Category: LIFESTYLE

New Delhi, Dec 21 (IANS) Brains of people with high glucose levels and inflammation can age faster, increasing their risk of developing dementia, according to a study.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden used an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to analyse brain images from 739 cognitively healthy people aged 70-years to explore the brain’s biological age.

They found various risk and health factors that determine the speed at which the brain ages.

The study, presented in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, showed that diabetes, stroke, cerebral small vessel disease, and inflammation were linked to brains with an older appearance,

On the other hand, healthy lifestyles involving regular exercise were linked to brains with a younger appearance, the study added.

The team conducted MRI scans of the participant’s brains and then estimated the age of the resulting brain images using their AI-based algorithm. Further, blood samples were taken for measuring lipids, glucose, and inflammation; and their cognitive abilities were also tested.

The AI tool estimated the brain age for both sexes to be on average 71 years. The researchers then looked at the ”brain age gap” by subtracting the participants’ estimated biological brain age from their chronological age.

“A take-home from the study is that factors that adversely affect the blood vessels can also be related to older-looking brains,” said lead author Anna Marseglia, a researcher at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet.

This “shows how important it is to keep your blood vessels healthy, to protect your brain, by making sure, for instance, that your blood glucose level is kept stable,” Marseglia added.

The team next aims to launch a study to understand how women and men may differ in how they build resilience,

–IANS

rvt/

New Delhi, Dec 21 (IANS) Some people with artificial hearts can regenerate heart muscle, according to a study, an advance that may open the door to new ways to treat and someday may also cure heart failure.

There is currently no cure for heart failure. The treatment for advanced heart failure includes a transplant, and a pump replacement via an artificial heart. Known as the left ventricular assist device, this can help the heart pump blood.

Researchers from the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine in the US said that “skeletal muscle has a significant ability to regenerate after injury”.

The team began the study with tissue from artificial heart patients. They included researchers from Sweden and Germany and used their own innovative method of carbon dating human heart tissue to track whether these samples contained newly generated cells.

The results, published in the journal Circulation, showed that people with these artificial hearts could regenerate muscle cells at more than six times the rate of healthy hearts.

“This is the strongest evidence we have, so far, that human heart muscle cells can actually regenerate, which really is exciting, because it solidifies the notion that there is an intrinsic capacity of the human heart to regenerate,” said Hesham Sadek, director of the Tucson’s Sarver Heart Center at the varsity.

The researcher explained that some artificial heart patients can remove their devices because of the reversal of symptoms. This can happen if the artificial heart provides cardiac muscles the equivalent of bed rest in a person recovering from a soccer injury.

The findings suggest it “may be possible to target the molecular pathways involved in cell division to enhance the heart’s ability to regenerate,” Sadek said.

–IANS

rvt/

New Delhi, Dec 21 (IANS) From just 50 biotech startups in 2014 in India, the ecosystem has grown to nearly 9,000 in the last decade, said Union Minister Jitendra Singh.

At an event held in the national capital, Singh attributed the increase to the remarkable growth in bio-economy in the last 10 years — from $10 billion in 2014 to over $130 billion in 2024. The bio-economy industry is expected to reach $300 billion by 2030.

“With the kind of threat of pollution, the climate challenges, etc., being faced, this government has held sustainability at a very high priority. This is quite contrary to the times till about 10-15 years ago when India was not taken very seriously as far as issues like climate or the green concerns because they thought either India was alien to it or maybe we didn’t understand the seriousness of it,”

Singh noted that “sustainability” is of high priority for the government amid the continuing threat of “pollution, and the climate change challenges”.

He also highlighted India’s aim to achieve a net zero target by 2070, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced at COP-26 in 2021.

Singh informed that in the last few years, the government has undertaken several initiatives towards sustainability. This includes the Green Hydrogen mission, the mission for climate change, and the deep sea mission.

The government’s recently introduced ‘BioE3 Policy’ is also an important step forward towards sustainable growth in the backdrop of climate change, depleting non-renewable resources and unsustainable waste generation.

“The rise of biotech startups is pivotal for our future economy. These efforts place India at the forefront of the global bioplastics movement, showing the world how biotechnology can contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable future,” Singh said, in October.

–IANS

rvt/

New Delhi, Dec 20 (IANS) About 36 crore beneficiaries have been verified under the flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri-Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav told the Parliament on Friday.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister Jadhav said that under the AB PM-JAY scheme “8.39 crore hospital admissions worth over Rs 1.16 lakh crore have been authorised”.

The AB PM-JAY provides health cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to approximately 55 crore beneficiaries. This corresponds to 12.37 crore families constituting economically vulnerable bottom 40 per cent of India’s population.

