Is India Winning the War Against Rising Non-Communicable Diseases? The latest health statistics paint a concerning picture: diabetes, heart disease, and cancer rates are climbing, impacting millions across the country. From rural healthcare access to the burgeoning urban health crisis, challenges remain significant. This week, we delve into the crucial initiatives underway – government policies, technological advancements in telemedicine, and the rising role of preventative healthcare – that aim to address this national health emergency. Experts weigh in on the effectiveness of current strategies and the critical need for increased public awareness campaigns targeting lifestyle diseases. Are these efforts enough? Explore Abtak.com's in-depth coverage on healthcare in India and discover the vital information you need to protect your well-being and the future of public health. Stay informed; stay healthy.
New Delhi, Dec 3 (PTI) Organ damage and death due to severe COVID-19 could be because of disruption to the mitochondria, or a cell's "energy-producing factory", which contributes to 'cytokine storm' -- or excessive inflammation commonly seen in these patients, a new study has found. Researchers found that the damage or stress in mitochondria can trigger immune responses, specifically those that activate the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, or 'RAAS', network of hormones, proteins and enzymes. Also Read | What Is 'Tankhah', Religious Punishment Given to Sukhbir Singh Badal by Akal Takht in 2015 Sacrilege Case?. The network is known to be essential for regulating blood pressure, but when overactivated, can trigger a string of processes causing organ damage, the researchers, including those at the University of Pittsburgh, US, said. They explained that overactivation of the RAAS network and stress in mitochondria intensify an "out-of-control" immune response, known as a 'cytokine storm' -- a common feature of severe COVID-19 and also considered a main contributor to long Covid. Also Read | Latest Government Jobs Notifications: AAI Invites Applications for 197 Graduate, Diploma and ITI Trade Apprentice Posts, Know Steps To Apply. The findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shed light on the biological processes driving organ damage and death in severe COVID-19 and helps explain why survivors can experience long-term complications. "Notably, we also found that activation of RAAS caused substantial damage to the lymph nodes (part of the immune system), which hasn't been shown in COVID-19 before," co-senior author Afshin Beheshti, a professor of surgery and computational and systems biology at the University of Pittsburgh, said. "This could explain the long-lasting immune dysregulation seen in survivors of COVID-19 and may contribute to long COVID," Beheshti said. For the study, the researchers analysed genomes in autopsy samples obtained from 40 patients who died due to the viral infection. The samples were taken from multiple organs, including nasal cavity (nose), lungs, heart and liver. The team observed an increased expression of about 50 genes involved in the functioning of one's immune system in the samples obtained from nasal swabs. Information in one's genes translate into observable behaviour and traits through the process of 'gene expression'. The authors wrote, "In total, these data suggest that overactivation of RAAS signalling and mitochondrially mediated inflammation activation holistically comprise the cytokine storm that causes lethal COVID-19." "Our study resolves some of the long-standing unanswered questions about how the SARS-CoV-2 virus impacts the body," Beheshti said. "The findings point to new avenues for developing therapies to prevent or mitigate severe COVID-19 outcomes and possibly reduce the risk of long COVID," Beheshti said. PTI
Dausa (Rajasthan) [India], July 5 (ANI): Congress leader Sachin Pilot has raised concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being conducted in Bihar, questioning the Election Commission's "haste" and said EC should carry out its work in a "transparent manner." Speaking to reporters in Dausa on Friday, Rajasthan, Pilot said, "The haste with which the Election Commission has taken this step raises significant doubts, and a group of opposition parties met them and asked questions, but no satisfactory answers were received." Also Read | Centre Notifies Waqf Management ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Jul 15 (PTI) No increase in deaths among cardiac patients or a rise in the number of admissions for cardiac ailments, Karnataka Minister Sharanprakash Patil, said on Tuesday, stating that the findings from Karnataka correspond with those of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. "So, people need not panic. There is no correlation between the COVID vaccine and these deaths," Patil told PTI Videos. Also Read | 'Welcome Back': Yogi Adityanath, Mayawati Hail Shubhanshu Shukla's Return to Earth After Completing Historic Axiom-4 Space Mission. Medical Education ...Read More >
