‘The Walking Dead' actress Kelly Mack dies at 33 after battle with Glioma. What is it?
According to Deadline, she had been battling glioma of the central nervous system.
Her sister confirmed the sad news on social media, writing, 'It is with indelible sadness that we announce the passing of our dear Kelley. Such a bright, fervent light has transitioned to the beyond, where we all eventually must go.'
A glioma is a type of brain tumour that develops from the glial cells in the brain or spinal cord. The World Health Organisation (WHO) classifies gliomas into grades 1 through 4, with higher grades indicating greater aggressiveness.
While gliomas can occur at any age, they are more common in adults. Symptoms vary based on the tumour's size and location and may include headaches, seizures, nausea, neurological problems, and changes in behaviour or personality.
(This is a developing story)
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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
WHO applauds ICMR-funded study on nutrition's critical role in combating TB
By Shalini Bhardwaj New Delhi: A study funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has demonstrated the powerful impact of nutritional supplementation on tuberculosis (TB) patients and their families. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has lauded the findings and incorporated them into its updated global guidance on TB control, marking a major milestone in India's contribution to global health policy. "A landmark study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), conducted in Jharkhand, has demonstrated the powerful impact of improved nutrition in reducing tuberculosis (TB) cases and fatalities. World Health Organisation (WHO) has recognised this research, incorporating its findings into updated global guidance on TB control, marking a significant milestone in India's contributions to global health policy," the ICMR said in a statement. "In India, tuberculosis and undernutrition are syndemics with a high burden of tuberculosis coexisting with a high burden of undernutrition in patients and in the population. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of nutritional supplementation on tuberculosis incidence in household contacts of adults with microbiologically confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis," said the ICMR study published by The Lancet. "To our knowledge, this is the first randomised trial looking at the effect of nutritional support on tuberculosis incidence in household contacts, whereby the nutritional intervention was associated with a substantial (39-48%) reduction in tuberculosis incidence in the household during 2 years of follow-up. This biosocial intervention can accelerate reduction in tuberculosis incidence in countries or communities with a tuberculosis and undernutrition syndemic," the study said. The study was conducted on 2800 patients with TB across 28 tuberculosis units of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme in four districts of Jharkhand. "In this field-based, open-label, cluster-randomised controlled trial, we enrolled household contacts of 2800 patients with microbiologically confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis across 28 tuberculosis units of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme in four districts of Jharkhand, India," the study mentioned. "The tuberculosis units were randomly allocated 1:1 by block randomisation to the control group or the intervention group, by a statistician using computer-generated random numbers. Although microbiologically confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis patients in both groups received food rations (1200 kcal, 52 grams of protein per day with micronutrients) for 6 months, only household contacts in the intervention group received monthly food rations and micronutrients (750 kcal, 23 grams of protein per day with micronutrients)," it said. "After screening all household contacts for co-prevalent tuberculosis at baseline, all participants were followed up actively until July 31, 2022, for the primary outcome of incident tuberculosis (all forms). The ascertainment of the outcome was by independent medical staff in health services," the study added. "We used the Cox proportional hazards model and Poisson regression via the generalised estimating equation approach to estimate unadjusted hazard ratios, adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs), and incidence rate ratios (IRRs)," it added.
Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Indian Express
By 2050, 450 million Indians will be obese: How our colonial past is feeding our expanding waistlines
India, a nation once haunted by famine, now finds itself in the grip of a different crisis — an epidemic of abundance. A 2025 study in The Lancet warned that within the next 25 years, nearly 450 million Indians — over 21 crore men and 23 crore women — will be overweight or obese. That's almost a third of the country's projected population. More worrying still, the steepest rise is among 15–24-year-olds, with India overtaking the United States and China in absolute numbers. While the world is experiencing an obesity crisis, India's battle is shaped by a complex tangle of history, biology, culture, and urban lifestyle shifts, making it one of the most urgent public health concerns of the 21st century. The Body Mass Index (BMI), long used as a global yardstick for obesity, has serious blind spots when applied to South Asians. 'BMI is a blunt tool. It was designed using European populations and doesn't account for fat distribution or ethnicity-based differences,' explained Dr Ankit Potdar, consultant bariatric surgeon at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai. According to him, Indians tend to store more fat, especially around the abdomen, even at lower BMIs. An Indian with a BMI of 23 can carry the same metabolic risk as a Caucasian with a BMI of 28–30. 'When measured with body fat percentage or waist circumference, Indians often rank higher in obesity-related risks, even if their BMI appears normal,' Dr Potdar said. The World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged this discrepancy, adjusting the BMI cut-offs for Asians. For Indians: This recalibration is more than academic. Dr Kedar Patil, a bariatric surgeon at Ruby Hall Clinic in Pune, pointed out, 'Because of the increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, the WHO lowered the thresholds. A BMI of 23 is already a red flag for Indians.' India's tryst with obesity may have deeper roots. Not in fast food or sedentary jobs, but in centuries of starvation and famine. Between the 18th and 20th centuries, India endured several catastrophic famines under British colonial rule, from the Great Bengal Famine of 1770 to the devastating Bengal Famine of 1943. While environmental conditions played a role, historians agree that colonial policies, including forced grain exports, deepened the crisis. Modern science suggests these episodes of starvation may have left a biological legacy. 'There's growing scientific interest in this connection,' said Dr Potdar, adding, 'The 'thrifty phenotype hypothesis' proposes that generations exposed to famine adapted by storing fat more efficiently, an evolutionary survival mechanism.' This adaptation was once useful. But in an era of urbanisation and calorie-dense food, it's become harmful. 