Air pollution may not only affect your heart and lungs but can also raise the possibility of developing meningioma -- a typically noncancerous brain tumour -- according to a study.

This common type of brain tumour forms in the lining of the brain and spinal cord. The findings, published in the journal Neurology, do not prove that air pollution causes meningioma -- they only show a link between the two.

The study analysed several air pollutants, including those commonly linked to traffic -- such as nitrogen dioxide and ultrafine particles -- which are especially concentrated in urban environments.

The researchers found that people with higher exposure to air pollutants had a greater risk of developing meningioma.

Exposure to lead during pregnancy and early childhood may speed up the rate at which children forget information, potentially impairing learning and cognitive development, according to a new study.

The study employed a well-established cognitive test known as the delayed matching-to-sample task to assess memory performance in children aged 6 to 8, news agency reported.

Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, US, applied a novel statistical model -- the nonlinear modified power function -- which had previously been used in animal and human studies but is now being adapted for environmental health research.

Verbal autopsy is a scientific tool that can significantly aid India in the fight against tuberculosis, as it helps identify the deep reasons for mortality caused by the world’s deadliest infection, said Dr Kavita Vasudevan from Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute (IGMC&RI) in Puducherry.

Vasudevan, from the Community Medicine Department at the Medical College explained how a verbal autopsy model can help identify TB treatment delay patterns, and reasons for TB deaths and improve the referral process.

Even in moderation, consumption of ultra-processed foods is linked with measurable increases in risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancers, according to research.

The study showed that low but regular intake of processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and trans fatty acids (TFAs) can increase the risk of diseases like Type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease (IHD), and colorectal cancer.

While the risks have long been known, systematic characterisation of the dose-response relationships between these foods and health outcomes is limited, said the researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

In the paper published in the journal Nature Medicine, the team showed that consumption of processed meat between 0.6 grams and 57 grams daily can raise the risk of type 2 diabetes by at least 11 per cent compared with no consumption.

A total of 51 deaths caused by dengue have been reported across Bangladesh since the start of this year, indicating a sharp increase compared to the last two years.

As of Tuesday, dengue cases were reported from 60 districts of the South Asian nation. During the same period in 2024, cases were reported from 54 districts, while in 2023, the number was 56.

This faster and wider spread of the disease has raised serious health concerns, local media reported on Wednesday.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) of Bangladesh, three more people died from dengue in 24 hours till Tuesday morning, bringing the number of deaths from the mosquito-borne disease to 51 in 2025.

While cancer has seen some significant advancements in treatments that have shown promise and increased lifespan, however, it also causes serious side effects, which can affect quality of life.

A new study by researchers from Australia is shedding new light on the reasons behind these side effects, news agency reported.

The team from Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) in Melbourne discovered that the protein MCL-1 -- a key target in cancer drug development -- plays not only a role in preventing cell death in cancer cells but also supplying energy to normal cells.

US children today weigh more, battle more illnesses and face higher odds of dying than youngsters just a generation ago, according to the most extensive review of pediatric well-being published in nearly two decades.

The study, released Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), tracked 170 separate health indicators drawn from eight national data sets that stretched back to 2002, reports news agency.

"All of them point in the same direction: children's health is getting worse," lead author Christopher Forrest of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia said.

Researchers found that obesity among 2-19-year-olds climbed from 17 per cent in the 2007-2008 survey cycle to about 21 per cent in the 2021-2023 cycle.

Women with poor cardiovascular health may be at a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes and coronary artery calcium (CAC) in midlife, according to a study.

CAC refers to the buildup of calcium deposits in the walls of the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart. It is a significant indicator of heart disease risk.

The findings, published in JAMA Cardiology, suggest that gestational diabetes is a marker of pre-pregnancy cardiovascular health. It also underscores the importance of healthcare providers in helping patients improve their cardiovascular health both prior and after pregnancy.

"We need to optimise cardiovascular health early in the life course," said lead author Natalie Cameron, instructor in the Department of Medicine's Division of General Internal Medicine at Northwestern University, US.

