Health

New Delhi, May 15 (IANS) Researchers at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela have developed an effective upgrade to Electrocardiography (ECG) to identify abnormal heart rhythms that can lead to serious conditions such as atrial fibrillation which can further lead to stroke.ECG is one of the most commonly used techniques to monitor heart activity. The novel lead placement system called the Atrial Lead System (ALS) helps in easily detecting subtle electrical signals from the upper chambers of the heart, which are often too indistinct to be seen clearly in regular ECGs. These signals play a key role in identifying abnormal heart rhythms -- responsible for a large number of cardiac-related deaths around the world. Irregular heart rhythms in the heart’s upper chambers, known as...

New Delhi, May 15 (IANS) Indian pharma market (IPM) has seen a 7.4 per cent year-on-year (YoY) growth in April due to a surge in chronic therapies, according to a report.The monthly report by Motilal Oswal Financial Services showed that the IPM’s growth in April 2024 was 9 per cent. In March 2025 it was 9.3 per cent.The growth was driven by strong outperformance in cardiac, central Nervous System (CNS), and respiratory therapies.Notably, respiratory therapies saw a revival in YoY growth in April. Acute therapy growth stood at 6 per cent in April (vs. 6 per cent in April 2024 and 8 per cent in March 2025) owing to seasonality.IPM growth was also led by price (4.3 per cent), new launches (2.3 per cent), and volume growth (1.3 per cent).Further, the report said that therapies like cardiac (11...

New Delhi, May 15 (IANS) A structured online nutrition programme may address India's diabetes epidemic by removing key barriers to dietary adherence, according to a study, led by an Indian-origin researcher.The study, led by the US-based Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), showed that participants who followed a physician-led, plant-based nutrition programme experienced measurable improvements in health. This included reduced medication use, body weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.The findings offer potential insights for India, where diabetes currently affects more than 101 million adults, with an additional 136 million in the prediabetes stage, said the team in the paper, published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine."India's diabetes crisis requires ...

New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) is slated to organise the ‘Inclusive India Summit’ on the occasion of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) on May 15, it was announced on Wednesday.The ‘Inclusive India Summit’ is not only an initiative to bring inclusivity to the forefront but also a significant step toward making the digital world accessible to all.GAAD is dedicated to raising awareness around digital access and inclusion for persons with disabilities across the globe. This day is observed annually on the third Thursday of May.During the event, ‘Mission Accessibility’ will release its annual Accessibility Report Card, which presents the current status of accessibility across the country. Additionally, an AI-enabled chatbot wi...

New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) India’s bioeconomy has seen an exponential rise under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government -- from $10 billion in 2014 to $165.7 billion in 2024 -- and aims to reach $300 billion by 2030, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday.India is at the right time and in the right place, with a highly enabling political ecosystem to lead the next global biotechnology revolution, he said while addressing the "International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology’s (ICGEB) board meeting of governors hereDr Singh described India as the emerging global biotech destination and said that this is the most appropriate venue for such deliberations at a time when India has much to contribute to the world community.On the occasion, the minister dedicated Ind...

New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) A new study on Wednesday said that there is no significant difference in the effectiveness of how autistic and non-autistic people communicate, thus challenging the stereotype that autistic people struggle to connect with others.Social difficulties often faced by autistic people are more about differences in how autistic and non-autistic people communicate, rather than a lack of social ability in autistic individuals.Autism is a lifelong neurodivergence and disability, and influences how people experience and interact with the world.The study, led by experts from the University of Edinburgh and published in Nature Human Behaviour, tested how effectively information was passed between 311 autistic and non-autistic people.Participants were tested in groups where ever...

Mumbai, May 14 (IANS) Ameera Shah-led diagnostics chain Metropolis Healthcare has reported a 19.96 per cent drop in its consolidated net profit for the fourth quarter of the financial year (Q4 FY25), as expenses shot up in the period.The company’s net profit declined to Rs 29.23 crore in January-March quarter from Rs 36.52 crore in the same period last year (Q4 FY24), according to its filing with the stock exchanges.The fall in profit came despite a rise in revenue. The diagnostics chain posted a 4.13 per cent increase in revenue from operations, which stood at Rs 345.29 crore in Q4, compared to Rs 331 crore in the year-ago quarter.However, higher operating costs weighed on the bottom line. Total expenses during the quarter rose by 11.74 per cent year-on-year (YoY), reaching Rs 316.21 cror...

New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) People who develop type 1 diabetes in adulthood have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death, according to a new research.However, those diagnosed later in life do not have a better prognosis than those diagnosed earlier, according to the study conducted by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, which pointed to smoking, poor glucose control and obesity as the main risk factors.Research on adult-onset type 1 diabetes is limited, so the team wanted to investigate the risk of cardiovascular disease and death in this group, particularly for those diagnosed after the age of 40.The study, published in European Heart Journal, identified 10,184 people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in adulthood between 2001 and 2020 and compared them to 509,172 matc...

New Delhi, May 13 (IANS) Technology giant Apple on Tuesday announced a host of accessibility features which include accessibility labels on the App Store, braille access, and reader to help users who are blind, deaf or have mobility issues.The accessibility features, announced ahead of Global Accessibility Awareness Day on May 15, are expected to be rolled out later this year, the company said.The new Magnifier app for Mac, the new Braille Access feature is designed for people who are blind or have low vision to explore, learn, and interact; take notes and perform calculations, and also leverage the powerful camera system of Apple Vision Pro with new updates to visionOS.The company also announced the launch of Accessibility Reader, a new systemwide reading mode designed with accessibility ...

New Delhi, May 13 (IANS) The Union government on Tuesday designated September 23 as Ayurveda Day, marking a significant shift from the earlier practice of observing Ayurveda Day on Dhanteras.The change was notified through a Gazette Notification dated March 23, the Ministry of Ayush said.Calling the decision to change the date as "landmark", the ministry said it will enhance "the global visibility and consistency" of Ayurveda which is India’s 5,000-year-old system of healing rooted in ancient wisdom and sustainable living.Notably, Dhanteras is a festival observed in the Hindu month of Kartik (usually October or November). Its date fluctuates each year, posing logistical challenges for organising national and international observances of Ayurveda day, the Ministry said.In addition, in the c...