The scheme has also led to “significant saving towards Out-of-Pocket-Expenditure (OOPE) for beneficiaries related to hospitalisation costs”, Minister Jadhav said.

The MoS saiid that many states/UTs have implemented the scheme by converging their respective State Health Insurance Schemes with AB PM-JAY.

“This has led to the inclusion of more than 18 crore families,” he said.

Further, in March 2024, 37 lakh families of ASHA, Anganwadi Workers, and Anganwadi Helpers were also included in the scheme.

In October, the scheme was expanded to provide free treatment benefits of up to an additional Rs 5 lakh per year to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their socio-economic status.

The estimated number of beneficiary families aged 70 years and above across the country is 4.5 crore corresponding to the 6 crore individuals under the scheme.

Meanwhile, Minister Jadhav also listed out initiatives undertaken by the government to tackle the rising cases of diabetes, hypertension, oral cancer, breast cancer and cervical cancer.

He stated that under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) part of the National Health Mission (NHM), “770 district NCD clinics, 372 district day care centres, 233 cardiac care units and 6,410 community health centre NCD clinics have been set up”.

The Centre has also rolled out a population-based initiative for screening, management and prevention of common NCDs including diabetes, hypertension, oral cancer, breast cancer and cervical cancer, as part of comprehensive Primary Health Care under NHM.

“Screening of these common NCDs is an integral part of service delivery,” the MoS said, adding the government also promotes a healthy lifestyle by observing health days related to NCDs and use of social media for continued community awareness.

Jadhav also lauded the role of the community, ASHAs in spreading awareness about NCDs.

–IANS

rvt/pgh

New Delhi, Dec 20 (IANS) Humanoid robotics technologies will soon transform healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, and service industries by offering advanced dexterity, precision, and human-like capabilities, according to a report on Friday.

The report by GlobalData, a data and analytics company, showed that human-like dexterity and intelligence can help automate complex tasks, address labour shortages, as well as enhance operational efficiency across such industries.

“The rapid progress in humanoid robotics signals a turning point in robotics innovation. From water-powered biomimetic systems replicating human anatomy to AI-driven robots capable of learning and adapting to real-world tasks, these developments unlock unprecedented potential,” said Saurabh Daga, Project Manager of Disruptive Tech at GlobalData.

“Breakthroughs in dexterity, power efficiency, and real-time adaptability mean these robots are no longer just prototypes; they are evolving into functional systems that can replace or augment human roles across industries. As energy efficiency, modularity, and AI capabilities advance, humanoid robots will transform healthcare, automation, and labor-intensive industries, paving the way for cost-effective, precise, and intelligent solutions to global challenges,” he added.

As per GlobalData’s Disruptor Intelligence Centre, there are key developments in humanoid robotics. The new robots can mimic human anatomy and movement using advanced biomimetic technologies that can have potential applications in healthcare, prosthetics, and industrial automation.

These also come with enhanced flexibility and optional dexterous hands, and being powered by AI can autonomously perform delicate tasks, making them suitable for domestic and industrial use while addressing labor shortages.

Daga noted that beyond making an industrial impact, the novel humanoid systems are rapidly advancing in sophistication, combining AI, biomimetic engineering, and real-time adaptability.

He also highlighted challenges such as cost, scalability, and energy efficiency, Yet, “advancements in biomimetic technologies, AI integration, and modular systems are accelerating innovation”.

He urged for collaborative efforts among developers, manufacturers, and researchers will be critical to unlocking the full potential of humanoid robotics and achieving widespread adoption.

–IANS

rvt/

New Delhi, Dec 20 (IANS) Foetus suffering from major congenital heart defects (MCHDs) may triple the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preeclampsia and preterm birth, finds a study.

MCHDs occur in approximately 1 in 100 live births, and can negatively impact both the health of the mother and the long-term outcomes for the child.

Researchers from the Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen showed that about 23 per cent of pregnancies affected by foetal MCHD also result in adverse obstetric outcomes including preeclampsia, preterm birth, fetal growth restriction, and placental abruption.

The findings were based on data from 534,170 pregnancies, including 745 cases complicated by foetal MCHDs in Denmark. Pregnancies resulting in live births after 24 gestational weeks and without chromosomal aberrations were included in the study.

The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, also assessed 11 MCHD subtypes, including univentricular heart, transposition of the great arteries (TGA), and atrioventricular septal defect.

Data on the obstetric risk profile for specific MCHD subtypes are limited and thus slow down the development of preventive interventions.

Pregnancies complicated by MCHDs suffered an adverse obstetric outcome rate of 22.8 per cent.

