Page 2 - Lancet Report

Rapid health reforms, new treatments required to tackle Alzheimer's: Study

A rapid reform to healthcare systems, public policy and attitude in society would be required to address burden of Alzheimer's disease in population, even as medications and blood tests present a potential in diagnosis and treatment, researchers say in a Lancet Series. Alzheimer's disease -- the most common form of dementia -- is an ageing-related neurological disorder which steadily impacts one's memory and thought processes, eventually interfering with daily activities. Describing new treatments and diagnostic methods for the condition in a series of three papers in The Lancet journal, the international team of researchers said that medications -- lecanemab and donanemab -- could slow down Alzheimer's disease from advancing. The drugs, which target specific proteins in a cell, have shown an efficacy comparable to that of drugs for cancer and autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, the team said. They added that however, high costs of medicines, .

Lancet launches project to track health impact ahead of plastics treaty

An international group of researchers and experts has launched an initiative aimed at tracking health impacts due to plastics, ahead of the final negotiations before the signing of the world's first treaty on regulating the chemical substances. Titled 'The Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics', the launch accompanies the release of a 'Health Policy', which is published in 'The Lancet' journal and a review of currently available evidence on how plastics -- including microplastics and plastic chemicals -- affect human health. The team of experts, including members of the United Nations (UN)-established Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, have authored the 'Health Policy' document. The 'UN Global Plastics Treaty' is a legally binding document aimed to regulate plastics through their life cycle from production to consumption to disposal. The second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee -- titled 'INC 5.2' -- is scheduled for August 5 to 14, 20

Many liver cancer cases can be prevented by addressing hepatitis: Study

More than three of every five liver cancer cases in the world can be prevented by addressing risk factors, such as hepatitis, alcohol habits and non-alcoholic fatty liver conditions, according to an analysis report of The Lancet Commission on the fatal disease. Researchers from The Hong Kong Cancer Institute, Fudan University, and others in China, South Korea, the US and Europe authored the report. The team predicted a 35 per cent increase in liver cancer driven by a severe form of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease that is caused by excess fat in the liver and called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. Liver cancer is among the top three types of cancer deaths in 46 countries, according to a 2022 study published in the Journal of Hepatology. The Lancet Commission's findings present a huge opportunity for countries to target risk factors such as viral hepatitis, alcohol and obesity to prevent liver cancer and save lives, said first author Stephen

Over 30% girls, 13% boys in India sexually violated before age 18: Lancet

Over 30 per cent of girls and 13 per cent of boys in India experienced sexual violence before turning 18 years old in 2023, according to an analysis published in The Lancet journal. Estimating the prevalence of sexual violence against children in over 200 countries between 1990 and 2023, the study found that the highest rates were recorded in south Asia for girls -- ranging from 9.3 per cent in Bangladesh to 30.8 per cent in India. Around the world, about one in five girls and one in seven boys are estimated to experience sexual violence before turning 18. Researchers, including those from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, US, also found that sub-Saharan Africa had the highest rates of sexual violence among boys aged under 18, varying from about eight per cent in Zimbabwe to 28 per cent in Cte d'Ivoire. Sexual violence against children is a critical public health and human rights issue. Consequences of sexual abuse affect one's long-term hea

India may have over 440 mn overweight, obese people by 2050: Lancet study

By 2050, India could have over 440 million obese and overweight people, a global analysis published in The Lancet journal has estimated. Number of overweight and obese adults by mid-century in India (218 million men and 231 million women) could be the second highest in the world, after China, with the US, Brazil and Nigeria expected to rank third, fourth and fifth, respectively, the findings by an international team of researchers reveal. These researchers, including those from the Indian Council of Medical Research, collaborated for the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2021. As per the study, already almost half the world's adults -- a billion men and over a billion women aged 25 years and above -- were overweight and obese in 2021. In India, the numbers were over nearly 180 million -- 81 million men and 98 million women. However, by 2050, this number globally could rise to nearly 3.8 billion -- 1.8 billion men and 1.9 billion women -- "over half of the likely global adult ...