An Australian man in his 50s has died after being bitten by an “extremely rare” bat virus that caused rabies-like infection, according to health officials on Thursday.

The man from northern New South Wales (NSW) was bitten by Australian bat lyssavirus -- a close relative of the rabies virus -- “several” months ago, as per a statement from NSW Health. Although he received treatment at the time, it proved to be ineffective.

“We express our sincere condolences to the man’s family and friends for their tragic loss,” NSW Health said in a statement.

“While it is extremely rare to see a case of Australian bat lyssavirus, there is no effective treatment for it,” it added.

Global goals like Universal Health Coverage (UHC) can only be met when traditional medicine becomes an essential part of the national health policy and wellness delivery, said Dr. Kashinath Samagandi, Director, Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, Ministry of Ayush.

Speaking at the third conference on beauty, wellness, and traditional medicine organised by ASSOCHAM, Samagandi said India’s holistic health future lies in combining traditional medicine with modern policy and practice.

''Holistic health is a fundamental right and to truly achieve it, India must integrate traditional systems into the core of its healthcare framework,” he added.

The conference brought together key stakeholders from the industry and policy tables to deliberate on the theme.

A team of US researchers has identified a genetic mutation that increased the risk of humans getting cancer, paving the way for new treatments for the deadly disease.

Researchers from the University of California Davis, US, explain why certain immune cells in humans are less effective at fighting solid tumours compared to non-human primates.

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, revealed a tiny genetic difference in an immune protein called Fas Ligand (FasL) between humans and non-human primates.

This genetic mutation makes the FasL protein vulnerable to being disabled by plasmin -- a tumour-associated enzyme. This vulnerability seems unique to humans and is not found in non-human primates, such as chimpanzees.

महाराष्ट्र की महिला एवं बाल कल्याण मंत्री अदिति तटकरे ने गुरुवार को एक लिखित जवाब में बताया कि फरवरी 2025 के पोषण ट्रैक डेटा के अनुसार, कुल 48,59,346 बच्चों में से 30,800 बच्चे गंभीर रूप से कुपोषित (एसएएम) और 1,51,643 बच्चे मध्यम रूप से कुपोषित (एमएएम) पाए गए।

Maharashtra Minister of Women and Child Welfare Aditi Tatkare in a written reply said on Thursday that of the total children of 48,59,346 whose weight and height measured - 30,800 children were reported with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and 1,51,643 with Medium Acute Malnutrition (MAM) as per Poshan track data for February 2025.

The number of malnourished children in urban areas is increasing compared to rural areas. In Mumbai suburb, of the 2,34,896 children whose weight and height measured, 2,887 were reported with SAM and 13,457 with MAM, in Thane of the 1,85,360, 844 SAM and 7,366 (MAM), in Nashik of 3,05,628, 1852 (SAM) and 8,944 (MAM), in Pune of 2,98,929, 1,666 (SAM) and 7,410 (MAM), in Dhule of 1,41,906, 1,741 (SAM) and 6,377 (MAM), in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 1,439 (SAM) and 6,487 (MAM) and in Nagpur, 1,373 (SAM) and 6,715 (MAM), said the minister.

At least 60 students of a girls' residential school in Mandor Lukhadia village of Dahod district fell ill due to suspected food poisoning, prompting an urgent medical response and a formal investigation by authorities.

According to preliminary reports, the students began experiencing vomiting, stomach pain, and nausea shortly after consuming their meal.

Around 12 students were initially shifted to the Limkheda Government Hospital for treatment.

However, as the night progressed, more students reported similar symptoms and were also rushed to the hospital in ambulances.

Doctors confirmed that all students are in stable condition, thanks to timely medical intervention.

Health officials across the US states of California, Florida and Texas confront an alarming reality with nearly doubling dengue fever cases nationwide, signalling the mosquito-borne disease may become a permanent fixture in communities, according to health news.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 3,700 new dengue infections were reported last year in the contiguous United States, up from about 2,050 in 2023, KFF Health News reported on Wednesday.