While foetal growth restriction occurred in 6.7 per cent of MCHD pregnancies, a higher prevalence of preeclampsia was found in 6.2 per cent of MCHD pregnancies.

They also found a 15.7 per cent increased risk of preterm births in MCHD pregnancies. While Placental abruption was rare it showed a significant trend toward higher incidence 0.9 per cent.

All MCHD subtypes, except TGA, were associated with significantly higher odds of the composite adverse outcome. The highest risk was observed in pregnancies with truncus arteriosus, pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum, and Ebstein anomaly.

The team also confirmed the findings with a meta-analysis of 5,993 cases of MCHDs. Notably, pregnancies with fetal TGA did not exhibit elevated risks of preeclampsia, preterm birth, or fetal growth restriction, the findings showed.

–IANS

rvt/

New Delhi, Dec 20 (IANS) Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a significant health burden in India, according to a study, published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal, on Friday.

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurological and developmental disorder. The condition majorly affects how people interact, communicate, and behave with others.

The study, based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021, ranks autism among the top 10 causes of non-fatal health burden in youth under 20 years old.

The study showed that India had 708·1 case of ASD per 100, 000 persons in 2021. Of these, 483·7 were females, while 921·4 were males. About 140 per 100,000 persons suffered poor health and disability due to ASD in India in 2021.

Globally, an estimated 61.8 million people, or one in every 127 persons were autistic in 2021. The study also showed stark disparities based on gender.

At 1,065 cases per 100,000 males, the global prevalence of ASD was found to be significantly higher among males. It was almost double the global prevalence among females (508 per 100,000 females), the study showed.

While the high-income Asia Pacific, including Japan, recorded the highest prevalence globally (1,560 per 100,000 people), Tropical Latin America and Bangladesh reported the lowest number of ASD cases.

“The findings underscore the urgent need for early detection and sustained support for autistic individuals and their caregivers worldwide,” said the researchers, while urging the need to prioritise resources for early detection of the disease.

The researchers also called for developing improved diagnostic tools, particularly for adults and those in low and middle-income countries with limited access to care, caregiver support, and services tailored to the evolving needs of autistic individuals across their lifespan.

Further, the team also highlighted the need to improve geographic data coverage and targeted interventions for comorbidities and mortality risks, such as suicide among people with ASD.

–IANS

rvt/

New Delhi, Dec 20 (IANS) The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi on Friday announced a collaboration with Blockchain For Impact (BFI) to enhance biomedical research and innovation in the public health sector.

As per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the two organisations, BFI will support a project exploring genetic and epigenetic factors to identify potential marks for recurrent urinary tract infections.

Recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTI) represent a major healthcare and economic burden with a significant impact on patient’s morbidity and quality of life.

The project, led by Dr. Sarita Mohapatra, Additional Professor, Department of Microbiology at AIIMS Delhi is funded under the BFI-BIOME Medical INI Grant Programme, which supports Medical Institutes of National Importance (INIs) through the Blockchain For Impact Biomedical Virtual Network (BFI-BIOME).

This network, created by BFI, aims to foster multisectoral collaboration, support upstream and deep science research, and drive innovation to strengthen biomedical research in India.

AIIMS Delhi is home to 25 clinical departments and four super-specialty centers. Its research initiatives have made significant contributions to combating infectious diseases such as leprosy, malaria, and tuberculosis, as well as non-communicable diseases like diabetes, and more.

The partnership with AIIMS Delhi aligns perfectly with BFI’s mission to accelerate transformative healthcare solutions through cutting-edge biomedical innovation.

“At AIIMS New Delhi, we are committed to advancing healthcare innovation through cutting-edge research and technology. The support from the BFI-BIOME Medical INI Grant Programme enables us to explore new frontiers in medical science, empowering our faculty and researchers to make transformative contributions to global healthcare,” said Dr. M Srinivas, Director of AIIMS Delhi.

“The BFI-BIOME initiative represents a paradigm shift by fostering collaboration between leading biomedical researchers, clinicians, and innovators to pioneer the next generation of health interventions. Partnering with AIIMS Delhi is a step in the right direction for us. It reinforces our commitment to strengthening the healthcare ecosystem in India,” added Sandeep Nailwal, the visionary founder of BFI.

This partnership between AIIMS Delhi with BFI marks a pivotal milestone in the BFI-BIOME Network Programme’s ongoing efforts to advance biomedical research and innovation in India.

By fostering innovation and equitable access, BFI aims to create a transformative healthcare ecosystem that addresses the nation’s most pressing medical challenges.

