A study was done by researchers at the University of Surrey, UK, analyzing data from >3,300 vegetarians in the UK Biobank—about half were consumers of plant-based meat alternatives, and half were non-consumers. Vegetarians consuming plant-based alternatives to meat have a 42% increased risk of depression, higher BP and inflammation levels, lower levels of HDL, compared to vegetarians who refrain from them.

>88 million women have been screened for cervical cancer under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Disease of which nearly 98,000 were diagnosed with the disease. Under the same programme, >14 cr people were screened & 56,000 were diagnosed with breast cancer. >26 cr were screened & 1.56 lakh were diagnosed with oral cancer. 32.52 cr were screened & 3.21 cr were diagnosed with hypertension. 32.36 cr were screened & 2.05 cr were diagnosed with Diabetes.

The country's 1st diabetes biobank, a repository of population-based biological samples aimed at supporting scientific research, has been established in Chennai by the ICMR in collaboration with MDRF. The biobank has blood samples from 2 ICMR-funded studies - the ICMR- India Diabetes (ICMR- INDIAB) study conducted in all states and Union territories in phases from 2008 to 2020 and the "Registry of people with diabetes in India at a young age at the onset", which was launched in 2006 and is still ongoing.

Karnataka Govt. has initiated legal action in the alleged Covid-19 scam by registering an FIR regarding the misappropriation of Rs 167 crore in the procurement of PPE kits and related medical supplies between Sept 2020 and June 2021. Dr Vishnuprasad M, the chief accounting officer & financial adviser to medical education department, filed a complaint detailing alleged financial misconduct involving medical education department former director Dr Girish PG, Raghu PG from accounts and audit department, and health equipment officer Muniraju N.

Paracetamol may increase the risk of gastrointestinal, heart and kidney-related complications among adults aged 65 and above. The latest study, conducted by researchers from the University of Nottingham, UK, found that PCM use was linked to a 24% increase in risk of peptic ulcer bleeding, 36% in lower gastrointestinal bleeding, 19% in chronic kidney disease, 9% in heart failure, and 7% in hypertension.

Waiting times for orthopedic surgeries at AIIMS, Delhi have doubled to 12 months due to limited operating room functionality. Only 4 or 5 of the 7 OTs are operational because of anesthesiology staffing shortages, impacting around 10 surgeries daily. This has prompted concerns from orthopedic surgeons, especially given the recent Rs 20 crore OT renovation.

Mumbai-based Wockhardt has developed a new drug called ‘nafithromycin’, for treating community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP). This drug is a potent alternative to existing antibiotics & help to combat antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). So far, testing of nafithromycin (Miqnaf) has found a 96.7% clinical cure rate. It offers 8 times the lung exposure and 10 times the potency of azithromycin. It is a safer option with fewer side effects and drug interactions.

There have been >3,350 maternal deaths in the last 5 years in Karnataka, said by CM office. The highest number of maternal deaths occurred during Covid-19 when the BJP was in power. In 2019-20, 662 maternal deaths were reported, 714 in 2020-21. However, the figures have since dropped, with 595 deaths recorded in 2021-22, 527 in 2022-23, and 518 in 2023-24. As of November 2024, this number stands at 348.

India's pharmaceutical market rebounded in November with 9.9% value growth and 3.1% volume growth. Key therapy areas like cardiac, gastrointestinal, anti-diabetes, and dermatology drove this growth, exceeding the overall market increase. Antineoplastics saw the fastest volume growth at 11.8%. Increased demand for anti-infectives and gastrointestinal drugs contributed to the recovery.

Eli Lilly will launch Mounjaro in India in 2025. The drug treats type 2 diabetes and obesity. Lilly received marketing authorization in July. It is working on additional approvals. Mounjaro's global sales exceeded $3.1 billion in Q3 2024. Lilly will expand its diabetes portfolio in India with this launch. It has partnerships with Lupin and Cipla for other diabetes products.