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.

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.

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in response to the outbreak of Avian influenza A (H5N1), commonly known as bird flu, which has infected 34 people in the Golden State.

According to the governor's office, this action came on Wednesday as cases were detected in dairy cows on farms in Southern California, "signaling the need to further expand monitoring and build on the coordinated statewide approach to contain and mitigate the spread of the virus."

To date, no person-to-person spread of bird flu has been detected in California and nearly all infected individuals had exposure to infected cattle, a press release from the office said, adding the state had already established the largest testing and monitoring system in the country to respond to the outbreak, news agency reported.

As of Wednesday, the H5N1 virus has spread in 16 states among dairy cattle, following its first confirmed detection in Texas and Kansas in March 2024, data from the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) showed.

After seven deaths were initially attributed to food poisoning earlier this month in Jammu & Kashmir’s Rajouri district, authorities have undertaken vigorous surveys to identify the actual medical cause of these deaths.

Seven members of two families died in Badhal area of Rajouri where doctors had initially said that food poisoning had caused these deaths.

“It is not a simple case of food poisoning. It could be contaminated water, petrified food or any lethal chemical that caused these deaths. It is a matter of thorough professional investigation”, official sources said.

In the aftermath of these deaths, J&K health minister, Sakina Itoo and tribal affairs minister, Javed Ahmad Rana visited Kotranka sub-division and chaired meetings of doctors, paramedical staff and the district administration.

Every year, US health insurance companies deny tens of millions of patient claims for medical expense reimbursements, and the tide of those denials has been rising.

The Washington Post on Monday cited surveys of doctors and other healthcare providers.

Insurers also have been increasingly demanding that doctors obtain approval before providing treatment, similar surveys show, causing delays in patient care that the American Medical Association says are "devastating," news agency reported.

While several states have passed legislation trying to restrict such practices amid growing public anger, insurers defend the coverage denials and "pre-authorisation" requirements. They say those measures are meant to contain rising costs and that their methods comply with federal and state regulations.

A diet low in omega-6 and high in omega-3 fatty acids, combined with fish oil supplements, can significantly reduce the growth rate of prostate cancer cells in men with early-stage disease, claims a study.

The research by the University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences offers new evidence that changes in diet can play a crucial role in slowing down the growth of cancer cells in patients who are undergoing regular monitoring of cancer but have not yet begun medical intervention.

The findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, “suggest that something as simple as adjusting your diet could potentially slow cancer growth," said Dr. William Aronson, Professor of Urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Half of teenagers in the US are almost constantly online on social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, finds a study, raising concerns about technology’s impact on youth.

The study by Pew Research Centre, based on a survey of US teenagers ages 13 to 17, showed that nine-in-10 teenagers reported to be mostly on YouTube.

Overall, 73 per cent of teenagers said they watch YouTube daily, making it the most widely used and visited platform. This share includes 15 per cent who describe their use as “almost constant.”

“Nearly half of teenagers say they are online almost constantly, up from 24 per cent a decade ago. This share has stayed consistent over the past few years. Overall, nearly all teenagers – 96 per cent – report using the internet daily,” the report said.

The early-onset colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as colon cancer, incidence rates among adults aged 25-49 are rising across the globe, but India shows the lowest rate among 50 countries, according to a new study.

The research, published in the journal The Lancet Oncology, showed early-onset CRC are rising in 27 of 50 countries/territories worldwide. Of these 20 have seen a faster rise in early-onset. In 14 other countries, including the US, rates are increasing in young adults while stabilising in those 50 years and older.

India, on the other hand, has shown the lowest incidence rate both in terms of early onset and among older adults.

Indian regulator Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has approved Cipla to exclusively distribute and market inhaled insulin in the country, the drugmaker said on Wednesday.

The insulin called Afrezza is created and manufactured by MannKind Corporation, and is used to improve glycemic control in adults with diabetes mellitus.

“Afrezza is a rapid-acting insulin delivered through an inhaler as compared to current insulins which are given as injections. Taken at the beginning of a meal, Afrezza dissolves rapidly upon oral inhalation into the lungs and delivers insulin quickly to the bloodstream,” the company said.

