India’s first government-run artificial intelligence (AI) clinic, launched recently at the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in Greater Noida, marks a major step in integrating advanced technology in the public health system of the country, according to a media report.

The initiative aims to boost early detection of diseases, diagnostics, and treatment, which can be crucial to improving outcomes and survival rates, Gulf News reported.

Type 2 diabetes quietly changes the heart structure and how it produces energy, thus increasing the risk of heart failure, according to a study.

Researchers at the University of Sydney, Australia, studied donated human hearts and found that diabetes disrupts how heart cells produce energy, weakens the muscle’s structure, and triggers a buildup of stiff, fibrous tissue that makes it harder for the heart to pump.

These effects were most pronounced in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy-- the leading cause of heart failure.

Patients with cancer are more likely to die from cardiovascular diseases, according to a study.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, showed that the risk may be related to altered expression of inflammation‐ and coagulation‐related proteins.

The researchers from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences stressed the need to manage endocrine, kidney, and inflammation‐related risk factors in people with cancer.

“Our study found an elevated cardiovascular death in patients with cancer,” said the team.

Regular eating of fast foods, ranging from deep-fried snacks served as street food to quick-service restaurant chains, can cause serious damage to health, which can, in the long run, lead to several diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular conditions, contributing to death, said experts here on Saturday.

The doctors said this as social media was recently flooded with viral posts claiming that an 11th-grade student from Amroha district in Uttar Pradesh, admitted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi in December, died due to excessive consumption of junk food.

Short bursts of energetic activity for 10 minutes daily could not only increase your fitness levels, but also help fight bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, according to a study.

The study by researchers at Newcastle University showed that short and intense exercise activity can trigger rapid molecular changes in the bloodstream, shutting down bowel cancer growth and speeding up DNA damage repair.

The West Bengal Health Department has scheduled a crucial meeting on January 9 to finalise the draft of the State Antibiotic Action Plan, aimed at curbing the rampant use of antibiotics and tackling antimicrobial resistance across the state.

A state secretariat official said on Saturday that representatives from various concerned departments will also be present at the meeting. Besides the health department, officials from the animal husbandry, fisheries, and environment departments will join the discussions to ensure a comprehensive approach. Areas with high mosquito breeding will be identified, and efforts will be made to introduce guppy fish breeding in these areas.

Nearly 80-85 per cent of individuals suffering from psychiatric disorders do not receive timely or appropriate care due to stigma and lack of awareness, said mental experts here on Saturday.

Speaking at the curtain raiser Event of the 77th Annual National Conference of the Indian Psychiatric Society, ANCIPS 2026 Delhi, the experts warned that despite advances in treatment and increasing awareness, the majority of people with mental illness continue to remain outside the formal healthcare system.

The United States reported more than 2,000 measles cases in 2025, the highest annual total since 1992, according to the latest data released by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As of December 30, a total of 2,065 confirmed measles cases had been reported nationwide, with about 11 per cent of patients requiring hospitalisation. The cases were reported across 44 US jurisdictions, along with a small number of cases among international visitors to the United States, the CDC said.

Chennai is set to get a dedicated public women's cancer screening centre at Thousand Lights by February.

The facility, being established at a cost of Rs 1.23 crore, will offer free screening services for breast, cervical and ovarian cancers - affecting women in Tamil Nadu the most.

The three-storeyed centre will be operated by the Greater Chennai Corporation's Health Department and will function from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on all days except Sundays.

The Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday that the Ophthalmology Department at the Army Hospital Research and Referral (AHRR) has successfully performed India’s first-ever 3D Flex Aqueous Angiography with iStent, combining advanced imaging with minimally invasive glaucoma surgery.

Conducted with the new stand-mounted Spectralis system and a state-of-the-art 3D operating microscope, this pioneering procedure places the Armed Forces Medical Services at the forefront of global ophthalmic care in a landmark achievement for Indian medicine, the ministry said in a statement.

The government has banned the manufacture, sale and distribution of all oral formulations of pain and fever medications, containing Nimesulide above 100 milligrams in immediate‑release dosage form, with immediate effect.

The drug was prohibited under Section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 after consultation with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board.

The drug-resistant fungal species Candida auris is turning more deadly and is also spreading globally, according to a study led by Indian researchers.

Candida auris is a multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen that has a unique ability to grow and persist on human skin.

