New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) Switching from a diet high in saturated animal fats like butter to one with plant-based unsaturated fats like olive oil can affect the fat composition in the blood, which, in turn, can influence long-term disease risk, according to a study on Thursday.

The current guidelines call for increasing dietary unsaturated fat intake while reducing saturated fats to prevent cardiometabolic diseases, which include heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and insulin resistance.

The new study, published in Nature Medicine, demonstrated that a controlled dietary substitution of saturated fats with unsaturated fats may be good for health and can reduce cardiometabolic risk.

For the study, the team involved 113 participants who were divided into two groups: one consuming a diet high in saturated animal fats, while the other group had a diet rich in unsaturated plant-based fats.

These were followed for 16 weeks, and their blood samples were analysed using lipidomics, or an analysis of fats in the blood.

A higher multi-lipid score (MLS) — indicating a healthy blood fat profile — showed a substantially reduced risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases. A healthy fat-rich diet was found to be associated with a 32 per cent fewer incident of cardiovascular disease and 26 per cent fewer type 2 diabetes cases.

The “study confirms with even more certainty the health benefits of a diet high in unsaturated plant fats such as the Mediterranean diet and could help provide targeted dietary advice to those who would benefit most from changing their eating habits”, said Clemens Wittenbecher, research leader at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden.

The study also showed that it is possible to accurately measure diet-related fat changes in the blood and directly link them to the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. It also highlighted the potential of lipidomics-based scores for targeting and monitoring dietary interventions in biomarker-guided precision nutrition approaches.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) Even as the latest suicide case of a father-son duo in Mumbai shocked us, experts on Thursday said that suicide is the largest public health crisis facing people, both young and old in India.

India has the dubious distinction of having the highest number of suicides in the world. According to a National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report released in April, 1.71 lakh people died by suicide in 2022 in India.

The suicide rate has increased to 12.4 per 1,00,000 — the highest rate ever recorded in India.

But what is leading to the tragedy?

Health experts point out that the major reason is depression — a mental illness that in some can be genetic and can be induced by some kinds of stressors.

“The most common underlying reason for suicide is depression which in layman’s language we say stress otherwise it can be due to impulsiveness or other factors also, but the majority are because of depression,” Rajiv Mehta, Vice Chairperson, Institute of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, told IANS.

The doctor noted that common stressors in life are related to work, finances, relationship issues, and health.

“These are the four common areas where the ups and downs in life can produce stress and slowly when stress becomes severe, it gets converted into anxiety and depression, which leads to suicide,” he explained.

Studies also indicate that about 50 to 90 per cent of individuals who die by suicide also suffer from mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.

“Today, suicide is the largest public health crisis facing India. It is the leading cause of death among youth. Suicide can occur impulsively during periods of extreme stress, and those who are vulnerable may struggle to cope with such stressors as financial difficulties, medical conditions, or personal loss. Loneliness and isolation are also significant risk factors,” Shyam Bhat, Psychiatrist and Chairperson, LiveLoveLaugh, told IANS.

“The rising trend of suicide in India is quite concerning and calls for attention,” added Shambhavi Jaiman, Consultant Psychiatrist, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram.

In addition to mental health concerns or mental illnesses like depression, economic stress, unemployment, financial instability, huge amounts of debt for whatever reasons in their business, family conflicts, and marital discord all leading to hopelessness, are other contributing factors, the doctor told IANS.

Unfortunately, due to stigma and fear, discussions about suicide often happen in hushed tones, which only adds to its mystery.

Shyam called for offering genuine support without judgement or unsolicited advice to people in distress and helping them seek guidance.

“If you notice someone feeling depressed or down, encourage them. Offer support in helping them connect with a mental health professional who can provide perspective and guidance,” he said.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) India has demonstrated tremendous progress in maternal and child health, said Union Health Minister JP Nadda on World Population Day on Thursday, calling for achieving the family planning goals.

Highlighting the success of India’s family planning programme, the Union Health Minister in a blog post, said, “Millennial women in India are opting for smaller families, averaging just two children each” — a shift in trend from the past decade. He said that 57 per cent in their reproductive age (15 to 49 years) have actively used modern contraception”.

“India has demonstrated tremendous progress on the ground through improved family planning services and dramatically improving health outcomes, especially maternal health and child health,” he said.

Nadda said that family planning empowers women, girls, and youth by providing them with rights and choices.

While “India has already achieved replacement level of fertility at National level (TFR 2.0) and 31 States/UTs have already achieved this milestone as per NFHS-5 (2019-21) constituting a success story in its journey”… the aim is to “maintain and achieve this both nationally and sub-nationally”.