Cipla aims to make the drug accessible to all and empower millions to take control of their health with greater ease.

At least one person each second, or 42 million people annually worldwide is estimated to acquire a new genital herpes infection, according to new estimates by the World Health Organization on Wednesday.

It showed that about 846 million people or more than 1 in 5 people aged between 15 and 49 are living with genital herpes infections.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV), known as herpes, is a common infection that can cause painful blisters or ulcers. It primarily spreads by skin-to-skin contact. It is treatable but not curable.

Usually, these infections cause no or few symptoms, in some cases they lead to painful genital sores and blisters that can recur throughout life, causing significant discomfort and often requiring multiple healthcare visits.

The recent heavy rain and water stagnation in Tamil Nadu have led to a significant surge in dengue cases.

According to the Tamil Nadu Health Department, the state has reported 23,815 dengue cases so far this year.

In November alone, there was an increase of 4,144 cases. Public health officials attribute the rise in dengue cases to the proliferation of Aedes mosquitoes, which thrive in stagnant water and are the primary vectors of dengue fever.

Currently, the daily count of dengue cases ranges from 120 to 150, with occasional spikes to 180. A steady increase in cases has been observed since July. A total of 2,766 cases were reported in July, 3994 in August, 4347 in September and 3,662 cases in October.

A large-scale Swedish study on Monday suggested that drinking sweetened drinks can significantly increase your risk of serious cardiovascular diseases like stroke, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation.

The study also showed that eating too much-added sugar can increase the risk of stroke or aneurysm. However, limited consumption of treats can be safe.

“Consuming sweet drinks was worse for your health than any other form of sugar," noted the study published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health.

Suzanne Janzi, a doctoral candidate at Lund University said that the sweetened beverages, which contain liquid sugars, "typically provide less satiety than solid forms"

Adopting a healthy diet can reduce the severity of chronic pain, an Australian research has found.

In a new study, researchers from the University of South Australia found a direct link between greater consumption of food within the federal government's Australian Dietary Guidelines and lower levels of body pain, particularly among women, reports news agency.

"It's common knowledge that eating well is good for your health and well-being. But knowing that simple changes to your diet could offset chronic pain could be life-changing," Sue Ward, a co-author of the study, said.

Previous research has found that over 30 per cent of people globally suffer from chronic pain, with women and people who are overweight or obese more likely to be affected.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is deploying experts to support health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with investigations to determine the cause of a yet undiagnosed disease that has been reported in Panzi, a locality in Kwango Province in the southwest of the country.

The WHO experts are joining the Congo response team and are on their way to Panzi, the WHO regional office for Africa confirmed in a statement on Friday, news agency reported.

An initial local WHO team has been supporting the health authorities in Kwango since the end of November to reinforce disease surveillance and identify cases.

"Our priority is to provide effective support to the affected families and communities. All efforts are underway to identify the cause of the illness, understand its modes of transmission, and ensure appropriate response as swiftly as possible," said WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti.

At least 12,847 children aged 11 have been vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV) as part of Mongolia's nationwide campaign, as per the country's Health Ministry, reports said.

The vaccination drive, officially launched late last month, aims to combat cervical cancer -- a significant public health concern in Mongolia.

Hospitals across the country are offering free HPV vaccinations to 11-year-old girls and boys with parental or guardian consent, following the government's decision in December 2023 to include the HPV vaccine in the National Immunisation Schedule for this age group, news agency reported citing local media.

According to the ministry, there are more than 78,600 children aged 11 in Mongolia, a country with a population of 3.5 million, eligible for the vaccination campaign.

The Sri Lankan government plans to increase the allowance for disabled individuals to Rs 10,000 rupees (approximately $35) from the current Rs 7,500 rupees (about $26), Sugath Wasantha de Silva, the south Asian Island country's first visually impaired Member of Parliament, announced during his maiden parliamentary speech on Friday.

He stated that this increase will take effect in the 2025 budget. The government's broader goal over the next five years is to socially empower the disabled community and provide training to help them become active participants in the country's workforce.

