Page 3 - Lancet Report

12.5 mn children, teens in India obese in 2022, shows Lancet study

About 12.5 million children aged between five and 19 in India were overweight in 2022, according to a global analysis published in The Lancet journal Of the 12.5, 7.3 million were boys and 5.2 million girls. The total number of children, adolescents and adults worldwide living with obesity has surpassed one billion. These trends, together with the declining prevalence of people who are underweight since 1990, make obesity the most common form of malnutrition in most countries, the researchers said. Obesity and underweight are both forms of malnutrition and are detrimental to people's health in many ways. The latest study provides a highly detailed picture of global trends in both forms of malnutrition over the last 33 years. The analysis by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) -- a global network of scientists -- and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that among the world's children and adolescents, the rate of obesity in 2022 was four times the rate in 1990. It

Death risk from chikungunya continues for up to 3 months: Lancet study

People infected with the chikungunya virus continue to have an increased risk of death for up to three months post-infection, according to a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal. Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes to humans. Most commonly, the virus is transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, more commonly known as yellow fever and tiger mosquitoes, respectively. While most patients recover fully, chikungunya disease can prove fatal. Despite infections going largely unreported, approximately five lakh cases and over 400 deaths were recorded worldwide in 2023, the researchers said. "With chikungunya infections expected to increase, it's important that health services consider the risks that persist even after the acute phase of infection has ended," said Enny Da Paixao Cruz, Associate Professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), UK, and senior author of the study. The researchers analysed ...

JN.1 Covid variant has increased transmissibility, immune escape: Study

The JN.1 variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus not only spreads easily but also seems to resist immunity, according to a study that emphasizes the urgent need for strategies to address its threat to public health. The emergence JN.1 has sparked global concern due to its distinct genetic features and heightened infectivity. Carrying more than 30 spike protein mutations, including the hallmark Leu455Ser, JN.1 exhibits substantial potential for immune evasion. Researchers from The University of Tokyo, Japan, used genomic surveillance data from across France, the UK, and Spain, uncovering novel findings regarding the virological properties of JN.1. The study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, sheds light on the variant's potential to become the dominant lineage and alerts the global health community. The researchers found that the reproductive number of JN.1 was found to surpass that of its counterparts in the three countries studied, suggesting a potential global dominanc

Every year spent in school, college may improve life expectancy: Lancet

Every year spent in school or university may improve life expectancy, while not attending an educational institute could be as bad as smoking or heavy drinking, according to a study published in The Lancet Public Health journal. The research identified data from 59 countries and included over 10,000 data points collected from more than 600 published articles. The team, including researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), found that education saves lives regardless of age, sex, location, and social and demographic backgrounds. They found was that the risk of death drops by 2 per cent with every additional year of education. That means those who completed six years of primary school had a lower risk of death by an average of 13 per cent. After graduating from secondary school, the risk of dying was cut by nearly 25 per cent, and 18 years of education lowered the risk by 34 per cent. according to the study. Researchers also compared the effects of educa

Non-Covid deaths high in people with diabetes, women affected more: Study

Non-Covid-related deaths increased among people having diabetes because of pandemic-related disruptions, new research published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology journal has found. The global review of studies comparing pre-pandemic and during-pandemic data found that the complication of sight loss in people with diabetes also increased. The negative impacts were most pronounced for women, younger people and racial and ethnic minority groups, it found. The team of researchers, including those from the World Health Organization (WHO), looked at 138 studies - North America (39), Western Europe (39), Asia (17) and others from Eastern Europe, South America, Egypt, Australia and multiple regions - to examine the impacts of pandemic-related disruptions on the vulnerable diabetic population. The research findings pointed to the importance of ensuring that all people with diabetes, especially those from the less advantaged groups, had consistent access to diabetes medication and care

Novel approach identifies people at risk of developing TB: Lancet study

A novel approach to studying the progression of tuberculosis (TB) from infection to disease can identify and treat people at increased risk of developing the disease that current methods of testing would not, according to a study published in The Lancet Microbe journal. Researchers at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), UK, hope the findings could help with global efforts to reduce the spread of the disease. TB is a bacterial disease that causes significant lung damage and can, without treatment, be fatal. It is spread in aerosol by inhaling droplets containing the bacteria. Most people who become infected live with the infection and remain well. However, in a small proportion, the infection is not controlled and can progress to cause disease. Current tests of TB infection use either a skin test or a blood test, called an interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) to detect an immune response to the infection. However, .

