Reducing salt intake is one of the most cost-effective strategies to boost health, said experts as salt consumption in India is exceeding safe limits, contributing significantly to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases.

Doctors and public health leaders called for stronger physician-led campaigns, reformulation of packaged foods, and consumer education to curb India's rising salt crisis, at The Salt Fight 2025: Say NO to Na workshop organised by the Delhi Medical Association (DMA) and other organisations.

Addressing modifiable risk factors like excess salt intake is critical to reversing the country's non-communicable disease burden, which accounts for nearly 65 per cent of all deaths, said Dr Vinod Kumar Paul, Member, of NITI Aayog, during the event, held in the national capital.

"Reducing salt intake may seem simple, but it is among the most cost-effective strategies available. It is not enough to know the risks -- we must focus on what works. Practical campaigns and evidence-based solutions must be scaled urgently," he added.

The New Zealand government is stepping up preparations for the possible arrival of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, emphasising the importance of a collaborative approach to tackling high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard said on Monday that partnership with industry was crucial to the successful eradication of HPAI at a major commercial egg farm in Otago, South Island. The outbreak involved the less virulent H7N6 strain.

"This was the first detection of HPAI in New Zealand, and it tested some of the plans that are being developed for the arrival of HPAI H5N1," Hoggard said.

The Ministry for Primary Industries has now lifted strict biosecurity controls at Mainland Poultry's Hillgrove Farm, which had been in place since the H7N6 strain was confirmed there in December last year, allowing the farm to begin repopulating.

Do you regularly eat ready-to-eat-or-heat foods? Beware, a global study on Monday showed that the consumption of such ultra-processed foods (UPFs) can significantly increase the risk of preventable premature deaths.

Previous studies have linked UPFs -- rich in sodium, trans fats, and sugar -- with 32 different diseases including cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, some types of cancer, and depression.

The new study analysed data from nationally representative dietary surveys and mortality data from eight countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, United Kingdom, and the US).

The findings published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, show that premature deaths attributable to consumption of UPFs increase significantly according to their share in individuals’ total energy intake.

Having a good night's sleep and avoiding junk food is essential to keep the liver healthy, said Dr. S.K. Sarin, Director of the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) on Friday.

He said that junk food, as the name suggests, must be put in dustbins as its regular consumption can significantly affect liver health.

“The word junk food means it is junk. It has to be put in the dustbin. But if you think your stomach and intestines are dustbins, put that food inside. Otherwise, avoid, don’t use it,” Sarin said, in a post on social media platform X.

Junk food which is rich in unhealthy fats, sugars, and processed ingredients increases the risk of obesity, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. These diseases then raise the chances of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and progress to more serious complications like cirrhosis and liver cancer.

The United States has reported 884 confirmed measles cases so far this year, marking a sharp increase compared to the previous year, according to the latest data released by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

So far in 2025, 11 measles outbreaks have been recorded nationwide. The CDC defines an outbreak as three or more related cases. Confirmed cases have been reported across 30 US jurisdictions, with 94 hospitalisations and three deaths attributed to the disease.

This year's measles case count represents a significant rise from 2024, when the country reported a total of 285 measles cases.

The CDC emphasises that the best way to prevent measles is through vaccination. Two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine are highly effective in preventing the disease, news agency reported.

As antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a global health concern, with millions of deaths occurring each year due to it, a new study showed how even a short period of antibiotic use can lead to persistent resistance in human gut bacteria.

Researchers from the Stanford University in the US focused their study on ciprofloxacin -- used to treat bacterial infections in many different parts of the body.

They showed that ciprofloxacin can lead to resistance that can emerge independently across diverse species and continue for more than 10 weeks.

AMR is widely driven by excessive and inappropriate antibiotic use.

Previously studies have relied on in vitro experiments and animal models to understand AMR. But, the new study, published in the journal Nature, performed a longitudinal metagenomic study to explain how resistance evolves in 60 humans.

Just three minutes a day of moderate activity may be enough to boost better heart health in older adults, according to a study.

Previous studies have shown that as people age, many do not engage in physical activity, increasing their chances of experiencing a cardiovascular event.

In the new study, researchers from the UK and Australia noted that doing household chores or shopping for groceries -- referred to as incidental activities -- may also be enough to boost health. Incidental physical activity (IPA) encompasses activities of daily living outside the leisure-time domain and includes preparing meals, keeping the house clean, mowing the lawn, or gardening.