De Silva noted that Sri Lanka ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2016. However, successive governments have failed to enact the necessary legislation to implement it effectively, he said, news agency reported.

Eight-hour sleep every night not only rejuvenates the body but also helps brain to store and learn a new language, according to a new study.

A team of international scientists, led by the University of South Australia and published in the Journal of Neuroscience, revealed that the coordination of two electrical events in the sleeping brain significantly improves our ability to remember new words and complex grammatical rules.

In an experiment with 35 native English-speaking adults, researchers tracked the brain activity of participants learning a miniature language called Mini Pinyin that is based on Mandarin but with similar grammatical rules to English.

US state of Mississippi could see the steepest drop off in health insurance coverage if Congress doesn't vote to extend temporary health coverage subsidies at the end of next year, according to a recent report issued by policy think tank The Urban Institute.

Some 112,000 people in the state would lose health insurance, a 43 per cent increase in the state's already-high uninsured rate, the report said.

A decade ago, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) reformed the American healthcare system, offering millions of Americans an affordable health insurance option, reports news agency, quoting The Urban Institute.

US scientists have developed a new CRISPR toolkit to boost the treatment of genetic disorders.

CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a Nobel Prize-winning gene-editing tool widely used by scientists to cut and modify DNA sequences to turn genes on and off or insert new DNA that can correct abnormalities.

Using an enzyme known as Cas9, CRISPR cuts and makes changes in the DNA.

The updated toolkit, developed by scientists from the University of South California, will allow CRISPR to precisely target the specific areas requiring treatment.

The research, published in the journal Nature Communications, will be applied to cancer immunotherapy.

“CRISPR is revolutionary,” said Peter Yingxiao Wang, at the varsity.

A study on Wednesday proved a suspected link between poor sleep and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

MASLD (formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) is the most common liver disorder: it affects 30 per cent of adults and between 7 per cent and 14 per cent of children and adolescents. This prevalence is predicted to rise to more than 55 per cent of adults by 2040.

While previous studies have implicated disturbances in the circadian clock and the sleep cycle in the development of MASLD, the new study by researchers from the University of Basel in Switzerland showed for the first time that the sleep-wake rhythm in patients with MASLD does indeed differ from that in healthy individuals.

In the paper, published in the journal Frontiers in Network Physiology, the team showed that patients with MASLD woke 55 per cent more often at night, and lay 113 per cent longer awake after having first fallen asleep, compared to healthy volunteers.

South Korea's presidential committee on population policy on Tuesday unveiled plans to have up to 70 per cent of fathers take parental leave by 2030 as the government intensifies efforts to tackle the nation's pressing demographic challenges.

The figure would mark a sharp increase from just 6.8 per cent recorded in 2022, according to the Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy.

The rate for mothers stood at 70 per cent in the same year.

The data represents the ratio of people who take parental leave among eligible workers with children aged eight or younger.

The latest announcement comes amid anticipated changes in the parental leave policy starting next year.

A team of US scientists has deemed two commonly used antiseizure medications -- lamotrigine and levetiracetam -- safe to use during pregnancy.

Epilepsy -- a chronic neurological condition -- is characterised by sudden numbness, body stiffness, shaking, fainting, speech difficulty, and involuntary urination. While medicines are known to help most women to lead normal lives, in some cases, they can cause harm to the foetus.

To understand, researchers from Stanford University evaluate the drugs’ long-term effects on children born to mothers who took one or both medications for epilepsy while pregnant. They documented outcomes at age 6 from 298 children of women with epilepsy and a comparison group of 89 children of healthy women.

The results, published in JAMA Neurology, confirm that lamotrigine and levetiracetam offer a safe alternative to older antiseizure medications such as valproate that are known to raise the risk of autism and lower IQ as well as impairment to other cognitive abilities in children.

Long-term exposure to antibiotics may significantly raise the risk of Parkinson's disease, finds a study.

To validate the findings on Asians, researchers from the Seoul National University Hospital in South Korea examined 298,379 people aged 40 years and older who underwent a national health examination in 2004-2005.

