Page 40 - Latest Updates on Health with BS

Doctors warn of surge in chest ailments due to air pollution in Delhi-NCR

Medical specialists have warned residents of Delhi-NCR about a severe health crisis triggered by the high air pollution in the region. Dr Arvind Kumar, Thoracic (Chest) Surgeon & Lung Health Specialist, Medanta Hospital, said that hospitals are seeing a spike in cases related to effect of pollutionThe NCR Region faces poor air quality with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 345 at 8 a.m. on Monday, placing the national capital firmly in the 'very poor' category.While talking to ANI, Dr Arvind Kumar described how hospitals are overwhelmed with respiratory cases, especially among children, due to air pollution. It includes symptoms like cough, cold, fever and difficulty breathing."There are patients all around. Everywhere, children are being brought to hospitals coughing, sneezing, having a runny nose, breathing fast, and having a fever. We have patients who are coming back with a cough or pneumonia. There is a huge spike in the number of chest cases. It's all the doctors ...

Long-term melatonin use may raise heart failure risk by 90%: Study

A major global study presented at the American Heart Association's 2025 Scientific Sessions links long-term melatonin use to a 90% higher risk of heart failure and nearly double the death rate

Did you gain weight in first year of college? Here's the science behind it

A new study finds that college students often misjudge how much they eat, especially in dining halls or social settings, highlighting how environment drives calorie intake and weight gain

How India's vaccine programme ensures access for all, even remote areas

World Immunisation Week 2025: India's Universal Immunisation Programme targets over 50 million beneficiaries each year, with new digital tools aimed at closing the access gap

Rise in kidney disease tied to other chronic conditions, finds study

Rates of the disease have been rising for decades, driven in part by diabetes and high blood pressure

Scientists find special cells in brain that can stop Alzheimer's: Study

In a study published in Nature, the team found that microglia with lower levels of a transcription factor called PU.1 and higher expression of a receptor known as CD28 help reduce brain inflammation

Pregnancy hypertension raises women's cardiovascular risk, finds study

These findings underscore the growing body of evidence over the past two decades linking pregnancy-related hypertension to long-term maternal health risks

Fasting and focus: Science shows your brain performs just fine without food

Adults showed no measurable decline in mental performance when fasting, but children and adolescents did worse on tests when they skipped meals

This startup wants to edit embryos, and tech giants are paying for it

Preventive, a San Francisco startup backed by OpenAI's Sam Altman and Coinbase's Brian Armstrong, is researching embryo gene editing to prevent hereditary diseases

Delhi doctors restart blood flow post death for organ donation, 1st in Asia

Doctors at a Delhi hospital have successfully restarted the blood circulation of a 55-year-old woman after her death to enable organ donation, marking a pioneering achievement in Asia, officials said on Saturday. The procedure, conducted at HCMCT Manipal Hospital in Dwarka, is the first of its kind in Asia, where blood circulation was restarted post-mortem to retrieve organs. Geeta Chawla, who had been bedridden and paralysed due to Motor Neuron Disease, was brought to the hospital on November 5 with severe breathing difficulties. As her condition worsened, the family decided not to place her on life support. She passed away at 8:43 PM on November 6. Honouring her wish to donate her organs, the medical team performed a rare and complex procedure known as Normothermic Regional Perfusion (NRP). Using an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenator (ECMO), the doctors successfully restarted blood circulation in her abdominal organs, even after her heart had stopped and she had been declared dead

Centre to study microbial contamination in ayurvedic, herbal medicines

The decision follows an August 2025 study by the Indian Council of Medical Research, which raised serious concerns about the quality of herbal medicines sold in the market

India had second highest chronic kidney disease cases in 2023: Study

India had the second-highest number of people with chronic kidney disease in 2023 at 138 million, following China at 152 million, according to a global study published in The Lancet journal. The condition was the ninth-leading cause of death and claimed nearly 15 lakh lives globally the same year, researchers led by those at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington and other institutes in the US and UK found. The highest prevalence was seen in North Africa and the Middle East at 18 per cent each, nearly 16 per cent in South Asia and over 15 per cent in each of Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. Chronic kidney disease is a major contributor to heart disease and accounted for almost 12 per cent of cardiovascular deaths around the world in 2023. It ranked as the seventh leading cause for heart-related mortality, ahead of diabetes and obesity, the team said. Fourteen risk factors for chronic kidney disease were detailed

Having neurodevelopmental condition could be linked with early death: Study

Having a neurodevelopmental condition such as autism and ADHD could be related with a nearly five times higher chance of dying before age 25, compared to those without, according to a study conducted in New Zealand. While relative risk between the two groups is high, it is important to remember that deaths in this group remain rare, said lead author Nick Bowden, from the University of Otago's department of paediatrics and child health. Symptoms of neurodevelopmental conditions can emerge in early childhood, impairing one's development in skills such as language, communication or behaviour. Social communication and behaviour is affected in autism, while ability to pay attention and focus on a task and emotion regulation is impaired in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using the StatsNZ database, the researchers followed nearly nine lakh children born between 1995 and 2009 until 2019. About 40,000 (4.5 per cent) of the total had a neurodevelopmental condition, identif

What myths about breast cancer could be putting your life at risk?

From bras and breastfeeding to lump anxiety and radiation fears, doctors break down the myths that stop men and women alike from getting timely breast cancer screening

Expert warns against chai-biscuit mornings, suggests 8 gut-friendly swaps

Health coach Nikita Bardia warns that tea and biscuits on an empty stomach harm digestion and hormones, and suggests 8 natural alternatives that promote gut health, balance energy, and enhance skin

Constantly tired? Doctor warns it could be iron deficiency, not stress

If you're tired all the time despite getting enough sleep, it may not be stress or age catching up with you - it could be low iron levels, says a doctor

Paying too much for medicines? This govt app helps you check, report prices

Pharma Sahi Daam enables consumers to flag overcharging to medicine prices regulator

Deaths due to kidney problems highest following tropical cyclones: Study

An analysis of deaths in the wake of tropical cyclones in nine countries has found that the highest increase of 92 per cent was seen in deaths due to kidney diseases, followed by 21 per cent in deaths due to physical injuries. A tropical cyclone is an extreme weather event originating in oceans in the tropics, bringing violent winds, torrential rains and in some cases, destructive coastal flooding. Deaths due to diabetes were seen to increase by 15 per cent, and those due to neuropsychiatric disorders and infectious diseases by 12 per cent and 11 per cent, respectively, according to findings published in The British Medical Journal. Researchers led by those at Monash University looked at 14.8 million deaths linked to 217 tropical cyclones during 2000-2019 across 1,356 communities in nine countries including Australia, Brazil, the Philippines and Thailand. "Mortality risks from various causes consistently increased after tropical cyclones, with peaks occurring within the first two .

Scientists find E Coli bacteria spreads as fast as swine flu: Study

Using genomic data from the UK and Norway, scientists modelled bacterial transmission rates and discovered key differences between strains

99% of heart patients missed these silent warning signs, finds study

A new study reveals that nearly everyone who suffers a heart attack or stroke had warning signs long before, but most never noticed them