US researchers have uncovered the role of Plasmodium falciparum -- a parasitic protozoan that causes malaria -- in the development of Burkitt lymphoma (BL), the most common childhood cancer.

BL is a cancer that affects B cells -- an important cell of the immune system that produces antibodies. It has been associated with P. falciparum malaria since 1958, but the underlying mechanism of how this leads to cancer has remained a mystery.

While BL is a rare cancer globally, (found more in equatorial Africa and New Guinea) its prevalence is 10 times higher in areas with a consistent presence of P. falciparum malaria.

Five different species of Plasmodium can cause malaria in humans, but only P. falciparum is associated with BL.

A common diabetes drug can help reduce pain in people with knee osteoarthritis (OA) and obesity, as well as delay the need for knee replacements, revealed a study on Friday.

Researchers from Monash University in Australia showed that metformin -- commonly prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes -- can reduce knee arthritis pain in people without diabetes.

“Metformin is a potentially new and affordable way to improve knee pain in those with knee OA and overweight or obesity,” said lead researcher Professor Flavia Cicuttini, who heads Musculoskeletal Unit at the varsity.

The six months-long randomised clinical trial, performed entirely as a community-based study using telehealth, involved 107 participants with pain from knee osteoarthritis (73 women and 34 men), with a mean age of 60. The participants took up to 2,000 mg of metformin daily for six months. Others took the placebo. None had diabetes.

Knee pain was measured on a 0-100 scale, with 100 being the worst.

Young children with chronic conditions are more likely to be hospitalised for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) than healthy children, according to a new study on Friday.

The study led by researchers from the University of British Columbia in Canada showed that toddlers with chronic conditions are hospitalised for RSV at twice the rate of healthy toddlers.

The risk was highest for children born very prematurely under 28 weeks of gestation, or with conditions affecting multiple organs, the lungs, heart, or digestive system.

Researchers recommend that children with those specific conditions receive immunisation against RSV in their first season to increase protection, even if their mother was vaccinated.

Current guidelines suggest pregnant women should receive vaccination before birth to pass on antibodies.

Cambodia is making great progress towards achieving its malaria-free target by the end of 2025, Prime Minister Hun Manet said.

In a message to mark the National Malaria Day on Friday, he said the Southeast Asian country reported only 355 malaria cases in 2024, a significant drop of 75 per cent compared to 2023.

The prime minister added that the kingdom had reported zero deaths from the disease since 2018 and no local Plasmodium Falciparum cases since 2024.

"Cambodia is on the verge of achieving a malaria-free goal by the end of 2025," Hun Manet said, urging all stakeholders to continue to support the country to achieve the target.

Huy Rekol, director of the National Center for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control, said malaria diagnostic tests and treatments have been highly effective in Cambodia, with Artesunate/Mefloquine, or ASMQ, being 100 per cent safe and efficacious against malaria, news agency reported.

The US may be on the brink of a major measles resurgence as vaccination rates continue to fall across several states, according to a new study.

A team of US-based researchers from the universities of Stanford, Baylor, Rice, and Texas used a simulation model to assess the importation and dynamic spread of vaccine-preventable infectious diseases across 50 states in the country, news agency reported.

The model evaluated scenarios with different vaccination rates over 25 years.

At current vaccination levels, the model projects that measles could regain endemic status in the US, potentially resulting in approximately 851,300 cases over the next 25 years, according to the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The government is continuously working towards achieving the goal of 'Malaria Free India', said Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Singh Patel on World Malaria Day on Friday.

World Malaria Day is observed every year on April 25 to raise awareness against the disease. This year's theme “Malaria ends with us: Reinvest, reimagine, reignite” aims to re-energise efforts at all levels, from global policy to community action, to accelerate progress toward malaria elimination.

“On the occasion of World Malaria Day, it is the responsibility of all of us to spread awareness about a deadly disease like malaria and make collective efforts to eradicate it,” Patel shared in a post on social media platform X.

“The Government of India is continuously working towards the goal of 'Malaria Free India'. Let us all together make this campaign a success,” she added.

AIIMS Raipur has successfully performed its first Swap Kidney Transplant, also known as a Kidney Paired Transplant (KPT), the Health Ministry said on Thursday.