The findings, published in the Neurology Clinical Practice journal, showed that the risk of Parkinson's was statistically higher (29 per cent higher) in people exposed to antibiotics for more than 121 days, compared to those not exposed to antibiotics.

Further, compared to people exposed to antibiotics for 1-14 days, those exposed to antibiotics for more than 121 days had a 37 per cent higher risk of Parkinson's disease.

The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) said that the number of HIV cases or people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the country was estimated to hit 215,400 before 2024 ends.

Of the estimated PLHIV, 131,335 cases have been diagnosed or laboratory-confirmed and are currently living or not reported to have died, as of September, news agency reported.

Citing AIDS Epidemic Model's estimates, the DOH said the number of PLHIV in the Philippines could reach approximately 448,000 by 2030, "if prevention and interventions won't scale up."

To curb rising cases, the DOH said that it has collaborated with the Philippine National AIDS Council to officially launch a campaign on Sunday in observance of the 2024 Philippine World AIDS Day.

SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the Covid-19 pandemic, remains in the skull and meninges for years after infection, leading to a long-lasting effect on the brain, according to a major German study.

Researchers from Helmholtz Munich and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat (LMU) found that SARS-CoV-2 spike protein remains in the brain's protective layers -- the meninges, and the skull's bone marrow for up to four years after infection.

These spike proteins are responsible for triggering chronic inflammation in affected individuals and increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, the team found.

Prof. Ali Ertürk, Director at the Institute for Intelligent Biotechnologies at Helmholtz Munich said that the long-term neurological effects include “accelerated brain ageing, potentially leading to a loss of five to 10 years of healthy brain function in affected individuals."

Analysing malaria parasite genomes may usher new and more effective treatments for the deadly mosquito-borne disease and also help predict drug resistance, according to a study.

Researchers at the University of California-San Diego analysed the genomes of hundreds of malaria parasites. The new approach helped them determine which genetic variants are most likely to confer drug resistance.

This will enable scientists to predict antimalarial drug resistance by using advanced technology like machine learning.

While previous drug resistance research can only look at one chemical agent at a time, the new study “creates a roadmap for understanding antimalarial drug resistance across more than a hundred different compounds”, said Elizabeth Winzeler, Professor at UC San Diego.

The approach, published in the journal Science, could also help predict treatment resistance in other infectious diseases and even cancer.

It is because “many of the resistant genes we studied are conserved across different species”, she added.

Pregnant women’s exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) may alter immune responses, leading to adverse birth outcomes, according to a new study.

While previous research linked PM2.5 exposure to maternal and child health complications including preeclampsia, low birth weight, and developmental delays in early childhood, the new study, published in Science Advances, is the first to examine the relationship between PM2.5 and maternal and foetal health.

Researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health focussed on understanding air pollutants' impact on a single-cell level.

Kari Nadeau, Professor of Climate and Population Studies at the varsity said that the findings showcase “a substantial step forward in understanding the biological pathways by which PM2.5 exposure affects pregnancy, maternal health, and foetal development”.

Long-term sex hormone treatment in transgender individuals can lead to significant changes in body composition and risk factors for cardiovascular disease, particularly in transgender men, finds a study on Thursday.

Hormone therapy is a gender-affirming medical treatment that can help transgender people align their bodies with their gender identities.

The study, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, showed that prolonged use of the hormone therapy causes changes in fat volumes over time, the greatest changes in muscle mass and strength occurred after just one year of treatment.

Research from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden followed 17 adult transgender men and 16 transgender women who were prescribed treatment with testosterone and oestrogen, respectively.

The Indian healthcare sector is growing rapidly and is projected to reach $638 billion by 2025, according to a report.

Valued at $110 billion in 2016, the Indian healthcare market reached $372 billion in 2023, marking a 22.5 per cent CAGR growth during this period, revealed the report by Bajaj Finserv AMC.

Overall, the sector has seen a 17.5 per cent CAGR growth in the last decade. The report identified large-scale innovation in hospitals, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and other industries as primary drivers behind the growth.