India's suicide death rate drops 30% from 1990 to 2021: Lancet study

The Lancet study observed a more significant decline in suicide rates among females compared to males in India

5 bn people lack medical oxygen access, poorest nations worst hit: Lancet

According to The Lancet Global Health Commission on Medical Oxygen Security, 82 per cent of patients who require medical oxygen live in low- and middle-income countries

Timely cancer care improves with Ayushman Bharat in India: Lancet stud

While The Lancet study praised the health safety net created by the government, it also highlighted a critical gap in cancer care infrastructure in India

Lung cancer in non-smokers on rise, air pollution could be driver: Study

Cases of lung cancer among those who never smoked is on the rise and air pollution could be contributing to the increase, according to a new study. The study was published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal on World Cancer Day on Tuesday. Researchers, including those from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), World Health Organization, analysed data, including those from the Global Cancer Observatory 2022 dataset, to estimate national-level lung cancer cases for four subtypes -- adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, small- and large-cell carcinoma. They found that adenocarcinoma -- a cancer that starts in glands that produce fluids such as mucus and digestive ones -- has become the dominant subtype among both men and women. The sub-type of lung cancer was also found to account for 53-70 per cent of lung cancer cases in 2022 among never-smokers around the world. Compared to the other sub-types of lung cancer, risk of adenocarcinoma is considered to be .

Three out of every four animal bites in India due to dogs: Lancet study

Three in every four animal bites are due to dogs, with over 5,700 deaths in humans estimated to occur each year due to rabies in India, according to a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-study conducted a nationwide community-based survey from March, 2022 to August, 2023, covering 60 districts in 15 states. Over 78,800 households involving 3,37,808 individuals were interviewed about animal bites in the family, anti-rabies vaccination and deaths due to animal bite. Researchers, including those from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai, found that three in every four animal bites was a dog bite. Over 2,000 of those surveyed reported a history of animal bite -- 76.8 per cent of which (1,576) were dog bites. Further, over six per thousand people might be experiencing an animal bite, "translating into 9.1 million bites nationally", the authors said. "We estimated 5,

About 1.5 mn deaths a year during 2009-2019 linked to air pollution: Study

About a million and a half deaths every year from 2009 to 2019 is potentially linked with a long-term exposure to PM2.5 pollution, according to a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal. Researchers, including those at Ashoka University, Haryana, and Centre for Chronic Disease Control, New Delhi, said that the entire 1.4 billion population of India live in areas having PM2.5 levels higher than World Health Organization-recommended five micrograms per cubic metre yearly average. The team also found that nearly 82 per cent of India's population, or 1.1 billion, lived in areas with yearly average PM2.5 levels exceeding those recommended by the Indian National Ambient Air Quality Standards (40 microns per cubic metre). Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, pollution is caused by particles sized under 2.5 microns in diameter. A yearly increase in PM2.5 pollution of 10 microns per cubic metre was associated with 8.6 per cent higher annual mortality, the researchers found. Fo

Interim results of malaria vaccine Phase 2b trial show 'promising efficacy'

A new malaria vaccine appears to be "safe and highly immunogenic", with "promising efficacy", according to interim results of the phase 2b clinical trial conducted in African children. The vaccine candidate, named 'RH5.1/Matrix-M', is a blood-stage type, targeting the malaria-causing parasite when it is present in the blood -- the stage of the parasite's life cycle when symptoms begin to show in the affected person. The trial results were published in "The Lancet Infectious Diseases" journal. Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites, spread to humans through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito. Symptoms usually appear in the 10-15 days following the bite, with mild symptoms being fever, chills and headache, while the severe ones can include fatigue, confusion, seizures, and difficulty in breathing. Researchers, including those at Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Sant, Burkina Faso, and the University of Oxford, UK, enrolled 361 children in the African country,

182 mn kids in low-, middle-income nations lack access to nurture: Study

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), three-fourths of those aged three or four years lack -- nearly 182 million children -- access to adequate nurture, thereby risking healthy development, according to a new series paper, published in The Lancet journal. The series builds on the foundation of the first 1,000 days of life -- referring to the time period starting conception until two years old -- and highlights how the 'next 1,000 days' (from age two to age five) is a crucial window of opportunity for providing nurturing care to children, researchers said. During this stage of 'next 1,000 days', children are often not in direct regular contact with health or education services, with fewer than one in three children aged three or four attending early childhood care and education programmes in LMICs, said the researchers. The authors called for an increased investment for this stage of child development, with a particular focus on improving access to high quality childhood care

