Health

New Delhi, May 13 (IANS) Increased sedentary behaviour, time spent sitting or lying down was associated with worse cognition and brain shrinkage in areas related to risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study on Tuesday.The study by researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and the University of Pittsburgh aims to discover how lifestyle habits can impact the likelihood of developing the disease. According to a new research study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association. “Reducing your risk for Alzheimer’s disease is not just about working out once a day,” said Marissa Gogniat, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Pitt. “Minimising the time spent sitting, even if you do exercise daily, reduces the likelihood of...

Sydney, May 13 (IANS) Australian researchers have identified genes linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), offering new hope for improved diagnosis and treatment of the debilitating mental health condition.OCD is a mental condition and features a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears known as obsessions. Researchers at QIMR Berghofer, formerly the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, found 30 regions of the human genome and around 250 genes associated with the disorder, Xinhua news agency reported. The team identified the genes by analysing DNA from more than 50,000 people with OCD and 2 million without the condition. "We've been working on this for many years, but these findings have dramatically increased our knowledge of the genetic basis of OCD," said Eske Derks, lead res...

New Delhi, May 13 (IANS) Reinfections with SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind Covid-19, is less likely to cause long Covid -- a condition that affects at least 65 million people worldwide, according to a study.Long Covid affects people after an infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The condition is not properly defined yet presents more than 200 symptoms. Long Covid risk and severity is known to compromise self-rated health, physical capacity, and cognitive function.The preprint study, not peer-reviewed yet, showed that the risk of Long Covid was 6 per cent after reinfections from Covid virus compared to 15 per cent after the initial infection.Fatigue, shortness of breath, neurocognitive symptoms, post-exertional malaise, and smell or taste disturbances were the most reported common symptoms...

New Delhi, May 13 (IANS) While CAR-T cell therapy has shown promise in treating cancer, it may also lead to "brain fog" or forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating, according to a study.CAR-T cell therapy is immunotherapy where a patient's immune cells – T cells -- are genetically engineered and infused into the bloodstream to recognise and destroy cancer cells more effectively.The study led by a team from Stanford University showed that CAR-T cell therapy causes mild cognitive impairments, independent of other cancer treatments.Notably, this happens via the same cellular mechanism as cognitive impairment from two other causes: chemotherapy and respiratory infections such as flu and Covid-19."CAR-T cell therapy is enormously promising: We are seeing long-term survivors after CAR-T cell t...

Mumbai, May 13 (IANS) Homegrown biopharma major Suven Life Sciences on Tuesday reported over 65 per cent increase in its net loss for the fourth quarter (Q4) of FY25, as a significant drop in revenue weighed heavily on its financial performance.The company posted a consolidated net loss of Rs 43.9 crore in Q4, compared to a loss of Rs 26.5 crore in the same quarter last fiscal (Q4 FY24) -- reflecting a steep year-on-year (YoY) increase of nearly 65.66 per cent, according to its stock exchange filing.This widening of losses came on the back of a sharp 38.7 per cent fall in revenue, which declined to Rs 1.5 crore in Q4 from Rs 2.4 crore a year ago.The company also reported a wider EBITDA loss of Rs 43.8 crore for the quarter, compared to Rs 30.3 crore in Q4 of the previous fiscal.Adding to t...

New Delhi, May 13 (IANS) US researchers have developed a novel vaccine that protects against H1N1 swine flu and can also protect against influenza in humans and birds.The vaccine strategy developed and tested by researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the US can also eliminate the need for annual flu shots."This research sets the stage for developing universal influenza vaccines, so people won't have to go to the doctor and get a flu shot every year," said virologist Eric Weaver at the varsity."This vaccine will protect you against the different strains that are out there," Weaver said.In the study, published in Nature Communications, swine vaccinated with the immunogens exhibited no signs of illness after being exposed to a commonly circulating flu strain. They also developed...

New Delhi, May 13 (IANS) An international team of scientists from India, Saudi Arabia, and the US has identified 26 novel bacterial species growing inside cleanrooms associated with NASA space missions.The study, published in the journal Microbiome, highlights the importance of rigorous contamination control to prevent unintentional microbial transfer during space missions. Cleanrooms are highly specialised facilities engineered to maintain exceptionally low levels of dust and microorganisms. Spacecraft are assembled in cleanrooms. These unknown and newly described species carry genetic traits associated with resilience to extreme environments such as those found in space, and may hold clues to space survival and biotech, said the team. While the controlled environments have tightly regu...

New Delhi, May 13 (IANS) Swedish researchers have developed a simple oral swab test, which can help boost the success rate of the in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure.IVF treatment involves stimulating the woman’s ovaries to mature many eggs, which are then retrieved and fertilised with sperm in the laboratory before being returned to the uterus. There are two different types of hormone treatments to choose from for egg maturation: biological or synthetic. Besides the risk of serious side effects, the therapies sometimes require women to go into intensive care -- and many attempts at IVF fail. Selecting which therapy is best for the woman has become a major challenge. While mapping genes is costly and takes time, the new simple oral swab test within an hour shows which hormone therapy is...

New Delhi, May 13 (IANS) US researchers have developed a wearable and "smart" lactation sensor to prevent babies from overexposure to the common painkiller acetaminophen.Acetaminophen, commonly used for postpartum pain management, is also frequently given to babies to treat fever, leading to potential double-dosing through both direct administration and indirectly through breastfeeding.The drug is the leading cause of acute liver failure in children and the most frequent reason for liver transplants in the US.The acetaminophen sensor, developed by researchers at the University of Southern California in the US gets incorporated into an ordinary nursing pad and detects acetaminophen in breast milk.For nursing babies with immature liver metabolism, the presence of acetaminophen in breast milk...

New Delhi, May 12 (IANS) Vijaya Diagnostic Centre Limited on Monday reported nearly 1.41 per cent drop in net profit in Q4 of the last financial year at Rs 34.8 crore, from Rs 35.3 crore in the previous quarter (Q3 FY25).The company’s total expenses in Q4 were up by nearly 13.8 per cent at Rs 130.4 crore, from Rs 114.6 crore in the year-ago period, according to its stock exchange filing.The pathology lab saw its revenue up by 11.6 per cent in Q4 at Rs 173.2 crore, from Rs 155.2 crore in the same period in FY24.For the full fiscal, net profit rose 20.41 per cent to Rs 143.08 crore in the year ended March 2025, as against Rs 118.83 crore during the previous year ended March 2024.The share of the company ended almost flat, down by Rs 3.1 or 0.31 per cent to Rs 990 on the National Stock Exchan...