Global deaths from fungal disease twice previous estimate: Lancet study

The annual number of deaths from fungal disease worldwide has risen to 3.75 million, double the previous estimate, according to a study using data from over 80 countries, including India. The research, published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases, calculated an annual total at about 6.55 million acute cases. The updated mortality figures of fungal disease dwarf deaths from other single pathogens, killing six times more people than malaria, and almost 3 times as many than tuberculosis, the researchers said. The work is the result of a collaboration of over 300 professionals across the world who contributed to published estimates for their country and individual fungal diseases. Previous estimates were imprecise as many fungal disease exacerbate an existing disorder, itself often severe, such as leukaemia or AIDS, said David Denning, a professor of infectious disease at The University of Manchester, UK. However according to the study, of the deaths linked to fungal disease, .

India registered 930,000 cancer deaths, second highest in Asia: Lancet

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, .

Smoking killing 1.3 million in 7 countries including India annually: Lancet

Over 1.3 million lives are lost every year to cancers caused by smoking tobacco across seven countries, including India, according to a study published in The Lancet's eClinicalMedicine journal. Researchers found that together, the seven countries -- India, China, the UK, Brazil, Russia, the US and South Africa -- represented more than half of the global burden of cancer deaths every year. They noted that smoking, as well as three other preventable risk factors -- alcohol, obesity, and human papillomavirus (HPV) infections -- caused almost two million deaths combined. The study, carried out by researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and Kings College London, UK, also analysed the years of life lost to cancer. The researchers concluded that the four preventable risk factors resulted in over 30 million years of life lost each year. Smoking tobacco had by far the biggest impact - leading to 20.8 million years of l

Yearly heat-related deaths to see fivefold rise by mid-century: Lancet

The yearly heat-related deaths are likely to increase nearly fivefold the current numbers by mid-century if current temperature trends continue and there is no substantial progress on adaptation, according to a report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change. Against this backdrop of climate inaction, the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change in its eighth annual global report projects heat-related labour loss might increase by 50 per cent. Heatwaves alone could lead to 524.9 million additional people experiencing moderate-to-severe food insecurity by 2041-60, aggravating the global risk of malnutrition, it said. The report further projects an increased spread of life-threatening infectious diseases by mid-century, with the length of coastline suitable for Vibrio pathogens expanding by 17-25 per cent, and the transmission potential for dengue increasing by 36-37 per cent. Vibrio pathogens are responsible for food-borne diseases such as cholera. The Lancet Count

Heat-related deaths likely to increase fivefold by mid-century: Lancet

In 2022, individuals were, on average, exposed to 86 days of health-threatening high temperatures, of which 60 per cent were at least twice as likely to occur because of human-caused climate change.

Annual deaths due to strokes could be as high as 10 million by 2050: Report

Strokes, a highly preventable and treatable condition, could lead to nearly 10 million deaths annually by 2050, primarily affecting low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), a report said. The projection comes from the collaborative effort of the World Stroke Organization and the Lancet Neurology Commission (LNC) under which four studies have been published. The report published in Lancet Neurology journal said that stroke deaths are expected to surge from 6.6 million in 2020 to 9.7 million by 2050. The report has emphasised on the critical role of evidence-based, pragmatic solutions in combating the crisis and made 12 recommendations to counter the deaths related to strokes. Among them are stroke surveillance, prevention, acute care, and rehabilitation. The report recommended establishing cost-effective surveillance systems for precise epidemiological stroke data to guide prevention and treatment. It also suggested elevating public awareness and fostering healthier lifestyles thr

India had world's highest number of preterm births in 2020: Lancet study

India recorded 3.02 million preterm births in 2020 -- the highest worldwide -- accounting for over 20 per cent of all preterm births globally, according to a study published in the The Lancet journal. The research by authors from the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK, showed that over 50 per cent of all preterm births in 2020 occurred in just eight countries. India was followed by Pakistan, Nigeria, China, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of the Congo and the US, the researchers said. The high numbers of preterm births in these countries and areas are, in part, a reflection of their large population sizes, high numbers of total births, and weaker health systems that are unable to deliver high-quality family planning, antenatal care, and childbirth services to all individuals who need them, they said. Globally, an estimated 13.4 million babies were born early in 2020, with