Infants, adults in India exposed to more heatwave days in last decade: Rpt

In India, over the last decade, infants and adults aged 65 or above were exposed to about eight heatwave days each year on average, increases of 47 per cent for infants and 58 per cent for older adults, compared to 1990-1999, according to a new report of The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change. In 2023 alone, people in India were found to be exposed to a moderate or higher risk of heat stress for about 2,400 hours or 100 days, while performing light outdoor activities such as walking, the eighth annual report, reflecting the work of 122 experts from 57 academic institutions and UN agencies globally, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), found. Published ahead of the 29th UN Conference of the Parties, or 'COP29', the report revealed a country-wise assessment of how climate change is affecting people's health. It showed that 10 of the 15 indicators that help track health threats to people around the world due to global

New Lancet report sets goal to cut chances of early death globally in half

Ahead of the 2024 World Health Summit, in which the World Health Organization (WHO) is a partner, a new report by the Lancet Commission on 'Investing in Health' has set a goal of cutting the probability of premature deaths around the world in half by 2050. Seven of the 30 most populous countries, including Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Iran, and Turkiye, are on track to meeting the "ambitious," yet "feasible" goal, which the report's authors have called '50-by-50'. The international team includes authors from institutions such as Harvard University's School of Public Health, the WHO, and Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi. They explained that on average, a 2019-born person had a 31 per cent chance of dying before turning 70 years of age. If the 50-by-50 goal was achieved globally, a 2050-born individual can expect to have only a 15 per cent chance of dying before turning 70, they said. The authors said that the gains made by the seven countries in slashing chances of early death

India has highest oral cancer cases due to betel nut in South Asia: Study

The Lancet Oncology study highlighted that South-Central Asia recorded the highest number of oral cancer cases linked to smokeless tobacco and areca nut use

Antibiotic resistance to claim over 39 mn lives in next 25 years: Lancet

Over a million people around the world died annually due to antibiotic resistance between 1990 and 2021, and more than 39 million could die from antibiotic-resistant infections over the next 25 years, according to a global analysis, published in The Lancet journal. Future deaths from antibiotic resistance are estimated to be highest in South Asia -- including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh -- where a total of 11.8 million deaths directly due to it are forecast between 2025 and 2050, a collaboration of researchers forming the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project said. Antibiotic, or antimicrobial, resistance is when drugs designed to kill infectious bacteria and fungi are rendered ineffective because the bugs have evolved and developed an ability to defeat these drugs. The researchers said deaths due to antibiotic resistance will also be high in other parts of southern and eastern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Further, trends between 1990 and 2021 suggested that

Human activity imperiling planet's critical life-support systems: Study

Looking at necessities of a livable Earth - including the climate, freshwater systems, biodiversity and soil nutrients - the researchers find almost all have crossed crucial thresholds

Indians across all age groups deficient in iron, calcium, folate: Lancet

People across all age groups in India, both men and women, are consuming inadequate amounts of micronutrients critical for health, including iron, calcium and folate, as estimated in a study published in The Lancet Global Health journal. The study is the first to provide estimates of insufficient consumption of 15 micronutrients across 185 countries, taken through diets without the use of supplements, according to an international team, including researchers from Harvard University, US. The findings suggested that around the world, almost 70 per cent, or over five billion, people do not consume enough iodine, vitamin E, and calcium. The researchers also found that within a country and an age group, more women were consuming inadequate amounts of iodine, vitamin B12 and iron, compared to men, whereas more men were consuming inadequate amounts of magnesium, vitamin B6, zinc and vitamin C, compared to women. In India, while more women consumed insufficient amounts of iodine, compared

Red meat linked with increased diabetes risk; Lancet study gives evidence

Consuming red meat is related to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, according to an analysis of more than 19 lakh adults from 20 countries across world regions, including southeast Asia, providing the "most comprehensive evidence to date." Published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology journal, the analysis found that a habitual consumption of three types of meat and their daily amounts - 50 grams of processed meat, 100 grams of unprocessed red meat and 100 grams of poultry - was related to 15 per cent, 10 per cent and eight per cent increases in risk of developing type 2 diabetes, respectively. The international team of researchers from the US, UK, Brazil, Mexico, among others, said that intake of meat exceeds recommended levels in many regions of the world and has been correlated with non-communicable diseases, including type 2 diabetes. However, all the existing evidences are largely based on studies from high-income countries, mainly in North America and Europe, they said. F