Health

New Delhi, Aug 29 (IANS) Looking to enhance the mental and emotional well-being of senior citizens, New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) Chairman Keshav Chandra on Friday inaugurated a Meditation Centre at its Aashirwad Senior Citizens Home, Kali Bari Marg.Addressing the senior citizens, Chandra said, "Meditation is not only a path to inner peace but also a source of energy and stability. This centre will serve as a mental well-being space where our senior citizens can reconnect with themselves, find solace, and experience renewed vitality."NDMC Director (Welfare) Anjum Siddiqui said that the new Meditation Centre is designed as a dedicated space of peace, reflection and rejuvenation for senior citizens.Recognising that meditation is a proven way to nurture inner stability, reduce stress a...

New Delhi, Aug 29 (IANS) Certain mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia and depression, can raise the risk of developing heart disease and mortality by nearly 100 per cent, according to a report on Friday.The report, published in the journal The Lancet Regional Health-Europe, summarises cardiovascular health disparities among those diagnosed with depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).Researchers from Emory University showed that schizophrenia raises the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by nearly 100 per cent. This was followed by major depression ( 72 per cent), PTSD (57 per cent), bipolar disorder (61 per cent), panic disorder (50 per cent), and phobic anxiety (70 per cent).The research also showed that these condition...

New Delhi, Aug 29 (IANS) Urging the need to set bold goals for growth, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal on Friday said that the MedTech sector is a natural candidate for Atmanirbharata and self-reliance.Speaking at the 17th CII Global MedTech Summit 2025 in New Delhi, the Minister urged the industry to use the government’s Research, Development and Innovation Scheme to meet the aspirations of a vibrant India.“For a Viksit Bharat by 2047, we all need to relook at our plans, ability to collaborate within the country and outside, become bigger and bolder, and aim for the sky. India cannot limit itself to modest goals, and the MedTech sector is a natural candidate for Atmanirbharata and self-reliance,” said Goyal.The Minister commended the Indian MedTech industry for its ...

New Delhi, Aug 29 (IANS) India’s MedTech industry is strategic to reduce the import dependency as well as boost the sector’s share in the global market, according to a report on Friday.The report by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group (BCG), highlights the transformative opportunity for India’s MedTech industry to emerge as a global manufacturing and innovation hub.The CII-BCG report was launched at the inaugural session of the 17th CII Global MedTech Summit by Amit Agrawal, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers.Valued at approximately $16 billion, India’s MedTech industry currently accounts for only around 2per cent of the approximately $680 billion global market.“With the government’s Viksit...

New Delhi, Aug 29 (IANS) A global team of researchers from India, Australia, the US, and the UK has developed a novel online-based tool which can transform how hypertension is managed, allowing doctors to choose a treatment for each patient based on the degree to which they need to lower their blood pressure.The 'blood pressure treatment efficacy calculator' is built on data from nearly 500 randomised clinical trials in over 100,000 people. It allows doctors to see how different medications are likely to lower blood pressure.“We cannot overlook the importance of controlling high blood pressure effectively and efficiently. Achieving optimal control requires a clear understanding of the efficacy of antihypertensive drugs at different doses and in various combinations. Without clarity on what...

New Delhi, Aug 28 (IANS) The Association of Healthcare Providers of India (AHPI) on Thursday raised strong concerns with Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company over the suspension of cashless services at several hospitals.In a meeting held between AHPI’s core committee members and senior officials from Bajaj Allianz, the association said that the move has put hospitals under financial stress and is causing serious inconvenience to patients.According to AHPI, patients are being forced to pay out-of-pocket and are facing difficulties in accessing treatment at hospitals of their choice.AHPI also objected to what it described as pressure tactics by insurers, including the proposed GIC-led common empanelment process and attempts to push hospitals to lower their tariffs.The association argued t...

New Delhi, Aug 28 (IANS) There is no strong evidence to support the use of complementary and alternative treatments such as acupuncture and music therapy for autism, finds a study on Thursday.Researchers from the Paris Nanterre University, Paris Cité University in France and the University of Southampton in the UK showed that the safety of these treatments was rarely assessed."Many parents of autistic children, as well as autistic adults, turn to complementary and alternative medicines hoping they may help without unwanted side effects," said Professor Richard Delorme, Head of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit at Robert Debré Hospital in Paris."However, it is necessary to carefully consider evidence from rigorous randomised trials before concluding that these treatments should be tr...

New Delhi, Aug 28 (IANS) A team of scientists in the US is working to develop vaccines that can protect against HIV, Covid, and potentially other diseases, with a single dose.The team from MIT and the Scripps Research Institute treated mice with a vaccine that combines two different adjuvants, materials that help stimulate the immune system. They found that the combination helped generate more robust immune responses.The dual-adjuvant vaccine was found to accumulate in the lymph nodes, where white blood cells known as B cells encounter antigens and undergo rapid mutations that generate new antibodies.The vaccine’s antigens remained there for up to a month -- allowing the immune system to build up a much greater number and diversity of antibodies against the HIV protein than the vaccine giv...

New Delhi, Aug 28 (IANS) US researchers have developed a new and highly effective generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool to rapidly detect exposure to the H5N1 virus -- behind avian influenza or “bird flu”, and bolster national surveillance as the virus continues to spread in other animals.The study, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, revealed that the AI tool quickly scans notes in electronic medical records and identifies high-risk patients who may have been infected with H5N1 bird flu.“This study shows how generative AI can fill a critical gap in our public health infrastructure by detecting high-risk patients that would otherwise go unnoticed,” said corresponding author Katherine E. Goodman, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at the Universi...

New Delhi, Aug 28 (IANS) India's role as the world's leading generic drug manufacturer may explain why the pharmaceutical industry has been excluded from the US's tariffs, according to experts.US President Donald Trump has implemented an additional 25 per cent tariff on India, effective from Wednesday, bringing the overall tariff to 50 per cent. However, India’s pharma exports to the US (accounting for 35 per cent of India’s total pharma exports) have been excluded from the tariffs. The sector is currently under review as part of the Section 232 investigation.Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance secretary general Sudarshan Jain stated that generic medication -- key for providing affordable healthcare in the US -- is the major reason for the exclusion.India provides the most affordable medicines ...