Health

New Delhi, July 9 (IANS) While cancer has seen some significant advancements in treatments that have shown promise and increased lifespan, however, it also causes serious side effects, which can affect quality of life.A new study by researchers from Australia is shedding new light on the reasons behind these side effects, Xinhua news agency reported.The team from Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) in Melbourne discovered that the protein MCL-1 -- a key target in cancer drug development -- plays not only a role in preventing cell death in cancer cells but also supplying energy to normal cells.As a result, drugs that inhibit MCL-1 can inadvertently damage healthy tissues that rely on this protein for energy, especially in organs with high energy demand like the heart ...

New Delhi, July 8 (IANS) The sudden increase in the use of “No Palm Oil” labels on consumer products is misleading and nothing but a marketing gimmick, the Ind Food and Beverage Association (IFBA) said on Tuesday, raising concerns over the practice.Despite being consumed in India since the 19th century, palm oil continues to be misunderstood due to selective branding tactics that exploit health-related fears.Palm oil remains one of the most affordable, versatile, and accessible edible oils widely used by leading global brands for its long shelf life and nutritional stability.The association raised concerns about the practice where people are making food choices based on social media trends rather than on scientific data.IFBA advised consumers not to take health advice from influencers who ...

New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) Nearly four-fifths of the public health facilities in India have anti-rabies vaccine -- crucial to achieve the goal of rabies elimination by 2030 --, revealed a new study led by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).Ensuring accessible and affordable post-exposure prophylaxis is a crucial strategy to eliminate rabies.The new study, published in the journal The Lancet Regional Health - Southeast Asia, is based on a nationwide survey of health facilities to understand the availability of anti-rabies vaccine and rabies immunoglobulin.“We found that nearly four-fifths of the public health facilities had anti-rabies vaccine,” said corresponding author Dr. Manoj Murhekar, Director of the ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology (ICMR-NIE).According to data from th...

New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) The food processing sector in India gearing up for a sustainable future driven by technology and digital innovation, positioning the country as a global leader, according to a report on Monday.The joint knowledge report by ASSOCHAM-PwC, launched at the Food Tech conference organised by ASSOCHAM, showed that the technologies associated with Industry 4.0 -- including artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of things (IoT), blockchain, robotics, and automation -- are fundamentally transforming how food is processed, stored, and transported.These innovations are improving operational efficiency, food safety, quality control, and supply chain transparency.With the global food robotics market projected to reach $6.08 billion by 2032, the report noted that India has a ...

New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) Excess weight may increase the risk of developing breast cancer among postmenopausal women with cardiovascular disease, according to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO), published on Monday.Higher body mass index (BMI) is a known risk factor for breast cancer in postmenopausal women. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society CANCER, unravels how the risk differs among women with and without cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes.It showed that each 5 kg/m2 increase in BMI was associated with a 31 per cent higher risk of breast cancer in women who developed cardiovascular disease during follow-up and a 13 per cent higher risk in women without cardiovascular disease.The development of type 2 diabetes did not seem t...

New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) In a bid to empower healthcare professionals and technologists with artificial intelligence (AI)-based skills and to revolutionise patient care in the country, the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) has launched a new online programme -- Executive Programme for AI in Healthcare, the institute said on Monday.The 24-week course is designed for clinicians, engineers, data professionals, and med-tech entrepreneurs, under the institute's Continuing Education Programme (CEP). It will equip participants with future-ready skills to drive innovation in patient care, diagnostics, public health, and hospital operations.“At IIT Delhi’s CEP, our mission is to build next-gen capabilities that respond to India’s and the world’s evolving healthcare needs. AI is no lo...

New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) Are you in the habit of sleeping with lights on during the night? Beware, a study led by an international team of researchers found that brighter night-time light exposure may increase the risks of five major cardiovascular diseases.Light at night causes circadian disruption, which is a known risk factor for adverse cardiovascular outcomes. However, it is not well understood whether personal light exposure patterns predict an individual’s risk of cardiovascular diseases.In a study of 88,905 people, yet to be peer-reviewed, researchers from the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, along with colleagues in the UK and the US, showed that avoiding exposure to night light may lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases.The study posted on the pre-print site med...

New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) Hospitalisations due to severe Covid-19 infection, a family history of sudden deaths, as well as lifestyle behaviours are some of the reasons behind the unexplained sudden death, according to a study led by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).The peer-reviewed study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research explored factors associated with unexplained sudden deaths among adults aged 18-45 years in India.It showed that Covid vaccination was not responsible for sudden and unexplained deaths seen among young and healthy individuals.The study was conducted in 2023, following anecdotal reports of sudden, unexplained deaths in India's apparently healthy young adults, which were linked to Covid-19 infection or vaccination."Covid-19 vaccination did not ...

Tokyo, July 6 (IANS) For the first time, researchers from the University of Tokyo have used a special kind of artificial intelligence (AI) called a Bayesian neural network to probe a dataset on gut bacteria in order to find relationships that current analytical tools could not reliably identify.Gut bacteria are known to be a key factor in many health-related concerns. The human body comprises about 30 trillion to 40 trillion cells, but your intestines contain about 100 trillion gut bacteria.“The problem is that we’re only beginning to understand which bacteria produce which human metabolites and how these relationships change in different diseases,” said Project Researcher Tung Dang from the Tsunoda lab in the Department of Biological Sciences in a paper published in Briefings in Bioinform...

Vidisha, July 5 (IANS) Mobile medical units, a centrally sponsored initiative aimed at providing healthcare to tribal communities within their vicinity, are yielding impressive results in Madhya Pradesh, with even locals admiring the move.Vidisha, located about 65 km from Bhopal, has witnessed a marked uplift in healthcare services as the tribal communities are receiving treatment for multiple ailments within their homes. Their remote location no longer remains a hindrance to healthcare access, and they no longer have to travel long distances.The mobile medical units, equipped with all modern tools and medical equipment, are providing them treatment in their own habitats, and the tribals are also upbeat and overjoyed with this initiative.In MP’s Vidisha alone, ten mobile medical units we...