heart disease in general. The study also discovered no additional benefit from walking at a faster pace.

However, the health benefits of walking have been the subject of numerous studies and ongoing debates. An earlier study from the same research group, published in the Lancet last March, discovered similar links between steps taken by older adults and a lower risk of death from any cause, as did a September study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

However, that study also discovered that a faster pace increased risk reduction.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: While getting more exercise, eating right, and making new friends are all good habits, new CU Boulder research suggests the addition of gardening can have a powerful impact.

Funded by the American Cancer Society, the first-ever, randomized, controlled trial of community gardening found that those who started gardening ate more fiber and got more physical activity two known ways to reduce the risk of cancer and chronic diseases. They also saw their levels of stress and anxiety significantly decrease.

The findings were published in the journal Lancet Planetary Health.

"These findings provide concrete evidence that community gardening could play an important role in preventing cancer, chronic diseases, and mental health disorders," said senior author Jill Litt, a professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at CU Boulder.

Filling the research gap Litt has spent much of her career seeking to identify affordable, scalable, and sustainable ways to reduce disease risk, especially among low-income communities.

Gardening seemed an ideal place to start. "No matter where you go, people say there's just something about gardening that makes them feel better," said Litt, who is also a researcher with the Barcelona Institute for Global Health.

But solid science on its benefits is hard to come by. Without evidence, it's hard to get support for new programs, she said.

Some small observational studies have found that people who garden tend to eat more fruits and vegetables and have a healthier weight.

But it has been unclear whether healthier people just tend to garden or whether gardening influences health.

Only three studies have applied the gold standard of scientific research, the randomized controlled trial, to the pastime.

None have looked specifically at community gardening.

To fill the gap, Litt recruited 291 non-gardening adults, an average age of 41, from the Denver area. More than a third were Hispanic and more than half came from low-income households.

After the last spring frost, half were assigned to the community gardening group and half to a control group that was asked to wait one year to start gardening.

The gardening group received a free community garden plot, some seeds and seedlings, and an introductory gardening course through the nonprofit Denver Urban Gardens program and a study partner.

Both groups took periodic surveys about their nutritional intake and mental health, underwent body measurements, and wore activity monitors.

By fall, those in the gardening group were eating, on average, 1.4 grams more fibre per day than the control group--an increase of about 7 per cent.

The authors note that fiber exerts a profound effect on inflammatory and immune responses, influencing everything from how we metabolize food to how healthy our gut microbiome is to how susceptible we are to diabetes and certain cancers.

While doctors recommend about 25 to 38 grams of fiber per day, the average adult consumes less than 16 grams.

"An increase of one gram of fiber can have large, positive effects on health," said co-author James Hebert, director of the University of South Carolina's cancer prevention and control program.

The gardening group also increased their physical activity levels by about 42 minutes per week.

Public health agencies recommend at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week, a recommendation only a quarter of the U.S. population meets.

With just two to three visits to the community garden weekly, participants met 28 per cent of that requirement.

Study participants also saw their stress and anxiety levels decrease, with those who came into the study most stressed and anxious seeing the greatest reduction in mental health issues.

The study also confirmed that even novice gardeners can reap measurable health benefits of the pastime in their first season. As they have more experience and enjoy greater yields, Litt suspects such benefits will increase.

Blooming relationships The study results don't surprise Linda Appel Lipsius, executive director of Denver Urban Gardens (DUG), a 43-year-old nonprofit that helps about 18,000 people each year grow their own food in community garden plots. "It's transformational, even life-saving, for so many people," Lipsius said.

Many DUG participants live in areas where access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables is otherwise extremely limited. Some are low-income immigrants now living in apartments having a garden plot allows them to grow food from their home country and pass on traditional recipes to their family and neighbours. The social connection is also huge.

"Even if you come to the garden looking to grow your food on your own in a quiet place, you start to look at your neighbour's plot and share techniques and recipes, and over time relationships bloom," said Litt, noting that while gardening alone is good for you, gardening in the community may have additional benefits.

"It's not just about the fruits and vegetables. It's also about being in a natural space outdoors together with others." Litt said she hopes the findings will encourage health professionals, policymakers and land planners to look to community gardens, and other spaces that encourage people to come together in nature, as a vital part of the public health system.

The evidence is clear, she said.
 

NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: A research review into molecular insights of a licorice-derived substance called glycyrrhizin for preventing or treating cancer suggests further research could lead to specific agents for clinical use.

Gnanasekar Munirathinam and his research team are studying substances derived from the licorice plant Glycyrrhiza glabra to determine if they could be used to prevent or stop the growth of prostate cancer. Munirathinam is an associate professor in the department of biomedical sciences at the College of Medicine Rockford.

A research review into molecular insights of a licorice-derived substance called glycyrrhizin for preventing or treating cancer conducted by Dr. Munirathinam and student researchers suggests further research could lead to specific agents for clinical use.

The journal Pharmacological Research recently published the study titled "Oncopreventive and oncotherapeutic potential of licorice triterpenoid compound glycyrrhizin and its derivatives: Molecular insights."

"When we look at the research out there and our own data, it appears that glycyrrhizin and its derivative glycyrrhetinic acid have great potential as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer agents," Munirathinam said. "More research is needed into exactly how these could best be used to develop therapies, but this appears to be a promising area of cancer research."

Should everyone go out and eat a bunch of licorice? Probably not, because it may affect blood pressure, interact with certain medications, and cause serious adverse effects, including death, when used excessively. An occasional sweet treat of licorice candy or tea may be better options until more studies can show how to best harness the plant's benefits.

"Very few clinical trials in humans have been conducted," Munirathinam said. "We hope our research on prostate cancer cells advances the science to the point where therapies can be translated to help prevent or even cure prostate and other types of cancer."