It added that the surge included 105 cases contracted in California, Florida or Texas -- infections acquired locally rather than through international travel.

California witnessed the most dramatic escalation. In 2024, California saw 725 new dengue cases, including 18 acquired locally, reports news agency, citing state data. This represented a nearly threefold increase from about 250 new cases, including two acquired locally, in 2023.

A team of Australian scientists has identified a group of proteins that could transform approaches to treating cancer and age-related diseases.

Researchers at the Children's Medical Research Institute (CMRI) in Sydney discovered that these proteins play a crucial role in controlling telomerase -- an enzyme responsible for protecting DNA during cell division, news agency reported.

The breakthrough clarifies how telomerase both supports healthy ageing and fuels cancer cell growth, highlighting new possibilities for treatments that slow ageing or stop cancer by targeting these newly identified proteins, the team said.

Telomerase helps maintain the ends of chromosomes, known as telomeres, which are vital for genetic stability.

Obesity rate, and alcohol and tobacco use are the major reasons driving cancer rates in Kerala -- far above the national average, experts said on Wednesday.

A recent study presented by Prof Prashant Mathur, Director, ICMR-National Center for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR), Bengaluru, at the Kerala Cancer Conclave 2025, held last week, reveals alarming cancer trends in the state -- reporting an average of 88,460 cases annually.

“Reducing cancer burden requires a combination of general non-communicable disease risk reduction strategies and cancer-specific interventions,” Mathur told.

While the national average stands at 105 per lakh population in men and 103 per lakh population in women, Kerala reported an incidence of 243 per lakh population in men and 219 per lakh population in women.

 Policy changes are crucial to ensure equitable access to life-saving organ transplants for underserved and marginalised populations, according to a global study led by international researchers, including from India.

While solid organ transplantation has improved globally, many patients, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), struggle to access these services.

The research, part of The Lancet's series promoting equitable access to life-saving organ transplantation treatments, highlights critical disparities in access to life-saving transplants, underscoring the need for equitable solutions across low- and middle-income countries.

It noted that advancements in organ preservation and improvements in immunosuppression have led to improvements in solid organ transplantation worldwide, but access remains a key concern for underserved and marginalised populations.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) to decide, within 3 months, a representation raising safety concerns on the usage of GLP-1-RA drugs in weight management and aesthetic treatment.

A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) against the manner in which Glucagon Like Peptide -1 Receptor Agonist (RA) (GLP-1-RA) drugs, specifically semaglutide, tirzepatide, and liraglutide have been granted marketing approval in India for weight loss and aesthetic purposes, despite being originally approved for treatment of Type 2 diabetes.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said malaria coordination and surveillance efforts are underway in Ethiopia, as the country reported more than 520,000 malaria cases in a single month.

The WHO, in an Ethiopia Health Cluster Bulletin report released, said the East African country reported a total of 520,782 malaria cases in May.

Meanwhile, the WHO said Ethiopia is currently responding to multiple disease outbreaks, including cholera, measles, malaria and mpox. Noting that ongoing conflict situations in parts of the country continue to affect public health, it said conflicts have "left people in urgent need of assistance, many of whom are trapped in hard-to-reach areas with severely restricted humanitarian access."

Malaria is endemic in Ethiopia, with higher prevalence in areas below the 2,000-metre altitude, covering three-quarters of the East African country's land mass. Around 69 per cent of the country's population residing in these areas face the risk of infection.

Extensive studies undertaken by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have conclusively established no link between Covid-19 vaccines and sudden deaths, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Wednesday.

Post the Covid pandemic several cases of heart attack-related death among people, especially the young were reported from across the country, and suggested a link with Covid vaccinations.

The Ministry noted that sudden cardiac deaths can result from a wide range of factors, including genetics, lifestyle, pre-existing conditions, and post-Covid complications, but not from Covid vaccines that have been found safe.

IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has undertaken a key experiment to decode muscle health in space -- crucial for astronauts undertaking long space missions as well as for people with muscle loss on Earth.