The study by researchers from the Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, in collaboration with the team at the National Institutes of Health in the US, showed that invasive fungal infections are spreading across the globe, and gaining in virulence, affecting about 6.5 million people per year.

Abundance of severe gum disease -- periodontitis -- may worsen disability for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system.

Previous studies have shown that periodontitis may contribute to central nervous system disorders through chronic inflammation. However, its role in multiple sclerosis has been unclear.

The new research, published in the journal Scientific Reports, found that high levels of Fusobacterium nucleatum -- a bacterium found in the mouth -- were associated with about ten-fold higher odds of severe disability in multiple sclerosis patients.

 An international team of researchers has discovered a new method to fight cancers that no longer respond to treatment.

The team led by Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science used mutations that make tumours drug-resistant, news agency reported.

One of the biggest challenges in cancer care is when a therapy stops working.

Japan's agriculture ministry said on Tuesday that it has confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a poultry farm in Saitama Prefecture, marking the country's 12th outbreak this season and the first case in the greater Tokyo area.

The affected farm is located in Ranzan Town, Saitama, north of Tokyo, which raises about 240,000 egg-laying chickens, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

The greater Tokyo area comprises Tokyo and the surrounding prefectures of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) may not replace professional care, chatbots like ChatGPT may help reduce mental health stigma, particularly for people hesitant to seek traditional face-to-face support, according to a study.

The team from Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Australia surveyed 73 people who had used ChatGPT for personal mental health support, investigating ChatGPT use and its perceived effectiveness related to stigma.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message against the misuse of antibiotics is timely and draws attention to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) -- a very important health concern, said health experts on Monday.

PM Modi, in his last 'Mann Ki Baat' of the year on Sunday, warned people against the misuse of antibiotics and raised the concern of rising levels of AMR in the country.

The Prime Minister cited a recent alarming report by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), which stated that antibiotics are becoming less effective against diseases such as pneumonia and UTIs in India.

Calling it “extremely worrying”, he urged people not to take antibiotics casually.

A team of US researchers has developed and validated an artificial intelligence (AI)-based non-invasive tool that can predict the risk of head and neck cancer spread.

The AI tool by researchers from the Mass General Brigham could predict the likelihood that a patient's oropharyngeal cancer -- a type of head and neck cancer that develops in the throat -- will spread. It could help doctors by signaling which patients should receive aggressive treatment.

An individualised approach to breast cancer screening that assesses patients' risk, rather than annual mammograms, can lower the chance of more advanced cancers, while still safely matching people to the amount of screening they need, according to a study.

The findings, by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), based on a study of 46,000 US women, support shifting the approach to screening from one that is based on age alone to one that starts with comprehensive risk assessment to determine each woman's optimal screening schedule.

Hyderabad-based drugmaker Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) on Saturday refuted claims by Australian health authorities over fake doses of its antirabies vaccine in India.

Earlier this week, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation issued an alert that counterfeit batches of rabies vaccine Abhayrab have been circulating in India since November 2023.

IIL has been manufacturing Abhayrab in India since 2000.

Micro hospitals, which replace fragmented tertiary models with specialist-led coordinated care and reduced wait times, can play a crucial role in the country’s fight against the rising epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), said experts on Saturday.

NCDs, which include diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and obesity, affect over million in India and are behind 63 per cent of all deaths, as per the WHO data.

The rising burden of NCDs is also affecting the healthcare system.

 Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Friday undertook a review of the progress of Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission to ensure the quality of medicines.

Pharmacovigilance by IPC plays a major role in safeguarding patient health. The body regulates the quality, safety, and efficacy of the India-made medicines for both the domestic and global markets.

Nadda stated that the efforts signal the country's growing scientific self-reliance. The meeting was themed 'advancing towards Viksit Bharat by ensuring pharmaceutical quality and safety'.

From changing the definition to the rise of GLP-1 medications, and the government’s several initiatives, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi's clarion call, obesity became the focus of healthcare in India in 2025.

The anti-obesity drive, especially the generic drugs, will continue to remain a key focus in 2026.

Traditionally, Body Mass Index (BMI) was used to define obesity, but after 15 long years, India revamped its obesity guidelines in 2025 by lowering the threshold for obesity to 25 kg/m² (down from the international 30 kg/m²), with "overweight" defined between 23.0 and 24.9 kg/m².

