Disease X is a mystery pathogen, a ‘known unknown’  CREDIT: OLI SCARFF/GETTY IMAGES The World Health Organisation [WHO] has put scientists and health workers around the globe on alert for a new and potentially deadly pathogen – Disease X. Each year the Geneva-based organisation, which is charged with monitoring and safeguarding world health, convenes a high-level meeting of senior scientists to list Read More

If you abhor going to a gym everyday, here’s what you could do instead. Walking for at least 40 minutes several times every week at an average to fast pace is associated with a near 25% drop in the risk of heart failure among post-menopausal women, according to a study. The benefit appears to be consistent regardless of a woman’s body Read More

A normal intake of vitamin D can reduce the risk of early death substantially in people with cardiovascular disease, a study has found. The research concludes that people who have suffered from cardiovascular disease, and have a normal intake of vitamin D, reduce their risk of morality as a consequence of the disease by 30%. “We discovered that the right Read More

TV personality Malaika Arora feels there is no substitute for a healthy body and said being fit is her oxygen. “Fitness for me is a way of life. It is like my oxygen! Nothing else is truly yours than your own body, and there is no substitute for a healthy body. I would urge everyone to stay fit and invest Read More

Turns out, genetics make Asians and Europeans susceptible to severe dengue, a new study has stated. As globalisation and climate change spread tropical infectious diseases around the globe, not all populations have the same degree of susceptibility. A study conducted by researchers from the Institut Pasteur, CNRS and the Institute for Research, and Innovation in Health-University of Porto (i3S) identified Read More

The types of snacks a child chooses could be linked to genetics, a new study has claimed. The researcher investigated whether genetic variants in taste receptors related to sweet preference, fat taste sensitivity and aversion to bitter green leafy vegetables influenced the snacks chosen by the study participants. They found that nearly 80% of the study participants carried at least Read More

We all know that exercise plays an important role in our general health. If you’re someone who enjoys training at home, full body workouts make for a good option. Here are some full body exercises as suggested by Puneet Rehani, physiotherapist at AktivHealth: – Brisk Walking: Brisk walking is simple yet powerful. It can help to improve cholesterol levels, strengthen bones, Read More

Older persons who have acquired positive beliefs about old age from their surrounding culture are less likely to develop dementia, a study has found. The research, published in the journal PLOS ONE, examined whether culture-based age beliefs influence the risk of developing dementia among older people, including those who carry the high-risk gene variant. “We found that positive age beliefs Read More

Ebola virus can infect reproductive organs of humans, according to a study conducted on macaques. Prior studies of survivors of the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa have revealed sexual transmission of Ebola virus, and that viral RNA (Ebola virus genetic material) can persist in semen following recovery. While little is known about viral persistence in female reproductive tissues, pregnant Read More

In elderly hospitalised people, the risk of sustaining a fall can be predicted through an easy physical performance test, suggests a research. A study of 807 older individuals admitted to hospital found that those who had poorer physical function at the time of admission were more likely to fall during their hospital stay; 329 falls occurred in 189 patients, including Read More