EXPLAINED HEALTH NEWS

Why Covid-19 cases are rising in India, and what you need to knowSubscriber Only

June 1, 2025 16:48 IST

Covid-19 subvariant NB.1.8.1: In India, the virus in most Covid samples sequenced over the past couple of months has been identified as either BA.2 or JN.1.

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Shingles vaccine & lower dementia risk: what new study saysSubscriber Only

May 17, 2025 07:00 IST

Shingles is a viral infection that causes painful rashes. While shingles can occur anywhere on the body, it typically looks like a single stripe of blisters that wraps around the left or right side of the torso, along the path of the nerve from which the virus spreads.

Explained: ‘Wonder drug’ Ozempic could reverse liver disease, finds studySubscriber Only

May 6, 2025 19:11 IST

The reserarchers found that a weekly dose of semaglutide was effective at treating Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH), a serious form of fatty liver disease

Why Tamil Nadu banned egg mayonnaiseSubscriber Only

April 24, 2025 18:55 IST

Mayonnaise today has become an ubiquitous ingredient in global fast food cuisine. Versions made of raw eggs, however, can pose serious health risks

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Type 5 diabetes recognised as distinct form of disease: why is this significant?Subscriber Only

April 17, 2025 17:40 IST

Neglected for decades in research, and frequently misdiagnosed, it has taken a long time for Type 5 diabetes, caused by malnutrition-induced lowering of insulin production, to gain official recognition.

How scientists developed a new way of examining a rare form of colorectal cancerSubscriber Only

April 14, 2025 13:42 IST

CRCs are the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the world. However, SRCC is an uncommon variant of CRC. Globally, this type of cancer constitutes about 1% of all cases of CRC.

A doctor offers flowers to a TB (Tuberculosis) patient on World TB Day, at Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital, in Agartala, Monday, March 24, 2025. (PTI Photo)

World TB Day: Why Tuberculosis manifests in many different waysSubscriber Only

March 24, 2025 17:32 IST

TB is a result of complex interplay between M.tb and human immune cells. While current research can explain why TB manifests differently in different people, sustained efforts are needed to translate these into interventions.

According to two new Lancet studies, over half of all adults, and a third of all children and adolescents worldwide, will be overweight or obese by 2050. (Freepik)

India may have second-largest overweight or obese population by 2050: What new studies revealSubscriber Only

March 9, 2025 18:15 IST

Both studies estimated that India’s number of overweight and obese people will keep increasing till 2050. What may be the health impact, and what can be done to combat the obesity epidemic?

The quality of information an AI model is trained on determines the quality of its medical advice. The problem is that no one knows exactly what information specific models are trained on.

Can you trust AI medical advice from ChatGPT?Subscriber Only

March 2, 2025 14:39 IST

One study in 2024 challenged ChatGPT3.5 with 150 medical cases — including patient history, symptoms, and hospital test data — and asked the AI to make diagnoses and a treatment plan. The results weren't great.

Your stomach is full, but you’re still craving sweets. Here’s whySubscriber Only

February 22, 2025 20:39 IST

Nerve cells that tell us that we are full are the ones which also make us crave sweets, a new study found. Can this help us fight obesity?

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US FDA approves suzetrigne: Why the non-opioid painkiller may be a game changerSubscriber Only

February 1, 2025 07:04 IST

Opioids are a class of drugs that “derive from, or mimic, natural substances found in the opium poppy plant”, according to the website of the US-based Johns Hopkins Medicine. Some common opioids include oxycodone, morphine, codeine, heroin, and fentanyl.

Greeshma Sharon Raj murder case: photo of the couple on left; representational image of herbicide to represent paraquat poison chemical on right

What is paraquat poisoning, by which Greeshma killed her boyfriend Sharon Raj?Subscriber Only

January 25, 2025 19:39 IST

SHARON RAJ MURDER CASE: A Kerala woman was sentenced to death this week for the 2022 murder of her boyfriend. She used paraquat, a toxic chemical and one of the world’s most-used herbicides.

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Adults diagnosed with ADHD have shorter life expectancy: StudySubscriber Only

January 25, 2025 11:28 IST

The study, ‘Life expectancy and years of life lost for adults with diagnosed ADHD in the UK’, was published in the British Journal of Psychiatry on Thursday. It was carried out by a team of eight UK-based researchers.