'We are now biologically primed to store fat quickly, burn fewer calories at rest, and resist weight loss,' Dr Potdar said. 'That's why we see higher rates of diabetes and heart disease, even in lean-looking Indians.' This theory is supported by similar findings in other famine-affected populations, like Dutch and Chinese survivors, whose descendants also show higher risk of obesity and diabetes. At the center of the Indian obesity crisis lies a familiar and often joked-about image: the pot belly. At the heart of India's obesity crisis lies the pot belly — medically, abdominal obesity, where visceral fat builds up around internal organs like liver and pancreas, disrupting insulin and sugar regulation. 'Indian men tend to deposit more visceral fat, which sharply raises the risk of heart disease, fatty liver, and insulin resistance, even if their overall weight seems normal' said Dr Patil. Women face different but equally serious risks. 'Indian women naturally have a higher body fat percentage (18–28 per cent) and tend to store it in the hips and thighs,' said Dr Potdar. 'This can contribute to PCOS, fertility issues, and metabolic syndrome.' 'Both Indian men and women are more metabolically obese than their Western counterparts,' Dr Patil explained. 'Even people who appear lean may have unhealthy fat stored in and around organs.' Given these predispositions, is weight loss a futile battle? Experts don't agree, but the strategy matters. 'When Indians lose weight too quickly, the body triggers a famine response: metabolism slows, hunger hormones spike, and fat gets stored even more stubbornly. This is not a willpower issue. It's biology defending against starvation,' said Dr Potdar. Rather than crash diets or extreme goals, both doctors recommend a sustainable, biology-aware approach: For those with morbid obesity or uncontrolled metabolic disease, bariatric surgery can be transformative. 'It can reset hunger signals and deliver sustained 30–50 kg weight loss, while drastically reducing diabetes, stroke, and heart disease risk,' said Dr Patil. India's obesity epidemic is not just a matter of overeating or under-exercising. It's a deeply systemic issue shaped by colonial trauma, biological adaptation, rapid modernisation, and socio-economic transition. The standard tools used to measure and manage obesity — like BMI — often fail to capture the unique risks Indians face. To address this crisis, India needs a multi-pronged strategy: public health policies tailored to ethnic risk profiles, better diagnostic tools beyond BMI, culturally relevant diet and fitness programs, and above all, an empathetic approach that doesn't blame individuals, but understands the roots of their biology. For millions of Indians, the path forward isn't about conforming to aesthetic ideals, but reclaiming metabolic health in a way that works with — not against — our evolutionary design. 'Let's stop blaming bodies and start understanding them,' Dr Potdar said. 'For Indians, the fight against obesity is historical, metabolic, and deeply embedded in our genes.'
The Hindu
9 hours ago
- The Hindu
The role of preventive health screenings in achieving a healthier India
As India celebrates Independence Day each year, the issues of economic development, technical innovation, equal rights and education come up. What, however, should also top the nation's list of priorities is freedom from preventable ailments, an aspect of independence to which we seem to pay little regard. Enabling citizens to live productive and healthy lives free from the burden of disease is the essence of true national independence. Preventive health screening is one of the most effective ways to accomplish this. The price of being late India continues to face a dual disease burden: infectious diseases on the one hand, and a fast-expanding wave of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular problems, and certain malignancies on the other. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), NCDs account for more than 60% of all deaths in India. Yet, many of these disorders can be detected and managed years before they become life-threatening. Although our healthcare system has begun to focus on prevention, it is still not free from the malaise of relying mainly on reactive care, responding only when symptoms show or consequences develop. This reactive approach is expensive and less effective. Late diagnosis not only harms health outcomes, but also depletes household savings, lowers workforce productivity, and places an unnecessary strain on the healthcare system. Why preventive screenings Preventive health screenings, whether a simple blood sugar test, lipid profile, mammography, or full-body health check, serve as an early warning system. They assist in identifying risk factors before they develop into major disease. Regular screenings allow early detection. For instance, diabetes and hypertension can be efficiently managed if detected early, avoiding consequences such as renal failure or stroke. Equally important is risk reduction which entails recognising high cholesterol or pre-cancerous changes that allow for lifestyle adjustments or focused therapies that significantly reduce long-term risk. Another factor in the ambit of prevention is lower healthcare costs. Preventing chronic illnesses is significantly less expensive than controlling them, both for the individual and the healthcare system. In effect, preventive screenings are not just a medical tool but a form of health security — protecting individuals and the nation as a whole. Changing mindsets A key challenge is cultural. For many Indians, consulting a doctor when you're feeling fine appears superfluous. Preventive screenings are sometimes viewed as a discretionary luxury rather than necessary investments in healthcare. We need a shift in thinking, where preventative care is viewed as a responsibility rather than an afterthought. This demands concerted actions. The government must incorporate screenings into national health programmes and fund tests for vulnerable groups. For employers, offering yearly health screenings could be a job benefit, not a perk. Healthcare providers meanwhile, should simplify and package screening programmes to make them more accessible. As for individuals, taking personal responsibility for frequent check-ups should be paramount, just as we would for car maintenance or financial preparation. Independence via health A healthy India means a more independent India. Preventive screenings enable people to enjoy longer and more fruitful lives, free of the financial and emotional burdens of preventable sicknesses. They preserve the breadwinner's earning capacity, shield families from exorbitant medical bills, and maintain community resilience. If we can instil a preventive care culture in our collective psyche, each Independence Day will not only represent political independence, but also the freedom to live without the shadow of undiagnosed sickness. Because, in the end, a nation is only as strong as its citizens' health. (Dr. Sharat Damodar is senior consultant, clinical lead, director - adult haemato-oncology & BMT, clinical director, chairman - oncology collegium, Narayana Health, Bangalore.