“The sector has experienced a massive surge in private healthcare spending during and post-Covid-19, with the hospital market size growing from $62 billion in 2020 to $132 billion in 2023. In pharmaceuticals, India emerged as a global vaccine hub, led by organisations like the Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech,” said Sorbh Gupta, Senior Fund Manager - Equities, Bajaj Finserv AMC.

Contract manufacturing revenues in the pharmaceutical finished dose sector witnessed a significant slowdown over the past financial year, according to a report on Tuesday.

Pharmaceutical contract manufacturing is when a company hires a third-party to produce drugs for them.

The report by GlobalData, a data and analytics company, showed that challenging market conditions, driven by drug pricing pressures, regulatory shifts, and geopolitical tensions, have reshaped the landscape.

This offers both hurdles and opportunities for contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) to adapt and innovate amidst global generic shortages, reveals the report. It showed that the slowdown marks a sharp contrast to the rapid growth seen in 2020-22.

 A small clinical trial of a late-liver-stage attenuated malaria parasite vaccine has shown to be safe and effective against the disease spread by mosquitoes and claims 608,000 lives globally.

The trial, led by researchers at Leiden University Medical Center and Radboud University Medical Center in Netherlands, found that immunisation with a genetically modified Plasmodium falciparum parasite, known as GA2, induced a favorable immune response, while also protecting against infection.

For the trial, the team randomly assigned 25 healthy adult volunteers with no prior malaria exposure to receive immunisation with a genetically modified P. falciparum parasite (GA2) -- designed to continue developing longer in the liver.

While 10 participants were assigned to the GA2 group, another 10 were added to the GA1 group, and five to the placebo group. Each group consisted of both male and female volunteers.

The Healthcare sector in India grew strongly in Q2 of FY25, with revenue increasing by 17.6 per cent year on year (YoY), according to a report.

The report by Axis Securities showed that the healthcare sector also grew strongly by 10.4 per cent in quarter on quarter (QoQ).

Hospital occupancy rates, which rose by 340 basis points (bps) YoY and 470 bps QoQ were a key driver behind the growth.

Further, insurance payers contributed 33 per cent of total revenues in the hospital segment -- marking a 23 per cent YoY and 12 per cent QoQ growth.

However, the insurance penetration continues to remain low, the report said. It also offers room for expansion as awareness and purchasing power increase.

Biologic therapies are revolutionising severe asthma management, showcasing potential for remission, but cost and equitable access are the major barriers, according to a report on Tuesday.

Biologic therapy, also known as immunotherapy, is a type of treatment that uses substances derived from living organisms to treat disease.

The report by GlobalData, a data and analytics company, showed that the new Biologics target specific inflammatory pathways, shifting care from symptom control to potential remission.

Biologic treatments like dupilumab interleukin-4 receptor alpha and tezepelumab (anti-thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP)) show potential for wider application. They also offer benefits to patients with various inflammatory profiles.

The US scientists have decoded why obesity increases the risk of type 2 diabetes by targeting the fat cells.

The study, published in Cell Reports, may advance new treatments for type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases that work by helping fat stem cells differentiate and make new, smaller fat cells.

In a first, the team from the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) showed that obesity can make it difficult for the body to produce key cellular building blocks called ribosomal factors.

Without sufficient ribosomal factors, fat stem cells cannot produce functioning fat cells. Their energy gets trapped and they become enlarged and play a crucial role in diabetes development.

While fat tissue has been blamed for long, it’s "actually essential for maintaining normal glucose metabolism," said Dr. Claudio Villanueva, Associate Professor of integrative biology and physiology at the University of California-Los Angeles.

Researchers from JNCASR, an autonomous institution of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have identified a new method to understand the virology of monkeypox virus (MPV).

The new findings can help develop diagnostic tools for the deadly infection, declared a global health emergency twice by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the last three years. The 2024 global outbreak saw the disease spread to about 15 countries in Africa, and three out of Africa.

The outbreak has raised serious concern about its unanticipated spread across the globe, as the modes of transmission and symptoms are not well understood. A comprehensive understanding of virology, alongside the rapid development of effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, is of paramount importance.