Health

Mumbai, May 12 (IANS) Pharmaceuticals company Morepen Labs on Monday reported a decline of 29.3 per cent in its net profit (year-on-year) for the fourth quarter (Q4) of FY25, as rising expenses took a toll on the healthcare company's performance.The net profit for Q4 stood at Rs 20.3 crore, down from Rs 28.7 crore in the same period last fiscal, according to its stock exchange filing.The company’s total revenue increased by 10.1 per cent, reaching Rs 465.8 crore in Q4, compared to Rs 423 crore in the year-ago period.Despite this growth in revenue, operating costs surged, which led to a decline in profitability.The company’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) also saw a drop of 12.6 per cent, standing at Rs 42.3 crore for the quarter, compared to Rs 48....

New Delhi, May 12 (IANS) Just five minutes of advertising of junk foods -- essentially high in saturated fats, sugar, and/or salt (HFSS) -- is enough to coax children and adolescents to consume significantly more calories during the day, according to a study.The study showed that 7-15-year-olds with just five minutes of ad exposure, regardless of the type of media advertising, can consume on average 130 kcals per day extra, which is equivalent to the calories in two slices of bread."Our findings offer crucial novel information on the extent, nature, and impact of unhealthy food marketing via different types of media on young people's eating behaviour," said lead author Professor Emma Boyland from the University of Liverpool in the UK."Even short exposure to the marketing of foods high in f...

New Delhi, May 12 (IANS) About 8,500 tonnes of antibiotics -- nearly one-third of what people consume annually -- end up in river systems around the world each year, significantly promoting drug resistance and harming aquatic life, according to a study.The study, led by researchers from McGill University in Canada is the first to estimate the scale of global river contamination from human antibiotics use."While the amounts of residues from individual antibiotics translate into only very small concentrations in most rivers, which makes them very difficult to detect, the chronic and cumulative environmental exposure to these substances can still pose a risk to human health and aquatic ecosystems," said lead author Heloisa Ehalt Macedo, a postdoctoral fellow in geography at McGill.For the stu...

Sydney, May 12 (IANS) A team of Australian scientists has identified a small molecule that blocks cell death, an advance that could lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.The team from the Melbourne-based Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) aimed to find new chemicals that block cell death, which could help treat degenerative diseases in the future. The findings offer hope for treatments that could slow or stop the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. After screening over 100,000 chemical compounds, the team found a small molecule that targets a killer protein called BAX. By interfering with a well-understood cell death protein, the molecule effectively stopped cells from dying. “We were thrilled to find a smal...

New Delhi, May 12 (IANS) Pedestrians and cyclists are among more than 330,000 deaths from road crashes in the Southeast Asia region in 2021, said the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday, as part of the eighth UN Global Road Safety Week.The UN Global Road Safety Week is marked biennially, starting on the third Monday of May. The theme this year is “Make walking and cycling safe”, urging the world to make walking and cycling safe for everyone.Saima Wazed, Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia said that road traffic injuries are now the leading cause of death among young people aged 5 to 29 years, and they continue to be a pressing public health concern in our WHO South-East Asia Region."In 2021 alone, our region accounted for more than 330,000 deaths from road crashes, representing...

New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) A new report has said that the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) market across the seven major markets is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.9 per cent from $26.5 billion in 2023 to $32.1 billion in 2033.The GlobalData’s report, “Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV): Seven-Market Drug Forecast,” reveals that market growth will primarily be driven by the increased uptake of long-acting injectable therapies, as well as the anticipated launch of novel single tablet regimens (STRs).“The pipeline analysis indicates a shift away from 3-drug STRs and towards 2-drug STRs. These are hoped to have reduced toxicities and side effects as a result,” said Anaelle Tannen, Infectious Disease Analyst at GlobalData.Six products are currently in Phase III de...

New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) The government has emphasised the growing relevance of traditional medicine in achieving universal health coverage and advancing the goals of ‘One Health and Sustainable Development,’ it was announced on Sunday.The sixth meeting of the Group of Friends of Traditional Medicine (GFTM) was successfully held at the Permanent Mission of India (PMI) in Geneva.The meeting brought together ambassador’s representatives from various countries committed to strengthening the role of traditional medicine in global healthcare systems, according to Ayush Ministry.Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, delivered a keynote address virtually that underscored India’s leadership and commitment in promoting evidence-based traditional medicine across the world.He reaffirme...

New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) A team of researchers has said that lipolysis is more effective in women than in men, which could partly explain why women are less likely to develop metabolic complications than men, despite having more body fat.The research focused on lipolysis, the process through which triglycerides – lipids stored in fat cells – are broken down to produce free fatty acids and glycerol, which can be used as energy, during exercise or between meals.“The breakdown of lipids through lipolysis is essential for energy balance and it is believed that doing it effectively may prevent type 2 diabetes and other metabolic complications of overweight and obesity,” said Professor Peter Arner, of the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.“Indeed, lipolysis is more effective in women than...

New Delhi, May 10 (IANS) Medications such as liraglutide or semaglutide taken for weight loss also have the potential to reduce alcohol consumption by almost two-thirds, according to new research.Alcohol use disorder is a relapsing condition that accounts for 2.6 million deaths a year -- 4.7 per cent of all deaths globally. Treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), therapies that aim to strengthen motivation to stop or reduce drinking, and medication can be very successful in the short term, however, 70 per cent of patients relapse within the first year. The study showed that Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogues -- drugs developed to treat obesity -- likely curb alcohol cravings in the brain. Average alcohol intake decreased from 11.3 units/week to 4.3 units/week after fo...

New Delhi, May 10 (IANS) An international team of researchers found that a cholesterol-lowering drug may offer a more effective and convenient way to protect people at high risk of heart attack and stroke.The study led by researchers at Monash University in Australia tested a once-daily oral medication called Obicetrapib and found it significantly lowered both LDL or bad cholesterol and lipoprotein(a), [Lp(a)] -- two key contributors to cardiovascular disease.The findings marked an important step forward for patients who have struggled to reach their cholesterol targets with current therapies, said study lead Professor Stephen Nicholls, Director of Monash University's Victorian Heart Institute."We know that many people at high risk of heart attack or stroke don't get their cholesterol leve...