KAMA AYURVEDA has launched Sandanya, an anti-blemish skincare collection based on Ayurveda and modern science. It offers blemish-prone skin a balanced care routine with 21 botanicals and modern actives such as botanical salicylic acid. Mahieka Sharma is the brand face, promoting mindful beauty philosophy. KAMA AYURVEDA has unveiled Sandanya, its premiere anti-blemish skincare collection, designed specifically for blemish-prone and imbalanced skin. Rooted in ancient Ayurvedic wisdom and supported ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 15 (PTI) Two people died and four others were injured after a fire broke out at a house in east Delhi's Old Govindpura area on Tuesday evening, an official said. Police have identified the deceased as Tanveer (28) and Nusrat. A call was received at Jagatpuri police station at 8.46 pm regarding a fire incident at Band Gali, Old Govindpura, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam said. When a police team reached the spot, it found that 10 people were trapped inside a residential building that caught fire, the DCP said. With the help of police personnel and fir ...Read More >
Guwahati: In a major scientific achievement on public health front, research scholars at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati have developed an innovative, low-cost method to detect SARS-CoV-2 -- the virus responsible for COVID-19 -- using nothing more than a type of clay and saltwater. This innovative mechanism, which uses sedimentation to determine the presence and quantity of the virus, offers a simpler and more affordable alternative to current diagnostic methods such as PCR and antigen testing. The study, recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Applied Clay Science, could ...Read More >
Bengaluru: Footfalls in hospitals increased by 40 per cent for heart checkups over the past two months, medical education minister Dr Sharanprakash Patil said while appealing to people not to panic as there was no significant increase in heart attack cases among youngsters.Addressing the media, Patil said Tuesday: "Only those showing symptoms of heart-related illness should go for a medical check-up. Don't rush to hospitals without a reason."He advised people to focus on leading a healthy lifestyle, getting adequate sleep, and exercising regularly.Responding to JDS MLA HD Revanna's hypothesis ...Read More >
Gurgaon: A chemist and a lab operator have been arrested for allegedly selling medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) kits illegally. Two separate FIRs were lodged against the accused at Sector 10 and Sector 9A police stations, police said on Friday.The pharmacy was sealed and medical officials have initiated proceedings to cancel its licence. District drugs control officer Suresh Verma said the department received information about illegal sales of MTP kits - also called abortion kits - from Juneja Chemist, located near Civil Hospital. A pregnant woman, who was deployed as a decoy customer, v ...Read More >
Kolkata, Jul 15 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday hailed the safe return of Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla from space, calling it a matter of national pride. Shukla, a 39-year-old Indian Air Force officer and test pilot, on Tuesday returned to the Earth after an 18-day stay at the International Space Station. Also Read | Will Samosa and Jalebi Display Cigarette-Style Health Warnings? PIB Fact Check Debunks Fake News, Says Health Ministry's Advisory Doesn't Mention Warning Labels on Indian Food Products. "Welcome home, Shubhanshu Shukla! We are r ...Read More >
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. NDM-CRE infections have been historically uncommon in the United States, the CDC said. The NDM gene - which was first identified in 2008 from a Swedish patient who had been hospitalized in New Delhi - creates an enzyme that destroys most antibiotics, including so-called carbapenems, which are usually used in last-ditch efforts to save patients with infections that fail to respond to standard antibiotics, The Washington Post ...Read More >
The United States congressional subcommittee's final report on the Covid-19 pandemic has pointed to the "lab leak" theory, making it the latest US report pinning the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to the Wuhan lab in China. "Four years after the onset of the worst pandemic in 100 years, the weight of the evidence increasingly supports the lab leak hypothesis," the 500-plus page report said, adding that since they began their work in February 2023, more senior intelligence officials, politicians, science editors, and scientists had "endorsed the hypothesis that COVID-19 emerged as the result ...Read More >
Pune: Passengers on board a Goa to Pune SpiceJet flight (SG-1080) had a scare on Tuesday evening when a window panel was found dislodged while the plane was mid-air.The airline played down the incident, saying the window part that had come off was "a non-structural trim component, fitted onto the window for the purpose of shade".But a person on board the plane -- a Bombardier Q400 -- told TOI the incident triggered anxiety among the passengers. "Two to three layers of the window panel just came off," said Aatish Mishra, the passenger."There was no depressurization, but this shouldn't have happ ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Jul 7 (PTI): The Karnataka government on Monday decided to treat sudden deaths as "notifiable disease" and conduct postmortem in such cases. State Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said there will be more screening of people above the age of 15 years in the state. The minister's remarks came in the wake of a spate of heart attacks in the state, especially in Hassan district. He also sought to clarify that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's statement linking Covid vaccine with the spate of heart attacks was not with any malafide intention. "We have decided to announce sudden deaths as ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Jul 15 (PTI) Karnataka Minister for Medical Education Sharanprakash Patil on Tuesday said there has been no rise in cardiac deaths or hospital admissions in the state, vis-a-vis covid-19 vaccination and that the findings align with those of AIIMS, New Delhi. Data shows no such correlation, he said. "So, people need not panic. There is no correlation between the covid vaccine and these deaths," Patil told PTI Videos. Patil along with Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, was addressing a press conference at Vikas Soudha to highlight the findings of reports by the Bengaluru-based Natio ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) A 27-week-old "miracle baby" survived multiple organ complications, two full blood exchanges after birth and the loss of a twin sibling to bring joy to his mother, who has survived a rare brain tumour aside from undergoing multiple failed IVF treatments. The hospital claimed it to be the first reported case in the world of a baby surviving the condition at under 28 weeks. Doctors at Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, saved the life of the newborn at just 27 weeks and four days with immune hydrops fetalis -- an extremely rare, severe condition where the 43-year-old mother's im ...Read More >
People from Indigenous communities do not show the same link between chronic inflammation and age-related illness seen in industrialised societies, a study that looked at nearly 3,000 adults in four countries has found. Inflammation is an important part of the immune system's response to infection -- but long-term inflammation can cause damage. The latest findings, published in Nature Aging on 30 June, show that chronic inflammation -- which has been long considered a hallmark of aging -- could ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 3 (PTI) The pharmaceutical industry on Thursday refuted Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's remarks linking COVID-19 vaccines with a spate of heart attack deaths in the state's Hassan district, saying such claims without scientific evidence are factually incorrect and misleading. Pharmaceutical industry leaders asserted that COVID-19 vaccines have been well-documented and rigorously tested according to regulatory standards, and linking them to the deaths in Hassan district due to cardiac ailments "without any scientific evidence is incorrect and misleading". In a post on p ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emplaned for Namibia -- the final stop of his five-nation visit -- after wrapping up his State Visit to Brasilia where he met Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and also attended the 17th BRICS Summit in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. Taking to X, the PMO wrote: "PM @narendramodi has boarded for Namibia, the final destination of his tour" Also, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randir Jaiswal wrote on X: "PM @narendramodi concludes a productive visit to Brazil and emplanes for Namibia. A memorable visit t ...Read More >
Dimapur, Jul 18 (PTI) Two persons have died of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in Nagaland, a health department official said on Friday. Chief Medical Officer, Dimapur, Dr Yartenla Jamir, said that of the seven JE cases detected in Dimapur, Chumoukedima, and Niuland districts, two persons have died so far. She expressed concern over the rise in Japanese encephalitis (JE) cases in the three districts, especially during the monsoon season, which increases the risk of transmission. The Health department has urged district administrations to issue a public advisory on JE prevention measures and to i ...Read More >
Childhood cancer is a disease no child should ever have to face. Yet, the reality is sobering: around four lakh children worldwide are diagnosed with cancer every year, and nearly 20% of these cases come from India. Awareness is the first step to changing outcomes. This is the most common and often the hardest question to answer. Unlike adult cancers, there are no proven lifestyle or environmental factors that cause cancer in children. Nearly 90% of childhood cancers are sporadic, meaning they h ...Read More >
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 7 (ANI): Seven people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Dehradun, taking the total number of cases in the district to 29. On Friday, three people from Rishikesh, one from Sahaspur, and three from the Raipur region were infected with coronavirus. According to the Health Department, 25 patients were tested for COVID-19 on Friday, seven of whom were reported to be positive. Also Read | AP Inter Supplementary Results 2025: BIEAP To Release Andhra Pradesh Inter 1st and 2nd Year Supply Exam Result Today at bie.ap.gov.in and resultsbie.ap.gov.in, Know Steps T ...Read More >
A Karnataka expert panel finds no link between heart issues and Covid-19 or vaccines. The committee investigated heart attack deaths in Hassan district. Their report suggests common risk factors like hypertension are to blame. Covid-19 vaccination may protect against cardiac events. The panel recommends public health strategies and cardiovascular screening.There is no association between premature cardiovascular disease in a patient and a prior history of Covid-19 infection or Covid vaccination, ...Read More >