A newly developed artificial intelligence (AI) model is highly accurate in predicting blood loss in patients undergoing high-volume cosmetic surgery procedures, such as liposuction, according to a study.

While liposuction performed in more than 2.3 million patients per year to remove stubborn fat from the face, abdomen, thighs, arms, or neck is generally safe, excessive blood loss is a potentially serious complication, especially when higher volumes of fat are removed.

Women working on the night shift or frequently flying across time zones, where they experience an irregular sleep schedule, may increase their risk of aggressive breast cancer, according to a study.

The team from the Texas A&M University College of Arts and Sciences explained that circadian disruptions change the structure of mammary glands and weaken the immune system's defenses, all the while pointing toward a new way to counteract these effects.

Long-term exposure to specific particulate matter components, such as PM2.5, including sulphate, ammonium, elemental carbon, and soil dust, can increase the risk of mental health issues like depression, according to a study.

The study, published in the JAMA Network Open, found the risk to be more pronounced in older adults, particularly those with preexisting conditions such as cardiometabolic and neurologic comorbidities.

In a significant breakthrough, US researchers have found in animal studies that Alzheimer's disease can be reverse, challenging previous studies that for over a century considered the neurodegenerative disease to be irreversible.

The new study, published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine and based on diverse preclinical mouse models and human Alzheimer's brains, demonstrated that maintaining proper NAD+ balance can prevent and even reverse the disease.

NAD+ is a central cellular energy molecule and a major driver of Alzheimer's.

A new monoclonal antibody treatment has shown promising results for a rare liver disease called primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).

The team from the University of California-Davis, US, tested an anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic monoclonal antibody known as nebokitug and found it to be safe and potentially effective in patients with PSC.

More than six out of 10 people in India are suffering from mouth (buccal mucosa) cancer due to frequent consumption of alcohol, with locally brewed drinks associated with the greatest risk, along with chewing of smokeless tobacco products such as gutkha, khaini, paan, according to a large study published on Wednesday.

The study, authored by a team of researchers from the Center for Cancer Epidemiology, and Homi Bhabha National Institute, in Maharashtra, showed that as little as under 2 g a day of beer was associated with a heightened risk of buccal mucosa cancer, while 9 g a day of alcohol -- equivalent to around one standard drink -- was associated with an approximately 50 per cent increased risk of mouth cancer.

CD4 tests is strongly recommended as the preferred method to identify advanced HIV disease among people living with HIV, said the World Health Organization (WHO).

The new recommendation is part of the 2025 guidelines on advanced HIV disease.

The WHO defines advanced HIV disease in adults, adolescents, and children five years and older, "as a CD4 cell count less than 200 cells/mm3".

A phase 1 randomised clinical trial of a novel Nipah virus vaccine, led by US researchers, may soon pave the way to prevent the deadly infection.

All three doses and regimens of the vaccine named HeV-sG-V demonstrated to be safe and generated an immune response, according to the researchers in the study published in the journal The Lancet.

An international team of researchers led by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has developed a cutting-edge nanoinjection drug delivery platform that has the potential to make breast cancer treatment safer and more effective.

Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of mortality among women worldwide.

Conventional treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, often harm non-cancerous tissues due to systemic drug exposure.

Meditation is a scientific tool that can help manage stress and regulate the brain’s emotional responses, said experts at the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY), under the Ministry of Ayush.

The experts, celebrating World Meditation Day on Sunday, highlighted the clinical relevance of meditation in today’s competitive world.

“Nearly 60-70 per cent of stress is occupational in nature and stressed the need to align body and mind through techniques prescribed in the Patanjala Yogasutra,” said Prof. (Dr.) Kashinath Samagandi, Director, MDNIY.

 A new study conducted by scientists at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has decoded the specific risk factors for breast cancer among women in India.

Breast Cancer is among the top three cancers amongst women in India. The incidence of breast cancers in the country is expected to rise by about 5.6 per cent annually, translating to an estimated increase of 0.05 million new cases per year.

The team from ICMR’s National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR), Bengaluru, conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on 31 studies covering a total of 27,925 participants, with 45 per cent being diagnosed with breast cancer.

The Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, known for preventing cervical cancer, can also help safeguard against precancerous lesions of the vulva and vagina in girls and women, according to a study.

The study, published in the journal JAMA Oncology, showed that women who received at least 1 dose of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine had a 37 per cent lower incidence of high-grade vulvovaginal lesions than those unvaccinated.