In winter, digestion gets affected as body’s metabolism slows down to conserve heat. Benefits of soaking almonds overnight before consumption: 1) Improves their digestibility and nutrient absorption 2) Are less likely to cause digestive discomfort, such as bloating, since soaking softens the almond’s tough skin 3) Removes enzyme inhibitors, allowing body to better access the almond’s vitamins and minerals. Benefits of soaking raisins before consumption: 1) Enhance their sweetness, 2) Enhances digestibility and their antioxidant activity, needed for immune system, especially during the colder months.

According to a recent medical study, the wearing of sarees may put a large number of Indian women at risk of skin cancer. The connection may seem unusual, the research seems to raise a specific concern. The researchers have said that the tightly tied waist cord worn on an underskirt increased pressure, causes continuous rubbing on the skin, moisture and sweat build-up, which could cause skin cancer. What is your opinion on this?

Tamil Nadu government has declared snake bite as a notifiable disease in the state, thus making it mandatory for all government and private hospitals to report data to it for comprehensive prevention and treatment strategies like ramping up clinical infrastructure and allocation of anti-snake venom to prevent deaths. Snake bite has been declared as a notifiable disease in the state under the Tamil Nadu Public Health Act, 1939.

The West Bengal government has linked 5 medical colleges in Kolkata with the central referral system & started a digital bed vacancy monitor in 1 of these facilities. Hospitals in rural Bengal, which are linked to these medical establishments in the city, would generate a requisition for a bed through a portal for a patient who needs better medical facilities, these hospitals in Kolkata will update the information on the availability of beds. With a green signal from one hospital in the city, the rural hospital will initiate the process of transferring a patient.

Recently, a study was conducted by Seung Yong Shin, PhD, Korea University Ansan Hospital, on 5.3 million people in South Korea to understand the recovery phase of the heart once a person quits smoking. According to the study, light smokers who did not reach the eight-pack-year threshold would witness heart health conditions of that of a non-smoker within five to ten years of quitting. While heavy smokers would take around 25 years to recover to the state of non-smokers.

In a nation with 2 million hospital beds, where approximately 1.9 million patients in general wards rely on manual spot checks for monitoring, healtech firm Dozee’s AI-Powered remote patient monitoring and early warning system (EWS) has the potential to transform care across 95% of hospital capacity, according to a study published in journal Frontiers in Medical Technology. The study said Dozee’s technology enables delivering life-saving continuous monitoring that ensures healthcare at a fraction of the cost of ICU services.

Apollo Hospitals announces a major expansion plan in Mumbai and Lucknow with a total investment of Rs 1625 crore over the next four years. The expansion, involving a 500-bed facility in Worli and a 200-bed extension in Lucknow, will be funded through internal accruals and debt financing.

There was an increase in the number of TB cases that were reported in 2023. Globally, 82 lakh people were newly diagnosed with TB in 2023 – the highest number recorded since WHO began global TB monitoring in 1995, making it the leading infectious killer again, surpassing Covid-19 in 2023. Even though the country set the goal of eliminating TB by 2025 — 5 years ahead of the global target — it continues to have the highest burden of the disease.

WHO-recommended levels of sodium intake could avert 3 lakh deaths due to heart & chronic kidney disease in 10 years, a modelling study by the WHO has estimated. High levels of sodium - an ingredient of salt - are one of the main dietary risks of death and disability. Researchers, including those from The George Institute for Global Health, Hyderabad, said that India has no national strategy for sodium reduction despite people consuming double the recommended intake & increasing amounts of packaged foods (major source of sodium intake).

With the Union Cabinet expanding the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) to provide health coverage to people aged 70 years and above, regardless of their income level, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will shortly be distributing these health cards to beneficiaries over the age of 70 years, marking the beginning of the expanded scheme. Everyone of age 70 or more will be entitled to a cover of Rs 5 lakh annually, shared within the family. This means if there are two elderly beneficiaries in the household, the cover will be split among them.