With this achievement, AIIMS Raipur becomes the first among the newer AIIMS institutions and the first government hospital in the state of Chhattisgarh to carry out this complex and life-saving procedure.

This significant milestone underscores the institute’s commitment to advancing healthcare and providing innovative treatment solutions for patients suffering from end-stage kidney disease.

It is estimated that swap kidney transplant leads to a 15 per cent increase in the number of transplants.

Lotte Biologics, the biotech arm of Lotte Group, said on Thursday it has signed a deal with an Asia-based biotech company for the production of a clinical-stage antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidate.

The contract marks the first official step toward the full-scale operation of the company's ADC manufacturing facility at the Syracuse Bio Campus in New York, which has been undergoing expansion since 2023, the company said in a press release.

Lotte Biologics has invested US$100 million to build the ADC manufacturing facility within its existing U.S. plant, reports news agency.

An ADC is a targeted cancer therapy that delivers powerful medicine directly to cancer cells.

SK bioscience, the biopharmaceutical arm of South Korea's SK Group, said on Wednesday it has achieved a "final victory" in a patent invalidation case against Moderna, the global developer of the messenger-RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine.

SK bioscience filed a nullity suit in 2023 challenging Moderna's patent on modified nucleosides, nucleotides and nucleic acids, as well as their uses, the company said in a press release.

Moderna's patent is the only registered patent in South Korea related to mRNA manufacturing technology, reports news agency.

SK bioscience had argued the patent "unfairly granted priority rights, which hindered the development of mRNA technology."

 A team of interdisciplinary researchers at the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST) in Guwahati, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), has developed an optical sensing platform for cholesterol detection, based on silk fibre functionalised using phosphorene quantum dots, it was announced on Wednesday.

A point-of-care (POC) device has been developed in the laboratory scale for detecting cholesterol using this, according to a Ministry of Science & Technology statement.

It can sense cholesterol in trace amounts, even below the preferred range. It can be an efficient tool for routine monitoring of cholesterol levels in the human body.

The platform developed for cholesterol detection can help identify early symptoms of diseases like atherosclerosis, venous thrombosis, cardiovascular diseases, heart disease, myocardial infarction, hypertension, and cancer.

A new study on Monday estimated that in 2024, 2.7 per cent of electronic dance music-nightclub attending adults in New York City (NYC) used ‘Tusi’ drug in the past year, with higher use among Hispanic people and people who use other drugs.

‘Tusi’, also known as ‘tucibi’ or ‘pink cocaine’, is a drug concoction that emerged in Latin America and Europe within the past decade and is becoming increasingly popular in the US.

According to the study published in the scientific journal Addiction, consumers often don’t understand what ‘Tusi’ is when they take it.

Tusi is commonly confused with the 2C family of drugs – psychedelics – because it is a phonetic translation of “2C”. Tusi is also commonly called “tucibí” or “tusibí” (the phonetic translation of 2C-B, a particular type of psychedelic). And it is also often called “pink cocaine” (“cocaina rosada” in Spanish). All of these names have the potential to confuse people who use, who may believe they are taking a psychedelic drug or largely unadulterated cocaine.

The initial public offerings (IPOs) in the biopharmaceutical sector surged 68.4 per cent to reach $8.52 billion globally in 2024, according to a new report.

The sector saw an upturn in 2024, with 50 completed IPOs raising $8.52 billion, from $5.06 billion raised in 2023 and marking the highest total IPO value raised since 2021.

This rebound, driven by US Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, marks the highest total since 2021, said GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

While cautious, investors are showing increased interest in companies with strong clinical data, signalling a recovery in the public markets and a shift toward more advanced-stage biopharmaceuticals.

Zambia confirmed its second mpox-related death as the cumulative cases reached 49 in the southern African country.

Minister of Health Elijah Muchima said on Thursday that the second mpox-related death, involving a 10-year-old child, was recorded in Mpika District, Muchinga Province.

The country recorded its first mpox-related death last month after reporting its first mpox case in October last year.

In remarks delivered during an update press briefing, the minister said the country recorded 13 new cases between April 2 and 15, bringing the total number to 49, with cases reported in six of the country's 10 provinces so far.

Indian pharmaceutical companies are ramping up efforts to expand their footprint in the lucrative US oncology generics market, which is currently valued at $145 billion and growing at a robust pace of 11 per cent annually, according to a new report.