A woman in a white tshirt holds a yellow centimeter tape in her hands; Obesity, Lancet definition

New definition for obesity? What a new Lancet commission has proposed to replace BMISubscriber Only

January 21, 2025 06:31 IST

This comes after years of research, and the piling up of a significant body of evidence suggesting that BMI alone is an inadequate measure for diagnosing, and treating people for obesity.

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What is the Genome India project, why it mattersSubscriber Only

January 15, 2025 12:56 IST

Genome India Project: The newly unveiled database showcases the genome sequences of healthy individuals from 99 ethnic populations of the country, creating a baseline map of India’s genetic diversity.

What US Surgeon General says about drinking and cancer riskSubscriber Only

January 6, 2025 10:48 IST

Growing research has shown that even one drink per day can increase the risk of certain cancers such as breast, mouth, and throat cancers.

It's not just black plastic, though. In 2024, the Research Council of Norway identified a quarter of all plastic chemicals — not just those found in black recycled plastics — are hazardous to human health and the environment.

Potential cancer-causing chemicals have been found in black spatulas, takeaway containers. Is it time to throw them out?Subscriber Only

December 31, 2024 19:01 IST

Everyday things made from black plastic, including cooking utensils, could be leaching harmful chemicals into your food.

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Looking at 2025, Health: Breakthroughs of hope and promiseSubscriber Only

December 27, 2024 13:07 IST

Weight-loss treatments are on the cusp of a revolution, and could benefit large numbers of Indians after the main patent expires. Immunotherapies and personalised treatments could transform cancer therapy.

A vaccine for cancer: What Russian scientists have claimed, what the research showsSubscriber Only

December 27, 2024 18:05 IST

The Russian mRNA vaccine under development can be “personalised” based on the genetic analysis of each person’s tumour to identify mutations called neoantigens. What are neoantigens, and how do they work?

Epigamia CEO dies of sudden cardiac arrest: How is it different from a heart attackSubscriber Only

December 24, 2024 11:40 IST

Rohan Mirchandani death: A sudden cardiac arrest is described as a condition where the heart comes to a standstill and loses all its activity due to an irregular heart rhythm. This is not the same as a heart attack. We explain.

How intermittent fasting could lead to hair lossSubscriber Only

December 16, 2024 13:07 IST

With intermittent fasting becoming one of the biggest fad diets on the planet, researchers have attempted to better analyse its outcomes. Not all of the results have been positive.

Ultra-processed food were over 50% of US ADults’ diets: study

What a new study found on ultra-processed foods in US adults’ dietsSubscriber Only

December 13, 2024 12:49 IST

Researchers found that overall, ultra-processed foods comprised more than half of all calories consumed at home, rising from 51% in 2003 to 54% in 2018. Here is why this was flagged as a concern.

Marburg virus outbreak: Soldiers in Angola, wearing biohazard suits as they bury two bodies at a cemetery in 2005, during a Marburg outbreak in Angola. (Evelyn Hockstein/The New York Times)

Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda: Why ‘bleeding eye disease’ is a global concernSubscriber Only

December 3, 2024 17:35 IST

Marburg virus disease: Public health officials around the world are monitoring the spread of a deadly virus in Rwanda, which is responsible for causing what is ominously known as ‘bleeding eye disease’ . Here is all you need to know

‘Obesity memory’ of your cells: Why it is hard to maintain healthy weightSubscriber Only

November 24, 2024 12:53 IST

Keeping weight off can be hard. Often it feels like you're fighting with your body to keep the weight off after months of successful dieting and exercise. A new study has discovered why

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Why the decline in US overdose deaths is not all good newsSubscriber Only

November 23, 2024 04:30 IST

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 111,802 overdose deaths were reported in the 12 months ending August 2023. This number fell to 93,087 in June 2024 (the last month for which data are available) — a 16.4% drop in a 10-month span.

Will go after other targets if no peace, says Trump as US strikes 3 nuclear sites in Iran

WorldJune 25, 2025

President Donald Trump said that the United States military had struck three nuclear-related facilities in Iran, marking a dramatic escalation in the ongoing conflict and a direct American role in efforts to dismantle Tehran’s infrastructure. The strikes represent the most significant direct US military action against Iranian territory in years and come amid rising regional tensions.

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