Shukla last week scripted history by becoming the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS), aboard the Axiom Space's mission -4

He along with three others from the US, Poland, and Hungary and seven members of the Expedition 73 led the muscle and brain research.

“Shukla worked in Kibo’s Life Science Glovebox checking muscle stem cell cultures to learn how to maintain muscle health in space,” NASA said in a blog post.

Studying muscle degradation in microgravity -- a key issue that has long challenged space medicine -- could unlock new therapeutic strategies.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have identified a previously unknown trigger of diabetes in collagen -- the most abundant protein in the human body -- that is also worsening the blood sugar condition.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, showed how collagen accelerates the clumping of hormones in the pancreas, finding a potential new drug target.

In Type 2 diabetes which affects more than 500 million people worldwide, either not enough insulin -- a hormone essential for regulating blood sugar levels -- is produced, or the body’s cells become less responsive to it, resulting in high blood sugar levels.

And when the body tries to release more insulin, it also ends up making more amylin -- another hormone that helps control blood sugar after meals.

The dismantling of US foreign aid, imposed by the Donald Trump government, can lead to more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030, including over 4.5 million children under five, warned a study published in The Lancet on Tuesday.

The study estimates that the developmental programmes supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) prevented 91 million deaths between 2001 and 2021 in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Of these approximately 30 million were among children.

The programmes by USAID -- the largest funding agency for humanitarian and development aid worldwide -- were also associated with a 15 per cent reduction in all-cause mortality and a 32 per cent reduction in mortality among children under five.

Nearly 17 per cent or one in six people worldwide is affected by loneliness, and the condition was linked to an estimated 100 deaths every hour -- more than 8,71,000 deaths annually between 2014 and 2023, according to a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday.

The report showed that while loneliness has significant impacts on health and well-being, strong social connections can lead to better health and longer life.

The WHO defines loneliness as the painful feeling that arises from a gap between desired and actual social connections, while social isolation refers to the objective lack of sufficient social connections.

On the other hand, social connection is the way people relate to and interact with others.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a simple sensor that is cost-effective and can enable faster detection of liver cancer.

The team focussed on the potential of terbium -- a rare earth metal -- to develop a unique luminescent probe that can sense the presence of an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase.

While its core function is to break down a sugar acid called glucuronic acid, the enzyme also doubles as a critical biomarker for liver cancer.

An increase in beta-glucuronidase levels has been associated with the risk of colon, breast, and renal cancers, as well as infections of the urinary tract and AIDS.

Thus, the novel sensor offers a potentially powerful screening tool against different types of cancers, neonatal jaundice, and NSAID-induced toxicity, said the researchers

Serious concerns continue to mount over the impact of HIV in Fiji, as eight children were among the 126 people who died from HIV-related illnesses last year.

The grim figures were shared by UNAIDS Pacific Adviser Renata Ram during the Fiji Medical Association's 2025 North Mini-Conference held in Labasa over the weekend, according to news agency.

Her message underscored the urgent need for stronger, more accountable, and innovative health systems.

Ram described Fiji's HIV situation as worsening, making this year's conference theme -- Future-Proofing Healthcare Standards in Fiji: Accountability, Ethics and Innovation -- especially timely.

With xenotransplantation -- animal-to-human transplantation -- poised to address the global organ shortage crisis, a pioneering study has outlined how human immune cells interact with pig kidney tissue in transplanted organs, revealing critical early markers of rejection and potential intervention strategies.

Led by French and US researchers, the study deployed cutting-edge spatial molecular imaging to find key molecular mechanisms that could help overcome the biggest challenge in xenotransplantation: rejection by the human immune system.

The team led by Dr. Valentin Goutaudier from the Paris Institute for Transplantation and Organ Regeneration & NYU Langone Transplant Institute) found that human immune cells were found in every part of the pig kidney's filtering system after the transplant.