In recent months, several Indian drugmakers have secured approvals from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for generic versions of cancer drugs which marked a steady increase in the entry of complex generics and biosimilars into the American market.

With oncology emerging as one of the fastest-growing therapy segments globally, Indian firms are positioning themselves to tap into this high-value space by leveraging their strength in affordable manufacturing, technical expertise, and increasing regulatory approvals, the report said.

Medical experts on Friday emphasised the critical link between dietary habits and liver health, saying that healthy changes today can cut liver disease risk by 50 per cent.

Ahead of the World Liver Day which falls on April 19, healthcare experts said that food is medicine, as cases of liver diseases among both urban and rural populations rise in the country.

Doctors said that liver disease is no longer confined to alcohol abuse — there is a worrying rise in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) due to unhealthy eating patterns, obesity, and lack of exercise.

A recent large-scale study published in Frontiers in Nutrition has reinforced the critical role of diet in liver health.

Hackers could exploit genomic data vulnerabilities using next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) technology, warns a study on Thursday urging the need to secure it.

The powerful sequencing tool NGS is used for the development of tailor-made medicines, cancer diagnostics, infectious disease tracking, and gene research.

Researchers from the University of Portsmouth, UK, raised concerns over how the tool can be exploited for data breaches, privacy violations, and even future biothreats by hackers.

While the steps are essential for generating accurate results, they also open up multiple points of vulnerability. As many DNA datasets are openly accessible online, the study warns cybercriminals can misuse the information for surveillance, manipulation, or malicious experimentation, said the researchers in the study published in the journal IEEE Access.

Boosting awareness, early diagnosis, and improving access to care is crucial to fight haemophilia and other bleeding disorders in the country, said Union Minister JP Nadda on World Haemophilia Day on Thursday.

World Haemophilia Day is observed every year on April 17 to raise awareness about bleeding disorders. The theme this year is: "Access for all: Women and Girls Bleed Too".

Haemophilia is a rare bleeding disorder where blood does not clot properly, even in minor injuries.

“On #WorldHaemophiliaDay, let’s raise awareness about haemophilia and other bleeding disorders, promote early diagnosis, and improve access to care,” said Nadda, in a post on social media platform X.

“This year’s theme -- “Access for All: Women and Girls Bleed Too” -- urges us to recognise the unique challenges faced by women and girls and ensure inclusive, equitable healthcare for all,” he added.

Stem cell therapies are a safe and effective way of treating Parkinson's disease, according to results of two independent clinical trials.

The two papers, published in the journal Nature, investigated the use of cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells and human embryonic stem cells, respectively.

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterised by the progressive loss of neurons that produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter.

Although current treatments, such as ʟ-dopa, can alleviate symptoms in the early stages, their efficacy declines, and they are often accompanied by side effects such as dyskinesia (involuntary movements).

However, the studies found that cell therapy could replenish dopamine-producing (dopaminergic) neurons in the brain. This provided a potentially more effective treatment with fewer adverse effects.

The first phase I/II trial led by researchers from Kyoto University in Japan focussed on seven patients

As many as 561 measles cases have been confirmed in the second largest US state of Texas, as the outbreak continues to grow nationwide, according to figures issued by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).

As many as 20 new cases were reported over the last five days, and at least 58 patients associated with measles have been hospitalised so far, said the DSHS.

"Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in the outbreak area and the surrounding communities," the DSHS said on Tuesday.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday confirmed 712 measles cases this year in at least 24 states, about 97 per cent of them are in people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.

Certain common genetic changes may explain why some people with focal epilepsy become less responsive to seizure medications, finds a new global study.

Focal epilepsy is a condition where seizures start in one part of the brain. It is the most common type of epilepsy.

Antiseizure medication is usually prescribed for people with the condition. However, for one in three people with epilepsy (around 20 million individuals worldwide), current antiseizure medications are ineffective. This means that people will continue to have seizures despite taking medication -- a condition called "drug resistance."

It is associated with additional significant health risks in epilepsy, including a higher risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, alongside substantially higher healthcare costs.

The death toll of the Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria has risen to 127, public health authorities said.

A total of 674 confirmed cases have been recorded from 4,025 suspected cases reported since the onset of the outbreak in January, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said in a statement on Tuesday.

Eighteen out of the 36 states in the most populous African country have been affected by the viral hemorrhagic disease so far this year, with the southern states of Ondo and Edo and the northern state of Bauchi the worst-hit, accounting for more than 70 per cent of the total confirmed cases, the NCDC said.