Over 6 of every 10 cancer deaths in Indian women were preventable: Lancet

The study said that the value of unpaid cancer caregiving in India was 2.53 per cent of its national health expenditure

Lead exposure likely caused 5.5 mn deaths from cardiac disease in 2019

Exposure to lead may have caused 5.5 million adult deaths from cardiovascular disease and the loss of 765 million IQ points in children under the age of five worldwide in 2019, according to a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal. Up to 95 per cent of the effects were in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), with children there losing an average of 5.9 IQ, or intelligence quotient, points during their first five years of life, the researchers said. The findings indicate the global health effects of lead exposure could be similar to the estimated health effects of small particle pollution, PM2.5, and household air pollution combined, and three times greater than the health effects of unsafe drinking water, sanitation, and handwashing, they said. IQ loss in LMICs due to lead exposure is nearly 80 per cent higher than a previous estimate, while deaths from cardiovascular disease are six times higher, the researchers said. The global cost of lead exposure in 2019 wa

AI detects gallbladder cancer as accurately as radiologists in India: Study

An artificial intelligence (AI) based approach demonstrated diagnostic performance comparable to experienced radiologists in detecting gall bladder cancer at a hospital in Chandigarh, according to a study published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia journal. Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a highly aggressive malignancy with a poor detection and a high mortality rate. Early diagnosis is challenging because benign gallbladder lesions can have similar imaging features, the researchers said. The team at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), New Delhi, aimed to develop and validate a deep learning (DL) model for GBC detection using abdominal ultrasound and compare its performance with radiologists. Deep learning is a method in AI that teaches computers to process data in a way that is inspired by the human brain. The study used abdominal ultrasound data from patients with gallbladder lesions ...

Current climate policies not enough to meet Paris targets: Lancet study

Attempts to pursue "green growth" in high-income countries will not deliver the emission reductions required to meet the climate targets and fairness principles of the Paris Agreement, according to a study. The study, published recently in The Lancet Planetary Health journal, shows that if current trends continue, even the 11 high-income countries that have "decoupled" carbon emissions from gross domestic product (GDP) growth would on average take over 200 years to get their emissions close to zero. These countries would emit more than 27-times their fair share of the "global carbon budget" that must not be exceeded if we are to avert catastrophic warming beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius, as required by the Paris Agreement. The researchers argue that the pursuit of economic growth in high-income countries is at odds with internationally agreed climate targets, and call for transformative "post-growth" climate policy centred around sufficiency, fairness, and wellbeing. The study compared

Global dengue coalition to deliver treatment within 5 yrs: Lancet comment

A coalition of institutions from dengue-endemic countries aims to deliver a new treatment for dengue from repurposed drugs and combinations within 5 years, according to a comment published in The Lancet Global Health journal. The mission of the alliance, The Dengue Alliance, is to accelerate research and development and deliver dengue therapeutics through an inclusive partnership, it said. "An integrated approach that comprises vector control, use of safe and effective vaccines, and an effective treatment is needed to face the growing challenges of dengue infection," the alliance formed by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), Switzerland, said in its comment. The DNDi, founded in 2003, is an international, not-for-profit research and development organisation developing new affordable and patient-friendly treatments for neglected tropical diseases. The Dengue Alliance, launched in 2022, is co-created, co-owned, and co-funded by dengue-endemic countries, and includes t

Alarming rise in suicides by Indian men between 2014 and 2021: Lancet study

BOYS DON'T CRY: A Lancet study shines a light on male suicide rate in India

Nearly 1 bn people globally will have osteoarthritis by 2050: Lancet study

Nearly one billion people globally will be living with osteoarthritis by 2050, according to a study which found that 15 per cent of individuals aged 30 and older currently experience the most common form of arthritis. The study, published recently in The Lancet Rheumatology journal, analysed 30 years of osteoarthritis data (19902020) covering more than 200 countries. The team, led by researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in the US, as part of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 found that cases increased rapidly over the past three decades because of three main factors: ageing, population growth, and obesity. Arthritis literally means joint inflammation. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people worldwide. It occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones wears down over time. In 1990, 256 million people had osteoarthritis. By 2020, this number rose to 595 million people, which was