Page 4 - Latest Updates on Health with BS

Climate crisis or health emergency? WMO links rising heat to dengue surge

As heat intensifies, dengue is spreading faster and reaching new regions, with climate change reshaping transmission patterns and increasing global health risks

Antibiotic resistance fuels 87% of India's typhoid economic burden: Study

Antibiotic-resistant typhoid infections accounted for at least 87 per cent of India's disease-related economic burden in 2023, according to a study in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia. The total economic burden due to typhoid fever was estimated at Rs 123 billion. Children under the age of 10 incurred the highest economic burden, contributing to over half of the costs, researchers, including those from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Christian Medical College in Vellore, found. They also estimated that households bore 91 per cent of expenses, and 70,000 families faced "catastrophic" health expenditure. Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana), Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal were estimated to account for 51 per cent of the national costs. Typhoid fever is an infectious disease commonly transmitted through contaminated food or water. Symptoms can include high fever, fatigue, headache and stomach pain. The authors said the findings pr

Can you live without these 10 organs? Doctors explain what really happens

From kidneys and lungs to the stomach, doctors explain which organs humans can live without, how the body adapts, and the long-term health changes that follow

Counting calories for weight loss? Experts explain why it may not work

Experts highlight the limits of calorie tracking and share practical, sustainable ways for long-term weight management

Not every cough is viral: When to check for early signs of tuberculosis

Early TB symptoms are easy to miss, but delay can be dangerous. Experts share when to seek help, what treatment involves, and key dos and don'ts

Kidney stones: Why drinking more water alone may not prevent recurrence

A major Lancet study finds hydration alone may not prevent kidney stone recurrence, as adherence challenges and individual differences limit the effectiveness of water-based prevention strategies

India gets cheap GLP-1 drugs: What you must know before trying it

India's 'cheap Ozempic moment' is here as semaglutide prices fall sharply, but doctors warn against misuse and stress careful evaluation before using these weight-loss injections

No music, no podcasts, no audiobooks: Why your brain needs silent walks

If you fill every quiet moment with sound, experts say your brain may be overstimulated; skipping earphones on your daily walk could improve focus, mood, and memory

Govt intensifies checks on illegal sale, misuse of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs

As cheaper GLP-1 weight-loss drugs flood India after patent expiry, the government has intensified surveillance to curb illegal sales, misleading promotion, and unsafe use without medical supervision

World Tuberculosis Day 2026: Why fight against TB is far from over

TB is preventable and curable, yet it remains a leading infectious killer. World TB Day 2026 highlights the urgent need to act faster, as gaps in detection and care persist

Parents' drinking habits influence teenagers' alcohol use, study finds

When adult children become parents, they often mirror the drinking habits they grew up with-daughters following mothers, sons adopting fathers' patterns they once avoided

Shot that could stop cancer before it starts; why early vaccination matters

The vaccine prevents HPV infection but cannot cure existing infections. Getting vaccinated early, ideally before exposure, helps the immune system build protection in advance

Kidney disease: Treatments lifesaving, but access becoming challenging

While treatments like regular dialysis or a kidney transplant are lifesaving, access to them is becoming increasingly challenging

Ayush Ministry introduces 5 min smart yoga routine for air travellers

At 35,000 feet above the ground, time seems to slow down, and so does the body. Hours spent in a confined seat can leave even the most seasoned traveller feeling stiff, fatigued, and mentally drained. Addressing this travel challenge, a simple yet powerful solution is taking flight: Yoga for Air Travel a thoughtfully designed 5-minute in-flight wellness protocol. Launched during the Yoga Mahotsav 2026 recently by Union Health Minister Prataprao Jadhav, this innovative initiative brings the timeless knowledge of yoga into the cabin, transforming your seat into a space for rejuvenation. Developed by the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, the protocol is tailored for today's frequent flyers offering a quick, safe, and effective way to stay refreshed mid-air. Highlighting the vision behind the initiative, Jadhav said, "Yoga is a powerful tool for preventive health and well-being. This in-flight yoga protocol reflects our commitment to making yoga accessible in every setting e

Brain's memory centre response to chronic pain linked to depression: Study

Changes to one's hippocampus, the brain's memory centre, in response to prolonged pain could be an important factor for why some people develop depression in chronic pain, while others do not, according to a study. "Our findings suggest that the hippocampus acts as a control centre that helps the brain regulate emotional responses to long-term pain. Depression is not inevitable -- it depends on how this system responds over time," co-lead author Jianfeng Feng, professor of computer science at the UK's University of Warwick, said. The study, published in the journal Science, analysed brain scans from population cohorts, including data from the UK Biobank, and a rodent model. People living with chronic pain but without depression tended to show a slightly larger volume of and an increased activity in the hippocampus. The changes were accompanied by an improved performance in learning and memory tasks, suggesting that the brain may initially mount a compensatory response to persistent

Study finds new biomarker for cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia

A study has found a new biomarker of schizophrenia, which could also serve as a drug target for treating cognitive symptoms such as disorganised thinking or executive function. Schizophrenia is a mental health disorder marked by an impaired ability to perceive and interpret reality and can involve delusions and disorganised thinking, or cognitive symptoms. Researchers from the US' Northwestern University said that schizophrenia medications treat symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, but do little for cognitive symptoms. "A lot of people with schizophrenia cannot integrate well into society because of these cognitive deficits," author Peter Penzes, professor of neuroscience, pharmacology and psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University's school of medicine, said. "Our discovery could solve these challenges by establishing the basis of a revolutionary and completely novel treatment strategy through a tandem biomarker-peptide therapeutic approach," Penzes ...

One in three patients at risk from medication errors, study finds

From prescribing to administration, medication errors remain widespread in hospitals, with new research highlighting how systemic gaps and workload pressures increase patient risk

This small shrinking organ may shape cancer survival and ageing risk

New research finds the thymus remains active in adults and may influence immunity, cancer outcomes and ageing risk, with stronger thymus function linked to better survival and lower disease burden

Sunday scaries & Monday blues: Why the week feels hard before it begins

As weekend calm fades into workweek pressure, experts explain why the Sunday dip happens and share simple ways to ease anxiety, restore balance, and start Monday on a better note

Bacterial meningitis 'deadly', can also have life-altering effects: Study

Bacterial meningitis is well known as an acute, deadly illness. The World Health Organisation estimates about one in six infected people will die - even with prompt medical care