The NCDC put the case fatality rate at 18.8 per cent, slightly higher than the 18.5 per cent reported during the same period in 2024.

If you are having ice-cold feet and feel heaviness in the legs it may indicate the presence of varicose veins -- swollen, twisted, and enlarged veins in legs or ankles, according to a study.

Varicose veins are usually caused by impaired functioning of the deep or superficial veins, and the perforator veins (short veins that link the superficial and deep venous systems in the legs).

The prevalence of varicose veins ranges from 2 to 30 per cent in adults, with women at higher risk. Typical symptoms include sensations of heaviness, aching, throbbing, and itching; restlessness in the legs; fluid retention and swelling; muscle cramps; and leg ulcers in severe cases.

People suffering from chronic pain -- or pain that lasts at least three months -- may be up to four times more likely to experience depression, according to a study.

Almost 30 per cent of people worldwide suffer from a chronic pain condition such as low back pain and migraines, and one in three of these patients also report co-existing pain conditions.

The study published in the journal Science Advances shows that having chronic pain in multiple parts of the body was linked to a greater risk of depression than having pain at a single site.

People with a certain heart valve abnormality may be at an increased risk of developing severe heart rhythm disorders also known as arrhythmias, according to a study on Tuesday.

Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden showed that the valve abnormality called Mitral annular disjunction (MAD) increases the risk of ventricular arrhythmias -- a dangerous type of heart rhythm disorder that, in the worst case, can lead to cardiac arrest.

The team found that the risk of arrhythmias persists even after successful valve surgery.

MAD is often associated with a heart disease called mitral valve prolapse, which affects 2.5 per cent of the population and causes one of the heart's valves to leak. This can lead to blood being pumped backward in the heart, causing heart failure and arrhythmias. The disease can cause symptoms such as shortness of breath and palpitations.

A new pill has shown promise against antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea -- a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) --, according to a study published in the journal The Lancet.

Cases of drug-resistant gonorrhoea have been increasing rapidly in recent years. If not treated promptly, gonorrhoea can result in serious complications, especially for women, in whom it can lead to increased risks of ectopic pregnancy and infertility.

The new pill gepotidacin -- developed by British drugmaker GSK and currently approved to treat urinary tract infections -- could be the new treatment against gonorrhoea, as there have been no new antibiotics since the 1990s for the STI.

The phase 3 trial, including 622 patients, found that gepotidacin is as effective as the current standard treatment for treating the infection.

A team of Candian researchers has found plasticisers called phthalates, flame retardants, and other harmful chemicals in mattresses of babies and young children who are likely to breathe and absorb these while sleeping, increasing several health risks.

Researchers from the University of Toronto said these chemicals are linked to neurological and reproductive problems, asthma, hormone disruption, and cancer.

"Sleep is vital for brain development, particularly for infants and toddlers. However, our research suggests that many mattresses contain chemicals that can harm kids’ brains,” said Miriam Diamond, Professor at the University of Toronto.

“This is a wake-up call for manufacturers and policymakers to ensure our children’s beds are safe and support healthy brain development,” she added.

The review of studies is published in the journals Environmental Science and Technology and Environmental Science and Technology Letters.

Treating patients earlier with a combination of statins and the cholesterol-lowering drug ezetimibe could prevent thousands of new heart attacks, strokes, and death over a decade, according to a new study.

Cardiovascular disease is by far the most common cause of death worldwide, with heart attack (myocardial infarction) being the most common acute event.

For those who survive a heart attack, the risk of a new heart attack is most significant in the first year after the initial event because the blood vessels are more sensitive, making it easier for blood clots to develop.

Reducing LDL or “bad” cholesterol in the blood can stabilise changes in the vessels, decreasing the risk for new events, said researchers from Lund University in Sweden and Imperial College London.

Imbalance in the digestive system may disrupt brain signals and influence behavioural symptoms in children with autism, according to a study on Monday.

Researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) demonstrated that gut metabolites impact the brain, and the brain, in turn, affects behaviour.

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, adds to a growing body of science implicating the “gut-brain” axis in autism.

“The brain acts as the intermediary between gut health and autism-related behaviours,” said first author Lisa Aziz-Zadeh, Professor at the Brain and Creativity Institute at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences.