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According to the findings of a study conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), more exposure to air pollution is related with stronger functional brain connectivity across numerous brain areas in preadolescents, although exposure to traffic noise is not.

The findings also identify the first years of life as the most sensitive period of exposure to air pollution. Traffic-related air pollution and noise are affecting an increasing number of people worldwide. “We already know that children are particularly vulnerable to the effect of these exposures, because of their immature metabolism and developing brain,” says ISGlobal researcher and senior author Monica Guxens. In fact, several studies by Guxens and others have found an association between exposure to traffic-related air pollution during early childhood and alterations in the brain structure.

In this study, the research team used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to explore whether higher exposure to air pollution or noise could also be associated with possible alterations in brain connectivity (i.e. the way in which different brain regions interact). “The use of MRI has opened up new possibilities in epidemiological research for investigating the structure and the functioning of the brain,” says Guxens.

The researchers analysed data from the Generation R Study, which included 2,197 infants born between April 2002 and January 2006 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. They used land use models to estimate levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx and NO2) and particulate matter (PM) in the participants’ residences at various times: during pregnancy, from birth to 3 years, from 3 to 6 years, and from 6 years to the age of the MRI scan. Traffic noise levels were assessed using available noise maps. Participants between the ages of 9 and 12 were asked to undertake a resting MRI scan (i.e. with no external stimuli).

Also Read: Why sitting for longer time can be dangerous for health?

The findings show that higher exposures to NO2 and PM2.5 absorbance (an indicator of black carbon particles) from birth to 3 years, and to NOx from 3 to 6 years of age were associated with higher functional brain connectivity among several brain regions in the preadolescents. The associations were identified in brain areas predominantly involved in two networks that have strongly opposing functions: the task negative (or “default-mode”) network tends to be activated in resting conditions and the task positive network tends to be activated during tasks that demand attention. “We still have to understand the consequences of this increased activity of both networks in resting conditions, but for now we can say that the brain connectivity in children exposed to higher levels of air pollution is different from what we would expect,” says Laura Perez-Crespo, first author of the study.

0-3 year olds most vulnerable to air pollution

The period from birth to three years had the most vulnerability to air pollution, and black carbon was the pollutant most related with alterations in brain connections. As the authors point out, diesel cars are the primary source of black carbon and nitrogen oxide pollutants in European cities. Despite the fact that multiple studies have shown that noise impacts cognitive development in children, noise exposure at home was not connected with variations in brain connection.

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A new research from Simon Fraser University lends weight to the idea that prolonged sitting is bad for your health.

A international study involving over 100,000 adults from 21 countries found that people who sat for six to eight hours a day had a 12-13 percent higher risk of early death and heart disease, while those who sat for more than eight hours a day had a dismal 20% increase. The research, conducted by Scott Lear of Simon Fraser University and Wei Li of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in Beijing, was published today in the journal Jama Cardiology.

“The overarching message here is to minimize how much you sit,” says Lear. “If you must sit, getting in more exercise during other times of the day will offset that risk.”

Also Read: US announces USD 122 million fund for India to address challenges posed by infectious diseases

Not surprising, those who sat the most and were the least active had the highest risk — up to 50 per cent — while those who sat the most but were also the most active had a substantially lower risk of about 17 per cent.

“For those sitting more than four hours a day, replacing a half-hour of sitting with exercise reduced the risk by two per cent,” Lear notes. “With only one in four Canadians meeting the activity guidelines there’s a real opportunity here for people to increase their activity and reduce their chances of early death and heart disease.”

The study discovered a specific link in lower-income nations, prompting researchers to believe that this might be because sitting in higher-income countries is often associated with greater socioeconomic position and higher-paying occupations.

Benefits of less sitting more movement

Clinicians should emphasise less sitting and more movement since it is a low-cost intervention with significant advantages, according to Lear.

However, although professionals must spread the word about the need of balancing sitting with movement, individuals must also review their habits and take their health seriously, according to Lear.

“Our study found that a combination of sitting and inactivity accounted for 8.8 per cent of all deaths, which is close to the contribution of smoking (10.6 per cent in Lear and Li’s study). “It’s a global problem that has a remarkably simple fix. Scheduling time to get out of that chair is a great start.”

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The United States has announced a financing of USD 122 million to top three Indian medical research institutes to prevent preventable epidemics, early identification of disease risks, and prompt and efficient response. The entire funding of USD 122,475,000 will be awarded over a five-year period to the three leading Indian health research institutions: the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the National Institute of Virology (NIV), and the National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE).

Announced by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday, the fund will accelerate the progress towards an India which is safe and secure from infectious disease threats through ICMR institutions’ focus on emerging and re-emerging pathogens. Prominent among these include detecting and controlling zoonotic disease outbreaks through a ‘one health’ approach; evaluating vaccine safety monitoring systems; capacitating the public health workforce in field epidemiology and outbreak response; and combating antimicrobial resistance, a media release said. CDC said ICMR is in a unique position to conduct this work, as it was originally established as an apex body for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research in India, and has taken up most of the laboratory-based surveillance of infectious diseases in recent years.

Also Read: Young men account for 60 per cent of all cardiology health queries: Practo

According to the Indian Heart Association, 50% of all heart attacks in Indian males occur before the age of 50, and 25% of all heart attacks in Indian men occur before the age of 40. The abrupt deaths of a few well-known male celebrities due to a heart attack or cardiac arrest have raised awareness and worries about heart disorders in the recent year.

Taking a closer look, Practo insights revealed a 300 per cent increase in cardiology related online consultations in men compared to last year while in-person appointments to cardiologists grew by 150 per cent for the same period.

From this, close to 60 per cent of both online and in-person cardiology related consultations were from men aged between 21 to 40. And nearly 40 per cent of all online cardiology related consults were from men living in non-metro cities.

Also Read: FDA approves first treatment for alopecia

The majority of queries were on ‘cardiac arrest’, ‘heart attack’, ‘coronary artery disease’, ‘How COVID-19 affects heart patients?” and “What are symptoms one should look out for in case of heart attacks?”

Heart health cases in India

Dr Alexander Kuruvilla, Chief Health Strategy Officer, Practo, “India is known to have the highest cases of heart disease patients in the world, and heart related issues among men have become more prevalent in the last couple of years. Heart disease is a chronic medical condition that needs meticulous management. And a patient needs to have access to all the necessary facilities to manage heart related conditions. At Practo, we are focused on improving healthcare delivery in a way that is accessible and affordable for the patients across the country so they can live healthier lives longer. And digital healthcare has provided patients with a potent solution to seek help instantly with a verified doctor 24×7.”

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The FDA has approved baricitinib as a therapy for severe alopecia areata, following extremely positive findings from trials confirming the hair regeneration potential of a popular arthritis medicine. The medicine will now be the first FDA-approved therapy for systemic treatment of the condition, and will come in the form of a daily tablet, which has shown great promise in recent Phase 3 trials.

Baricitinib is a medicine that was initially created to treat rheumatoid arthritis, but it has lately piqued the curiosity of scientists looking for remedies for another inflammatory illness known as alopecia areata. This disorder affects over 300,000 people in the United States each year and causes patchy hair loss due to immune system assaults on hair follicles. There were no FDA-approved therapies for the illness prior to today.

Scientists began looking at baricitinib’s potential to treat alopecia areata on the basis that it might disrupt the signalling pathways that damage hair follicles. Results from Phase 3 studies involving over 1,200 persons with the disease published in March revealed that almost one-third of them were able to regrow their hair by taking four-milligram capsules of baricitinib each day. Meanwhile, two-milligram dosages improved scalp hair covering in nearly a fifth of individuals.

Approval to first systematic treatment of Alopecia

The medicine, which will be offered under the brand name Olumiant by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, has now met the FDA’s safety and effectiveness standards, allowing the agency to approve it as the first in-disease systemic therapy for alopecia areata. That is, the medicine will be accessible in 1-, 2-, and 4-milligram daily dosages based on treatment response, rather than particular sites.

“Today marks a milestone with the first-ever FDA-approved systemic treatment for alopecia areata patients, who face significant challenges every day, including limited public knowledge about the disease, a lack of treatment options and social stigma,” a daily quoted Nicole Friedland, president and chief executive officer, National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF). “The approval of Olumiant can spark hope for many patients and encourage new treatment conversations with their doctors. NAAF wants more choices for our patient community and with the approval of Olumiant, there are now new treatment expectations being established in alopecia areata care.”

Olumiant is a JAK inhibitor that operates by inhibiting the activity of one or more enzyme families. It should not be used with other JAK inhibitors. Common side effects include respiratory tract infections, headaches, acne, and weight gain, and it’s worth mentioning that 2.2 percent of individuals dropped out of the clinical trial programme owing to unpleasant occurrences.

“Access to safe and effective treatment options is crucial for the significant number of Americans affected by severe alopecia,” said Kendall Marcus, M.D., director of the Division of Dermatology and Dentistry in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Today’s approval will help fulfill a significant unmet need for patients with severe alopecia areata.”

Also Read: NEET PG 2022: Counselling schedule to be announced soon

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On June 1, 2022, the National Board of Education (NBE) issued the NEET PG 2022 Result. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is presently preparing to conduct NEET PG Counselling online for 50 percent of AIQ seats in government institutions, central universities, deemed universities, ESIC, and AFMS institutes.