In a significant achievement for identifying neurodegenerative diseases early, a team of US researchers has developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that helps clinicians detect brain activity patterns linked to nine types of dementia using a single and widely available scan.

The tool, StateViewer, not only helped in early detection but also provided accurate diagnosis -- it identified the dementia type in 88 per cent of cases, including Alzheimer's disease.

It also enabled clinicians to interpret brain scans nearly twice as fast and with up to three times greater accuracy than standard workflows, according to the research, published online in the journal Neurology.

A portable DNA sequencing device may be a key genomic surveillance tool for detecting hotspots of antibiotic resistance in animals, and the environment, according to a new study.

In the pilot project, researchers from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture, and Arizona State University (ASU) in the US tested the handheld DNA sequencing device to check antibiotic resistance across six chicken slaughterhouses.

The global team collected samples from both wastewater and surrounding rivers in Indonesia’s Greater Jakarta area.

The study found signs that drug-resistant E. coli bacteria -- a key indicator of antibiotic resistance -- from slaughterhouse wastewater may be reaching nearby rivers.

Love your morning cup of coffee? A new study has shown that it may not only energise you but also help slow down ageing and boost longevity.

Caffeine has long been linked to potential health benefits, including reduced risk of age-related diseases.

However, the study led by researchers from Queen Mary University of London in the UK revealed how caffeine works inside human cells, and what exactly its connections are with nutrient and stress-responsive gene and protein networks.

The researchers found that caffeine affects ageing by tapping into an ancient cellular energy system.

They showed that caffeine works by activating an important system called AMPK -- a cellular fuel gauge that is evolutionarily conserved in yeast and humans.

 A team of Israeli and US researchers have developed a simple blood test that can detect a person's risk of developing leukaemia -- a deadly blood cancer.

In the study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, the researchers suggested that this test may replace the current more invasive method of bone marrow sampling used to diagnose certain blood cancers, news agency reported.

The team led by researchers from Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel focused on myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) -- an age-related condition in which blood-forming stem cells do not develop properly.

MDS can lead to severe anaemia and may progress to acute myeloid leukaemia, one of the most common types of blood cancer in adults.

Currently, diagnosing MDS requires the bone marrow sampling procedure that involves local anaesthesia and can cause significant discomfort and pain.

Zimbabwe has recorded an increase in AIDS-related deaths in the first half of this year, Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora said on Friday.

Addressing a media workshop on HIV reporting and stigma reduction in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, the minister said that between January and June this year, Zimbabwe recorded 5,932 AIDS-related deaths, compared to 5,712 during the same period last year.

"An increase of 220 deaths is a reminder that our work is not done," he said, without specifying the main cause of the increase.

According to Mombeshora, Zimbabwe has made progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS, particularly in meeting the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets, but he warned that the gains remain fragile and are under threat from various challenges, including resource constraints, stigma, and discrimination.

Mongolia has recorded 232 new cases of measles infection over the past 24 hours, bringing the national caseload to 10,065, the National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD) said on Friday.

Meanwhile, 260 more measles patients have recovered from the disease, bringing the total number of recoveries to 8,405, the NCCD said in a statement.

The majority of new measles infections were among school-age children who had only one shot of the measles vaccine, it said.

In this regard, the NCCD advised parents to protect their children from a potentially severe disease by getting them two doses of the measles vaccine, news agency reported.

According to the World Health Organization, measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus. It spreads easily when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. It can cause severe disease, complications, and even death.

Measles can affect anyone but is most common in children.

An international team of scientists has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that could revolutionise cancer treatment by mapping cellular diversity within tumours.

The innovation tackles tumour heterogeneity in oncology, where varied cell populations cause treatment resistance and recurrence, news agency reported.

The AAnet AI tool, developed by the Sydney-based Garvan Institute of Medical Research in collaboration with the Yale School of Medicine in the US, uses deep learning to study gene activity in single cancer cells.

It finds five different cell types within tumours, each with its own behaviour and risk of spreading. This helps doctors understand cancer better than older methods, which treated all tumour cells the same, said the multinational research team.