MUMBAI, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Eli Lilly (LLY.N), opens new tab plans to bring its experimental oral weight-loss drug orforglipron to India as it sees market potential in the world's most populous nation, a senior executive said on Thursday. "I do think there is promise for products like that (orforpligron) in India, if it does get approved," Winselow Tucker, Lilly India's president said at an event in Mumbai. Tucker, however, did not indicate when Lilly plans to launch the drug. The drugmaker ha ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) Vegetarians consuming plant-based alternatives to meat -- suggested as one of the means to lower the environmental impact of meat consumption -- could have a 42 per cent increased risk of depression compared to vegetarians who refrain from them, according to a study. Published in the journal Food Frontiers, the study also found higher blood pressure and inflammation levels, along with lower levels of 'good' cholesterol (HDL), in vegetarians who ate plant-based meat alternatives. Researchers at the University of Surrey, UK, analysed data from over 3,300 vegetarians in ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 7 (ANI): BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, while extending Eid-al-Adha greetings and urging citizens to uphold harmony and follow government guidelines, also remarked on the completion of one month of Operation Sindoor, stating that Pakistan, a 'territory of terrorism', must eliminate the executioners of oppression and crime who, he said, are a threat to both humanity and Islam. Speaking to reporters after offering Namaz at Imamia Hall, Shia Jama Masjid, Naqvi said that everyone should respect the government's guidelines and ensure that the spirit of unity and brotherhoo ...Read More >
New Delhi, Oct 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) A reinfection with the SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind Covid-19 disease, doubled the risk of developing long Covid among children, according to a large study published in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases. The findings involving over 460,000 children and adolescents across 40 paediatric hospitals in the US found that after the first Covid infection, about 904 children per million developed long Covid within six months. Following a reinfection, this number more than doubled to approximately 1,884 children per million. The kids were more likely to suffe ...Read More >
Nagpur: As the world observes World Environment Day 2025 with the pressing theme "Ending Plastic Pollution Globally", doctors from various specialities in Nagpur are voicing serious concerns about the direct impact of plastic waste and broader environmental degradation on human health. From diabetes and heart disease to childhood ailments and breathing disorders, experts warn that toxins from plastics and pollution are silently driving a modern health crisis.Veteran diabetologist Dr Sunil Gupta pointed out that microplastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) found in plastic packaging, ...Read More >
Lucknow: Senior Samajwadi Party leader and former minister Gayatri Prajapati was attacked by a fellow inmate inside Lucknow Jail on Tuesday. The scuffle took place within the jail premises, after which prison authorities launched an internal inquiry. According to a statement issued by Dr Ramdhani, DIG Prisons, Lucknow Range, the incident occurred after Prajapati allegedly used abusive language towards another inmate, Vishwas Rajput. In response, Vishwas attacked Prajapati using a sharp object inside the cell. DIG Prisons clarified that the incident was not premeditated and dismissed any spec ...Read More >
CHANDIGARH: A portion of the frontal section of Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira's house in Bholath, Kapurthala, was demolished on Monday by the office of the Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO). Khaira, a strong critic of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, condemned the move, calling it the dangerous introduction of "bulldozer (Pila-Panja) politics" in Punjab by Mann under directions from AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, aimed at silencing criticism and democratic dissent. As the demolition began, Khaira went live on social media, criticising the state government. Anticipating the ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Jul 5 (PTI) There is no association between premature cardiovascular disease in a patient and a prior history of Covid-19 infection or covid vaccination, an expert committee tasked with investigating the recent cases of heart attack deaths in Karnataka concluded. On the contrary, a report submitted by the panel said that Covid-19 vaccination has been shown to be protective against cardiac events in the long term. The state government constituted an expert committee headed by Dr Ravindranath, Director of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research to investigate the ...Read More >
Eating lots of ultra processed food could increase your risk of suffering an unsightly scaly skin condition by over a third, French research suggests. Experts came to this conclusion after analysing health and diet data from over 18,000 people taking part in long term study on nutrition. Dividing the group into three tiers based on the amount of ultra-processed food (UPF) they ate per day on average, the scientists found the group which ate the most had a 36 per cent increased risk of suffering from psoriasis. Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes flaky, scaly patches of skin to appear ...Read More >