The NEET PG 2022 Counselling Schedule will be made available soon at www.mcc.nic.in. It should be noted that the remaining 50% of state quota seats will be filled by individual state counselling conducting agencies.

Also Read: SEC recommends India’s first indigenously developed vaccine against cervical cancer for 9 to 26-year age group

NEET PG 2022 course name and seats:

MD: 26,168
MS: 13,649
PG Diploma: 922
DNB CET: 1,388

List of documents required during NEET PG 2022 counselling process:

• NEET PG 2022 admit card
• NEET PG 2022 result
• Mark Sheets of MBBS/BDS professional examinations
• MBBS/BDS Degree Certificate
• Internship Completion Certificate
• NMC issued a registration certificate
• Date of birth proof
• Valid ID proof
• Caste certificate
• Disability Certificate

Registration at www.mcc.in

Step 1: Visit the official website of the MCC – www.mcc.nic.in

According to reports, the topic expert committee meeting scheduled today to consider Serum Institute of India’s (SII) indigenously manufactured Quadrivalent human papillomavirus (qHPV) vaccine against cervical cancer has recommended regular market authorization for males and females aged 9 to 26.

“The phase 3 data of vaccine was found satisfactory after which recommendations have been made,” sources from ANI reported.

According to the sources, SII’s Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs, Prakash Kumar Singh, applied to the Drugs Controller General of India on June 8 for market authorization of the qHPV vaccine.

Prakash Kumar Singh cited the vaccine’s antibody response against HPV types in all dosages and age groups in his submission to the DCGI.

Also Read: SEC will meet to examine India’s first indigenously made cervical cancer vaccine

“It’s expected that vaccine will be launched in the market before year-end. The qHPV will be India’s first indigenously vaccine against cervical cancer.

The Pune-based Serum Institute of India has applied for market authorisation after completing the phase 2/3 clinical trial with the support of the Department of Biotechnology to ensure its early availability in the country,” said the sources.

Cervical cancer in India

In India, 122,844 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, with 67,477 dying as a result of the disease.

The HPV vaccination lowers a woman’s chance of developing cervical cancer. Although men cannot acquire cervical cancer, the HPV vaccination may help prevent genital warts, penile cancer, anal cancer, and HPV transmission to sexual partners.

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India recorded 12,213 new Covid-19 in the past 24 hours. It was the first time in 3 months that the Covid cases crossed the 12k mark. India logged 8,641 new cases of the virus on Wednesday. Including the recent increase in cases, India’s COVID-19 cases totaled 4,32,57,730, with 58,215 active cases.

Active cases make up 0.13 percent of all cases.

Also Read: Dr Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Officer of the US, tests positive for COVID-19

The recovery rate in the country is currently at 98.65 per cent. As many as 7,624 recoveries were recorded in the last 24 hours thereby increasing Total Recoveries to 4,26,74,712.

With 11 new deaths, the total death rate is now 5,24,803.

Covid vaccination exceed 195 cr mark

So far, 195.67 crore vaccine doses have been delivered under the countrywide immunisation push for COVID-19.

In light of the recent increase in COVID-19 cases recorded throughout the country, the Health Ministry of India asked states and union territories on June 9 to be vigilant and rigorously adhere to COVID-appropriate behaviour. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan asked States/UTs on Thursday to increase RT-PCR testing, monitoring, clinical management, immunisation, COVID-19 procedures, and adopt prompt preventive measures in a letter. Bhushan also asked the government to use a “five-fold Strategy.”

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Dr. Antony Fauci, White House Chief Medical Advisor, tested positive with COVID-19 on Wednesday (local time).

He has been properly immunised and boosted twice. He is now suffering from minor symptoms. According to a press statement from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. Fauci will isolate himself and continue to work from home. US President Joe Biden’s primary medical advisor has not lately communicated with him or other senior government officials. Dr. Fauci will follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 recommendations, as well as medical advice from his physician, and will return to the NIH if he tests negative.

Also Read: WHO to decide if Monkeypox should be declared ‘Emergency of International Concern’ next week

“There may be the need for yet again another boost — in this case, a fourth-dose boost for an individual receiving the mRNA — that could be based on age, as well as underlying conditions,” Dr Fauci said during White House briefing on Wednesday (local time).

Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters that the data demonstrating the necessity for a shot after the third dose is certainly a problem that has been extensively monitored.

President Biden’s senior medical advisor stated that COVID-19 had killed half a million people worldwide since the omicron strain of the coronavirus was discovered in November, referring to it as the “full-blown pandemic phase” of the coronavirus problem.

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