He stressed the need for “healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy for the health and well-being of mother and child.”

Nadda pointed out that the National Planning programme currently offers a variety of reversible modern contraceptives encompassing condoms, intrauterine contraceptive devices, oral pills, injectable contraceptives, etc.

“The government is committed to overcoming barriers related to access, misconceptions about contraceptive methods, and lack of awareness among clients, geographical and economic challenges, and restrictive social and cultural norms,” he noted.

Further, substantial investments are being made to improve family planning service delivery. The programme is also being extended to the last mile through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.

Nadda called to strive “for a future where every citizen has access to quality healthcare, and where the health and well-being of our people are the foundation of our nation’s progress and prosperity”.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) It is imperative to focus on the needs of women, youth, and marginalised communities that remain inadequate owing to the rising population, said experts on World Population Day on Thursday.

World Population Day is observed every year on July 11 to raise awareness about global population issues and their impact on society. The theme for this year is “Leave no one behind, count everyone”.

With about 142.86 crore population, India overtook China to become the world’s most populous nation, according to the UNFPA’s State of the World Population Report in 2023.

Speaking to IANS, Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director of the Population Foundation Of India (PFI), said even though India became the world’s most populous nation, “we have attained the replacement-level fertility rate.”

“This means that the average number of children born per woman is sufficient to keep the population size stable from one generation to the next,” she explained.

Yet, due to a large proportion of young people, the population in India will continue to grow.

“Nonetheless, we have made remarkable progress towards population stabilisation,” Poonam said.

However, she called for a shift in focus — on reaching the unreached, that is, the women, young people, and marginalised communities.

“The reproductive rights, access to resources, and health and well-being outcomes of these groups remain inadequate,” Poonam said.

There are approximately 24 million women with an unmet need for family planning, meaning they want to stop or delay childbearing but lack the access or agency to use contraception.

“The upcoming budget must increase the investment in family planning, especially in long-lasting modern contraceptives, as addressing these needs is crucial for achieving equitable and sustainable development,” the PFI chief said.

This was also advocated by the Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda, who called for “healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy for the health and well-being of mother and child.”

Population increases also create congestion and deplete human health resources.

“It also adds load to our already overburdened infrastructure, deprives people of basic amenities, causes scarcity of water, problems related to hygiene and sewage,” M Wali, Senior Consultant, Department of Medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, told IANS.

Overpopulation can also worsen health care indices like morbidity and mortality as preventive and screening health care needs of the population (especially the vulnerable sections like women, children, and elderly) are not adequately met.

“Uplifting women is an efficient strategy to keep the overpopulation problem in check. Educated women are more likely to exercise their reproductive rights, that is, use contraception and motivate their partners for the same, plan families, and consider termination of undesired pregnancies. They are also more likely to understand the importance of having small and healthy families,” Isha Wadhawan, from Fortis Faridabad, told IANS.

–IANS

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Agartala, July 10 (IANS) Tripura government on Wednesday said that 1790 persons were infected by HIV/AIDS with a positivity rate of 0.92 per cent during 2023-24.

The officials said as part of the National AIDS Control Programme, the government has taken a series of measures to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in the state.

Tripura State AIDS Control Society Project Director Samarpita Dutta said that in 2022-23, sixty seven people including two students died and in 2023-24, forty four people died after being infected by HIV/AIDS.

During 2022-23, new HIV/AIDS infection was detected among 1847 people with a positivity rate of infection was 0.89 per cent.

Dutta said that the National AIDS Control Programme has been implemented in Tripura since April, 1999.

Between April 2007 and May 2024, 828 students registered as PLHIV (People Living With HIV/AIDS) and 47 of them died during the period of 17 years.

“Tripura State AIDS Control Society has taken all initiatives to control the menace as per specific guidelines and action plan designed by National AIDS Control Organization,” Dutta told the media.

She said that 828 students registered over the last many years in ART centres are all getting free Anti Retroviral Treatment as per NACO guidelines.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, who himself is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and served in a key position at a medical college here before becoming Chief Minister, said that the state government has taken various measures to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in the state.

“It has come to our notice that some recent media reports have led to misgivings on the number of infected students and fatalities. It has been clarified by the department concerned that a total of 828 students in Tripura have tested HIV positive and 47 have lost lives over a period of 17 years (from April, 2007 to May, 2024).

“All affected students have received or have been receiving free Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) as per the NACO guidelines,” Saha, who also holds the Health and Family Welfare portfolio, said in a post on the X.

–IANS

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