Health

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 11 (IANS) The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) has mobilised over 10 crore women into 90 lakh self-help groups (SHGs) across the country, with many becoming first-generation entrepreneurs, a government official said here on Thursday.Shailesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, Union Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), highlighted the incubator programme’s role in advancing women-led rural enterprises.At an event here, he cited the success of pilots in Assam, Bihar, West Bengal and Karnataka, and shared that Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and several other states are scaling up with leading academic partners.The Ministry, in collaboration with Kerala State Rural Livelihood Mission (Kudumbashree), organised a two-day National Workshop ...

New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS) While deaths from chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and stroke decreased for most countries, in almost 60 per cent of nations, the rate of decline was slower, according to a study published in The Lancet on Thursday.Together with the World Health Organization (WHO), researchers from Imperial College London, UK, analysed the risk of dying from chronic diseases for 185 countries and territories.They found that from 2010 to 2019, the risk of dying from a chronic disease between birth and 80 years old decreased in four out of five countries -- 152 (82 per cent) countries for women and in 147 (79 per cent) for men.In almost two-thirds of countries, the progress slowed, stalled, or even reversed compared to the previous decade.Notably, in India, the probabi...

New Delhi, Sep 10 (IANS) The Directorate General of Health Services has issued a directive asking physiotherapists not to use the ‘Dr.’ prefix, as they are not medical doctors.In a letter dated September 9, DGHS Dr. Sunita Sharma stated that by using the ‘Dr.’ prefix, physiotherapists will be in legal violation of the Indian Medical Degrees Act, 1916.“Physiotherapists are not trained as medical doctors and, therefore, should not use the prefix 'Dr.', as it misleads patients and the general public, potentially leading to quackery,” Sharma said in the letter addressed to Dr. Dilip Bhanushali, National President, IMA."Physiotherapists should not be permitted to primary care practice and should only treat referred patients, as they are not trained to diagnose medical conditions, some of which ...

New Delhi, Sep 10 (IANS) An increasing rise in global temperatures is set to drive cases of dengue by as much as 76 per cent across a large number of countries in Asia and the Americas by 2050, according to a new study.The research, by a team of scientists from the universities of Washington, Stanford, and the US National Bureau of Economic Research, provides the first direct evidence that a warming climate has already increased the disease's toll."The effects of temperature were much larger than I expected," said lead author Marissa Childs, Assistant Professor of environmental health at the University of Washington."Even small shifts in temperature can have a big impact on dengue transmission, and we're already seeing the fingerprint of climate warming," she added.The study analysed over ...

New Delhi, Sep 10 (IANS) In a major restructuring drive, Danish drug major Novo Nordisk on Wednesday announced plans to slash 9,000 jobs or 11 per cent of its global workforce and save ($1.3 billion) by the end of 2026.The company, in a statement, said that with the restructuring, it expects to simplify, improve decision-making speed, and reallocate resources toward growth opportunities in diabetes and obesity.Battling rising pressure from US rival Eli Lilly, the maker of blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy, announced its third cut of the year to its profit forecast.The company’s Wegovy and its diabetes treatment Ozempic are reportedly losing market share and slow sales growth, especially in the US market."Our markets are evolving, particularly in obesity, as it has become more competitive...

New Delhi, Sep 10 (IANS) Even healthy, full‐term babies are at significant risk of intensive care or prolonged hospitalisation from serious respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections -- especially during the first three months of life, according to a study.RSV is a common cause of respiratory infections in young children. Each year, RSV causes an estimated 3.6 million RSV-associated hospitalisations and approximately 100,000 RSV-attributable deaths in children under the age of five.It is well-known that premature babies and children with chronic diseases are at increased risk of developing severe illness when infected with RSV. But it has not been entirely clear how common severe disease is among previously healthy children.Researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden analysed data f...

Cupertino (California), Sep 9 (IANS) Tech giant Apple on Tuesday launched the new Watch Series 11 with all-new health features and top-notch functions across the board. Apple Watch 11 is the slimmest one to date, and includes new features like 5G cellular connectivity and stronger glass.It is also the first Apple Watch with the ability to monitor for chronic high blood pressure (hypertension) by reviewing data collected over the past 30 days. The Watch will have live translation capabilities.A new Sleep Score feature on Watch 11 uses metrics like how long you’ve been asleep and your sleep stages to help you better understand the quality of your rest over night. Apple said the Series 11 will get “up to 24 hours” of battery life and will come in both recycled aluminum and polished titanium f...

New Delhi, Sep 9 (IANS) India's fitness economy is gaining strong momentum, and the industry is set to grow to Rs 37,700 crore ($4.5 billion) by 2030, according to a report on Tuesday.The report by Deloitte India and the Health & Fitness Association (HFA) showed that the industry is expected to post a robust 15 per cent growth rate (CAGR), from an estimated Rs 16,200 crore ($1.9 billion) in 2024.It noted that boutique fitness studios, offering niche, instructor-led formats such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT), yoga, mixed martial arts (MMA), and pilates are the fastest-growing segment. These are projected to grow at a CAGR of 18.8 per cent through 2030.This surge underscores a decisive consumer shift towards personalised, immersive, and community-driven fitness experiences, ...

New Delhi, Sep 9 (IANS) Nearly 50 per cent of Indians are planning for healthy ageing, while 71 per cent are using technology to stay active longer, according to a report on Tuesday.The report by Boston Consulting Group states that, even though the global population is getting older, only 12 per cent of people worldwide orient their lifestyle around healthy ageing.On the other hand, India ranks first among all countries surveyed in prioritising longevity, with nearly half the population taking at least some action.India leads in longevity intervention adoption, especially those related to natural remedies, wearable health trackers, and AI-supported solutions, said the report, based on a survey of 9,350 respondents across 19 countries.“While the science of longevity is advancing rapidly, ou...

New Delhi, Sep 9 (IANS) A majority of young adults with diabetes are unaware that they have the disease, posing a significant health risk, according to a study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.Researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington School of Medicine analysed the diabetes care cascade for all ages, both sexes, and 204 countries and territories from 2000 to 2023.Their results showed that in 2023, an estimated 44 per cent of people aged 15 and older with diabetes are unaware of their condition.However, this also showed an improvement from 2000, when 53 per cent of people were diagnosed, suggesting that the detection of diabetes has improved over time.Underdiagnosis was greatest among young adults. Those aged...