–IANS

rvt/

New Delhi, Dec 20 (IANS) Scientists from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST) Mohali, an autonomous institution of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have found that nanoplastics derived from single-use plastic bottles (SUPBs) may be contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance.

Amid growing concerns about the joint threats of plastic pollution and antibiotic resistance, the new study, published in the journal Nanoscale, underscores an unrecognised public health risk.

Nanoplastics and microorganisms coexist in diverse environments, including the human gut, and research has shown them to affect health.

In the study, the INST team traced how plastic nanoparticles could impact bacteria. They focussed on Lactobacillus acidophilus — which plays a central role in the gut microbiota.

Dr. Manish Singh and his team investigated whether nanoplastics could transform beneficial bacteria into carriers of antibiotic-resistance genes and pose a risk to human gut microbiome health.

They utilised the used plastic water bottles to synthesise environmentally relevant nanoplastics particles as these polyethylene terephthalate bottle-derived nanoplastics (PBNPs) better represent the actual pollutant nanoplastics generated due to dumping of single-use plastic bottles and containers.

The scientists demonstrated that PBNPs can facilitate the cross-species gene transfer from E. coli to Lactobacillus acidophilus via a process called horizontal gene transfer (HGT). This particularly occurs through outer membrane vesicle (OMV) secretion in bacteria.

They explained that there are two novel mechanisms through which PBNPs facilitate antibiotic resistance gene transfer. One of them is through the direct transformation pathway in which PBNPs act as physical carriers, transporting antibiotic resistance plasmids across bacterial membranes and promoting direct gene transfer between bacteria.

The other one is through OMV-Induced Transfer Pathway in which PBNPs induce oxidative stress and damage to bacterial surfaces, which makes stress response genes pro-active and triggers an increase in outer membrane vesicle (OMV) secretion.

These OMVs, loaded with antibiotic resistance genes, become potent vectors for gene transfer across bacterial species, thus facilitating the spread of antibiotic resistance genes even among unrelated bacteria. This reveals an important and previously overlooked dimension of nanoplastics’ effects on microbial communities.

The study highlights how nanoplastics might unexpectedly contribute to the antibiotic resistance crisis by introducing antibiotic resistance genes to beneficial gut bacteria like Lactobacillus acidophilus, which may subsequently pass these genes to pathogens.

It indicates that beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus acidophilus could act as reservoirs for antibiotic resistance genes, potentially transferring these genes to pathogenic bacteria during infections.

Protecting beneficial gut bacteria is crucial for immune support, digestion, and disease prevention. Limiting nanoplastic contamination could help preserve gut microbiota integrity, minimising the chances of antibiotic resistance gene transfer from beneficial to pathogenic bacteria and supporting microbiome resilience.

–IANS

rvt/

Chennai, Dec 19 (IANS) Ayush Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha on Thursday urged for partnerships with IITs to facilitate startup opportunities in Siddha.

He gave the call at the 8th Siddha Day celebration on the theme ‘Siddha for Public Health’, organised at the Anna Centenary Library Auditorium, Kotturpuram, in Chennai.

Kotecha commended the woman power of Siddha scholars who achieved accolades in academics and mini projects. He also congratulated the inclusion of Kabasura kudineer as a drug for the National Clinical Management Protocol for Covid-19.

“The young generation must capitalise on these opportunities in Siddha,” the Secretary said, while urging “hand-holding with IITs to facilitate start-up opportunities in Siddha through Central Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS), Ministry of Ayush”.

“The out-performance of the Ayush sector was 8-fold in the last 10 years,” he said.

Calling it the “golden era” of the Ayush sector, he urged emerging Siddha doctors to utilise this opportunity.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Ayush Prataprao Jadhav in his virtual address to the gathering, expressed happiness for organising the 8th Siddha Day. He called for planning a Siddha expo for wide circulation of different aspects of Siddha and modern developments.

Jadhav also pressed the need for integration of the ancient Siddha system of medicine with modern medicine by celebrating Siddha Day.

The event saw participation from 1,500 faculties of Siddha, scholars and students.

A medicinal plants expo comprising 240 authentic live plants and 130 raw materials, equipment used by ancient Siddhars, ancient books and life history of Siddha stalwarts, palm leaf manuscripts, and various therapies of Siddha medicine were also displayed at the event. The Siddhayitool which is used for self-assessment of the body constitution was made freely available at the venue. Siddha Formulary of India, Part 3 (Tamil version) and souvenirs of the 8th Siddha Day and Proceedings of National Conference on Ancient Wisdom of Siddha Medicine in Preventive and Promotive Healthcare organised by the CCRS were released during the event.

–IANS

rvt/vd